3.

30 H
 igh/middle-level sample
essay on Letter to Barbados

Student Book p 56
CD-ROM p 23

Read the sample response below. Then read the examiners comments on this response, printed on
Handout 3.31.
Letter to Barbados depicts the distance between two close brothers. The first line of the poem is quite prosaic, Dear faroff brother yet due to the layout of the piece it is obvious it is a poem; there are six lines per stanza and an even number
(8) of stanzas. This gives the poem regularity. However, the lack of rhyme and use of enjambement shows the poet, Walker,
battling with his emotions. When a poet uses enjambement and lacks a structured rhyme scheme, it suggests he is trying
to let his thoughts and feelings dictate the form of the poem. In contrast to this, the strict length of the stanzas and
the pentameter (usually nine syllables per line) show Walker is trying to keep a check on his senses and not let his feelings
completely take over the poem.
The pace of the poem is quite slow; normally a pentameter would speed up a poem, but in Letter to Barbados there
are commas and full stops half way through lines. Furthermore, the use of very short sentences, for example Evening ensures
that the reader does indeed slow down the pace of the poem. This gives it the impression of being a thought-provoking, deeply
emotional and intimate poem.
Walker starts the poem with an immediate sense of distance. Letter to Barbados is quite an ambiguous title and
is very specific if this poem had simply been called Letter, it would have been a poem that can be adapted universally;
however, the clear direction of this letter shows the personal importance this letter has to the poet. The first line again
hints at the distance between the letter-writer and receiver far-off is used to describe the brother; from the title we
realise the brother is physically far-off, but the poem later implies that the brother is emotionally far-off. This is shown by
the poets insistence of reminiscing about the past and the memories shared between the brothers, for example just as you
recall. Walkers fragmented and unclear sentences, for example, I guess/How you miss the English spring slowly depicts his
emotions behind the words; Walker misses his brother and his trail of thought as he reminisces starts to become unclear and
fragmented. Walkers use of figurative language also depicts his feelings. He describes how his magnolia flowers fly and how
he must rake up these flowers from the lawn. This is a metaphor for the deeper meaning of him reminiscing about his brother,
and how he must rake up these memories and move on (however, his procrastination in moving on from his reminiscing is
shown by the word tomorrow).
Walker views his home with pessimism now that his brother is gone he refers to their shared beloved home as this
house, and the adjective satisfactory offers no warmth at all. Furthermore, the fifth stanza reveals Walkers state of
mind and opinion on his life without his brother through the words such as darkening, shadow, last and swoop down. The
word swoop combined with the word down stresses the vowel o and creates a heavy mood.
The use of enjambement lets the poets thoughts flow without breaking the moment, and gives a sense of layering.
Walkers thoughts are becoming much deeper emotionally and the run-on of stanzas lets this happen in an unobvious way.
However, the reader does get a sense that the poets sorrows will be soothd. The sixth stanza marks the turning point
in the poem; Walker states how he made A first cut of grass since the autumn and, as it is now April, it seems that this
is the first cut of the grass Walker has made since his brothers departure. This nature imagery links back to when Walker
said he must rake up his memories and the cotton rags magnolia flowers suggesting that Walker is indeed raking up his
memories. The alliteration smelt sweet sun swathe echoes the word soothe two lines previously.
This transformation in the poem is remarkable. The poem starts with a conversational, prosaic tone and packs in detail of
the outside world in England: for example, the shower cloud and sunlight and sunlight to describe the changing of one day
to the next. However, as the poem progresses the layers of Walkers thoughts become clear, and Walker looks upon his life with
a pessimistic outlook and a sense of deep, profound loss and this can be the temporary loss of a brother moving away, or a
much more personal loss, and while these feelings will never go away, one must be able to accept them and move on in their
everyday lives.
This is reiterated in the last stanza And you will understand is a much more universal approach then his original
Dear brother. The poem is no longer singularly directed at his brother, but at his readers collectively. Walker explains how he
shall never forget his brother yet the memories are shrivelling details, shells and how they musty be folded and brought to
a close. His hands close and put away the memories in order so that he can move on with his life.

Edexcel A2 Literature Unit 3 Interpretations of prose and poetry

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