FORM ONE : Sad I Ams by Trevor Millum

The Poet

Trevor Millum

Born Woking, Surrey, 1945. BA Birmingham 1967. PhD Birmingham 1970. PGCE University of Zambia 1971. Subsequently teacher, writer
and software developer.
Professional Officer for NATE 1998-2004. Creator of 'Poetry Place' on the Teachit website (teachit.co.uk/poetryplace).

Sad I Ams

I am
the ring
from an empty Cola can
the scrapings
from an unwashed porridge pan
the severed arm
of last years Action man.

I am
the envelope
on which the gum is gone
the Sellotape
where you cant find the end
the toothless stapler, springless bulldog clip
the dried up liquid paper
that mars instead of mends
the stamped addressed reply
that you forgot
to send.

I am
the battery in which no charge is left
the starter motor which remains inert
the tyre on which the tread is worn
the sparking plug which shows no sign of spark
the carburettor chocked by bits of dirt
the chromium trim from which the shine has gone.

I am
a garden
overgrown with weeds
a library book
that no one ever reads
a stray
which no one thinks to feed
the piece of good advice
which no one seems to need.

SUMMARY OF THE POEM

1. The poem consists of four stanzas.
2. Each stanza consists different number of lines.
3. There is no clear rhyme scheme in the poem.
4. Stanza 1 and 4 do not rhyme while stanza 2 and 3 have some rhyme scheme.
5. The poem is about neglecting or discarding things which are of no use to us anymore.
6. The persona compares himself/herself to numerous things that are no longer needed.
7. The title Sads I Ams implies a gloomy tone to the poem.
 SUMMARY OF EACH STANZA:

In the first stanza, the poet is describes himself as the things that are usually thrown away
because they have become useless to the owner

the ring of the can is usually thrown away after we open the can

the scrapings should be cleaned when the pans are put to wash nobody wants to keep the dirt on the pan

And finally -when the toys arm is broken- the action figure toy becomes distorted- next year a new action figure would become
more popular.

In the second stanza, the poet is now describing used things that cannot be used any longer.
 the envelope where the gum doesnt stick- perhaps it is an old envelope;

Sellotape that is old or not marked where the end is impossible to find;

stapler that has no place to attach the bullets- thus, it has become not functional;
 spring -less bulldog clip: one without spring would not be able to function;

liquid paper that is dry;

and an envelope that he had already put the stamp on but had forgotten to post.

The third stanza also describes things that have become useless to the owner.

Battery that needs to be charged- it shows that the car cannot be driven;
 starter motor which does not work

tyre has no threads anymore - it becomes dangerous to drive with such tyres as they have no grip

Spark plug that does not work-the engine of the car would not start if the plugs do not function;

carburettor that needs to be serviced before it can be used

 and chromium plating which is not shining!

In the final or fourth stanza, the poet describes things that are not paid attention tosuch as:

the garden that is not taken care of which is full of weeds-

which implies that no one has cleaned the garden;

a library book which is probably outdated that no one wants to borrow it; an animal

such as a stray dog that no one takes care of and finally good advice that no one
heeds.
SETTING
No specific time and place is
mentioned.

PERSONA
The gender is not mentioned, It can be
assumed that the persona is an
elderly person as he feels neglected
and likens himself/ herself to various
objects which has no use to anyone
anymore.

TONE AND MOOD

It is gloomy and depressing. The
persona manages to evoke a feeling of
sympathy in the reader for the persona
as well as the discarded things.

THEMES
1. Rejection
2. Being neglected
3. Being forgotten
4. Feeling of uselessness

MORAL VALUES
1. Appreciating others
2. Recyling

METAPHOR
All the unwanted things the persona
liken himself/herself to.

IMAGERY
All the unwanted items describe the
unwanted things vividly