Letters From Yorkshire - Maura Dooley

• Glossary

  lapwings - a type of bird usually found on farmland

  waterbutt - an outdoor barrel which collects and stores rainwater
• What the poem's about

  1. A man is working in his garden. He sees his firs lapwings of the season and writes to the narrator about it

  2. The narrator reflects on their different lives - the man lives in Yorkshire and spends time outside, whereas she lives a long way away, presumably in a city, and spends her time inside writing

  3. The narrator wonders if his life is more fulfilling because he's closer to nature. She feels as though he lives in a different world, but the letters he writes help her to feel connected to him and his way of life
• Form

  The poem is written in free verse, which makes the poem flow like natural speech or a letter. Enjambment allows lines and stanzas to flow into each other - this continuous movement reflects the way the seasons are constantly changing. The use of three-line stanzas instead of an even number of lines makes the poem look disjointed - this reflects how the narrator feels disconnected from the man

  ."seasons turning," - Enjambment imitates the changing seasons
• Structure

  In the first three stanzas, the narrator shows how she and the man live different lives. Despite this, it becomes clear in the final two stanzas that they have a deep connection

  . "Is your life more real because you dig and sow?" - Rhetorical question in the middle stanza reflects how this issue is at the centre of what the poem is about
• Physical verbs

  A series of active verbs (e.g. "digging", "planting") describe the letter writer's physical work in his garden. They are ordinary but satisfying actions that emphasise his connection with nature

  . "digging his garden" - He works closely with the land

  . "Planting Potatoes" - Alliteration emphasises that it's a repetitive, ordinary action

  . "breaking ice", "clearing a path" - Description of mundane, physical tasks shows how he sees his life as ordinary, but also reiterates his connection with nature
• How does the narrator's lifestyle contrast with the letter writer's lifestyle?

  She works at a computer, he works outside
• How does the narrator perceive her own life compared to the letter writer's?

  She romanticizes his life and sees hers as inferior
• What literary device emphasizes the contrast between the narrator and the letter writer's perspectives?

  Alliteration
• What does the phrase "heartful of headlines" suggest about the narrator's view of her life?

  It sounds melodramatic and artificial
• What does the letter writer's connection to nature signify?

  He is in tune with nature's cycles
• What does the statement "It's not romance, simply how things are" imply about the letter writer's perspective?

  He views his life as ordinary and realistic
• How does the figurative language of "feeding words" contrast with the letter writer's actions?

  Her actions seem artificial compared to his natural experiences
• What does the term "blank screen" symbolize in the context of their lifestyles?

  It represents lifelessness and emptiness
• How does the phrase "singing knuckles" contrast with the "blank screen"?

  It suggests vitality compared to lifelessness
• What effect does the caesura in "snow. Still," have on the reader's understanding of the letter writer's lifestyle?

  It introduces a contrasting perspective on his life
• How does the narrator describe the letter writer's day-to-day life?

  In terms of "air and light," making it magical
• What does the contrast between "air and light" and her "feeding words" suggest about the narrator's writing?

  Her writing lacks the natural quality of his experiences
• Language about communication

  Communication bridges the distance between them and emphasises the things they have in common. Figurative language suggests their connection is almost spiritual

  . "word", "world" - Alliteration and assonance make these words sound similar, but they're also different - this reflects how his words make the speaker feel close to his world, but also remind her that she's distant from it

  . "same news in different houses" - Watching the same news hints that their lives aren't so different - this shared experience makes her feel closer to him

  . "souls" - Spiritual language shows they have a deep and meaningful connection

  . "across the icy miles" - Communication brings them together, despite the distance between them. Describing this distance as "icy" suggests that she dislikes being so far away from him
• Other Analysis

  . ", his knuckles singing" - Use of caesura shifts the focus from his ordinary actions to personification. The personification shows the delight he feels

  . "You out there, in the cold," - Monosyllabic words reflect his simple way of life
• Feelings and attitudes in the poem

  1. Appreciation - The narrator appreciates the man's way of life - she values his closeness to nature and how he experiences things that she doesn't in her everyday life

  2. Connection - The narrator and the letter writer are close - it seems that he writes to her a lot about the little things that happen in his life that are important to him, such as seeing the lapwings

  3. Longing - She seems to long for his lifestyle - she sees it as romantic and fulfilling