An Easy Passage - Julia Copus

• "Once she is halfway up there, crouched in her bikini"

  • Suggests transition and liminality, emphasising the speaker's focus on a moment between childhood and adulthood.
  • 'Halfway' implies uncertainty and lack of stability, reinforcing the precariousness of the physical climb and the psychological journey.
  • 'Crouched' connotes vulnerability and possibly hesitation.
  • 'Bikini' highlights her exposure - both literally and metaphorically in terms of her emotional, physical vulnerability.
• "on the porch roof of her family's house, trembling,"

  • She is neither inside nor outside, emphasising themes of thresholds and coming of age. 'Family's house' reminds us of childhood and security, which contrasts with the act of sneaking into adulthood.
  • Verb 'trembling' suggests fear, excitement, and instability, reinforcing the theme of adolescence as a precarious stage. Almost physical reaction to the emotional weight of the moment, emphasising the girl's vulnerability.
• "of the narrow windowsill, the sharp / drop of the stairwell..."

  • 'Narrow' reinforces a sense of constraint and risk, mirroring the limited space and options available to the girl. Windowsill acts as a symbol - a point between inside (childhood, safety) and outside (adulthood, danger).
  • 'Sharp': physical danger and also emotional intensity. 'Drop' emphasises falling, failure, or descent, hinting at literal danger and the figurative idea of falling into adulthood.
  • Enjambment between 'sharp' and 'drop' mimics the feeling of falling.
• "she must keep her mind / on the friend with whom she is half in love"

  • Imperative 'must' suggests an internal struggle, as if the girl is trying to focus but is distracted. Reflects the liminality of adolescence, where emotions and thoughts are often in flux.
  • 'Half in love' introduces ambiguity - does this suggest romantic attraction, admiration, or an intense but undefined emotional connection.
  • Hesitation implied by 'half' mirrors the uncertain and transitional nature of teenage relationships.
• "and who is waiting for her on the blond / gravel somewhere beneath her..."

  • Suggests patience but also expectation, hinting at the way relationships at this stage of life are filled with anticipation and a longing for validation.
  • Enjambment between 'blond' and 'gravel' causes a momentary pause, allowing 'blond' to linger, which might evoke connotations of youth, innocence and warmth before being grounded by 'gravel', a rougher more mundane image. 'Blond' can also be linked to the sun, emphasising the golden moment of youth which is ultimately impermanent.
• "...keep her mind / on her and on the fact of the open window,"

  • Enjambment reflects the girl's shifting thoughts and the fluidity of the moment.
  • 'Fact of the open window' suggests inevitability or a moment of transition. Powerful symbol of opportunity, freedom, or even vulnerability - reinforcing themes of adolescence and change.
• "the flimsy, hole-punched, aluminium lever / towards which in a moment she will reach with the length of her whole body..."

  • 'Flimsy' connotes fragility, mirroring the girl's delicate, fleeting stage of youth. 'Hole-punched' evokes a sense of incompleteness or instability, potentially linking to the girl's uncertain transition into adulthood.
  • Reaching action suggests aspiration, yearning, or even risk-taking.
  • 'Whole body' highlights physicality, reinforcing themes of youth and movement . Conveys vulnerability, as she stretches beyond the safety of childhood.
• "...leaning in / to the warm flank of the house..."

  • 'Leaning in' suggests both trust and uncertainty, capturing the precarious balance of adolescence.
  • 'Warm flank' personifies the house, giving it a protective, almost maternal quality, reinforcing ideas of security before stepping into the unknown.
• "But first she / steadies herself, still crouching..."

  • Verb 'steadies' conveys the moment of control and careful balance, suggesting vulnerability but also determination. Could symbolise a transitional phrase, reflecting the poem's broader themes of adolescence and the precariousness of growing up.
  • 'Crouching' implies a moment of hesitation, as if the girl is in a liminal space between childhood and adulthood. 'Still' highlights a pause, creating tension before action.
• "...the grains of the asphalt / hot beneath her toes and fingertips,"

  • 'Grains' has a tactile quality, making the rough texture of the asphalt vivid. 'Grains' typically refer to sand, linking the urban setting to the natural world. Reinforces the contrast between youth's carefree nature and the harsher realities of adulthood.
  • Heat suggests discomfort, emphasising the physicality of the moment. Warmth could symbolise the pressures and intensity of adolescence, as well as the physical transition of the girl stepping into adulthood.
• "a square of petrified beach..."

  • Metaphor of asphalt likened to a 'petrified beach', suggesting that something once fluid and natural (childhood, freedom) has now hardened into something rigid and unyielding (adulthood, responsibility).
  • Geometric precision contrasts with the organic, shifting nature of a beach, reinforcing ideas of confinement and loss of freedom.
  • 'Petrified' can mean both 'fossilised' and 'terrified'.
• "Her tiny breasts / rest lightly on her thighs..."

  • Suggests youth and physical immaturity, emphasising the girl's stage of early adolescence. The diminutive 'tiny' highlights her fragility, reinforcing the idea that she's on the cusp of change but not yet fully grown.
  • Verb 'rest' conveys a sense of ease and transience, implying this moment is fleeting.
  • Body's posture suggests both physical awkwardness and metaphorical transition - caught between childhood and adulthood.
• "...What can she know / of the way the world admits us less and less / the more we grow?"

  • Rhetorical question highlights the girl's naivete and lack of awareness about the complexities of adult life. Implies innocence is linked to ignorance, and experience brings exclusion.
  • Personification of the world suggests that society itself actively rejects individuals as they age. Repetition of 'less' reinforces the inevitable diminishing of childhood freedom and acceptance.
• "...For now both girls seem / lit, as if from within, their hair and the gold stud / earrings in the first one's ears;..."

  • The girls appear to glow from within, symbolising the vitality and innocence of youth. The metaphor suggests an internal radiance, possibly linked to the self-assurance and excitement of adolescence. Creates a contrast between their vibrancy and the dullness of the external world.
  • 'Gold' connotes value, luxury, and fleeting beauty, reinforcing the idea that youth is precious yet temporary. Enjambment between 'stud' and 'earrings' mimics the fluidity of time and movement.
• "...set back as it is from the long, grey / eye of the street..."

  • The house, 'set back', symbolises the sheltered, private space of childhood, in contrast to the 'long, grey eye of the street' which personifies the adult world as watchful, perhaps intrusive, dull and uninviting. Adjective 'grey' suggests monotony and lifelessness, contrasting with the girls' vibrancy.
• "...and far away from the mother / who does not trust her daughter with a key,"

  • Suggests both physical and emotional distance between mother and daughter, reinforcing a theme of growing independence. Definite article 'the' instead of 'her' depersonalises the mother, suggesting detachment or a lack of closeness.
  • Key represents access, autonomy, and responsibility. Mother's refusal to give it signifies control, restriction, or a lack of trust in the daughter's maturity. Could reflect traditional parental constraints, particularly on young women.
• "the workers about their business in the drab / electroplating factory over the road,"

  • Carefree, liminal moment of adolescence contrasts with the monotonous, adult world of 'business'. The workers are not individualised, emphasising the dull routine of adult life, a stark contrast to the freedom and possibility of youth.
  • Adjective 'drab' connotes dullness and monotony, reinforcing a contrast between the brightness of youth and the inevitability of adulthood. The factory is a metaphor for societal pressures forcing conformity. 'Over the road' implies proximity yet separation.
• "far too, most far, from the flush-faced secretary"

  • Repetition intensifies the idea of distance, both literal and metaphorical. 'Most far' suggests an almost unattainable separation, perhaps between youth and adulthood, innocence and experience.
  • 'Flush-faced' suggests youth, excitement, or embarrassment. It contrasts with the secretary, who is more absorbed in mundane, routine concerns.
• "...with her head full of the evening class / she plans to take, or the trip of a lifetime..."

  • Enjambment reflects a rush of thoughts, perhaps the secretary's yearning for self-improvement or escape. The evening class (small, practical goal) versus 'trip of a lifetime' (grand, perhaps unattainable dream) suggests a contrast between reality and aspiration.
• "...looks up now / from the stirring omens of the astrology column"

  • 'Now' signals a fleeting moment of awareness, emphasising transience - she momentarily breaks from routine but will likely return to it. Her gaze upward suggests longing, nostalgia, or reflection on her own past youth.
  • 'Stirring' suggests excitement or unrest, while 'omens' imply fate or destiny. Secretary seeks meaning in an astrology column, which might hint at her dissatisfaction or need for reassurance, contrasting with the young girl's immediate, unselfconscious experience of youth.
• "at a girl - thirteen is she's a day - standing / in next to nothing in the driveway opposite,"

  • Highlights uncertainty around her age, reflecting the liminal space between childhood and adulthood.
  • Enjambment mimics the girl's physical precariousness and the fleeting nature of the moment.
  • 'Next to nothing' suggests she is scantily dressed, evoking innocence but also vulnerability, but also implies fragility, lack of worldly experience, and exposure to external judgement.
• "one hand flat against her stomach, one / shielding her eyes..."

  • Gesture suggests self-consciousness, hesitation, or an instinctive attempt at modesty. The stomach is associated with gut feelings, growth, and femininity, hinting at her awareness of change.
  • One hand suggests self-protection, the other openness and curiosity, encapsulating the theme of adolescence as a balancing act between security and exploration.
  • 'Shielding' implies both physical protection from the sun and metaphorical shielding from the overwhelming prospect of adulthood.
• "...to gaze up at a pale calf, / a silver anklet..."

  • Verb 'gaze' suggests admiration, wonder, or longing. Upward motion implies a sense of aspiration or reverence, reinforcing the liminality between childhood and adulthood.
  • 'Pale' can symbolise youth, innocence, or vulnerability. Subtle detail hints at the fragility of the moment.
  • 'Silver', often associated with purity and transition, suggests a moment of adornment, perhaps signifying a youthful attempt at sophistication. Anklet is a traditional symbol of femininity and beauty.
• "...and the five neat shimmering- / oyster-painted toenails of an outstretched foot"

  • Careful precision of 'five neat' evokes an aesthetic control, a self-awareness developing in adolescence. 'Shimmering' conveys ephemerality, as if the moment or the girl's youth is fleeting.
  • Image of 'oyster' suggests iridescence, luxury, and transformation. Choice of nail polish colour suggests an intentional act of self-presentation, subtly underscoring her self-conscious transition.
  • 'Outstretched' position implies movement, hesitation, or the act of reaching forward - metaphor for adolescence.
• "which catch the sunlight briefly like the / flash of armaments..."

  • 'Briefly' emphasises the fleeting nature of the moment. Suggests a contrast between light and shadow, between presence and absence, evoking a sense of impermanence.
  • Simile evokes violent imagery, bringing to mind flashes of weapons or warfare. Comparison introduces a sense of danger or intensity. Flash of armaments suggests something powerful and dangerous, momentary but impactful. Implies the girl's own power or potential, perhaps the way youth or beauty can be intense and momentarily dazzling but is gone just as quickly.
• "...before / dropping gracefully into the shade of the house."

  • Transition from the 'flash of armaments' to 'gracefully' dropping into the 'shade of the house' introduces a sharp contrast. 'Gracefully' softens the transition, and 'shade' often connotes a sense of refuge or calm, as opposed to the harshness of direct sunlight or armaments.
  • 'Gracefully' suggests elegance and composure. Shift from sunlight to shade symbolises a return to quiet or a retreat from the public gaze.