Follower

• Summary - Follower:

  The speaker idolises his father's farming - strength and skills. The child tries to follow in the father's footsteps - struggling, unable to match the father's proficiency. Father continues to support son, helping him become a better farmer.

  Child: in awe, annoying, hindrance to father's farming process -> the one in charge, admiration towards father

  Father: master of trade, professional -> lagging, hindering son's farming work, supportive
• Concepts:

  • time has the power to change relationships (as we grow, we idolise parents less as we gain independence + confidence)
  • memories will impact us in the present
  • appreciate our role models - parental figures may not always be there
  • expectations during youth may change our trajectory in life
• His shoulders globed like a full sail strung

  • simile
  • possesses strength, skill, power
  • child admires father
• An expert

  • noun
  • impressed, knowledgable
  • child admires father's farming skill
• Mapping the furrow exactly

  • precise, therefore skilled, master of his trade
• All I ever did was follow in his broad shadow round the farm

  • metaphor
  • intimidation
  • not being good enough
  • shadow imagery - not seen behind father's figure
• I was a nuisance, tripping, falling, yapping always.

  • triple verbs
  • not as efficient as his father at farming
• But today it is my father who keeps stumbling behind me, and will not go away

  • role reversal
  • time change represented in the last stanza
  • speaker's feelings change
  • when the person you idolise changes (father is no longer great at farming - old age)
  • we may compare ourselves to idol - feel insignificant, jealous
  • speaker is tolerant - love outweighs irritation
• I wanted to grow up and plough

  • speaker shows admiration for father
  • wants to grow up and be like him, copying him, mirroring his actions
  • father is like a hero, the child worships him