Half-past Two

• Half past two


  The title of the poem, focuses on the concept of time
• The poem is part of the Pearson Edexcel International GCSE Anthology, which features only poems in Part 3
• Poem


  • Uses literary devices like language, imagery, and structure to convey meaning
• The poem is narrated from the perspective of a child
• The child did something wrong

  The teacher said he had done something very wrong and must stay in the schoolroom until half past two
• The child was too scared to remind the teacher that he didn't know how to tell time
• The child's concept of time


  Getting up time, time you're off, time to go home, time TV time - all very concrete and routine-based
• The child didn't understand the abstract concept of "half past two"
• Clock


  • The child personifies the clock, seeing it as having "little eyes" and "two long legs"
• The child waited in detention


  Time felt like it was moving very slowly, the child felt trapped and out of reach of time
• The teacher forgot about the child and came back, realizing the detention was not a big deal
• The child's experience of not understanding time

  Was a transformative and terrifying experience that the child never forgot
• Time is personified as hiding "ticklish" waiting to be born
• Teacher: '"my goodness I forgot all about you"'
• The poem explores a child's perspective on the abstract concept of time