Eden rock- Charles Causley

• "They are waiting for me somewhere beyond Eden Rock:"

  The speaker, the voice of the poet, recollects a specific narrative from his childhood in the poem ‘Eden Rock’, albeit in the present tense – designed to more deeply immerse himself and the reader in his idealised childhood memories.
• "My father, twenty-five, in the same suit Of Genuine Irish Tweed, his terrier Jack Still two years old and trembling at his feet."


  The words ‘same’ and ‘still’ are associated with familiarity, which provides comfort to the nostalgic speaker who recalls this scene in an effort to more closely connect with his childhood.
• "My mother, twenty-three, in a sprigged dress Drawn at the waist, ribbon in her straw hat"

  The speaker’s description of both his mother and father is intricate and detailed and features specificities such as his mother’s ‘sprigged dress’ and his father’s ‘Irish Tweed suit’ which highlight just precious his parents’ memory is to the speaker.
• "Her hair, the colour of wheat, takes on the light."


  These two lines portray her beauty in the eyes of the speaker. The image of the ‘white cloth’ religiously symbolises her spiritual purity, such that in no way is she tainted by sin.
• "Crossing is not as hard as you might think."


  This line is a metaphor for the speaker’s journey into adulthood and the afterlife. It suggests that the transition is not as difficult as one might fear.
• These lines reflect the themes of love, nostalgia, and the passage of time that are central to the poem. The poem is a poignant exploration of a son’s memories of his parents and his longing to join them in the afterlife.