Context - Effects

• The poem 'Effects' was written by Alan Jenkins
• In the poem 'Effects', the theme of familial love is intricately woven with the motif of sacrifice as the poem encapsulates the mother's laborious dedication to her family which her love manifests in
• The poem 'Effects' profoundly explores the theme of loss and the ensuing grief; the mother's decline after her husband's death is poignantly depicted through the removal of her personal items underscoring the stark, unadorned reality of her final moments, encapsulating the profound sense of loss
• The poem 'Effects' explores the theme of Alienation & Isolation, this is highlighted through the generational and emotional distance between the speaker and his mother, signifying a cultural and generational divide, deepening her alienation
• The poem 'Effects' permeates around the theme of Memory & Nostalgia as the speaker reflects on his mother's past and their shared history; the memories highlight the relentless passage of time and the erosion of her once vibrant life
• The poem 'Effects' explores the theme of Identity, the transformation of the mother from a vibrant, nurturing figure to a diminished, almost unrecognizable form - Her identity, once tied to her roles as a wife and mother, is eroded by age, loss and illness
• The poem 'Effects' masterfully juxtaposes the mundane with the profound, using ordinary objects and routines to explore deeper existential themes - The mother's everyday activities, such as cooking and cleaning, serve as metaphors for her life's work and her love - This interplay highlights the beauty and tragedy inherent in the ordinary, emphasizing the theme of finding meaning in the mundane
• The poem 'Effects' sketches a fairly generic portrait of English middle-class life during the mid-to-late 20th century
• Britain narrowly avoided bankruptcy after WW2 (1939 - 1945) and was slow to recover economically, Prosperity returned to the country during the 1950's and remained fairly steady through the 1960's - These boom years brought a nationwide increase in home ownership, buoyed by government investment in the construction of new homes
• TVs became increasingly common home items from the 1950s onward, and the kinds of "soaps and game shows" mentioned in the poem 'Effects' became staples of popular programming
• The poem 'Effects' evokes this general cultural atmosphere - the atmosphere of the poet's childhood and early adulthood - with more criticism than nostalgia
• The poem 'Effects' explores how the speaker felt a deep love for his family, but also the speaker clearly found his home cloistered, middlebrow, and disappointing due to provincial Englishness and Xenophobia
• The poem 'Effects' gestures toward the increasingly globalised culture/cuisine of late-20th-century England, the speaker welcomes this multicultural influence but it upsets his mother, who clings to tradition in the face of sweeping change
• The poem 'Effects' reflects the much-discussed Generation Gap - the widespread clash of experiences, tastes & values between the Baby Boomers (born 1946 - 1964) and their parent's and grandparent's generations
• The poem 'Effects' explores the themes of Guilt & Regret, particularly in the speaker's reflections on his absence and his mother's final plea; the speaker's return, only after her death, emphasises the missed opportunities for reconciliation and understanding - This theme resonates with the universal experience of regret in the face of irrevocable loss, amplifying the emotional weight of the poem