1. Hitcher
I'd been tired, under
the weather, but the ansaphone kept screaming:
One more sick-note, mister, and you're finished. Fired.
I thumbed a lift to where the car was parked.
A Vauxhall Astra. It was hired.
I picked him up in Leeds.
He was following the sun to west from east
with just a toothbrush and the good earth for a bed.
The truth he said, was blowin' in the wind,
or round the next bend.
I let him have it
on the top road out of Harrogate - once
with the head, then six times with the krooklok
in the face - and didn't even swerve.
I dropped it into third
and leant across
to let him out, and saw him in the mirror
bouncing off the kerb, then disappearing down the verge.
We were the same age, give or take a week.
He'd said he liked the breeze
to run its fingers
through his hair. It was twelve noon.
The outlook for the day was moderate to fair.
Stitch that, I remember thinking,
you can walk from there.

2. What Is the poem About?
The poem is about a person, who is stressed out at
work.
He gets a lift in a hire car and somewhere near Leeds, picks up a hitcher who is a hippie.
He takes out all his frustration on the hitcher by hitting him with a ‘krooklok’ and then throwing him out of the moving car to his death.

3. Alternative Interpretation
In the poem, Armitage uses italic writing to make the poem
seem like the subject’s boss is speaking to him on an ansaphone recording -
“one more sick-note, mister, and you're finished. Fired.”
This could show his frustration with work because he takes days off.
However, it could also show his jealousy of the hippie because he doesn’t have to worry about work.
“He was following the sun to west from east with just a toothbrush and the good earth for a bed. The truth, he said, was blowin' in the wind,”
Any other interpretation?!

4. ‘Hitcher’ By Simon Armitage
LO: to understand the poem ‘Hitcher’ using TSLAP.

5. Home learning
For Monday, compose an analytical critique of the poem ‘Hitcher.’ (min. 2 sides of A4 page.)
Research the background to the poem , ‘Our Sharpeville’ by Ingrid de Kok.
We have 8 poems to complete in 3.5 weeks- one poem per lesson…ahhhh.
HOMEWORK must be complete!

6. Themes The themes that feature in the poem are:
Violence – when he hits the hippie with the krooklok.
Death – when he kills the hippie and lets him bounce off the kerb.
Jealousy - when he picks up the hippie and realises he is not tied up with work like him. He is ‘free’.
Loneliness – when he is stressed out with work and stays off sick on purpose by himself.
Anger – when he ‘flips’ and kills the hitcher.
Conflict-

7. What do you think is the Speaker’s motive for killing the Hitcher?
The Speaker/Driver
The Hitcher
Carefree
Lack of responsibilities or obligations.
Enjoys life.
Takes pleasure in nature.
A hippie.
Unreliable
A ‘shirker’
Tired, stressed.
Frustrated with life.
Brutal
Violent
Lack of guilt of conscience
Gloating
No regard for human life
What do you think is the Speaker’s motive for killing the Hitcher?

8. Language
The poem is written in the first person which gives it a realistic voice.
Colloquial language is also used, such as ‘stitch that’ which adds to the realism – as does the lack of imagery in the poem.
The repetition of the personal pronoun ‘I’ helps us understand how psychotic and self centred the character really is.

9. on the top road out of Harrogate - once
Takes his frustrations out on the hitcher. The narrator envies him
I let him have it
on the top road out of Harrogate - once
with the head, then six times with the krooklok
in the face - and didn't even swerve.
I dropped it into third
and leant across
to let him out, and saw him in the mirror
bouncing off the kerb, then disappearing down the verge.
We were the same age, give or take a week.
He'd said he liked the breeze
to run its fingers
through his hair. It was twelve noon.
The outlook for the day was moderate to fair.
Stitch that, I remember thinking,
you can walk from there.
Stark violent images- effect?
The enjambment between
the stanzas keeps the tone
calm and relaxed – making
the report of violence even
more chilling.
Enjambment- effect?
Echo of the Hitcher’s voice, different language from the narrator
Why are the similar ages interesting?
Personification, what effect does this create?
Return to normality, details of time and weather
Colloquial language- effect?

10. on the top road out of Harrogate - once
Takes his frustrations out on the hitcher. The narrator envies him
I let him have it
on the top road out of Harrogate - once
with the head, then six times with the krooklok
in the face - and didn't even swerve.
I dropped it into third
and leant across
to let him out, and saw him in the mirror
bouncing off the kerb, then disappearing down the verge.
We were the same age, give or take a week.
He'd said he liked the breeze
to run its fingers
through his hair. It was twelve noon.
The outlook for the day was moderate to fair.
Stitch that, I remember thinking,
you can walk from there.
Stark violent images
Enjambment
Echo of the Hitcher’s voice, different language from the narrator
Why are the similar ages interesting?
Personification, what effect does this create?
Return to normality, details of time and weather
Colloquial

11. Structure
I let him have it on the top road out of Harrogate - once with the head, then six times with the krooklok in the face - and didn't even swerve. I dropped into third and lent across to let him out, and saw him in the mirror bouncing off the kerb, then disappearing down the verge. We were the same age, give or take a week. He'd said he liked the breeze to run its fingers through his hair. It was twelve noon. The outlook for the day was moderate to fair. Stitch that, I remember thinking, you can walk from there.
The enjambment between
the stanzas keeps the tone
calm and relaxed – making
the report of violence even
more chilling.

12. Technique
This poem has an unusual structure of five stanzas with five lines of short, medium, and long lengths. Why do you think Armitage chose to use this structure?
Why do many of the lines run over into the next? What effect does this have?
The poem is a ‘monologue’. Written in the first person in the form of continuous speech the character often leaves clues about themselves and their story. What effect does this have?

13. Summary (Personal Response)
It’s a poem about how stress can lead to random acts of violence.
It’s a poem which presents a deeply disturbed man in both a serious and comic way.
It’s an insight into the mind of a cold, calculating murderer.
It’s an extended metaphor: there is no real victim – the speaker comes to realise that dreams have no place in the real world and he ‘kills’ his freedom loving, imaginative side.
Which of the following statements do you agree with and what is the evidence for your decision?

14. Close Text Analysis
“saw him in the mirror bouncing off the kerb, then disappearing down the verge.”
This quote shows the character casually reporting on his violence, which shows how psychopathic he is. He also uses the word ‘bouncing’ in his description, which gives the poem a casual, almost humorous tone.
This makes the report of the violence even more chilling.