By Beth, Elodie, Lucy, Shelby and Mariah Brothers Analysis By Beth, Elodie, Lucy, Shelby and Mariah
About the poem The poem ‘brothers’ is about a boy spending an afternoon with his younger brother and his friend, and explores the relationship between siblings. It is written from an adult perspective but considers the feelings of the older brother who thinks of his younger brother as an inconvenience. The poem in some ways explores a rite of passage for the speaker – the movement away from childhood, and an inevitable separation from the younger brother.
Ao1 Analysis
Structure The poem doesn’t use rhyme or have a strict pattern to its rhythm, which is typical in modern poetry. The narrative poem is written in free verse. Which means there is no regular rhythm. The last stanza is shorter than the others, 4 lines long instead of 5 suggesting this to be an emotional outburst.
Stanzas - Childhood Memories In Brothers the speaker is recalling a childhood memory which has a large amount of emotional significance to him as it is when the relationship dynamics alter with his brother. The theme of adolescence is explored as the older brother is 'doing what adults do'. The poem begins with the metaphor 'saddled' which suggests that he has been made to take his little brother around with him. However also in the first stanza the speaker says how the younger brother 'skipped' and 'spouting six year old views' showing his excitement to be with his older brother. The embarrassment the speaker has is also expressed as he comments on his sibling's 'ridiculous tank top' which consequently leads him to make the most of the opportunity to get rid of him. Imagery is used to contrast and emphasise the two boys as the speaker 'strolls' and his younger, innocent brother 'wind milled home' though later on in the poem we later learn that there is only a year's age difference between them giving the poem a sense of irony. In the third stanza the speaker still portrays them both as children with the metaphor of 'chasing Olympic gold' which suggest he is still just as imaginative and youthful as his little brother. We all see how the younger brother's desire for a relationship with his brother 'holding his hand out' but this distance has already been formed both literally and metaphorically between them. The poem also ends on a metaphor about the distance between them and how it will always be present.
Language The poem combines simple, colloquial language with a strong nostalgic and photographic feel. Forster uses this vernacular style to reflect the language of the children in the poem.
Devices Metaphors Imagery Colloquial Language Short sentences Monosyllabic language Irony Alliteration
“Saddled with you for the afternoon, me and Paul” Foreshadowing a dramatic painful end - when a man is thrown off by a bull? Symbolises their close relationship Intimacy and comfort with each other Unable to remove him Metaphor “Saddled with you for the afternoon, me and Paul” Past tense Grammatically incorrect There are multiple brothers (three) The youngest is different to the others Illustrates their young age
“ambled across the threadbare field” Without a care Slow, ‘dawdling’ pace “ambled across the threadbare field” Used often Symbolising their relationship? Not thought of Trampled and destroyed the beauty of it Uncared for?
“while you skipped beside us in your ridiculous tank top” Doesn’t fit in Reveals immaturity The brother has been excluded from the group Childish action “while you skipped beside us in your ridiculous tank top” disapproving
“spouting six-year old views” Imagery Alliteration “spouting six-year old views” Blurting – uncontrolled nonsense These views are different to others – it isn’t what ‘grown ups’ think This views may not be considered to be valid due to his age
Impatience with the brother “I sighed”
“while you windmilled home I looked at Paul” Childish action showing the immaturity “while you windmilled home I looked at Paul” Might foreshadow an ending to the naivety if the real world becomes more than ‘planes’
The youngest is yet to be included in “his and Paul's” group Internal Rhyme “his smile, like mine, said I was nine and he was ten and we must stroll the town, doing what grown ups do” Reason behind the end of the relationship – one is forced to face reality and doesn’t want the other to realise it too early A saying that ‘grown ups’ say as an explanation for why adults are doing something when a child asks why Suggests lack of understanding towards what takes place in the real world
“we chased Olympic Gold.” Sought after by many and not normally achieved Rare and special “we chased Olympic Gold.” Suggests winning
“looking back I saw you spring towards the gate” Imagery “looking back I saw you spring towards the gate” Metaphor Young, graceful motion A way to open the relationship or potentially end it The metaphor is for the relationship between the two brothers and the how the relationship is fading before them
“I ran on, unable to close the distance I’d set in motion” Doesn’t want to change his mind Emotionally hurt and unable to look back Speed Short Sentence “I ran on, unable to close the distance I’d set in motion” Suggests a large difficulty required to fix the relationship Regret? Blames himself for the end of the relationship
Ao2 Analysis
Links to Harmonium The poem ‘Harmonium’ written by Simon Armitage, is about the celebration of a musical instrument and its role for generations in the local church and the community, based around the relationship between father and son and the way in which life is cyclical. Both ‘Brothers’ and ‘Harmonium’ have themes of regret. The harmonium is ‘gathering dust in the shadowy porch’, and by saving the instrument there is an attempt to save the memories of the speaker. The final lines of the poem have a sense of failure about them, that the speaker has lost something which he is unable to recapture. In ‘Brothers’ we also see a sense of regret, especially towards the end when the older brother is ‘looking back’, regretting dismissing his younger brother.
Links to Sister Maude We can also see a link between ‘Brother’ and ‘Sister Maude’. Both poems are about the relationship between siblings and the delicate balance between friendship and rivalry.
Themes Adolescence Losing relationships Aspirations for more Regrets Looking Back Growing up Innocence/naivety
Themes Throughout the story, the aspiration to be older is apparent throughout the poem. We can clearly see this in the first stanza, as we can see the older brother and his friend discussing football, and are dismissive of the boy as if they are superior. We can see this in line nine when the speaker says ‘His smile, like mine, said I was nine and he was ten’, this shows the naïve and superior feelings of the two older boys. The shared smile also reveals their close relationship, one which the younger brother longs for, yet the ‘distance’ between the brothers keep them apart. In the final stanza of the poem, we can see the regrets of the older boy as he is ‘looking back’. The last line ‘I ran on, unable to close the distance I’d set in motion’. This could relate back to the bus scene in the second stanza, as the younger boy had forgotten his bus fare, yet the older brother had gone on without him, now regretting it.
Authors Intention The author aims to convey the reality between relationships for siblings as children and how the naivety behind them shall prevent the realisation that the children will have to be separated even if they become unwilling. He suggests the age difference can become a barrier but also this age difference means a difference in maturity so one may realise the inevitable and hide the reality in order to protect the innocence of the other, even if it means sacrificing the relationship.