‘Poem at Thirty-Nine’ (Edexcel IGCSE English Literature)
Revision Note
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‘Poem at Thirty-Nine’
Below you will find a guide to Alice Walker’s poem titled ‘Poem at Thirty-Nine’ from the Edexcel International GCSE English Anthology (part 3: unit 1, section B). This guide includes:
Overview: a line-by-line breakdown of the poem
Form, structure and language: an exploration of Alice Walker’s use of techniques and poetic choices
Understanding the text: an exploration of the themes and ideas in the poem
What to compare it to: suggestions on which poems to compare it to
Overview
Find out more about the poem to confidently answer an essay question in your exam by reading:
A summary of the poem
A “translation” of the poem, section-by-section
A commentary of each of these sections, outlining Walker’s intention and message
A summary of the poem ‘Poem at Thirty-Nine’
‘Poem at Thirty-Nine’ was written by Alice Walker in 1983. The speaker is a woman who reflects on her childhood and her relationship with her father before he died. It is evident that she was empowered by her father who shaped the woman she became. It could be suggested that the speaker of the poem is Walker herself, which adds a deeply personal element to the poem.
‘Poem at Thirty-Nine’ analysis
Lines 1–5
“How I miss my father.
I wish he had not been
so tired
when I was
born.”
Translation
The poem begins with the speaker declaring how much she misses her father
Walker’s intention
The speaker begins the poem by stating that she misses her father, which introduces the main idea
The phrase “wish he had not been so tired” indicates her father may have been in a profession that requires physical exertion:
The speaker reflects on how her father was already tired when she was born
All of the lines, except the first and last, are enjambed, which could reflect how the poet’s memories are flowing out
Lines 6–11
“Writing deposit slips and checks
I think of him.
He taught me how.
This is the form,
he must have said:
the way it is done.”
Translation
The speaker remembers a specific memory of how her father taught her how to do her finances
Walker’s intention
The speaker focuses on a specific memory of her relationship with her father and her growing up
The speaker states her father “taught me how” to fill in the necessary forms and the phrase “he must have said” suggests that she is following the processes and procedures he advised her to follow:
However, it also reveals some uncertainty in the memory as it is not a definitive statement but vague
The final line of “the way it is done” may be referencing the specific memory about teaching her how to complete paperwork:
However, the statement could also reveal the wider impact her father had on her in general
While some of the lines are enjambed, it is worth noting that the majority of lines are end-stopped:
This could reflect the speaker’s strong feelings of respect for her father
Lines 12–19
“I learned to see
bits of paper
as a way
to escape
the life he knew
and even in high school
had a savings
account.”
Translation
The speaker talks about how her father’s influence helped her pursue a life better than the life he had
Walker’s intention
The speaker describes how his lessons taught her to pursue a life better than the one he had as the “bits of paper” helped her “escape/the life he knew”
This could be a metaphor for two things:
It could refer to money and wealth, which reflects the speaker's desire for financial freedom and security
It could also reflect the speaker’s passion for writing and becoming an author in the future
The speaker states she had a “savings account” “even in high school”:
This suggests the speaker felt financial security was important for her to improve her life
Lines 20–26
“He taught me
that telling the truth
did not always mean
a beating;
though many of my truths
must have grieved him
before the end.”
Translation
The speaker states her father taught her the importance of telling the truth
Walker’s intention
The speaker states her father gave her the confidence and encouragement to tell the truth without facing any punishment, as she would not get a “beating”:
It could suggest her father took a gentle approach to parenting; however, it could also imply that her father may have hit her when she was a child
He used the threat as a warning to tell the truth
The speaker states that “before the end” her father must have “grieved” over her “many…truths”:
The speaker reflects on the fact that he may have disapproved of some of her life choices before he died
The phrase “must have” suggests her father did not explicitly tell her he was disappointed:
This reflects his love by allowing her to live her life the way she chose to
Lines 27–33
“How I miss my father!
He cooked like a person
dancing
in a yoga meditation
and craved the voluptuous
sharing
of good food.”
Translation
The speaker recalls her father’s love of cooking and food
Walker’s intention
This stanza begins with the same line as the opening line of the poem:
However, the use of an exclamation mark reflects an increase in her feelings and aching sense of grief
The speaker recalls a memory of her father cooking and the simile of her father “dancing” along with “yoga” suggests that her father’s actions were both joyful and spiritual
The word “craved” is interesting as it is normally associated with a strong desire:
Through the memory of food, the speaker highlights her father’s passionate and generous nature
Lines 34–40
“Now I look and cook just like him:
my brain light;
tossing this and that
into the pot;
seasoning none of my life
the same way twice; happy to feed
whoever strays my way.”
Translation
The speaker brings the poem back to the present and describes how she now sees her father in herself
Walker’s intention
The speaker begins the stanza with the word “now” to bring the poem back to the present
The use of the internal rhyme in the phrase “I look and cook just like him” reflects how both father and daughter are united and, despite his death, they are still connected
The phrase “my brain light” suggests she is tranquil and content when cooking
The metaphor of “seasoning none of my life/the same way twice” suggests she takes a creative approach to her life and cooking:
The speaker states she lives her life in a different, exciting way each time
She ends the stanza by stating she is “happy to feed/whoever strays my way”:
The word “strays” implies someone who is homeless or lost, suggesting her generosity extends beyond those she knows
Lines 41–45
“He would have grown
to admire
the woman I’ve become:
cooking, writing, chopping wood,
staring into the fire.”
Translation
In the final stanza, the speaker declares that her father would have been proud of the person she has become
Walker’s intention
The final stanza differs slightly from stanza 3 as she is now suggesting that he would have “grown/to admire” the woman she has become
The speaker lists all of the skills that form a part of her identity and uses the phrase “chopping wood”:
This could suggest a sense of self-sufficiency and independence that she has now developed because of her father
Therefore, the poem ends positively with the speaker’s sense of achievement and pride
Form, structure and language
When you consider how Alice Walker uses form, structure and language, try to link your analysis of these elements to focus on how she present her ideas and why she has made these choices in Poem at Thirty-Nine. You will gain more marks if you focus on Walker’s themes rather than on individual poetic techniques.
Here are some suggestions for key aspects of the poem you might want to consider:
Form
The poem is written in free verse and has no fixed rhyme scheme.
Theme | Evidence | Poet’s intention |
Memory and grief | The poem is written in free verse:
| The free verse and lack of steady meter is appropriate for a nostalgic poem:
|
Parent and child bond | The poem has no specific rhyme scheme:
| The lack of rhyme scheme reflects the loose and fluid nature of the speaker’s memories:
|
Structure
The poem consists of 45 lines that are broken into 6 stanzas.
Theme | Evidence | Poet’s intention |
Memory and grief | More than half of the poem’s lines are enjambed | The use of enjambment and the lack of structure reflects the speaker’s free flowing thoughts and allows each memory to seamlessly blend into the other to form some semblance of a memory |
However, there are some lines that use end-stop to add impact to those that come before it:
| The use of end-stop adds impact to the lines:
|
Language
The speaker uses a range of language techniques to reflect her nostalgia and grief.
Theme | Evidence | Poet’s intention |
Parent and child bond | The writer uses an extended metaphor related to cooking:
| The use of the extended metaphor of food reinforces the connection the speaker has with her father:
|
The writer uses a simile to describe the way her father cooks:
| The simile compares her father’s cooking skills to dancing and yoga:
|
Themes
While knowing the poem is important, you also need to show the examiner that you can write an informed, personal response. Understanding the main themes, ideas, setting and events depicted can help you to form your own ideas about what you think the poet is trying to achieve.
While you are not explicitly assessed on context, it is still important that you have an awareness of any background information that is relevant to the main themes in the poem. This can help you to demonstrate a sustained, critical understanding of the text.
To help you do this, the section below has been divided into two main themes that Walker explores in 'Poem at Thirty-Nine':
Memory and grief
Parent and child bond
Memory and Grief
The poem is about the speaker, who is Walker herself, and how she misses her father who presumably has passed away:
It is nostalgic as the speaker recalls memories of her father and how his lessons have shaped her to be the person she is now
The speaker first declares that she misses her father:
The full stop at the end of the first line separates this statement from the rest of the poem as it is an emotion that the speaker is feeling
The speaker reflects how her father taught her how to fill out paperwork and that the “bits of paper” helped her “escape the life he knew”:
This line is bittersweet as the speaker acknowledges the hardships her father endured and how she had to “escape” them
The structure and line lengths reflect the speaker’s fragmented thoughts and memories:
The speaker repeats “must have” to reflect how memories can fade over time
It leaves the speaker unsure of the memories she is recalling
The word “grieved” in stanza 3 suggests how her decisions may have upset her father
The first line of the poem is repeated in stanza 4, reinforcing the speaker’s sense of grief:
The addition of the exclamation mark may reflect how her grief has increased due to her reflection on her memories
Parent and Child Bond
Alice Walker is an American novelist, political activist and poet:
One of her most well known novels is “The Colour Purple” written in 1982
She was born in 1944 to a poor family with her mother working as a maid and her father working on a farm:
Her mother believed in education and encouraged her children to attend university, which Walker did
Walker’s father was a sharecropper, which she alludes to in the opening stanza of the poem:
A sharecropper is a tenant farmer who gives a part of their crop as rent
Therefore, her family experienced the historical transition from slavery to sharecropping
Walker married a Jewish civil rights lawyer and moved to Mississippi in 1967; they became the first legally married inter-racial couple in that state:
This led to them receiving death threats from groups such as the Klu Klux Klan
Walker’s father passed away in 1974 and so did not live to see his daughter receive commercial success with “The Colour Purple”
This poem is a nostalgic poem written from the perspective of a 39 year old who is looking back on the role her father played in shaping her life:
By doing so, Walker is highlighting the connection and bond that children have with their parents
The speaker recalls the lesson her father taught her about telling the truth:
This suggests her father taught her to use her voice and speak her truth in spite of the consequences
It is worth noting that during Walker’s childhood and youth, America was still a deeply dangerous place and, while slavery was abolished, racism and discrimination was prevalent
The final two stanzas strengthen the bond between the speaker and her father as she states she “look(s) and cook(s) just like him” and as she moves around the kitchen, his presence is still very much felt
The speaker ends the poem positively by declaring that he would have “grown/to admire/the woman” she had become
Overall, the poem effectively highlights the strong bond between a parent and a child:
It conveys how a parent’s positive influence can continue to guide and protect their child long after they have gone
Comparing poems
In your exam, you will be required to compare two poems from the anthology so you must have a good knowledge of poetic form, content and meaning to compare the poems effectively.
You must be able to explore links and connections between texts, which includes looking at both poets’ use of language, form and structure.
In ‘Poem at Thirty-Nine’, Walker’s main ideas are centred around memory and grief, therefore, the following comparisons would be a good starting point:
‘Poem at Thirty-Nine’ and ‘If –’
‘Poem at Thirty-Nine’ and ‘Remember’
For each pair of poems, you will find:
Comparison summary
Similarities and differences between the ideas presented in each poem
Evidence and analysis of these similarities and differences
Exam Tip
You need to make sure that your answers are not too vague. Do not make generalised comments as this will not get you any marks. For example, writing “the short lines in the stanza keep the poem moving” is too vague and tells the examiner that you have not done your research.
Instead, you need to write something like “the lines in each stanza vary with some lines only being one line long. This is effective as it reflects the ebb and flow of the speaker’s memories and what she recalls”
‘Poem at Thirty-Nine’ and ‘If–’
Comparison summary:
Both poems are about a child’s relationship with their father. In ‘Poem at Thirty-Nine’, the poet, Alice Walker, is reminiscing and reflecting on all the things she has learned from her father, who is gone. However, in Kipling’s ‘If–’, the speaker is a father who is imparting advice onto his son in the hopes that it will help him grow up to be “a man”.
Similarities:
Topic sentence | Both poems are about a father who has strived to shape their child by teaching them lessons | |
Evidence and analysis | ‘Poem at Thirty-Nine’ | ‘If–’ |
In ‘Poem at Thirty-Nine’, it is clear the speaker’s father wishes to see his child prosper and succeed:
| In ‘If–’, the speaker also wishes to see his child prosper in life and his advice is his attempt at helping his son | |
The speaker uses metaphors throughout to highlight the influence her father had on her life:
| The speaker has also used metaphors to help give his son advice:
| |
The speaker uses repetition with the line, “How I miss my father” to help set the tone and highlight the impact her father has had on her life | Anaphora is used throughout the poem as a way of imparting advice:
| |
Differences:
Topic sentence | Both poems are written from different perspectives | |
Evidence and analysis | ‘Poem at Thirty-Nine’ | ‘If–’ |
‘Poem at Thirty-Nine’ is written from the perspective of a child who is reflecting on the positive impact her father had on her life:
| ‘If–’ is written from the perspective of a father who wishes to see his son succeed:
| |
The poem is written in free verse:
| The poem is generally written in iambic pentameter to create rhythm and momentum:
| |
The poem does not follow a rhyme scheme, which makes the poem feel more free flowing:
| The poem follows an alternating rhyme scheme: ABABCDCD:
| |
‘Poem at Thirty-Nine’ is more intimate and personal as the speaker is recalling memories with her father and her relationship with him:
| The poem is broadly about qualities that the speaker’s son requires to lead a successful life:
| |
‘Poem at Thirty-Nine’ and ‘Piano’
Comparison summary:
‘Poem at Thirty-Nine’ is written from the perspective of a 39-year-old woman who recalls memories of her father and how he helped shape her life. However, ‘Piano’ is a poem about a man who is looking back on his childhood, which he finds both painful yet irresistible.
Similarities:
Topic sentence | Both poems explore the themes of nostalgia and memory through loss | |
Evidence and analysis | ‘Poem at Thirty-Nine’ | ‘Piano’ |
The speaker recalls memories of her father and the lessons she has learned from him | The speaker in ‘Piano’ recalls a painful but beautiful memory of himself as a child with his mother, who has since passed | |
The poem is written in free verse:
| The poem uses alliteration and sibilance to create a calm and soothing atmosphere that reflects the speaker’s yearning for the past:
“...smiles as she sings” conveys the speaker’s longing for the past | |
The speaker uses assonance to help the writing flow in places and emphasise ideas:
| Assonance is also used to contribute to the rhythm and musicality of the poem:
| |
The speaker uses end-stops to draw focus to a particular statement or thought:
| The writer uses caesura to slow down the pace of the poem in order to focus on key aspects of the speaker’s memory:
| |
Differences:
Topic sentence | While both poems are about memory and nostalgia, the speaker in ‘Piano’ grieves for his past life, whereas the speaker in ‘Poem at Thirty-Nine’ looks back at her memories with her father fondly | |
Evidence and analysis | ‘Poem at Thirty-Nine’ | ‘Piano’ |
The poem is written from the perspective of someone who has lost their father and looks back on memories that have shaped her into the person she has become | The poem is written from the perspective of someone who has lost their mother and finds it painful recounting memories of their childhood | |
The speaker looks back on memories as painful but also beautiful reminders of the bond and connection she still has with her father | The poem views memories as something painful that is buried and must not be allowed to resurface | |
The speaker begins the poem missing her father and this is a theme that is repeated only once in the poem:
| The speaker weeps as he recalls his childhood but he understands and accepts that he can no longer relive his childhood:
| |
The poem follows the speaker’s stream of consciousness as she recalls memories that help to highlight and strengthen the connection she has with her father | ‘Piano’ is a poem that follows the speaker’s stream of consciousness and so focuses on his struggles to suppress his memories and his pain over recounting a happy memory | |
The poem is 45 lines long and broken into six stanzas of varying lengths:
| ‘Piano’ consists of three quatrains, which are four-line stanzas:
| |
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