Form, structure and language
Form
The poem is written in the The 'I' or 'we' used by a narrator who is a participant in a narrative, in contrast to the third person - 'he', 'she' or 'they' - of a narrator who is not directly involved. and in the present The verb formation that describes the time at which the action occurred, eg past, present or future. which makes it sound intimate and immediate. This places the reader in a position of uncertainty. The poem appears to be a piece of autobiographical, confessional writing, but the reader can never be sure. The speaker could equally be a made-up character.
Structure
The poem is made up of mostly three-line unrhymed Lines of poetry that make up a section; a verse.. Full-stops often break up a line into short, jabbing phrases, often with single words. It is as if the speaker鈥檚 attention is unable to focus because of the anxiety of waiting and she seems to constantly jump from one thought to another. The final stanza has four lines. The short, A word consisting of a single sound. final line 鈥業 don鈥檛 know what鈥 shows the speaker鈥檚 confusion and perhaps suggests she is giving up hope for this relationship.
There is no consistent rhythmical pattern. This perhaps mirrors the speaker鈥檚 own inconsistent train of thought, where one anxiety replaces another in increasing frustration. The lines do not rhyme, but there are several instances of repetition (鈥榮irens鈥, 鈥榟appen鈥/鈥檋appening鈥, 鈥榳hat鈥) which echo the thoughts going round and round in the speaker鈥檚 head.
Language
The narrator鈥檚 jumpy state-of-mind is signalled by A question asked just for effect with no answer expected., 鈥榃ho would ring me to tell?鈥 and 鈥榃hat?鈥. The impression given is of a nervous woman who is first talking to herself and then supplying the answers.
Kay uses a number of A comparison made without using 'like' or 'as', eg 'sea of troubles' and 'drowning in debt'. to describe the future, including 鈥榓 long gloved hand鈥 and 鈥榓n empty cup鈥. These two images are Something that could be interpreted in more than one way. and raise questions in the reader鈥檚 mind. Do they suggest luxury and domestic bliss? Or something hidden and unfulfilled?
The comment about a 鈥榮tranger鈥檚 white sheets鈥 is also ambiguous. This could refer to the fact the couple have a secret relationship and only meet once a week in someone else鈥檚 bed, or could refer to an alternative future where the speaker has casual relationships with others, rather than settling down with her current lover. The tangling sheets are given a human characteristic - they are 鈥榣onely鈥.
Throughout the poem, the speaker comments on her situation with self-mocking A literary device where there is a mismatch between the actual meaning and what is implied (sarcasm is a heavy form of irony). Dramatic irony is where the audience knows something crucial of which characters are blissfully unaware.. She acknowledges her absurd behaviour, 鈥業 know this is not a good idea鈥, even as she continues with it. She uses Over-the-top exaggeration for effect. to show how ridiculous her actions are, claiming to 鈥榓ssault鈥 the postman and dress up to impress the silent phone. The 鈥榮irens鈥, she imagines, are an absurd over-reaction.