From the Journal of
a Disappointed Man
Andrew Motion
, About
• The poem is the contrast between the narrator and the workmen. Th
narrator is an observer, a mysterious figure who has time to write a jour
and sit and watch workmen struggling with an ‘impossible’ task. Could b
allusion to a 19th century French flaneur, a person who has time to
wander around urban streets observing but remaining un-involved
what he sees.
• Contrast between worker’s monosyllabic speech, functional simplicit
and physical strength compared to the silent, educated, analytical
observer
• Despite the 2 versions of masculinity – strong and silent, compared to th
educate and articulate- neither have the answer to the ‘secret proble
The poem ends with no resolution, it’s a metaphor perhaps for the
hopeless nature of life’s problems
a Disappointed Man
Andrew Motion
, About
• The poem is the contrast between the narrator and the workmen. Th
narrator is an observer, a mysterious figure who has time to write a jour
and sit and watch workmen struggling with an ‘impossible’ task. Could b
allusion to a 19th century French flaneur, a person who has time to
wander around urban streets observing but remaining un-involved
what he sees.
• Contrast between worker’s monosyllabic speech, functional simplicit
and physical strength compared to the silent, educated, analytical
observer
• Despite the 2 versions of masculinity – strong and silent, compared to th
educate and articulate- neither have the answer to the ‘secret proble
The poem ends with no resolution, it’s a metaphor perhaps for the
hopeless nature of life’s problems
