Yesterday Britain commemorated the end of WWI with ceremonies all round the country. To mark the 90th anniversary of Armistice Day, some newspapers have been running articles on various aspects of the Great War. The Guardian’s Book section has a series on the War poets here. There, I found this photo of Robert Graves.
His mother’s father was German, Heinrich von Ranke, and Graves’ great-uncle was Leopold von Ranke, an important modern historian.
Here’s the poem that we discussed in Krefeld and in the 8.45 Osterath course.
It Was All Very Tidy
When I reached his place,
The grass was smooth,
The wind was delicate,
The wit well timed,
The limbs well formed,
The pictures straight on the wall:
It was all very tidy.
He was cancelling out
The last row of figures,
He had his beard tied up in ribbons,
There was no dust on his shoe,
Everyone nodded:
It was all very tidy.
Music was not playing,
There were no sudden noises,
The sun shone blandly,
The clock ticked:
It was all very tidy.
‘Apart from and above all this,’
I reassured myself,
‘There is now myself.’
It was all very tidy.
Death did not address me,
He had nearly done:
It was all very tidy.
They asked, did I not think
It was all very tidy?
I could not bring myself
To laugh or untie
His beard’s neat ribbons,
Or jog his elbow,
Or whistle, or sing,
Or make disturbance,
I consented, frozenly,
He was unexceptionable:
It was all very tidy.
can someone please help me analyse this poem
i’m DESPERATE!
Is there any chance you could help me analyse?
I’m kinda desperate too!
Thank you
A mail is on its way, Lauren.
Hi Lucy
I’ve sent you a mail.
if it is still available, can i get a copy of that email?
I found it, it’s winging its way to you now
i dont know if this is recent or anything but could i get a copy too, im really stuck
Adele, a mail has gone out to you too!
Hi, I am trying to find the source of the photo you have of Graves. I can’t seem to find it on the guardian site. If you do have access to it, would you mind writing me a note.
Thanks!
Hi and thanks for stopping by. I’m away on holiday at the moment, so research is a little tricky, but I’m sure I lifted the photo from the Guardian article. I suppose they don’t keep everything online forever. Sorry not to be able to help. Greetings from Canada – on Canada Day to boot! Karen (englishcoach)
Von meinem iPod gesendet
May anyone else send me some help?
I’m sure they may. And can. And will.
Hi, I really need help with “‘ It Was All Very Tidy” by Robert Graves. I need an analysis, I don’t really know what type of poetic form does it have, I am really confused about this poem. I am doing a literature course in the University, and I don’t really understand it , please help me as soon as you get this e-mail.
-Pauline Rocheks. Thankyou.
I really need it, please help me. As SOON AS YOU CAN , please.
The standard mail has gone out to you too Pauline. It is not a finished analysis, but a series of questions that may give you some pointers.
I do appreciate the please and thank you.
Oh Thankyou so much!
Do you have any information about Lollocks by Robert Graves that could help me please? There ‘s not enough information on the net, would you help me ?
I think I ve figured the poem out, is the poem talking about “he” the father’s funeral?
I don’t believe so, no. I don’t think that a specific dead person is the subject of this poem at all, but rather how society’s conventions turn Death into something bland and safe, how society accomodates Death. And the poet feels that he must have recourse to himself, his own self as reference, rely on his own way of dealing with the end, convention and ritual will not do for him.
I’ve written you a longer mail too. Hope things go well in your course – I’d love to get feedback!
Thank you! you really help me a lot!
yes, absolutely , you should get a feedback, you could make some profit out of it.
You’re welcome, Pauline. Knowing that I’ve been able to help is reward enough for me, so thank you for letting me know that I have been helpful!
I really need help on this poem, is it possibly to get one of these “mails”
Thank you
Yip, it’s on its way!
you have anything with robert gravest, perhaps I can help you
Poeta de poetas
Could anyone help me to analyse Lollocks? I’m really stuck, i don’t even know what he means by the word “lollocks” :/
Gloria, ‘lollocks’ is a word that Graves coined himself. A careful reading of the poem should give you its meaning; he says straight away that they are born of sloth and sorrow, in disordered drawers. They cause mischief in households, and the only defence against them is discipline, industry: the broom, the well-combed hair, the well-brushed shoe and paying your bills promptly. So they are malevolent little spirits.
Sorry to have been so long answering, I’ve been away from my computer for a while.
no problem, thanks for helping me out
so basically they are responsible for lots of bad things that happen, eg. “boils on the neck” and it’s kind of like a domestic myth that the men do not believe in, so they suffer more, and the women do believe in them but they also suffer by being lazy and “munching bread and honey”. Is that right?
Absolutely, that’s exactly how I see them too. I think the women even try to pacify them, don’t they? They let the lollocks lick their honey fingers if I remember right.
Yes, they do. Ok awesome, I now understand this poem! Thankyou so much
You’re very welcome, Gloria. I do appreciate the ‘thank you’.
I really need help with analysis for ‘It was all very tidy’ too! My exam is in a few days and I’m struggling with this one, is there anyway you could email some analysis to me?