On Her Blindness, Adam Thorpe

Introduction to 'On Her Blindness' by Adam Thorpe

Welcome to your study guide for one of the most moving poems in the Poems of the Decade anthology. In 'On Her Blindness', Adam Thorpe explores the painful reality of his mother losing her sight. Unlike older, more traditional poems that might try to make suffering sound noble or religious, Thorpe is brutally honest about how difficult and "un-heroic" disability can be. This poem is essential for your Unit 1 Section A exam because it deals with universal themes of family, aging, and the secrets we keep to protect those we love.

Understanding the Title

The title is a "nod" (or an allusion) to a very famous 17th-century poem by John Milton called "On His Blindness." In Milton’s poem, he concludes that his blindness is a way to serve God through patience. However, Thorpe’s poem is different. By changing "His" to "Her," Thorpe shifts the focus to his mother and rejects the idea that suffering is a spiritual gift. For his mother, blindness is not a test of faith—it is a frustrating, lonely struggle.

Key Themes and Meaning

1. The Difficulty of 'Keeping Up Appearances'

The poem focuses heavily on the idea of pretense. The mother tries to pretend she can still see, and the family "helps" her by pretending they don't notice her struggle. Thorpe describes this as a "built-in" lie that the family maintains. Analogy: Imagine trying to walk through a room full of obstacles while pretending you aren't struggling. The effort to look "normal" is often more exhausting than the disability itself.

2. The Loss of Identity

For the mother, losing her sight means losing her connection to the world she loves. She misses the simple joys of life, such as seeing the autumn leaves or the vibrant colors of fruit. The poem suggests that her blindness is a "living death" because it locks her away from the visual beauty of the world.

3. The Role of the Witness

The speaker (the son) acts as a witness to her decline. He feels guilt and helplessness. He watches her struggle with everyday tasks, like eating, and notes how she hides her "cast-at-one-side" look to avoid making others uncomfortable. This highlights the social pressure on disabled people to stay "cheerful" for the sake of those around them.

Analysis of Form and Structure

Structure is a major way Thorpe creates meaning in this poem. Here is what you need to look for:

• Couplets (Two-line stanzas): Most of the poem is written in couplets. This creates a sense of balance and routine, perhaps reflecting the steady, slow decline of his mother’s health. It also mimics the idea of a pair—the mother and the son, or the two eyes that no longer work together.
• Enjambment: This is when a sentence runs over from one line or stanza to the next without a pause. In this poem, enjambment creates a sense of flow and conversation. It makes the poem feel like a personal, honest story being told directly to the reader. It also reflects the "stumbling" nature of the mother's movements.
• The Final Single Line: At the very end of the poem, the pattern of couplets breaks, and we are left with one single line. This structural shift emphasizes the finality of death. The mother is no longer "part of a pair"; she is gone, and the speaker is left alone.

Language and Imagery

Thorpe uses specific, sensory language to make the reader feel the mother's isolation:

Visual vs. Non-visual: The poem is full of things the mother cannot see: "golden-boy plums," "the kids," and "the maple trees." By describing these beautiful things, Thorpe emphasizes the emptiness of her world.

The "Long Forget": The speaker describes his mother’s memory of the world fading. This suggests that blindness isn't just about the eyes; it's about the fading of the mind’s ability to picture the world.

Food Imagery: The poem mentions the difficulty of eating, where she has to "toss" food into her mouth. This turns a normal, pleasurable activity into a clumsy, embarrassing chore, highlighting her loss of dignity.

Comparison Tips (AO4)

In your exam, you will need to compare this poem with another from the Poems of the Decade collection. Here are some great pairings:

• Compare with 'Effects' (Alan Jenkins): Both poems explore the death of a mother and the son’s feelings of guilt and observation. Both use detailed descriptions of physical decline.
• Compare with 'Material' (Ros Barber): Both look at family memories and how we use objects or habits to remember those we have lost.
• Compare with 'A Minor Role' (U.A. Fanthorpe): Both poems deal with the difficulty of illness and the "social performance" or "acting" that patients do to make others feel better.

Quick Review: Key Takeaways

Don't worry if you find the poem’s lack of rhyme confusing! The lack of a formal rhyme scheme is intentional—it makes the poem feel more natural, honest, and conversational.

Key Points to Remember:
• The poem is a modern response to Milton's "On His Blindness."
• It focuses on the lack of heroism in suffering.
• The couplet structure represents the mother/son relationship and the mother's eyes.
• The final line marks the suddenness and isolation of death.
• It criticizes the way society expects the disabled to "put on a brave face."

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Thinking the poem is about the son going blind. Correction: It is strictly about the son watching his mother’s blindness and her eventual death.

Mistake 2: Focusing only on the sadness. Correction: Look at the anger and frustration. The mother is "furious" with her condition; it isn't just "sad," it is an "outrage" to her.

Mistake 3: Ignoring the title. Correction: Always mention that the title connects the poem to the literary tradition of writing about disability, but Thorpe does it in a realistic, modern way.