We've all argued with our parents, guardians, or loved ones about things big and small. Simon Armitage explores this experience in his 1993 poem 'Homecoming', which covers the story of a teenager who has an argument with their mother.
‘Homecoming' by Simon Armitage: summary
Before reading our analysis of 'Homecoming', take a look at this summary table and the poem itself. Which techniques can you pick out and analyse?
‘Homecoming': Simon Armitage
Simon Armitage is currently the United Kingdom's Poet Laureate, a position he was awarded in 2019. Born in Huddersfield in 1963, Armitage grew up in a working-class household. After graduating from Portsmouth Polytechnic with a degree in Geography, he pursued a Master's degree at the University of Manchester.
Poet Laureate: A poet appointed to an honorary position by the monarch on advice from the Prime Minister. The Poet Laureate is expected to write poetry for important national occasions and events. The first poet Laureate was Ben Jonson who was appointed in 1616 by King James I.
Armitage's master's thesis on the effects of television violence on young offenders led him to train as a probation officer, a role in which he worked until 1994. During this time, Armitage started to write poetry, and published his first collection, Zoom!, in 1989.
Alongside his work as a poet, Armitage is also a writer and presenter. In 2001 he published a novel titled Little Green Man (2001) and in 2014 Armitage's stage play The Last Days of Troy premiered at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. Armitage has also written and presented numerous documentaries, mainly for the BBC.
As Poet Laureate, Armitage has written numerous poems for political and cultural occasions, including an elegy for Prince Philip following his death, and a poem titled 'Resistance' (2022) on the war in Ukraine.
'Homecoming' by Simon Armitage: analysis
Let's take a look at the poem and analyse it.
Think, two things on their own and both at once
The first, that exercise in trust, where those in front
stand with their arms spread wide and free-fall
backwards, blind, and those behind take all the weight.
The second, one canary-yellow cotton jacket
on a cloakroom floor, uncoupled from its hook
becoming scuffed and blackened underfoot. Back home
the very model of a model of a mother, yours, puts
two and two together, makes a proper fist of it
and points the finger. Temper, temper. Questions
in the house. You seeing red. Blue murder. Bed.
Then midnight when you slip the latch and sneak
no further than the call-box at the corner of the street;
I’m waiting by the phone, although it doesn’t ring
because it’s sixteen years or so before we’ll meet.
Retrace that walk towards the garden gate; in silhouette
a father figures waits there, wants to set things straight.
These ribs are pleats or seams. These arms are sleeves.
These fingertips are buttons, or these hands can fold
into a clasp, or else these fingers make a zip
or buckle, you say which. Step backwards into it
and try the same canary-yellow cotton jacket, there,
like this, for size again. It still fits.
'Homecoming': title
The title of 'Homecoming' has clear connotations with home and family, as a noun that refers to an instance of returning home. The connotations of the title contribute to the storyline within the poem; a teenager has a fight with their mother, leaves their home to go on a midnight walk, and returns to their home and family.
The idea of returning home presented by the title also highlights the cyclical narrative of the poem, as it begins at home and ends with the concept and location of home. This could suggest that no matter what happens, the teenager the poem centres on can always return home to their 'mother' and 'father figures'.
Cyclical narrative: a narrative which ends at the same place it began.
Can you think of an alternative title for the poem which represents its narrative? If you can, why did you choose this title, what connotations does it hold? If you can't, why do you think 'Homecoming' is the best title for this poem?
'Homecoming': stanzas
'Homecoming' is written in free verse, across four stanzas of different lengths. There is no set-rhyme scheme or meter, creating an uncontrolled and random feel to the poem.
This choice in form and structure could represent the uncertainties of growing up and figuring out your emotions. The lack of control in the poem's structure is reflective of a lack of control in the teenager who the poem follows. They struggle to control their emotions around their mother in the second stanza, leading to an argument and them leaving the house.
Stanza one
The first stanza consists of a single sentence across four lines. Trust is introduced as a concept in this stanza, through the imagery of a trust fall; 'that exercise of trust'.
The use of enjambment across this stanza creates a fragmented rhythm, indicating a level of anxiety behind placing your 'trust' in another. Armitage's use of alliteration further develops this structural choice ('backwards, blind, and those behind'). Here, the plosive 'b' creates a harsh, blunt sound, adding to the tension of a trust fall.
In contrast to Armitage's use of enjambment and alliteration, the use of an end-stopped line at the end of the stanza creates a sense of control and calm, by acting as a clear pause in the poem. This end-stopped line at the end of the opening stanza represents the importance of trusting 'those behind' to 'take all the weight', reflecting the overall narrative story of the poem - being able to trust that you can fall back on those around you.
Stanza two
The second stanza opens the narrative story of the poem with the narrator's coat 'becoming scuffed and blackened underfoot' leading to an argument between the teenager and their mother. This stanza consists of seven lines, containing enjambment and caesura, which fragments the rhythm. This fragmented rhythm emphasises the tension of the argument between the narrator and their mother by creating an uncontrolled and frustrated tempo that starts and stops.
Enjambment: when a sentence carries from one line of a poem onto the next.
Caesura: when punctuation breaks up a line in a poem.
Stanza three
The third stanza consists of six lines and follows the teenager as they walk to the 'the call-box at the corner of the street', before walking home 'towards the garden gate' where a father figure is waiting to 'set things straight'. Enjambment is used within this stanza, however, caesura is not. While the enjambment continues to fragment the rhythm, the tempo of the poem appears more controlled without the pauses created by caesura.
Stanza four
The final stanza consists of six lines and returns to the concept of trust introduced in the first stanza. This time trust is presented through the extended metaphor of the jacket described in the second stanza, as the teenager steps backwards 'into it', realising that 'It still fits'. Both enjambment and caesura are present in this stanza, once again fragmenting the poem's rhythm. The return of caesura in this stanza causes the rhythm to be interrupted by punctuation, suggesting that the teenager may find it difficult to put their trust in others.
Despite the fragmented rhythm, the poem's earlier conflict comes to a satisfying resolution, as the teenager returns home to their parents. At the poem's conclusion, the realisation that even after the earlier 'seeing red' the teenager can return home to the arms of their parents creates a cyclical narrative structure, as the poem returns to the concept of trust presented at its opening.
Fig. 1 - Home is a place that you can always return to.
'Homecoming': poetic devices
Armitage utilises a number of poetic devices in 'Homecoming' to convey the poem's meaning to the reader.
Enjambment
Armitage uses enjambment to create a fragmented rhythm, underpinning the uncertainty of adolescence.
For instance, in the first stanza Armitage utilises enjambment to highlight the difficulty in placing trust in another;
stand with their arms spread wide and free-fall
backwards, blind, and those behind take all the weight.
The pause between 'free-fall' and 'backwards', produced by enjambment, creates a moment of hesitation before the fall backwards. This suggests a lack of trust or hesitation to trust.
Armitage's use of enjambment in the second stanza once again fragments the rhythm, this time highlighting how the jacket has fallen on the floor;
The second, one canary-yellow cotton jacket
on a cloakroom floor, uncoupled from its hook,
The pause between 'jacket' and 'on a cloakroom floor' stresses the event of the jacket falling, by placing it on a separate line.
Caesura
Caesura is utilised in the poem's second and fourth stanzas. In the poem's second stanza, caesura encapsulates the frustration and tension of the argument between the teenager and their mother:
and points the finger. Temper, temper. Questions in the house. You seeing red. Blue murder. Bed.
Here the caesura breaks up the lines into short blunt sentences, creating a fragmented rhythm with short bursts of conversation, paralleling the tempo of an argument. This is particularly evident in the poem's final three sentences;
You seeing red. Blue murder. Bed.
The final monosyllabic sentence 'Bed.' suggests an abrupt and unresolved end to the argument. The prior two sentences 'you seeing red.' and 'Blue murder.' underline the opposing views of the mother and teenager, with one 'seeing red' and the other seeing 'blue murder'. The separation of these sentences with a full stop highlights the separation between the mother and the teenager.
In the final stanza, the caesura portrays the hesitance to trust displayed in the first stanza.
like this, for size again. It still fits.
The pause here represents the teenager trying on the jacket again, hesitating out of fear that it'll no longer fit them. The realisation after that 'It still fits.' is emphasised by it being a sentence of its own, indicating a breath of relief.
Repetition
Armitage utilises repetition in the poem to emphasise certain statements and moments. In the second stanza, this is evident with the argument between the parent and teenager; 'temper, temper'. The repetition of temper underpins the growing anger between the mother and the teenager.
Repetition is used when creating the cyclical structure present in the poem. The concept of trust is presented throughout the poem, particularly in the opening and final stanzas. This is evident from the repetition of 'backwards' ('fall backwards' and 'step backwards) in both stanzas, referring to the act of a trust fall. By repeating this image, Armitage creates a cyclical structure, opening and closing the poem with the image of a trust fall.
Metaphor
Armitage utilises the extended metaphor of the 'canary-yellow cotton jacket' in 'Homecoming' to represent the relationship between the teenager and their parents. In the second stanza, the jacket is 'scuffed and blackened underfoot' leading to an argument between the teenager and their mother due to a breaking of trust.
The metaphor of the jacket returns in the final stanza;
These ribs are pleats or seams. These arms are sleeves.
These fingertips are buttons, or these hands can fold
Here the two semantic fields of body parts and the materials which make up the jacket are presented in relation to each other, underpinning the connection between the jacket and the relationship between the teenager and their parents. This suggests that the jacket is being used to metaphorically represent a hug between the parent and their child, the parent's 'arms are sleeves', 'fingertips are buttons'. This metaphor highlights how even though the jacket may have been damaged at the start of the poem, just as the teenager's trust was damaged, at the poem's close it 'still fits', just as the teenager's parents still love them despite the earlier breaking of trust.
Semantic field: A linguistic field of words with similar associations.
Imagery of the yellow jacket
The yellow jacket is a prominent image in the poem. Armitage utilises adjectives to add detail to the reader's perception of the jacket in the second stanza;
The second, one canary-yellow cotton jacket
The vibrant 'canary-yellow' colour of the jacket creates a visual vibrancy around it, while the 'cotton' material it is described to have holds associations with comfort and softness. This colour combined with material causes the jacket to represent warmth, similar to the sun.
In the final stanza, the jacket is described in further detail, adding to its image. From the 'pleats or seams' to the 'zip or buckle', the reader is provided with a detailed image of the jacket and its design.
'Homecoming': tone
The poem has a perceptive tone, produced through the narrative voice used in it. Rather than narrating the poem from the perspective of the teenager or their parents, Armitage uses an external narrative voice, perceiving the situation from a distance. This creates a perceptive tone as the narrator is analysing the situation. The pronoun 'I' is used once in the poem, in an ambiguous manner;
I'm waiting by the phone, although it doesn't ring
because it's sixteen years or so before we'll meet.
While the narrator's identity is not revealed, this suggests that they come to know the teenager later in life, and are reflecting on a series of events.
Who do you think the narrator is? How do you think they know the teenager in the poem? Why do you think Armitage has chosen this ambiguous narrative voice?
The poem's perceptive tone is further developed through its cyclical structure, as it opens and closes with the metaphor of a trust fall. This metaphor ensures that the events described in the poem hold a meaning; that even after hardship, one can always return home to those who love them. By repeating this meaning at the opening and close of the poem it is conveyed to the reader, allowing them to perceive the events more deeply.
‘Homecoming': theme
The dominant theme in the poem is family conflict, as the poem's narrative revolves around the events of a teenager arguing with their mother.
The theme of family conflict is evident in many of the poem's aspects which we have already discussed - check back through the article and select three sections of analysis that you think could be related back to the theme of family conflict!
This theme is most evident in the semantic field of conflict present in the second stanza; 'proper fist of it', 'points the finger', 'temper', 'seeing red', 'blue murder'. Here Armitage's linguistic choices build up imagery associated with an argument, adding tension to the poem. Blame is present in this semantic field through the descriptive phrase 'points the finger', indicating that the mother has sparked a conflict by blaming the teenager for allowing their 'cotton jacket' to become 'blackened and scuffed'.
The theme of family conflict is also evident in the description of both a 'model of a mother' and 'father figure' in the poem, highlighting to the reader how the poem's narrative revolves around a family experience.
Homecoming - Key takeaways
- 'Homecoming' is a 1993 poem by Simon Armitage.
- The poem is written in free verse, with no set meter or rhyme scheme. The poem's title provides an insight into its storyline, of a teenager having an argument with their mother and eventually returning home.
- Armitage uses enjambment and caesura to fragment the poem's rhythm, highlighting the uncertainties of teenagerhood.
- The repetition of 'backwards' in the poem's opening and final stanza creates a cyclical narrative.
- The metaphor of the yellow jacket in the poem represents the teenager's relationship with their parents.
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