Mother, Any Distance (AQA GCSE English Literature)
Revision Note
Each poetry anthology at GCSE contains 15 poems, and in your exam question you will be given one poem - printed in full - and asked to compare this printed poem to another. As this is a closed-book exam, you will not have access to the second poem, so you will have to know it from memory. Fifteen poems is a lot to revise. However, understanding four things will enable you to produce a top-grade response:
The meaning of the poem
The ideas and messages of the poet
How the poet conveys these ideas through their methods
How these ideas compare and contrast with the ideas of other poets in the anthology
Below is a guide to Simon Armitage’s poem 'Mother, Any Distance', from the Love and Relationships anthology. It includes:
Overview: a breakdown of the poem, including its possible meanings and interpretations
Writer’s methods: an exploration of the poet’s techniques and methods
Context: an exploration of the context of the poem, relevant to its themes
What to compare it to: ideas about which poems to compare it to in the exam
Overview
In order to answer an essay question on any poem it is vital that you understand what it is about. This section includes:
The poem in a nutshell
A ‘translation’ of the poem, section-by-section
A commentary of each of these sections, outlining Simon Armitage’s intention and message
Mother, Any Distance in a nutshell
Mother, Any Distance, written by the poet Simon Armitage, describes an impactful moment between parent and child. The speaker describes their mixed emotions as they begin their independence as their mother helps them measure rooms, presumably as they are now moving into their own home.
'Mother, Any Distance' overview
Lines 1-2
“Mother, any distance greater than a single span
requires a second pair of hands.”
Translation
The poem begins by directly addressing the speaker’s mother
The speaker explains that a wide distance requires two hands to measure it
Armitage’s intention
The poet begins the extended metaphor of measurement by symbolically referring to the separation of parent and child as the child moves into their own home
Lines 3-4
“You come to help me measure windows, pelmets, doors,
the acres of the walls, the prairies of the floors.”
Translation
The speaker says that the mother has come to help measure the many areas of the house
Armitage’s intention
Armitage lists the many things that need to be measured to emphasise the help his mother offers and, perhaps, his sense of how overwhelming the task is for him alone
Lines 5-7
“You at the zero-end, me with the spool of tape, recording
length, reporting metres, centimetres back to base, then leaving
up the stairs, the line still feeding out, unreeling”
Translation
The speaker now describes the actions of measuring, letting the tape out and making a note of each distance
Armitage’s Intention
Armitage describes the mother as in charge of all the tasks to show her expertise and experience
Line 8
“years between us. Anchor. Kite.”
Translation
Here, the speaker alerts the reader to a changing perspective as the speaker refers to the literal distance of years between them
The words “anchor” and “kite” connote to objects which stabilise and hold still or fly freely
Amitage’s intention
Armitage uses metaphorical language to present the distance between a parent and child as the child becomes independent
The juxtaposed images convey the mixed roles within family relationships regarding dependence and stability, and independence and freedom
Lines 9-11
“I space-walk through the empty bedrooms, climb
the ladder to the loft, to breaking point, where something
has to give;”
Translation
The narration continues as the speaker describes his actions as he climbs to the loft
The poet uses an ambiguous reference to the fragile nature of the loft as well as the son’s dependence on the parent
Armitage’s intention
Here, Armitage shows the child’s perspective using the phrase “space-walk” to connote childish ideas, as well as the growing distance between them
The “breaking point” alludes to the moment the son acknowledges his reliance on the mother should end
Lines 12-14
“two floors below your fingertips still pinch
the last one-hundredth of an inch...I reach”
Translation
The speaker describes the tape-measure reaching its end and his mother holding on tightly to it
Armitage’s intention
Armitage presents the possessive nature of a parent who is holding on to the child’s reliance on them, with the visual imagery of holding tightly to the end of the tape when the distance is great
Lines 15
“towards a hatch that opens on an endless sky
to fall or fly.”
Translation
The speaker ends the poem looking up to a hatch in the loft
He realises his options now that he is starting to do things alone
Armitage’s intention
He describes the steps to independence as a risk
However the imagery is positive and suggests this process is exciting
Writer’s Methods
Although this section is organised into three separate sections - form, structure and language - it is always best to move from what the poet is presenting (the techniques they use; the overall form of the poem; what comes at the beginning, middle and end of a poem) to how and why they have made the choices they have.
Focusing on the poet’s overarching ideas, rather than individual poetic techniques, will gain you far more marks. Crucially, in the below sections, all analysis is arranged by theme, and includes Simon Armitage’s intentions behind his choices in terms of:
Form
Simon Armitage’s poem considers the changing relationship of a parent and child, and the growing distance between them. It uses a first-person address to the mother, illustrating the child’s feelings as they move into their own home. The speaker explores the complexity of the close bond of mother and child in a slightly altered sonnet form.
Theme | Evidence | Poet’s intention |
Changing family relationships | The poem is a direct address to the mother as she helps him to measure rooms, presumably in his new home
| Armitage depicts the close bond between a child and parent with a conversation between son and mother, yet begins to create a less personal tone to imply the new roles |
The poem seems to conform to a sonnet, but the last line breaks this form to indicate the break in the relationship: “to fall or fly” | The poet uses the traditional connections of a sonnet as a poem about love to allude to the love between mother and child
| |
Simon Armitage’s poem presents the complex nature of the mother and child relationship as the speaker grows up and begins to break away from the close bond between them | ||
Structure
Armitage conveys the tensions of a reflective speaker who is beginning to accept the growing distance in the relationship between him and his mother while also acknowledging the challenges and risks his growing independence may bring
Theme | Evidence | Poet’s intention |
Acceptance and independence | Armitage’s poem is written in free verse with uneven rhyming lines
| Armitage begins the poem describing the close bond of the speaker with his mother, however as the poem progresses the speaker begins to distance himself, literally and metaphorically |
The first octave represents the mother as a guiding and supportive element in the son’s life using enjambment, however in line 8 a caesura breaks the rhythmic voice: “years between us. Anchor. Kite.” | The speaker’s tone, at first, is free-flowing to convey the stable and supportive relationship between parent and child, but this changes by the final stanza as the speaker begins to consider independence | |
Simon Armitage presents a speaker with mixed feelings about his new-found independence as he breaks free from a supportive family relationship | ||
Language
Simon Armitage uses an extended metaphor to represent the growing distance between mother and son as he moves into his own home. Hyperbolic imagery conveys the speaker’s sense of hesitation as he embarks on independent life.
Theme | Evidence | Poet’s intention |
Distance within family relationships | The semantic field of measurements conveys the theme of distance referred to in the title: “inch”, “span”, “metres”, “centimetres” | The poet highlights ideas of separation and distance with metaphorical imagery
|
The poet uses hyperbolic imagery to represent the speaker’s emotions
| Armitage shows a child’s hesitation as they accept independence, using exaggeration to convey the vastness of the task ahead | |
The poem uses a metaphor which represents freedom: “an endless sky”, “Kite”
| Armitage conveys the speaker’s excitement about his independence using imagery which connotes to flying, however his nervousness is shown too, with imagery relating to being rooted and falling | |
Armitage conveys a child’s nervous excitement as they embark on independence and leave the safety of their mother, describing the growing distance between them and the son’s unpredictable future | ||
Context
Examiners repeatedly state that context should not be considered as additional factual information: in this case, it is not random biographical information about Simon Armitage or facts unrelated to the ideas in 'Mother, Any Distance'. The best way to understand context is as the ideas and perspectives explored by Simon Armitage in 'Mother, Any Distance' which relate to family love and relationships.
This section has therefore been divided into two relevant themes that Armitage explores:
Family bonds
Simon Armitage’s poem, 'Mother, Any Distance', is part of a collection called ‘Burning Matches’, published before he was made Poet Laureate in 2019
It is one of a series of sonnets which convey the significance of ordinary, brief moments
The form of the poems could imply they deal with love in some way
This poem delves into the love between a mother and child
Mother, Any Distance comments on the changing relationship between mother and child, narrated by a son moving into a new home
The poem explores a son’s feelings as he embarks on independent life
However, the ordinary event, measuring rooms, reminds the speaker of his mother’s knowledge and guidance
The poem comments on the strong pull of safety and security the mother provides, juxtaposed with the excitement of freedom
Distance and independence
Simon Armitage’s poem was written in 1993, and this explains the modern setting
The poet uses a typical moving day to present ideas about independence
The modern context of the poem can be seen in the depiction of a child moving into a large suburban home with his mother’s help
The poem describes the rooms as “acres” and “prairies” both to present the huge space the son now has, and his hesitation at his new solitude
This is highlighted when the speaker says “I space-walk”
Armitage’s poem conveys the distance growing between a son and mother with modern colloquialisms: “zero-end”, “back to base” which presents the son’s youth
The mother is presented with idiomatic language to convey her age and the distance between them: she is a “second pair of hands” but “something has to give”
What to Compare it to
The essay you are required to write in your exam is a comparison of the ideas and themes explored in two of your anthology poems. It is therefore essential that you revise the poems together, in pairs, to understand how each poet presents ideas about love or relationships, in comparison to other poets in the anthology. Given that Mother, Any Distance explores the ideas of family relationships and independence, the following comparisons are the most appropriate:
For each pair of poems, you will find:
The comparison in a nutshell
Similarities between the ideas presented in each poem
Differences between the ideas presented in each poem
Evidence and analysis of these similarities and differences
Mother, Any Distance and Eden Rock
Comparison in a nutshell:
Both Simon Armitage’s Mother, Any Distance and Charles Causely’s Eden Rock present male speakers who reflect on their impactful relationship with their parents by describing seemingly insignificant events. While Armitage’s poem discusses the shifting roles within family relationships and a need for independence, Causely’s poem deals with unresolved separation from absent parents.
Similarities:
Topic sentence | Both speakers describe their parents as supportive and stabilising, presenting the close family bond | |
Evidence and analysis | Mother, Any Distance | Eden Rock |
Armitage suggests the mother is reassuring through the speaker’s calm tone of voice, using enjambment to create a sentimental tone within the first part of his sonnet | Similarly, Charles Causely’s first-person speaker sounds calm as he remembers his parents
| |
Armitage’s speaker compares his mother to an “Anchor” which roots and stabilises
| The speaker here also uses imagery to describe his parents as prepared and in control
| |
Armitage’s speaker describes his mother offering him support in his new home: “You come to help me measure” | The speaker’s perspective of his parents as reassuring and guiding is shown in their communication to him despite their distance: “'See where the stream-path is!/Crossing is not as hard as you might think.'” | |
Armitage and Causely both pay tribute to their parents’ role in their development and present their parents as stabilising and supportive factors in their lives | ||
Topic sentence | Both poets illustrate simple moments which are powerfully significant in the children’s lives | |
Evidence and analysis | Mother, Any Distance | Eden Rock |
Armitage’s presents the moment in metaphorical imagery
| Causely uses sensory language to present the immersion and vivid recollection of the speaker
| |
Armitage’s poem describes a simple event, a son and mother measuring floors of his new home, to convey the significance of ordinary moments between parent and child: “I space-walk through the empty bedrooms, climb the ladder to the loft,to breaking point,” | The ordinariness of the picnic is represented with vivid natural imagery to present the power of the memory
| |
Both Armitage and Causely explore the influence of seemingly insignificant moments in their childhoods which have a powerful, emotional impact on both sons | ||
Differences:
Topic sentence | While Simon Armitage’s poem ends with a speaker who wishes for independence, Charles Causely’s poem ends with a speaker unable to accept the distance between him and his parents | |
Evidence and analysis | Mother, Any Distance | Eden Rock |
The speaker recognises the risk of independence, yet he sees his future as exciting
| Here, the speaker’s unresolved longing for his parents presents a speaker who is caught in the past
| |
The speaker recognises the strong pull of the maternal relationship, and sees it as restrictive
| The speaker remembers a specific memory of his parents as young adults, which suggests he sees them like that still, as they were then
| |
Both poets explore the strong bond between parent and child and the security they provide, however Armitage’s poem presents a speaker keen to explore his independence and freedom from his mother’s control, whereas Causely depicts a more idealised version of the speaker’s parents and mourns their absence | ||
Mother, Any Distance and Follower
Comparison in a nutshell:
This is an effective comparative choice to explore changing roles in family relationships. Both Simon Armitage’s Mother, Any Distance and Seamus Heaney’s Follower deal with complex dynamics of intimacy and independence between a parent and child.
Similarities:
Topic sentence | Both poems explore family relationships through speakers who feel security from supportive parents | |
Evidence and analysis | Mother, Any Distance | Follower |
Armitage’s poem explores the emotional impact of a normal event, a parent helping their child move and measuring the rooms
| Similarly, Heaney’s poem centres around a significant, yet typical memory of a son and his father working on a farm
| |
Armitage describes his mother’s experienced and guiding actions
| Seamus Heaney’s speaker shows his father as careful and exacting
| |
The speakers both explore family relationships by showing the impact of ordinary events during which parents provide their children with support and guidance | ||
Topic sentence | Both poems present speakers who express painful and confusing feelings about the distance between parent and child | |
Evidence and analysis | Mother, Any Distance | Follower |
Armitage’s speaker seems unsure whether to become independent or enjoy the stability of his mother’s bond
| Heaney’s speaker is uneasy about the changing relationship
| |
Armitage’s speaker mixes reflective enjambment with poignant pauses created by caesurae to reflect his mixed emotions: “the last one-hundredth of an inch...I reach/towards a hatch that opens on an endless sky” | Similarly, Heaney’s speaker presents a nostalgic tone regarding his father with lines of enjambment at the start, however by the end the speaker’s tone changes with caesura to represent the changes in the relationship: “always yapping. But today” | |
Both poems explore the strong pull of parental love and the confusing emotions of growing independence and creating distance from their parents | ||
Differences:
Topic sentence | While both poems show a close bond, Simon Armitage’s poem centres around a son breaking away from his mother, while Seamus Heaney’s poem focuses on a son’s need to follow in his father’s footsteps | |
Evidence and analysis | Mother, Any Distance | Follower |
Armitage’s speaker describes the relationship as possessive using present-tense verbs, “your fingertips still pinch” | Heaney’s poem presents the speaker’s father as close by him at the end of the poem
| |
Armitage shows a child realising the necessity of leaving
| The poem illustrates traditional family values
| |
Both poems discuss family love, however Armitage’s speaker implies he chooses freedom, while Heaney’s speaker offers strength and comfort to his father as he ages, despite the challenges | ||
Mother, Any Distance and Before You Were Mine
Comparison in a nutshell:
Both Simon Armitage’s poem Mother, Any Distance and Carol Ann Duffy’s poem Before You Were Mine present the perspectives of children reflecting on distance between parent and child and acknowledging the changing nature of family relationships. However, Armitage’s poem considers the role of his mother in his life, whereas Duffy’s poem considers her mother as an individual before she was a mother.
Similarities:
Topic sentence | Both poems present perspectives of adult children directly addressing their mothers | |
Evidence and analysis | Mother, Any Distance | Before You Were Mine |
Armitage’s poem is a direct address to his mother
| Duffy’s poem, too, directly addresses her mother
| |
The speakers convey the personal bond between parent and child with speakers who talk directly to their respective mothers | ||
Armitage’s speaker acknowledges his mother’s supportive role in his life: “You come to help me measure” | Similarly, Duffy’s speaker reflects on her mother as a mentor and presents her poem as a eulogy: “You'd teach me the steps on the way home” | |
The poems both comment on the powerful influence of mothers in family relationships, while acknowledging the distance which occurs as children grow up | ||
Similarities:
Topic sentence | Both poets present speakers who comment on dependence within family relationships | |
Evidence and analysis | Mother, Any Distance | Before You Were Mine |
Armitage’s poem presents the possessive nature of parental bonds
| Duffy’s speaker, too, explores the possessive element within family relationships: “The decade ahead of my loud, possessive yell”
| |
The poets comment on the idea of dependence between parents and children, recognising the restrictions this can bring in family relationships | ||
Differences:
Topic sentence | Simon Armitage’s speaker reflects on his mother’s role in his life, while Carol Ann Duffy’s poem presents a speaker aware of her mother as an individual, not just in her role as parent | |
Evidence and analysis | Mother, Any Distance | Before You Were Mine |
Armitage’s poem depicts a day when a son’s mother helps him move into his own home
| However, Duffy’s speaker reflects on her mother’s imagined past before she had a child, using vivid imagery: “where you sparkle and waltz and laugh before you were mine.” | |
Armitage’s poem is a personal reflection which describes his own actions: “I reach”, “I space-walk”
| Duffy, however, describes her mother as a younger woman, free of parental responsibilities: “The thought of me doesn’t occur”
| |
Both speakers reflect on their parents, however Armitage’s poem reflects on a son’s feelings toward his mother, whereas Duffy’s poem describes her mother in an imagined event from her past | ||
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