Homing (AQA GCSE English Literature)
Revision Note
'Homing'
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 from the anthology. As this is a closed-book exam, you will not have access to the second poem, so you will need to know aspects of 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 Liz Berry’s poem 'Homing', from the Worlds and Lives 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 Liz Berry’s intention and message
'Homing' in a nutshell
'Homing' is written by the poet Liz Berry, who was born in the Midlands, a region of central England, in 1980. The poem, like much of her poetry, considers individuals’ relationships with cultural heritage and the way language shapes identity.
'Homing' breakdown
Lines 1–3
“For years you kept your accent
in a box beneath the bed,
the lock rusted shut by hours of elocution”
Translation
The lines introduce a speaker’s direct address to a listener:
The speaker suggests, symbolically, that their accent has been hidden by hours of speech training (“elocution”)
Berry’s intention
Berry introduces a conversation about language related to personal identity
The metaphor alludes to the way the individual’s identity is restricted:
The imagery of “rusted shut” implies an extended period of repressed expression
Lines 4–5
“how now brown cow
the teacher’s ruler across your legs.”
Translation
The poem uses a phrase connected with elocution: “how now brown cow”
The speaker is punished if they get it wrong and pronounce the vowels in an accent different to the “Queen’s English” or received pronunciation
Berry’s intention
Berry presents learning to conform as punitive and painful
Berry alludes to prevalent ideas about the disciplinary nature of elitist traditions
Lines 6–10
“We heard it escape sometimes,
a guttural uh on the phone to your sister,
saft or blart to a taxi driver
unpacking your bags from his boot.
I loved its thick drawl, g’s that rang.”
Translation
The narrator refers to the listener’s native accent, which “escapes” at times
The narrator lists occasions when they have heard the hint of the listener’s native pronunciation of words
They add that they “loved” the sound of it (stressed by the past-tense verb)
Berry’s intention
Berry illustrates the way an individual remains tied to their cultural heritage
At times (perhaps in emotional or challenging moments) they show their real identity via their natural accent
The narrator sounds nostalgic about the rich sound of the listener’s old accent
Lines 11–13
“Clearing your house, the only thing
I wanted was that box, jemmied open
to let years of lost words spill out –”
Translation
The speaker hints at the listener’s absence while describing clearing the house
They refer to a “box”, which held the listener’s hidden accent:
This is confirmed when the narrator mentions “lost words”
It is clear the speaker wishes the listener had been more open about their heritage:
They want to break open the box (“jemmied”) and let the “words spill out”
Berry’s intention
Berry presents a regretful speaker who is frustrated at the listener’s repressed identity
Lines 14–16
“bibble, fittle, tay, wum,
vowels ferrous as nails, consonants
you could lick the coal from.”
Translation
The speaker mentions words and sounds that make up the Black Country accent
The lines mention iron (“ferrous”) and “coal”, referring to industry commonly associated with the region
Berry’s intention
Berry draws attention to the vibrancy of cultural heritage with sensory imagery
Lines 17–20
“I wanted to swallow them all: the pits,
railways, factories thunking and clanging
the night shift, the red brick
back-to-back you were born in.”
Translation
The speaker uses metaphor to describe the native accent:
The symbolic nature of “swallow” refers to the richness of the sounds
The poet lists aspects of colour and sound that refer to the urban nature of the region
Berry’s intention
Berry describes the Black Country in England and its particular accent with vivid imagery to promote the expression of cultural identity
Lines 21–23
“I wanted to forge your voice
in my mouth, a blacksmith’s furnace;
shout it from the roofs,”
Translation
The speaker repeats a desire for a closer connection with the listener’s heritage
Here, they suggest they wanted to sound the same and use their accent proudly
Berry’s intention
Berry offers an alternative perspective on cultural heritage
Berry implies language is integral to an individual’s identity
Lines 24–25
“send your words, like pigeons,
fluttering for home.”
Translation
The poem ends with a natural image: a homing pigeon
The title of the poem connects with the final lines:
“Homing” refers to the idea that the listener’s words are sent back home, as if they were pigeons containing messages
Berry’s intention
Berry’s poem ends by liberating the listener from their repressed identity:
The allusion to birds connotes freedom
Berry connects freedom with a return to an individual’s heritage
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 sections below, all analysis is arranged by theme, and includes Liz Berry’s intentions behind her choices in terms of:
Form
Structure
Language
Form
The poem’s form is suggestive of an intimate conversation. Liz Berry directly addresses an absent listener, which conveys a sense of nostalgia. Berry uses this form to present an emotional reflection on an individual’s sense of identity.
Theme | Evidence | Poet’s intention |
|---|---|---|
Belonging and heritage | The poem’s free verse form reflects natural speech:
| Liz Berry presents an intimate conversation about repressed cultural identity:
|
The poem is a direct address to a silent listener with whom they had a close relationship:
| Berry presents the silenced voice of the listener, both absent in the narrator’s life and unable to respond:
| |
Berry presents the perspective of an individual in a close relationship with someone from a different background | ||
Structure
Berry shifts the rhythm of the poem to reflect the speaker’s emotions as they celebrate an individual’s cultural identity, while expressing remorse about the way in which it was repressed.
Theme | Evidence | Poet’s intention |
|---|---|---|
Individual lives | The poem begins with a controlled narrator:
| Berry introduces the idea of conformity:
|
Enjambment is used to convey the speaker’s frustration: “the only thing/I wanted was that box”
| Berry presents an emotional speaker who is disappointed by the hidden heritage of their loved one | |
Caesura reflect the speaker’s sense of admiration: “I wanted to swallow them all: the pits,” followed by, “in my mouth, a blacksmith’s furnace;” | Berry’s disrupted rhythm reflects the speaker’s love for the vibrant culture of the Black Country | |
The speaker depicts an individual who simultaneously expresses awe and sadness in response to another’s cultural identity | ||
Language
'Homing' examines the way society encourages conformity instead of celebrating the richness of other cultures. The speaker recalls all the ways in which being surrounded by an individual with a different culture brought pleasure to their life.
Theme | Evidence | Poet’s intention |
|---|---|---|
Disconnected relationships | Berry describes the listener’s Black Country accent:
| Berry’s poem encourages individuals to retain their native accents by describing the sounds in a positive way |
Berry describes urban regions with sensory imagery:
| Berry’s metaphorical language describes the culture of the Black Country as rich and sensual:
| |
The poem ends, contrastingly, with natural imagery:
| The final lines convey Berry’s message that individuals should embrace their cultural heritage:
| |
Berry alludes to the pleasure that can be found in people’s cultural differences | ||
Context
Examiners repeatedly state that context should not be considered as additional factual information but connected to your analysis. Examiners ask for sophisticated contextual connections that are linked to the theme in the question. In this case, it is not biographical information about Liz Berry that is unrelated to the ideas in 'Homing'. The best way to understand context is as the ideas and perspectives explored by Berry in the poem that relate to worlds and lives. This section has therefore been divided into two relevant themes that Berry explores:
Belonging and heritage
Disconnected relationships
Belonging and heritage
Liz Berry was born in 1980 in the Black Country (an industrial region in central England):
The name refers to the black soot that came from the many factories built there during the Industrial Revolution
The region was known for its steel, coal, brick and iron industries
Berry’s work has a strong connection to her home region, which is often the subject of ridicule due to its strong accent and perception of poverty:
The accent is often considered to be “not proper”
Berry’s poem describes the area’s urban heritage positively by drawing attention to its sensual nature:
She describes the “red brick” and “blacksmith’s furnace”
The noise of the “railways” and “factories” is described sentimentally using child-like, vivid language: “thunking and clanging”
Berry subverts typical connotations of industry:
Her speaker wants to “lick the coal” and “swallow” the “red brick back-to-back you were born in”
Disconnected relationships
The poem draws attention to the accent, a key element of the the Black Country’s strong cultural identity:
The Anglo-Saxon dialect and accent of the Black Country is one of the few examples of English accents that resisted the process of controversial
In the 1800s, Received Pronunciation became the standard form of English:
It represented the accent of the monarchy and upper-class
This remains due to the fact it was, and still is, spoken by less than 1% of the population
Berry’s poem considers the pressure on individuals to conform in their worlds, specifically regarding language:
An individual from the Black Country tries to learn a more "proper" accent:
This is described as challenging and restrictive
Berry’s poem deals with the idea that regional accents are not “proper English”:
The poem mourns an individual who hides their identity by learning to speak Standard English
Berry’s poem conveys the significance of heritage:
'Homing' appears in “The Black Country”, a collection of poems that uses the dialect and accent of this region
In 'Homing', Berry describes the sound of the “guttural uh”
The speaker lists words they heard and loved: “bibble, fittle, tay, wum”
The poem celebrates the accent and cultural identity of the Black Country by referencing its industrial history: “I wanted to forge your voice”
The speaker’s desire to “shout it from the roofs” promotes the idea of individuals taking pride in their native accents
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 worlds and lives in comparison to other poets in the anthology. Given that 'Homing' explores the ideas of disconnected relationships and differences between individual lives, the following comparisons are the most appropriate:
'Homing' and 'Name Journeys'
'Homing' and 'Thirteen'
'Homing' and 'On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955'
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
'Homing' and 'Name Journeys'
Comparison in a nutshell:
Both Liz Berry’s 'Homing' and Raman Mundair’s 'Name Journeys' employ speakers who explore fitting in and integrating in England. Both examine disconnections in their world related to cultural heritage. However, while Berry’s poem depicts a regretful conversation about repressed identity, Mundair uses a vibrant monologue to express her identity.
Similarities:
Topic sentence | Both poems explore disconnections between human relationships | |
|---|---|---|
Evidence and analysis | 'Homing' | 'Name Journeys' |
Berry’s poem speaks about an individual from central England:
| Similarly, Mundair uses the theme of travelling in her poem about displacement:
| |
Berry’s narrator describes a loved one’s struggle to conform:
| Mundair’s speaker finds similar obstacles conversing in their new environment:
| |
Berry’s speaker depicts the restrictive nature of hiding cultural identity: “For years you kept your accent/in a box beneath the bed”:
| Mundair’s poem alludes to the isolation felt by those not native to an area:
| |
Both poems explore how external worlds impact human beings’ inner lives | ||
Differences:
Topic sentence | While Berry’s poem is celebratory and finds resolution, Mundari’s monologue is more critical of her environment | |
|---|---|---|
Evidence and analysis | 'Homing' | “Name Journeys” |
Berry’s speaker is controlled, using caesura and pauses to reflect moments of pleasant memory: “I loved its thick drawl, g’s that rang.” and “in my mouth, a blacksmith’s furnace;” | In contrast, Mundair’s speaker has a more fluid tone, using enjambment to present rambling thoughts | |
Berry’s poem uses sensory imagery to celebrate diverse culture:
| In contrast, Mundair uses rich imagery to criticise England and present her culture positively:
| |
Berry’s poem ends with a promise for freedom, to release the listener’s hidden cultural heritage:
| In contrast, Mundair expresses her anger at the “Anglo echo chamber void of history and memory” | |
Berry’s poem promotes multiculturalism through a speaker who embraces a different culture, whereas Mundair’s poem presents a bitter comment on displacement | ||
'Homing' and 'Thirteen'
Comparison in a nutshell:
Both Liz Berry and Caleb Femi examine individuals who feel singled out and repressed because of their identity. However, while Liz Berry’s 'Homing' presents a native who embraces a different culture, Femi shows a young boy’s growing sense of hopelessness.
Similarities:
Topic sentence | Both poems explore the challenges of displacement | |
|---|---|---|
Evidence and analysis | 'Homing' | 'Thirteen' |
Berry’s narrator speaks to a listener who is disconnected from their world:
| Femi’s narrator is stopped by a police officer and told he may, “fit/the description of a man” involved in a robbery | |
Berry comments on the struggles of conforming in a new environment:
| Femi relates a conversation between a young boy and a police officer that is initially threatening, and later patronising, highlighting the difficulties of integration:
| |
The speakers comment on pressures regarding an individual’s cultural identity and how this can create disconnected relationships | ||
Topic sentence | Both poems present speakers who respond emotionally to cultural differences | |
|---|---|---|
Evidence and analysis | 'Homing' | 'Thirteen' |
Berry’s speaker conveys frustrated, stifled expression with caesura and pauses:
| Femi’s speaker expresses similar tensions with caesura: “You’ll laugh./Thirteen, you’ll tell him: you’re thirteen.”:
| |
The speaker conveys the tension of an individual trying to fit in:
| The speaker in Femi’s poem expresses similar pressures:
| |
Both poems examine individuals attempting to connect in uncomfortable environments | ||
Differences:
Topic sentence | Liz Berry’s poem offers a positive and celebratory exploration on multiculturalism, whereas Caleb Femi’s poem offers a darker message about the diminishing hope of a vulnerable boy | |
|---|---|---|
Evidence and analysis | 'Homing' | 'Thirteen' |
Berry’s poem embraces a different culture, describing it in rich imagery:
| Femi describes the environment with stark, banal detail:
| |
Berry’s poem ends with resolution:
| Femi’s poem, however, ends on a dismal tone, using contrasting imagery to show the boy’s growing sense of hopelessness:
| |
Berry presents a positive portrayal of an individual whose identity is celebrated finally, whereas Femi considers the long-term consequences of thoughtless comments | ||
'Homing' and 'On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955'
Comparison in a nutshell:
Both Liz Berry’s 'Homing' and James Berry’s 'On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955' consider the significance of language as individuals attempt to form relationships in new areas. However, Liz Berry portrays an individual’s struggles as they try to integrate, while James Berry comments on an individual’s polite acceptance of their circumstances.
Similarities:
Topic sentence | Both poems examine the way an individual’s language can create bonds or highlight cultural differences in conversations | |
|---|---|---|
Evidence and analysis | 'Homing' | 'On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955' |
Liz Berry’s poem conveys differences in culture through language:
| Correspondingly, Berry explores the way individuals from different cultures converse:
| |
'Homing' expresses the restrictive process of integration:
| James Berry’s poem examines a migrant’s similarly hidden frustration as they attempt to fit in:
| |
Liz Berry describes an individual’s cultural heritage:
| James Berry’s poem explores an individual managing two different cultures simultaneously:
| |
The poets both comment on individuals with varying cultural experiences who attempt to relate to their new worlds | ||
Differences:
Topic sentence | Liz Berry’s poem is an emotional expression of an individual’s identity, whereas James Berry draws attention to their speaker’s reduced identity | |
|---|---|---|
Evidence and analysis | 'Homing' | 'On an Afternoon Train from Purley to Victoria, 1955' |
In Liz Berry’s poem the speaker wants to release the migrant’s hidden identity and “shout it from the roofs” | Here, however, the narrator (a migrant) converses with the English woman on her terms:
| |
The speaker describes the positive aspects of a different cultural heritage:
| The English woman never learns about the speaker’s real identity:
| |
The poem’s ending offers a hopeful message about multiculturalism:
| The poem ends unresolved as the “people sat down around us” and bring the small talk to an abrupt end:
| |
While Liz Berry depicts harmonious relationships between a native and a migrant, James Berry highlights miscommunications based on cultural differences | ||
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