Comparing The Sick Equation by Brian patten and Long Distance by Tony Harrison
In this essay I am going to compare and contrast 'The Sick Equation'
by Brian Patten and 'Long Distance' by Tony Harrison.
'The Sick Equation' is about how two parent's intense arguing and
general disrespect for each other had such a damaging effect on their
son's thoughts, personality and life as an adult.
Stanza one gives us some background information to the poem. The poet
mentions the word 'school' in the opening line so we can assume he is
between the ages of ten and sixteen. We also learn that at this time,
his parents are still living together but the house is '…full of anger
and pain.' Which gives us an indication of how he feels about his home
life. The poet assumes from his past experience that he can't go with
anyone because his equation is broken. He feels it is better being
one, rather than being two and trying to make things work because
someone will always end up being hurt.
Up to stanza five, Patten describes how he pushed away anyone who
wanted to love him and how he always thought that marriage would end
in divorce. He has very low self-esteem. He would rather not be loved
at all than be love by someone, only then to be rejected by them.
However, in stanza six, we find out that he has completely turned his
life around and has found someone to love.
In contrast, Harrison writes about how loving his parents were and how
his father still loved his deceased mother and did things he would
have done if she were still alive.
Stanza one gives you details of what the father did/does for his wife.
This shows what a loving relatio...
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...ll know phrase but Patten uses it in a
very sardonic tone of voice because in reality, his childhood home was
anything but sweet.
In conclusion, I would say that I preferred 'Long Distance' by Tony
Harrison because it paints a picturesque view of what everyone's
childhood should be like - warm, loving and stable. I also like it
because I think it has been very cleverly written. Just when you think
you know what Harrison is trying to tell you, just when you think you
can sympathise with him about his love for his father and his torment
at watching his father's extreme grief, the poem jolts you. The last
stanza tells you that the poem was never just about the father. It's
about Harrison and his won struggle to accept the finality of his
parent's death and his own refusal to see them as 'disconnected' from
his life.
The poem is written in the father’s point of view; this gives insight of the father’s character and
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...r who is very close with my family, I can feel the sentiment behind each authors’ literature from my own experiences. I know that not everyone is lucky enough to have certain family bonds; however, I believe that much of our society in the 21st century is focused around family, values, and our upbringing. If a voyager from the future were to read these two poems, I think they would have a pretty good understanding and notion that our culture and civilization has a strong focus on relationships, family, trust and support. We go out of our way for the people we love and care about.
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