Mother, Any Distance (AQA GCSE English Literature)

Revision Note

Author

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

Exam Tip

'Mother, Any Distance' is part of the Love and Relationships anthology of poems, and the exam question asks you to compare the ideas presented in two of these anthology poems, specifically related to the ideas of family relationships and love.

It is therefore as important that you learn how Mother, Any Distance compares and contrasts with other poems in the anthology as understanding the poem in isolation. See the section below on ‘What to Compare it to’ for detailed comparisons of 'Mother, Any Distance' and other poems in the anthology.

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

Exam Tip

Your exam question will ask you to compare how poets present ideas about love and/or relationships in the poem given to you on the exam paper and one other from the Love and Relationships anthology. It is therefore a good idea to begin your answer using the wording of the question and summarising what the poem tells us about the nature of love or relationships. This demonstrates that you have understood the poem and the poet’s intention. For example, “Simon Armitage presents ideas related to independence within family relationships. Similar themes can be found in…”

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
Structure
Language

Exam Tip

The last thing examiners want to see is what they call “technique spotting”. This is when students use overly sophisticated terminology unnecessarily (“polysyndeton”; “epanalepsis”), without explaining their analysis.

Knowing the names of sophisticated techniques will not gain you any more marks, especially if these techniques are only “spotted” and the poet’s intentions for this language is not explained. Instead of technique spotting, focus your analysis on the reasons why the poet is presenting their ideas in the way that they do: what is their message? What ideas are they presenting, or challenging?

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 However, the term “Mother” could indicate the distance of their new relationship	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 However the last line represents the changing nature of their relationship as the speaker considers his independence
	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 The poet uses [popover id="PQhIE5UsMwg_0a9I" label="half-rhymes] in the first eight lines to represent the speaker’s close bond with his mother: “span” and “hands”, as well as “recording”, “unreeling”, “leaving” The last stanza does not rhyme and becomes more uneven in its line lengths	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 Each measurement represents the growing space between him and his mother
	The poet uses hyperbolic imagery to represent the speaker’s emotions He feels the distance growing and it seems intimidating, like “acres” and “prairies”	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” He juxtaposes these images with the metaphorical “Anchor” to represent the stability his mother offers However, the speaker recognises his independence will present a risk without his mother’s help: “to fall or fly”	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

Exam Tip

Try not to separate “language”, “form” and “structure” into three separate elements you need to include in your answer. To achieve top marks, you need to include an integrated comparison of the themes and ideas in this and the other poems in the anthology, and focus on the relevance of the method used by the poet to the ideas in the poem(s).

This means it is better to structure your answer around an exploration of the ideas and themes in the poems, commenting on elements of language, form or structure that contribute to the presentation of these themes, rather than simply listing all of the key methods you think should be covered when writing about poetry (with no analysis or exploration of their relevance to the themes and ideas). Stay focused on the task, and then choose your comments based on the focus of the question.

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”

Exam Tip

Remember, AO3 is only worth up to 6 marks in this question. You will be expected to demonstrate your understanding of the relationship between the poem and the context in which it was written in an integrated way, throughout your answer. It is therefore important to focus on the key themes, and have a thorough knowledge of the cluster of poems.

Context comes from the key word in the task, so your answer should emphasise the key themes of the effects of desire and love. Writing a whole paragraph about Simon Armitage is not an integrated approach, and will not achieve high marks.

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

Exam Tip

You will be expected to not only explore this poem in depth, but make perceptive comparisons to themes, language, form and structure used in other poems in the anthology that also comment on family relationships, love and independence. It is therefore important that you have a thorough knowledge of all of the poems, rather than just memorising a series of quotations. It is also essential that you not only write about the named poem, but compare it to one other in the anthology. Only writing about the poem given on the paper will severely limit your marks.

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 Enjambment creates a calm and nostalgic tone which presents the memory as comforting The regular structure shows the stabling influence of his parents
	Armitage’s speaker compares his mother to an “Anchor” which roots and stabilises Moreover, she is “reporting” and “recording”, alluding to her experience and dominance	The speaker here also uses imagery to describe his parents as prepared and in control He describes his mother spreading a “stiff white cloth”, and “setting out “the same three plates” He describes his father with a small “trembling” dog at his feet
	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 He describes his feelings toward his mother with juxtaposed images to connote to the support she offers and the freedom he is about to enjoy: “the line still feeding out, unreeling/years between us. Anchor. Kite.” He describes “an endless sky” where he will “fall or fly”	Causely uses sensory language to present the immersion and vivid recollection of the speaker The mother is described as bright in the sun:“Her hair, the colour of wheat, takes on the light” as she sets out “blue tin cups” The sibilance of the father as he “spins a stone” evokes strong imagery
	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 “She pours tea from a Thermos” , sets out the “same three plates” and uses a sauce bottle for the milk, which suggests this is a familiar family outing
	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 The symbolic imagery of a kite flying in “an endless sky” created by the metaphorical language metaphorical language shows the speaker desiring the freedom independence will bring The poem ends with a decision: “to fall or fly”, however the isolated line implies the speaker’s choice to be independent from the family bond	Here, the speaker’s unresolved longing for his parents presents a speaker who is caught in the past The poem ends with a single line, separated from the rest of the poem to show the speaker’s return to reality He conveys his surprise at the emotions the separation from his parents still brings: “I had not thought that it would be like this.”
	The speaker recognises the strong pull of the maternal relationship, and sees it as restrictive His mother’s fingertips “still pinch” and “something has to give” Her support is metaphorically described as an “Anchor”, weighing him down as well as stabilising him	The speaker remembers a specific memory of his parents as young adults, which suggests he sees them like that still, as they were then The natural imagery shows them as idealised and virtuous: “My mother, twenty-three, in a sprigged dress” and “her hair, the colour of wheat, take on the light”
	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

Exam Tip

It is a good idea to outline your choice of second poem in your introduction to your response, with a clear overview of the overarching themes within both poems. You can then use the theme to move between both poems to provide the substance to illustrate your arguments. However, this does not mean that you cannot focus on one poem first, and then the other, linking ideas back to the main poem. You should choose whichever structure suits you best, as long as comparison is embedded and ideas for both texts are well-developed.

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 He uses a semantic field of furniture to present the ordinary event, such as “pelmets”, “windows”, “floors” and “spool of tape” Armitage uses imagery to present the emotional impact the moment as he looks to his vast future: “the prairies of the floors	Similarly, Heaney’s poem centres around a significant, yet typical memory of a son and his father working on a farm The semantic field of rural farm-life (“plough”, “furrow”, “sod”) shows his vivid recollections of his simple childhood The imagery is personal: “Sometimes he rode me on his back”
	Armitage describes his mother’s experienced and guiding actions Armitage shows his mother’s experience with idiomatic language and direct address: “requires a second pair of hands./You come to help me measure windows, pelmets, doors”	Seamus Heaney’s speaker shows his father as careful and exacting Verbs describe him as an “expert”: “His eye/Narrowed and angled at the ground” He presents his father as a role-model: “I wanted to grow up and plough,/To close one eye, stiffen my arm.”
	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 He uses metaphor to contrast stable, rooted parental support and the freedom independence brings: “unreeling/years between us. Anchor. Kite.” The metaphorical “to fall or fly” implies the speaker’s dilemma	Heaney’s speaker is uneasy about the changing relationship His poem depicts the strength of his father as a young man and how this changes as he ages, how the father becomes a “nuisance” instead He uses a verb which implies struggling movements: the son “stumbles in his wake” as a child, but now the father “keeps stumbling”
	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 The present-tense continuous verb in “It is my father who keeps stumbling” shows the continuing dependence in the relationship
	Armitage shows a child realising the necessity of leaving His present dependance on his parent is described as a “breaking point” “where something has to give” The speaker uses a metaphor to show his desire for independence and freedom: “I reach/towards a hatch that opens on an endless sky”	The poem illustrates traditional family values The dependence of the father on his son is a frustrating yet necessary role: “Behind me, and will not go away”
	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 He uses a formal address, “Mother”, to present his respect for her, as well as the changing, more distant, relationship as he becomes an adult	Duffy’s poem, too, directly addresses her mother Her tone is informal, taking on the tone of an adult child remembering her mother as a younger woman: “and whose small bites on your neck, sweetheart?”
	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 His mother’s fingertips “still pinch” as she holds on to the bond between them He compares the security of her role as an “Anchor”, rooting him and restricting him	Duffy’s speaker, too, explores the possessive element within family relationships: “The decade ahead of my loud, possessive yell” The poet also relates this idea with repetition of the line: “Before you were mine.”
	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 He refers to her support and help as they measure the rooms and floors with a semantic field of measurement: “centimetres”, “metres”, “span”	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” He describes his mother’s role as responsible parent with continous verbs: “recording”, “reporting”	Duffy, however, describes her mother as a younger woman, free of parental responsibilities: “The thought of me doesn’t occur” She describes her mother’s actions with verbs which imply she is liberated and vibrant: she would “dance”, “laugh” and “shriek”
	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

Exam Tip

You can choose whichever poem you feel you are able to make the most in-depth comparisons to in the exam. For example, you could choose to compare the presentation of independence in family relationships in Mother, Any Distance and Follower. Or you might wish to explore the idea of intimate family love in Eden Rock and Before You Were Mine. What is important is that you view the poems thematically, with a clear emphasis on love and relationships. This will give you a better framework in which to write your response in the exam.

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Mother, Any Distance (AQA GCSE English Literature)

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Author: Sam Evans