'In Memory of my Mother'.

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‘In memory of my mother’ was written by the Irish poet Patrick Kavanagh. The poem has an epic theme of tragedy, loss and remembrance and is also elegiac.

‘In Memory of My Mother’ is about love, a very strong theme in this poem. The speaker has great love for his mother. She is dead but he still thinks about her wherever he is. He remembers moments they shared together and he replays them in his mind. "I see you walking down a lane" or "I see us meeting". They are free and happy together and they do not have to speak because they can think in silence in a caring and calm way. "Free in the oriental streets of thought". The speaker uses a nostalgic tone to show his deep love for his mother. We see her as a loving active woman who cares for her son and even though she is dead she is still a large and important part of his life. He also uses colour and calm words to create a sense of peace and love.

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Another theme in this poem is family. The speaker is addressing his mother in the poem. She is a very important family member to him. She has passed away but he does not see her as dead but he believes that she is right by him all the time. "I do not think of you lying in the wet clay". He describes her as an angel which suggests that when she is not with him she is looking down on him from heaven. "Among your earthiest words the angels stray". The relationship between the speaker and his mother is very strong. They ...

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