The poem Two Hands, written by Jon Stallworty, is a piece of writing with a modern structure and a relatable, yet very personal theme.

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Two Hands – Poem Commentary

 

The poem ‘Two Hands’, written by Jon Stallworty, is a piece of writing with a modern structure and a relatable, yet very personal theme. It deals with a delicate topic, the relationship between father and son, the lack of connection  between the two, their differences, and the insecurities that they provoke in the author. The very touching and delicate mood is created by the excellent use of imagery, which greatly appeals to the senses, diction, and the structure, enriched by rhymes, caesuras and a lot of phonetic details, included to emphasize very particular emotions.

The story depicted in the poem, portrays the relationship between a father and the son, in an evening atmosphere, the difference concerning their jobs, the different life styles, the way of using their hands, and subsequently the inexplicit revelation of the son’s insecurities . The poem is quite modern, which can be deduced from the structure and the way the verses interconnect, even though, from the content of the poem itself, it is not clear in what times it was written. This particular structure, filled enjambements, and ten syllables long verses, it’s not a very regular one, but it creates a very slow and melancholic atmosphere, which portrays the insecurity of the speaker and the distance from his father. The poem was probably written, mainly for a personal purpose, as a relief perhaps. However, it is really relatable, despite its specificity. In fact, the speaker it is the author itself, as it is possible to see from the end of the 12th verse: “ All today remembering the one (…)”,  and throughout the first person narration. This kind of narration enables us to have a more profound look to the emotions connected with the frustrating and almost sad situation, the words and way the speaker conveys the meaning has a stronger impact on the reader, than if it were in third person. The audience and age ranged which this poem is most directed to, is very broad, from the moment, when a person, as an individual, chooses what to do with his life, and what goals he aims to accomplish, and the doubts that have to be faced. The title of the poem, does not give too much information about the content of the following verses. The first impression is, that it will be about either the unity or the difference between two hands, that each of us posseses, so perhaps, the double faced nature of someone’s personality or the potential of working in harmony with the two hands to create something. Another way that it could be understood, would also two hands, of two lovers that hold each other, about two people, therefore, a poem about love and relationship. The actual meaning of the title of the poem, is quite different, still connected with love, and to a certain extent the last suggestion (of the lovers holding hands) is not completely wrong. The two hands symbolize the difference between a father and a son, which use their hands, or more precisely, their left hand, to do two completely different jobs; one cures people, and the other one writes. The title does not prepare the reader in a very particular way, to set a state of mind or atmosphere, before reading the poem, except for being ready for a potentially occurring duality. The poem, is however quite explicit, already from the first verse, where we immediately understand that it is going to be about the speaker and his father.

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The structure of the poem is not conventional, and definitely modern. There are rhymes present in the poem, and the end of the verses, however it is not very precise to call it a rhyme pattern. Namely, the pattern for the first half of the poem, could be said to be ABBA, however already after the first sequence, (verses 5-8), there are some intentional fallacies in the scheme. The BB rhymes are not actual rhymes. When the poem is read, they might sound as if they were rhyming, but they actually do not. After that, we find four verses ...

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