adam thorpe on her blindness by Adam Thorpe — Analysis & Translation

Original Poem

adam thorpe on her blindness My mother could not bear being blind, to be honest. One shouldn’t say it. One should hide the fact that catastrophic handicaps are hell; one tends to hear, publicly from those who bear it like a Roman, or somehow find joy in the fight. She turned to me, once, in a Paris restaurant, still not finding the food on the plate with her fork, or not so that it stayed on (try it in a pitch-black room) and whispered, “It’s living hell, to be honest Adam. If I gave up hope of a cure, I’d bump myself off.” I don’t recall what I replied, but it must have been the usual sop, inadequate: the locked-in son. She kept her dignity, though, even when bumping into walls like a dodgem; her sense My mother could not bear being blind, to be honest. One shouldn’t say it. One should hide the fact that catastrophic handicaps are hell; one tends to hear, publicly from those who bear it like a Roman, or somehow find joy in the fight. She turned to me, once, in a Paris restaurant, still not finding the food on the plate with her fork, or not so that it stayed on (try it in a pitch-black room) and whispered, “It’s living hell, to be honest Adam. If I gave up hope of a cure, I’d bump myself off.” I don’t recall what I replied, but it must have been the usual sop, inadequate: the locked-in son. She kept her dignity, though, even when bumping into walls like a dodgem; her sense ablaze with colour, the ground royal with leaf-fall. I told her this, forgetting, as she sat too weak to move, staring at nothing. “Oh yes, I know,” she said, “it’s lovely out there.” Dying has made her no more sightless, but now she can’t pretend. Her eyelids were closed in the coffin; it was up to us to believe she was watching, somewhere, in the end

Translation (English)

Adam Thorpe on her blindness My mother couldn't stand being blind, to be honest. People don't usually say it. People tend to hide that severe disabilities are awful; you usually hear from those who endure it like a stoic, or find some joy in the struggle. She once turned to me, in a Paris restaurant, still unable to find the food on her plate with her fork, or not able to keep it on (try it in total darkness) and whispered, "It's a living hell, to be honest Adam. If I lost hope for a cure, I'd end my own life." I don't remember what I said, but it was probably the usual comfort, inadequate: the helpless son. She maintained her dignity, even when bumping into walls like a bumper car; her senses alive with color, the ground covered with fallen leaves. I told her this, forgetting, as she sat too weak to move, staring at nothing. "Oh yes, I know," she said, "it's lovely out there." Dying hasn't made her any more blind, but now she can't pretend. Her eyes were closed in the coffin; it was up to us to believe she was watching, somewhere, in the end

About the Poet

Adam Thorpe (Contemporary)

Adam Thorpe is a British poet and novelist born on December 5, 1956. His works include poetry, novels, short stories, and radio dramas. He frequently contributes to various literary publications.

Historical Context

Literary Form: Free verse
When Written: 2007
Background: The poem 'On Her Blindness' is part of Adam Thorpe's 2007 collection 'Birds With a Broken Wing'. It is an autobiographical reflection on his mother's experience with blindness, contrasting societal expectations of stoicism with personal suffering.

Sources: https://genius.com/Adam-thorpe-on-her-blindness-annotated, https://www.litcharts.com/poetry/adam-thorpe/on-her-blindness, https://poemanalysis.com/adam-thorpe/on-her-blindness/

Detailed Explanation

Adam Thorpe's poem 'On Her Blindness' is a poignant reflection on his mother's struggle with blindness. The poem candidly addresses the societal pressure to endure disabilities with stoicism, contrasting this with his mother's honest admission of her suffering. She confides in her son, expressing the despair and frustration of her condition, which she describes as a 'living hell.' Despite her challenges, she maintains her dignity, even as her physical limitations become more apparent. The poem also explores themes of denial and acceptance, as Thorpe's mother pretends to see beauty in the world, even when she cannot. Her death is depicted as a continuation of her blindness, but without the pretense of sight. The poem's title references John Milton's 'On His Blindness,' but Thorpe's work challenges the notion of enduring suffering without complaint, offering a more personal and vulnerable perspective. The poem's free verse form allows for a conversational tone, enhancing its emotional impact.

Themes

Literary Devices

Word Dictionary

Word	Meaning	Translation	Transliteration
bear	endure	to tolerate or endure something difficult	behr
catastrophic	disastrous	extremely harmful or disastrous	kat-uh-strof-ik
handicaps	disabilities	physical or mental conditions that limit a person's movements, senses, or activities	han-di-kaps
Roman	stoic	referring to stoic endurance, like ancient Romans	roh-muhn
dodgem	bumper car	a small electric car used in amusement parks, known for bumping into others	doj-em
ablaze	brightly lit	filled with bright colors or light	uh-bleyz
royal	majestic	resembling or fit for a king or queen; majestic	roi-uhl
leaf-fall	fallen leaves	leaves that have fallen from trees	leef-fawl
pretend	act	to act as if something is true when it is not	pri-tend
coffin	casket	a box in which a dead body is buried	kaw-fin