My mother could not bear being blind, by Adam Thorpe — Analysis & Translation

Original Poem

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)

My mother couldn't handle being blind, truthfully. It's not something you should say. You should hide the fact that terrible disabilities are hell; you often hear, publicly from those who endure it like a Roman, or somehow find joy in the struggle. She turned to me, once, in a Paris restaurant, still unable to find the food on her plate with her fork, or not so that it stayed on (try it in complete darkness) and whispered, "It's a living hell, to be honest Adam. If I lost hope for a cure, I'd end my life." I don't remember what I replied, but it must have been the usual comfort, inadequate: the trapped son. She kept her dignity, though, even when bumping into walls like a bumper car; her sense alive with color, the ground majestic 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 beautiful out there." Dying hasn't made her any more blind, 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.

About the Poet

Adam Thorpe (Contemporary)

Adam Thorpe is a contemporary English poet, novelist, and playwright. He is known for his diverse literary works that often explore themes of history, identity, and personal experience. Thorpe's poetry is characterized by its emotional depth and attention to detail.

Historical Context

Literary Form: Free verse
When Written: Contemporary period
Background: The poem 'On Her Blindness' by Adam Thorpe is a personal reflection on the poet's mother's struggle with blindness. It explores the emotional and psychological impact of losing sight, both on the individual and their family. The poem challenges societal expectations of stoicism in the face of disability, offering a raw and honest portrayal of suffering.

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

Detailed Explanation

Adam Thorpe's poem 'On Her Blindness' is a poignant exploration of his mother's experience with blindness. The poem begins with a candid admission that his mother could not bear her blindness, challenging the societal expectation to endure such hardships stoically. The poem is structured around personal anecdotes, such as a moment in a Paris restaurant where his mother struggles to find her food, highlighting the everyday challenges of her condition. The poem's tone is intimate and confessional, as Thorpe shares his mother's candid admission of her suffering and her contemplation of suicide if she lost hope for a cure. Despite her struggles, she maintains her dignity, even when facing physical obstacles. The poem also reflects on the beauty of the world that his mother can no longer see, emphasizing the tragedy of her condition. In the end, the poem contemplates her death, suggesting that she is now free from the pretense of sight, leaving the living to imagine her watching from beyond. Thorpe's use of vivid imagery and honest language creates a moving tribute to his mother's resilience and the profound impact of her blindness on their lives.

Themes

Literary Devices

Word Dictionary

Word	Meaning	Translation	Transliteration
bear	endure	to tolerate or withstand	bair
catastrophic	disastrous	extremely harmful or damaging	cat-uh-strof-ic
handicaps	disabilities	physical or mental conditions that limit a person's movements, senses, or activities	hand-i-caps
Roman	stoic	someone who is very strong and unemotional	roh-muhn
dodgem	bumper car	a small electric car driven for fun in an amusement park	dah-juhm
ablaze	brightly lit	filled with bright light or color	uh-blayz
royal	majestic	having the status or grandeur of a king or queen	roi-al
leaf-fall	fallen leaves	leaves that have fallen from trees	leaf-fall
sop	consolation	something given to pacify or appease	saap
pretend	fake	to act as if something is true when it is not	pre-tend
coffin	casket	a box in which a dead body is buried	cof-fin