Ithaca: Key Quotes – A Level English Language and Literature OCR Revision

“a whole night of love, intense, infinite.” - This quote encapsulates the profound depth and intensity of the love between the speaker and the beloved. The use of words “whole”, “intense”, and “infinite” underscores the idea that love can feel endless and all-encompassing.
“you are almost the dawn.” - Personification of the beloved as “almost the dawn” signals the anticipation of something new, hinting at the transformative power of love and desire. The loved one is seemingly viewed as a source of light and hope, giving a new beginning.

“Ithaca is what you need. Ships, men, cattle.” - The need for Ithaca, a symbol of home and journey’s end, is reinforced here. This suggests the speaker’s longing for the certainty and stillness after a journey of turmoil and change.
“All are restored in the end. Restored, my love, to you.” - The return to Ithaca doesn’t just mean a physical return but also a return to love, which becomes the ultimate destination in the speaker’s journey.

“Years of the unmade bed” - This quote embodies the passage of time, recalling the memories of shared intimacy and lived life, highlighting the persistence of love throughout the years.
“I remember/the vines, yielding, brittle…” - The act of remembering becomes a key aspect of the speaker’s journey in “Ithaca.” Memory allows the speaker to revisit the past, and in remembering, the speaker can cherish the time spent with the beloved.

“I’ve engraved an angel on the head of a pin…” - This metaphor demonstrates the speaker’s skill and precision as a poet. The act of engraving suggests that the speaker can manipulate language to fit their needs, paralleling the use of words in creating a powerful expression of love.
“I see you therefore I exist.” - A reference to Descartes’s “Cogito, ergo sum” (“I think, therefore I am”), this quote symbolises the speaker’s attendance to the reality of the beloved through the language’s power.