The Ferryman's Arms: Overview – Higher English SQA Revision

“The Ferryman’s Arms” is a lyrical poem by Scottish poet Don Paterson, from his collection titled ‘Rain’.
This poem captures the speaker’s experience in a pub, The Ferryman’s Arms, which serves as a platform for profound philosophical reflection.
The setting, which starts as a simple pub, gradually assumes symbolic importance.
The speaker begins by addressing the reader directly, making us believe we are having a conversation with him while he describes the scene and his experiences.
Paterson effectively delves into themes such as existence, reality vs. illusion, and transience.
The title of the poem suggests Greek mythology reference to Charon, the ferryman who takes souls across the river Styx to the underworld.
Towards the end, the pub’s placement on the edge of a river implies the close proximity between life and death.

The poem is set in a humble riverside pub, The Ferryman’s Arms, lending a down-to-earth feel to the work.
The metaphorical crossing the river suggests a journey, often taken to mean life’s journey or a transition from life to death.
A sense of calmness and tranquility is evoked by the serene river setting and the quality of the conversation inside the pub.
While the poem begins in a casual tone with a description of the pub, it gradually deepens, reaching a contemplative and philosophical ending.

The poem is made up of one long stanza, which mirrors the flowing nature of the conversation being held within the said establishment.
Paterson employs free verse, which allows for a conversational and intimate style.
The language is straightforward and candid, with an inherent beauty in its simplicity. It is both informal and philosophical, reflecting the setting, the conversation and the subject of the poem.

Key themes explored in “The Ferryman’s Arms” include mortality, transience, the passage of time, and deep contemplation about existence.
The image of the bridge disappearing as the fog rolls in symbolises the uncertainty and inevitability of death.
The poet also dwells on our struggle to comprehend our existence, symbolised by the mirror on the pub’s walls, which only reflects the room’s contents not the room itself.