Home: "The Beginning"

Home: “The Beginning”

Overview

• “Home: The Beginning” is a reflective poem by Iain Crichton Smith.
• It deals with the complex feelings of a man returning to his childhood home on the Isle of Lewis.

Setting

• The setting of the poem is the Isle of Lewis, with its strong sense of place and community.
• The harsh, unyielding landscape of the island reflects the hardship and isolation experienced by those who live there.

Characters

• The speaker of the poem is a man who is revisiting his childhood home after a period of absence.
• His complex feelings of nostalgia, regret and frustration provide insight into his complicated relationship with the island and its way of life.

Themes

• Identity and Belonging: The speaker struggles with his ties to the island, feeling both a sense of belonging and a desire for escape.
• Change and Nostalgia: The speaker grapples with the changes he observes on the island and his feelings of nostalgia for his past.
• Isolation and Connection: The isolation of the island is juxtaposed with the close connections within the community.

Poetic Devices

• Imagery: The harsh landscape of the island and the nostalgic scenes of his childhood are evoked through vivid imagery.
• Metaphor: The island and its constricted life is compared to a prison in the speaker’s mind.
• Contrast: The stark contrast between the speaker’s memories of the past and the present highlights his complex feelings towards the island.

Structure and Form

• The poem is relatively unstructured which reflects the chaotic emotions of the speaker.
• The use of free verse and stream of consciousness allows the reader to follow the speaker’s train of thought.

Conclusion

• “Home: The Beginning” offers insight into the inner turmoil of an individual grappling with his heritage and identity.
• Through its vivid imagery and emotive language, the poem provides a poignant exploration of the complex relationship between an individual and their place of origin.