Visting Hour: Stanza 4

Visting Hour: Stanza 4

‘Visiting Hour’: Stanza 4

Main Ideas

• The central theme of this stanza focuses on mortality, the fragility of life and the imminence of death.
• It deals with the speaker’s inability to come to terms with the impending death of a loved one.

Symbolism

• The “black figure” signifies death - unknown and menacing.
• Life is compared to a “glass” - fragile and transparent, while death is portrayed as a dark, opaque figure filled with uncertainty.

Imagery

• Imagery of death as a “black figure” reinforces the sense of fear and despair.
• The word “glass” creates an image of frailty and susceptibility, signifying life’s fragility and vulnerability.

Language

• The phrase “cling to” conveys desperation and a sense of loss, amplifying the speaker’s dread of death.
• The simile “vanishes as mist” renders the notion of life’s transience and the inevitability of death.

Context

• MacCaig, through the speaker, explores the human fear of mortality, epitomised by the imminent death of a loved one.
• The emotional and psychological struggle with acceptance of this harsh reality is encapsulated in this climactic stanza.

Summary

• Stanza 4 of ‘Visiting Hour’ by Norman MacCaig explores the theme of mortality, portraying the painful realities of human vulnerability to death. The use of profound imagery and powerful language emphasises the emotional impact of impending loss on the speaker, framing a poignant image of human struggle against inevitable death.