Visting Hour: Stanza 6

Visting Hour: Stanza 6

‘Visiting Hour’: Stanza 6

Overview

• Stanza 6 of ‘Visiting Hour’ by Norman MacCaig captures the speaker’s realisation of an imminent loss.

Focus and Tone

• In this stanza, the poem’s focus shifts to the speaker’s emotional response and inner turmoil.
• The tone becomes profoundly emotional and sombre as the speaker comes to terms with his loved one’s impending death.

Use of Metaphor

• MacCaig employs a striking metaphor of distance - the mile of separation between the loved ones is not physical but emotional.
• This notion of distance encapsulates the speaker’s sense of helplessness and isolation in the face of his loved one’s suffering.

Language and Imagery

• The phrase “black figure in her white cave” contrasts light and dark, symbolising life and death, while reinforcing the sense of isolation.
• This powerful imagery conveys an ominous mood, heightening the speaker’s emotional distress.

Repetition

• The repetition of “I” in this stanza emphasises the speaker’s feelings of despair and the daunting reality of losing a loved one.

Summary

• Stanza 6 of ‘Visiting Hour’ delves into the emotional landscape of the speaker, capturing his desolation through potent metaphors, language, and repetition. MacCaig powerfully communicates the torment of impending loss.