Hide and Seek – Vernon Scannell: Poem Analysis

Theme: Childhood memory

Type: Narrative free verse with rhyming couplets

Background

• Written by Vernon Scannell
• About childhood from the perspective of an adult
• The poem takes us inside the child’s head by use of sensory language
• Short sentences are used – to recreate the suspense and sensory experience of hiding and seek
• The plot records the thoughts going through the child’s mind it is called a stream of consciousness writing

Language

• A straightforward narrative poem about an incident in a child’s life
• He is waiting to be found but remains undiscovered and the seekers have vanished – leaving a sense of mild threat
• Direct language and short sentences at the beginning of the poem take us straight into the excitement
• Punctuation is used to create suspense and tension – short sentence convey tension
• Oxymoron “salty dark” – dark can’t be salty – creates a strong sensory setting
• Onomatopoeia – “Stumbles”, “mutters” and “scuffle” – is used to convey the sense of the seekers bumbling around
• Alliteration – “Don’t breath. Don’t move” – conveys the sense of excitement
• The personification of the cold – “the cold bites through your coat”
• Contrast – the pleasant smell like the seaside turns to the damp dark – same imagery
• Echo – child holds his breath and at the end bushes hold their breath

Form

• Rhyming couplets are used in the poem giving us a sense of structure but the rhyming scheme isn’t too dominant
• Allows him to present the stream of consciousness more convincingly

William Anderson (Schoolworkhelper Editorial Team)

William completed his Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in 2013. He current serves as a lecturer, tutor and freelance writer. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, walking his dog and parasailing. Article last reviewed: 2022 | St. Rosemary Institution © 2010-2024 | Creative Commons 4.0

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