Still exploring 'Ana'
Beryl Clarke, Contributor

"We all must learn to be honest in our feelings without becoming hurtful or abusive to others."

The poem, 'Ana', that we continue to discuss this week, tells us of the father of a very active little girl. When she was very young, he had dreams of a quiet, disciplined and orderly child. As a poet, his imagination conjured up a special picture of his daughter. He saw her as 'playing with flowers', 'wearing frilly pink dresses' and doing exactly those things that please him. Isn't this how many parents think? I hope that you notice how he imposes his adult desires of what a child should be on to Ana. He expects her to be undemanding and placid so that he can get on with his business of writing. Even if you cannot remember how you behaved as a toddler, you may have been able to observe how active a younger sibling, niece or nephew can be. Ana's actions are completely different from the speaker's expectations and although he is disappointed at this, and briefly wishes that something bad would happen to her, he makes it obvious that he loves her very much. It is this love that causes him to accept the pain of the scratches she inflicts on him and her surprising leaps on to him. Isn't this also how many parents react? Yes! I do want you to relate the poem to your knowledge and experience of life and I hope that this will help you to conclude that neither a poet nor poetry is alien. The single line, which forms a bridge between stanzas one and two, sums up clearly the fact that the description of a calm Ana is all in the poet/father's mind and has no basis in reality.

Don't you find the third stanza, which I just stopped and read over, interesting? Here, the child is compared to a cat, it seems, an attacker, a little monkey among other things. She is, in fact, presented as a wild and savage thing. Notice though, that she has captivated her dad. He is willing to do whatever it takes to make her happy, even at some cost to himself.

When he speaks of her antics in the third verse, we see that he is resigned to them; accepting whatever comes as part of the role of being her father. And yet his fantasy of her does not die. When she lies quietly in sleep, he considers still the poetic verses he could compose on her as a peaceful child. I hope you recognised the significance of his use of the word 'comma' to describe Ana as she sleeps. That word, as we know, suggests a brief pause and tells us, therefore, that Ana's tranquility is temporary, only a break from her usual round of vigorous movement. We are reminded in this stanza that Ana can be dangerous as she has 'brutal fangs'. These are certainly not words that are usually applied to a child. They, therefore, must have been deliberately chosen to compare her to a wild animal- a dog or a snake. The speaker's regret at the vicious nature of the infant is here underscored but it does not prevent the father from looking lovingly and hopefully, too, at her. You see, at this time, her usual conduct is not obvious.

Here now are some of the suggested answers for last week's exercise.

1. The delight he has as a father is what causes him to picture Ana with the bright rays of the sun touching her, making her appear bright (bathed in light), making her stand out. He thinks of her as his golden treasure.

2. The speaker pictures the child as being very obedient. He had expected her to do whatever he desires.

3. The use of 'infallibly' tells us that for him there is no escape from Ana's 'hard fingers' and 'sharp nails' digging into his flesh.

4. One cannot help being sorry for a father whose daughter invariably digs her sharp nails into his neck as if he has no feeling. Their relationship forces him to accept the situation.

5. What is terrible, too, is the savage joy she takes in her attack. This is evidenced by the wild sound she makes as she does so.

6. No doubt, he gives her 'piggyback' rides, during which she scratches and pulls him. At times he feels like shaking her off. Far from having the desired effect of unseating her, she usually asks him to continue.

The other answers will be given later on. Do have a wonderful week and God bless!