Mother Any Distance

1
Mother Any Distance
By Simon Armitage
2
What do you think of the poems central image of
the tape measure? Explain what you mean in your
own words.
The years are unreeling between mother and son
but the bond will never be broken. The tape
measure symbolizes the timeline e.g. his mother
was there at the start and has been with him all
the way through. His mum will always think of him
as her baby/child no matter how much time passes
between them. The tape measure could symbolize
the umbilical cord between mother and child.
3
How does Simon Arbitrage present the relationship
of mother and child in this poem?
He uses a lot of double meanings. Such as the
role of tape which could mean either a tape
measure or symbolize the umbilical cord. This
relates to the question because it shows how she
still feels the connection between the two of
them (mother and son). The first two lines show
that he needs help with the house but also
symbolizes that he can be any distance from his
mum but she will always be there for him. The
kite represents Simon Armitage and his ascension
through life and the anchor represents his mother
as she is holding a stable base for him if he
ever needs her. The poem is about him buying a
house and his mum coming to help him, this shows
us that even when he moves on he is still
dependent on her. Zero end can mean 2 things she
was there at the start or it could mean she was
left with nothing
4
How do you understand the image of the hatch that
opens on an endless sky? Is this exciting or
alarming or both at once? Or do you read it in
any other way?
The words opening the door show that Armitage
is starting to explore a new adventure on his own
without his mother at hand. the endless sky
represents the endless opportunities open to
Armitage it shows that there are no limits of
were Armitage can go and what he can do.
Armitage explains that the loft represents his
old life, and that the world of possibilities are
open to him in his new life. We can think of this
as the beginning of a new chapter in his life
and in his book of matches collection of poems.
Also the hatch represents endless freedom away
from his Mother. The to fall or fly line
emphasizes the risks being taken and endless
sky shows the make or break situation Armitage
is in.
5

• How does the poet capture a universal experience
  whether specifically setting up house on ones
  own or more generally becoming independent of
  parents?
• This poem could suggest Armitage has moved from
  home and the journey he is about to embark on
  with a new independence. We think this because
• You come to help me measure windows, pelmets,
  doors suggests his mother coming to help him
  move house. The me of this extract demonstrates
  Armitage himself. You can also envisage Armitage
  himself reading this or reciting this on a very
  personal level.
• The poem uses possessive pronouns like my
  mother. This not only shows the personal level
  the poem has been written on but also possibly
  the possessive nature of his mother and the way
  shes been protecting him and safeguarding him.

6

• Extracts like I space walk and I reach, also
  puts the poem on a very personal level, although
  this may not be Armitage himself.
• Although at first it seems like this journey
  is strictly about Armitage we can see that this
  is not necessarily just about him.
• The me from the first extract could also be
  the me everyone possesses that wants to become
  independent. And by writing in the first person,
  Armitage develops an instant connection with the
  audience, because everybody has that
  characteristic.A rapport is instantly created
  between poet and audience.
• The possessive pronouns, like mother, that
  are used may not directly mean a mother of
  Armitages mother. They may simply mean any
  safeguard, protection or safe-haven that
  everybody possesses in some form or another.

7

• What do you like or dislike about this match
  from the book?
• Likes
• Its quite short only 15 lines long.
• The way he uses symbolism such as a tape
  measure.
• Imperial and metric measurements for old and
  new.
• Different words are used throughout the poem to
  show the distance and relationship between Simon
  Armitage and his mother.
• The way space walk has been used to show that
  moving house is an act of exploration.
• Dislikes
• It is very confusing.
• There is no proper title (only the first three
  words of the poem).

8

• There is no rhyming scheme, just one couplet at
  the end of stanza one. E.g. you come to help me
  measure windows, pelmets, doors and the acres
  of the walls, the prairies of the floors.