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A STONE'S THROW
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Elma Mitchell was born in 1919 and died in the year 2000. She was born in Airdrie, Lanarkshire, and attended Sommerville College, Oxford. She worked as a librarian for BBC, as well as a freelance writer and translator. (more)
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LITERAL MEANING
A crowd has caught a woman. The persona implies to the reader that the woman is not decent. She was beautiful but scared because she had gotten 'roughed up' a little by the crowd. The persona states that the woman has experienced men's hands on her body before, but this crowd's hands were virtuous. He also makes it clear that if this crowd bruises her, it cannot be compared to what she has experienced before. The persona also speaks about the last assault and battery to come. He justifies this last assault by calling (www.bulbsoup.com) it justice, and it is justice that feels not only right but good.
The crowd's 'justice'. however, is placed on hold by the interruption of a preacher, who stops to talk to the lady. He squats on the ground and writes something that the crowd cannot see. Essentially, the preacher judges them, thereby allowing the lady to also judge the crowd, leading to the crowd inevitably judging itself. The crowd walks away from the lady, still holding stones [which can be seen as a metaphor for judgments] that can be thrown another day.
A crowd has caught a woman. The persona implies to the reader that the woman is not decent. She was beautiful but scared because she had gotten 'roughed up' a little by the crowd. The persona states that the woman has experienced men's hands on her body before, but this crowd's hands were virtuous. He also makes it clear that if this crowd bruises her, it cannot be compared to what she has experienced before. The persona also speaks about the last assault and battery to come. He justifies this last assault by calling (www.bulbsoup.com) it justice, and it is justice that feels not only right but good.
The crowd's 'justice'. however, is placed on hold by the interruption of a preacher, who stops to talk to the lady. He squats on the ground and writes something that the crowd cannot see. Essentially, the preacher judges them, thereby allowing the lady to also judge the crowd, leading to the crowd inevitably judging itself. The crowd walks away from the lady, still holding stones [which can be seen as a metaphor for judgments] that can be thrown another day.
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We shouted out
'We've got her! Here she is! It's her all right '. We caught her. 5 There she was - 1 A decent-looking woman, you'd have said, (6 They often are) Beautiful, but 7 dead scared, 8 Tousled - we roughed her up 10 A little, 9 nothing much And not the first time By any means She'd felt men's hands Greedy over her body - 15 10 But ours were virtuous, Of course. And if our fingers bruised Her shuddering skin, These were love-bites, compared To the 2 hail of kisses of stone, 20 The last assault And 11 battery, frigid rape, 3 To come 12 Of right. For justice must be done 25 Specially when It 13 tastes so good. And then - 14 this guru, Preacher, God-merchant, God-knows-what - Spoilt the whole thing, 30 Speaking to her 15 (Should never speak to them) Squatting on the ground - her level, Writing in the dust Something we couldn't read. 35 16 And saw in her Something we couldn't see At least until 17 He turned his eyes on us, Her eyes on us, 40 Our eyes upon ourselves. 18 We walked away Still holding stones That we may throw Another day 45 Given the urge. Poet: Elma Mitchel |
LITERARY DEVICES
1. SARCASM
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IMPORTANT WORDS/ PHRASES
5. 'we' (Stanza 1, line 1)
This immediately tells the reader that the persona is in a crowd, which highlights to us that the mob mentality exists in this context. The crowd acts as one entity.
6. 'they' (Stanza 2, line 7)
The use of this word immediately alienates the lady and places her in the scornful realm of the 'other'.
7. 'dead scared' (Stanza 2, line 8)
The use of the term 'dead' to describe the lady's emotional state of fearfulness implies that she is extremely frightened, it is beyond regular fear.
8. 'tousled' (Stanza 2, line 9)
This word means to be handled roughly and, as a result, to look disorderly and disheveled. It is the perfect word to use in this context because it adds to the sexual innuendo that exists throughout the poem.
9. 'nothing much' (Stanza 2, line 10)
The persona disregards the damage that they have done to the lady. He admits to the rough treatment but tries to make himself, and the crowd, look favourable despite their wrongdoings.
10. 'But ours were virtuous, Of course' (Stanza 3, lines 15-14)
This is almost like a tongue-in-cheek admittance that their touch was actually the opposite of virtuous. The use of the term 'of course' highlights this interpretation.
11. 'battery' (Stanza 4, line 21)
In the Caribbean context, battery refers to the slang term for the rape of an individual, conducted by several people in succession. Therefore, the persona is pointing out the intent of the crowd, or some people in the crowd.
12. 'Of right' (Stanza 4, line 23)
This is a clear indication, from the persona, that he believes that he and the mob are in the right.
13. 'tastes so good' (Stanza 5, line 26)
'Taste', to a lot of individuals, is one of the higher senses. Therefore, when the persona uses this word, he is highlighting the intense pleasure that he anticipates from meting out this 'justice'.
14. 'this guru, Preacher, God-merchant, God-knows-what' (Stanza 6, line 27)
The persona's annoyance at this individual for disrupting his fun comes out in this statement. The persona is deliberately being disrespectful.
15. '(Should never speak to them)' (Stanza 6, line 31)
This particular line speaks to the alienation that the lady faces. She is scornfully grouped as 'them'.
16. 'And saw in her something we couldn't see' (Stanza 6, lines 35-36)
The intruder saw value in the lady, something that the crowd did not see.
17. 'He turned his eyes on us, Her eyes on us, Her eyes upon ourselves.' (Stanza 6, 38-40)
This speaks to the fact that the preacher and the lady judge the crowd, and, more importantly, the crowd judges itself. The preacher's act of kindness sheds light on the cruelty that is inflicted on the lady by the crowd.
18. 'We walked away Still holding stones' (Stanza 7, lines 41-42)
This implies that the crowd still plans to keep judging and acting on their judgments, as they see fit.
5. 'we' (Stanza 1, line 1)
This immediately tells the reader that the persona is in a crowd, which highlights to us that the mob mentality exists in this context. The crowd acts as one entity.
6. 'they' (Stanza 2, line 7)
The use of this word immediately alienates the lady and places her in the scornful realm of the 'other'.
7. 'dead scared' (Stanza 2, line 8)
The use of the term 'dead' to describe the lady's emotional state of fearfulness implies that she is extremely frightened, it is beyond regular fear.
8. 'tousled' (Stanza 2, line 9)
This word means to be handled roughly and, as a result, to look disorderly and disheveled. It is the perfect word to use in this context because it adds to the sexual innuendo that exists throughout the poem.
9. 'nothing much' (Stanza 2, line 10)
The persona disregards the damage that they have done to the lady. He admits to the rough treatment but tries to make himself, and the crowd, look favourable despite their wrongdoings.
10. 'But ours were virtuous, Of course' (Stanza 3, lines 15-14)
This is almost like a tongue-in-cheek admittance that their touch was actually the opposite of virtuous. The use of the term 'of course' highlights this interpretation.
11. 'battery' (Stanza 4, line 21)
In the Caribbean context, battery refers to the slang term for the rape of an individual, conducted by several people in succession. Therefore, the persona is pointing out the intent of the crowd, or some people in the crowd.
12. 'Of right' (Stanza 4, line 23)
This is a clear indication, from the persona, that he believes that he and the mob are in the right.
13. 'tastes so good' (Stanza 5, line 26)
'Taste', to a lot of individuals, is one of the higher senses. Therefore, when the persona uses this word, he is highlighting the intense pleasure that he anticipates from meting out this 'justice'.
14. 'this guru, Preacher, God-merchant, God-knows-what' (Stanza 6, line 27)
The persona's annoyance at this individual for disrupting his fun comes out in this statement. The persona is deliberately being disrespectful.
15. '(Should never speak to them)' (Stanza 6, line 31)
This particular line speaks to the alienation that the lady faces. She is scornfully grouped as 'them'.
16. 'And saw in her something we couldn't see' (Stanza 6, lines 35-36)
The intruder saw value in the lady, something that the crowd did not see.
17. 'He turned his eyes on us, Her eyes on us, Her eyes upon ourselves.' (Stanza 6, 38-40)
This speaks to the fact that the preacher and the lady judge the crowd, and, more importantly, the crowd judges itself. The preacher's act of kindness sheds light on the cruelty that is inflicted on the lady by the crowd.
18. 'We walked away Still holding stones' (Stanza 7, lines 41-42)
This implies that the crowd still plans to keep judging and acting on their judgments, as they see fit.
THEMATIC CATEGORY: Discrimination, Desire, Alienation, Hypocrisy, Women in Society.
ATMOSPHERE
The tone of the poem is mixed. At times it is almost braggadocious, then it becomes sarcastic, moving to scornful.
The mood of the poem is one of superiority.
The tone of the poem is mixed. At times it is almost braggadocious, then it becomes sarcastic, moving to scornful.
The mood of the poem is one of superiority.
Contributor: Leisa Samuels-Thomas
Mitchel, E. 'A Stone's Throw' in A World of Poetry. Edited by Mark McWatt and Hazel Simmonds McDonald. Pearson Education Ltd, 2005.
https://youtu.be/TUFHdUAOmag?si=ezsr6rbPULY5z3lt
https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poet/elma-mitchell/
Mitchel, E. 'A Stone's Throw' in A World of Poetry. Edited by Mark McWatt and Hazel Simmonds McDonald. Pearson Education Ltd, 2005.
https://youtu.be/TUFHdUAOmag?si=ezsr6rbPULY5z3lt
https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poet/elma-mitchell/
