Presentation Poem & Analysis

Schizophrenia by Jim Stevens

It was the house that suffered most.

It had begun with slamming doors, angry feet scuffing the carpets,
dishes slammed onto the table,
greasy stains spreading on the cloth.

Certain doors were locked at night,
feet stood for hours outside them,
dishes were left unwashed, the cloth
disappeared under a hardened crust.

The house came to miss the shouting voices,
the threats, the half-apologies, noisy
reconciliations, the sobbing that followed.

Then lines were drawn, borders established,
some rooms declared their loyalties,
keeping to themselves, keeping out the other.
The house divided against itself.

Seeing cracking paint, broken windows,
the front door banging in the wind,
the roof tiles flying off, one by one,
the neighbors said it was a madhouse.

It was the house that suffered most.


Analysis:
When studying the poem, I found a word we might need to know. it is reconciliation. It means to reestablish a close relationship between. This poem is literally about a couple who is having troubles, causing the house's atmosphere to change. The title is relevant because it helps the reader understand that the poem has a problem going on. The author uses personification to create layers of meaning. One example is when the author makes it seem as if the house has feelings and suffers hurt. The author uses the sound device alliteration. An example of alliteration is when he uses the words stains spreading together. The poem's form is free verse. The speaker of the poem could be the author or someone who experienced it. This is indicated by how he speaks.The shift occurs between the last two stanza's. I know this because this is when he refers back to the beginning. The tone of this poem is anger. Some clues of the tone are the slamming doors and breaking dishes. I interpreted the theme as trying your best to make something work and then having to give up in the end. The house was a symbol that helped me come to this conclusion. When their relationship fell apart, so did the house.