House expressing its grief for a couple breaking up - shows that when a couple breaks up, it affects everyone each household “god” gets four lines each because represent equal opinions of the couple’s breakup personification of a mirror sad tone, word choices: breaking, distraught, despair imagery, signifies a face that is frowning and upset personification of a piano the piano is sat and doleful that it has not been played for a long time sense of loneliness personification of a cup creates imagery of the man holding the cup on a cold day to keep warm reinforces the idea that it is a ceramic cup evokes a sad, lonely feeling the word steady means to be stable, firm - very much like the couple initially conveys an image of the couple’s steps becoming shaky and unsure shows the sentimental value of the rug is no longer there shows how the house was giving an identity brings up the question of whether or not a house is a home without its occupants? personification of a grandfather clock the times of happiness are over personification, perspective of a door memory of the divorced couple semblance: the outward appearance or apparent form of something, esp. when the reality is different: she tried to force her thoughts back into some semblance of order.
Household Gods Philip Hobsbaum, The Pattern of Poetry (1962) “I mirrored their breaking lives, I saw their pale Distraught coming and going, lined despair, His shaken bulk, her calm pose in the doorway— I saw them. I was there.” 5 “I have so long been silent, even now Hardly at all remember how her slim Long fingers once caressed me—was that how At one time she touched him?” “His lips on mine in the morning, or, in darkness, 10 After a happy embrace, warmed my clay. Where is the firm mouth now, where the kiss? Broken and swept away.” “They lay me down to serve their steady feet, How many times they strode over my pile! 15 Of late those steps were tentative. Now, a street For strangers, I am so much jute and wool.” “Bit by bit they painted my walls, the ceiling, Made me in terms of their vision—I was glad. But signs of time flake down, the walls are peeling, 20 What is a house when occupants are fled?” “My hands repeat themselves, so does not time. The climactial moment is past, whoever will come. I gather myself to cough one cautious chime, But the works are rusted. Henceforth I am dumb.” 25 “I mirrored their coming here, I see their going, Together once, now separately. Their outer Semblance concerns me. I have no way of knowing Their motives, or their reasons for departure.” “Dust settles in the fireplace, and the curtains
depicts the house as lifeless personification of the whole house life = the married couple metaphor for resetting bones the home itself broke apart if people no longer believe in the house, the “gods”, does the god exist? everything in the house has an identity and the “household gods” live alongside this couple. They provided things for the people - cups to drink, etc like a god. they destroyed the house and what it meant as a home hence, the “gods” are slain
30 Hang without a purpose in neat folds. The books are stacked, chairs not to be sat on Grouped over-nicely in a house grown cold.” “I see no more. Their life gave our lives meaning, But broken homes will not set again. 35 Their parting was our dissolution, they Will never know their household gods are slain.”