The Son
I found the letter in a cardboard box,Unfamous history,Iread the words Tha ink was faint and brown ,the paper dry After so many years of being kept, The letter was a soldeir's, from the front-conveyed his love and dissappointed hopeof getting leave.'It's cancelled now,'he wrte.My luck is atthe bottom of the sea.'
Outside the sum was hot;theworld looked bright;Iheard a radio,and someonelaughed.Idid not sing,orlaught,orlove the sun.
within the quiet room I thought of him,My father killed,and all the other men,Whose luck was at the bottom of th sea
(a)what is the poet suggesting by the use of the word "unfamous"(line 2)
(b)why was the ink "faint and brown"(line 3)
(c)what is meant by the phrase"from the front"(line 5)
(d)what does " my luck is at the sea "(line 8)mean?
(e)Identify two lines which contrast with the general mood of the poem.
(f)what is the mood of the son in line 11?
(g)The poem ends with a repetition of the words "(whose)luck was at the bottom of the sea (line 14).What do the worda mean in this second case?