Page 2: Confronting the Past

On the second page of Liz Lochhead's poem "Revelation", the narrator grapples with her feelings of displacement and insecurity as she spends time in her boyfriend's childhood room. The space becomes a metaphor for the boyfriend's past and the mother's lingering influence.

The girlfriend feels spare and discarded, unable to find peace in this unfamiliar environment. She's confronted with remnants of her boyfriend's childhood, including model airplanes and photographs, which serve as a constant reminder of his life before her.

Quote: "Peace to unpack - but I found none / In this spare room which once contained you."

The narrator experiences insomnia, personifying her fear as something that "Elbows me, embedded deeply here." This vivid imagery emphasizes her discomfort and anxiety about her place in her boyfriend's life.

Example: The narrow bed is described as "no narrower / Than the single bed we sometimes share," highlighting the contrast between their adult relationship and the childhood setting.

The bookshelves filled with prizes and mementos further underscore the girlfriend's feelings of being an outsider. She questions where she fits into the picture of her boyfriend's life, surrounded by evidence of his past achievements and identities.

Highlight: The poem uses parenthetical asides to provide additional context and reveal the narrator's inner thoughts, adding depth to the emotional landscape of the piece.

Page 3: Fragile Hopes and Fears

The third page of Liz Lochhead's "Revelation" delves deeper into the narrator's insecurities and fears about the future of her relationship. The girlfriend's emotional state becomes increasingly fragile as she confronts more symbols of her boyfriend's past.

The egg collection becomes a powerful metaphor for the narrator's fears about the relationship. Each carefully labeled, empty egg represents a potential future that may never come to fruition.

Quote: "Your egg collection / Shatters me- (plover, robin, songthrush, magpie, / Wren, assorted seabirds) labelled carefully, sucked dry / Years ago that now you have no interest / In."

The list of bird species could be interpreted as a metaphor for past girlfriends or relationships, adding to the narrator's sense of being just another temporary fixture in her boyfriend's life.

Highlight: The phrase "Invited guest among abandoned objects" succinctly captures the narrator's feeling of being unwanted and out of place in this environment.

The girlfriend's position is described as "precarious," emphasizing her sense of instability in the relationship. She feels "closeted" in the dark room, with her boyfriend's past serving as a "premonition" of what might happen to their relationship.

Vocabulary: Premonition - A strong feeling that something is about to happen, especially something unpleasant.

The electric blanket provides physical warmth, but it can't alleviate the emotional chill the narrator experiences as she contemplates her uncertain future with her boyfriend.

Page 4: Themes and Reflections

The final page of Liz Lochhead's "Revelation" summarizes the key themes explored throughout the poem and provides a reflection on the broader implications of the narrator's experience.

The poem touches on several important themes:

1. Relationships between women: The tension between the girlfriend and the mother highlights the complex dynamics that can exist between women in different roles.

2. Family dynamics: The poem explores how family relationships can impact romantic partnerships and the challenges of integrating into an established family unit.

3. Isolation: The narrator's feelings of being an outsider and unwelcome guest are central to the poem's emotional landscape.

4. The passing of time: The contrast between the boyfriend's childhood room and his current life emphasizes the theme of growing up and moving on.

Definition: Themes - The main ideas or underlying meanings explored in a literary work.

Liz Lochhead's skillful use of imagery, metaphor, and structure in "Revelation" creates a powerful exploration of the insecurities and challenges faced in romantic relationships, particularly when confronted with a partner's past and family dynamics.

Highlight: The poem's title, "Revelation," takes on multiple meanings as the narrator experiences revelations about her relationship, her boyfriend's past, and her own place in his life.

By examining these themes through the lens of a weekend visit, Lochhead creates a relatable and emotionally resonant piece that speaks to universal experiences of love, belonging, and self-doubt.

Page 1: The Unwelcoming Welcome

The first page of Liz Lochhead's "Revelation" sets the scene for the uncomfortable encounter between the narrator (the girlfriend) and her boyfriend's mother. The mother's superficial kindness barely conceals her true feelings about the situation.

The poem begins with a description of the initial greeting, which quickly turns into the mother asserting her dominance. She shows the girlfriend to a room, explaining it's her son's childhood room, emphasizing his continued connection to the home.

Quote: "This room / Was always his - when he comes home where / It's here for him. Unless of course,' she said, / 'He brings a Friend.'"

The mother's words and actions reveal her reluctance to accept the girlfriend's presence and the changing nature of her relationship with her son. She refers to the girlfriend as a "Friend" with a capital F, diminishing the romantic aspect of the relationship.

Highlight: The use of parentheses throughout the poem provides insight into the narrator's thoughts and observations, revealing her discomfort and awareness of the underlying tension.

The girlfriend is left alone in the room, described as a "pathetic shrine to your lost boyhood," emphasizing the mother's inability to let go of her son's childhood. The narrator's suitcase becomes a symbol of the temporary nature of her visit and, potentially, the relationship itself.

Vocabulary: Sibilance - The repetition of 's' sounds in words, creating a hissing effect, as seen in "Smiles all round. A space / For handshakes."