Poem Analysis: 'Crash Test Dummies'

Chelsea Hong, Alexander Hannides Rajapakse

Ms Sims

ENG 4UI

8 October, 2015

Afternoons and Coffeespoons - Brad Roberts

1. Poet’s Life

Brad Robert was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada on January 10, 1964 . He is a singer-songwriter, and a musician of a band called “Crash Test Dummies” Brad’s music career began at University of Winnipeg in 1986. He performed in a house band and later this band became “Crash Test Dummies”. After attending workshops he wrote songs for the band. September 28, 2000, Roberts was severely injured when he crashed his car on a dirt road in Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia. He moved to London, England when he was thirty, and consequently moved to New York, NY after a few years. Roberts now lives with his wife in SoHo,

The repetition of this line displays optimism, if is considered that he is hoping for days in which he will Someday I’ll have a disappearing hairline/ Someday I’ll wear pyjamas in the daytime.” or pessimism it is considered that he will have to do so because of medical

Onomatopoeia: In the line “I’ve heard the rattle in my bronchi “ , the word “rattle” imitates the sounds of him trying to breathe, while at the same time shows the severity of his situation.

Theme

Sickness and mistakes made in life cause fear of death at young age

The poem is about a man that has lung cancer, possibly because of smoking

His lungs are infected with tumors

He is regretful of his decision to not get checked up sooner and of his lifetime of smoking, when something could have slowed down the disease and potentially saved him.

He regrets not getting tested previously for his currently deteriorating health, which could have been prevented.

He regrets not getting help and not stopping smoking.

This inference is made because the poem states, “Someday I’ll have a disappearing hairline, and someday I’ll wear pyjamas in the daytime.” (line