The Place’s Fault
By Phillip Hobsbawm
Another afternoon, after a rotten day at school
Hating this place, hating them, and feeling like a fool
Sweat on my fingers, pages dirty with smears
I stumbled up the street, still swallowing my tears
Held my head high in pride I walked on the hot concrete
I blinked out to the sunlight, exhausted from the heat
At the gate they stood. Same old looks thinking I chose to stay
I looked back with disgust. Shouted swear words and walked away
“****” they called me. “Freak!” they yelled and ran
It hurt and I didn’t understand. But I tried to keep it in as hard as I can
I didn’t want to seem weak. And that anger started to build up
I thought I was right, yet I was punished when I tried to make it stop
that’s when I knew, only I take care of myself but don’t get caught.
More anger and more violence. No other choice. It was the place’s fault
Time could not fix that, nothing could make these wounds heal
That’s just how they damage you, my innocence they did steal
There was nothing there for me. Nothing I haven’t had to learn.
Nothing I’d care to teach. A childhood lost with no return.
Summary of The Place’s Fault
- Popularity of “The Place’s Fault”: This poem is written in heroic couplets with a total of 18 verses by Phillip Hobsbawm a popular British teacher and critic poet. It is an interesting poetic piece about childhood and loss of innocence. The poem first appeared in the book of the same title, The Place’s Fault, and Other Poems, published by Macmillan in 1964. The poem’s popularity can be attributed to two factors: the innocence that emerges from its verses and the thematic strands that run throughout.
- “The Place’s Fault” As a Representative of Childhood Innocence: The poem “The Place’s Fault” symbolizes childhood innocence, as the speaker begins by describing the school day as unpleasant, referring to it as a bleak afternoon. He expresses his revulsion for everything about school, having committed past blunders that led to soiled pages and a subsequent mishap on the street. After having some stumbles in the street, he sees some bullies to whom he curses and starts walking but they call him “Freak” which infuriates him. He was unable to comprehend the rationale behind his unexpected loathing, but insists that he made an effort to quell it. For a while, he believes that he’s right in being angry. Reflecting on the day’s events, he concludes that his anger was the catalyst for the violence, and that the location was an unfortunate factor in the equation. The day has slipped away and the place has faded into obscurity, yet the wound he received on that day remains unhealable. The only thing he can articulate is a profound sense of remorse that his formative years were squandered on that fateful day.
- Major Themes in “The Place’s Fault”: Loss of childhood, old memory, and regret of the past are three major themes of the poem. The poem opens with the memories that the poet brings into his mind about that fateful day he calls “a rotten day.” He recalls that his day at the school was bad and then the bullies infuriated him so much that he lost his cool. He could have punished them and got beaten in return, the reason that he now feels regret as the wounds have refused to heal. He also thinks that there is only regret and nothing else to do, though, the regret is of the innocence of childhood lost on that day.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in The Place’s Fault
The poets utilize diverse methods such as literary devices to embellish their poetry. The analysis of these devices in the poem is analyzed below.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /a/ in “Another afternoon, after a rotten day at school”, the sound of /a/ in “hating them, and feeling like a fool” and the sound of /e/ in “that’s when I knew, only I take care of myself but don’t get caught”.
- Alliteration: It is the use of successive consonant sounds in the initials of the successive words, such as /s/ in “still swallowing” and “Shouted swear words”, and the sound of /h/ in “haven’t had”.
- Anaphora: The poem shows the use of anaphora as the repetition of “Nothing I…” in the last two lines.
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /t/ and /l/ in “Hating this place, hating them, and feeling like a fool”, the sound of /l/ and /r/ in “I stumbled up the street, still swallowing my tears”.
- Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break; rather, it rolls over to the next line. For example;
Time could not fix that, nothing could make these wounds heal
That’s just how they damage you, my innocence they did steal
There was nothing there for me. Nothing I haven’t had to learn.
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. The poem shows the use of imagery such as, “Sweat on my fingers, pages dirty with smears”, “I blinked out to the sunlight, exhausted from the heat” and “And that anger started to build up”.
- Personification: The poem shows the use of place as if it is an animate object having committed a fault.
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between the objects that are different. The poem has used the metaphors of the day that are like a rotten apple and tears that seem like some food to swallow.
- Similes: The poem shows the use of similes, such as; And feeling like a fool.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in “The Place’s Fault”
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows an ABAB rhyme scheme that lasts until the end.
- Heroic Couplet: The poet shows the use of heroic couplet as every two verses rhyme with each other.
- Repetition: The poem shows the use of repetition such as “Nothing I…”, “Hating…”, and “stumbled at several places.
Quotes to be Used
These lines from “The Place’s Fault” are relevant to use when teaching about childhood and loss of innocence.
That’s just how they damage you, my innocence they did steal
There was nothing there for me. Nothing I haven’t had to learn.
Nothing I’d care to teach. A childhood lost with no return.
