How Don Paterson successfully conveys the idea of childhood memories in 'Why Do You Stay Up So Late' Ayaleem Tuken Tegi 11th Grade

‘Why Do You Stay Up So Late’, written by Don Paterson, introduces the poet’s vivid thoughts and feelings through the depictions of childhood memories, imagination and metaphoric recollections within the given extract. Don Paterson allows for the scenic conveyance of the poet’s experience at a Rockpool—-incorporating techniques such as but not limited to: imagery, symbolism and sound effects, in order to put across his reasoning for writing poems.

‘Why Do You Stay Up So Late’ opens with the line “I’ll tell you, if you really want to know:” This line introduces us to the tense and narrator of the poem; first person and present. The use of the word ‘you’ indicates that the poet is communicating with somebody else, and the utilisation of the verb ‘tell’ expresses the idea that a story is about to be told. Moreover, the semicolon forces the reader to make a pause, shorter than you would with a period, but longer than you would for a comma; however, the pause isn't as abrupt as for a dash. The semicolon pause creates that relationship, close, but not too close, not too abrupt. It additionally indicates the start of a new sentence, separating the switch of tenses without noticeable distinction. By implementing the adverb ‘really’, the...