Music (Motif)
Music, and sound more generally, form the basis of all types of prayer described in this poem. In the first stanza, a woman is comforted by "minims," or musical notes, "sung by a tree"—perhaps a reference to birdsong. Later, a lodger feels comforted by the sound of "Grade 1 piano scales." These two examples are not instances of great musical virtuosity. Instead, the characters in this poem are soothed by humble, unpretentious moments of music. Indeed, Duffy points out that music can be found in even non-musical sound, such as the rumble of a train or the words spoken in the U.K.'s nightly shipping broadcast. In the world of this poem, any sound can be musical, and any music can be prayerful.
Technology (Motif)
Two examples of post-industrial technology appear in this poem: a train and a radio. Neither were cutting-edge at the time of the poem's publication, but both are emblematic of a secular and even a globalized world. Both, though, become sources of religious feeling for Duffy's characters. The train prompts vivid memories of one man's churchgoing boyhood, while the radio's broadcast creates a meditative atmosphere for the reader. Duffy's two examples of modern technology here transcend their usual associations with commerce and secularism, instead becoming part of the spiritual realm.
