Isobel Dixon and Plenty

Plenty focuses on the contrasting feelings of a person who, as a child, experienced growing up in relative
poverty yet who is now, as an adult, able to put her memories into context, especially with regards to her
mother.

This is also a poem about nostalgia, taking the reader back through the first person speaker's mind to a
household in Karoo, South Africa, where the poet grew up with her sisters and mother.

As the poem progresses the domestic scenes from the past increase in detail, with the antics of the
sisters fraying the nerves of the stoical mother with the clasp-like smile. And the importance of water
becomes increasingly clear, that part of the world being subject to extreme dry weather.

Isobel Dixon left her native South Africa to study in the UK and now is based in Cambridge and London.
Her lyrical poetry tends to concentrate on the subject of displacement, exploring the past - homeland and
her roots - and present - the UK - through the natural world, family and cultural values.

Plenty first appeared in the book Weather Eye, 2001 and is a popular choice for many a school and
college curriculum because of its accessibility and use of poetical devices.

Plenty

When I was young and there were five of us,

all running riot to my mother’s quiet despair,

our old enamel tub, age-stained and pocked

upon its griffin claws, was never full.

Such plenty was too dear in our expanse of drought

where dams leaked dry and windmills stalled.

Like Mommy’s smile. Her lips stretched back

and anchored down, in anger at some fault –

of mine, I thought – not knowing then

it was a clasp to keep us all from chaos.

She saw it always, snapping locks and straps,

the spilling: sums and worries, shopping lists

for aspirin, porridge, petrol, bread.

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Even the toilet paper counted,

and each month was weeks too long.

Her mouth a lid clamped hard on this.

We thought her mean. Skipped chores,

swiped biscuits – best of all

when she was out of earshot

stole another precious inch

up to our chests, such lovely sin,

lolling luxuriant in secret warmth

disgorged from fat brass taps,

our old compliant co-conspirators.

Now bubbles lap my chin. I am a sybarite.

The shower’s a hot cascade

and water’s plentiful, to excess, almost, here.

I leave the heating on.

And miss my scattered sisters,

all those bathroom squabbles and, at last,

my mother’s smile, loosed from the bonds

of lean, dry times and our long childhood.

Analysis of Plenty

Plenty is a lyrical poem that focuses on the family household of the past, the speaker looking back as she
luxuriates in the present, reminiscing about childhood scenes as her mother tried to keep a tight hold on
things.

The main theme is time and how perceptions alter over time. In particular, it's the change in how the
speaker in the poem sees her mother - there is a profound difference between the Mommy of her
childhood and the mother of her present, who has by now passed away, loosed from the bonds/of lean,
dry times..

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The speaker's childhood takes up the bulk of the poem, the final two stanzas being the retrospective part,
where a new awareness becomes apparent. The once poor but happy child is now an adult sybarite
someone who relishes sensual luxury.

But despite this awareness, the speaker feels an emptiness and misses her home and her scattered
sisters.

There are several secondary themes running through this poem:

i) the nature of and behaviour in, childhood.

ii) relationships children have with their parents and specifically, the mother.

iii) how to deal with feelings and memories.

With strong imagery and constant shifts between the personal and collective (the I and we, my, mine and
our) the reader is drawn in to the chaotic household of the speaker.

The first object of focus is the bathtub and the fact that it was never full due to the lack of water, a
constant recurring sub-theme. From this initial opening image the reader is then treated to a close up
profile of the mother, in particular her hard pressed smile. Or is it a forced grimace brought on by the
rioting children?

Note the language contrasts between the atmosphere in the house and mother's attempts to keep things
stable - riot/despair/age-stained/pocked/anger/chaos and anchored down/clasp/snapping locks and
straps/clamped hard.

With varying yet careful, straightforward syntax, from single sentence stanzas to short pithy half
lines...Like Mommy's smile....We thought her mean...I am a sybarite...there is a natural flow between
caesura (pauses, usually in the middle of a line).

The ignorance of the child back then, unaware that the mother had to be firm and mean to keep the
house and family afloat, is contrasted sharply with the adult who can now enjoy plenty.

So the new found freedoms come only because the speaker once experienced times that were lean and
hard and dry. She may even be feeling a little bit of guilt with the bubbling water up to her chin, where
once upon a time it felt sinful to be stealing an extra inch.

With a mix of contrasting, musical and everyday language, imagery and colourful recall, this poem
explores those feelings that accrue over time between the past and the present, between ignorance and
knowledge, innocence and maturity.

In particular, looking back into personal history and family routines is something common to all humans.
Attempting to put childhood experiences into perspective is a tricky business but Plenty seems to achieve
its goal with humorous mischief and keen observation to the fore.

More Analysis of Plenty - Poetical Devices

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Plenty is a free verse poem of 8 stanzas, a total of 32 lines. There is no set rhyme scheme and the metre
(meter is American English) varies from line to line, so the beat alters, producing a more conversational
feel to the poem.

There are quite a few poetical devices in the poem, including:

Alliteration

When words starting with consonants are close to each other in a line or lines they create special sounds
for the reader, adding texture and interest - running riot/dams leaked dry/snapping locks and straps/the
spilling:sums/biscuits-best/lolling luxuriant/compliant co-conspirators/scattered sisters/

Assonance

Assonance occurs when similar vowel sounds echo or repeat, close to one another in a line or lines and
anchored/saw it always/snapping locks and straps/sums and worries/fat brass taps/compliant co-
conspirators/leave the heating/miss my scattered sisters/at last.

Enjambment

Enjambment is the continuation of a line or stanza without punctuation or pause, allowing the meaning or
sense to carry on., so altering the flow of language. It occurs in every stanza except 4, and is also present
between stanzas 3/4 and 5/6.

Hyperbole

Hyperbole is exaggeration to create an effect and can be seen in the phrase running riot in the first
stanza.

Metaphor

There is use of metaphor in stanzas 2 and 3 where the smile of the mother is said to be a clasp, which is
a metal device for fastening belts or jewellery together.

Stanza 4 also contains a metaphor ...Her mouth a lid.......so the mother's mouth becomes a lid, used for
covering and holding things in.

Oxymoron

When a phrase contains contradictory terms it is said to be an oxymoron. So in stanza 4 the line....and
each month was weeks too long...and also in stanza six...lovely sin.

Simile: When the speaker in stanza 2 states that ...where dams leaked dry and windmills stalled/Like
Mommy's smile....this is a simile.

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Analysis of Plenty

Stanza One

In the first stanza of ‘Plenty’ the speaker begins by describing the basic parts of her childhood. She is
reminiscing on past times when she was “young” and spending time with her four siblings. They were all
taken care of by their mother, who was stuck in a “quiet despair.” The speaker does not explain the cause
of this despair, but the factors contributing to it become clear as the lines progress. It was something that
a child might’ve noted, but not known how to handle.

When the five children were young they would run through the house as if in a “riot.” The speaker also
mentions the poverty that they lived in. When they bathed, they used an “old enamel tub” that was stained
by age and “never full.” She explains why in the next lines.

Stanza Two

The family was unable to afford to fill the tub completely. It was “too dear “ in the “drought’ they were in. It
was during a period in which things never seemed to work right, at least for the speaker’s family. There
were dams that leaked till they were dry and windmills that stalled.The speaker, in a childish way,
compares these leaky dams and stalled windmills to “Mommy’s smile.” The mother was empty of joy. Her
lips were always “stretched” around anger. The speaker explains why she thought her mother was so
angry in stanza three.

Stanza Three

In the third stanza the speaker begins by finishing up the phrase started in stand two. She always
assumed that her mother was angry at her, and that’s why she smiled the way she did. This was not true,
a fact the speaker didn’t realize this until she was much older. Now, since she is an adult herself, she has
learned that it was to keep all the things her mother worried about from spilling out into her children’s
lives. She had a “chaos” inside her that she tried to keep her family safe from.

A reader should also take note of the use of alliteration in the next two lines. Dixon uses “s”to begin six of
the words in lines three and four of this stanza. This helps build up tension in the list as it grows into
stanza four.

Stanza Four

In the next lines of ‘Plenty’ the speaker continues her list of things her mother worried about. These
included mostly household items, such as toilet paper and food.

The speaker knows now how her mother felt. It is describe through hyperbole in line three. The mother
always though that each “moth was weeks too long.” This is likely a reference to when she is going to get
paid and have enough money to supply the family with more of the things they need. In the last line the
speaker reiterates that her mother kept her “mouth” as a lid, “clamped hard” down on everything she
feared.

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Stanza Five

The speaker returns to her thoughts as a child. When she didn’t understand her mother’s life, she though
“her mean,” as did all her siblings. They acted immaturely as if to get back at their mother’s meanness.
Every time she wasn’t in the room they skipped their chores or “swiped biscuits” from the cabinets.

At the same time, and it is clear this is something the speaker regrets, they “stole another precious inch”
of water. This is described further in stanza six.

Stanza Six

The speaker takes her time describing what it was exactly she stole. Finally she gets to the fact that it was
water. They turned the taps on and luxuriated in the “secret warmth” that came from “fat brass taps.” She
and her “co-conspirators” loved these moments in which they could push back against their mother’s strict
rules.

Stanza Seven

The description of these moments of happiness in the bath continue into stanza seven and the speaker
compares them to what her life is like now. She thinks of herself as a “sybarite,” or someone who is self-
indulgent in their pleasure.

The speaker is now able to run a bath and have the bubbles come up to her “chin.” She can leave the
water on and it will continue to run, it is “plentiful.” To an extent, the speaker feels guilty about the life she
has now. It is so different from the one her mother knew and it makes her miss the moments when they
were all together as a family.

Stanza Eight

In the last lines of ‘Plenty’ the speaker gives in fully to the nostalgia that had been building throughout the
last seven stanzas. She misses her “scattered sisters” and the “squabbles” they had in the bathroom.
Although it did not seem like something to be appreciated and loved then, the structure of her youth feels
important now.

More than anything else though, she misses the moments in which her mother’s “smile” (which was more
like a frown) became real. It was “loosed” from the “dry times of” her “long childhood.” These were pure
moments that won’t come again.

STORY / SUMMARY

Stanza 1: we learn that there are 5 young children and one mother. The mother finds it difficult to look
after so many kids.

Stanza 2: we learn that the family is poor, and the mum is struggling.

Stanza 3: we learn that the mum has to do a lot of maths and worry about money, and keep track of
shopping lists to make sure the family have enough to eat

Stanza 4: the things that the mother could afford with the money that she has — petrol, porridge, aspirin,
bread, toilet paper — everyday items, bare essentials (no luxuries)

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Stanza 5: the children thought the mother was very mean and disobeyed her, stole extra biscuits

Stanza 6: the children stole extra water for their baths, and thought this was a luxury

Stanza 7: Focus shifts (VOLTA / TURNING POINT) into present tense, we focus on the poet herself. This
allows us to compare the poet’s life now to her mother’s life when the poet was young. The poet’s life is
very luxurious now — she leaves the heating on, she has long baths.

Stanza 8: the poet (daughter) misses her childhood, her sisters who are now ‘scattered’ and her mother,
the difficult time they shared together

SPEAKER / VOICE

Stanzas 1–6 are from the point of view of the poet, as a child, looking at her mother and not being sure
why she’s so mean

Stanzas 7–8 from the daughter’s point of view when she’s grown up — she sees her mum and childhood
differently, she realises how lucky she is now

Personal point of view, memory / reflection on the past

ATTITUDES

Being poor can be difficult

“where dams leaked dry and windmills stalled.” without water you cannot clean the dishes, shower, etc,
so we realise that the poet’s childhood was tough and that her family struggled to cope with basic
necessities

The children formed an alliance against the mother, playfully resisting her strict rules — they “swiped
biscuits” / “Stole another precious inch” of water for the bath

Because the poet was poor she had limited supply of food and very limited access to luxurious or
pleasurable experiences, this suggests that the few things she did have were very special to her — we
shouldn’t feel sorry for her because she did enjoy her childhood, but we should learn to appreciate and be
thankful for what we have

Being poor can sometimes be fun as it brings people close together, especially families and siblings

When we’re older, we can realise that we didn’t fully understand something important in our childhood

The daughter misses the squabbles that she and her mother used to have when they had a long time
ago, suggesting that they were a form of entertainment and never too serious, perhaps they were an
important bonding experience for her and also a way for her to create her own identity by being defiant
against her mother’s strict rules

Later when the poet is mature she realises that the mother’s strictness wasn’t because she was mean,
but instead because she was trying to protect the family and make sure they had enough money to live.
She changes her attitude towards her mother and begins to appreciate everything she did for her as a
child.

LANGUAGE FEATURES

“running riot” > alliteration, creates a strong image of the children being chaotic

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“dams leaked dry and windmills stalled” > strong visual imagery — dams and windmills are countryside
images, perhaps she lived in the countryside, alliteration of ‘dams’ and ‘dry’

“it was a clasp to keep us all from chaos” > talking about the mother’s smile — a metaphor, the tightness
of the smile creates a sense of being restrained

“Anger” > powerful, emotive language — shows the reaction of the mother to the difficult time, suggests
frustration, struggling, difficulty coping

“warmth / disgorged from fat brass taps” > visual imagery, also tactile imagery (warmth shows the feeling
of the water), enjambment — the image flows from one line to the next, the flow of the line is similar to the
flow of the water into the bath. ‘Fat brass taps’ > uses assonance (half-rhyme, repeated ‘a’ sound) to
reinforce the image, to create a sense of largeness. ‘Fat’ is also a sign of luxury, and a type of
personification. It suggests that the bath is a moment of luxury. The word ‘disgorged’ suggests that the
taps are spitting out water from their throats, a kind of personification.

STRUCTURE / FORM

Dashes — creates a pause, a breathing space, in the flow of the poem. Stops the flow of images, makes
us pay attention. Sometimes it shows shock or confusion of the poet as a child e..g. “at some fault — // of
mine” > shows confusion

Volta > turning point in stanza 7, the tense shifts from past to present, the focus shifts from the poet’s
memory of childhood to her life now. She makes a comparison between her easy life now and her difficult
life as a child, but we realise she had a happy childhood.

Free verse — the poem is set into quatrains (four line stanzas), which gives it some sort of regular
structure, but within that the line length is irregular and there is no set rhyme scheme. This perhaps
represents the way in which memories are both set and fluid in our minds, or the struggle between the
mother’s attempt to keep everything regular and the children trying to cause chaos.

THEMES

Poverty — not having enough food to feed the family, or heating to have a proper bath. The mother
suffers and struggles to provide enough for the children, but the children seem happy. They enjoy playing
around with the mother, and testing boundaries.

Luxury — in later life, the poet has enough money to leave the heating on and take a long hot shower,
these are luxuries compared to her childhood — this is kind of normal, not luxurious exactly, but when we
see the poet’s earlier life we realise it’s a luxury for her

Parenting — there is an absence of a father figure, so we assume that the poet’s mother raised her five
children by herself. She seems strict and as though she doesn’t allow the children to have fun, but we
realise later (as the poet also realises when she’s older) that in fact she was trying to protect her children
and to make sure they didn’t suffer from being poor. She seems like a tired figure, but a protective and
good mother, and in adulthood the poet is able to appreciate everything she did for her and her siblings.

Pushing boundaries — the children test the limits of their mother’s patience, she hides her stress and
anger with a tight smile / grimace. This is part of growing up, and in the poem it’s always presented
playfully rather than showing serious tension.

Difficulty — difficult times help you to appreciate good times, difficult times bring people together,
sometimes you don’t realise how difficult or serious a situation is until you’re out of it and you can reflect
on the experience

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Childhood — there’s an innocence and naivety to the poet’s memories, as if she goes back to a state of
childhood when she thinks about them. Despite struggling, she appears to have had a very enjoyable
childhood with a lot of strong memories and close family bonds built.

VOCABULARY References

Plenty — a lot / more than you need

Grimace — a painful smile

Sybarite — an ancient Greek person who lived in Sybaris, a luxurious city in what is now Southern Italy.
Sybarites are pleasure seekers who live an extravagant lifestyle.

Disgorged > poured out from

Co-conspirators > people who plot together against something

POSSIBLE ESSAY QUESTIONS:

How does the poet explore ideas about parenting in ‘Plenty’?

How does the poet present the theme of childhood in ‘Plenty’?