FROM THE JOURNAL OF A

DISAPPOINTED MAN- ANDREW

MOTION
‘From the Journal of a Disappointed Man’ The reference to a “Journal” within the title of the
poem helps to make it seem more personal, and a reader may interpret this as also indicating
that ‘true’ and ‘authentic’ feelings are being recounted rather than something which has been
filtered or adjusted, as would more likely be the case in other forms of literature.  Similarly,
“From” helps to make the poem feel as if it is a direct address to a reader, even to the extent of
being a letter.  However, this personal element contrasts with the anonymity indicated by “man”
which would encourage a reader to consider this perspective as being shared by many people,
not just one individual.  “Disappointed” being a four syllable word would be very noticeable to a
reader, making them question the choice of a seemingly ordinary emotion, and curious as to
why the man would be feeling this way.
Poem Structure
The overall structure of ‘From the Journal of a Disappointed Man’ is very repetitive, with a
consistent layout of four line stanzas (a total of eleven are in the poem) along with even line
lengths, which gives the visual impression of solid blocks and chunks of text. Some readers may
see this as a link to the traditional association between masculinity and strength, with this layout
demonstrating this quality through its consistency and regular shape. This could be deemed as
contrasting against a more flowing structure in other poems, which could be seen as more
feminine. Alternatively a reader may interpret a stronger link with the idea of cycles in society,
perhaps considering the way that individuals conform to the societal expectations rather than
showing elements of individuality.
As a contrast to the regular stanza layout and line length, enjambment is used to bring diversity
to the pace of the poem. Most stanzas conclude with terminal caesura in the form of an end-
stopped line, however in the beginning of the poem there are a couple of exceptions, allowing
ideas and imagery to continue on to the next stanza.  This makes the imagery more effective
due to it being uninterrupted for longer, and could be seen as developing a ‘story-like’ setting of
the scene.  However, a reader may also see this as deliberate simplification of the poem,
designed to make the overall presentation more blunt and realistic, particularly for this recount
of manual labour (rather than something more artistic and creative, for which a reader may
anticipate a more developed and creative use of language and structure).
Similarly, the varied use punctuation of the poem has a significant impact on the rhythm and
pace.  For example, the first stanza has many commas as part of a list, whereas the second
stanza introduces semi-colons too. Then by the third stanza, there are also hyphens and the
introduction of speech.  The reader may be surprised to see this variety of punctuation in the
poem when contrasted against the arguably simple stanza structure, but may interpret this as
Motion considering the ways in which the external presentation of masculinity may differ to the
internal thoughts and experiences, and that while on the outside there may be the appearance
of conformity, this is not the same internally.
Poetic Techniques
FROM THE JOURNAL OF A
DISAPPOINTED MAN- ANDREW
MOTION
There is a persistent use of contrasting imagery and ideas in the poem, which helps to create an
interesting shift in perspective so as to help identify the onlooker as different to the other men
being observed.  For example, the workers are performing a practical action, in contrast to the
more intellectual thoughts of the onlooker.  This could be interpreted as forming an ‘us versus
them’ perspective which could be understood as referencing the societal expectations for men,
arguably criticising hyper-masculine imagery by highlighting individuality.
The personal tone and voice of the poem can also be seen as an effective technique, with the
use of “I” and personal observations helping to create a greater sense of being for the narrator,
even to the extent of them becoming a ‘character’ as part of a mini story.  This is in keeping with
some interpretations of the title which see the narrator as the writing their journal based on
these observations, although the overall personal tone would still be effective even if a reader
was not considering it in relation to the title.  Interestingly there appears to be a distance
between the descriptions of “men” and the personal “I” which could be interpreted as the
narrator not feeling a part of this ‘type’ of man (if the narrator is a man).
Plosives are also a key part of this poem, which help to emphasise the masculine tone and
elements.  This technique is mainly achieved through the use of words beginning with ‘b’ and ‘p’
such as “pulleys” “powerful” and “baffled”.  The ‘p’ plosive is voiceless, meaning that the vocal
cords do not vibrate when making the sound, and as such could be seen as more effective at
creating a consistently strong sound than the voiced ‘b’ sound.
Important Lines
“I discovered these men”
The use of “discovered” for this quotation is interesting because it gives the impression that
there has been some sort of scientific discovery, perhaps showing another form of contrast
through science and education versus manual labour.  It also further emphasises the sense that
the narrator does not feel part of the other group of men, once again raising questions regarding
the societal expectations of men.
“could go on swinging until the crack of Doom”
This phrase is a reference to the Christian day of judgement, said to be a ‘blast of trumpets’
which signals the end of the world.  As such, this could be seen as an exploration of eternity and
power within the world, and perhaps the way that the actions of men (or the actions of mankind
as a whole) interact and influence the world.  However, it is important to consider that many
readers may not understand this reference, and as such there could be a wide variety of other
interpretations that may or may not be effective.
“gaze down like a mystic”
This is one of the few examples of figurative language in ‘From the Journal of a Disappointed
Man’ which inevitably makes this description more noticeable.  To be a ‘mystic’ is linked to the
 FROM THE JOURNAL OF A
DISAPPOINTED MAN- ANDREW
MOTION
idea of mysticism, a belief of ancient origins and how an individual can become one with God or
‘The Absolute’.  The word can also be interpreted as linking ideas of an altered state of
consciousness or the attainment of insight, which may be interesting for a reader because it
applies ideas of knowledge and education onto the workers. Up until this point in the poem,
those ideas had been reserved for the onlooker, so this shift would be effective.
‘From the Journal of a Disappointed Man’ Key Themes
Work: ‘From the Journal of a Disappointed Man’ is one of the few poems within the Poems of
the Decade Anthology which has a key theme of work. There is direct consideration of how work
can impact an individual, and also the way that the type of work can be seen and understood by
others.
Gender: There is a strong focus on ideas of masculinity in the poem, through a variety of
language techniques and structural techniques, which make a reader consider their ideas of
masculinity and how different men may see themselves.

Society and Culture: There are overarching considerations of society through the

exploration of masculinity, particularly in the way that Motion encourages a reader to
consider views of masculinity and how society can be seen to expect certain
behaviours.

‘From the Journal of a Disappointed Man’ by Andrew Motion explores the contrast
between the narrator and the workmen he is observing. Throughout the poem
there is little or no interaction between observer and observed. The poem does not
comment on but dramatises the distance and difference between the two. One
obvious contrast is the physical strength and activity of the workmen as opposed to
the passivity of the narrator/observer, a difference compounded by their use of
language.

TITLE – has a learned tone, recalling works of fiction from the heritage. He is a ‘man
of letters’ whose own language is full of long words and complex references, very
different from the silent workmen who, when they speak, do so with functional
simplicity.

STRUCTURE
 The poem seems to offer the reader two alternative versions of masculinity
 However, by the end of the poem it seems that neither kind of man has an answer to the
‘secret problem’. The old Soviet-era heroism that might once have engaged in a hopeless task
which defeats them, and leaves them just as much observers as the narrator
 FROM THE JOURNAL OF A
DISAPPOINTED MAN- ANDREW
MOTION
 Enjambment
 Dash
LANGUAGE TECHNIQUES
 Metaphors – Though it appears to be a diary extract, it offers very little deep insight into
the narrators true feelings. We can only really deceive his feelings through metaphors that he
uses. These are the only figurative language in the poem and suggest am ambivalent attitude:
“monsters”, “mystic”, “original thinker”, “majesty”
 Juxtaposition
 Repetition of plosive sound – “pile…pier…paraphernalia…pulleys” – Gives a sense of
power, effort. The men are hard at labour.
 List – “a wooden pile, a massive, swinging”
IMAGERY
 Pier – piers are structures that don’t go anywhere. They are also remnants of the
Victorian and Edwardian eras, a period of remarkable feats of engineering, expressive of a
broader confidence in progress. By contrast, neither the workmen nor the narrator are able to
offer a way forward. This takes us back to the disappointment of the title, which applies, in
different ways, to both sets of men.
 Monsters – Animalistic nature of the men, they have pride which is a major flaw when
it’s dashed. Plays on male stereotypes.
TONE
 Contrast of language – “ruminative”, “let go” – The difference with the narrators
complex vocabulary and the workers monosyllabic words is significant because they are all
men. Portrayal of men in the media and the pressure on men. The tone is disappointed.
CONCLUSION
 The final image of the pile hanging uselessly in mid-air seems symbolic of the whole
enterprise, the narrator tacitly acknowledging that he too is a ‘spare part’
The poem  shows how the men fail despite their great strength. They were acting
like a pack but they do not achieve. The pressure on men is insurmountable.

Poems that would be good to link to this would be…

 Fantasia on a theme of James Wright – working class men

 History – both men are disappointed with life
 Map Woman – constraint
 Eat Me – animalistic/heavy imagery
 Genetics – disappointed with how people give up
 Chainsaw V Pampas Grass – Gender Roles