The poem ‘The Landlady’ by P.K.

Page explores the theme of hidden complexities of human

nature and offers a close look at the psychology of such social relations characterized by panopticism.
Making extensive use of a wide range of literary devices such as macabre imagery, repetition and irony,
Page portrays the landlady as a pathologically and compulsively curious woman who seeks to capture her
tenant’s private information just for the sake of self-indulgence, yet at the same time an alienated
non-conformist who the readers can empathize with rather than feel petrified of.

The poem delves into the mind of the landlady through the application of imagery as well as
reverse personification through words often associated with photographic terminologies, which by some
means dehumanizes the character and reintroduces it as a kind of entity who has acquired the ability to
immortalize moments captured within walls. In the opening stanza of the poem, the landlady’s
observations described as “click doors like shutters on her camera eye,” suggests a sense of surveillance
and authority within the domain. This element, moreover, allows the poem to appear as reminiscent of the
concept of the panopticon - observation without direct interaction - which paints the landlady vividly as
the superior figure in the setting. Yet, the following stanza practically contrasts to this initial portrayal of
the landlady as the poem states, “Wonders when they are quiet, jumps when they move'' and “Yet knows
them better than their closest friends.” At this instance, the landlady is more likely to be depicted as a
mother figure or a guardian than an invasive creep. Page uses a set of repetition through the introduction
of the phrase “when they” twice to emphasize on the landlady’s attempt to fit in and express her concerns
for her tenants, which drastically changes the fearful image of the character and allows readers to connect
with on a deeper level.

Complementing the use of literary devices, Page has also shown effective use of irony which has
been balanced out by the tone change as the narrative advances. The title of the poem ‘The Landlady’
itself appears to be ironic, evoking the picture of a conventional and accommodating lady who would
gladly welcome her tenants with great care. However, the last stanza of the poem says otherwise. Page
gradually presents the readers with a clue to the landlady’s malicious intentions and convoluted plans as
the poem progresses, and finally in the closing stanza, the landlady’s true character becomes deciphered
and illustrated clearly to the readers. As she keeps her tenant’s actions under surveillance and peers into
their personal lives, she “prays she may catch them unprepared at last and palm the dreadful riddle of their
skulls – hoping the worst.” This suggests that the goal of the landlady’s inquiry is negative information,
however, just doing so for the sake of satisfaction would seem overly simplistic for the psychological
complexities of the character. Despite that, the strong motivation she has in discovering her boarder’s
secret reveals the immortality of human nature, conceivably because it allows her to satisfy a need to be
involved while simultaneously taking pleasure and pride in becoming superior to the people around.

By analyzing Page’s use of literary devices, the landlady’s actions and intentions progressively
become comprehensible and coherent, displaying the disconnection and emptiness she experiences
without those around her. The landlady’s longing for companionship and her attempt in approaching her
boarders are emphasized in great details together with the usage of imagery, personification repetition,
and irony as well as the instantaneous change of tone, allowing the readers to perceive the character of the
landlady as a malicious freak, the image of ‘unsettling creepiness’. While at the same time installing a
sense of concern in the character, and portrays her as a guardian who ought to supervise over her tenants.