A Figure of 8

This poem talks about Abse's childhood, how he as a young person tried to break free and express himself and he found it hard within the constraints of a classroom and his daily routine as a young boy. It contains the themes of rebellion and cynicism as well as imagination vs reality, as when the boy leaves the classroom his imagination runs wild. The title could reference the cyclical nature of life, its repetitiveness which imagination breaks or simply say a figure of eight years old, referencing to his younger self.

Stanza 1:

• 'In Mr Theophillise's jail' shows how the classroom was seen as a prison. 
• 'sun striped classroom' suggests it is shut away from nature, that you just get a glimpse while the 'stripes' reinforces the idea of prison bars/uniform. 
• 'half listens to a story' suggests his mind is going elsewhere, the lesson isn't fun or interesting or even real, so he doesnt care. Suggests you shouldnt just be educated by the classroom, elsewhere too. 
• 'royalty-loving Christopher Robin' suggests they are drumming societies ideas into children e.g. monarchy, and even the innocent childrens stories have hidden messages which. Also shows these stories are not representitive of reality.
• 'musical scales' shows a strict structure to school life.
• 'Fatty Jones' childish nicknames shows how school is not necessarily a good place to be.
• 'God bless the Prince of Wales' shows opinions being put into their minds. 

Stanza 2:

• 'free, at last' school is a waste of time. 
• 'he jet-roars out of school' shows he can't wait to leave, his youth and suggests he should be out in the air not stuck inside. 
• 'vigorous sunset' may suggest rules seem good but in reality are too vigorous, sunset is end of freedom and fun which is hard to take or could suggest even simple pleasures of the outside world to the boy seem exciting. 
• 'millenium stadium' superimposes new onto the old, suggests he is living a fantasy.
• 'flies to Africa to see naked women' is inapropriate for his age, showing urge to grow up and see things he doesnt learn about in school, fun things.
• 'farts H2Ss' shows his immaturity and references what he learns at school making it seem useless. 

Stanza 3:

• 'evening's shot down in flames' is war imagery used, ambiguous whether it is imagination or reality. War is something teachers don't tell children about at school, they just teach them fairy stories, their reality becomes fantasy. 'evening' is the end of something, perhaps childhood. 
• 'someone has bombed the park' would be sinister if he is imagining or a harsh reality. 

Stanza 4:

• using park imagery to take things from reality and twist them with imagination, as a child does. 
• 'the swings are on fire' may suggest the death of childhood or growing up, or reality overcoming thoughts. 
• 'the enemy' repeated suggests ideas about war are drummed into the childrens head, enemy isnt given name suggesting it is 'empty' from the childs perspective.
• 'wooden horses are running wild' confuses reality with imagination and suggests a need freedom.

Stanza 5:

• 'furnace in the churchyard' suggests bodies are burning linking to rebellion and cynicism also suggesting they are going to hell because of war. 
• 'sorcerer' shows him imagining something sinister, magic reference shows immaturity. 
• 'mandrake' could be a childlike reference to a fantasy or could suggest you shouldnt take children away from something natural to them, like their childhood or imagination. 
• 'the graves are sinking down to hell' shows clear perssimism. 

Stanza 6:

• 'spaceship' shows his childishness' and may possibly show naivety if it is really a war plane. 
• 'another world' shows a childs limited perspective on life. 
• 'the pond is poisoned by the dew' reinforces idea of ending something innocent/pure like childhood. 
• 'the boy comes home to base' suggests he is trying to make war fun like a game, but its not. Could suggest a search for security at home. 

Stanza 7:

• 'observed by his patient cat' suggests he is insignificant, nobody really cares about his childhood angst. 
• 'he chalks across the garden shed' shows a limp attempt at rebellion, naive as chalk can wash off easily. 
• 'FUCK WINNIE THE POOH' shows the uselessness of stuff taught in the classroom, and an attempt to be adult with his language. 
• 'for...fatty jones' shows kidz stick togevs. 

Links:

• agressive tone at end-'sunny prestatyn'
• Larkin doesnt tell personal stories unlike Abse
• rebellion, fantasy and dislike of childishness -'A study of reading habits'