Down the M4

In this poem Abse talks about a journey down the M4 as he travels back to wales to see his mother who has some news, hinted at being about the deterioration of her health. The poem contains the theme of journeys, as well as death, relationships and religion and heritage. 

Stanza 1:

• 'me!' use of exclamation mark demonstrating Abse's positivity, creating a cheerful tone, unlike Larkin. 
• 'my mother's news' shows surprising optimism although she may be dying. 
• 'her friends are disrobed' and 'go into the hole' are euphemisms for death reiterating Abse's positive outlook.
• 'too often' suggests he fears his mother will die too. 
• 'beautiful face' shows his love for his mother. 
• 'ninth decade' is a nice way to imply she is old, contrasting with Larkin, and suggesting her iminant death. 

Stanza 2:

• 'monotonous story of clocks' introduces the idea of time, and time running out, as well as looking back and appreciating even the supposedly boring time he had with his mother. Also suggests her stories are outdated.
• 'oh dear' shows he humours and appreciates his mother unlike Larkin in Reference back. 
• 'till i feel my hair turning grey' shows the persona is reminded he is getting old by listening to these memories, as he has heard them so many times, they are 'perishable one two hundred times' showing how outdated and repetitive these stories are. 

Stanza 3:

• 'ran fluent and trout coloured over stones stonier' sets the scene in the past as well as linking to the continuous flow of time and the way it can change and erode people. 'stones stonier' links to his grandmothers accent suggesting it cannot be eroded or destroyed, possibly suggesting his heritage is indestructible. 
• her accent is described as 'genuine' showing the pureness of her background.
• 'such an accent..you're no jewess' shows an oldfashioned way of life showing how things change over time. 

Stanza 4:

• 'bridges that leap over me then shrink in my side mirror' links to the way things change over time, 'bridges' suggesting relationships showing how you meet people then loose touch, form links and break them linking to Larkins Dockery and Son 'joining and parting lines'. could link to death 'shrinking' of his mother. 
• 'again' shows this journey is repetitive. 
• 'ystalyfera is farther than smoke and god further' may suggest that physically he is far from his religion and his heritage, and who he is but it will still be part of him, and he knows who he is. Links to importance of elsewhere. 
• 'smoke' is there then disapears which may be a metaphor for his life. Alternatively as smoke obscures this may be showing as he drives away the distance covers up his heritage.
• 'i wistle no hymn but an old yiddish tune my mother knows' could suggest as hymns are normally christian, he is rejecting this and singing something from his heritage. alternatively it could mean he does not need to sing hymn to know where he is from. 
• 'it wont keep' may be a reference to life and the way he and his mother will die, and the tune will be lost like them.

Links:

• journey, isolation and being alone with thoughts -'Here'
• something triggering memories and looking back at relationships, your view tainted with the idea of death- 'Reference Back
• remembering the past as a happier age-Love Songs in Age
• the prospect of death and the meaning to our life being explored- 'Days'