Stanza 2 – Part 2:

The speaker is at pains to point out that this physical gesture is neither erotic nor based solely on physical desire ('It was not sex .). The words 'set' and 'braced' evoke ideas of support, aid, and understanding. His partner's closeness is
the foundation of their connection. Lines 16 to 18 explore the idea that, in time, a relationship often becomes less characterised by passionate desire and more rote and monotonous, more like friendship. However, the speaker
points out that his partner's closeness locks them together 'as if we were still twenty-two' - they still share passion and desire for one another while at the same time being dependable and supportive.

There is a certain sense of nostalgia in line 17 with the phrase 'not yet? Inevitably, relationships become 'boring' or work-a-day. He fondly remembers their youthful passion but is glad of the sense of stability and
connectedness they have now.

They are a single unit - bodies and strength. Rhyming words heel / feel and chest / pressed add to the sense of unity. Your and I balance the sentences. The words 'me to you' are close together showing their closeness. The speaker
now resolves the 'I and 'you' into 'we' in line 16. He mentions the exact time they met which makes the poem very personal written for a particular person. This is not a formal ode addressed to an imaginary love. This love has
endured for many years and has become 'familial which suggests both family and familiar. It began as an extremely passionate affair and had gradually become familiar.

Stanza 2 – Part 3:

'all of intervening time and place refers to the time that has passed between the passion of youth and the stability of maturity. The sudden waking from his sleep by his partner's hug brought together these two extremes. They still
have youthful passion while also being stable and supportive in their connection to each other The speaker reflects that, at that moment, nothing else mattered ('1 knew only) except the supportive hold of his partner. The alliteration
of the s-sound (line 22) reinforces the stability and security he feels in his relationship.

Notice how clear the iambic rhythm is in these four lines that lull one into security. His 'sleep' was quick and has erased all the years and events of the lives of the two. All he knows is what has remained in the relationship. Security
and strength and safety have endured. When one is home and 'dry' one is safe, out of dangerous waters.

QUESTIONS:

1. Quote the words that begin with 'd' in the first six lines and explain the effect the repetition has
on the meaning of the poem.
2. Which type of love mentioned in the 'For the curious' block on the next page, do you think Thom
Gunn describes in this poem? Explain your choice.
3. Lines 15 - 18: Explain how the run-on line adds to meaning.
4. How does the word locking' in line 14 add to your understanding of the relationship between the
two?
5. Lines 16 - 18: Which types of love as defined by the ancient Greeks do you think are referred to
in these lines?
6. Line 22: A 'stay' fixes an object in place. Do you think this a good choice of word here?
Explain your answer.
 Form :
The
- Thom Gunn This poem consists of 2 stanzas and 22 lines which are irregular in rhyme and length. It is a poem in praise of someone and could loosely be called an ode. The rhythm is iambic which, at times, gives
the poem is a smooth, gentle pace. Most English poetry uses iambic foot. Rhyme is used to draw the thoughts of two rhyming lines together and to make the reader pause and reflect on this.
Hug The poem's two stanzas seem haphazard in construction, but the complex rhyme scheme, varying line lengths, and typography (the shape of the poem through indents) imitate the physical shape of
hugging one's partner. The style is conversational. The first-person narrative and frank descriptions lend an air of authenticity and intimacy. The imagery of the poem revolves around the physical act
of hugging. The gesture is described in detail. The literal interpretation of the image of embrace gives way in the end to a realisation of the figurative meaning of the gesture: support and acceptance.

It was your birthday, we had drunk What the poem is about

and dined
The speaker; sleeping drunkenly after his partner's birthday party, wakes during the night. He finds that his partner has climbed into bed next to him and sleeps with him in a tight
Malf of the night with our old friend embrace. This is not the embrace of sexual passion but gives the speaker a sense of security and takes him back to the settled happiness he felt at the beginning of their relationship. The
poem aims to describe how a physical gesture represents the intimacy and closeness of the speaker and his partner's relationship. Physical proximity becomes an image of a soulful
Who'd showed us in the end
connection.
Te a bed Ireached in one drunk
stride. Title

Already I lay snug, The title of the poem describes the incident. 'Hug is an informal word, almost childlike. It is an act of endearment and affection and is universal in human society. It makes the reader
think of a quietly affectionate, undemanding, simple expression of love between friends.
And drowsy with the wine dozed on
one side.
Stanza 1:
I dozed, I slept. My sleep brake on a
hug. The constant repetition of d-sounds (alliteration) throughout this stanza emphasises the relaxed, almost devil-may-care atmosphere of the situation and suggest a fuddled, intoxicated
state. The speaker reminisces on a memorable moment in his relationship. It is even more significant, because (despite the importance that a birthday celebration usually holds) it is an
Suddenly, from behind, everyday scene: friends together drinking wine and enjoying good food. The importance of the moment is juxtaposed with the banal occurrence of simply being with friends. The
typography (the shape of the lines on the page) demonstrates the tipsy, half-conscious movements of the speaker as he staggers to a bed that is not his. Note the word 'snug' (line 5).
In which the full lengths of our The s-sound reinforces the speaker's feelings of contentedness, happiness, and feeling protected.
bodies pressed:
Note the use of simple language. Nothing is startling about the occasion of a birthday. The poet uses personal pronouns - your, we, our - which emphasise the closeness between the
Your instep to my heel,
partners.
My shoulder-blades against your
The juxtaposition of I and you throughout this stanza lends a very personal feeling to the poem.
chest.

It was not sex. but I could feel The 'old' friends had 'drunk and dined' This celebration is the usual one. The line ends with the word 'friend' An old friend is undemanding and accepting, rather like a family member
who knows all about you and what you need, in this case, a bed to sleep on.
The whole strength of your body set.
The connotations of the words bed' and 'snug are of a child expressing his feelings in languang that suggest comfort and warmth. His emphasis is on I. He is remembering his actions and
Or braced, to mine, only his, as a child would.

And locking me lo you

Stanza 2 – part 1:
As if we were still twenty-two
The word 'broke' signals a sudden change in the speaker's mood and changes the tone and pace. The hazy nothingness of sleep is shattered by the physical act of being hugged. The
When our grand passion had not yet word contrasts with the sleepiness expressed before. The first part of this line describes the slide from a sleepy state to full sleep. The short sentences are like downward steps leading
to the finality of the full stop at the end. These words are again childike and taro snal. theading to the of the line uses the word 'broke which divides the sleepy half of the sentence from
Become familial.
'on a hug which are short sharp words.
My quick sleep had deleted all
The poet uses the word 'behind' because something which happens behind one is so unexpected, and a hug is usually done face to face. Note the position of the two bodies. They have
formed a unit; they could not be closer. The emphasis is now on 'your', and 'our'.

Line 8 stands on its own and is relatively short - an indication of the suddenness of the change the speaker experiences. 'from behind' implies this gesture was almost unexpected and
surprising. It is out of step with the simple act of sleeping. Lines 10 and 11 vividly illustrate the compatibility of these two people: they fit into one another physically like puzzle pieces.

The arch of the 'instep' fills the void of the lower part of the foot; the 'shoulder-blades" lock into the chest of his partner. The image also begins at the bottom and moves to the top. It is
all-encompassing. Their connection is physical (the feet) as well as emotional (the chest, where the heart is).