Form and structure
Docker is written in four quatrainA type of stanza - or a complete poem - consisting of four lines that have a rhyming scheme., each one concerned with a different aspect of an unnamed man:
- stanzaA grouped set of lines within a poem. one - concerns his physical appearance
- stanza two - introduces his hatred of Catholics
- stanza three - concerns his unbending attitudes to God and his religious views
- stanza four – refers to his home life and family
Despite these different aspects, the first three stanzas are all linked by Heaney’s use of shipbuilding imagery.
The final stanza - in a cyclicalGoing in cycles, returning to where it began. structure - brings us back to the image of the man sitting silently in the pub. This gives us some insight into his intimidating nature in his own home, as well as towards those of a different religion.
There is no formal rhyme scheme in the poem. This - combined with the regular line length - creates a serious, reflective tone.
The one short line - of only seven syllableEach individual part of a word which is pronounced when the word is said aloud. - is “Speech is clamped in the lips’ vice.”
The emphaticTo express something rather forcibly or extremely clearly. nature of this short line - combined with the monosyllabic A monosyllabic word has only one syllable. A monosyllabic person uses few words to show their unwillingness to engage in conversation. words - emphasiseTo give special attention to something or suggest that it has extra importance the quiet, repressedFeelings and desires are restrained and kept locked down, sometimes so the person doesn't realise they are there. anger of the man being described.
