Poems: For Heidi with Blue Hair
Subject
Heidi’s act of teen rebellion,
growing up and developing an individual identity;
the way she deals with the grief caused by the death of her mother,
Heidi’s vulnerability.
Her father and her friend supports her in her rebellion (and also her grief), as does the speaker.
Purpose and ideas
: The speaker is sympathetic towards Heidi and supports her;
the title shows that she is honouring/ celebrating Heidi’s rebellion, but also supporting her through her grief at the loss of her mother.
Tone
It becomes sad and sympathetic in the penultimate stanza in mentioning the death of the mother.
The tone is direct and personal in speaking to Heidi.
The depiction of the school is rather ironic or satirical, and the speaker mocks the petty rules.
Themes
Childhood
Rebellion
Development of identity
Grief and loss
Relationships between children and parents
Structure
Free Verse
rebelling against strict poetic structures.
no fixed meter or rhyme scheme
is unconventional and reflects Heidi’s act of rebellion
Enjambment, the use of brackets (parentheses), and the use of direct speech
reates an informal structure and conversational tone which shows the close relationship/ personal message of the speaker to Heidi.
It makes the events very realistic and further emphasises the idea of rebellion against authority and rules.
2nd Person
we are put in Heidi’s position, which makes us empathise with her more, and support her rebellion against the school authority too.
shows the personal relationship between speaker and Heidi/ the reader;
Key analysis
Vivid imagery of hair
Language used to describe/ ridicule the teachers
Father’s and speaker’s support
Imagery/ effect of mother’s death
Connotations of ‘battle’ - Heidi’s triumphant rebellion/ what she won.
Free verse echoes her rebellion