1.11 - The Jewellery Maker
Context
Social and economic context
- The poem reflects a world where traditional, local craftsmanship co-exists with a global market for luxury goods.
- This often creates a significant social and economic divide between the artisan who makes the object and the wealthy consumer who buys it.
- Parker highlights this gap by contrasting the maker's simple life with the imagined luxury of his clients.
The poet's perspective
- Louisa Adjoa Parker has English and Ghanaian heritage and often writes about identity, place, and social history.
- Her work frequently focuses on the dignity of individual lives within wider social and economic structures.
- In The Jewellery Maker, she presents the artisan's craft with respect, subtly critiquing the inequality that separates him from the world his creations inhabit.
Tradition and craft
- The poem values the continuity of heritage, shown through the craft being passed down through generations.
- It dignifies manual labour by comparing the artisan's precision to that of a surgeon, challenging ideas that such work is less skilled than modern professions.
- The poem explores the tension between art made for personal satisfaction and art made for commerce.
Overview
The Jewellery Maker in a nutshell
- What literally happens in the poem: The speaker observes a jewellery maker's daily routine, from his walk to the workshop to the meticulous creation of beautiful objects. The maker then imagines the wealthy women who will eventually wear his art, contrasting their lives with his own.
- Context and significance: Parker explores themes of tradition, social class, and the dignity of labour. The poem highlights the economic and social gap between a skilled artisan and the consumers of the luxury goods he produces.
- Key techniques and approach: The poet uses sensory imagery, juxtaposition [contrasting elements placed together], and a clear three-stanza structure to build a poignant portrait of the artist and his world.
Lines 1-7
"Each day after sunrise he walks to the workshop-
like his father before him, and his father too -
the slap of sandalled feet on heat-baked stone,
the smell of blossom, a plate-blue sky. He greets
his neighbours with a smile. In the distance
a wild dog barks."
Translation
The poem opens by describing the jewellery maker's daily ritual. He follows the same path as his father and grandfather, establishing a strong sense of tradition. The setting is brought to life with sensory details: the sound of his feet, the smell of flowers, and the sight of the sky.
Parker's intention
- Parker immediately establishes the theme of tradition and legacy with the line "like his father before him, and his father too".
- The use of sensory imagery grounds the maker in his environment, showing his deep connection to his community and a way of life that is timeless and repeated.
- This opening presents his life as stable, disciplined, and part of a continuous heritage.
Lines 8-14
"He sits straight-backed, lays out pointed tools
the way a surgeon might - neat as soldiers.
He likes hot metal, the smell, the way it yields
to his touch. Under deft fingers gold butterflies dance;
flowers bloom; silvery moons wax and wane,
then wax again; bright dragonflies flap two pairs of wings."
Translation
The focus moves to the act of creation. The maker is precise and disciplined, arranging his tools like a surgeon. He skilfully transforms raw metal into beautiful objects inspired by nature, such as butterflies, flowers, and moons, making the inanimate material seem alive.
Parker's intention
- The simile [comparison using 'like' or 'as'] comparing him to a "surgeon" and his tools to "soldiers" elevates his craft, giving it status and dignity.
- The list of creations that "dance" and "bloom" highlights his artistry and skill, showing he is not just a labourer but a creator who brings life to his work.
- This section focuses on the dignity of labour and the beauty that emerges from his expert hands.
Lines 15-21
"He likes the tiny loops and curls - he'd decorate
his house in this, drape his wife in fine-spun gold;
her skin wrinkled by sun, in simple cotton dress,
her only jewellery a plain gold band, worn thin.
He imagines the women who will wear
what he has made, clear-eyed, bird-boned, unlined skin
warming the metal his hands caress."
Translation
The final stanza introduces a powerful contrast. The maker's wife wears only a "plain gold band, worn thin", unlike the ornate jewellery he creates. He imagines the wealthy, delicate women who will buy his work, whose smooth skin and easy lives are very different from his own family's.
Parker's intention
- The juxtaposition between his wife's "wrinkled" skin and the "unlined skin" of his clients starkly reveals the social and economic divide.
- This shift from reality to imagination highlights the central themes of social class and art versus commerce.
- The poem ends on the word "caress", emphasising the intimate, loving connection the maker has with his creations, a connection lost when they become commercial products.
Writer's methods
When analysing the poem, it is important to connect Parker's choices in form, structure, and language to her overall themes and intentions. These elements work together to create the poem's poignant message about art, labour, and social class.
Form
The poem is written in free verse, which gives it a natural, observational tone.
| Theme | Evidence | Poet's intention |
|---|---|---|
| Dignity of labour | The poem is written in three stanzas of equal length (seven lines each). | This regular structure gives the poem a sense of order and control, mirroring the disciplined and meticulous nature of the craftsman's work. |
| Tradition and legacy | Enjambment [line runs to next] is used throughout, for example, "He greets / his neighbours with a smile". | The enjambment creates a smooth, flowing rhythm that reflects the continuous, unbroken line of tradition and the fluid motions of the maker's hands. |
| Imagination vs reality | The poem is written in the third-person narrative voice. | This creates a sense of detachment, as if the reader is a quiet observer. It allows the focus to remain entirely on the jewellery maker's world and thoughts. |
Structure
The poem's three-stanza structure creates a clear narrative progression.
| Theme | Evidence | Poet's intention |
|---|---|---|
| Tradition and legacy | The poem opens with the phrase "Each day", immediately establishing a routine. | Parker begins this way to show that the maker's life is part of a timeless, repeated tradition, not a single event, rooting his identity in his heritage. |
| Art and commerce | The second stanza contains a list of the beautiful objects the artisan creates. | This list ("butterflies dance; / flowers bloom; silvery moons wax and wane") showcases his incredible skill and the vitality of his art, making the final stanza's social commentary more powerful. |
| Social class | A volta [turning point in poem] occurs in the final stanza with the line "He imagines the women who will wear". | This structural shift deliberately moves the reader from the maker's tangible reality to the imagined, abstract world of the consumer, forcing a confrontation with the social gap between them. |
Language
Parker uses precise and evocative language to dignify the maker and highlight social contrasts.
| Theme | Evidence | Poet's intention |
|---|---|---|
| Dignity of labour | The similes comparing the maker's tools to what "a surgeon might" use and describing them as "neat as soldiers". | Parker uses this comparison to highly respected professions to elevate the craftsman's work, demanding respect for his skill and precision. |
| Social class | The juxtaposition between his wife's "wrinkled by sun" skin and the "unlined skin" of the imagined women. | This direct contrast in physical description powerfully communicates the difference between a life of labour and a life of privilege and ease. |
| Art and commerce | The poem ends with the verb "caress", describing how the maker's hands touch the metal. | This word choice suggests intimacy, love, and tenderness. It shows that the maker invests personal emotion into his art, an element that is sold along with the physical object. |
| Tradition and legacy | The use of a semantic field [group of words linked by theme] of nature ("blossom", "butterflies", "flowers", "moons", "dragonflies"). | This links the artisan's creations to the natural world, suggesting his craft is pure, timeless, and life-giving, connecting his work to a beauty that transcends commerce. |
What to compare it to
Comparing poems allows for a deeper analysis of how different poets explore similar themes or ideas. When comparing The Jewellery Maker, focus on how Parker's methods and purpose connect with or diverge from another poet's.
Suggested comparisons
- The Jewellery Maker and Name Journeys - Both poems explore how personal and cultural identity is shaped by heritage, but do so through tangible craft versus intangible language.
- The Jewellery Maker and A Wider View - These poems both focus on working men finding meaning through their surroundings, but contrast in their scale and focus—one intimate and timeless, the other epic and historical.
- The Jewellery Maker and Homing - Both poems link identity and heritage, but one presents this heritage as a continuous, living tradition while the other shows it as something lost that must be reclaimed.
The Jewellery Maker and Name Journeys
Comparison in a nutshell
Both poems explore how identity is tied to heritage. However, Parker focuses on a continuous, tangible craft passed down through generations, while Mundair explores the fragmentation of identity through the intangible experience of language and migration.
Similarities
Point
Both poets explore the idea that personal identity is deeply interwoven with cultural heritage and family lineage.
Evidence and explanation
| The Jewellery Maker | Name Journeys |
|---|---|
| Parker establishes a connection to heritage through the line "like his father before him, and his father too". This shows identity rooted in a tangible, unbroken line of craft. | Similarly, Mundair links her identity to a rich cultural past by referencing Hindu figures like "Rama" and "Sita", showing that her name carries a deep historical and spiritual legacy. |
| The maker's skill transforms raw materials into objects that are beautiful and full of life, like dancing "butterflies". This shows heritage being actively and creatively expressed in the present. | Likewise, Mundair describes her name as a "journey between rough and smooth", an "interlacing of banyan leaves with sugar / cane", suggesting that her heritage is a complex and beautiful tapestry of different elements. |
Differences
Point
While Parker depicts a heritage that is stable and continuously practised within a community, Mundair shows how heritage can become "dislodged" and misunderstood in a new cultural context.
Evidence and explanation
| The Jewellery Maker | Name Journeys |
|---|---|
| The maker is part of a community where he "greets / his neighbours with a smile". His craft is presented as a stable, respected part of his world. | In contrast, Mundair describes her name becoming a "stumble" that "filled English mouths", showing a dislocation from her heritage. Her identity is not understood in her new environment. |
| Parker's poem is set in the present tense, giving the maker's tradition a timeless, ongoing quality. The focus is on the continuity of his craft. | Conversely, Mundair's poem reflects on the past and the painful process of adaptation. Her name becomes something "dulled", her voice "void of history and memory" in the "Anglo Echo chamber". |
Endings comparison
Point
The ending of The Jewellery Maker focuses on the intimate connection between creator and creation, whereas the ending of Name Journeys highlights a sense of cultural isolation and loss.
Evidence and explanation
| The Jewellery Maker | Name Journeys |
|---|---|
| Parker's poem ends with the maker's hands as they "caress" the metal. This final image reinforces the personal, loving connection he has to his craft, even as it is sold into another world. | In contrast, Mundair ends with her voice becoming a "mystery" in an "Anglo Echo chamber - / void of history and memory". This conclusion emphasises disconnection and the erasure of her cultural heritage. |
The Jewellery Maker and A Wider View
Comparison in a nutshell
Both poems dignify working men whose identities are linked to their labour. Parker achieves this through an intimate, close-up portrait of an individual artisan, while Seneviratne uses a grander, more epic scale to connect his ancestor to the sweep of industrial history.
Similarities
Point
Both poets present male figures whose hard labour is a central part of their identity and who find a sense of purpose and escape through their imagination or perspective.
Evidence and explanation
| The Jewellery Maker | A Wider View |
|---|---|
| Parker's craftsman finds satisfaction in his work, as he "likes hot metal... the way it yields / to his touch". He also uses his imagination to picture the world his creations will enter. | Similarly, Seneviratne's great-great-grandad, after "twelve hours combing flax", "craved the comfort of a wider view" and used his imagination to hear "peals of ringing bells" instead of the factory din. |
| Both men are connected to their lineage. The jewellery maker follows his father and grandfather, representing a continuous family tradition. | Likewise, the speaker in A Wider View feels a direct connection to his great-great-grandad, as "the curve of past and future generations / arcs between us", linking past and present. |
Differences
Point
The poems differ significantly in scale and setting: Parker focuses on the timeless, intimate space of a workshop, whereas Seneviratne places his ancestor within the vast, historical landscape of the Industrial Revolution.
Evidence and explanation
| The Jewellery Maker | A Wider View |
|---|---|
| The focus is small-scale and personal. The sensory details ("slap of sandalled feet", "smell of blossom") create an intimate portrait of one man and his timeless craft. | In contrast, the perspective is epic. The grand scale of the city, with its "smoke-filled sky" and "tall octagonal crown of Harding's chimney", dwarfs the individual, linking him to a huge historical force. |
| The maker's craft appears to be pre-industrial or separate from it, focused on handmade artistry and natural forms like "flowers" and "dragonflies". | Seneviratne's poem is rooted in the specific reality of industrial labour, with the "din of engines, looms and shuttles" defining his ancestor's working life. |
Endings comparison
Point
The ending of The Jewellery Maker highlights a social divide in the present moment, while the ending of A Wider View creates a timeless connection that collapses the past and present into one.
Evidence and explanation
| The Jewellery Maker | A Wider View |
|---|---|
| Parker's poem ends by focusing on the gap between the maker and the imagined consumer, leaving the reader to contemplate a present-day social reality. The final image is one of physical touch and creation. | Conversely, Seneviratne's poem concludes with the speaker and his ancestor standing "timeless in the flux of time". The ending transcends a single moment to create a powerful, eternal link between generations. |
The Jewellery Maker and Homing
Comparison in a nutshell
Both poems explore the deep connection between identity and heritage as expressed through a specific skill. Parker presents this heritage as a living, unbroken tradition, whereas Berry portrays it as a lost inheritance that must be actively and passionately reclaimed.
Similarities
Point
Both poets explore the idea that family heritage is a powerful force that shapes identity, linking individuals to their past and their roots.
Evidence and explanation
| The Jewellery Maker | Homing |
|---|---|
| The maker's identity is defined by the craft passed down "like his father before him, and his father too". His heritage is a continuous, living practice that he embodies every day. | Similarly, the speaker in Homing feels a deep connection to her mother's heritage, which is embodied in her lost accent. She longs to reclaim the words that connect her to her family's past. |
| The jewellery maker's craft connects him to a specific place and community, with its "heat-baked stone" and friendly neighbours. His skill is rooted in his environment. | Likewise, the accent in Homing is tied to a specific place: the world of "pits, / railways, factories" and the "red brick / back-to-back" of the Black Country. It is a product of a particular landscape and culture. |
Differences
Point
Parker portrays heritage as a continuous, present reality, while Berry presents it as something that has been suppressed and must be recovered through a conscious act of will.
Evidence and explanation
| The Jewellery Maker | Homing |
|---|---|
| The poem uses the present tense ("he walks", "he sits") to show that the tradition is alive and ongoing. The maker's skill is actively practised, not a memory. | In contrast, Berry uses the metaphor of keeping an accent "in a box beneath the bed" to show that this part of her mother's heritage was suppressed and hidden away due to social pressure. |
| The tone in Parker's poem is one of quiet dignity and reverence for an unbroken tradition. The maker is at peace with his identity and his work. | Conversely, the tone in Homing is one of urgent, almost violent longing. The speaker wants to "jemmy" open the box and "forge" her mother's voice in her mouth, suggesting a forceful act of reclamation. |
Endings comparison
Point
The ending of The Jewellery Maker is quiet and observational, focused on the present act of creation, while the ending of Homing is loud and aspirational, looking towards a future act of restoration.
Evidence and explanation
| The Jewellery Maker | Homing |
|---|---|
| The poem ends with the intimate, gentle image of the maker's hands as they "caress" the metal. It is a moment of quiet connection between the artist and his work. | In contrast, the poem ends with the speaker's desire to "shout it from the roofs" and send the lost words "fluttering for home". The ending is a powerful call to action, full of dynamic energy and hope for the future. |