The Prodigal (Leaving Cert English): Revision Notes
The Prodigal
Introduction to the poem
Elizabeth Bishop's "The Prodigal" tells the compelling story of a man struggling with alcoholism who has chosen to live in exile from his normal life. The poem draws inspiration from the Biblical parable of the prodigal son, focusing specifically on the period when the wayward son lived among pigs in a barn.
The Biblical parable of the prodigal son tells of a young man who demands his inheritance, leaves home, wastes his money, and ends up living with pigs during a famine. Eventually, he realises his mistake and returns home to find forgiveness from his father. Bishop's poem focuses specifically on the moment of realisation that leads to the decision to return home.
The central character experiences a wretched existence, but this miserable life is occasionally interrupted by moments of unexpected beauty and glimpses of hope for what the future might hold. He can look beyond the awful smell of his current surroundings and find pleasure in simple things like sunlight warming a puddle. As the poem progresses towards its conclusion, the absence of light becomes a crucial factor that helps him understand he must return home.
Structure and form
Bishop crafts "The Prodigal" as a carefully structured piece consisting of two stanzas, each containing exactly fourteen lines. This length and organisation gives the poem a sonnet-like quality, though it doesn't follow traditional sonnet conventions entirely. The lines maintain fairly consistent length, typically ranging from nine to eleven syllables each.
The rhyme pattern follows a complex scheme of ABACDBCEDFEFGGF, with the end sounds changing in the second stanza. This intricate rhyme structure demonstrates Bishop's technical skill while supporting the poem's emotional journey.
Key Technical Term: Half-Rhyme
Bishop employs half-rhyme techniques throughout the work. This approach, sometimes called slant rhyme or partial rhyme, involves repeating similar vowel sounds (assonance) or consonant sounds (consonance) rather than perfect rhymes. Examples include the pairing of "almost" and "more," and the "s" sound that appears in words like "uncertain," "staggering," "shuddering," and "insights."
Poetic techniques
Sound devices and rhythm
Bishop incorporates several key poetic techniques to enhance the poem's impact. Alliteration appears when words beginning with the same letter are placed close together, such as "fainted forked" in the second stanza and "make" and "mind" in the poem's final line. These sound repetitions create musical qualities that draw attention to important moments.
Caesura Definition
Caesura occurs when a line breaks in the middle, sometimes marked by punctuation and sometimes not. These intentional pauses create deliberate rhythm changes that can signal important shifts or transitions in the text.
Caesura in Action
The line "for him to judge. The floor was rotten; the sty" introduces readers to the harsh facts about the man's living conditions through this strategic pause, emphasising the contrast between judgement and reality.
Structural techniques
Juxtaposition serves as one of the most powerful techniques in "The Prodigal." This involves placing contrasting elements near each other to highlight their differences and emphasise larger themes. The poem contrasts the dark, filthy interior of the barn with the warm light that enters from the sun and later from the lantern. These opposing elements represent different mental states - the protagonist's darker moments that led him to alcohol and exile, versus the hopeful, warm, spiritual feelings that will eventually guide him home.
Enjambment Definition
Enjambment creates structural interest by cutting lines off before their natural conclusion. This technique forces readers to move quickly to the next line to complete thoughts or phrases, maintaining momentum and connecting ideas across line breaks.
Detailed stanza analysis
First stanza: the setting and despair
The opening lines immediately establish the horrific conditions surrounding the protagonist. Bishop begins by describing an "enormous odour" that she characterises not through a recognisable smell, but through the colour "brown". This unusual description suggests something so overwhelmingly unpleasant that it defies normal sensory description.
The smell becomes so pervasive and powerful that Bishop personifies it, giving it human characteristics like "breathing" and "thick hair." This personification helps readers understand how completely this terrible environment surrounds and affects the man. The revelation that he lives in a barn makes the source of these conditions clear - he's surrounded by pigs and the accumulated filth of their living space.
Despite these awful circumstances, the poem reveals an unexpectedly touching moment when the man interacts with the pigs. Their eyes seem to follow him with what appears to be a "cheerful stare," and he even reaches down to scratch one of the sows. This gesture reveals the man's fundamental loneliness and his need for companionship, even from farm animals.
The middle section of the first stanza explains how the protagonist arrived at this situation. After drinking heavily (hiding bottles behind wooden boards), he sometimes experiences moments when the harsh reality of his circumstances fades away. In these alcohol-influenced states, he can focus on small beauties like the sunrise that makes his surroundings seem more attractive. However, this represents his disconnection from reality and illustrates how addiction can provide temporary escape while creating deeper problems. The hidden bottles symbolise his awareness that his drinking is wrong, even as he continues the behaviour.
Second stanza: hope and transformation
The second stanza shifts the timeframe from morning to evening, marking a crucial transition in the poem's emotional journey. Here, Bishop introduces the image of a single star that appears to "warn" the speaker. This connects to Biblical imagery, particularly the story of the wise men who followed a star to find Christ.
Biblical Allusion: Noah's Ark
The poem references Noah's ark, comparing the barn to that biblical refuge. In his alcohol-influenced state, the protagonist feels temporarily safe and comfortable with the pigs as his companions, similar to how Noah's ark protected animals during the flood. The pigs appear content, sleeping peacefully with their feet extended and snoring gently.
However, the peaceful mood begins to shift when the light starts disappearing. The lantern, described as being "like the sun, going away", creates a powerful moment of realisation. Through juxtaposition, the same light that once encouraged him to stay longer in the barn now signals that change is necessary. As the lantern fades into the distance, it seems to set the man on a different path entirely.
Bishop describes the protagonist's unsteady movement as he "wobbles back and forth" along a wooden plank. This physical instability reflects both his intoxicated condition and the broader instability of his entire life situation. The poem reveals that he experiences "shuddering insights" that are "beyond his control" - moments of clarity that come from some divine or spiritual source rather than his own will.
After this "long time" of struggle and resistance, he finally decides to "go home". This represents his salvation and marks the beginning of the second half of the prodigal son story. If Bishop's version follows the Biblical pattern, the man should find forgiveness and welcome when he returns to his family.
Themes and central message
"The Prodigal" explores the devastating impact of alcoholism on human life, examining how addiction can lead to self-imposed exile and profound isolation. Bishop provides deep insight into the psychological state of someone battling addiction, showing how they experience deception, loss of control, and spiritual emptiness alongside their physical deterioration.
The poem addresses both individual suffering and universal human experiences. While it tells one specific person's story, it speaks to broader themes that many people can understand. Bishop demonstrates enormous compassion for the protagonist, and her vivid imagery helps readers develop empathy for someone in such desperate circumstances.
The spiritual dimension of the poem connects to themes of redemption and hope. Despite the man's terrible situation, the possibility of salvation and return remains present throughout. The religious imagery - from the prodigal son reference to the star and ark - suggests that spiritual intervention and personal transformation are possible even in the darkest circumstances.
The contrast between light and darkness serves as a central metaphor for the protagonist's psychological and spiritual journey. Light represents hope, clarity, and divine guidance, while darkness symbolises despair, confusion, and spiritual emptiness. The progression from one to the other mirrors the man's movement from despair towards hope.
Key Points to Remember:
- "The Prodigal" retells the Biblical parable through the lens of addiction and recovery, focusing on the period of exile and the decision to return home
- Bishop uses sophisticated poetic techniques including juxtaposition, enjambment, and complex rhyme schemes to create a sonnet-like structure that supports the emotional journey
- The contrast between light and darkness imagery represents the protagonist's psychological states and spiritual transformation throughout the poem
- Religious symbolism (the star, ark, prodigal son story) provides a framework for understanding addiction as a spiritual crisis with the possibility of redemption
- Bishop demonstrates profound empathy for people struggling with addiction, showing both the devastating effects and the potential for hope and recovery