Simon Armitage - Hitcher

It is  a poem of comparison and a Monologue and a Free Verse (which allows his thoughts to change rapidly like a stream of the consciousness).

It is about a man that is under pressure for his boss to get to work and the hitcher and him are compared throughtout the poem, where they are alike and where they are not, and because of this the main character gets jealous of his freedom and lets his anger on the hitcher and kills him.

Alike; Both hitching lifts and they are the same age.

Not Alike; The driver has a job, a car and no freedom and the Hitcher has nothing but has freedom

The driver is materailistic and the hitcher is not.

Death - (Bounching off the kerb, once in the head, then six times  with the krooklok in the face, let him out, let him have it) - Could link this with

- On my first sonne, My Last Duchess, Havisham

Revenge - because he is jealous of the Hitchers freedom - could link this with;

- Havisham, Stealing, My last Duchess, The Laboratory

Five Stanzas, with five lines within them. Occasional rhyme of 3 lines and 5, Variable lengths. Sometimes an internal rhyme on keys words; hair and fair also tired  and fired this might suggest why he did kill.

The Colloquial language helps the reader run into other stanzas, with the help of enjambment, which helps the flow of speech. However there are short sentences too, meaning to show the uncertainity of his thoughts.

Colloquial Language

enjambment to help create natural rythme

everyday cliches such as 'Under the weather' and jokely about the weather reports 'the outlook for the day'  also it shows places the murder can be at anytime

slighty a cartoon comic when he killed the hitcher, shows that in his mind it is funny and he can not take it seriously.

there is confusion in the first stanza to which is the hitcher, and then it realised that it is a poem of comparsion of them both, and that they are alike because they both hitched, but the difference becomes clear that the hitcher is doing it because of his free will and the driver has to do it so that he can get to work.

Tired, Fired, Hired, is a cheerful rhyme contrasts with the last stanza, it is ironic contrast with the darkness of the poem.

under the weather - shows that he might be fed up with his job

I thumbed a lift - shows a smilarity with the hitcher and him 

Screaming - People pressuring him, violent and emotive

 It was hired - showing that he hates the idea that he can't afford a car, making him angery.

picked him up - shows that he does not care for his name because he has his own problems.

He was follong the sun....good earth for a bed - sounds romantic, the hitcher has freedom and no responsibilities. Paraprashing hitcher.

Blowin in the wind - link to bob dylan song, shows hitcher is happy. This annoys the driver.

I let him have it - Envies the hitcher, takes his frustrations out on the hitcher.

six times... in the face  - planned it? Violent Attack, not caring about him.

didn't even serve - booasting to himself about his skill.

i dropped it into third - enjambment,. showing that he still does not care about the hitcher

 i let him out - not so violent

bouncing off the kerb - not caring about his death or injuries, comicbook style, assuming to him.

same age - shows why he was jealous because the hitcher was enjoying life and the drvier was not.

he said he like the brezze - sarcazism, echo of the hitchers voice,

its fingers - shows that he shes nature as a human

it was twelve noon - still not caring about the hitcher and has returned to normality

day was moderate to fair  - same with returning to normality, better day because he has relased his anger

You can walk from there - dark humour (insane)