This is a haiku that briefly explores a simple situation in a visitor’s room. Although the poem is too short to convey a great deal of information – such as what specific kind of visitor’s room this is – the poet nevertheless manages to capture a mood and help the reader to understand the environment that they are in, as well as the things there that seem to be annoying them as they wait.
Haikus use a very limited number of words. With this in mind, it is important for the reader to look beyond the words themselves and try to find implied meaning. The way that the stillness of the room is contrasted with the brother who is not "bolted down" seems to suggest an underlying tension. The reader can infer the mood of the narrator, as well as the stifling nature of their surroundings.
Visitor's Room Lee GurgaVisitor's room- Everything bolted down. Except my brother.
Summary
Written in three lines, ‘Visitor’s Room’ is a haiku that details the speaker’s experience in a visitor’s room.
The poem is set in a visitor’s room. It is not established who is waiting there and what, exactly, it is that they are waiting for. However, the narrator describes the scene and then, at the end of the poem, they reveal that they are writing from their own perspective. They also reveal that there is another person in the room, and the poem ends by focusing on this person. The person in question is their brother. The tone is ambiguous throughout, resulting in many possible interpretations.
Expert Commentary
Insights by Giles Towler
BA (Hons) in History and English Literature from Manchester University
Structure and Form
‘Visitor’s Room’ is written in the form of a haiku. This means that it is three lines long. The first and third lines are each five syllables long. The middle line is seven syllables long. This is a form of poetry with strict rules about the structure. Haikus often focus on a particular moment in time, which is reflected in this poem. There is no meter or rhyming pattern to this poem, as is typical for most haikus.
This poem uses its strict structure to get straight to the point, with the first line setting up the location, the second line describing it, and then, finally, the last line adding some extra detail. The blunt use of language gives the impression of the poet’s mood, without it being explicitly described.
Literary Devices
Although this is only a short poem, there are still a number of literary devices that can be seen in the poem. The poet also uses juxtaposition and a sense of irony as a way to convey the speaker’s mood. The second line describes the scene of the visitor’s room, with everything bolted down -this is juxtaposed in the following line as the brother is not “bolted down.” The stillness of the visitor’s room contrasts with the brother, who is presumably moving often, causing the speaker to become irritated. There is also some use of ambiguity, leaving parts of the poem open to the reader’s own interpretation.
The narrator seems to speak about the brother with a sense of irony in this comparison, which helps to convey the mood that they appear to be feeling toward the brother. There is some ambiguity about this, however, as they do not explicitly state their feelings, leaving it open to the reader’s interpretation. As a haiku, this poem is short enough that it leaves plenty for the reader to fill in for themselves by inferring meaning from the way that things are expressed.
Themes
Family is one of the themes of this poem, although it is not revealed till the very end. In the last line, the narrator reveals that their brother is in the visitor’s room with them. The simple description of the brother seems to reveal details about them, as well as the way that the narrator feels about them in that moment, and the dynamic of their relationship.
Waiting is another important theme. It is not clear exactly what kind of visitor’s room they are in for the duration of this poem, however, the setting of a visitor’s room implies waiting. The narrator’s description of their brother shows that they could be feeling impatient as they are forced to wait alongside him.
Detailed Analysis
Lines 1
Visitor’s room-
The opening line of the poem reveals the location. The narrator does not explain where this visitor’s room is, or what the purpose of the visit is. This leaves it open to the reader’s own interpretation. This is something that is true for much of the poem. Due to the fact that haikus are such short poems, they are known for their sparse and economical use of words. Rather than explaining a great deal to the reader, they leave a lot open to the reader’s own interpretation. While no details about the room are given, it is open for the reader to imagine a visitor’s room themselves.
The setting of a visitor’s room tells the reader that the narrator is not in a place they are accustomed to. They are visiting somewhere else and waiting for something, which infers an immediate sense of unease. The strangeness of being in unfamiliar surroundings is furthered in the next line, which details that everything in the room is “bolted down”.
Line 2
Everything bolted down.
The second line gives more of a description of the room: by saying that everything is “bolted down,” the narrator seems to be alluding to the furniture. This gives the impression of an impersonal place, built solely for waiting in, rather than for comfort. It does not sound as though it has personal touches or any kind of warmth to it. It adds to the sense of unease established in the first line, as it feels inhospitable to the speaker.
However, the phrase “bolted down” can also be seen as a description of the mood in the room. “Everything bolted down” could refer to the moods and attitudes of the “visitors” who presumably populate the room. It makes the reader think of a subdued atmosphere, as the visitors remain quiet and still as they wait, which is characteristic of visitor’s rooms. As the narrator has described “everything” as being bolted down, rather than just the furniture, would seem to suggest that this is the case.
Line 3
Except my brother.
The final line reveals more about the narrator’s circumstances. This is the first time that the narrator is placed in the situation, rather than just describing a visitor’s room.
Note the juxtaposition of the brother’s implied movement with the motionlessness of the”bolted down” furniture. The idea of their brother not being bolted down seems to carry a sense of irony and, perhaps, weariness. The reader can imagine the brother being full of life in the visitor’s room, moving frequently, to the extent of annoying their sibling. The focus on the brother shows that he is the dominant force in the room, as he will not sit still or be “bolted down.” This focus is only revealed at the very end of the poem, with the first part of the poem setting the scene and the action of the poem only being revealed right at the end.
The restraint of the setting is contrasted with the lack of restraint of the brother.
FAQs
The speaker is the brother of the man who is described in the final line of the poem. There are no other details revealed about them other than that they are in the visitor’s room with their brother. The reader can infer the nature of this sibling relationship, although it is not explicitly stated.
The brother is the focus of the final line of the poem and his importance is underlined by his inability to remain still. His movements are not described, but the contrast between the stillness of the room and the brother shows that he is exhibiting more movement than anyone else in the room.
While no emotions are explicitly explored in this poem, the idea of a motionless visitor’s room can help the reader to feel a sense of boredom. The mention of the speaker’s brother also seems to evoke a sense of frustration, and there is a sense of irony in the way that the narrator contrasts their brother with the surroundings.
The short form of a haiku helps the reader to get a feeling for the stark surroundings of the visitor’s room. The economy of language helps to convey the mood of the narrator, and allows them to focus on their brother with just a few, simple words. The poem relies on the reader’s own inference and ability to imagine the surroundings and the mood of the poem.
It could be argued that this poem is about the contrast between confinement and freedom. The visitor’s room itself represents confinement. The narrator is confined within it, and the bolted-down furniture is a representation of this. The brother represents freedom, refusing to be bolted down and kept constrained.
