What Has Happened to Lulu?

By Charles Causley

Summary of the Poem

In this poem, the persona is the poet himself as a young boy. He tells us that his older sister, Lulu is
missing. Actually she has run away, but when he asks his mother, she doesn't tell him what has
happened. He sees Lulu's old rag-doll on her bed and a shoe by its side. Her window is open and her
money-box is gone. When he asks his mother why she is crying and burning a note, she says that is
nothing. He is puzzled and asks her innocently what has happened to Lulu, but she is silent. Then he
tells her that he heard voices and a car late at night, but she says that he must have been dreaming.
Next, he says that he heard somebody crying in anger or in pain, but she explains that it must have
been the rain. He is confused. He notices that she is confused too and wants to know what has
happened to his sister, Lulu.

Line by line Meaning

Stanza 1- The persona, a young boy is asking his mother where his sister, Lulu is. He says there is
nothing on her bed except an old rag-doll and a shoe by its side.

Stanza 2- The persona is asking his mother why Lulu's window is open and her money-box is
missing.

Stanza 3- The persona asks his mother why she is turning her head away and crying. He asks her
again why she crumples and throws the note into the fire and tells him that nothing is wrong.

Stanza 4- The persona wants to know why his mother is saying that the voices and the roar of an
engine he heard are just a dream. The roar of an engine implies that his sister, Lulu was driven away
in a car.
Stanza 5- The persona heard somebody cry in pain or anger but his mother tells him that it must
have been the wind.
Stanza 6- The persona wants his mother to explain why she is confused and what has happened to
his older sister, Lulu

Themes
1. The end of childhood and the loss of innocence
Lulu is probably a young teenager. She probably ran away based on the note that her mother
crumpled and threw away into the fireplace. She took her savings from the "money-box" to start a
new life with a man who drove her off with an "engine roar".
She left her childhood behind.

2. Parent-child relationship
 The mother and Lulu relationship could have been a tense and strained one. Lulu is a
rebellious teenager. She dislikes her mother's restrictions on her freedom and emerging
interest in the opposite sex. She keeps secrets from her mother.
 The mother and narrator relationship is less dramatic. The narrator is obedient and respectful
to the mother. The narrator loves the mother very much and observe her pain and distress.

3. Grief and love

The mother is grieving over the loss of her child, Lulu. She clearly loves Lulu and Lulu’s
disappearance cause her pain. The narrator loves the sister as she called her by pet name "Lu".
The narrator is worried about the sudden disappearance of the elder sister,
Answer the questions below.

1. What is the poem about?

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2. What does the open window signify, literally?
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3. Based on the line “You don’t know what to do” in stanza 6, sum up mother’s feelings.
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4. “You say it was a gust of rain”.

What has been compared to a gust of rain? Do you think the persona accepted the explanation given
by mother? Give a reason for your answer.
i) Comparison:_________________________________________________________________
ii) Reason:_____________________________________________________________________

5. From stanza 2, who do you think wrote the note and to whom was it addressed?
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6. Explain a theme portrayed in the poem.
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7. What are found on the bed and what does this tell you about Lulu’s running away?
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8. “What has happened to Lu?”

How would you describe the tone of voice of the persona? Give two evidence based on the poem for
your answer.
i. Tone of voice:_______________________________________________________________
ii. Evidences: __________________________________________________________________