LITERATURE FORM 5: ‘WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO LULU’ POEM BY CHARLES CAUSLEY

WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO LULU

What has happened to Lulu, mother?
What has happened to Lu?
There’s nothing in her bed but an old
rag-doll
And by its side a shoe.
I woke to voices late last night,
I heard an engine roar.
Why do you tell me the things I heard
Were a dream and nothing more?

I heard somebody cry, mother,

Why is her window wide, mother?
In anger or in pain,
The curtain flapping free,
But now I ask you why, mother,
And only a circle on the dusty shelf
You say it was a gush of rain.
Where her money-box used to be?

Why do you wander about as though

Why do you turn your head, mother?
You don’t know what to do?
And why do tear drops fall?
What has happened to Lulu, mother?
And why do you crumple that note on
What has happened to Lu?
the fire
And say it is nothing at all?
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 LITERATURE FORM 5: ‘WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO LULU’ POEM BY CHARLES CAUSLEY

THE MEANING OF EACH STANZA

Stanza 1 (line 1-4)

Line Stanza 1 Literal meaning

1 What has happened to Lulu, mother? The persona is questioning her mother
about the mysterious and sudden
2 What has happened to Lu?
disappearance of Lulu. An old rag doll
3 There’s nothing in her bed but an old rag- and a shoe was left behind.
doll
4 And by its side a shoe.

Stanza 2 (line 5-8)

Line Stanza 2 Literal meaning

5 Why is her window wide, mother?
6 The curtain flapping free,
7 And only a circle on the dusty shelf
8 Where her money-box used to be?
The persona saw that the windows are
wide opened and the curtains are
“flapping free” in the wind. The
persona also noticed her money-box
on the dusty shelf is gone.

Stanza 3 (line 9-12)

Line Stanza 3 Literal meaning

9 Why do you turn your head, mother? The persona asks her mother why she
is hiding her tears. The mother
10 And why do tear drops fall? crumples up a note (most probably
from Lulu) and throws it into the fire.
11 And why do you crumple that note on the Mother then tells her child that it is
fire nothing at all. The persona does not
12 And say it is nothing at all? believe her.

Stanza 4 (line 13-16)

Line Stanza 3 Literal meaning

13 I woke to voices late last night, The persona tells she was awakened
by “voices late last night” and heard
14 I heard an engine roar.
the sounds of an “engine roar”,
15 Why do you tell me the things I heard probably a car starting up and being
driven away. The mother lies that the
16 Were a dream and nothing more? child was only dreaming.
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A GIFT FOR MY BELOVED STUDENTS MISS NATRA @SMKPJI 2020

 LITERATURE FORM 5: ‘WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO LULU’ POEM BY CHARLES CAUSLEY

Stanza 5 (line 17-20)

Line Stanza 3 Literal meaning

17 I heard somebody cry, mother, The persona insists that she had
heard someone cry “in anger or in
18 In anger or in pain,
pain”. The mother says it was just “a
19 But now I ask you why, mother, gush of rain”.

20 You say it was a gush of rain.

Stanza 6 (line 21-24)

Line Stanza 3 Literal meaning

21 Why do you wander about as though Puzzled about mother’s distraught
behaviour, the persona wants to
22 You don’t know what to do?
know why the mother is pacing
23 What has happened to Lulu, mother? about, uncertain what to do. The use
of “Lu” is an affectionate form of
24 What has happened to Lu? “Lulu”.

A) SYNOPSIS

The poem is a story of a mother grieving because her elder daughter, Lulu has run
away. The child narrator questions her mother about the incident in a series of rhetorical
questions. The mother is in distraught and ends up tells her child a series of lies.

B) ABOUT THE POEM

The poem is a ballad which is written in 4 line stanzas where the second and fourth
lines rhymes. This regular and simple form seems appropriate for the voice of the narrator;
which is a young child. The poem is written in a first person dramatic monologue.
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 LITERATURE FORM 5: ‘WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO LULU’ POEM BY CHARLES CAUSLEY

C) THEMES D) SETTING E) TONE & MOOD F) LANGUAGE & STYLE

Family love Persona’s house. Tone: Puzzlement & Ballad (stanza with 4
and values. Late at night. confusion. The lines each)
Grief. Present time. persona doesn’t First person pronoun
Adult versus understand what is Style is simple,
child. going on and informal &
confused about her conversational
mother’s reaction
Mood: confused,
sad, reflective.

G) MORAL VALUES & MESSAGES

Running away from home does not solve our problems.
We must have a close family relationship & good communication as it helps us to discuss
and resolve our problems.
We must love and care towards our family members.

H) LITERARY DEVICES

Imagery -Lulu’s abandoned bed

(using words to create vivid images to -rag-doll
readers) -the missing money-box
-the sound of the car in the middle of the night

Metaphors -the curtains (used to refer to Lulu’s freedom)

(indirectly comparing 2 things that aren’t -dust on the shelf (used to refer to Lulu’s
alike but do have something in common) previous life)

Repetition What has happened to Lulu, mother? (to

(poet emphasises these words to create emphasise on the persona feeling confuse &
impact towards readers) demanding her mother to tell the truth)

Symbolism -Lulu’s abandoned bed (portrays Lulu’s new

freedom)
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A GIFT FOR MY BELOVED STUDENTS MISS NATRA @SMKPJI 2020