A Wall

'A Wall' is a short poem which presents the idea that we take many things for granted, and leave a lot of things unrecognised and unappreciated. It appears that Abse is enlightening the reader on how much we miss and do not notice, and how everything has a purpose and an identity.

     In the first stanza, Abse tells of how 'You won't find [the wall] named in any guidebook', highlighting the fact that this ordinary piece of brickwork goes unnoticed and unappreciated daily. However, he describes how 'No other walls are adjacent to it', depicting the fact that everything and everyone is unique and obtains their own identity. The wall 'Seemingly unremarkable', suggesting that there is more to things than meets the eye, and portraying how remarkability is masked by appearance. Abse describes the wall in question as being made up of 'Stones of different sizes, different greys' - this imagery is dull and unappealing, emphasising how appearance can be misleading, and possibly how people ignore things/other people due to their appearance.

     The second and final stanza shows the narrator warning the reader not to 'say this wall is useless, that the grass / On the shadow side is much like the other'. This advice seems to suggest that everything and everyone has an individual purpose and is unique, obtaining their own identity and having the ability to help others. The reader is given a list of the ways in which this particular wall aids and protects aspects of nature and the animal kingdom, such as the 'huddling sheep in the slanting rainfall'.

     This short poem presents a powerful message; Abse appears to be portraying how even the things that we do not appreciate and take for granted have a use, and we need to consider the beauty of everything, as beauty lies deeper than the surface which our eyes see. Everything is created with the purpose of bringing a new light to life in individual ways, and Abse is drawn to the wall because it is genuine.