Analysis Of Feliks Skryznecki

In “Feliks Skryznecki”, Skryznecki reinforces the value of relationships to a sense of identity by reinforcing the effect of alienation and disconnection, which ultimately leads to an eventual displacement from his father. The text delves into the notion of identity through familial connections. In the opening stanza, the persona displays a sense of respect and admiration for his father as portrayed in the phrase “My gentle father… Loved his garden like an only child.” The use of the simile portrays the persona’s dedication for his father which helps mould his identity, which is further emphasised through the use of the laudatory tone in describing the “softness of his blue eyes.” Nevertheless Skryznecki feels isolated and is critical of his …show more content…
The use of the impersonal third person pronoun, “they”, displays Skryznecki’s alienation from his own father and Polish friends. In addition this idea is reflected at the end of the poem with the metaphor of the tent. The repetition in the phrase “pegging my tents/ Further and further south of Hadrian’s Wall,” parallels both Polish culture with primitive tribe beyond the wall through a historical allusion and illustrates how Skryznecki is purposefully severing ties to his father’s culture and to a certain extent his own father. The irony in the phrase “I forgot my first polish word/ He repeated it so I never forgot/ After that like a dumb prophet,” highlights the idea that Skryznecki’s identity is being undercut due to his confused relationship with the people around him, leading in a fractured sense of identity. Skryznecki’s bitter tone that his father was “happy as I have never been”, indicates the lack of emotional satisfaction and resolute affirmation of self-identity elicited from family and culture. Thus in “Feliks Skryznecki”, Skryznecki’s relationship with his father and his cultural displacement, provokes an uncertainty in his