Please Hold – Ciaran O’Driscoll – A level english literature

Themes –

Society and culture: the poem looks at how the world is shifting into a technological era (something very reminiscent of modernist poets). The poet feels that human interaction is now lost as ‘robots’ are now replacing human communication.
The future: the poem describes the frustrations and difficulties that the poet faces in letting go of the past and accepting a new, technologically advanced future.

Tone of the poem –

There is a tone of frustration towards this monotonous voice running throughout the poem. The poet’s irritation is expressed through the ridiculing and imitation he does of the robot saying ‘I have a wonderful telephone number and a great account number’. He is sick of being dehumanized and treated as simply a consumer and number in line.
There is also a tone of sadness towards how the future is progressing. The connection of human touch is lost in the future and the poem ends on a dark tone that his future is simply to ‘grow old’ and ‘grow cold’ in this technologically controlled future.
There is also a very conversational tone throughout as the speaker starts many of his sentences with ‘and’.

Structure –

The poem is made up of two stanzas, with the first being a very long chunk of writing. This never-ending feeling of reading the first stanza could be a reflection of the process of a customer helpline as it is also a long and never-ending process.
There are a lot of short, blunt sentences throughout the poem, which could show the disconnection the speaker feels from human interaction. Even a ‘someone real’ is ‘just as robotic’.

Techniques –

The poet uses a literary structure known as ‘the stream of consciousness’, which essentially aims to replicate the free-flowing, unrestricted thought process of a human.
The poem is also written in free verse (no regular rhyme scheme), which could be symbolising the chaotic and tiresome mental state of the poet.
The use of repetition throughout the poem also symbolises the frustrating cycle that the speaker is stuck in within this technologically advancing world.
The reference to the piece ‘Eine Kleine Nachtmusik’ highlights a tone of mocking from the corporation keeping the speaker on hold as they are playing a happy and upbeat piece to a frustrated and annoyed customer. It also highlights the way in which technology and big corporations are changing things. ‘Eine Kleine Nachtmusik’ was once a great musical composure, yet now it is simply known as waiting music.