'John Montague expresses his themes in a clear and precise fashion' - A Response by Eimear Dollard, Sarah Murray, Emmet Frawley, Diarmuid Ó Céadagáin & Blake Ó Muireaseán

Montague is well-known for his cinematic style and shows us many of his memories scene by scene. The poet allows us delve deep into his mind and experience his loss, pain and confusion through his use of vivid imagery.

‘The Trout’, like many of Montague's poems, celebrates the beauty of nature. The trout itself is held in high regard by Montague who tells the story of this eloquent and beautiful animal swimming freely in its natural habitat. Montague is very clear and precise in the manner in which he writes about the trout. He holds clear respect for this animal in his heart as he reminisces about it and his experience with it during his childhood, "To this day". Montague is very precise in describing the details he sees around him and the trout itself. He issues clear images to show the true beauty of nature, the river and the trout that dwells there, "In the water without a ripple". Yet this poem shows the clear conflict that often exists between man and nature. Although Montague portrays his admiration for the trout and its beauty, ultimately, he kills the trout, "Taste his terror on my hands"

Montague skilfully depicts this theme through his cinematic style of language. The poet vividly remembers capturing the trout and his recollection of this event is shown to us as if in slow-motion. Montague retells his careful actions leading up to the trout's capture clearly, stating every precise detail of the world around him; "the photographic calm that grows before the action". He describes, through the use of imagery, "every stipple" and the "lightly pulsing gills" of the fish. The poet's memory of trapping the trout occurs scene by scene, including every detail he noticed as a young boy. His surroundings are portrayed in a clear and precise fashion, furthering our awareness of the theme of nature in this poem.

‘The Cage’ is an exceptional example of Montague’s ability to weave a transparent tapestry of poetic language. This poem deals with the poet’s father, and his relationship with him. We are shown snapshots of his father’s life through Montague’s cinematic style. He captures the depressing life his father lived as a ticket booth salesman in the New York Underground. The surroundings are portrayed as being monochromatic, dark, and loud. We can hear the “subway shudder the earth.” This is a life full of hardship. Not only did he work underground, but he was separated from his family. Montague shows us quite clearly his father’s despair through describing his drinking. We see a snapshot of a man drinking “neat whiskey until he reached the only element he felt at home in any longer: brute oblivion.” Montague didn’t need to elaborate any further; it is quite clear from this image how much pain his father was in.

The suffering echoes later on in the poem when the poet’s father returns home and tries to salvage a relationship with his son. Montague implies that it was too late, that “when… Odysseus returns Telemachus must leave.” This clearly hurt Montague. He shows us in the last stanza how he was haunted by his father’s “bald head behind the bars of the small booth.” The rough-sounding assonance in this line drives the point bluntly home. It seems as though the poet feels like something hit him. His language expresses the hardship and suffering present in this poem.  Memory features quite strongly in this poem also. We are shown snapshots of the poet’s past through his cinematic style. He jumps from angle to angle as he remembers his past.  He shows us quite clearly his father’s daily strife and then the difficulty he faced trying to repair his relationship with his son.

Another example of Montague's precise use and portrayal of themes is seen in the poem ‘Killing the Pig’. Montague uses vivid imagery and personification to relate the themes of loss, heartbreak and nature clearly to the reader, particularly through his emphasis on sounds, "That high pitched final effort.. Piercing and absolute". Because of the directness in relating his themes there is no mistaking the precision in his poetry, as shown in his assertion of the lingering effect of the pig’s death, "But the walls of that farmyard still hold that scream, are built around it". In the poem, the themes are related through the brutal slaughter of the pig, "Swiftly the knife seeks the throat". Montague wrote this poem as a man but could still envision the event from his youth clearly, capturing every gruesome detail, "Iron cleek sunk in the roof of his mouth...a solid thump of the mallet". His words capture the passion, brutality and fear of the moment and clearly convey the poem’s themes.
Throughout the rest of the poem Montague goes on to lay out in vivid detail the exact manner of the pig's death and processing. "Swiftly the knife seeks the throat..... Till the carcass is hung up".  The disturbing yet banal nature of this everyday activity is conveyed clearly through the image of a child being “given/ the bladder to play with.”

In Montague's poem, ‘The Locket’, the poet presents his relationship with his mother in his typical cinematic style. With his use of vivid and detailed imagery, the poet discusses themes such as family, heartbreak and loss. These themes are evident in the poem as the poet recalls how his family were plagued by "the lack of money". Through his use of images the poet tells the story of his "double blunder" which resulted in him being sent away, and therefore establishing no relationship with his mother. Montague tries his best to rebuild his relationship with his mother as he “cycled down/ to court" her. We see his renowned cinematic style shine through here as the poet describes glimpses of time with his mother.
This poem is written in a precise fashion as he is speaking about his personal memories and troubled relationship with his mother. The poet's loss is shown as he realises his mother loved him all along as she kept an "oval locket/ with an old picture in it/ of a child in Brooklyn”. The element of honesty really aids our understanding of the themes of family and loss, and emphasises the precise, personal details of the poem.

Through his use of cinematic style, Montague successfully expresses his themes in a clear and precise fashion. He explores the themes of nature, family, loss and heartbreak in these poems, portraying memories to the reader through vivid imagery that leaves a lasting impact on the reader.