Summary

In what follows, we will focus on the summary and composition of “Geriatric Ward” by Phoebe Hesketh.

Summary

The poem “Geriatric Ward” depicts the treatment of the elderly in a geriatric ward. A doctor reflects on the contrast between the medical duty and the natural course of life. Doctors are supposed to ease the life of the elderly while doing everything they can to prolong their lives. At the same time, the doctor thinks about the artificial way in which this happens; the elderly, once very sick, are kept alive solely for the comfort of their families, not for their own. The doctor believes that a violent death would be a better choice for the sick, elderly people instead of an artificial way of keeping them alive, like in a prison.

Composition

To better understand the poem, it is important to focus both on its outer and inner composition. The outer composition tells you a lot about the form of the poem, while the inner composition deals with its content.

Outer composition

The poem “Geriatric Ward” is a three-stanza p...