CSEC English

Roman Holiday

by Frank Collymore

O, it was a lovely funeral!

One hundred and thirty-two cars, 

And three of them packed high with flowers 

And the streets thronged with people-

It reminded me of the Coronation- 

And then such a beautiful service; 

Organ and full choir of course,

And hardly a dry eye in the chapel.

And there were so many people present that they couldn't all get in

And ever so many of them had to stand outside

And during the service there was such a hard shower,

And most of the gentlemen in morning coats and top hats too

And a well-dressed respectable-looking woman turned to me 

And asked me-

Poor creature, she could scarcely articulate the words-

If it was true he'd really died from what we heard, 

And I told her it was only too true, poor man.

And it wasn't until afterwards that I discovered

It really wasn't his funeral at all.

Because there was another one that evening and they had both got mixed up in all the confusion;

And do I think they ought to see to it

That better arrangements should be made-

I mean, it can put one out so;

And when I did manage to get outside and reach the grave

It was all over.

But it really was a lovely funeral, 

And I don't know when I've cried so much, 

And that reminds me, my dear:

Have you heard that his youngest daughter

Has run away

With the chauffeur?

Questions

1. What evidence can you find in the poem to suggest that the speaker might be a woman?

2. Why does the speaker compare the funeral to a coronation?

3. In line 8, suggest two reasons why there was 'hardly a dry eye'. 

4. Why does the speaker refer to a well-dressed woman as a 'poor creature'?

5. In line 24, what is the meaning of 'put one out so'?

6. What do you think the poet's aim was in writing this poem?