The speaker describes their son, nicknamed "Slow Reader", who is capable of making sculptures and machines but struggles with reading. The speaker feels pride in their son's abilities but his slowness at reading spoils this. The son gazes into the air and shakes his head like an old man who knows obstacles cannot be overcome. The speaker eventually relents and allows their son to avoid reading, likening him to a fish returning to water or a colt shying away from being bridled, as forcing reading would prevent him from being truly free.

1. Slow Reader
Vicki Feaver

2. Slow Reader Read by Vicki
Feaver

3. He can make sculptures
The title introduces us to the speakers son,
Slow Reader, he is a capable child making
‘sculptures’ and ‘fabulous machines.’ The
speaker is proud of her son _
‘but’ all this is spoilt by his slowness to
read.

4. ‘he gazes into the air’
‘sighing and shaking his head like an old
man’

5. ‘who knows the mountains’
‘are impassable’.

6. ‘He toys with words’
‘letting them go cold
as gristly meat’

7. ‘until I relent’
The speaker gives in allowing her son to
‘wriggle free:’

8. ‘a fish returning to its element’

9. ‘a white eyed colt’
‘-
shying
from the bit’

10. ‘if he takes it
in his mouth’
‘he’ll never run quite free again.’

11. The Shape
Look at the shape of the poem on the
page.
Does it have stanzas?
Is it an odd shape?
What about the line lengths?
What does the shape tell us about the
poem?

12. A Personal Response
Is there a message?
Is it emotional?
Are there alternative interpretations?

13. Voice
Persona or speaker.
Tone of the poem.
Which parts of the poem are powerful
aloud?
Sound effects, assonance or alliteration?

14. Structure
Describe the structure of the poem.
How is punctuation used and what is the
effect?

15. Vocabulary
Are there interesting words or phrases?
Can you find chains of references?
Is there any repetition?
What type of words are used mostly, verbs,
nouns, adjectives, pronouns?

16. Imagery
Are there any similes or metaphors or
symbols?
What are the effects of these on the
reader?

17. MRO Reads Slow Reader