WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO LULU BY CHARLES CAUSLEY FROM MISS NATRA

LITERATURE FORM 5: ‘WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO LULU’ POEM BY CHARLES CAUSLEY

WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO LULU

What has happened to Lulu, mother? I woke to voices late last night,
What has happened to Lu? I heard an engine roar.

There’s nothing in her bed but an old Why do you tell me the things I heard
rag-doll Were a dream and nothing more?

And by its side a shoe.

Why is her window wide, mother? I heard somebody cry, mother,
The curtain flapping free, In anger or in pain,

And only a circle on the dusty shelf But now I ask you why, mother,
Where her money-box used to be? You say it was a gush of rain.

Why do you turn your head, mother? Why do you wander about as though
And why do tear drops fall? You don’t know what to do?

And why do you crumple that note on What has happened to Lulu, mother?
the fire What has happened to Lu?

And say it is nothing at all?

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A GIFT FOR MY BELOVED STUDENTS MISS NATRA @SMKPJI 2020

LITERATURE FORM 5: ‘WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO LULU’ POEM BY CHARLES CAUSLEY

THE MEANING OF EACH STANZA

Stanza 1 (line 1-4)

Line Stanza 1 Literal meaning
1 What has happened to Lulu, mother? The persona is questioning her mother
about the mysterious and sudden
2 What has happened to Lu? disappearance of Lulu. An old rag doll
and a shoe was left behind.
3 There’s nothing in her bed but an old rag-
doll

4 And by its side a shoe.

Stanza 2 (line 5-8) Literal meaning
The persona saw that the windows are
Line Stanza 2 wide opened and the curtains are
5 Why is her window wide, mother? “flapping free” in the wind. The
6 The curtain flapping free, persona also noticed her money-box
7 And only a circle on the dusty shelf on the dusty shelf is gone.
8 Where her money-box used to be?

Stanza 3 (line 9-12)

Line Stanza 3 Literal meaning

9 Why do you turn your head, mother? The persona asks her mother why she

10 And why do tear drops fall? is hiding her tears. The mother
crumples up a note (most probably

from Lulu) and throws it into the fire.
11 And why do you crumple that note on the Mother then tells her child that it is
fire nothing at all. The persona does not
12 And say it is nothing at all?
believe her.

Stanza 4 (line 13-16) Literal meaning Page2
Line Stanza 3 The persona tells she was awakened
13 I woke to voices late last night, by “voices late last night” and heard
14 I heard an engine roar. the sounds of an “engine roar”,
probably a car starting up and being
15 Why do you tell me the things I heard driven away. The mother lies that the
16 Were a dream and nothing more? child was only dreaming.

A GIFT FOR MY BELOVED STUDENTS MISS NATRA @SMKPJI 2020

LITERATURE FORM 5: ‘WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO LULU’ POEM BY CHARLES CAUSLEY

Stanza 5 (line 17-20) Literal meaning
The persona insists that she had
Line Stanza 3 heard someone cry “in anger or in
17 I heard somebody cry, mother, pain”. The mother says it was just “a
18 In anger or in pain, gush of rain”.

19 But now I ask you why, mother,
20 You say it was a gush of rain.

Stanza 6 (line 21-24) Literal meaning
Puzzled about mother’s distraught
Line Stanza 3 behaviour, the persona wants to
21 Why do you wander about as though know why the mother is pacing
22 You don’t know what to do? about, uncertain what to do. The use
of “Lu” is an affectionate form of
23 What has happened to Lulu, mother? “Lulu”.
24 What has happened to Lu?

A) SYNOPSIS

The poem is a story of a mother grieving because her elder daughter, Lulu has run
away. The child narrator questions her mother about the incident in a series of rhetorical
questions. The mother is in distraught and ends up tells her child a series of lies.

B) ABOUT THE POEM

The poem is a ballad which is written in 4 line stanzas where the second and fourth
lines rhymes. This regular and simple form seems appropriate for the voice of the narrator;
which is a young child. The poem is written in a first person dramatic monologue.

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A GIFT FOR MY BELOVED STUDENTS MISS NATRA @SMKPJI 2020

LITERATURE FORM 5: ‘WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO LULU’ POEM BY CHARLES CAUSLEY

C) THEMES D) SETTING E) TONE & MOOD F) LANGUAGE & STYLE
Family love Persona’s house. Tone: Puzzlement & Ballad (stanza with 4
and values. Late at night. confusion. The lines each)
Grief. Present time. persona doesn’t First person pronoun
Adult versus understand what is Style is simple,
child. going on and informal &
confused about her conversational
mother’s reaction
Mood: confused,
sad, reflective.

G) MORAL VALUES & MESSAGES

Running away from home does not solve our problems.

We must have a close family relationship & good communication as it helps us to discuss
and resolve our problems.
We must love and care towards our family members.

H) LITERARY DEVICES

Imagery -Lulu’s abandoned bed
(using words to create vivid images to -rag-doll
readers) -the missing money-box
-the sound of the car in the middle of the night

Metaphors -the curtains (used to refer to Lulu’s freedom)
(indirectly comparing 2 things that aren’t -dust on the shelf (used to refer to Lulu’s
alike but do have something in common) previous life)

Repetition What has happened to Lulu, mother? (to
(poet emphasises these words to create emphasise on the persona feeling confuse &
impact towards readers) demanding her mother to tell the truth)

Symbolism -Lulu’s abandoned bed (portrays Lulu’s new
freedom)

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A GIFT FOR MY BELOVED STUDENTS MISS NATRA @SMKPJI 2020