Analyse the Meaning of the Poem: 'Tich Miller'

This activity is designed to help you explore modern poetry.

 

It is based on a poem by Wendy Cope called 'Tich Miller'. In 1998 Wendy Cope was the Listeners' Choice as Poet Laureate in a BBC Radio 4 poll.

 

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Tich Miller

 

Tich Miller wore glasses

with elastoplast-pink frames

and had one foot three sizes larger than the other.

 

When they picked teams for outdoor games

she and I were always the last two

left standing by the wire-mesh fence.

 

We avoided one another’s eyes,

stooping, perhaps, to re-tie a shoelace,

or affecting interest in the flight

 

of some fortunate bird, and pretended

not to hear the urgent conference:

‘Have Tubby!’ ‘No, no, have Tich!’

 

Usually they chose me, the lesser dud,

and she lolloped, unselected,

to the back of the other team.

 

At eleven we went to different schools.

In time I learned to get my own back,

sneering at hockey-players who couldn’t spell.

 

Tich died when she was twelve.

 

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Want a bit more help with this before you begin? Why not watch this short video?