Piano by D.H. Lawrence is a nostalgic exploration into the pleasure of childhood memories and the pain of acknowledging that those days are over. Lawrence’s poem explores the speaker’s memory of his mother playing the piano, prompted by a present-day experience of listening to a woman play the piano and sing.
This study guide is written for teachers and students of English Literature, particularly students of CCEA’s GCSE English Literature Identity Anthology. This poem is part of CCEA’s Unit 2 Identity Poetry Anthology but may also be useful as an unseen poem for students on any GCSE or A-Level Literature course. If you are studying CCEA’s Identity poetry, check out the full list of posts at the bottom of this page.
Piano
Context
D.H. Lawrence's childhood
These experiences would later inform much of Lawrence’s writing, which often explored themes of social inequality, human relationships, and the struggle for self-discovery.
Lawrence’s childhood was marked by poverty and instability. His father worked long hours in the local coal mines, and his mother suffered from various health problems. Despite these challenges, Lawrence was a bright and curious child, and he excelled in his studies at school.
D.H. Lawrence's career
Lawrence went to teacher training college at the University College of Nottingham from 1906-1908, and then worked as a school teacher until 1911.
From there, he began to pursue a career as a writer, publishing his first novel, “The White Peacock,” in 1911. Over the next several years, he wrote and published several more novels and collections of poetry, including “Sons and Lovers” (1913), “The Rainbow” (1915) and “Women in Love” (1920) and “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” (1928). These works established him as one of the most important writers of the 20th century.
After the war, he spent several years traveling the world with his wife Frieda, visiting Europe, Australia and America.
In the late 1920s, Lawrence began to experience serious health problems. As a result, he spent the last years of his life seeking treatment for tuberculosis. He continued to write up until his death in 1930, leaving behind a legacy of influential and provocative works.
D.H. Lawrence's health
Influences on D.H. Lawrence's writing
Lawrence's mother
D.H. Lawrence’s mother, Lydia, played the piano. She was an accomplished pianist and taught piano lessons to earn extra money for the family. Lawrence himself was also musical, and he learned to play the piano from his mother as a child. Lawrence’s love of music is evident in his writing, as he often includes musical references and descriptions in his novels and poetry. For example, in his novel “Sons and Lovers,” the character of Miriam is a talented pianist, and her music plays a significant role in the story.
The coal mines
The coal mines had a significant impact on D.H. Lawrence’s life and writing. Lawrence was born and raised in a small mining community in Nottinghamshire, England, and his father was a coal miner. The coal mines were a dominant force in the community, shaping the landscape and the economy, and exerting a powerful influence on the lives of the people who lived there.
Lawrence’s experiences growing up in this environment had a profound impact on his writing. He drew on his observations of the lives of miners and their families to create vivid and realistic depictions of working-class life in his novels and stories.
In his most famous novel, “Sons and Lovers,” Lawrence portrays the difficult and often brutal conditions of life in a mining community, and the toll that this life takes on its inhabitants. He depicts the physical and emotional struggles of the miners, as well as the social and economic constraints that limit their opportunities.
When was Piano by D.H. Lawrence written?
‘Piano’ was written in two drafts. The first draft was written in 1906, but a revised version, the one above, was written in 1911, soon after the death of Lawrence’s mother, Lydia. First published in 1913, ‘Piano’ was part of Lawrence’s first poetry collection called ‘Love Poems and Others’.
Piano: summary of the poem
Stanza one summary
In the opening stanza, the speaker listens to a woman playing the piano and singing. The setting of the poem is some unknown public place at dusk. This evening setting, along with the mention of the ‘vista of years’ tells us the speaker is older now than when he was in the memory sparked by the music. The woman’s piano playing takes Lawrence back in his memories to his childhood, when his mother would play. He remembers this fondly, indicated by her ‘smiles’.
Stanza two summary
In stanza two, the speaker mourns for the loss of a time which was more innocent. He does not want to give in to this feeling, but it happens in spite of his attempt at self control. The positive memory is of being warm and protected inside, listening to his mother, while outside forces, signified by ‘winter outside’ cannot reach him.
Stanza three summary
In the third, final, stanza, the speaker is brought back to the present moment, but now in a state of grief and loss. No loud piano music can hold back the tears he weeps for this lost memory of the innocence of childhood.
Piano: analysis of the title
The title, Piano, is simple and to the point. This tangible object helps the reader to focus in on the theme of the power of music to bring back memories and to shape our identity. Most of us can relate to the experience of hearing a song or tune and being instantly transported back to a different time or place. D.H Lawrence’s title focuses our attention on the present moment of being an adult listening to a performance.
Line-by-line analysis of Piano
Stanza 1
Softly, in the dusk, a woman is singing to me;
- The poem commences with a sensory image of dusk, a time of transition between day and night. The speaker describes a woman singing, establishing a contemplative and intimate mood.
- The personal pronoun ‘me’ sets the narrative perspective as first person narrative.
Taking me back down the vista of years, til I see
- The woman’s singing serves as a vehicle for the speaker to travel back in time, creating a mental journey through memories.
- The word “vista” suggests a broad view or scene, emphasising the expansiveness of the speaker’s reminiscence.
- The caesura after years creates a pause, allowing the reader to take a moment to imagine the next scene, a memory of the speaker’s childhood.
- The rhyming couplet pattern is established right from the start of the poem and continues regularly throughout (i.e. me/see). The close proximity of the rhyming words is child-like in its simplicity, mirroring the childhood memories evoked.
A child sitting under the piano, in the boom of the tingling strings
- The setting shifts to a specific memory: a child positioned beneath a piano. The sensory details of the onomatopoetic “boom” and “tingling strings” evoke a vivid and tactile experience, emphasising the profound impact of the music on the child.
And pressing the small, poised feet of a mother who smiles as she sings.
- The child is touching the piano pedals controlled by the mother, creating a connection between the physical act and the emotional experience.
- The mother’s smiling adds a layer of warmth and joy to the scene.
Stanza 2
In spite of myself, the insidious mastery of song
- The speaker acknowledges that, despite their resistance or intention, the captivating power of music (referred to as the “insidious mastery of song”) has a hold on them.
- ‘Insidious’ means gradual, subtle and harmful. The ‘mastery of song’ is personified, making it seem like it is actively trying to target the speaker’s emotions.
Betrays me back, till the heart of me weeps to belong
- The music has a compelling force that pulls the speaker into the past, creating a longing or yearning to be part of that earlier time. The emotional impact is so strong that it brings forth tears.
- The verb ‘betrays’ works with ‘insidious’, adding to the personification of the song, and giving away the speaker’s reluctance to remember.
To the old Sunday evenings at home, with winter outside
- The poem introduces the specific setting of the remembered time: Sunday evenings at home during winter. This creates a sense of cosiness and domesticity, contrasting with the coldness outside.
And hymns in the cosy parlour, the tinkling piano our guide.
- The mention of hymns and the piano as a guide reinforces the role of music as a guiding force. The piano is personified as a guide here, emphasising the closeness and comfort of this image.
- The adjective “cosy” conveys a sense of familial comfort and togetherness.
Stanza 3
So now it is vain for the singer to burst into clamour
- The speaker recognises the futility of attempting to recreate the past through song.
- The adjective “vain” suggests a sense of hopelessness in trying to fully capture or revive the bygone emotions.
With the great black piano appassionato. The glamour
- The piano is described as “appassionato,” which is a musical term used to emphasise its passionate and emotional quality.
- The word “glamour” suggests an enchanting or magical aspect of the music.
Of childish days is upon me, my manhood is cast
- The enchantment of childhood days, particularly through music, is a force that now envelops the speaker even in their adulthood.
- The word “cast” suggests a moulding or shaping of the speaker’s identity by these memories.
Down in the flood of remembrance, I weep like a child for the past.
- The flood of memories overwhelms the speaker, leading to a cathartic release of emotions. The weeping is likened to that of a child, reinforcing the deep emotional impact of the recalled experiences.
- This closing simile reminds us of the theme of childhood introduced at the start.
Analysis of Piano's form and structure
Lyric poem
The lyric form of this poem is perfectly matched to its content and meaning. Lyric poems are originally meant to be set to music, and so we see the connection between form and content. In stanza two, Lawrence refers to the ‘insidious mastery of song’, referencing the power of music to shake and stir up feelings, sometimes long buried.
First person narrative voice is a noticable feature of lyric poems. The lyrical voice is loud and clear in this poem. And the frequent use of the first person narration, the possessive adjective used to discuss the highly personal “my manhood” and the emotions of weeping and grieving, all communicate the highly personal nature of the poem. The strong lyrical voice helps us to identity in the poem factors that shape our identity: longing for a more innocent time, grief, loss, the past, family members and music.
Lyric poems express personal feelings and strong emotions. In this case, the speaker expresses emotions of grief, nostalgia and longing. This is evident in stanza two when he states that “the heart of me weeps to belong…” and the highly emotive ending, “I weep like a child for the past”. These strong emotions, brought on by music, are perfect for the lyric form.
Analysis of narrative perspective
Narrative perspective: a side note. This poem is certainly first person. But it is interesting that in his memory of childhood, he sees himself as a child sitting under a piano. In this memory, the speaker is a third person, an external presence, watching himself as a child. Perhaps this reflects how we all see our memories, watching on, almost like Scrooge’s ghostly presence in his Christmas past memory. I think this highlights the harsh epiphany that Lawrence experiences in stanza three: the past cannot be relived.
Interesting idea: do you see your memories from the first person, reliving it as it happened, or from a third person perspective, watching on as it unfolds? This article explores the phenomenon of perspective in memory, and I’d love to hear any thoughts you have on this! Comment below to explore your experiences of memory.
Analysis of verse structure
The structure, carefully measured into three quatrains (four-line verses) is concise and tightly structured. As in a villanelle, for example ‘Genetics’ by Sinead Morrissey, which is another poem in the CCEA Identity Anthology, the highly structured verse form acts as a means to convey powerful emotions. Rather than restricting emotion, the structure allows the emotion to overflow beyond the words. The concise nature and careful vocabulary choices mean every word packs a punch.
Analysis of rhyme
Complementing the verse structure, the poem has a regular rhyme scheme. It is organised into rhyming couplets. Each couplet contains a full rhyme. Note these examples: me/see, strings/sings, song/belong, outside/guide, clamour/glamour, cast/past. The effect is satisfactory, musical and fluent, with the full rhymes adding to the song-like nature of the poem. In addition, the rhyme scheme and structure reflect the hymns sung by his mother in the parlour. The frequent use of enjambment softens and buries the rhyme in places, avoiding any sense of childishness or sing-song effects.
Piano: analysis of language
Figurative language in Piano by D.H. Lawrence
Dusk setting
Lawrence’s choice of ‘dusk’ for the setting of the poem evokes a sense of encroaching darkness. Perhaps the metaphorical darkness of memory, or the darkness of giving in to emotion, are bound up in this picture. There is also a sense of transition: dusk in the transition between day and night. In the poem, the speaker is experiencing the transition of childhood to adulthood and childhood’s encroaching back into adulthood.
Visual elements
Minute details are focused on in ‘Piano’, creating a vivid picture: the image of the small child sitting at the base of the large piano; the ‘small, poised feet’; ‘the mother who smiles as she sings’. These striking images help the memory to materialise for the reader as they clearly do for the speaker.
Elements of the past are also made tangible through specifics: ‘winter outside’, ‘the cosy parlour’ ‘the tinkling piano’. These romanticised elements highlight Lawrence’s desire to remember his childhood fondly. Some suggest he is selective here, as much of his childhood was marked with illness, anger and hardship. Perhaps these hardships are symbolised by ‘winter outside’, while his mother was able to make it warm, safe and ‘cosy’ memories with him.
Simile
The closing simile, ‘weep like a child for the past’ paints an emotive image of the pain of remembering. There is an element of shame in the comparison of the speaker as a man weeping like a child, emphasised by ‘my manhood cast down’. This shameful image of childhood contrasts back to the fond and affectionate image of the child in stanza one, hinting perhaps at the true pain of Lawrence’s childhood, largely repressed in this poem.
Personification
In stanza two, song is personified as malicious and treacherous. ‘…the insidious mastery of song/ Betrays me back’. The speaker seems to want to keep this memory suppressed, ‘In spite of myself’, but is powerless against the strength of music to trigger memory. Using ‘betrays’ as a verb here adds to the sense of helplessness the speaker feels to fight against it.
Auditory imagery in Piano by D.H. Lawrence
The soft sibilant sounds in the opening line gently introduce the fondness of the present experience of listening to piano playing and the initially welcome memory of childhood. They make the musical memory come into focus and invite the intimacy of this poem.
‘Boom’ and ‘tingling’ enhance the auditory description with their onomatopoeic effect.
In stanza three, the pain of remembering is emphasised through the vocabulary choices and their accompanying cacophany of harsh sounds: ‘burst’ and ‘clamour’.
Emotive imagery in Piano
This poem contrasts the pleasure of a fond memory, ‘mother who smiles’ with the painful realisation that those memories are gone, ‘weep…for the past’.
Perhaps the strongest emotion is depicted in the admission that no sound, not even the ‘clamour’ of the ‘great black piano appassionato’ can drown out the pain of knowing the past is past.
Piano by D.H. Lawrence: themes
Connection to childhood identity:
The poem vividly describes a nostalgic recollection of the speaker’s childhood, symbolised by the image of a child sitting under the piano. This setting becomes a key element in the exploration of identity, as the child’s interaction with the piano, guided by the mother’s singing, represents a formative experience that shapes the speaker’s early sense of self.
Memory and yearning for the past:
Memory is an obvious theme throughout. These memories are fond and heart-warming. But they also evoke pain in the fact that they are over, past and never to be re-experienced.
The poem conveys a deep yearning to belong to the past, with the speaker expressing a sense of loss and nostalgia for the “old Sunday evenings at home.” This yearning suggests that the speaker’s identity is intricately connected to a specific time and place, and the memories associated with it.
Influence of music on identity:
The powerful impact of music on the speaker’s identity is evident throughout the poem. The “insidious mastery of song” and the “appassionato” quality of the piano highlight the emotional depth and transformative nature of music. The speaker is transported back to the emotional landscape of childhood, where the piano served as a guide, shaping their emotional responses and contributing to the formation of their identity.
Conflict between past and present identity:
The speaker grapples with the conflict between their present self and the identity shaped by the memories evoked through music. The use of phrases like “in spite of myself” and “it is vain for the singer” underscores the internal struggle, indicating that the force of the past, as represented by the music, challenges and sometimes contradicts the speaker’s present identity.
Quiz on 'Piano' by D.H. Lawrence
Piano by D.H. Lawrence
Once you have read ThinkLit's study guide on 'Piano' by D.H. Lawrence, have a go at this quiz: ten questions, all multiple choice.
Comprehension Questions on Piano by D.H. Lawrence
- Describe the opening setting of the poem. What effect do you think the mood at the start of the poem has on the speaker?
- Describe some of the techniques used to create auditory imagery in stanza one.
- What words in stanza two suggest that the speaker does not want to remember the past?
- What does the speaker remember about his childhood in stanza two?
- What is the effect of the enjambment used throughout the poem?
- How do the speaker’s emotions change throughout the poem?
- What do you think the speaker means when he says, ‘my manhood is cast/ Down in the flood of remembrance’?
- Describe the rhyme scheme used in Piano, and what is the effect of this particular pattern?
- How does this poem explore the theme of identity?
- Which poems from the identity anthology (see the list below) go well with ‘Piano’ as comparison poems?
The theme of the power of music in ‘Piano’ invites comparison to the power of dance in ‘Effacé’.
In addition, the theme of the past is significant in both poems. The speaker in ‘Effacé’ wonders at the impact of past choices and what might have been, while in ‘Piano’, the speaker mourns for the past. In both poems, the past is a strong influence on present day identity.
‘Piano’ and ‘In Mrs Tilcher’s Class’ share the theme of childhood memories, creating a strong connection here. Duffy’s primary school days are recalled with clarity and fondness, giving a clear comparison to ‘Piano’.
In similar ways, both speakers have their fond memories interrupted by the harshness of the change into adulthood. There are accompanying themes of nostalgia, regret and grief over a loss of innocence and loss of childhood.
The contrasting settings, narrative perspectives and verse structure provide students with the opportunity for contrast.
‘I Remember, I Remember’ explores the pain of a disappointing childhood. While this is the opposite (‘Piano’ remembers childhood fondly), it provides great scope for contrast in an essay. In addition, the poems differ in their form and structure, rhythm, rhyme and use of direct speech. Despite these contrasts, both poems explore childhood, memory and use a first person narration. There is plenty for students to compare as well as contrast.
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