Mr Bleaney

The poem itself is about a man looking at rooms up for rent. He desribes a particualr room owned by the strange Mr Bleany. The speaker chooses the room due to the similarties he sees between himself and Mr Bleany.

Stanza One
> 'The whole time he was at the bodies' - Mr Bleany worked at the morgue, not only did he live in solitude but he worked in solitude, the solitude seems to be a theme of his own life.
> 'thin and frayed' - the description of his home could be linked to Mr Bleaney's own appearance, homes often represent their owner, the thin and frayed curtains could represent his physique, or diminishing mental state, which could be caused by a life of such solitude.

Stanza Two
> The description of the room is relitively bleak, it feels like room rather than a home
> Even the view from the room is onto littered 'building land', the bleak outlook could describe Bleanys bleak outlook on life.

Stanza Three
> The speaker begins to make a connection with Bleany after he 'takes' the room, he 'lies' where Mr Bleany did and stubs his fags on the same saucer, he represents all the Mr Bleaney was.

Stanza Four
> 'i know his habits' - although Bleaney is no longer around, the speaker feels as if he knows him and all the details of his life. This could be because his life was so monotonous, he stuck to such a routine in that house that it is shown within the house.

Stanza Five
> This stanza talks about Bleaney's visits to others, but never their visits to him. This could suggest Bleaney liked his solitude, and was a private man.
> 'Put him up' - seems unwanted, they have him because they have to, not because they want to

Stanza Six
> The fact Bleaney has to tell himself this is 'his home' suggets that really, it is not. This could suggest he doesn't feel as cofortable with his solitude as portrayed.
> The 'grin' is quickly removed by a shiver, this could suggest his happiness is quickly removed by the cold life he leads.
> 'shivered, without shaking off the dread' - his inability to shake off the dread he has implies hes been scared by something, is he scared of his own solitude?

Stanza Seven
> 'how we live mesaures our own nature' - Bleaney's life of solitude represents his own lonely nature, its almost inevitable.
> 'at his age' - implies he died old 7
> 'one hired box should make him pretty sure, he warranted no better' - his bleak and empty home has led him to believe its the life he deserves, he has become stuck in a rut, but its the rut he deserves.
> The penultimate line of doubt, 'i don't know', suggests the speakers unsureity, even though he feels as if he knows Bleaney, he never really did.