Mother, any distance Summary & Analysis
by Simon Armitage

Question about this poem?
Have a question about this poem?
Have a specific question about this poem?
Have a specific question about this poem?
Have a specific question about this poem?
A LitCharts expert can help.
A LitCharts expert can help.
A LitCharts expert can help.
A LitCharts expert can help.
A LitCharts expert can help.
Ask us
Ask us
Ask a question
Ask a question
Ask a question

"Mother, any distance" is a poem by the popular British poet Simon Armitage, published in the collection Book of Matches (2001). The premise of the poem is relatively simple: the speaker calls on their mother for help setting up a new home. Specifically, the speaker needs more hands on deck to help measure the dimensions of different rooms, doors, windows, and so on, presumably in order to decorate and furnish the place. Of course, the poem is about a lot more than home improvement. As the speaker and mother extend the tape measure between them, it becomes a metaphor for the enduring strength of the relationship between mothers and children.

Get
Get
LitCharts
Get the entire guide to “Mother, any distance” as a printable PDF.
Download