The opening invites an impatient judgement

1. The struggling figure is called Man, allowing him to suggest humanity rather than one fully identified person.
2. His trapped tail makes the situation strange and apparently absurd.
3. The opening question risks making his inability to escape seem like stupidity.
4. The instruction to wait introduces a tonal shift away from easy mockery.

Visible suffering asks for compassion

1. The figure’s emotional burden explains why progress may be difficult.
2. Torn cheeks and a lowered head replace the comic impression with physical distress.
3. The repeated question about assistance asks readers to consider their response.
4. The mountain setting makes escape seem demanding rather than a simple choice.

The enemies refuse to help

1. The enemies’ reported speech dismisses the suffering figure and demands self-reliance.
2. Their coughing and spitting make their response seem contemptuous.
3. The tree simile gives them an apparently comfortable, established position.
4. That comfort contrasts with the vulnerable figure’s struggle, exposing unequal security.

The voice becomes protective

1. The affectionate description replaces the earlier insult with care.
2. The possessive reference to the creature suggests a personal attachment.
3. The voice asks for help and prayer, but does not demonstrate that rescue has arrived.
4. The seven quatrains organise changing reactions to the same unresolved struggle.

Movement creates uncertain hope

1. The figure’s small movement matters because it is observable progress.
2. The voice values that movement while acknowledging its slowness.
3. The final question leaves escape unconfirmed.
4. The title’s everyday phrase balances possible survival with continuing danger.

Literary terms used in this guide

1. Reported speech: Words attributed to another voice within the poem, including the enemies’ refusal to help.
2. Quatrain: A four-line stanza; seven such groups organise the changing responses to the struggling figure.
3. Tonal shift: A change in the voice’s attitude or emotional manner, here moving from impatience towards compassion and qualified hope.

Close analysis: A worked analytical paragraph

1. Smith changes the reader’s response through a tonal shift. The opening risks treating the trapped figure as foolish, but his wounds make that judgement harder to maintain. The later protective language encourages compassion, especially beside the enemies’ comfortable refusal to help. His movement offers a reason for hope without proving that he will escape. The ending therefore asks for patience while preserving the seriousness of his danger.

Using and checking quotations

1. References: Stevie Smith, Touch and Go; Cambridge World Literature 0408/32, May/June 2017, page 8.
2. Compare spelling, punctuation and line numbering with your assigned edition before learning a passage.