The phrase “knock knock” is the main motif in the poem, appearing 11 times in addition to the title. It unifies various parts of the poem and contributes to its structural and semantic coherence. The meaning of the phrase changes in different sections of the poem, reflecting the speaker’s personal growth. At the beginning, when the speaker is three years old, “knock knock” (Lines 3 and 10) refers to the father’s knocking on the boy’s bedroom door every morning. It is the sound that anticipates parental playfulness and affection that the boy cherishes. Here the boy passively awaits the father’s knocks, eager to be the object of his love. However, when the phrase reappears in the third stanza (Lines 23 and 25), it is the boy who knocks on the glass separating him from his father in the prison. He asserts his agency, “trying to break through the glass” (Line 23), revealing his uncomprehending anger at being disallowed to embrace his father.

Later, when the speaker is in his late 20s, that vague frustration turns into a meaningful conviction that he must actively confront the injustice that might have contributed to his father’s long absence. In the last stanza, “knock knock” is the sound of toppling

Don't Miss Out!

Access Study Guide Now