POEM 11
Fleur Adcock – The Telephone Call
They asked me ‘Are you sitting down?
Right? This is Universal Lotteries’,
they said. ‘You’ve won the top prize,
the Ultra-super Global Special.
What would you do with a million pounds?
Or, actually, with more than a million –
not that it makes a lot of difference
once you’re a millionaire.’ And they laughed.
‘Are you OK?’ they asked – ‘Still there?
Come on, now, tell us, how does it feel?’
I said ‘I just…I can’t believe it!’
They said ‘That’s what they all say.
What else? Go on, tell us about it.’
I said ‘I feel the top of my head
has floated off, out through the window,
revolving like a flying saucer.’
That’s unusual’ they said. ‘Go on.’
I said ‘I’m finding it hard to talk.
My throat’s gone dry, my nose is tingling.
I think I’m going to sneeze – or cry.’
‘That’s right’ they said, ‘don’t be ashamed
of giving way to your emotions.
It isn’t every day you hear
you’re going to get a million pounds.
Relax, now, have a little cry;
we’ll give you a moment…’ ‘Hang on!’ I said.
‘I haven’t bought a lottery ticket
for years and years. And what did you say
the company’s called?’ They laughed again.
‘Not to worry about a ticket.
We’re Universal. We operate A retrospective Chances Module.
Nearly everyone’s bought a ticket
in some lottery or another,
once at least. We buy up the files,
feed the names into our computer,
and see who the lucky person is.’
‘Well, that’s incredible’ I said.
‘It’s marvelous. I still can’t quite…
I’ll believe it when I see the cheque.’
‘Oh,’ they said, ‘there’s no cheque.’
‘But the money?’ ‘We don’t deal in money.
Experiences are what we deal in.
You’ve had a great experience, right?
Exciting? Something you’ll remember?
That’s your prize. So congratulations
from all of us at Universal.
Have a nice day!’ And the line went dead.
Literary Analysis of Fleur Adcock’s “The Telephone Call”
Fleur Adcock’s poem “The Telephone Call” is a clever exploration of expectations, deception, and the sometimes disillusioning nature of modern life. The poem takes the form of a dramatic monologue, where the speaker recounts a surreal and ultimately disappointing phone conversation. Through its narrative structure and tone, the poem captures the tension between the anticipation of good fortune and the realization of its emptiness.
Theme
The central theme of “The Telephone Call” is the disillusionment that often accompanies modern-day promises of happiness and wealth. The poem critiques the superficial allure of material success and the hollow experiences offered by consumer culture. It also touches on the idea of manipulation, as the speaker is initially drawn into the excitement of winning a lottery, only to realize that the entire situation is a ruse.
Structure and Form
The poem is written in free verse with no fixed rhyme scheme or meter, reflecting the natural flow of conversation. The structure of the poem mirrors the progression of the telephone call, beginning with the initial excitement, moving through confusion, and ending with the stark realization of deception. The lack of stanza breaks or a traditional poetic form emphasizes the continuity of the speaker’s thoughts and emotions as they process the conversation.
Tone
The tone of the poem shifts from excitement to confusion and finally to disappointment. At first, the speaker is thrilled by the prospect of winning a large sum of money. However, as the conversation continues and the details become more absurd, the speaker’s tone shifts to one of skepticism and disbelief. By the end, the tone is flat and resigned, reflecting the anticlimax of the experience.
Language and Diction
Adcock uses conversational and informal language to create a sense of immediacy and realism. The dialogue between the speaker and the callers is natural and unembellished, making the reader feel as though they are eavesdropping on a real phone call. The language is also tinged with irony, particularly in the callers’ attempts to manipulate the speaker’s emotions with phrases like “Don’t be ashamed of giving way to your emotions” and “Have a nice day!”
•“I said ‘I feel the top of my head / has floated off, out through the window, / revolving like a flying saucer.’”
This surreal image captures the speaker’s initial excitement and disbelief. The simile of the head as a “flying saucer” adds a whimsical, almost absurd quality to the speaker’s reaction, foreshadowing the unreality of the entire situation.
•“We’re Universal. We operate A retrospective Chances Module.”
The use of technical jargon and the absurdity of the concept (“retrospective Chances Module”) highlights the deceptive nature of the phone call. It suggests that the entire operation is a scam, preying on people’s hopes and dreams.
Irony
Irony is a key element in the poem, as the speaker is led to believe that they have won a substantial prize, only to discover that the prize is not money or any tangible reward, but merely the “experience” of believing they had won. The title itself, “The Telephone Call,” is ironically understated, suggesting a mundane event, while the content of the call is anything but ordinary—at least until the disappointing twist.
•“Experiences are what we deal in. / You’ve had a great experience, right?”
This line encapsulates the poem’s irony. The callers try to pass off the experience of being deceived as a valuable prize, highlighting the emptiness of the promise.
Symbolism
•The Telephone Call: The telephone call symbolizes the intrusive and often deceptive nature of modern communication, particularly in how it can raise false hopes or manipulate emotions. It also represents the broader concept of external forces or institutions imposing their narratives on individuals.
•The Flying Saucer: The image of the speaker’s head floating like a flying saucer symbolizes the disconnection from reality that occurs when one is caught up in the allure of sudden, unexpected fortune.
Figures of Speech
- Simile
•“I feel the top of my head / has floated off, out through the window, / revolving like a flying saucer.”
The comparison of the speaker’s head to a “flying saucer” using “like” is a simile. It emphasizes the surreal, almost out-of-body experience the speaker feels upon hearing the news of winning the lottery. - Irony
The entire premise of the poem is built on irony. The speaker is led to believe they have won a substantial prize, only to find out that the prize is just the “experience” of believing they had won something.
•“Experiences are what we deal in. / You’ve had a great experience, right?”
This statement is deeply ironic, as it twists the expectation of a tangible reward into a mere emotional experience, revealing the deception. - Hyperbole
•“Ultra-super Global Special” and “more than a million”
These exaggerated terms are used to heighten the speaker’s excitement and expectation. The hyperbole emphasizes the grandiosity of the supposed prize, making the eventual letdown even more pronounced. - Metaphor
•“The top of my head has floated off, out through the window”
This metaphor describes the speaker’s feeling of shock and disbelief in a vivid way, suggesting a physical sensation of their mind being blown away by the news. - Euphemism
•“Retrospective Chances Module”
This is a euphemistic phrase used by the callers to describe their fraudulent lottery system. It’s a way to obscure the true nature of what they’re doing, making it sound more technical and legitimate than it is. - Allusion
•“Universal Lotteries”
The name “Universal Lotteries” alludes to the concept of a global or all-encompassing lottery system, which is meant to evoke a sense of grandiosity and legitimacy. It’s also a subtle nod to the idea of universal experiences or shared dreams of sudden wealth. - Sarcasm
•“That’s what they all say.”
The line is delivered with a sarcastic tone by the callers, dismissing the speaker’s disbelief as a common reaction, which further adds to the manipulation and insincerity of the entire conversation. - Anaphora
•“I said ‘I feel the top of my head…’ / I said ‘I’m finding it hard to talk…’”
The repetition of “I said” at the beginning of these lines emphasizes the speaker’s growing confusion and detachment from the reality of the situation.
These figures of speech work together to create a sense of anticipation, confusion, and eventual disillusionment in the poem. They enhance the emotional impact of the narrative, making the reader feel the same shift from excitement to disappointment that the speaker experiences.
Conclusion
Fleur Adcock’s “The Telephone Call” is a satirical commentary on the nature of modern life, where promises of wealth and happiness often turn out to be empty. Through its conversational tone, ironic twist, and vivid imagery, the poem explores the themes of disillusionment and manipulation, leaving the reader with a sense of the hollowness of such experiences. The poem ultimately serves as a reminder to be wary of too-good-to-be-true promises and the superficial nature of material success.
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