Second Opinion By Douglas Hannn Analysis

Second Opinion by Douglas Dunn is a personal account of his wife being diagnosed with cancer. This account can relate to anyone who has had to watch a loved one be sick and slowly die away. In this poem he talks about sitting in the waiting room of the hospital waiting to be called back for the news. He witnesses people who look healthier than others and a mother who is using a walking stick and her kids look distraught. The doctor comes back and calls him in to let Douglas know his wife has been diagnosed with a growing cancer. Douglas is confused on how this could happen just like anyone else would be, his wife is an artist this should not happen. The doctor walks him out and gives him comfort. This short but powerful poem gives an insight
There is no apparent rhyme scheme which helps emphasise the confusion and fear of the husband. It is all over the place just the like the mind of a distraught husband who can not believe his wife is dying right in front of him. This type of writing also helps the reader feel like they are in the shoes of Douglas and are talking to the doctor themselves. A good example of this is the lines “Professional anxiety. His hand on my shoulder Showing me to the door, a scent of soap, Medical fingers, and his wedding ring”(“Scottish Poetry Library.” Douglas Dunn. Lines 21-24). The imagery in this section really hopes the reader imagine what it was like walking out of the hospital in that moment. You can almost smell the soap and feel the rubber gloves touching you as you
That is how this poem is so realistic and so impactful because it is about Douglas and his wife. Douglas puts his whole life on the pages of this poem and becomes vulnerable as a person. This is what sends the last impact to the reader is finding out that this is Douglas and his life. He published this poem and many others about his wife in a book called Elegies. This book was all about his first wife who passed away due to cancer. This open minded idea of sharing the story of his wife through his craft really shows how hard this event was for Douglas. Second opinion really shows how hard it was by explaining what it was like to hear your wife is diagnosed with cancer(“Scottish Poetry Library.” Douglas