Textuality » 3A Interacting
The text is arranged into four stanzas made up of some lines.
Each stanza has its own function:
In the first one the parent explains the problem that he or she has with the daughter and he/she wonders what he or she has done so wrong.
In the second stanza the parent describes the relationship they had before the girl left home.
In the third stanza the parent expresses his/her sadness caused by the girl's behaviour. Also he or she wonders if the situation will ever change.
In the last stanza the parent expresses his or her hope for the future, saying that he or she hopes that the daughter will one day accept his or her apologies.
Every stanza begins and ends with a question. The device gives the idea of thepoem as a circle starting and ending without any change; it also creates a sort of link among the different stanzas.