“Hitcher” Introduction

• Read the full text of “Hitcher”

“Hitcher” Summary

“Hitcher” Themes

• 

  The Mainstream vs. Counterculture

  Where this theme appears in the poem:

  • Lines 1-25
• 

  The Potential for Violence

  Where this theme appears in the poem:

  • Lines 1-25

Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Hitcher”

• Lines 1-5

  I'd been tired, under ...
  ... It was hired.

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 6-10

  I picked him ...
  ... the next bend.

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 11-15

  I let him ...
  ... it into third

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 16-20

  and leant across ...
  ... liked the breeze

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 20-25

  He'd said he ...
  ... walk from there.

  

  

  

  

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“Hitcher” Symbols

• 

  The Car

  Where this symbol appears in the poem:

  • Lines 4-5: “I thumbed a lift to where the car was parked. / A Vauxhall Astra. It was hired.”
  • Lines 13-14: “then six times with the krooklok / in the face—and didn't even swerve.”

“Hitcher” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

• Allusion

  

  

  

  

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  Where allusion appears in the poem:

  • Lines 8-10: “The truth, / he said, was blowin' in the wind, / or round the next bend.”

• Caesura

  

  

  

  

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  Where caesura appears in the poem:

  • Line 1: “tired, under”
  • Line 2: “weather, but”
  • Line 3: “sick-note, mister, and”
  • Lines 3-3: “finished.  / Fired.”
  • Line 5: “Astra. It”
  • Line 8: “bed. The”
  • Line 9: “said, was”
  • Line 12: “Harrogate—once”
  • Line 13: “head, then”
  • Line 14: “face—and”
  • Line 17: “out, and”
  • Line 18: “kerb, then”
  • Line 19: “age, give”
  • Line 22: “hair. It”
  • Line 24: “that, I”

• Enjambment

  

  

  

  

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  Where enjambment appears in the poem:

  • Lines 1-2: “under / the”
  • Lines 7-8: “east / with”
  • Lines 11-12: “it / on”
  • Lines 12-13: “once / with”
  • Lines 13-14: “krooklok / in”
  • Lines 15-16: “third / and”
  • Lines 17-18: “mirror / bouncing”
  • Lines 20-21: “breeze / to”
  • Lines 21-22: “fingers / through”

• Juxtaposition

  

  

  

  

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  Where juxtaposition appears in the poem:

  • Lines 1-25

“Hitcher” Vocabulary

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

• Under the weather
• Ansaphone
• Sick-note
• Thumbed a lift
• Vauxhall Astra
• Hired
• Leeds
• Blowin' in the wind
• Harrogate
• Krooklok
• Dropped it into third
• The verge
• Outlook
• Stitch that

• (Location in poem: Lines 1-2: “I'd been tired, under / the weather,”)

Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Hitcher”

• Form

• Meter

• Rhyme Scheme

“Hitcher” Speaker

“Hitcher” Setting

Literary and Historical Context of “Hitcher”

More “Hitcher” Resources

• External Resources

  • The 1960s Counterculture — Dive into the history of the decade (which informs the hitchhiker's character).

  • "Blowin' in the Wind" — The classic Bob Dylan song quoted by the hitchhiker.

  • A Brief Biography — Learn more about Armitage's life and work via the Poetry Foundation.

  • Armitage on Poetry — Watch a brief interview with Armitage in which he discusses his poetic philosophy, including the violence that appears in this poem.

  • Armitage on Writing — Simon Armitage offers some advice for budding poets.

  • Armitage's Official Website — Visit Armitage's website to learn more about his recent work. 

• LitCharts on Other Poems by Simon Armitage

  • Chainsaw Versus the Pampas Grass

  • Mother, any distance

  • Out of the Blue (Excerpt)

  • Remains

  • The Manhunt