Philip Hobsbaum’s poem ‘Household Gods’ describes a desolate, abandoned house, once occupied by a romantic couple that split up near the time of narration. Hobsbaum reinforces the noises of desolation and destruction – of both the relationship of the couple and of the house – by giving the house and several household items a voice, to recount the memories of the former occupants. Through vivid and sensual imagery, and alternating between past and present tenses, Hobsbaum shows the contrast between the former times, the desolation now, and the process in which it happened.
There is a touch of irony in the title of ‘Household Gods’, a traditional concept of placing idols to worship, and seek protection from. In this poem, however, the roles are reversed, as the ‘gods’ within the house are dependent on the tenants’ patronage and acceptance. This conveys the idea that the ‘household gods’ are closely tied to the couple, and their split and departure resulted in the neglect of the household items – a metaphorical downfall.
The poem is divided into nine stanzas. That each stanza is enclosed by inverted commas reflects that the poem is being narrated by several ‘household gods’, and creates a voice in the reader’s mind. The rhyme of each paragraph is regular ABAB, to show some semblance of order, but is punctuated by several cases of half or slight rhyme to show the neglect and the falling apart of the house. The poem can also be divided roughly into three parts, although each stanza is unique in that a different facet of the couple’s lives is revealed, similar to the fashion in which each god in a polytheistic belief is responsible for different aspects of life.
The first four stanzas expound mostly on the physical, sensual aspects of the former occupants’ life and relationship. The mention of ‘mirrored’ suggests that a mirror is narrating, and its reflection of the couple’s ‘breaking lives’ also implies it is broken as well. The mirror conveys a sense of fadedness and ‘pale’ imitations of the past, and focuses on the physical details of ‘pale / Distraught’ happenings, the male lover’s ‘bulk’ and the female’s ‘calm pose’, and ‘lined despair’. The repetition of ‘I saw’ and the use of past tense emphasises the notice of past events and sights.
The household item narrating next is unclear – possibly a long musical instrument such as a flute, as suggested by the diction of long sounds like ‘long’, ‘been’, ‘even’, ‘all’, and ‘slim’, and the constant run-on lines to make the stanza one long sentence. The stanza’s focus is on sensual, physical ‘caressing’, as a flute would be accustomed to fingers touching it, seen in the sensual imagery of touching and feeling. Here, past tense is also used predominantly to show the reminiscent nature and tone of the household god’s narration.
The physical aspect of the couple is continued by the narration of what seems like a cup. The sensual imagery of a kiss is conveyed with the male’s ‘lips on’ the cup, and the intensity of love is shown with the mention of ‘in the morning, or, in darkness’. The action of the man holding the cup is also likened to a ‘happy embrace’, and the use of ‘warmed’ suggests the cup’s joy at being held. Conversely, the couple’s relationship can also be compared to a cup. It explains the relationship’s fate in a way like a cup’s fate is described – ‘broken and swept away’, to show the closeness between the household items and the couple’s romance.
A rug recounts the events next. It also pays attention to the physicality of the ex-occupants with the mention of ‘feet’ and ‘strode’. There is a contrast between the ‘steady’ past and the ‘tentative’ present, as represented in the ‘steps’. The abrupt end to the sentence mid-line also shows the fleeting nature of the couple’s relationship. The rug’s diction of ‘st’ and soft sounds in ‘steady’, ‘strode’, ‘steps’, ‘street’, and ‘stronger’ reflect the footsteps and their sound that the rug has experienced. However, the rug is now reduced to mere collection of ‘jute and wool’, instead of a proper rug.
The next three stanzas of the poem focus mainly on the mental aspects of the ex-occupants and their relationship. The wall explain how the couple had ‘their vision’ once, and that it was ‘glad’ further shows a close link between house and tenants. The decay of the relationship is compared to the ‘flaking’ and ‘peeling’ of the paint on the walls. The wall’s question accentuates the association between the house and the couple.
Next, a clock explains the broken relationship and the reflection of that on itself. The diction of hard sounds like ‘climactial’, ‘cough’, and ‘cautious’ show the ticking voice of a clock. There is a reversal of syntax in ‘so does not time’. The ‘so’ is a reference to time not repeating, which reflects the clock’s desire to turn back time. The caesura in ‘But the works are rusted,’ show the stopping of the clock and its becoming ‘dumb’.
The mirror again narrates, the stanza’s beginning mirroring the first stanza’s. However, in this stanza it is concerned mainly with the reason the couple ended their relationship. Its reflective nature is shown when it ponders the ex-occupants’ coming and going. However, it is powerless to know the intentions or ‘reasons for departure’, since it only sees the ‘outer semblance’. It only ‘sees’, and does not ‘know’. This is an ironic reference to ‘household gods’ who are supposed to be aware of the occupants’ intentions.
The last two stanzas form the third division of the poem, where seemingly the house itself narrates, concentrating on the fate of the house and its periphery. The first stanza describes the desolation and meaninglessness of the household items. The soft sibilance of ‘Dust settles in the fireplace’ emphasises the fineness of the dust, and the run-on line of ‘curtains / Hang[ing]’ accentuates the sense of hanging ‘without a purpose’. While the household items are organised, the house’s use of ‘over-nicely’ suggests resentment over its arrangement in the ‘cold’ house.
The house goes on to speak collectively for the household items with the use of both singular and plural first person. The short ‘I see no more.’ Suggests a finality with the situation. The house mournfully shows that the link between the ‘household gods’ and the ex-occupants (and their relationship) was so strong that the couple’s ‘life gave our lives meaning’ and that the breaking of ‘homes’ and ‘their parting’ led to a much more serious effect on the ‘household gods’: they were ‘dissolved’ and slain, ironic because gods are meant to live forever.
Through the use of different voices coming from different household items, the selection of diction metaphors and other devices to suit each ‘household god’s’ voice, Hobsbaum creates a near inseparable link between the concrete house and the abstract home. He shows that the former is dependent on the latter, and that when the home, the couple and the romantic relationship, is broken up, and scattered, the house will follow suit, sometimes in a way more serious than the home, that may end in its destruction and desolation.