About the Poem: The Father Returning Home Later in the poem, the author expresses his sentiments for his father. He discovered how neglected and uncared-for his father was, despite being the family's sole breadwinner. This made him realize how important it is to take care of those we love, even if they do not think they need our attention or love. Returning home later in life, he found his father asleep on a bench outside their house. His mother told him that she had died just hours before. Overcome with grief, he wrote this poem. Theme and Structure: This is a narrative poem that tells the story of a man who has lost his wife. It begins with the scene where he returns home later in life to find her dead. Then follows a monologue by the man as he vents his feelings in a series of poems about different subjects such as death, marriage, and responsibility. Form: This is a monologue poem. In a monologue poem, one character speaks directly to the audience. In this case, it is the father speaking about his deceased wife and the effects of loss on his life. Language: This is a traditional poem written in iambic pentameter. Iambic pentameter is a type of poetic metre used in classical English poetry.