Poetry · Character

Old Man

An elderly figure appearing in several poems.

minor

Also known as Old Man Old Man, Man

First appearance: the trumpet

Old Man's tie to Old Jack Noman is one of the pressures that moves Poetry—worth meeting in the text, not only on a cast list.

The voice that speaks with gentle scorn, recalling the speaker's youthful despair.

In the storyThe Sign-PostOpen this moment free

See Old Man in The Sign-Post Book page

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With Old Jack Noman (rivalry): Old Jack Noman and the Old Man are locked in a tense, antagonistic relationship, possibly over identity or territory. With Lob (friendship): Lob is a loyal companion to the Old Man, often…

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The fuller portrait of Old Man sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Old Man in the trumpet

Character Web

9 connections

A slice of how Old Man sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Rivalry
Friendship
Family
Other

Character groups

Recurring named figures
Protagonist

+4 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

The emotional peak occurs when the speaker, despite physical pain from the storm, experiences a transcendent m…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

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Relationships

Old Jack Noman
rivalry · negative
Old Jack Noman and the Old Man are locked in a tense, antagonistic relationship, possibly… How this plays out →
Lob
friendship · positive
The Huckster
rivalry · negative
The Child
family · positive
Bob Hayward
professional · positive
Walker
friendship · positive
Young Jack
family · positive
Old Jack Noman
rivalry · negative
Old Jack Noman and the Old Man are locked in a tense, antagonistic relationship, possibly… How this plays out →
Lob
friendship · positive
Walker
friendship · positive
The Child
family · positive
Lob
friendship · positive

Old Jack Noman
Old Jack Noman and the Old Man are locked in a tense, antagonistic relationship, possibly over identity or territory.
Lob
Lob is a loyal companion to the Old Man, often assisting or accompanying him.
The Huckster
The Old Man and The Huckster are adversaries, likely over trade or deception.
The Child
The Old Man appears to be a guardian or grandfather figure to The Child.
Bob Hayward
Bob Hayward serves or works for the Old Man, possibly as a laborer or assistant.
Walker
The Old Man and Walker share a bond of mutual respect or shared history.
Young Jack
The Old Man is a mentor or grandfather to Young Jack, guiding him through hardship.
Old Jack Noman
Old Jack Noman and the Old Man are locked in a tense, antagonistic relationship, possibly over identity or territory.
Lob
Lob is a loyal companion to the Old Man, often assisting or accompanying him.
Walker
The Old Man and Walker share a bond of mutual respect or shared history.
The Child
The Old Man appears to be a guardian or grandfather figure to The Child.
Lob
Lob is a loyal companion to the Old Man, often assisting or accompanying him.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Old Man in the trumpet

In the story

Old Man appears across 11 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Sign-Post
The voice that speaks with gentle scorn, recalling the speaker's youthful despair.
Head and Bottle
The man in the cart who drinks, oblivious to his surroundings, until he is motionless.
The Green Roads
An old man who strays along the green road to the forest.
Haymaking
Implied among the haymakers resting in the field, part of the timeless tableau.
Under the Woods
The old keeper who once patrolled the woods, now gone from memory, leaving only a shriveled stoat skin.
The Cuckoo
The man who shouted 'Ho! Ho!' to his sheep and died that summer, whose voice now drowns out the cuckoo for the speaker.
Home
A labourer walks past his cottage and the sound of sawing comes from his shed.
Wind and Mist
The man who lived in the house, recounting his experiences of mist, wind, flint, clay, and childbirth, and his conflicted feelings about the place.
The New Year
The bent old man raking leaves, who exchanges a brief New Year's greeting with the speaker.
The Other
The 'other' who eventually confronts the speaker in the tap-room.
Man and Dog
A lame, elderly man walking to Alton, reminiscing about his past work as a navvy and soldier, and whose three sons are fighting in the war.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Old Man unlock in the free preview.

See Old Man in the trumpet

See Old Man in The Sign-Post