A Consumer's Report

Below is a guide to Peter Porter’s poem ‘A Consumer’s Report’ from the CIE Songs of
Ourselves, Volume 1, Part 4 anthology. The guide includes:

 Overview: a breakdown of ‘A Consumer’s Report’ including its possible meanings and

interpretations

 Writer’s methods: an exploration of the poetic methods Porter has used

 Understanding the text: an exploration of Porter’s ideas, themes and possible messages
in the poem

Overview
To answer an essay question on a poem, you must understand what it is about. This section
includes:

 The poem in a nutshell

 A “translation” of the poem, section-by-section
 A commentary of each of these sections, outlining Porter’s intention and message

Exam Tip

It is important to keep in mind that, while the poem will be printed on your exam paper, you are
still expected to make reference to the poem and use accurate, relevant quotations to show
thorough knowledge and understanding. Make sure you focus on the key words in the question
and annotate the poem with the question in mind.

Be sure to structure your response clearly and write your analysis in chronological order of the
poem.
‘A Consumer’s Report’ in a nutshell

The poem, by Peter Porter, was published in his collection The Last of England in 1970. The
poem could be considered a satire that is written from the perspective of a consumer who is
reviewing a product that they have purchased.
‘A Consumer’s Report’ breakdown

Lines 1–3

“The name of the product I tested is Life,

I have completed the form you sent me

and understand that my answers are confidential.”

Translation

 The speaker is a consumer filling out a review of a product

Porter’s intention

 This is the first stanza of the poem and it establishes the conceit or overarching theme of
consumerism:
o “Life” is treated as a commodity that is subject to scrutiny
 The poem uses an extended metaphor of “Life”, which is the “product” being tested
 The speaker, who can also be called the consumer in this case, is going to review the
product they tested and give their opinions
 The language used implies a sense of detachment or impersonality
o This mirrors how consumer feedback forms are often filled out without much
thought or emotional investment
 The use of the phrase “my answers are confidential” could be referencing a prayer or an
individual’s communications with God or another higher power
Lines 4–12

“I had it as a gift,

I didn’t feel much while using it,

in fact I think I’d have liked to be more excited.

It seemed gentle on the hands

but left an embarrassing deposit behind.

It was not economical

and I have used much more than I thought

(I suppose I have about half left

but it’s difficult to tell) -”

Translation

 The speaker begins to review the “product”, describing how he would rate his life so far

Porter’s intention

 The first line suggests that “Life”, was given to the speaker as “a gift”, without their
choice or control:
o This implies a lack of autonomy in the experience of life, highlighting the
unpredictable nature of existence
 The speaker claims that they “didn’t feel much”, which suggests a lack of emotional
engagement or fulfilment in life:
o The use of the word “using” reinforces the idea of life as a consumable
commodity
o The desire to feel more excitement suggests a longing for deeper meaning or
satisfaction
 Lines 7–8 employ a vivid and humorous metaphor that likens life to a product that is
“gentle on the hands” but leaves behind an “embarrassing” residue or consequence:
o This could symbolise the mundane or routine aspects of life that may seem
harmless but ultimately result in undesirable outcomes
 The speaker critiques the “economical” aspect or wastefulness of life, suggesting that
they have used more of it than anticipated and are uncertain about how much remains:
o This ambiguity reflects the uncertainty and impermanence of life itself
Line 13–20

“although the instructions are fairly large

there are so many of them

I don't know which to follow, especially

as they seem to contradict each other.

I’m not sure such a thing

should be put in the way of children -

It’s difficult to think of a purpose

Also the price is much too high.”

Translation

 The speaker continues to evaluate the product, here pointing out the difficulties
associated with trying to live well

Porter’s intention

 In lines 13–16, the speaker metaphorically likens life to a product with complicated
instructions:
o The instructions being “fairly large” implies complexity, suggesting that life is not
straightforward or easy to navigate
o It could also suggest that in life it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish right
from wrong
 The speaker then goes on to state that the product should not “be put in the way of
children”, suggesting that the complexities of existence may be overwhelming or
inappropriate for young minds
 The speaker then states that they cannot “think of a purpose” and that the “price is much
too high”:
o This adds an economic dimension to the metaphor, suggesting that the costs or
sacrifices associated with life may outweigh its value or worth
Lines 21–32

“Things are piling up so fast,

after all, the world got by

for a thousand million years

without this, do we need it now?

(Incidentally, please ask your man

to stop calling me ‘the respondent’,

I don’t like the sound of it.)

There seems to be a lot of different labels,

sizes and colours should be uniform,

The shape is awkward, it’s waterproof

but not heat resistant, it doesn’t keep

yet it’s very difficult to get rid of:”

Translation

 The speaker continues to use consumerist language to critique various aspects of

existence

Porter’s intention

 The sentence “things are piling up so fast” sets the tone for the speaker’s frustration with
the rapid pace of modern life:
o It suggests a feeling of being overwhelmed or suffocation as the demands and
distractions of consumer culture continue to increase
 The speaker then reflects on the long history of the world and questions the necessity of
the consumer products and lifestyles being imposed on them in the present:
o The line critiques the relentless pursuit of new products
o Porter is perhaps suggesting that many of them may not be essential for human
well-being or survival
 The comment in brackets, or parenthesis, injects a personal note into the poem:
 o This highlights the speaker’s discomfort with being reduced to a mere respondent
in the consumer feedback process
o It underscores the dehumanising effects of administration and the impersonal
nature of consumer culture
 The phrase “your man” could also be referencing God, who refers to the speaker as “the
respondent”:
o The use of the term “your man” adds a new power dynamic to the conversation as
it could imply that the person is an authority figure, such as God
o The speaker is asserting their independence and autonomy by requesting a change
in how they are addressed:
 This could reflect an individual’s desire not to follow an organised
religion and to be able to think independently
 The speaker then criticises the product by talking of the “different labels” and “the
shape”, which suggests the speaker’s desire for simplicity:
o The product’s awkward shape and lack of functionality symbolise the frustrations
and limitations of existence
o Its difficulty to “get rid of” reflects the enduring consequences of consumerism
and waste

Lines 33–42

“whenever they make it cheaper they seem

to put less in - if you say you don’t

want it, then it’s delivered anyway.

I’d agree it’s a popular product,

it’s got into the language; people

even say they’re on the side of it.

Personally I think it’s overdone,

a small thing people are ready

to behave badly about. I think

we should take it for granted.”

Translation

 The speaker continues to use consumerist language to critique society’s attitudes and
behaviours
Porter’s intention

 The speaker comments on the idea of reducing the quality or quantity of a product to cut
costs as the speaker states that “they seem to put less in”:
o The speaker could be implying that some people’s lives are metaphorically
emptier than others and how some people are metaphorically “cheaper” than
others, implying that their worth in society could be less
 The poem also highlights how an individual is not in control of their life and they do not
have a choice as “it’s delivered anyway”:
o The poem could be reinforcing the idea that nobody has the advantage of
choosing when and where they are born and that it is beyond anyone’s control
even if you “don’t want it”
 The speaker uses words and phrases that could suggest that he’s dejected and
disappointed but is trying to look at his life positively:
o Phrases such as “I’d agree” and “Personally I think” reflect his disappointment,
highlighting how life has not been easy for him
 The phrase “a small thing people are ready/to behave badly about” implies that people are
willing to compromise their principles or morals in life

Lines 42–49

“...If its

experts are called philosophers or market

researchers or historians, we shouldn’t

care. We are the consumers and the last

law makers. So finally, I’d buy it.

But the question of a ‘best buy’

I’d like to leave until I get

the competitive product you said you’d send.’

Translation

 The speaker concludes with their final thoughts on the product

Porter’s intention

 The speaker suggests that regardless of the title or expertise of those who endorse a
product, consumers should not be swayed solely by their authority
 Whether they are “philosophers” or “market researchers”, their opinions should not
dictate the consumer’s decision-making process:
o The speaker has attempted to take back power by undermining those who have
created life by stating that the “consumer” should have the final say
o This statement could also reflect an individual’s desire to create their own rules
and way of life rather than following pre-ordained rules:
 This is reinforced when they refer to the “consumers” as “the last law
makers”
 These final lines could be seen as the speaker’s act of rebellion and protest against an
authority figure:
o This can be seen as an active rejection of God’s authority, or the authority of
organised religion
o However, despite the speaker’s complaints, they claim that they would still “buy
it” which could reflect the fickleness of human nature and how, ultimately, we are
still willing to purchase the product, or live life, regardless of its downsides
 Writer's methods
Although this section is organised into three separate sections – form, structure and language – it
is always best to move from what the poet is presenting (the techniques they use; the overall
form of the poem; what comes at the beginning, middle and end of a poem) to how and why they
have made the choices they have.

Focusing on the poet’s overarching ideas, rather than individual poetic techniques, will gain you
far more marks. Crucially, in the below sections, all analysis is arranged by theme, and includes
Porter’s intentions behind his choices in terms of:

 Form
 Structure
 Language

Form

The poem ‘A Consumer’s Report’ is made of two stanzas. It is a free-verse poem that has no
metre.

Theme Evidence Poet’s intention

The poem is written
in free verse and has
no metre. It is written in
an almost prose-like style
with no rhyme-scheme The free verse and no real rhyme or rhythm mimic the style of a survey. The
poet may have done this in order to mirror a real survey

Consumerism

While the poem does use Again, the writing style mimics a consumer report and does not use a
line breaks traditional poetic structure in order to reflect the style of a survey or report.
and enjambment, This choice of writing could reflect the poet’s belief that people have now
punctuation is used at the become so obsessed with a consumerist lifestyle that life itself is viewed as a
end of complete sentences commodity that can be reviewed through a tick-box survey
Structure

The poem is written in free verse and contains two stanzas: one short and one long.

Theme Evidence Poet’s intention

The poem is a satire and it is implied that the listener is
the manufacturer (God) who has provided the speaker
with the product (life)
The poem is written in
two stanzas. The first The poet establishes the conceit of the poem, which is the
Consumeris speaker reviewing “Life” as a product as part of a
stanza is three lines
m marketing survey in the first stanza. The structure of the
long and the second
stanza is 46 lines long poem allows the readers to reflect on Porter’s overall
message, which is that when life is viewed as a
commodity, it is stripped of its beauty and made into
something that is dull and without true purpose
 Language

The language used in “A Consumer’s Report” reflects the nature of consumerism and reviews.

Theme Evidence Poet’s intention

Subjective language is
used throughout the poem The use of subjective language makes the poem feel personal and realistic as
to reflect the speaker’s it is written from the perspective of someone who has experienced the ups
personal opinions and and downs and challenges of life
The realities of experiences
life

The speaker’s complaints reflect an existential concern about life and

Life is described mortality. This could imply the lack of guidance that an individual may
metaphorically as a experience in their life or the difficulties of navigating the challenges of life
product throughout the by themselves
poem. For example, the
speaker claims that the
“instructions are fairly The phrases also imply that there are many competing philosophies, or
large” and that they don’t religions, that dictate how people should live their lives, but that choosing an
know “which to follow” ideology is challenging. Ultimately, the speaker largely rejects God’s
“instructions”

The speaker asks

rhetorical questions such
as “do we need it now?”
The poet does this to highlight how our modern consumer culture has taken
after reminding the
Consumerism over even though the world existed for many years
listener (and the reader)
before consumerism became important
that the world has been
around for “a thousand
million years”
 Understanding the text
It is not enough to just know the poem really well as all questions in the IGCSE encourage an informed,
personal response. Therefore, you need to develop a solid understanding of the theme, main ideas,
settings, situations and events depicted. Even though context is not explicitly assessed in the IGCSE, it is
important that you have an awareness of background information that is relevant to the main themes in
the poem as this can help you develop a sustained, critical understanding of the text. This is so that you
are able to demonstrate individuality and insight in your answer. To help you do this, the section below
has been divided into two main themes that Porter explores in ‘A Consumer’s Report’:

 Consumerism
 The realities of life

Consumerism

 ‘A Consumer’s Report’ was written in 1970 by Peter Porter as a critique of a

consumerist, capitalist society
 Porter lived in Britain for most of his life and witnessed an economic boom
 Porter also worked in the marketing industry and was therefore very familiar with the increasing
prominence of consumer culture
 The poem is Porter’s attempt to critique this consumer culture by using the same language and
concept to review “life” as if it is for sale:
o The writer uses corporate jargon that would be used during an interview or a survey and
the poem is structured as if the speaker is being asked questions or filling in a form
 The poem’s conceit is established in the first stanza of the poem:
o Life is a product that the speaker is having to review
 The poem’s speaker, after testing this product, is asked to fill out a customer survey to give their
opinion and review the product:
o The poem is almost written in the style of a report, as if the speaker is filling out a survey
box on a form
 Overall, this poem offers a satirical and thought-provoking commentary on the human
experience, using the language and structure of consumerism to explore existential themes such
as fulfilment and mortality
 The poet invites the readers to contemplate the nature of life and the challenges of navigating its
complexities in a world shaped by consumer culture

The realities of life

 The poem attempts to evaluate “life” itself and the consumer is generally unimpressed with the
life they have been given
 The speaker begins by stating that they “had it as a gift” which suggests that the speaker had no
control in choosing the “life” they were given and they were not “excited” by it:
o This could reflect the idea that we cannot choose the life we are given but have to live
with it anyway
 The structure of the poem and the language is simple and without rhyme or rhythm, which could
reflect the realities of life and the mundane experiences of the speaker:
o Porter could have also done this in order to reflect the impersonal nature of consumer
culture