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The Telephone Call by Fleur Adcock Summary & Analysis
Non-African Poetry: The Telephone Call by Fleur Adcock Summary, Setting, Author's Background, Themes, Language, Style and Likely Theory/Essay Questions for JAMB, WAEC and NECO Literature Students Syllabus.
It is no longer news that the above selected poetry is among the selected texts for literature students in the WAEC, NECO and JAMB Syllabus.

Well we have decided to help students by providing some insights such as summary and poetic devices and analysis of the poem to aid them understand and prepare ahead of their examination.


Poem Text

"The Telephone Call" by Fleur Adcock

They asked me ‘Are you sitting down?
Right? This is Universal Lotteries’,
they said. ‘You’ve won the top prize,
the Ultra-super Global Special.

What would you do with a million pounds?
Or, actually, with more than a million –
not that it makes a lot of difference
once you’re a millionaire.’ And they laughed.

‘Are you OK?’ they asked – ‘Still there?
Come on, now, tell us, how does it feel?’
I said ‘I just…I can’t believe it!’
They said ‘That’s what they all say.
What else? Go on, tell us about it.’
I said ‘I feel the top of my head
has floated off, out through the window,
revolving like a flying saucer.’
‘That’s unusual’ they said. ‘Go on.’
I said ‘I’m finding it hard to talk.
My throat’s gone dry, my nose is tingling.
I think I’m going to sneeze – or cry.’
‘That’s right’ they said, ‘don’t be ashamed
of giving way to your emotions.
It isn’t every day you hear
you’re going to get a million pounds.

Relax, now, have a little cry;
we’ll give you a moment…’ ‘Hang on!’ I said.
‘I haven’t bought a lottery ticket
for years and years. And what did you say
the company’s called?’ They laughed again.
‘Not to worry about a ticket.
We’re Universal. We operate
A retrospective Chances Module.

Nearly everyone’s bought a ticket
in some lottery or another,
once at least. We buy up the files,
feed the names into our computer,
and see who the lucky person is.’
‘Well, that’s incredible’ I said.
‘It’s marvelous. I still can’t quite…
I’ll believe it when I see the cheque.’
‘Oh,’ they said, ‘there’s no cheque.’

‘But the money?’ ‘We don’t deal in money.
Experiences are what we deal in.
You’ve had a great experience, right?
Exciting? Something you’ll remember?
That’s your prize. So congratulations
from all of us at Universal.
Have a nice day!’ And the line went dead.


Author’s Background

Fleur Adcock is a New Zealand-born British poet known for her sharp wit, irony, and use of conversational language in her poetry. She often writes about ordinary life, human experiences, and unexpected situations.

"The Telephone Call" is a satirical poem that explores deception, disappointment, and the absurdity of modern consumer culture. It presents a scenario where someone is tricked into believing they have won a lottery, only to find out that their "prize" is just an experience, not money.


Setting

The setting is a phone conversation between the speaker and a fake lottery company.

  • Physical Setting: The speaker is at home, receiving a phone call from "Universal Lotteries".
  • Emotional Setting: The poem moves from excitement and disbelief to confusion and frustration when the speaker realizes there is no actual prize.

Summary of "The Telephone Call"

The poem tells the story of a phone scam where the speaker is told they have won a huge lottery prize.

  1. The poem begins with an unexpected phone call from a company called "Universal Lotteries", claiming the speaker has won a million pounds.
  2. At first, the speaker reacts with excitement and disbelief, imagining their head floating "like a flying saucer."
  3. The lottery representatives encourage the speaker’s emotional response, telling them it’s okay to cry because this is a "life-changing moment."
  4. The speaker then becomes suspicious, realizing they haven’t bought a lottery ticket in years.
  5. The company explains their "Retrospective Chances Module", where they pick winners even if they didn’t enter.
  6. The speaker remains hopeful, asking when they will receive the cheque.
  7. The shocking twist – The company says there is no money; the real prize is the "experience" of feeling like a millionaire for a few minutes.
  8. The call ends abruptly, leaving the speaker feeling cheated and disappointed.

Stanza Structure and Analysis

The poem is written in free verse, meaning it does not follow a fixed rhyme scheme. It uses short, conversational lines to mimic real speech, making the reader feel as if they are part of the phone call.

Stanza One (Lines 1–4)

  • The speaker receives an unexpected phone call telling them they’ve won a huge prize.
  • The company uses formal yet exaggerated language, calling it the "Ultra-super Global Special", which sounds suspicious.

Stanza Two (Lines 5–8)

  • The company encourages the speaker to imagine being a millionaire.
  • The phrase "not that it makes a lot of difference" suggests that they are manipulating the speaker’s excitement.

Stanza Three (Lines 9–16)

  • The speaker begins to react emotionally, feeling their head floating "like a flying saucer", showing their excitement and disbelief.
  • The lottery agents encourage their feelings, saying it’s okay to be emotional.

Stanza Four (Lines 17–24)

  • The speaker starts feeling physical reactions like a dry throat and tingling nose, symbolizing the overwhelming impact of the moment.
  • The lottery agents continue to push the emotional experience, reinforcing the illusion of winning.

Stanza Five (Lines 25–32)

  • The speaker suddenly realizes they never bought a lottery ticket, raising suspicion.
  • The company introduces the fake concept of "Retrospective Chances Module", claiming that everyone is entered, even if they didn’t buy a ticket.
  • This part highlights the deceptive nature of scams.

Stanza Six (Lines 33–41)

  • The speaker is still hopeful, saying "I’ll believe it when I see the cheque."
  • The company reveals the twist – there is no cheque.

Stanza Seven (Lines 42–48)

  • The company explains that they "don’t deal in money," only in experiences.
  • They argue that the excitement itself was the prize, making the speaker feel tricked and disappointed.
  • The call ends abruptly, leaving the speaker with nothing.

Themes in "The Telephone Call"

  1. Deception and Scams

    • The lottery company manipulates the speaker into believing they have won something, only to reveal it was a lie.

  2. Human Greed and Expectation

    • The speaker, like many people, is eager to believe in sudden wealth, making them vulnerable to scams.

  3. The Power of Language and Manipulation

    • The company uses exaggeration, laughter, and false sympathy to trick the speaker.

  4. Disappointment and Reality vs. Illusion

    • The contrast between expectation (winning money) and reality (winning nothing) is central to the poem’s irony.

Language and Style

  • Conversational Tone:

    • The poem mimics real-life speech, making the reader feel like they are listening to the phone call.

  • Imagery:

    • "My head has floated off, out through the window, revolving like a flying saucer." → Symbolizes excitement and disbelief.

  • Irony:

    • The biggest irony is that the prize is not real, and the speaker ends up with nothing.

  • Tone:

    • The tone shifts from excitement to suspicion, and finally to disappointment.

WAEC/NECO Likely Questions on "The Telephone Call"

SECTION A: Comprehension Questions

  1. What is the main idea of the poem?
  2. How does the poet use dialogue to make the poem engaging?
  3. What is the significance of the phrase "There’s no cheque"?
  4. How does the speaker react emotionally throughout the poem?

SECTION B: Thematic Questions

  1. How does the poem explore deception and manipulation?
  2. What does the poem teach about human expectations and greed?

These questions are designed to test comprehension, thematic understanding, literary appreciation, and critical thinking skills.