A House, A Home: Summary and Analysis: 2022

A House, A Home is a short poem where the poet talks about the difference between a house and a home. To the poet, a house is a structure with no emotions. But, a home is a place full of life. Home has a loving family that works selflessly for others.  

A House, A Home Summary

Houses are made up of bricks, stones, and hardwood. They have glass windows and yards. They also have tiled floors, walls with plaster, and several doors. But these things do not make a home. A loving family makes a home. A family that cares for each other and works together without selfishness makes a home.

The poet says that home stands for love and family. It is to work for the happiness of the ones who live in the house. Everyone is selfless, kind to each other, and shares both happiness and misfortunes together. The members care for each other and show it through their actions. 

A House, A Home Analysis 

In the first stanza, the poet asks what a house is and answers it by saying that it is a mere structure made of bricks, stones, and wood. It is made of hard substances. A house might have a glass window or a year. It can have chimneys, tiled floors, stucco, a roof, and many doors.  Thus, a house is simply a hard and beautiful structure, but no life, emotion, or love.

In the next stanza, the poet talks about home and asks what it is. He says that a home is built with love and a family that works for each other. It has brothers, sisters, fathers, and mothers. It has a whole family that shares love and unity. A home consists of a family that would do everything for each other, with no selfish reasons. They share love, kindness and show care.

A House, A Home Theme

The theme of the poem is love, kindness, selflessness, and unity among a family. Without that, there is just a structure but no real home.

A House, A Home Analysis Key Points

In this poem, the poet Lorraine M. Halli has drawn the difference between houses and homes. He says that houses are built with bricks, stones, and wood, which is hard. They might have a glass window and probably a yard. It would have chimneys and tile floors, stucco, roof, and doors. But home is loving, with a family that does things for others. Home has brothers and sisters and fathers and mothers. Homes have selfless acts, kind sharing, and always showing care for your loved ones.