Refrain, alliteration and irony

Three poetic devices carry this poem.

1. Refrain: a line or phrase repeated in each stanza. Here it is 'My next-door neighbour, Mrs. Jones'. It opens all three stanzas.

Why repeat it? It keeps the speaker's slightly tired, slightly amused distance. Mrs Jones is not his friend; she is 'the neighbour', mentioned again and again like a running joke.

2. Alliteration: the same consonant sound repeated in words close together. Listen for 'next-door neighbour', and the s sounds in 'stones', 'small', 'stands'. It makes the lines stick in your ear.

3. Irony: the gap between what you expect and what happens.

• Mrs Jones is excited about her garden; the speaker is disappointed by it. Two people, one garden, opposite views.
• The clearest example is the ending (situational irony): he talks about a lovely flower for fifteen minutes, asks where it is, and is told 'You're standing on it.' He was crushing it the whole time.

Small details show character.

• The crazy path is crazy paving (irregular stone), but the word also hints at what the speaker thinks of the whole garden.
• The sundial with a strange device suggests Mrs Jones is fascinated by unusual objects.

The poem is kind. Mrs Jones is happy. She built this garden, invited a neighbour, and talked about one tiny flower for fifteen minutes. She is not silly: she simply values something the speaker cannot see. Her garden shows who she is.

That is what the poem shows about people: everyone sees beauty differently.