Hotel Room 12 th Floor Norman MacCaig

Hotel Room, 12 th Floor Norman MacCaig This morning I watched from here a helicopter skirting like a damaged insect the Empire State building, that jumbo size dentist’s drill, and landing on the roof of the PanAm skyscraper. But now midnight has come in from foreign places. Its uncivilised darkness is shot at by a million lit windows, all ups and acrosses. But midnight is not so easily defeated. I lie in bed, between a radio and a television set, and hear the wildest of warwhoops continually ululating through the glittering canyons and gulches – police cars and ambulances racing to broken bones, the harsh screaming from coldwater flats, the blood glazed on the sidewalks. The frontier is never somewhere else. And no stockades can keep the midnight out.

‘Hotel Room 12 th Floor’ – Norman MacCaig 1)Write down the following, giving two pieces of evidence for each one: a) At what time is the poem being written? b) Where is the poet? (inside and out)? 2)How does the setting (in time and place) contribute to the mood of the poem? 3)Look closely at lines 2-4 a) To what does the poet compare the helicopter in lines 2-3? b) Write down two ways in which these two things are alike. c) How does the comparison help us to appreciate the size of the Empire State Building? d) To what does the poet compare the ESB in line 4? 4)a) What do these two images have in common? b) What do they suggest about the poet’s attitude to the ESB? c) What do you think the poet might be using the ESB to symbolise?

‘Hotel Room 12 th Floor’ – Norman MacCaig 5)How does the image in lines 8-9 continue the theme established in lines 2-4? 6)Look closely at lines a) Name two sources of the sounds which the poet hears outside in line 13. b) How does the poet use word-choice to help us to imagine what these sounds are like? c) What do you think the poet wants these words to remind us of? d) How does the poet continue this imagery in line 14? e) How does the poet’s position at this point in the poem add to the effectiveness of this imagery (lines 11-12) ?

‘Hotel Room 12 th Floor’ – Norman MacCaig 7)Look closely at lines a) What is the poet concerned about in these lines? b) How does it continue the theme established earlier in the poem? c) The poet uses a part to refer to the whole in these lines: ‘broken bones’, ‘harsh screaming’ ‘blood glazed on the sidewalks’. What does this suggest about the way that the poet thinks the police and paramedics see the people who are described here? 8)Look closely at lines a) How does the poet continue the imagery used previously in the poem in these lines? Quote in your answer. b) Is the ending of the poem optimistic or pessimistic? Give evidence.

Hotel Room, 12 th Floor This morning I watched from here a helicopter skirting like a damaged insect the Empire State building, that jumbo size dentist’s drill, and landing 5on the roof of the PanAm skyscraper. Structure: Verse 1 – ANXIETY - attack on materialistic society Impersonal surroundings - isolation Narrative Stance: Verse 1 – poet describes sights seen from hotel room window Sense of time – sense of immediacy Simile – size of ESB is suggested by comparing the helicopter with an insect, even from the 12 th floor. Looks / sounds like a bluebottle sprayed with insect spray, going round in circle – unpleasant connotations Metaphor – dentist’s drill – shape Jumbo size – height ESB symbolises civilisation. It is the pride of the US, but is attacked by the poet. It represents materialism and is a monument to the American way of life which the poet is attacking Real buildings - credibility

Hotel Room, 12 th Floor This morning I watched from here a helicopter skirting like a damaged insect the Empire State building, that jumbo size dentist’s drill, and landing on the roof of the PanAm skyscraper. Imagery – these disparaging comparisons reveal the poet’s contempt for what he sees as the American desire to have the biggest of everything. Both images depict / are connected to suffering. The poem goes on to identify the causes of this suffering and its effects in verse 2

But now midnight has come in from foreign places. Its uncivilised darkness is shot at by a million lit windows, all ups and acrosses. Time – connected to evil Multiracial society? ‘Darkness’ and ‘midnight’ suggest evil ‘Darkness’ and ‘foreign places’ – reflect the poet’s anxiety ‘Lit’ and ‘darkness’ - contrast ‘shot at’ – Wild West imagery, violence Metaphor – window frames in the form of the cross – reference to Christ suffering, dying to save civilisation The ‘light’ is trying to fight off the ‘uncivilised darkness’ – religion is making a vain attempt to counteract the evil. The poet’s anxiety is clear – he feels society is beyond redemption

10 But midnight is not so easily defeated. I lie in bed, between a radio and a television set, and hear the wildest of warwhoops continually ululating through the glittering canyons and gulches – Structure: Verse 2 – FEAR – human suffering and isolation in the midst of ostentation and wealth Narrative Stance: the poet tries (unsuccessfully) to hide under the bedclothes from the noise of the violent streets ‘But’ links verses 1 and 2, suggesting that violence in this society is a product of materialism

10 But midnight is not so easily defeated. I lie in bed, between a radio and a television set, and hear the wildest of warwhoops continually ululating through the glittering canyons and gulches – Repeats idea of evil The poet is in bed on the 12 th floor, with the TV and radio on, trying to blot out the noise from outside - suggests how loud it is Alliteration - intensifies ‘Wild West’ imagery – the fearsome shrieks of Native Americans in ‘Cowboy and Indian’ films – shows the uncivilised nature of street violence Metaphor - The city streets - with high buildings on both sides - resemble the Wild West landscape and the areas used in films for ambushes, suggesting that the streets in the city are just as dangerous Lights reflecting on windows Ululation - a long, wavering, high-pitched sound resembling the howl of a dog or wolf with a trilling quality

15 police cars and ambulances racing to broken bones, the harsh screaming from coldwater flats, the blood glazed on the sidewalks. Police and ambulance sirens are described as ‘the wildest of warwhoops continually ululating’ This shows the isolation and suffering of the poor in the midst of the wealth and show of the city (represented by the ESB) People fight and kill each other on the streets – the poor are suffering, despite being surrounded by wealth These are examples of SYNECDOCHE, where a part of something is used to refer to the whole thing. In this case, part of the person is used to represent the whole person i.e. ‘broken bones’ for a person who has broken bones, ‘harsh screaming’ for the person who is screaming, ‘blood glazed’ for people who have been injured. Highlights poverty – flats without hot water Victims who have lain unattended violence on the streets means that the victims require the emergency services

15 police cars and ambulances racing to broken bones, the harsh screaming from coldwater flats, the blood glazed on the sidewalks. EFFECT of SYNECDOCHE– focusses on and therefore highlights the people’s pain and suffering and depersonalises their suffering This continues the idea of suffering introduced by the imagery in verse 1 Nobody cares - police and paramedics who come to remove victims / break up violence see only ‘broken bones’, ‘blood glazed’ and hear only ‘harsh screaming’, they do not acknowledge the individuals who are suffering, showing that they take no interest in the victims of the violence

The frontier is never somewhere else. And no stockades can keep the midnight out. Narrative Stance: Comment on what he’s seen and heard – pessimism about the nature of human beings in supposed civilised / prosperous society Continues extended metaphor of Wild West imagery Represents the uncivilised nature of violence on the streets Structure: No solution is put forward. Strong conclusion – 3 short lines, 2 strong statements, decisive negative words, ‘never’, ‘no’ Evil is within us – no solution is offered Evil is within us – we are no more civilised than ‘Cowboys and Indians’ in films. Returns to idea of darkness / midnight as symbols of evil Evil in men’s souls is unseen

Summary Theme – attack on materialistic attitude of society suggests violence is a product of materialistic society Narrative Stance: Verse 1 – poet describes sights seen from hotel room window Verse 2 – describes noises heard from hotel room Verse 3 – comment on what he has seen / heard - pessimistic Structure: Verse 1 – anxiety – attacks materialistic attitude of society Verse 2 – fear – tries (unsuccessfully) to hide under the bed clothes from the noise of the violent streets Verse 3 – no solution is put forward Imagery: Simile and metaphor: ESB and helicopter; ESB as dentist’s drill Metaphor: windows as crucifix Extended metaphor: Wild West Imagery Metaphor: midnight / darkness = evil Connected to suffering

Note: Ululation An ululation is a long, wavering, high-pitched sound resembling the howl of a dog or wolf with a trilling quality. It is an onomatopoetic word derived from Latin. It is produced by moving the tongue, rapidly, from left to right repeatedly in the mouth while producing a sharp sound. Ululation is found in some singing techniques and ritual situations. In Arab countries ululation is commonly used by women to express celebration, especially at weddings and also in funerals of martyrs in the Muslim world, since they are believed to be going to Jannah.