Redraft Tips

 Good understanding of poem’s central theme- that savagery still exists within our society, it is merely hidden.  Good discussion of imagery- particularly first two images.  Some good discussions of final stanza.

 Analyse quotations/techniques more fully.  Explain why references to the Wild West are included.  Section on use of sound.  Conclusion.

 The simile ‘a helicopter skirting like a damaged insect’ makes the helicopter seem insignificant, yet carries more threatening undertones.

 From his hotel window, the persona sees ‘a helicopter skirting like a damaged insect’. This is a particularly skilful and original simile. MacCaig has successfully captured the erratic movements of a helicopter, comparable to those of a fly. Furthermore, that it is so reduced in scale to be the equivalent size to a fly highlights the great distance between MacCaig and what he is describing. I feel that this reinforces the persona’s sense of alienation. However, this image also carries far darker connotations. Flies are often found around death and decay, which foreshadows the violent underbelly of New York that the rest of MaCaig’s poem reveals. Also, the word choice of ‘damaged’ suggests something imperfect and broken- much like MacCaig reveals New York to be.

 Sum up what MacCaig has said about his theme.  Take a few lines to do so.  Perhaps to refer back to some of your key points.  Try to do so strongly.

 In ‘Hotel Room 12 th Floor’ Norman MacCaig strips away the veneer of civilisation provided by New York’s famous landmarks and symbols of wealth. In doing so, he highlights the perpetuity of evil in the human condition, which always lurks just beneath. MacCaig achieves this through the contrasts of day and night, sight and hearing, civilisation and savagery, and the Wild West and the modern capitalist West.