Norman MacCaig

Free verse – no rhyme. No regular sentence/stanza length. The stanzas get shorter as the poem goes on. Leading to a climax.

 Simile of gorilla – brutal, animal, large. Creates stereotypical image of an American policeman.  Metaphor of hieroglyphics – could be his eyes. His face is hard to read. He is looking for trouble.  “thin tissue over violence” – metaphor showing thin line between calm and chaos.  Cliché – “See you”, “Hiya, honey”. Contrast because he they are not clichéd to him.  Repetition – “hoped it”. “truly” emphasises just how much.  Contrast between the violence of his work and his domestic life.

 Structure – all one long sentence. It is a question but does not use question marks.  Repetition of “should” and “what”.  “clubbings” and “gunshots” show brutality just under surface. Using plural suggests chaos and that it doesn’t matter who gets caught up in the violence.  Alliteration of “tissue tear”.  Word choice of plunge – sudden action as he crosses the line.  “Whamburger” – again suggests violence. The two local places between” them suggests fighting against each other – may be links with gangs/mafia?

 Structure – question. Poet is asking who would be willing to take on this job.  “gorilla with a nightstick” – has a club instead of a gun. Suggests his violence and his taking part in the “clubbings”.

 Structure – question.  Strange sentence structure – as if it has been shortened.  “have to be” – the people have no choice. Caught up in the violence.  “victims” – again suggests innocence.