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Published byAugustine Palmer Modified over 9 years ago
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Norman MacCaig
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Free verse – no rhyme. No regular sentence/stanza length. The stanzas get shorter as the poem goes on. Leading to a climax.
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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.
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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?
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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”.
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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.
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