brooklyn cop Flashcards
“gorilla “
In the first stanza, MacCaig creates an almost cartoon-like image of an American police officer. The physical description and the phrases he uses suggest a stereotype from a film or tv drama. But MacCaig also hints at the human being behind this image.
Here, the reader is given the impression of an imposing figure who is a formidable presence. He is immediately compared to an animal. The idea of a gorilla in New York suggests the giant ape, King Kong.
“but less timid”
Though his physical stature is like a gorilla, MacCaig writes that he is less timid, showing a man who is tough and perhaps brave. While gorillas can be timid, they are more generally seen as violent and threatening. MacCaig’s tone can be read jokily, implying the cop is even less timid than a not-very timid gorilla.
“thick fleshed, steak coloured”
Word choice of flesh and steak compare the man to a piece of meat, something raw and uncompromising, with possible connotations of blood and violence.
“two hieroglyphs”/”mean trouble”
This presents his eyes as symbols that are difficult to read. Instead of his eyes showing inner emotion they only mean one thing - trouble.
Ancient hieroglyphs may also suggest that his face is like it is carved in stone. Possibly his expression is weathered, and his eyes give an insight into his previous experiences.
Additionally, it could suggest that he has scars on his face that, tell us of the violent nature of his experiences.
“walks the sidewalk and the thin tissue over violence”
This tells us that violence is never far away in the streets that the man patrols – like tissue, peace is fragile, delicate and can shatter at any moment. The thin tissue creates a strong contrast to thick flesh. This suggests that importance of the cop in preventing the thin tissue of civilisation from ripping open into disorder.
“sidewalk” is an american word giving us a sense of the poems setting
“when he said, ‘See you, babe’ to his wife, he hoped it, he truly hoped it”
The language the cop uses sounds cliched and thoughtless - like something from a film or tv series. However, the rest of this phrase shows the vulnerability that his role in society brings.
The repetition of hoped it goes some way in stressing the danger of his environment, hinting at desperation and contrasting with the casual dialogue between the policeman and his wife. To the policeman, saying see you to his wife isn’t just a meaningless comment but a genuine wish, and truly adds authenticity to this.
“he is a gorilla”
MacCaig ends the stanza by repeating the gorilla image from the opening line. Instead of a simile saying the cop is like a gorilla, a metaphor is used, making the comparison stronger.
“To the policeman, ‘Hiya Honey”, is no cliché”
For him, this is a genuine loving greeting to his wife. He is truly grateful to make it home safely each day, and is grateful for the solace that can be found at home.
“Should the tissue tear, should he plunge through/into violence, what clubbings, what/gunshots between Phoebe’s Whamburger/and Louie’s Place.”
repetition meaning?
The repetition of what suggests uncertainty - the possible violence the cop faces is unknown. Its repetition also demonstrates to the reader the severity of the violence that he has to face – it is almost impressive.
“whamburger”
The word Whamburger has American connotations and in American speech it is fairly common to refer to a building as someone’s place, like we see here. These are not glamorous locations - they sound cheap, even dodgy. These could be where criminals hang out. Whamburger implies violence: Wham is a word that could be used to suggest the sound of a punch landing in a comic strip.
“tissue tear”
The alliteration of tissue tear creates a quick phrase that implies a sudden act
“plunge”
plunge implies that violence can be abrupt and uncontrollable. Additionally, the image of the policeman being put into violence captures its physical nature.
“who would be him, gorilla with a nightstick, whose home is a place/ he might, this time, never get back to?”
the nightstick refers to the baton that he carries, and this re-enforces his vulnerability against the power of the clubbings and gunshots that are referred to in the previous stanza.
The nightstick suggests a more basic and direct physical violence than a gun might. One can imagine the cop hitting someone repeatedly. This rhetorical question, designed to challenge the reader, makes one consider whether or not they would be able to do his job.
“and who would be who have to be his victims?”
what kind of people would mess with the policeman, and what would they have to do for him to turn to violence (have implies that, though he is often faced with violence, it might be a last resort for the policeman).
The use of the word ‘victims’ here is interesting, and MacCaig is perhaps suggesting that someone who gets on the wrong side of this policeman will be the victim. It isn’t just the cop who is at risk of violence. The cop himself can act violently.
what does MacCaig do in the closing stanzas?
In the closing two stanzas, MacCaig shifts from a descriptive to a more reflective approach. Having described the policeman and his challenges, the closing two stanzas reflect on both of these.
