Glagow Sonnet Flashcards
What is line 1
“A mean wind wanders through the backcourt trash.”
what is line 2
“Hackles on puddles rise, old mattresses”
what is line 3
“puff briefly and subside. Play-fortresses”
what is line 4
“of brick and bric-a-brac spill out some ash”
what is line 5
“Four storeys have no windows left to smash”
what is line 6
“but in the fifth a chipped still buttresses”
what is line 7
“mother and daughter the last minute”
what is line 8
“of that black block condemned to stand, not crash.”
what is line 9
“Around them the cracks deepen, the rats crawl.”
what is line 10
“The kettle whimpers on a crazy hob”
what is line 11
“Roses of mould grow from ceiling to wall.”
what is line 12
“The man lies late since he has lost his job,”
what is line 13
“smokes on one elbow, letting. his coughs fall”
what is line 14
“thinly into an air too poor to rob.”
Analyse “A mean wind wanders through the backcourt trash”
The personification of “mean wind” creates an eerie feeling to the backcourt suggesting that the environment is dangerous
analyse “hackles on puddles rise”
as it projects the human-like attribute of ‘hackles’ or ‘hairs’ on the back of someone’s neck standing up onto the puddle. This creates the idea that anything or anyone could be lurking and imposing threat in the poverty ridden streets of Glasgow, further contributing to the menacing and frightful atmosphere of the poem.
analyse “old mattresses puff briefly and subside”
this is the writer’s way of showing how the mattresses have been dumped there and neglected suggesting the area is deserted with little going on
analyse “of brick and bric-a-brac”
this is suggesting the place is so abandoned that you can hear the softest sounds. The alliteration of “bric-a-brac” enforces the constant noises this suggests that there that there is much debris and abandoned things around.
analyse “Around them the cracks deepen, the rats crawl”
this focuses us on the inside how there are literal cracks in the wall which are needing to be repaired and how “rats” creep round the floor. This is enforcing the terrible conditions that the deprived part of Glasgow has to live in
analyse “the kettle whimpers on a crazy hob”
the personification of “the kettle whimpers” describes how the kettle is making noises of the kettle simmering this suggests there is a sad man in despair with a weak cry. The word choice of “crazy hob” is suggesting how the cooker is broken or unhealthy so too is showing how the man’s living state is rundown and not safe to be in
analyse “Roses of mould grow from ceiling to wall”
this shows how unsafe and the risks that lie here saying that “mould grow from ceiling to wall” showing how the full tenement is covered in mould which can cause a person to become unwell and experience allergy like symptoms. Morgan is suggesting the entirety of the tenement is in bad shape, neglected, not up to the health standards and carrying diseases, with people barely surviving without falling sick.
analyse “The man lies late since he has lost his job”
the alliteration of “lies”, “late” and “lost” shows that the man lies hopeless and in despair not able to get out of bed after losing his job, suggesting he has given up and will no longer fight against the poverty.
analyse “smokes on one elbow”
the word choice of “one elbow” suggest the man is so weak and so lost in hope that he doesn’t have the power or perseverance to get up.
analyse “his coughs fall thinly into an air too poor to rob”
here Morgan uses personification to show how bad the conditions are that the air is so affected by the mould and dampness suggesting that the air is making the man ill. This shows the man’s mental and physical state how he has lost the will to do anything showing that a mix of smoking and the air from the tenements is making the man ill and demonstrates how uncapable the man is of doing basic tasks.
write a brief introduction for a Glasgow sonnet essay
a poem written by Edwin Morgan during 1960s
describes the tenants during a time of poverty and urban decay
when all the tenants where being demolished and replaced by flats
this essay shows how Morgan describes Glasgow. in the 1960s and the issues caused by the shipyard closing
write a brief conclusion for a Glasgow sonnet essay
Morgan uses poetic techniques such as personification and word choice to show the unliveable conditions and hoplessness for those on the poverty side of Glasgow
