Glasgow 5 March 1971 Flashcards
Line 1 and 2: “With a ragged diamond / of shattered plate-glass”
The word choice of ”ragged” has connotations of a rough, broken, jaggy object, which emphasises the glass was dangerous, penetrating and very sharp.
The word ”shattered” is onomatopoeic which emphasises the breaking sound the glass made. It also creates a sense of instant urgency and danger.
The word choice of “shattered” has connotations of glass broken into small pieces which emphasises the glass was smashed into dangerous chunks.
Line 3 and 4: “a young man and his girl / are falling backwards into a shop-window.”
The word “young” has connotations of innocence and youthfulness which emphasises how the man didn’t do anything to deserve what happened to him, which invokes sympathy for the person.
The phrase “his girl” reflects romance and love, which makes the event even more harrowing
The word choice of “falling backwards” has connotations of being helpless or falling unexpectedly with no support to save yourself which makes the couple look more defenceless, creating a shocking atmosphere
Line 6: “is bristling with fragments of glass”
The word choice of “bristling” has connotations of little shards of glass moving in this face like a stubble - emphasising extreme pain and suffering.
Line 9: “and spurts arterial blood”
The word choice of “spurts” has connotations of something shooting up rapidly which emphasises the speed at which the blood came out of her body, highlighting the danger she is in due to rapid blood loss.
The word choice of “arterial” has connotations of blood coming from the heart, dark red, fatal and thick blood which emphasises she is in a life-threatening situation and she could die because of how vital the blood is for her survival.
Both quotes make the scene much more graphic.
Line 11: “Their arms are starfished out”
Just as starfish arms are spread out in all directions and is stretched out, this emphasises how their arms were flung out and flailing as a last-ditch attempt to save themselves, adding to their helplessness.
Line 15 and 16: “The two youths who have pushed them / are about to complete the operation”
The word choice of “youths” has connotations of crime, civil unrest, disorder and groups of thugs which emphasises the two people who have carried this attack out may be seasoned criminals who know what they are doing.
The word choice of “operation” has connotations of a procedure that is meticulously planned, and something that is surgical - connoting how technical this was. This emphasises the two youths had premeditated the attack, waiting for the right time to strike and push a couple onto the glass, highlighting the technicality of what they were doing.
Line 18 and 19: “to loot what they can smartly / Their faces show no expression”
The word choice of “loot” has connotations of criminality or raiding somewhere to take treasure which emphasises that they were there to steal valuables and wreak havoc, highlighting how they were motivated by greed.
The word choice “smartly” has connotations of the attack being done quickly and carefully which emphasises how effective they were with the attack and how well-rehearsed it was, highlighting this they have done something of this nature before.
The word choice of “no expression” has connotations of someone who is emotionless or lacks affection which emphasises how the youths were heartless and felt no remorse after doing something so brutally with no consideration for the lives of others.
Line 20 and 21: “It is a sharp clear night / in Sauchiehall Street.”
The word ”sharp” is an effective conclusion to the poem as it links back to the sharpness of the glass which pierced the couple and the pain and suffering of the two is clearly emphasised in the poem.
The word choice of ”clear” has connotations of things being easy to see and having no difficulty in vision. This emphasises how anyone passing by could have seen what was going on yet no one helped the injured couple.
“Sauchiehall Street” adds to the realism of the poem and also emphasises how its such a busy street yet no one helped the couple.
Line 22 and 23: “In the background two drivers / keep their leyes on the road.”
The ”two drivers” are new people who are introduced, passers-by who want nothing to do with what’s going on.
They ”keep their eyes on the road” which connotes that they intentionally don’t look towards anything to avoid getting themselves into a situation. It emphasises how the drivers choose not to help the couple even though they knew they were in a life threatening situation.
Morgan uses the end of the poem to emphasise a key theme: society is cruel and harsh.
What are the key themes of this poem?
Society is cruel and harsh
Pain and suffering
Lack of social responsibility
By referring to this poem and at least one other poem by Morgan, show how the poet creates a memorable picture of a place or event. (8)
COMMONALITY
Both Glasgow 5 March 1971 and In the Snack-bar both create memorable pictures of the pain and suffering that the couple face in Glasgow 5 March 1971 in the ambush, and what the old man faces in movement and speech.
GLASGOW 5 MARCH 1971
“and spurts arterial blood”
The word choice of “arterial” has connotations of blood coming from the heart, dark red, fatal and thick blood which emphasises she is in a life-threatening situation and she could die because of how vital the blood is for her survival, making the scene much more graphic.
IN THE SNACK-BAR
“A few yards of floor are like a landscape to be negotiated”
Just as a landscape is big, vast, full of different things to get across, this emphasises how the snack-bar seems to be impossibly forbidding and something impossible to navigate.
“He is glad to leave the contraption, and face the stairs.”
The word “contraption” has connotations of a difficult machine that is hard to navigate, this emphasises how he finds small things, such as using the toilet, hard.
