Glasgow Sonnet #1 Flashcards
1
Q
Who is it written by
A
Edwin Morgan
2
Q
A mean wind wanders through the backcourt trash
A
- making weather seem like a hostile character looking for people to threaten and harm
- reflects harsh cold weather of Glasgow
- making weather seem like a Wild West landscape from an American cowboy movie making it seem like a dangerous empty place
3
Q
Play-fortresses of brick and bric-a-brac
A
- the brick that the children have to play with
- hard ‘c’ sounds emphasis the harsh nature
4
Q
Left to smash
A
- windows deliberately broken
- makes the point that if something isn’t cared for by those responsible then others won’t respect it
- making life difficult for those who live there
5
Q
Chipped sill buttress
A
- word choice of ‘chipped sill’ shows the poor conditions that it is in
- ‘buttress’ makes it seem like the one window is holding up the whole fifth story
6
Q
Around them the cracks deepen, rats crawl
A
- ‘cracks deepen, rats crawl’ shows the terrible conditions steadily getting worse
- ‘Around them…deepen’ makes it seem like those who live there are cut off from society
7
Q
Kettle whimpers on the crazy hob
A
- ‘kettle whimpers’ refers to the high pitched noise a kettle makes when it starts to boi. It compares it to the sound that animals make when they are frightened or in pain this creates a mood of vulnerability
- ‘crazy hob’ refers to the metal cooker rings being warped and twisted due to age but it makes us think about the fragile mental state of the people living there
8
Q
Lies late
A
- Alliteration
- emphasised his desperate situation and sense of hopelessness due to loosing his job and being trapped in such a terrible environment
9
Q
Air too poor to rob
A
- this is an ironic twist on the popular phrase at that time that smokers robbed peoples fresh air
- air in the flat is so badly effected by damp and pollution that someone smoking wouldn’t make it any more harmful
