Good Friday Flashcards
“Three o’clock.”
The phrase ’Three o’clock’ tells us that this poem is set in mid afternoon. There is also a biblical allusion, symbolising that Jesus died at 3pm on Good Friday.
“‘D’s this go —‘ / he flops beside me — ‘right along Bath Street?’”
The phrase “‘D’s’” makes reference to the man’s strong Scottish accent.
The word choice of flops has connotations of instability and weakness. This emphasises that the man isn’t walking straight and in an uncontrolled manner.
“— Oh tha’s, tha’s all right, see I’ve / got to get some Easter eggs for the kiddies.”
The word tha’s is abbreviated and shows informal language, highlighting the conversational tone and friendly atmosphere.
“got to get some Easter eggs for the kiddies”
Buying Easter eggs for his children shows that this man is kind and cares for his family by going out of his way to make his children happy, further highlighting his compassion.
“I wasny working, and I like to celebrate when I’m no working —“
Here the man tries to justify celebrating at a time when people are meant to be sad(because Jesus died on Good Friday)
“I like to celebrate when I’m no working —“
The word ”celebrate” connotes being joyous on a certain occasion. This emphasises that the man is enjoying the happiness of not having to work. It further highlights that the man hates his job. It also adds to the sympathy the reader feels for the man and his miserable work. The man tries to justify celebrating at a time when people are meant to be sad(because Jesus died on Good Friday)
“I’m no saying its right, ye understand - ye understand?
The repetition in ‘ye understand’ emphasises that the man looks for validation in his unusual decision to celebrate on a day of mourning. It also highlights that he lacks confidence in his actions and suffers from low self-esteem due to his embarrassment.
“I don’t know what today’s in aid of, / whether Christ was — crucified or was he — / rose fae the dead”
The phrase ‘I don’t know’ suggests that the man thinks that he doesn’t have much knowledgeabout Easter’s religious significance**.
However, when he says “whether Christ was — crucified or was he — / rose fae the dead” shows that he actually does know the story of crucifixion, and has the capability to understand deep theological and philosophical questions.
“You’re an educatit man,”
The misspelling of ‘educatit’ is irony. He tries to flatter the other person by telling him he’s well-read, but shows his own lack of education in the process
“has nae education, he jist canny — jist / hasny got it,”
The repetition of ‘jist’ emphasises that he believes that working class people can’t amount to anything special. It aloud highlights how he is making himself inferior to the man he is speaking to.
“he’s jist bliddy ignorant — Christ aye, / bliddy ignorant.”
The repetition of ‘bliddy ignorant’ is a reflection of what this man has been taught his whole life, that working class are lesser people, uneducated and inferior. His speech shows that he actually isn’t ignorant, he just hasn’t been taught to think otherwise.
By referring closely to this poem and to at least one other poem, show how Morgan explores important human themes. (8)
Area of Commonality — Good Friday / Glasgow Sonnet #1
Both poems describe human themes effectively. Good Friday is a poem that delves into the important human issue of social inequality between the working class and upper class, through examples of common stereotypes and prejudices, shown in an interaction between two people on a bus. One from the working class, the other from the upper class.
In “Glasgow Sonnet”, Morgan paints the picture of an impoverished area in Glasgow, where people live in neglected tenement buildings, that society has failed to take care of, which highlights the painful human issue of poverty.
Evidence — Good Friday
“he’s jist bliddy ignorant — Christ aye, / bliddy ignorant.”
The repetition of ‘bliddy ignorant’ is a reflection of what this man has been taught his whole life, that working class are lesser people, uneducated and inferior. The speech highlights that this man isn’t ignorant, he just hasn’t been taught to think otherwise. He is actually the only person in this poem to show Intellectual curiosity.
Evidence — Glasgow Sonnet #1
”Four storeys have no windows left to smash,”
This quote describes how many people have robbed and smashed these tenement buildings, making them impossible to live in. This emphasises the unstableness of this area, and how unsafe it is. This highlights the painful experience that these people go through.
Play-fortresses / of brick and bric-a-brac spill out some ash
The phrase “Play-fortresses / of brick and bric-a-brac spill out some ash”, is a contrast. Play fortresses are meant to be pleasant to look at and play with, but all the children have to play with is debris. This suggests the play is based on violence and fighting, and emphasises their poor living conditions of the working class.
Line 23: “Well—‘The bus brakes violently…”
The alliteration of the ”b” sound emphasises the loud, sudden, obnoxious braking sound the bus makes as it reaches the bus stop, emphasising how the man’s conversation is forcefully ended.
The word choice of ”violently” has connotations of a sudden and sharp movement which is unexpected which emphasises how the man’s train of thought is dramatically interrupted as he tries to get his words out because of the sudden brake.
Line 26-29: “on very / nearly / steady / legs.”
The short lines are used to mimic the** jerky** movements the man makes and how shaky his movements are as he tries to get off the bus, leaving a lasting impression on the reader.
These lines can also be symbolic of the stair steps as they are also laid out diagonally on the bus, adding a sense of realism at the end. The seriousness is undercut by the ending as it is the end of any deep theological conversations.
Line 24: “into the sun for his Easter eggs,”
The phrase ”into the sun” is a biblical allusion to when Jesus goes up the mountains with his disciples and his face is shining very brightly - which is known as the transfiguration. This emphasises how the man is turned into a Christ-like figure; someone who has been badly treated by society.
