Hotel Room 12th Floor

Question 1

how does the poem display contrast?

Answer 1

Man’s sophistication and wealth vs savage and violent nature

Question 2

how does the poem display loss?

Answer 2

Loss of life due to man’s savagery

Question 3

how does the poem display suffering?

Answer 3

Suffering of those in the city due to savage violence of man

Question 4

how does the poem display relationships?

Answer 4

Between civilisation and savagery

Question 5

how does the poem display characters/surroundings?

Answer 5

The speaker isolated from the surroundings below

Question 6

how does the poem display symbolism?

Answer 6

Night symbolises man’s violent savagery and light symbolises civilisation and wealth

Question 7

Contrast quotes

Answer 7

• “blood glazed“
• “wildest of warwhoops continually ululating”
• “But now midnight has come”

Question 8

“blood glazed“

Answer 8

WC connotes gruesome savage violence which is a contrast to the grand advanced civilisation described in first stanza
Enjambement emphasises “blood” and the violence and destruction to again shows contrast

Question 9

“wildest of warwhoops continually ululating”

Answer 9

WC warwhoops connotes primitive non verbal war cry. Suggests savage violence and uncivilised like old tribes that used to make warwhoops.
Metaphor comparing savage cries to ambulance and police sirens. Again highlights need for contant aid for violence.
All contrasted to civilised city at day

Question 10

“But now midnight has come”

Answer 10

Conjunction at start signifies quick change, highlights contrast between dark savage truth to civilised city.
Personification suggesting has physically travelled. The dark coming in symbolising savagery in humanity and violence in contrast to civilised day.

Question 11

Loss quotes

Answer 11

• “blood glazed“
• “shot at by a million lit windows,”
• “wildest of warwhoops continually ululating”

Question 12

“shot at by a million lit windows,”

Answer 12

Metaphor compares light from windows into darkness to war and gun shots. Suggests violence and savagery and death like war and guns, echoing situation below.
WC millions emphasises number of casualties and victims of savagery
Dark symbolises savagery and evil and the battle light has with it.

Question 13

Suffering quotes

Answer 13

• “blood glazed“
• “shot at by a million lit windows,”
• “wildest of warwhoops continually ululating”

Question 14

Relationships quotes

Answer 14

• “a helicopter skirting like a damaged insect”
• “But now midnight has come”
• “But midnight is not/so easily defeated.”

Question 15

“a helicopter skirting like a damaged insect”

Answer 15

Simile comparing machine often symbolising wealth to a broken injured creature. Suggests like the insect humanities pursuit of material wealth has become broken and has spiralled out into a savage and violent state.

Question 16

“But midnight is not/so easily defeated.”

Answer 16

Midnight symbolising savagery suggests human savagery cannot be easily avoided as it is inherently part of us and will always re-emerge despite attempts of civilisation.
Continues idea of battle between civilisation and savagery in mankind

Question 17

Character and surroundings quotes

Answer 17

• “glittering canyons and gulches”
• -

Question 18

“glittering canyons and gulches”

Answer 18

Metaphor comparing streets seen from speakers perspective to natural features. Highlights to speaker this place is less civilised than thought like nature is less civilised.

Question 19

Symbolism quotes

Answer 19

• “But now midnight has come”
• “shot at by a million lit windows,”
• “But midnight is not/so easily defeated.”

Question 20

Themes of Hotel Room 12th Floor

Answer 20

• Despite advances humanity still maintains evil savage past
• Thin line between modern society and basic human instincts of violence and destruction