Hotel Room 12th Floor Flashcards
A helicopter skirting like a damaged insect
Introduction of modern technology yet immediately criticises it. Simile compares helicopter to insect, suggesting the that it is insignificant and annoying. MacCaig may be hunting at his idea that society is damaged by criticising the modern technology and technological.
Empire State Building, that jumbo size dentist’s drill
Metaphor- humorous image suggests that the building is pointless and he criticises the American idea that bigger is better. Showing disdain pf the building. The dentist drill has connotations of pain and suffering which may be regarding the inequality of society and the suffering of people left behind in that process. Bright modern image surrounded by darkness.
But now midnight has come in from foreign places
Major time shift from morning to night which changes the mood to be more solemn. Metaphorically introduces darkness and unknown which leads to fear. Idea that modern America may be in conflict with anything that is foreign or doesn’t lie in view to what they think is civilised.
Its uncivilised darkness is shot by a million lit windows
Conflict, brings mud to the USA’s close association to guns and the Wild West. Suggests that the buildings of the city are in battle with surrounding darkness. Idea of darkness being the unknown and evil whilst the light has connotations of life, knowledge and progress.
But midnight is not so easily defeated
Pessimistic tone. Repeat of But at the beginning links back to and emphasises the but used as a turning point in stanza 1. Continues image of battle between good and evil. Extended metaphor portrays the violence of the city as a fight in the Wild West.
The wildest of warwhoops
The sounds are key in the development of the poets thematic concerns. Word choice of ‘wildest’ has connotations of an uncivilised and brutal culture and the idea is extended through alliteration with ‘warwhoops’ which again references to the Wild West and Native Americans.
The frontier is never somewhere else
Pessimistic tone is used in the final two sentences and they both create a negative statement. A frontier is an artificial construct and in the Wild West, a frontier was commonly used to describe a border between societies, mainly between those considered to be civilised and those that weren’t. MacCaig may be suggesting that uncivilised acts are linked to human societies. By talking about the frontier, MacCaig suggests that what we view as uncivilised is always with us.
And no stockades can keep the midnight out
The use of language linked to conflict continues as he writes about the idea of stockades. This is a constructed barrier, designed to protect. The idea of midnight again represents the idea of evil and in saying ‘no stockades can keep the midnight out’ suggests that humanity, despite its advances we will always be impacted by uncivilised basic human instinct and this is a pessimistic view of MacCaigs.
