Hotel Room 12th Floor Flashcards
1
Q
Themes in Hotel Room 12th Floor
A
- Violence
- Wild West imagery
- Suffering
2
Q
“This morning I watched from here”
A
- Using a specific time sets the scene, makes it realistic
- Word choice of “This morning” has sense of urgency, as if he had to immediately write about the experience because it had such an impact on him.
- Word choice of “Watched” shows he’s being passive and not taking part in what he sees, creates an idea of disconnection, he doesn’t want to take part.
3
Q
“a helicopter skirting like a damaged insect”
A
- Metaphor of comparing the helicopter to a “damaged insect” suggests that USA’s materialistic power and wealth and modern technology are unpleasant because of negative connotations associated.
- Helicopters are associated with rich and powerful.
- Insects are annoying and insignificant.
4
Q
“the Empire State building, that jumbo size dentist’s drill”
A
- Metaphor creates a humorous image because a dentist would not require such a large drill. This criticises America’s materialistic view that bigger is better.
- ‘dentist’s drill’ has very negative connotations of pain and suffering
- emphasis on the building’s height reminds the reader of the harsh realities of poverty and violence on the ground
5
Q
“But now midnight has come in from foreign places”
A
- Conjunction “but” creates a turning point to signify a much darker tone
- “Midnight” symbolises darkness and evil
- Word choice of “come in” implies that the darkness has come uninvited, it has just showed up (as violence does)
- Word choice of “foreign” suggests that the violence is unfamiliar, scary, strange
- All of these techniques are used to signify the poet’s anxiety
6
Q
“Its uncivilised darkness is shot at by a million lit windows”
A
- Word choice of “uncivilised” has barbaric connotations
- Imagery is used to create the idea that there is a battle between light (good) and darkness (evil)
- Word choice of ‘shot at’ has connotations of guns and violence, maybe a war
- ‘lit windows’ contrasts with ‘darkness’, creates conflict between them
7
Q
“all ups and crosses”
A
- Word choice creates image of crossword puzzle, New York is a confusing and puzzling place
- Also has connotations of christianity and creates the idea of western Christianity fighting evil
8
Q
“But midnight is not so easily defeated”
A
- Enjmabement of ‘not’ emphasises the loss of the light
- Creates pessimistic beginning to the stanza
9
Q
“I lie in bed, between a radio and a television set”
A
- Word choice of “between” creates the idea that he is somehow being trapped or constricted by the technology
- Also implies that he is trying to drown out the noise of violence from outside, but it is not working, emphasising how much violence there is.
10
Q
“wildest of warwhoops”
A
- Beginning of wild west extended metaphor
- Word choice of “wildest” has connotations of something being uncivilised or brutal
- Comparing ambulance sounds to “warwhoops” which were war cries associated with the Wild West
- Associates the violence of New York with the violence from the period of the Wild West when settlers killed Natives
- Alliteration emphasises this all.
11
Q
“ululating”
A
- Onomatopoeia used to create stereotypical sound that was made in wild west shows to signify grief
- Creates the idea that bad things are happening
12
Q
“glittering canyons and gulches”
A
- Metaphor compares war grounds of wild west era to New York city with tall skyscrapers because “glittering”
13
Q
“the… the… the…”
A
- Repetition of the impersonal word implies that anybody could be a victim of the violence
14
Q
“the broken bones”
A
- Synecdoche used so that the bones represent the people.
- Very impersonal, the people are not seen as people but actually the violence against them.
15
Q
“police cars and ambulances racing”
A
- Word choice has connotations with an emergency
- This idea is further emphasised by the word choice of “racing”
