Hotel Room, 12th Floor Analysis

Question 0

“A helicopter skirting like a damaged insect”

Answer 0

Simile - Comparison of helicopter to insect.
“Damaged” - Pain
“Skirting” - Hovering/Confusion/erratic

Question 1

“This morning I watched from here”

Answer 1

“Morning” - Gives a sense of time

“Watched” - creates impersonal surroundings

Question 2

“The Empire State Building, that jumbo size dentists drill”

Answer 2

The use of real buildings creates credibility/realistic setting.
Setting revealed - NYC
Metaphor - “Dentists drill” - connotations of pain, links to shape
W/C - “Jumbo Size” - Height.

ESB symbolises wealth, pride of the U.S. - poet attacks conceited display - Represents materialism

Question 3

“And landing on the roof of the Pan Am Skyscraper”

Answer 3

The use of real buildings creates credibility/realistic setting.

Question 4

But now midnight has come from foreign places.

Answer 4

Turning point.

W/C - “Foreign” - Suggests multiracial society

Question 5

“Its uncivilised darkness is shot at by a million lit windows, all ups and acrosses.”

Answer 5

W/C - “Uncivilised” - Violence
“Darkness” - Evil
“Shot” - Wild West, Violence
Metaphor - “Ups and Acrosses” - Resemble crosses, religion
The contrast between “Darkness” and “lit” shows the battle between good and evil.

Question 6

“But midnight is not so easily defeated.”

Answer 6

W/C - “Midnight” - Symbolism idea of evil

Question 7

“I lie in bed, between a radio and a television set”

Answer 7

Narrative Stance: Poet tries to hide away from noise of NY street.
Poet uses technology to block out terrifying noises, suggest how loud it is- comparison of a war zone …