The bargain Flashcards
the river in January is fast and high
suggest relationship ins’t going smoothly/could run into trouble
you and i
addresses her lower - encouraging her to remember the memory - though ‘and’ signifies physically together but drifting apart
twitch and fret
tension - couple pushing against football supporters suggests unsettled
rubbing the wrong way
suggests beginnings of disagreements/discomfort
getting ready to let fly
suggests impending violence conflict between fans but also relationship
unpredictable and tense mood
ugly losers
troubles about to occur between fans and relationship
where the two rivers meet
refer to river clyde and river of football fans
January
no punctuation to highlight speakers uncertainty about relationship
new year - a time to reflect about the past and question the future (relationship)
looking back, looking forward,
don’t know which way
juxtaposition - the speaker feels uncertain about something should she look to the future or the past
buttonpopping stationhopping
suggests enthusiastic enjoyment of music
alliteration - specific details add authenticity suggests energy and upbeat activity
a beat sing along its easy
deliberate gaps changes meter of poems - stallholder speaks in time with the music - suggests happiness
yes today we’re in love aren’t we?
suggests that there days where they aren’t in love - questioning lover (insecure?)
splintering
connotations of breaking apart - tone of doubt/relationship fractured.
its big quick river wintry bridges
focuses again on details of city - affection for place nut she doesn’t romanticise Glasgow
suggests cold and uninviting/lack of connection
brazen black victorian heart
suggests neglect and poverty = deteriorated nature of relationships
wears its hearth on its gable end?
recognises faults and history of place - makes is appealing - also pun on wear your heart on your sleeve = contrasts the open nature of glaswegians with the lack of openness in the relationship
a glint in your flinty northern face again
suggests strength and wisdom but also coldness and unresponsiveness - she is desperate for reassurance = insecure
reek
unpleasant smell making you feel ill
old damp clothes
left out, neglected - like the relationship
calendar (last years)
sense of pity evoked to poverty of man’s existence = impoverished glasgow
no connoisseur can afford to be too scrupulous
double meaning - suggests a real bargain hunter needs to be prepared to root around for somethings precious so too a relationship can only be sustained through effort and hard work
bugle-beaded the real antique dirt cheap
among the rags and drunks
suggests that special moments can be found in ordinary, banal moments in life it we seek them out
this boy knows his radios
pure utility
light-hearted atmosphere - skill of stall holders coaxing out best upbeat mood - deal enjoying atmosphere and characters at market
art deco
past fashions
fibreglass is flabbergasted
alliteration
a ‘fire surround boutique’
suggests warmth and comfort but also destructive shopping
fall apart
or have kids
speaker’s concerns resurface relationship has reached a crossroad = breakup or start a family
oh we’ve never shouldered much.
we’ll stick to small ikons for our home -
as long as they’re portable -
a dartboard a peacock feather
a stucco photo frame
suggests a lack of resilience in the relationship
sense of bitterness - something artificial about their relationship
suggests temporary - like relationship
rather than filing home with children they fill it with objects = superficial
losing you and finding you
double meaning - literal and figurative - growing doubt about their future together
through a complete set of manuals for
primary teachers in the thirties
not useful - suggests wasting time/avoidance
till the gilt shows through
suggests attempt to fix relationship but seems artificial
links to my rivals house
trap
suggests feeling stuck and fooled - unwilling to try to make things better
expenditure
suggests not wanting to be wasteful any longer
see january
double meaning - its what the seller is saying but also they are waiting until january to see if the relationship improves and if not they will end it
doldrums
suggests stagnation and melancholy = they feel stuck in a relationship no longer is making them happy
beady bag and the maybe rosewood box
real value of objects is obvious - the optimism that once would have accompanied these purchases is replaced with cold hard reality and uncertainty (like relationship) = items that were once vibrant and valuable
there doesn’t seem to be a lot to say
direct statement - worries so evident that theres not much to say
I wish we could either mend things
or learn to throw them away
reinforces finality with rhyme
both seem aware that relationship has reached a pivotal moment but they seem unwilling or unable to find then energy to reinvestigate it. Through unlike the bargains that are broken there is a way their relationship could still be mended. They are stalling, either break up or don’t
