Visiting Hour Norman MacCaig Flashcards
Analyse the quote “hospital smell”
Word choice- “hospital smell” is someone everyone is familiar with.
Analyse “the hospital smell combs my nostrils”
This is an example of a metaphor it shows that the smell is overpowering as it becomes a comb brushing against his nose harshly. This tactile image- he has not seen the patient yet, so he is ‘keeping it together’ at this point. The unpleasant connotation shows that the the smell it’s hurting the sensitivity of his nostrils
Analyse “Green and yellow”
What does it show
The word choice of colours have a connotation of sickness, which further stresses the poet’s discomfort in these surroundings.
Analyse “corpse…vanishes…heavenward”
The word choice of “corpse” “vanishes” and “heavenward” have the connotations of death, which suggests that this is what the poet is beginning to think about as he walks through the corridor.
