‘In The Snack-Bar’

1. ‘In The Snack-Bar’ Edwin Morgan

2. Good Morning S5! • In today’s lesson, we will… • Practice textual analysis. • Study Morgan’s poem ‘In the Snack-Bar’. • Talk about poetic devices.

3. In the Snack-Bar • This poem describes an encounter with an old disabled man in a busy snack-bar. • The poem explores the extent of his disabilities, the effect they have on his life and society’s attitude to the disabled. • As well as society’s attitude to the disabled, the other main theme in the poem is determination of the human spirit.

4. In the Snack-Bar Stanza 1 • This stanza reveals the full extent of the old man’s disabilities through the eyes of an outsider observing the incident. • How does the poet arouse sympathy for the old man in this stanza? • Note down your thoughts on word choice, simile, personification and sentence structure.

5. In the Snack-Bar Stanza 1 • CONTRAST is shown with “A few heads turn in the crowded evening snack-bar”. • This shows society’s lack of interest in those less fortunate. • Every movement the old man makes takes momentous effort. • “Slowly he levers himself up..”

6. In the Snack-Bar • Personification – “The dismal hump looming over him forces his head down.” • Simile – “He stands in his stained beltless gabardine like a monstrous animal caught in a tent in some story.” • At first the observer looks at him like he is a monster in a scary story. • The old man has outsider status.

7. In the Snack-Bar • At first the old man evokes revulsion – “dismal hump”, “Stained beltless gabardine”, “monstrous animal”. • “His face not seen” – no face visible to express and affirm his humanity. He is faceless and inhuman. • Note the clever positioning of “if he could see” – at the end of the sentence to emphasise.

8. In the Snack-Bar • The reader now starts to sympathise with the old man as he is blind and looks uncared for. • “his stick, once painted white but scuffed and muddy..” • Morgan uses a list to emphasise the multiple physical disabilities the old man has to contend with. • The horror of his predicament is conveyed by the words used to describe him.

9. In the Snack-Bar Stanza 2 • Sensing the old man’s need, the speaker quickly relinquishes his role as observer and moves to help him. • Morgan enters the poem here and empathises with the old man. • This has the effect of generating understanding and compassion in the reader.

10. In the Snack-Bar • “I take his arm. “Give me – your arm – it’s better,” he says.” • The old man accepts the stranger’s help – but only as long as he can direct it. • CONTRAST; “A few yards of floor are like a landscape..” • The dangerous journey across the floor is described with a focus on the senses. The poet experiences what the old man does, being blind his other senses are heightened. “crunch”, “table edges”, “hiss” etc.

11. In the Snack-Bar • “And slowly we go down. And slowly we go down.” This repetition conveys the slow rhythm of their movement as well as emphasizing the disabilities of the old man. • CONTRAST – the appearance of the toilet with the appearance of the old man. “White tiles and mirrors…He shambles uncouth into the clinical gleam.” • The old man’s actions increase our sympathy for him. “Painful”, “doubtfully”, “feebly”.

12. In the Snack-Bar • Repetition – “He climbs, we climb.” “And slowly we go up. And slowly we go up.” • CONTRAST – “with that one persisting patience of the undefeated which is the nature of man when all is said.” • This contrasts from our first impression of the old man as monstrous. • Morgan uses the old man to highlight mankind’s determination and will to prevail. • PARADOX – “The faltering, unfaltering steps.” “that endless, yet not endless waste of floor.” • This shows the old man’s determination.

13. In the Snack-Bar Stanza 3 • Morgan moves beyond the incident in the snack-bar to examine what impact the old man’s disabilities have on the quality of his life. • What comment is Morgan making about the nature of human beings?

14. In the Snack-Bar • The poet helps us understand the problems faced by the old man and the effect he has on others. • The CONTRAST is in the darkness of his blind world where he must “trust men.” • “Without embarrassment or shame he must announce his most pitiful needs in a public place.”

15. In the Snack-Bar • “Does he know how frightening he is...” Society fears him. • “His life depends on many who would evade him.” Morgan emphasises his vulnerability in a society which would prefer to pretend he doesn’t exist. • Morgan criticises the nature of humans who would ignore the old man. • The poet’s reaction - “Dear Christ, to be born for this!” conveys pity for the old man’s condition and yet also wonder at his reality.

16. In the Snack-Bar • Techniques in the poem include... • Alliteration Tone • Enjambment Metaphor • Onomatopoeia Rhyme • Repetition • Contrast • Simile • Personification