Glasgow 5 th March 1971

1. Glasgow 5th March 1971 Edwin Morgan

2. Main Themes Violence/Crime Society’s selfishness Youth

3. Lines 1-10 2 x metaphors * 1 x alliteration 1 x onomatopoeia * 1 x word choice 2 x word choice 1 x alliteration * Think location Think about tense 1 x alliteration 2 x metaphors 3 x word choice Lines 20-23 Lines 11-19

5. Glasgow 5th March 1971 • We do not see the crime from the beginning but from after the smashing of the glass. Why? • This is because we, like the narrator, would probably have turned round upon hearing the noise of the glass to see what had happened. • The opening of the poem catches our attention immediately.

6. Glasgow 5th March 1971 The first image – “ragged diamond of shattered plate glass” – is effective why? Morgan’s use of “ragged diamond” gives the opening impact. Poet doesn’t say what the shop is, but we might imagine a jewellers. Why? The sharp shards of glass could be like small sparkling diamonds. The young couple could possibly have been browsing the jewellers’ selection of rings when they were attacked.

7. Glasgow 5th March 1971 The poet’s “a young man and his girl” is effective as he suggests it could be any young man. The couple in the poem have no identity. Later in the poem, they are reduced to body parts, symbolising how they are dehumanised. This contributes to the impersonal and clinical tone of the poem as a whole.

8. Glasgow 5th March 1971 The young man’s face is bristling with fragments of glass and the girl’s leg has caught on the broken window and spurts arterial blood over her wet-look white coat. • How does the poet convey the severity of the injuries?

9. Glasgow 5th March 1971 “The young man’s face is bristling with fragments of glass” • Metaphoric • Onomatopoeic • Suggests the man has a beard of splintered glass. • Horrific image – think of the damage/scarring this will result in.

10. Glasgow 5th March 1971 “spurts arterial blood” • What are the connotations of the word ‘spurt’? • This makes the image much more graphic. • ‘arterial’ adds to the clinical effect of the poem. • Highlight ‘face’, ‘leg’ and ‘arms’ – here we see how the couple are reduced to body parts and dehumanised.

11. Glasgow 5th March 1971 “her wet-look white coat” • Use of irony. • Use of alliteration. • The coat is no longer ‘wet-look’ but literally wet with the blood from her leg. • Think about the visual impact of the red blood on her white coat.

12. Glasgow 5th March 1971 Their arms are star-fished out braced for impact, their faces show surprise, shock and the beginning of pain. • How do these lines contribute to the sense that the poem can be described as a ‘word photograph’?

13. Glasgow 5th March 1971 • “star-fished” – we see them falling and trying to protect themselves… • We see the change of emotions on their faces. • The pain is not immediate probably due to the shock and suddenness of the attack. • It is like a snapshot photograph of the incident.

14. Glasgow 5th March 1971 The two youths who have pushed them are about to complete the operation reaching into the window to loot what they can smartly. Their faces show no expression. • What do we know about the attitudes of the youths?

15. Glasgow 5th March 1971 • The poet’s use of “youths” shows us that their identity/individuality is not important. • Our focus is the awful crime they have committed. • By committing this crime, the youths have lost all humanity and individuality. • “operation” adds to the clinical tone of the poem and suggests the crime is brutal but efficient.

16. Glasgow 5th March 1971 • “smartly” – these youths are clearly well practiced in what they do. This adds to the horror of what happens. • It could also be a word play on the fact that it is not a smart thing to do. • It is placed at the end of the sentence for emphasis. • “Their faces show no expression.” echoes the earlier line “their faces show surprise, shock…”.

17. Glasgow 5th March 1971 It is a sharp, clear night In Sauchiehall Street. In the background two drivers Keep their eyes on the road. • What is the significance of the last four lines? • What social comment is contained in the poem?

18. Glasgow 5th March 1971 • The street is well lit and passers-by would have a clear view of what was happening. • “sharp” and “clear” remind of us the glass imagery from earlier in the poem. • The two drivers are selfish and show a horrifying lack of compassion. • Life goes on regardless. • This is a personal reflection on humanity as a whole.

19. Glasgow 5th March 1971: Tone • Cold • Clinical • A very detached response • Unemotional, yet evokes strong emotions in reader. • Note the lack of violent words. • Almost like a police report. • Fragmented rhyme scheme adds to this.

20. Glasgow 5th – How is the scene made vivid? In “Glasgow, 5th March 1971”, the poet creates a particularly vivid description of a violent incident. One of the most powerful ways he does this is by describing the injuries to the victims: “The young man’s face is bristling with fragments of glass” Morgan uses a metaphor to create a disturbing picture of the young man’s face. The shards of glass seem to make a beard, there are so many. This is effective because it shows us how many pieces are embedded, and how he will be scarred. This horrible image is one of the ways the scene is made vivid and memorable.

21. One of the ways this poem makes the central incident exciting is by having a fast, dramatic opening: “With a ragged diamond of shattered plate-glass a young man and his girl are falling backwards into a shop window” The poet uses enjambment in the first sentence to create a sense of urgency in the opening lines. This is effective because it makes it seem fast-paced. The metaphor “ragged diamond” has connotations of love and marriage, so we feel sorry for the couple, not only because they have been attacked, but because they are young and in love. Link back to the question to show how it makes the incident in the poem interesting P C Q E Link

22. Morgan effectively describes the attack on the couple vividly by using alliteration and onomatopoeia to describe their injuries: “spurts arterial blood over her wet-look white coat.” Explain how this is done. Include analysis (what techniques are used?) and evaluation (why/how effective are the techniques? How do they help you to picture the scene?) Link back to the question to show how it makes the incident in the poem interesting P C Q E Link

23. Your Turn x2 The poem is one of Morgan’s “instamatic” poems. This means is it like a word photograph, and this makes it interesting: “evidence” - clue…look for the starfish… Explain how this is done. Include analysis (what techniques are used) and evaluation (how effective or good it is) Link back to the question to show how it makes the incident in the poem interesting P Ev E L

24. Revision Notes Every paragraph (apart from the introduction and conclusion) must follow PCQE(LINK) structure Include analysis and evaluation in each Use a quote in every paragraph Aim for 5 paragraphs (excluding intro and conclusion)

25. The Question “Write about a poem you have read recently which explores the theme of violence. Briefly state what the poem is about and how this theme is explored.”

26. Introductions • Key Content • Name of Author • Name of Text • Genre • Brief summary • Link back to question • Your Turn Now • Write an introduction for the question

27. “Write about a poem you have read recently which explores the theme of violence.” “Glasgow 5th of March 1971” is a thought-provoking instamatic poem by Edwin Morgan that captures a violent incident in a snapshot. The poet explores the theme of violence by describing a random attack on an innocent young couple on a Glasgow street.Morgan uses techniques such as alliteration and imagery to emphasise city violence and demonstrate society’s selfish nature.

28. Conclusion • Use the wording of the question to create a statement of conclusion: It is absolutely clear that Edwin Morgan’s poem “Glasgow 5th March 1971” freezes a dramatic moment in time and vividly depicts a scene of violence.

29. Conclusion • Re-iterate the techniques the poet has used to create such a vivid scene: This is evident in the poet’s use of word choice and imagery, as both contribute to the intensity of the scene which is portrayed in the poem. Morgan succeeds in capturing a snapshot in time in such an effective and stimulating way that the reader almost feels as though they too are there.

30. Conclusion It is absolutely clear that Edwin Morgan’s poem “Glasgow 5th March 1971” freezes a dramatic moment in time and vividly depicts a scene of violence. This is evident in the poet’s use of word choice and imagery, as both contribute to the intensity of the scene which is portrayed in the poem. Morgan succeeds in capturing a snapshot in time in such an effective and stimulating way that the reader almost feels as though they too are there.