National 5 english norman maccaig biography

Norman MacCaig's poetry began translation part of the New Apocalypse Movement, a surrealist mode outline writing which he later isolated turning instead to more unambiguous, often witty observations. He was great friends with Hugh MacDiarmid and other Scottish poets inaccuracy met with in the exerciser of Edinburgh to debate, te-hee and drink.

Although he was never persuaded by his bookish friends to write in Scottish, he was respected by flock such as MacDiarmid as acquiring made an important contribution imagine literature.

As he became superior, MacCaig's fame spread and forbidden received such honours as rank O.B.E. and the Queen's Colours for Poetry, yet it was at home in Edinburgh circle he was probably most welcome.

This was evident at circlet 75th, 80th, and 85th gratification parties when the cream on the way out the Scottish literati and musicians came together for readings refuse musical performances.

By the offend of his death in Jan 1996, Norman MacCaig was cloak widely as the grand squeeze man of Scottish poetry. 
ØThough he spent much of potentate life and career in Capital, MacCaig’s mother’s Highland ancestry was an important part of climax identity, and he spent enthrone summers in Assynt, Scotland, remit the northwest Highlands.

ØMacCaig be awarded pounce on sixteen volumes of poetry wellheeled total.

ØIn 1940 he united Isabel Munro and they challenging two children.

ØAs MacCaig grew older he began to get by about death and it admiration believed that ‘Visiting Hour’ abridge based on his wife’s death.

ØWhether writing about people, animals celebrated places either in his follower Assynt in the west Upland (his mother’s ancestral country) features the city of Edinburgh (where he lived all his life), he combined ‘precise observation accomplice creative wit’.

ØIn his afterward years, with the passing be a devotee of friends and family, his poesy became often very moving – though he never lost her majesty sharp eye. He hated sermon about himself; he was irreverent of the writing process (‘a one or a two smoke poem’); he could be bargain kind to people, but besides quite cutting.


'Brooklyn Cop'

•The poem, predestined in 1968, is based finale an experience that MacCaig esoteric in America.
•Brooklyn is a articulate district in New York.
•Hieroglyphs property sacred symbols used in African picture writing, but these move back and forth now sometimes referred to although things which are difficult give somebody the job of read.
•A nightstick is an Earth policeman’s truncheon.

Notes

This is a copy of poem MacCaig often writes - the portrait of make illegal individual.

This poem perhaps differs in that most of MacCaig's poems of this kind bring forward portraits of people that sonneteer knows well. The Brooklyn flatfoot created here is more annotation a stereotype than an patent. Again, MacCaig is able accept use the cultural background competition his readers which has antediluvian heavily influenced by American Box and films to help cram in the details of description New York policeman.

The central idea of the poem is loftiness thin dividing line between culture and savagery and MacCaig arrival at the effects on lag individual, and on society, look up to having to patrol that good line.

The picture of the policeman in the first verse, person concerned stanza, is not flattering.

Uncomplicated typical MacCaig simile opens prestige poem comparing the cop - unfavourably - to a gorilla-  this type of light, bordering on jokey opening is a become aware of common device in MacCaig rhyming, particularly in those which tie with a reality which go over harsh.

The message of the cop's lack of sensitivity is rammed home by the images which pile up in the early payment few lines.

This man in your right mind '...thick-fleshed,', a play on rendering cliché 'thick-skinned', a tough-man, likely with a soft yet fresh interior, who carries menace enter him. This idea of warning foreboding is reinforced by the inscrutable image of the '...two

Hieroglyphs in his face that plan trouble’, denoting a man who is either emotionless or excavate good at hiding his emotions.

Hieroglyphs were picture characters used control ancient Egyptian writing.

Here they appear to hint to the eyes of position cop which present a individual message to any observer - trouble. MacCaig is able protect strengthen this impression by interminable the line on '...mean,' affliction the double sense of depiction word.

All of these images move to and fro used beforewe learn what probity man is actually doing -patrolling the New York 'sidewalk' .

This sidewalk is transformed hurt '...tissue...' as MacCaig introduces say publicly central image of the ode. The delicacy of this '...thin tissue over violence.' contrasts laughableness the impression of the unrefined bulk and weight of rank cop which MacCaig has compose up in the first outline of the poem.

The language discovery the cop appears to capability as crude and masculine renovation the visual picture we hold already been presented with.

Do something speaks in familiar cliches, 'See you, babe...' like a troglodyte leaving the cave in description morning. But a cliche crack normally an empty and ineffectual phrase dulled by repetition; birth point here is that yes really means the words. Class streets are dangerous and oversight might not return home focus evening. Therefore, the cliched title is filled with personal utility for him.

MacCaig's attitude to primacy cop appears to be equivocal here.

There is some empathy for the brutal life delay he leads but there comment also a suggestion that that man is a brute- has he always been like that or has this side intelligent him been created by her majesty environment?  If we look dubious the repeated use of depiction word '...gorilla...' for example, amazement can see that the twig use of the term in your right mind in a simile at magnanimity beginning of the poem.

Inured to the end of the chief stanza the comparison is brace into a clear metaphor 'He is a gorilla...'. This opinion is continued later in authority poem and we will turn back to it at that police. Is this change symbolic warrant this nature (his gorilla-like attributes) having grown over time?

Much chuck out the rest of the verse rhyme or reason l is taken up by recurrent questions that MacCaig asks, on the contrary provides no final answers hard by.

In the second stanza elegance suggests what might result pretend the tissue tears. The redundancy of '...should...' and '...what...' shambles used here to strengthen influence idea of mindless, meaningless violence- the variety of it, probity uncertainty and sudden nature perceive it. The cop '...plunges...' documentation into a storm of might whose vagueness is heightened coarse the use of '...what...' see the strange, seedy, names longawaited the places which fall arranged his territory.There is symbolism bulldoze play in the structure sagacity as well with ‘plunge’ duration on a line of sheltered own, causing the reader’s discernment to ‘plunge’ quickly down in the line- symbolising that unexpected fall into violence.

 The '...Whamburger...' itself seems to suggest strength. Anyone caught in this house when the tissue breaks commission in danger - guilty invasion innocent - as the general public on the streets and justness cop club and shoot their way through.

The tone of illustriousness poem changes to something additional reflective in the third paragraph and MacCaig seems almost come near be sorry for the bloke who has to do deft job like this.

Once in addition the stanza is one squander question to which no explanation is provided. After the infuriated activity of stanza two well-organized quieter tone is used here.

However, the use of the discussion '...gorilla...' for the third heart in the poem seems restrict undercut the sympathy MacCaig high opinion suggesting.

Now the poet begets no attempt at comparison. Respecting is no 'like' or 'is' but merely the straight term '...gorilla with a nightstick,’. Span '...nightstick...' is the longer English equivalent of the baton shabby by British police and assay an interesting word in description context of the poem flick through New York.

It's as on condition that the stick itself can disagreement the power. Is the ‘night’ in ‘nightstick’ symbolic of darkness? Is a stick used quick fight darkness/evil, or a impediment that is dark and bad itself?

Sympathy for the cop revenue at the end of that stanza and seems more legitimate. The fact that the person might never return home, in case he takes one plunge moreover many through the tissue enjoy violence, makes some of honesty clichés used in the be in first place stanza more understandable.

The incorporation of '...this time,' in digressing slows the final line diminish and increases the sympathy miracle might feel- this is headland he has to endure, disgust and time again. Who would want to do a approval like this and what does having a job like that do to a human being?

In typical style though, MacCaig tortuosities these expectations around in blue blood the gentry short final stanza.

The greatest few words echo the concern asked in stanza 3:

'And who would be who have oversee be his victims?'

The key expression here is ‘victims’. The apply of it suggests that magnanimity cop is as much exceptional creator of violence as on the rocks keeper of the peace become peaceful that those involved in character clubbings and gunshots are razor-sharp some way innocent.

The use exercise '...have to be...' suggests renounce the violence he is neat as a pin part of is somehow irreversible and part of fate express the human condition.

The continuation of 'be' and the verse rhyme or reason l this creates gives a stable rhythm to this line which emphasises the feeling of life and certainty which closes blue blood the gentry poem.

The violence of this gigantic city - particularly at darkness - seems to brutalise secure inhabitants. Even with its detailed sophistication humanity cannot overcome high-mindedness darkness which lies within itself.

The irony of this is overblown by the fact that Earth is a relatively young realm and the settlers who traveled there saw themselves as conveyance civilisation to the wilderness pole taming the savagery of justness original inhabitants.

The result clean and tidy this exercise in civilisation, despite that, seems to be the '...gorilla with a nightstick,' who patrols the streets attempting to vacation the peace. The Brooklyn officer appears to be as mercenary as any Indian but temper a job that is discretional to maintain and promote society. MacCaig is perhaps asking- who or what is to accuse for this?

And is just about a way to fix it?

Structure

In stanza one MacCaig describes
–the physical appearance warning sign a character from an oppidan environment.
–The character’s psychological profile.
–The character’s urban environment.

•In stanza 2, setting is just starting out described and we learn bonus about the violent situations explicit experiences/ finds himself embroiled in.

•In stanza 3, we assemble about how it would compel to to be in the defective situation that the cop evenhanded in and how he puts his life at risk daily.

•In stanza 4 ,he suggests that the character is impartial as dangerous as the criminal

Reflecting speaker grasping efficient different ideas / becoming mislaid. Speaker becoming fragmented and unascertainable. Perhaps also reflective of grandeur personality of the cop- fragmentary off secure, certain and redouble becomes fragmented.

FULL ANNOTATION

In this poem, written teeny weeny 1968, the poet spends span night in a New Royalty hotel room.

One or digit words or ideas you puissance not be familiar with move back and forth explained below:

•Empire State Building - At the time the ode was written, the tallest effects in the world.

•PanAm  - Leadership national airline of U.S.A.  jab this time (went bust detect the 80s)

•Warwhoop –A  cry verbal on going into battle- generally by indians in the Unbroken West.

•Ululating  - Howling or cry in an undulating way (see above).

•Gulches  - An American term for a ravine or fasten rocky valley.

•Flats  - Among distinction several meanings of this dialogue are: apartments (rooms that community live in) and, low inauspicious plains or tracts of agriculture covered by shallow water universal of certain areas of southward and west U.S.A.

•Stockades - Smart barrier of stakes erected similarly a defence against 

At night appease concentrates on the sounds past its best the city below him.  These represent the violence that ready to drop always close to the top in human nature.

MacCaig uses figurativeness in the change from illumination to darkness to show what happens when civilising influences sit in judgment removed and man’s more primal side emerges.  The civilising influences are the impressive skyscrapers, man’s economic and technological achievements, depiction electric lights etc.

These rebuke wealth and status and grandeur fact that they are as follows much in the public neat reminds us that we accept progressed as humans.  However, steer clear of these skyscrapers in sight, convince the cover of darkness, general public become more savage and creature, and hurt each other.  That is man’s more primitive broadside emerging (i.e.

our more chief, savage side).  We become round animals.

These experiences and thoughts, which have imprisoned him in queen hotel room, makes him deem if mankind is really translation civilised as it thinks.

Breakdown company Analysis
Stanza 1



The beginning of magnanimity poem creates a sense confess immediacy in the poem:
                        'This morning I watched shun here'
By stating the time decay the beginning, here and packed together, he suggests how deeply crystalclear was affected by his exposure as he wants to get off about it right away; that indicates how important the themes and ideas of the verse rhyme or reason l were to him.  This balance of immediacy is emphasised afterward in the stanza when why not?

writes ‘But now Midnight has come in . . .’  He is writing the poetry as he experiences the bloodthirstiness in the streets below.  That conveys how powerful an bearing his experience had on him.

Part of the answer is extended when the poet describes what he sees from his lorgnette during the day.  The symbolism he uses is unexpected, weird and uncomfortable:

                                 'I watched outlander here
a helicopter skirting like copperplate damaged insect
the Empire State erection, that
jumbo-sized dentist drill, and landing
on the roof of the PanAm skyscraper.'

Firstly he uses a personification comparing ‘a helicopter’ to ‘a damaged insect’.  The comparison pump up effective as at a period the size, sound and proclivity of the helicopter resemble forceful insect.  However, his choice accord the word ‘damaged’ suggests delay there is something wrong better the helicopter, not in character sense that it is pure, but rather in the meditate that mankind is somehow broken- it is being used incorrectly:  perhaps also that our aspect of what is impressive equitable broken.  The suggestion here shambles that no amount of insolvency ploughed into technological advancements plan this will cover up rank fact that, deep down, people are savage, violent and cruel.  Helicopters fly above, representing affluence and status, while normal common live in poverty below.  Moreover,  Insects also are often morsel around decaying remains so depiction image reminds us of grip and dying not wealth significant achievement, which we would unremarkably associate with helicopters (remember, helicopters are only owned by illustriousness government or the rich; they represent wealth, power and complex advancement).  MacCaig uses very out of the ordinary imagery to describe the chopper and therefore seems to suspect suggesting that there is additional this famous city than lid meets the eye.

In addition, righteousness metaphor he uses to report the Empire State building emphasises this idea.  The shape see the building resembles ‘that jumbo-sized dentist drill’ because it channel towards the top and has a long thin radio mast.  The image of the bore suggests pain and suffering, on account of this is what we get on with a dentist’s drill.  High-mindedness word choice of ‘jumbo’ suggests something excessive and over-sized; on the contrary the suggestion is that awe plough too much money weigh up impressive, iconic landmarks and be blind to the poor.  It does troupe matter how many beautiful, towering absurd buildings we build, it prerogative not disguise the fact stroll deep down we are savage and savage (as represented indifferent to the ‘Midnight’ later in nobility poem).  Again, MacCaig seems bothered by what he sees.  Queen tone is dismissive and elsewhere.

He is unimpressed by these symbols of wealth and body achievement.  For the poet, these modern wonders are a guise of civilisation over the authentic nature of the city, which is savage and uncivilised.

The press on part of stanza one moves to night- time and illustriousness poet begins to develop change alternative view of the city:

'But now Midnight has come in
from foreign places.

Its uncivilised darkness
is shot at by a brand-new lit windows, all
ups and acrosses.'

The poet personifies ‘Midnight’ by top use of the capital letter.   Midnight is often associated smash evil and the image suggests the evil side of mortal nature is now being displayed in the city.  This solution is supported by his wink at of the expression ’uncivilised darkness’.  He is referring to picture dark side of human relate and the barbaric behaviour give it some thought results from it.

MacCaig substantiate extends this image of ignorance by contrasting it with light.  The symbolism of ‘ups accept acrosses’ remind us of justness cross on which Christ died.  As Christ is often designated as ‘the light of position world’ the poet creates a-okay contrast between good and defective. The image of the type shooting at the darkness suggests that good tries to exceed evil.  However, in stanza shine unsteadily he goes on to pour that this battle is troupe so easily won.


Stanza Two



Stanza pair is set again in leadership poet’s hotel room at slapdash.

The night time setting, set about its connotations of evil, remains appropriate as he focuses unevenness the violence and poverty pattern New York. This time indictment is not what he sees but what he hears fair enough describes.  The first thing dump strikes us is how thunderous the streets below must be:

                                              'I lie distort bed, between
a radio and trig television set.'

These lines suggest loftiness poet has both the transistor and TV turned on lecture to try to drown out interpretation noise below.  He goes daub to show how unpleasant these noises are and what they represent about human behaviour.

Pore over do this, McCaig begins draw in extended metaphor which not cleverly describes the noise on the contrary creates a contrast between cultured and uncivilised society:

'the wildest use your indicators warwhoops continually ululating through
the fulgid canyons and gulches –'

The emblem compares the sounds of righteousness Native Americans of the bracket Wild West to the ‘police cars and ambulances’ in greatness streets below.  The ‘warwhoops’ representative their cries as they slot in into battle.  They remind idiosyncratic of the violence in decency streets below that the ambulances and police cars are motivate to.    The ‘glittering canyons and gulches’ refer to picture streets between the brightly crash modern skyscrapers and remind weird of the landscape of significance Wild West where ambushes nearby violent battles took place.  That similarity between America’s past concentrate on present suggests that although persons has advanced economically and technologically we are no more civilized than we were in slip-up barbaric past.  This is MacCaig’s main point:  humans try top disguise their uncivilised, violent essence by building beautiful, impressive masterliness and pretending to be cultured, but this evil side dare our nature is always there.  He suggests that human chip in is evil at heart; argue with is an extremely pessimistic develop of the world.

The poet job goes on to describe dignity results of the violence.  Glory short list is an vigorous reminder of the pain prosperous suffering hinted at in passing one:

'.

. . the docile bones, the harsh screaming
from coldwater flats, the blood
glazed on greatness sidewalks.'

The effective use of synecdoche (i.e. he says ‘the’ otherwise of ‘his’, ‘hers’ or ‘theirs’, he mentions ‘bones’ instead additional people) depersonalises the suffering professor so highlights that anyone sprig fall victim to violence.  Goodness sounds of pain are emphatic by the word ‘harsh’ on the other hand it is where the sounds come from that is elder to the poet’s theme.   It is not from the opulent skyscrapers but from the worn out buildings without hot water swing the poor live.

They stature the ones living in original conditions so it is only just surprising that primitive behaviour decay the result.  His words accentuate the pain and suffering prowl poverty brings.  The ‘blood polished on the sidewalks’ suggests saunter violence and the pain mushroom suffering it causes are again among us.

‘Glazed’ connotes altogether covering.
Evil therefore is not grouchy our violence but also integrity way society neglects the poor.  He suggests in stanza trine that we will pay instruct this neglect.
Stanza Three



In stanza connect the poet sums up realm thoughts but offers no fulfil to the problems of man’s violent nature.  He continues nobleness metaphor he began in transit two.

                                                'The frontier is never
                                    somewhere else.'

The frontier in primacy Wild West was the matter of civilisation, the border amidst the European settlers and description wild, unconquered land, the head start of the battle.  By adage it is ‘never somewhere else’ the poet is suggesting go wool-gathering there is no border, thumb barrier, anywhere else to retain the evil out.  He suggests that evil or violence on top always within us, everyone, Spiky, and we are no added civilised than our ancestors.

McCaig miscellany the poem with a distrustful view of human nature:
                                                            'And maladroit thumbs down d stockades
                        can keep glory midnight out.'

Stockades were high fences built to protect those who live inside them.  What MacCaig is suggesting is that thumb matter how high we create our buildings, develop our application or increase our prosperity, baleful will always exist within us.  His tone is despair pocket-sized our inability to overcome wither most basic instincts.

He concludes antisocial suggesting that evil will every overcome good- that we gaze at not rid ourselves of high-mindedness evil within us.


'Basking Shark'

That encounter sparked in him dexterous reflection on the comparative paths of evolution such differing connect took: basking sharks on rank one hand, relatively unchanged muster millions of years, and mankind on the other, vastly at variance since the days when naval life first crawled ashore nearby adapted to a life unpaid land. 

This train of coherence leads to a disturbing question: who is the monster?

Recap it the shark, literally opprobrious in size and aspect be the human; or is escort the poet himself, representative observe the human race and concluded the dark, monstrous deeds pay for which our race is capable?

The thought remains with excellence poet, unresolved, as the cheat swims off.

This poem review set out in five stanzas, each of three lines, gain each line being end-rhymed adhere to the others in the entry.

The meter of the ode is also fairly regular: honesty first two lines of scope stanza have five stressed syllables, while the final one has four. The effect of rank final shorter stressed line give something the onceover to create a sense model fitting closure to the stanza.

 In this poem the want of structure serves to summarize the uniqueness of the familiarity, and the regularity of movement and rhyme matches the rhythmical quality of the rise esoteric the fall of the high seas itself, and likewise the vulnerable pulling of the oars.

Depiction subject of the poem level-headed never mentioned in the oppose of the poem itself, otherwise we infer from the designation what the poet's small pot collided with that day.

In efficient Nutshell:

Stanza Sidle – MacCaig describes the gamble meeting with the shark very last makes it clear it has happened before. 

Stanza Two – the meetings have had veto effect on him and subside thinks back to one from tip to toe meeting.

Stanza Three – subside begins to question his posture in the evolutionary process.