Glasgow 5th March 1971

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Glasgow 5th March 1971

• Edwin Morgan

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Main Themes

• Violence/Crime
• State of society
• Youth

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Lines 1-10
Lines 20-23

• 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 11-19
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(No Transcript)
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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.

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Glasgow 5th March 1971

• The first image ragged diamond of shattered
  plate glass is effective why?
• Morgans use of ragged diamond gives the
  opening impact.
• Poet doesnt 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.

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Glasgow 5th March 1971

• The poets 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.

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Glasgow 5th March 1971

• The young mans face
• is bristling with fragments of glass
• and the girls 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 mans 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.

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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.

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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?

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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.

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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?

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Glasgow 5th March 1971

• The poets 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.

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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.

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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?

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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.

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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.

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Techniques Bank 1
Simile Describing something by saying it is like something else
Metaphor Describing something by saying it is something else
Oxymoron Two opposite words placed next to each other
Alliteration Repeating the same sound close together at the start of words
Sibilance Repeated S sound close together
Juxtaposition Placing two contrasting images or ideas together
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Step 2 How to PEEL

• In the exam you will write critical essays
• Each paragraph follows a simple structure
• P
• E
• E
• L

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Step 2 How to PEEL

• Point
• Evidence
• Explain
• Link back to question

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Step 2 How to PEEL

• Point (what I will show in this paragraph)
• Evidence (quote from the poem)
• Explain (explain how this proves my point, unpack
  any techniques, and give a personal reaction to
  them)
• Link back to question (tell me how this answers
  the question)

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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 mans face is bristling with
  fragments of glass
• Morgan uses a metaphor to create a disturbing
  picture of the young mans 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.

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Step 2 How to PEEL
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 mans face is bristling with
  fragments of glass
• Morgan uses a metaphor to create a disturbing
  picture of the young mans 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.

• P
• E
• E
• L

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A Quotation Sandwich?

• I 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 mans face is bristling with
  fragments of glass
• Morgan uses a metaphor to create a disturbing
  picture of the young mans 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.

• P
• E
• E
• L

cracker
cheese
cracker
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• 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
• 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

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• Morgan effectively describes the attack on the
  couple vividly by using alliteration and
  onomatopoeia.
• 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
• Ev
• E
• L

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• 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. This makes the start very dramatic.

• P
• Ev
• E
• L

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Your Turn x2

• The poem is one of Morgans instamatic poems.
  This means is it like a word photograph, and this
  makes it interesting
• evidence - cluelook 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

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Revision Notes

• Every paragraph (apart from the introduction and
  conclusion) must follow PEEL... Or I will shoot
  you
• Include analysis and evaluation in each
• Use a quote in every paragraph
• Aim for 5-7 paragraphs

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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.

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Introductions

• Key Content
• Name of Author
• Name of Text
• Genre
• Link back to question
• Three sentence summary
• Your Turn Now
• Write an introduction for the question

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Write about a poem you have read recently which
explores the theme of violence.

• Glasgow 5th of March 1971 is a great poem by
  Edwin Morgan. The poet explores the theme of
  violence by describing an attack on a young
  couple on a Glasgow street. Morgan uses
  techniques such as alliteration and imagery to
  emphasise city violence.

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Sample Point

• In this poem, Morgan explores the theme of
  violence when he describes how a young couple are
  pushed through a glass window. The metaphor used
  makes this effective.

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Point

• Key Content
• Outline your idea for that paragraph
• Use words from the question.
• Your Turn Now
• Write a point for the question given

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Revision of Key Learning

• Introduction
• Name of Text
• Name of Author
• Genre of Text
• Three Sentence Summary
• Point
• Outline your idea for this paragraph
• Use words from the question

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Evidence

• Key Content
• Find a quote that supports your point
• shatter-plate glass
• Your Turn Now
• Write a quote for the point you have given

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Explanation

• Key Content
• Explain what the quote proves
• Explain any technique used in this quote

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Explanation

• The use of a metaphor leads the reader to think
  that the couple have perhaps been looking at
  engagement rings, due to the word diamond. This
  makes the violence even more shocking because
  they are innocent and minding their own business.
  shatter-plate describes how the window has
  smashed into tiny pieces and it is easy to
  imagine the glass now in the couples arms and
  faces.

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Explanation

• Key Content
• Explain what the quote proves
• Explain any technique used in this quote
• Your Turn Now
• Write an explanation for the quote you have given

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Link

• Key Content
• Link back to the question
• Use words used in your point/the question
• Your Turn Now
• Write a link for the paragraph you have written

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Link

• Morgan uses a metaphor effectively in stanza one
  so as to describe the horrific incident of
  violence which occurs in Glasgow.

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Link

• Key Content
• Link back to the question
• Use words used in your point/the question
• Your Turn Now
• Write a link for the paragraph you have written

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Next Task

• In the same format, write a second paragraph for
  your essay

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Conclusion

• Use the wording of the question to create a
  statement of conclusion
• It is absolutely clear that Edwin Morgans poem
  Glasgow 5th March 1971 freezes a dramatic
  moment in time and vividly depicts a scene of
  violence.

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Conclusion

• Re-iterate the techniques the poet has used to
  create such a vivid scene
• This is evident in the poets 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.

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Conclusion

• It is absolutely clear that Edwin Morgans poem
  Glasgow 5th March 1971 freezes a dramatic
  moment in time and vividly depicts a scene of
  violence. This is evident in the poets 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.