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Instamatic: Glasgow 5 March 1971

With a ragged diamond

of shattered plate-glass

a young man and his girl

are falling backwards into a shop-window.

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.

Their arms are starfished out

braced for impact,

their faces show surprise, shock,

and the beginning of pain.

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.

It is a sharp clear night

in Sauchiehall Street.

In the background two drivers

keep their eyes on the road.

Edwin Morgan

From Instamatic Poems (Ian McKelvie, 1972). Also published in

Collected Poems(Carcanet, 1990)

http://www.edwinmorgan.spl.org.uk/1970s/instamatic_poems.htmlhttp://www.edwinmorgan.spl.org.uk/1990s/collected_poems.htmlhttp://www.edwinmorgan.spl.org.uk/1990s/collected_poems.htmlhttp://www.edwinmorgan.spl.org.uk/1970s/instamatic_poems.html

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Glasgow 5th March,1971by Edwin Morgan

Task:Edwin Morgans Glasgow 5th March, 1971 describesa dramatic event witnessed by the poet. Evaluate the waysin which he strives to communicate that drama to thereader.

(Do the words he uses give you a clear idea of the violentnature of this attack?)

Intro: Establish the title of the poem and name of the poet. Youcould comment on the true theme of the poem the cold indifferenceof society. You could also mention what kind of poem it is.

Para 2: Describe what happens in the poem. What did the poetwitness?

Para 3, etc:This is the meaty bit! You want to talk about IMAGERY,WORD CHOICE and CONTRAST. You want to give EXAMPLES from thetext, and comment on how WELL they do their job.

Eg: I believe that the phrase spurts arterial blood is significant incommunicating the drama of the incident. The word spurts shows theintense force of the blood leaving the wound. Secondly, arterialsuggests the serious nature of the wound, and the potential threat tothe girls life. This word choice effectively describes the consequencesof the attack on the young couple.

IN EACH PARAGRAPH, MENTION THE TASK HOW THE POETUSES DRAMATIC WORDS TO DESCRIBE THE ATTACK

Conclusion: Refer back to the question, using the words of thetask.

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Sum up the main points of what you had to say, and comment on whatyou found most successful in the poem.

Glasgow 5th March,1971by Edwin Morgan

Tasks:

1. What is happening in the poem? Write aparagraph to explain.

2. a) Write a list of the people who are involved.

b) What are they all doing?

3. a) Who doyou think has behaved in the worstway

in this situation?

b) Give a reason for your answer.

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Answers:

1. A young couple has been pushed through the window of ajewellers shop so that two youths can reach in and steal the

jewellery. The couple has been injured badly by the glass butthe robbers dont care.

The poet notices that two people in cars drive past,pretending that they havent seen what has happened, sothey dont stop to help.

2. People involved:

The couple being pushed through the window, afterlooking in perhaps looking for an engagement ring?

The two youths stealing from the jewellers shopwindow.

The two drivers driving past pretending not to see.

The poet witnessing everything that has happened.

3. Potential answers:

The robbers because they have injured the couple andare

now stealing.

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The people who have driven past without stopping tohelp.

The poet himself, as he seems to be just watching too.