‘Glasgow Sonnets (i)’ Edwin Morgan

‘Glasgow Sonnets (i)’

Edwin Morgan

The Gorbals is a district in the south side of Glasgow. One of the oldest settlements in the city, it grew on the south bank of the Clyde across from the city centre. This led to a mish-mash of unplanned housing which soon descended into slums. In the 19th century, the Victorians tried to resolve this problem by building a tenement community that contained pubs, shops and schools. However, the population of the Gorbals grew to around 60,000 which caused unprecedented overcrowding and the area once again descended into a slum. The problem was first addressed by Glasgow City Council as early as 1919 in a Royal Commission. The area was referred to as Hell's Hundred Acres in several newspapers and contributed greatly to the city's grimy No Mean City image with its extraordinary socio-economic problems.

Context

In the aftermath of World War 2, the Gorbals was the first district in Glasgow to be granted Comprehensive Development Area status. This would mean that the tenements would be completely demolished and new housing experiments built on the cleared land. It was the largest project of its kind in the UK and construction began in 1958 and ended in 1975. Morgan wrote the poem ‘Glasgow Sonnet (i)’, which describes a decrepit tenement block, in 1972.So, what was life like in these tenements before they were demolished?Photos from urbanglasgow.co.uk

Context

The back-court behind the tenements on the west side of Crown Street, Glasgow 1973

46-50 Abbotsford Place, December 1975.It was probably not formally occupied at this late date - were they squatters at the top floor window? or urban explorers?

McKinlay St and Turriff St. Elgin St U F Church. September 1973

Gorbals Street, November 1973

Albion Place. The Gorbals December 1973

Oxford St, north side between Bridge St and S. Portland St. Tenement dated from around 1815. November 1973

Herbertson St, or what remained of it. April 1973

1975 – new high-rise being built in the background and semi-demolished tenements in the foreground.

The building of Queen Elizabeth high rise plus the old buildings in Lawmoor St, Mathieson St and Cumberland St.

July 1973

Abbotsford Place, east side.

Abbotsford Place, more than anywhere else in the Gorbals, anywhere else in the city, had an air of faded grandeur. It was a ruined, down-and-out aristocrat of a street. Built, without uniformity but harmoniously enough, between 1820 and 1830, it was to be a douce New Town for professional people, just a step across the river from the city. The width of the street was generous, each flat had an interior wc and a bath, which was an exceptional luxury in these days, and generally five spacious apartments, the dining room around 22ft by 16ft.

For 30 or 40 years it was a ’good’ address, but the coming of the railway gave the middle classes the freedom to move further afield, to leafy suburbs far from the city slums, and the decline of Abbotsford Place (and Cumberland St and Nicholson St and others) was rapid. The size of the flats meant they were highly suitable for multiple occupancy, and successive waves of immigrants, Irish, eastern European Jews, Italians, and more recently Asians found in them a foothold on the property ladder.

These tenements were soundly built, and could have been refurbished. The lack of imagination which led to their removal was shameful.

urbanglasgow.co.uk

Interior of miner's tenementPhotograph: E. Smith (1954)Source: RIBA British Architectural Library Photographs Collection

This interior of a Glasgow tenement (1954).

The architectural elements of this room are hardly distinguished. The walls, unadorned by pictures, are decorated only by distress: spreading cracks and patches of damp can easily be spotted. Ramshackle shutters keep some of the light and cold out from this miserable room. The only distinguished feature is the fireplace, the lit fire enjoyed by the cat. The rest is mean, the flooring and furniture tired.

http://www.architecture.com/howwebuiltbritain/historicalperiods/scottish/housing1600-2000/interiorofminerstenement.aspx

If you want to find out more about life in the Gorbals at the time that the poem was written, click on the following links:

BBC - Glasgow - Nana's memories of tenement life

Short film about The Gorbals 1930-2011

Glasgow in the 1970s - Last days of the Old Gorbals

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/glasgowandwestscotland/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_8336000/8336787.stm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cu49CdlnaMo

http://urbanglasgow.co.uk/ftopic1236-0-asc-60.php

The tenement slums were demolished and replaced by new high rise homes that were intended to provide satisfactory, cheap housing on the south bank of the Clyde. The daring initiative was the largest project of its kind in the United Kingdom. At the heart of these plans were to be spectacular towers designed by acclaimed architect Basil Spence. However, the areas surrounding these tower blocks lacked basic amenities, and they were poorly designed and cheaply built. As demonstrated elsewhere in the UK, such buildings gradually deteriorated, attracting crime and fostering a reputation for being undesirable low cost housing.

Built in the 1900sthe last remaining tenement in the Gorbals

Built in the 1960s

‘High-rise’ buildings like these replaced tenement blocks in the 1960s / 70s.

Although a daring and unprecedented 'adventure' into social housing, the regeneration of the Gorbals in the form of new high-rise buildings proved to be unsuccessful in the long term.

Queen Elizabeth Square is one of the most famous high rise experiments in the history of British housing projects. Located in Hutchesontown in Glasgow's notorious Gorbals, it was meant to be the flagship for an exciting new dawn.

QES under construction

In 1984, the flats were found to be asbestos ridden and had to be stripped of the dangerous panels of asbestos over the next year. The problems for QES were to get worse.

In 1987, all the flats were evacuated after being flooded.

Glasgow District Council spent £2m over the following 2 years on new lifts, new pitched roofs and a concierge station in an effort to cut crime which was rising to uncontrollable levels as problems in the Gorbals increased. Brutal rapes, assaults and muggings were becoming all to common in the damp dark corridors.

These measures were to prove futile as QES was once again flooded in 1989. Many residents had had enough and opted to be rehoused rather than face returning to their homes.

This ‘flagship’ housing turned out, once again, to be an icon for poverty and deprivation.

http://ukhousing.wikia.com/wiki/Queen_Elizabeth_Square

http://ukhousing.wikia.com/wiki/Queen_Elizabeth_Square

Many of these high-rises have been demolished in recent years to be replaced by better planned, lower density housing with better amenities. It is generally accepted that the original tenements, like the one described in the poem, should have been renovated rather than destroyed.

‘Glasgow Sonnet (i)’Edwin Morgan

A mean wind wanders through the backcourt trash.Hackles on puddles rise, old mattresses

puff briefly and subside. Play-fortressesof brick and bric-a-brac spill out some ash.Four storeys have no windows left to smash,but in the fifth a chipped sill buttressesmother and daughter the last mistressesof that black block condemned to stand, not crash.Around them the cracks deepen, the rats crawl.

The kettle whimpers on a crazy hob.Roses of mould grow from ceiling to wall.The man lies late since he has lost his job,smokes on one elbow, letting his coughs fallthinly into an air too poor to rob.

From Glasgow Sonnets (i)

First of all, we are going to look at the form and structure of the poem.

This poem is written in the form of a SONNET.

The sonnet is a poetic form with a particular STRUCTURE.

Although there are different forms of sonnets, they all have 14 LINES.

This is a PETRARCHAN Sonnet, originally created by the Italian, Francesco Petrarch in the 14th Century.

In Petrarchan sonnets:

The first 8 lines are known as the OCTET. The octet has the rhyme schemeABBA ABBA

The last 6 lines are known as the SESTET. The sestet has the rhyme schemeCDCDCD

A mean wind wanders through the backcourt trash.Hackles on puddles rise, old mattressespuff briefly and subside. Play-fortressesof brick and bric-a-brac spill out some ash.

5 Four storeys have no windows left to smash,but in the fifth a chipped sill buttressesmother and daughter the last mistressesof that black block condemned to stand, not crash.Around them the cracks deepen, the rats crawl.

10 The kettle whimpers on a crazy hob.Roses of mould grow from ceiling to wall.The man lies late since he has lost his job,smokes on one elbow, letting his coughs fallthinly into an air too poor to rob.


A

B

B

A

A

B

B

A

C

D

C

D

C

D

The rhyming scheme does not create a rhythm due to the mixture of run on lines (enjambment) and end stopped lines in the poem.

A mean wind wanders through the backcourt trash.Hackles on puddles rise, old mattressespuff briefly and subside. Play-fortressesof brick and bric-a-brac spill out some ash.

5 Four storeys have no windows left to smash,but in the fifth a chipped sill buttressesmother and daughter the last mistressesof that black block condemned to stand, not crash.Around them the cracks deepen, the rats crawl.

10 The kettle whimpers on a crazy hob.Roses of mould grow from ceiling to wall.The man lies late since he has lost his job,smokes on one elbow, letting his coughs fallthinly into an air too poor to rob.


A

B

B

A

A

B

B

A

C

D

C

D

C

D

What is the effect of the use of regular rhyme in the poem?

The poet uses rhyme to make a point about poverty.It will never change. Those who experience it are stuck.

There are 10 syllables in each line (but in this poem it is not regularly iambic pentameter, which means 1 stressed + 1 unstressed syllable x 5)

In Petrarchan sonnets:

The OCTET presents a PROBLEM –

The VOLTA – the beginning of the sestet – marks a CHANGE IN TONE.

The SESTET– makes a COMMENT ON THE PROBLEM.

this is a series of statements that make us think about a CERTAIN TRUTH.

A mean wind wanders through the backcourt trash.Hackles on puddles rise, old mattressespuff briefly and subside. Play-fortressesof brick and bric-a-brac spill out some ash.Four storeys have no windows left to smash,but in the fifth a chipped sill buttressesmother and daughter the last mistressesof that black block condemned to stand, not crash.Around them the cracks deepen, the rats crawl.The kettle whimpers on a crazy hob.Roses of mould grow from ceiling to wall.The man lies late since he has lost his job,smokes on one elbow, letting his coughs fallthinly into an air too poor to rob.


The OCTET presents a PROBLEM – this is a series of statements that make us think about a CERTAIN TRUTH.

What is this problem?

The VOLTA – the beginning of the sestet – marks a CHANGE IN TONE.

The SESTET– makes a COMMENT ON THE PROBLEM.

What comment is Morgan making?

What other division is there between the Octet and the Sestet?

Think about the subject matter of each one.



The OCTET describes the OUTSIDE VIEW.

The SESTET describes the INSIDE VIEW.

The first quatrain (lines 1-4) describe the backcourt.

The second quatrain (lines 5-8) describe the building.

1st 3 lines of the sestet (end stopped) describe the flat.

2nd three lines of the sestet (run on) describe the man.

Why does Morgan use the sonnet form for this poem?

•We usually think of sonnets as having a beautiful form, and they are normally associated with the subject of love.

•However, Morgan has chosen to use this form in order to create a stark contrast between what we expect in a sonnet, and what can be seen as the extremely shocking content of this sonnet about poverty.

•This has the effect of forcefully emphasising the poem’s content.

Now we are going to look at the use of literary techniques in the poem.


From Glasgow Sonnets (i) Word Choice

Description of the tenement itself

Words associated with decay

Words associated with rubbish

Description of the tenants

Words associated with disease

You need to think about the CONNOTATIONS of each word/phrase , but overall the word choice is very negative , suggesting THEMES such as neglect, poverty, ill health and decay.

A mean wind wanders through the backcourt trash.

Hackles on puddles rise, old mattressespuff briefly and subside. Play-fortressesof brick and bric-a-brac spill out some ash.Four storeys have no windows left to smash,but in the fifth a chipped sill buttressesmother and daughter the last mistressesof that black block condemned to stand, not crash.Around them the cracks deepen, the rats crawl.The kettle whimpers on a crazy hob.Roses of mould grow from ceiling to wall.The man lies late since he has lost his job,smokes on one elbow, letting his coughs fallthinly into an air too poor to rob.

From Glasgow Sonnets (i) Personification

What is the effect of the personification in the poem?

It is used to dramatise the setting

or DESPAIR (‘puff briefly’, ‘whimpers’ etc)

, creating a mood of THREAT (‘mean wind’, ‘hackles rise’ etc)



From Glasgow Sonnets (i) Metaphor

What is the effect of the metaphor used in the poem?

The images suggest decay spreading , adding to the sense of threat.



From Glasgow Sonnets (i) Sound Techniques

Sound techniques emphasise the words / ideas they are attached to.




Alliteration

What is the effect of alliteration in the poem?

The soft ‘w’ highlights the aimlessness of the wind.

The plosive ‘b’ highlights the harsh, sinister description of the block of flats and its surroundings.




Onomatopoeia

What is the effect of onomatopoeia in the poem?

It dramatises the sounds.




Assonance

What is the effect of assonance in the poem?

‘Roses of mould grow’ - suggests mould spreading

‘too poor to rob’ -highlights poverty




End rhyme

What is the effect of the use of end rhyme in the poem?

It emphasises decay and destruction.



From Glasgow Sonnets (i) Enjambment

One line runs on to the next with no end punctuation.

What is the effect of enjambment in the poem?

It creates the sense of more and more signs of decay building up.

Analysis




The opening line establishes the THEMES of poverty, decay and hopelessness.

The wind is described as ‘mean’ rather than simply ‘cold’.

Personification is used to refer to the wind as if it were a cruel / unkind / unwelcome person seeking out people to torment.

This emphasises how hostile the environment is and contributes to the unpleasant atmosphere of the poem.

Analysis




Personification: as with the air, the puddles are given a personality. In this case they are angry / aggressive.

The description ‘hackles on puddles rise’ suggests that the ripples in the puddles caused by the wind look like the hairs standing up on an animal’s neck when it is angry.

This suggests violence and danger.

The setting is wholly unwelcoming and even intimidating.

Analysis




Personification is used again. The mattresses are worn out / finished. They appear to take their last breath before giving in. They are trash: discarded.

Analysis




The ‘trash’ of the opening line is explored. The landscape is punctuated with a jumble of rubbish.Imagery: The piles of bricks and old rubbish (‘bric-a-brac’) are described as ‘play-fortresses’. This suggests that the children’s games are connected to violence and aggression, possibly suggesting the beginnings of gang warfare.This implies that the people on the estate are under siege.Alliteration: The harsh sounds of ‘brick’ and ‘bric-a-brac’ reflect the violence they are used for.

Analysis




Word choice: ‘smash’, ‘ash’, ‘trash’ and ‘crash’ all rhyme and relate to one another.

They all have connotations of destruction and decay.

Together they represent something that is broken.

Analysis




Word choice: “buttresses” is the first instance of something supportive / strong in the poem.

(A buttress is a structure of stone or brick built against a wall to strengthen or support it.)

The women of the next line appear as something standing despite the decay.

Analysis




The poet describes the mother and daughter who live on the fifth floor as ‘the last mistresses’ of the tenement. This has connotations of castles, chivalry, security.

This suggests the poet’s admiration, respect, sympathy and concern for the women.

Structure: the mother and daughter appear in the middle of the poem and are surrounded by decay in the poem, as they are in life.

Analysis




The poet uses sound effects and word choice to help to create a particularly bleak impression in this line.

Sound: • alliteration of ‘bl’ and ‘ck / c’ -

harsh sounds are bleak and contribute to the tough / unforgiving picture.

• assonance – repeated ‘a’ sound is gloomy.

Analysis




Word choice: ‘Condemned’ and ‘block’ have connotations of execution.

‘Condemned to stand’ – oxymoron suggesting that the block is sentenced to the protracted agony of a living death, rather than a merciful end by execution / demolition.

For the ‘block’ the fact that it remains is seen as a negative situation: it would be better just to fall, to give in.

Analysis




Structure & Imagery: after the brief, hopeful idea of something holding out against the decay, the volta (turn) of the sonnet, returns to pessimistic hopelessness.

Those who remain are surrounded by creeping decay and vermin.

The observer sees that their eventual destruction in inevitable.

Analysis




Ambiguity: The ‘cracks’ are ambiguous.

They are both literal – cracks in the building – and metaphorical – cracks in society.

The ‘rats’ could also be both real and metaphorical (representing social problems / disease / poverty).

Analysis




Personification & Onomatopoeia: ‘Whimpers’ suggests a person or animal crying out in pain, contrasting with the angry and aggressive personalities given to the air and the puddle.

The use of the word ‘whimpers’ helps to contribute to the description of the room and its occupants; it suggests that the kettle is expressing the misery of the room’s occupants.This adds to the dreary, pathetic impression of the room and emphasises the vulnerable / sad condition of the occupants, suggesting hopelessness / helplessness.

Analysis




Imagery & Juxtaposition: Roses represent life and are considered beautiful.

This image creates a juxtaposition / contrast between beauty and decay.

The fact that they are ‘roses of mould’ highlights the absence of anything positive / pleasant.

‘Mould’ obviously shows the decay that is present.

Analysis




Imagery: The poem ends by focusing on one man in bed who seems to resemble his surroundings:• ‘coughs fall thinly’

• He is out of work / is not being used

• He seems depressed / is of no value

Analysis

- the man is weak and decrepit, like the crumbling building he lives in.

, therefore is poor like the building.

, like the building.




Alliteration: ‘lies late…lost’ - draws attention to his sadness and lack of purpose.

The picture we are given of the man is one of hopelessness / lifelessness.

The man has ‘fallen’ as he no longer stands against the decay.

Analysis




Personification: the air itself becomes something pathetic / destitute.

The speaker’s observation concludes that the scene is indeed one of utter poverty, hopelessness and decay.

Enjambment of this last line (‘coughs fall / thinly into an air too poor to rob.’) suggests continuity of situation.

Analysis

Tone

Themes

– the voice of the poetDespairing Sombre Bleak

Imagery and figures of speech in the poem support these themes:

• Alienation• Urban decay• Slum life

- Poverty and the effect it has on the psyche of those who experience it:

• Deprivation• Hopelessness• Isolation

harsh alliteration, personification, onomatopoeia, symbolism,connotations, paradox.

Mood / Theme• Pessimistic - sense of hopelessness created through effective imagery / language.• The tone is sympathetic – the harsh details reflect the harsh realities of life for the

poor. • Social comment – he is showing us the REAL Glasgow. It is not the sentimental,

romantic, ‘poetic’ city of culture. He is showing us the irony of the unseen reality.• The poem was written to highlight social problems. It is a political critique of an

uncaring system / policies.• The man has no name: he is anonymous, sub-human, invisible and does not count.

He is symbolic, he could be anyone, he represents ‘everyman’.

‘Glasgow Sonnets (i)’ Edwin Morgan

Documents

Transcript of ‘Glasgow Sonnets (i)’ Edwin Morgan