Hotel Room 12th Floor

Central themes: Impact surroundings have on humans and human condition Links to: Basking shark- how far have humans really come Brooklyn cop- dangerous environments influencing behaviour

“Helicopter skirting like a damaged insect”

Simile- Huge aircraft seems so small and insignificant in the huge buildings. Suggests pain and suffering. Insects have connotations of bussing around and annoying. Hints to the personas questioning the worth of the advancements.

“Jumbo sized dentist drill”

Metaphor- Dentists usually have a negative connotation, suggests intimidation and overwhelmed. Humorous image , why would anyone need a dentist drill so big? Persona finds it pointless.

“Midnight has come in from foreign places”

Persona can see past the mask if a modernised city, he can still sense the inevitable dangers that have always existed. He feels modernising the city cant hide its dark past and the dangers that lurk in tge streets.

“uncivilised darkness”

This has connections of danger , fear and the unknown. Both suggest evil. Persona is scared of what dangers lurk outside. He feels unsafe and on edge.

“shot at by a million lit windows”

Shot has connotations if violence and crime. Could relate to the wild west. Lit windows contrast with the darkness . Hints toward good and evil. Suggests modernisation cant hide the dangerous truth. Humankind instinct is destructive.

“ups and crosses”

Suggest suffering and dying if christ to save civilisation. Again suggests the western image of good fighting evil.

“but midnight is not so easily defeated”

This suggest that no matter how advanced we become and what new inventions are created , we cant escape violence. There is no point fighting agains the darkness as its too prominent.

“I lie in bed”

Suggests the poet is hiding beneath his covers hiding from the commotion outside, he is using the noise of the radio and the tv to block out the noise. Or it coukd hint at his dissatisfaction that we are constantly surrounded by technology.

“wildest of warwhoops”

WC- has connotations of brutal and uncivilised, this hints at native anerican cukture and the violent culture associated with it.

“racing to the broken bones”

WC- connotations if intense , quick pace and rushed. This suggests the people on the streets are in urgent need of help, it suggests chaos and emergency. Broken bones suggest brutality, it also suggests people are no longer seen as human, only violence is seen.

“no stockades can keep the midnight out”

This suggests the brutal nature if humans will always exist. It suggests no matter how hard we try to change it , nothing can be done as our impulses are too strong. Mccaig is oessimistic that evil cant be prevented and nothing can keep danger away from human society.