The Cockroach by Kevin Halligan

IGCSE summer exam analysis notes

“pace”

Anthropomorphosis - as if the cockroach has human legs

“Skirting”

A trochaic inversion which flips the metre. Capture a sense of the cockroach’s speedy swerve.

“a ball of dust”

Able to circumvent obstacles course. Symbolic of life’s journeys and its obstructions along the way …

“But soon…”

adversative conjunction signals a downturn in the poet’s life. The analogy sours.

“jog”

“pace” diminishes “jog” suggesting a slower more depressed pace.

“circling the rusty table leg and back”

Like the damaged frustrated circles of an encaged animal? Suggest entrapment in the dull monotony of his life.

“rusty”

suggests neglect, decay (as does the earlier “dust”) connotes poor self care

“As if the victim of a mild attack”

He feels like a persecuted sufferer - he is agitated and paranoid in his state of increasing discontent.

“attack, Of”

a lurching, jolting enjambement. It helps bring out the awkwardness of the speakers voice; his jerky indecisiveness

“Of restlessness that worsened over time”

The roach is suffering from ennui a sort of existential dissatisfaction

“he climbed an open shelf”

The ascent suggests a momentary spell of success. The enjambement creates a delay where we wonder if it’s hopeful progress rather than real.

“And stopped.”

The sudden halt of the caesura early in the line shows that any progress made was short-lived.

“uncertain”

Indecision and low confidence consumes him, as bluntly said in the declarative.

“vicious crime”

again, the enjambement creates unnatural delays. This can create little surprises for the reader (have a deeper philosophical idea about reincarnation)

It also works as a way to draw attention what is being said.

“A former life had led to?”

The question what he had done to deserve this?

Is he wondering about suffering confusion for ill deeds done in a previous life - or is it fate of being reincarnated as a cockroach?

“Except I thought I recognized myself”

Meek, self-deprecating voice of feeling confused. In observing the cockroach’s struggles, he sees his life in a disappointing trajectory. He projects his sense of failure.

Also emphasizes, with the idea of a useless futile life and his self deprecation and depression.

Final note

Lack of a volta it is as if the cockroach deviates from a set conventional path. It reinforces the idea of not doing the correct thing in the right direction.