‘Glasgow 5th march 1971’ by Edwin Morgan is a poem that I recently read and found enjoyable. It revolves around a young couple who find themselves pushed into a jeweller’s window by two youths attempting to rob a shop on Sauchiehall Street late at night. In this distressing situation, the appalling indifference of two drivers becomes evident as they simply ignore the crime and drive away. The poem begins with the unfortunate incident of the young couple getting forcefully thrust into the shop window, resulting in significant injuries, one of them being potentially fatal. The apathy displayed by the two drivers towards this occurrence is highlighted.
Edwin employs enjoyable techniques and imagery in his work. Notably, he begins by swiftly establishing the setting with a metaphor, referring to it as a “ragged diamond of shattered plate glass.” This comparison between sharp glass fragments and a shimmering uncut diamond has a powerful impact on the poem. While the cause of this scenario is unknown, we are informed that a young man and his girlfriend are falling backwards into a shop window. Such vivid and startling images captured my attention and left me wanting to delve further into the poem.
The initial depiction of the young man portrays him as having a face full of shards of glass, implying that he will bear permanent scars. This paints a disturbing picture of his face, which is covered in oozing blood resulting from the wounds caused by the glass fragments embedded in his skin. The word ‘bristling’ intensifies this vivid image. In contrast, Morgan informs us that the girl has injured her leg, presenting a stark visual contrast between the blood on her white jacket.
Morgan explicitly indicates that the blood spraying everywhere is arterial, implying that she could perish within seconds. “the girls leg has caught on the broken window and spurts arterial blood over her wet look white coat”. The couple is still trying to comprehend what has transpired as they ready themselves for the crash onto the floor. Their pain unfolds in three stages: first, “their faces show surprise”; second, they experience “shock” since they likely weren’t anticipating being pushed through a window; and finally, “their faces show surprise, shock, and the beginning of pain” as the impact of striking the glass sets in.
In the second stanza, we learn that the young couple has been pushed through a shop window by two youths. I am angered by the fact that these two individuals, whom they are unfamiliar with, would act in such a way just to loot the store. The situation is shocking because the lives of the young couple are endangered over some jewels. The youths show no emotion, indicating that their only concern is robbing the shop. I sympathize with the couple as they did not deserve this ordeal, and one of them may even lose their life while the other will be forever traumatized.
Ultimately, we encounter the disinterested drivers in the backdrop who remain unfazed by the unfolding events in front of them, despite the potential danger faced by the young couple. They choose to ignore the situation and focus solely on their driving. I am taken aback by their indifferent response as I would have anticipated them to seek assistance. Morgan skillfully incorporates several literary devices, including alliteration and metaphors.
The utilization of techniques in the poem enhances its enjoyment and facilitates our ability to visualize the events. Alliteration is employed multiple times, resulting in the highlighted words standing out, such as the phrase “wet-look white coat”. Morgan employs metaphors to create a mental image of the incident; for example, the phrase “their arms are star fished out” informs us that their arms are spread out like a starfish. In conclusion, I found the poem to be highly commendable. I sympathized with the injured couple as they did not deserve the misfortune they encountered. Conversely, I felt anger towards the two individuals who committed the crime, as they evaded punishment for their actions.
