Redraft Tips



Good understanding of poem’s central
theme- that savagery still exists within our
society, it is merely hidden.
Good discussion of imagery- particularly first
two images.
Some good discussions of final stanza.




Analyse quotations/techniques more fully.
Explain why references to the Wild West are
included.
Section on use of sound.
Conclusion.

The simile ‘a helicopter skirting like a
damaged insect’ makes the helicopter seem
insignificant, yet carries more threatening
undertones.

From his hotel window, the persona sees ‘a
helicopter skirting like a damaged insect’. This is a
particularly skilful and original simile. MacCaig has
successfully captured the erratic movements of a
helicopter, comparable to those of a fly.
Furthermore, that it is so reduced in scale to be the
equivalent size to a fly highlights the great
distance between MacCaig and what he is
describing. I feel that this reinforces the persona’s
sense of alienation. However, this image also
carries far darker connotations. Flies are often
found around death and decay, which foreshadows
the violent underbelly of New York that the rest of
MaCaig’s poem reveals. Also, the word choice of
‘damaged’ suggests something imperfect and
broken- much like MacCaig reveals New York to
be.




Sum up what MacCaig has said about his
theme.
Take a few lines to do so.
Perhaps to refer back to some of your key
points.
Try to do so strongly.

In ‘Hotel Room 12th Floor’ Norman MacCaig
strips away the veneer of civilisation provided
by New York’s famous landmarks and
symbols of wealth. In doing so, he highlights
the perpetuity of evil in the human condition,
which always lurks just beneath. MacCaig
achieves this through the contrasts of day
and night, sight and hearing, civilisation and
savagery, and the Wild West and the modern
capitalist West.