Choose a Poem Which Deals with a Real Or Imaginary Person Or Place

Choose a poem which deals with a real or imaginary person or place.

Show how the person is introduced and how the techniques used give a convincing portrayal of that person or place.

In your answer you must refer to the text and to at least two of: theme, imagery, word choice, structure or any other appropriate feature.

A poem I have read which deals with a real person is ‘In the Snack Bar’ by Edwin Morgan. The poem explores the themes of determination and disability by describing how difficult it is for the old man to do things on his own. I found the poem to be good in providing a convincing portrayal of the old man.

‘In the Snack Bar’ by Edwin Morgan is a poem about an old blind man being in a snack bar in the evening. The old man needs someone to help him go down the stairs to the toilet and back up again. After he struggles doing this, the writer sees him onto a bus and then watches the bus leave in the rain.

One way in which Morgan gives a convincing portrayal of the old man is through his use of imagery. Some examples of this are ‘capsizes’ and ‘drifts’. I found this effective because the writer develops the idea of a comparison between familiar things. For example, the image of a boat capsizing and drifting suggests that the old man is lost and is not in control of himself.

Morgan uses personification to provide a convincing portrayal of the old man in this poem. Morgan uses personification to describe one of the old man’s features on his body. For example, ‘The dismal hump looming over him’. This quote is effective because it describes the old blind man’s disability as being a hump on his back. The reader is able to visualise clearly that it is the old man’s hump, which takes control of his life and that his hump seems to be alive because it is always hanging over him.

Another way in which Morgan gives a convincing portrayal of the old man is through his use of word choice. Morgan uses a mixture of descriptive words throughout the poem. For example, ‘A few heads turn’. This is effective because it stresses the fact that not a lot of people pay attention to the old man in the snack bar. Another example is ‘slowly’. This is effective because the reader is able to visualise how difficult it is for the old man to move. Another example is ‘to be negotiated’. This is effective because it suggests that even ordinary movement for the old man has to be planned before he can go anywhere. Another example is ‘apology for living’. This quote is effective because it provides connotations of the old man wishing he were dead.

In conclusion, the techniques used in this poem provide a convincing portrayal of the old, blind man extremely well. This poem is a good example of how Morgan portrays his characters. The poem is good in conveying how much life can actually be a struggle for people. For example, the old man found it very difficult to do things on his own so he had to be dependent and trust other people in the end.