The poem has an unemotional and clinical tone. The writer does not write about the characters emotions or add any emotions of his own. Instead his writing is factual and he concentrates on the characters facial expressions. Although the poet adds no personal feelings or emotions of his own, the poem still conveys a strong message and it is up to the reader to interpret this message.
The first technique the poet uses to put across his message is metaphor. He describes at the beginning of the poem:
“a ragged diamond
Of shattered plate-glass”
This metaphor emphasises the sharpness of the glass. He compares the glass to a ragged diamond. This is effective because it helps me picture the sheer sharpness of the glass and how it would slice the girls’ leg.
Another metaphor which emphasises the brutality of the attack is:
“bristling with fragments of glass”
In this metaphor the poet is comparing bristles of facial hair to bristles of glass lying on the mans face. It is an effective comparison because it helps me to imagine all the tiny particles of glass. I think the poet wants us to recreate the incident as we read, with as much detail as possible.
In this poem the writer does not add any emotions, but instead concentrates on facial expressions of the characters.
“Their faces show surprise, shock,
And the beginnings of pain”
I think this quote is effective because it emphasises how fast everything is happening. This is evident from the writer describing the how the characters are only just beginning to feel the pain. This is also emphasised by the couples’ expressions. Their expressions tell us that they were caught off guard and are stunned.
The final technique the poet uses is tone. The poem is full of vivid descriptions of violence, which shock the reader, but the tone used by the poet is matter-of-fact and unemotional:
“The two youths who have pushed them
Are about to complete the operation”
In this quotation we can see the poets’ lack of emotion; we can see this from his word choice. The word “operation” emphasises the clinical tone throughout the poem. It also suggests the youths are unemotional as they perform the robbery. I think the absence of emotive language is effective because it lets the reader feel their own emotions instead of the poet writing down his emotions and thoughts.
In conclusion I would say the poet successfully uses a variety of techniques to put across to the reader that violence is unnecessary and wrong. This poem made me think about violence and the consequences it can have on innocent people.
