In The Snack Bar Flashcards
(30 cards)
Cup capsizes
The poem opens with alliteration ‘cup capsizes’ the word choice of ‘capsizes’ is an early indication of the sense of helplessness that will come up throughout the poem.
It is this sudden noise that first attracts the poets attention
Clatter
The word ‘clatter’ further emphasises the noise of the cup when it is dropped
A few heads turn
The identification of ‘a few heads turn’ highlights that very few people noticed what was going on in this busy cafe, also maybe a comment on how we often fail to notice important things in society
Trying to get to his feet
Morgan begins to project the message of the poem here. The word ‘trying’ suggests that the old man is struggling to do the most simple of things to get on his feet
Low round stool fixed to the floor
Morgan’s description of the ‘low round stool fixed to the floor’ empathises the fact that the cafe is not designed to make life easy for the disabled. The fixed stool is difficult to move and get off
Levers
The word choice of ‘levers’ shows that everything the man does takes a huge amount of effort
His hands have no power
The expression ‘hands have no power’ likens him to a machine that is broken
Dismal hump
Personification is used here to explain the way the mans hunched back (the ‘dismal hump’) pushes him down physically and leaves him feeling upset and vulnerable
Stained beltless gaberdine
The poet builds a sense of revulsion at the man through the description of his dirty clothes and untidy appearance
Like a monstrous animal caught in a tent in some story
The simile used here compares the man to an ‘animal caught in a tent’ this makes him sound like a kind of circus attraction or a monster. The sense that he appeared ‘in some story’ makes him seen beyond our understanding. All of this adds to the sense he is like a monster
Face not seen
This is a powerful line. His face is not seen because it’s pointed downwards, yet it is also not seen because many choose not to see it
If he could see
The poet reveals further details of his disability suggesting that he is also blind
Once painted white
He carries a white stick has he is blind, but the fact that it is so scuffed and muddy suggests that nobody is looking after him or helping him
Long blind, hunchback born, half paralysed
The poet gives a list of the disabilities that affects the man, building to the fact that he is ‘half paralysed’ the list helps to empathise just how difficult his life must be
He stands
The structure here and the single line ‘he stands’ emphasises his determination despite the difficulties that he is faced with. There is a sense of defiance here
I want - to go to the - toilet
Despite this, he must announce his most basic needs to strangers in a public place. This is both humiliating and degrading for him
Down two flights of stairs, but we go
The fact that the toilet is down ‘two flights of stairs’ once again highlights how difficult life is for the man because of his disabilities. He must rely on the poet to help him
Inch by inch we drift
The poets word choice helps to empathise how slowly they make their way through the cafe. It is done ‘inch by inch’ suggesting shuffling steps while the word ‘drift’ indicates that it is not a straight path
A few yards of floor are like a landscape
The poet goes on to describe how the floor of the cafe becomes ‘like a landscape’ which once again highlights how even the most simple tasks require great effort from the man
Slow…time has almost stopped
The slow pace of the man is explored when the poet states that time has almost stopped, suggesting how long it takes for him to move. Morgan also suggests that he must give the man his full attention in this moment
Crunch of split sugar
The following section of the poem sees Morgan use description of the senses to examine how the cafe is full of potential hazards to the blind man.
Here he uses both onomatopoeia and sibilance
table edges, people’s feet, hiss of the coffee machine, voices and laughter, smell of a cigar, hamburgers, wet coats steaming, and the slow dangerous inches to the stairs
The list that follows of seemingly everyday sights, sounds and smells of the cafe take on a new meaning when you imagine how they would be understood by the man as he makes ‘the slow dangerous’ journey to the stairs
clings
The word choice of ‘clings’ indicates that the man is putting total trust in Morgan and is holding on tightly to him for protection.
This word also implies the danger that is involved in this journey to the bathroom
I guide his arm and tell him the steps. And slowly we go down. And slowly we go down
The poet takes charge and guides the man like a parent teaching a child to walk.
The repetition of ‘and slowly we go down’ indicates just how slowly each step is taken
