The bargain

Question 1

the river in January is fast and high

Answer 1

suggest relationship ins’t going smoothly/could run into trouble

Question 2

you and i

Answer 2

addresses her lower - encouraging her to remember the memory - though ‘and’ signifies physically together but drifting apart

Question 3

twitch and fret

Answer 3

tension - couple pushing against football supporters suggests unsettled

Question 4

rubbing the wrong way

Answer 4

suggests beginnings of disagreements/discomfort

Question 5

getting ready to let fly

Answer 5

suggests impending violence conflict between fans but also relationship
unpredictable and tense mood

Question 6

ugly losers

Answer 6

troubles about to occur between fans and relationship

Question 7

where the two rivers meet

Answer 7

refer to river clyde and river of football fans

Question 8

January

Answer 8

no punctuation to highlight speakers uncertainty about relationship
new year - a time to reflect about the past and question the future (relationship)

Question 9

looking back, looking forward,
don’t know which way

Answer 9

juxtaposition - the speaker feels uncertain about something should she look to the future or the past

Question 10

buttonpopping stationhopping

Answer 10

suggests enthusiastic enjoyment of music
alliteration - specific details add authenticity suggests energy and upbeat activity

Question 11

a beat sing along its easy

to every changing tune

Answer 11

deliberate gaps changes meter of poems - stallholder speaks in time with the music - suggests happiness

theme - breakdown of the relationship, the couple keep changing their minds.

Question 12

yes today we’re in love aren’t we?

Answer 12

suggests that there days where they aren’t in love - questioning lover (insecure?)

Question 13

splintering

Answer 13

connotations of breaking apart - tone of doubt/relationship fractured.

Question 14

its big quick river wintry bridges

Answer 14

focuses again on details of city - affection for place nut she doesn’t romanticise Glasgow
suggests cold and uninviting/lack of connection

Question 15

brazen black victorian heart

Answer 15

suggests neglect and poverty = deteriorated nature of relationships

Question 16

wears its hearth on its gable end?

Answer 16

recognises faults and history of place - makes is appealing - also pun on wear your heart on your sleeve = contrasts the open nature of glaswegians with the lack of openness in the relationship

Question 17

a glint in your flinty northern face again

Answer 17

suggests strength and wisdom but also coldness and unresponsiveness - she is desperate for reassurance = insecure

Question 18

reek

Answer 18

unpleasant smell making you feel ill

Question 19

old damp clothes

Answer 19

left out, neglected - like the relationship

Question 20

calendar (last years)

Answer 20

sense of pity evoked to poverty of man’s existence = impoverished glasgow

Question 21

no connoisseur can afford to be too scrupulous

Answer 21

double meaning - suggests a real bargain hunter needs to be prepared to root around for somethings precious so too a relationship can only be sustained through effort and hard work

Question 22

there was no doubt the rare the beautiful
bugle-beaded the real antique dirt cheap
among the rags and drunks

Answer 22

(T) - relationships - they are looking for something of value but they dont want to pay the price

Question 23

this boy knows his radios
pure utility

Answer 23

light-hearted atmosphere - skill of stall holders coaxing out best upbeat mood - deal enjoying atmosphere and characters at market

Question 24

art deco

Answer 24

past fashions

Question 25

fibreglass is flabbergasted

Answer 25

alliteration

Question 26

a 'fire surround boutique'

Answer 26

suggests warmth and comfort but also destructive shopping

Question 27

fall apart or have kids

Answer 27

speaker's concerns resurface relationship has reached a crossroad = breakup or start a family

Question 28

oh we've never shouldered much. we'll stick to small ikons for our home - as long as they're portable - a dartboard a peacock feather a stucco photo frame

Answer 28

suggests a lack of resilience in the relationship sense of bitterness - something artificial about their relationship suggests temporary - like relationship rather than filing home with children they fill it with objects = superficial

Question 29

losing you and finding you

Answer 29

double meaning - literal and figurative - growing doubt about their future together

Question 30

through a complete set of manuals for primary teachers in the thirties

Answer 30

not useful - suggests wasting time/avoidance

Question 31

till the gilt shows through

Answer 31

suggests attempt to fix relationship but seems artificial links to my rivals house

Question 32

trap

Answer 32

suggests feeling stuck and fooled - unwilling to try to make things better

Question 33

expenditure

Answer 33

suggests not wanting to be wasteful any longer

Question 34

see january

Answer 34

double meaning - its what the seller is saying but also they are waiting until january to see if the relationship improves and if not they will end it

Question 35

doldrums

Answer 35

suggests stagnation and melancholy = they feel stuck in a relationship no longer is making them happy

Question 36

beady bag and the maybe rosewood box

Answer 36

real value of objects is obvious - the optimism that once would have accompanied these purchases is replaced with cold hard reality and uncertainty (like relationship) = items that were once vibrant and valuable

Question 37

there doesn't seem to be a lot to say

Answer 37

direct statement - worries so evident that theres not much to say

Question 38

I wish we could either mend things or learn to throw them away

Answer 38

reinforces finality with rhyme both seem aware that relationship has reached a pivotal moment but they seem unwilling or unable to find then energy to reinvestigate it. Through unlike the bargains that are broken there is a way their relationship could still be mended. They are stalling, either break up or don't