Brooklyn Cop
“Brooklyn Cop” Critical evaluation
Norman MacCaig describes the character of the “Brooklyn cop” a corrupt, thuggish American. A policeman is meant to put across trust and is employed to serve and protect the people. Instead the "Gorilla with a nightstick" is insensitive, violent and appears to enjoy the murderous nature of his occupation. However despite his brutal nature and rough exterior there is a gentler side to the cop who loves his wife and fears for his life.
“Brooklyn Cop” by Norman MacCaig is a poem which describes an unusual character. The Cop is described as a violent and intimidating character but who also has a gentler more human side. Through this character the MacCaig uses language to examine how fragile society is and how quickly it can turn into violence. MacCaig uses an image of a gorilla to create a vivid picture of the “Brooklyn Cop”. In the opening line we are told that the cop is: “Built like a gorilla but less timid”
This simile creates a clear picture of the cop as someone who is intimidating, uncivilised also territorial and violent. The image of the gorilla is used again towards the end of the first stanza: “He is a gorilla to whom “Hiya, honey” is no cliché.”
In this line MacCaig uses language further as he uses a metaphor rather than a simile to make the comparison of the “cop” to the gorilla even stronger then before. However the following line shows that the cop is in fact normal too as he shows a more tender human side as he speaks to his wife. The word “honey” is a term of affection that shows both his love for his wife and his relief at coming home safely from his beat. These contrasting parts of his personality, his brutal, animal-like side at work, and his tender caring side at home are revealed in these two contrasting lines and contribute to the vivid description of the cop. MacCaig tells us more about the cop when he says:
“two hieroglyphs in his face that mean trouble”
This suggests that the “cop”
Norman MacCaig describes the character of the “Brooklyn cop” a corrupt, thuggish American. A policeman is meant to put across trust and is employed to serve and protect the people. Instead the "Gorilla with a nightstick" is insensitive, violent and appears to enjoy the murderous nature of his occupation. However despite his brutal nature and rough exterior there is a gentler side to the cop who loves his wife and fears for his life.
“Brooklyn Cop” by Norman MacCaig is a poem which describes an unusual character. The Cop is described as a violent and intimidating character but who also has a gentler more human side. Through this character the MacCaig uses language to examine how fragile society is and how quickly it can turn into violence. MacCaig uses an image of a gorilla to create a vivid picture of the “Brooklyn Cop”. In the opening line we are told that the cop is: “Built like a gorilla but less timid”
This simile creates a clear picture of the cop as someone who is intimidating, uncivilised also territorial and violent. The image of the gorilla is used again towards the end of the first stanza: “He is a gorilla to whom “Hiya, honey” is no cliché.”
In this line MacCaig uses language further as he uses a metaphor rather than a simile to make the comparison of the “cop” to the gorilla even stronger then before. However the following line shows that the cop is in fact normal too as he shows a more tender human side as he speaks to his wife. The word “honey” is a term of affection that shows both his love for his wife and his relief at coming home safely from his beat. These contrasting parts of his personality, his brutal, animal-like side at work, and his tender caring side at home are revealed in these two contrasting lines and contribute to the vivid description of the cop. MacCaig tells us more about the cop when he says:
“two hieroglyphs in his face that mean trouble”
This suggests that the “cop”