Brooklyn Cop: Form and Structure

‘Brooklyn Cop: Form and Structure’

Understanding the Poem’s Form

• ‘Brooklyn Cop’ is a free verse poem, meaning it does not conform to a fixed metrical pattern. This gives MacCaig flexibility in controlling the pacing and rhythm.
• The poem comprises four stanzas with variable length. Each stanza offers a different perspective or thought about the ‘Brooklyn Cop’.

Free Verse

• Unlike traditional forms of poetry with steady rhythms and rhymes, ‘Brooklyn Cop’’s free verse reflects the unpredictability and constant flux of a police officer’s life.
• The free verse could also mirror the unpredictability and chaos of the urban setting of Brooklyn the cop patrols.

Varied Stanza Length

• The varied stanza lengths embody the unpredictability and variation in the cop’s experiences and tasks – from extreme violence and danger to normalcy and calm.
• The first, second, and fourth stanzas are longer with eight lines each. The third stanza is shorter with only three lines. The contrast in length may highlight the sudden shifts in the cop’s experiences or emotions.

Use of Enjambment

• ‘Brooklyn Cop’ makes significant use of enjambment – the continuation of a sentence or clause over a line-break. This technique often helps to create a sense of fluidity, unpredictability, and momentum.
• The use of enjambment allows MacCaig to control the pacing and flow of the poem, mirroring the cop’s heartbeat and the pulse of the city itself.

Summary

• The free verse, varied stanza lengths, and use of enjambment in ‘Brooklyn Cop’ all contribute to portray the unpredictability and tempo of the cop’s life and the city he serves. MacCaig’s choice of form and structure powerfully reflect the poem’s themes and the cop’s experiences.