Brooklyn Cop: Stanza 2

Brooklyn Cop: Stanza 2

‘Brooklyn Cop’: Stanza 2

Overview

• The second stanza continues the exploration of the cop’s life on the gritty streets of Brooklyn characterized by violence and potential danger.

Theme and Setting

• Urban brutality constantly surfaces in this stanza, amplifying both the dangerous environment the cop operates in and the hard-line approach he may have to adopt.
• The ‘blood glazed’ streets and sight of potentially dangerous ‘gorillas’ further depict the harsh realities of his patrolling route.

Imagery

• MacCaig describes the cop’s beat as the ‘wars’ end’, using wartime imagery to convey the severity and brutality of the streets he patrols.
• The ‘gorilla’ simile portrays threatening characters on the streets, hinting at the cop’s need to assume similar tough behaviour.

Tone

• The tone in this stanza returns to a harder, cynical note after the softer, humanised image in stanza 1. This contrast deepens our understanding of the duality of the cop’s existence.

Structure and Form

• Continuing from the first stanza, this stanza is structured in free verse, allowing flexibility in exploring the cop’s thoughts, experiences and his environment.

Language and Diction

• Colloquial expressions like ‘they might be / gorillas’ add authenticity and bring out the cop’s lived experiences.
• Words like ‘bullet’, ‘wars’, and ‘gorillas’ set a challenging and ruthless atmosphere, reflecting on the cop’s needs to respond accordingly.

Summary

• The second stanza of ‘Brooklyn Cop’ further sheds light on the life of a New York police officer, delving into the harsh realities of his working conditions. The imagery, tone, structure, and language all ensure a vivid portrayal of the cop’s life, highlighting the brutality of his environment and the tough exterior he must maintain.