Hotel Room, 12th Floor: Stanza 1

Hotel Room, 12th Floor: Stanza 1

‘Hotel Room, 12th Floor’: Stanza 1

Setting and Atmosphere

• The first stanza of this poem is set in a hotel room on the 12th floor, which gives the speaker a bird’s-eye view of New York.
• MacCaig uses this elevated vantage point to paint a vivid panorama of the city.
• The description of New York is both physical (“plain as a wardrobe”) and temporal:

Imagery

• MacCaig uses strong visual imagery to provide a snapshot of the city:
  • Skyscrapers are described as “jumbo size” and “plain as a wardrobe” - mundane yet absurdly gigantic.
  • The phrase “Broken bones” adds a harsh, violent image to the landscape, hinting at social unrest.

Simile and Metaphor

• The poet employs intense similes and metaphors:
  • New York is likened to a “wild west”, suggesting a chaotic, lawless society.
  • The phrase “Here on the edge of this unbearable city” hints at the city’s unbearable nature, hinting at chaos beneath the surface.

Tension

• The first stanza presents a contrast between the calm (the observer in the hotel room) and the hectic city below.
• The phrase “this midnight moment’s summer” suggests tranquility, creating contrast with the city drama set beneath.
• There is also a hint of foreboding and tension with words like “wild west” and “broken bones”, suggesting the potential for violence.

Summary

• In the first stanza of ‘Hotel Room, 12th Floor’, MacCaig sets the stage with a tranquil hotel room overlooking a chaotic, wild cityscape. Using potent imagery, simile and metaphor, he conveys the tension and contrasts at play, revealing a city full of potential for conflict and unrest.