“Wanders,” refers to the wind in line one. What does this suggest about the building?
That it has been built over a wide area.
That this is a lonely place which even the wind has found by chance.
That it is located in a part of Glasgow which is difficult to reach.
According to line three what games do the children play?
Mattress bouncing
Hackles
Play-fortresses
“Brick and bric-a-brac.” What technique is used here and what is its effect?
A metaphor. The building materials are being compared to the pieces of a children’s game.
Neologism. Morgan has invented a word to suggest how crazy the site looks.
Repetition. Morgan is emphasising the way that the site is strewn with building materials.
“The last mistresses.” What is ironic about this phrase?
There are both men and women that still live in the block.
They were the first people to move in.
There is nothing left which is worth being mistress of.
What does Morgan mean when he says, “condemned to stand, not crash.”
That the building will be pulled down by the authorities but not for a few more years yet.
That the building is unsafe and will fall down very soon.
That the building’s fate is that it will remain when it would be better if it was demolished.
What is the double meaning of “the cracks deepen”?
The ground of the backcourt is splitting apart and the man’s face is becoming lined with worry.
People are being injured as a result of stumbling over the bricks. Drugs are being sold around the building.
The building is beginning to physically fall apart. Society is breaking down too.
Why is “roses,” an interesting word to use in this poem?
Roses grow but nothing grows in this area.
Roses are the symbol of England and this is set in a Scottish city.
Roses are associated with romance and the sonnet form and this is a sonnet.
How does the man losing his job contribute to the tone of the poem?
It makes it relaxed. He has plenty of time to himself now.
It gives it an agitated tone. He is anxious about finding a new job.
It gives it an air of helplessness and hopelessness.
Why is he described as smoking “on one elbow”?
He does not even have the motivation to sit up properly.
He can smoke more easily this way.
This is the only way that he can get comfortable in his flat.
“An air too poor to rob.” What does this phrase tell us about the inhabitants of the building?
That the air itself is of a poor quality.
That the wealthier residents live towards the top of the building.
That they have been left with absolutely nothing.