Technique/idea Key Quotes and analysis
Key themes: What does Youth The speaker observes on a vase,
this poem explore? Freedom ‘delineating tales of kids in cars on
Hedonism crap estates’, demonstrating how
this poem is about youth culture.
These teens travel at night from
‘Manchester to Motherwell to
Slough’ and don’t need to ‘race back
home for work next day, to bed’,
highlighting the freedom that they
have to do what they like.
These teens play ‘chlamydia
roulette’ and get ‘the cops’ called on
them. They live life to the fullest with
no thought for consequence.
Language: Any patterns Older vs younger language The speaker contrasts language
of language? Poetic Onomatopoeia such as ‘tranquillity’, ‘gaudy
techniques? Eg: similes, Frenetic sounds evocation’ and ‘conjure’, which are
metaphors, verbs, etc. Phallic imagery typically more older and educated
Affectionate tone words, to ‘burberry clad’, ‘given
head’ and ‘Buckfast and Diamond
White’, which are more colloquial,
younger generation words.
The onomatopoeic ‘throaty turbo
roar’ mirrors the engine sound of the
motorbikes, adding to the theme of
hedonism and wild extravagance.
Frenetic sounds of ‘screech’ and
‘squeal’ add to the excitement of the
poem and the thrilling, risk-taking
aspect of the motorbikes.
The phallic and sexual imagery of
‘pulsing juice’ which ‘fills every pair
of Calvin’s’, as well as ‘given head’
and ‘chlamydia roulette’ highlight the
hedonistic lifestyle and riskiness of
these teenager’s activities.
The speaker is rather affectionate in
his tone, in wonder of these kids
‘lives so free and bountiful,
demonstrating how he aligns himself
with these working class kids.
Ideas: What is the poem The speaker picks up a The media res ‘Hello! What’s all this
about? What are the main vase depicting a bunch of here’ immediately sets the dynamic
ideas here? What does delinquent teens. tone of the poem, as well as
the poet want you to feel? These teens engage in risky mirroring PC Plod. He picks up a
activities, such as speeding ‘kitschy vase’, ‘delineating tales of
Is there a message here?
through the night, without a kids’.
care in the world, drugs and These kids ‘flail their motors through
Key themes: What does Youth The speaker observes on a vase,
this poem explore? Freedom ‘delineating tales of kids in cars on
Hedonism crap estates’, demonstrating how
this poem is about youth culture.
These teens travel at night from
‘Manchester to Motherwell to
Slough’ and don’t need to ‘race back
home for work next day, to bed’,
highlighting the freedom that they
have to do what they like.
These teens play ‘chlamydia
roulette’ and get ‘the cops’ called on
them. They live life to the fullest with
no thought for consequence.
Language: Any patterns Older vs younger language The speaker contrasts language
of language? Poetic Onomatopoeia such as ‘tranquillity’, ‘gaudy
techniques? Eg: similes, Frenetic sounds evocation’ and ‘conjure’, which are
metaphors, verbs, etc. Phallic imagery typically more older and educated
Affectionate tone words, to ‘burberry clad’, ‘given
head’ and ‘Buckfast and Diamond
White’, which are more colloquial,
younger generation words.
The onomatopoeic ‘throaty turbo
roar’ mirrors the engine sound of the
motorbikes, adding to the theme of
hedonism and wild extravagance.
Frenetic sounds of ‘screech’ and
‘squeal’ add to the excitement of the
poem and the thrilling, risk-taking
aspect of the motorbikes.
The phallic and sexual imagery of
‘pulsing juice’ which ‘fills every pair
of Calvin’s’, as well as ‘given head’
and ‘chlamydia roulette’ highlight the
hedonistic lifestyle and riskiness of
these teenager’s activities.
The speaker is rather affectionate in
his tone, in wonder of these kids
‘lives so free and bountiful,
demonstrating how he aligns himself
with these working class kids.
Ideas: What is the poem The speaker picks up a The media res ‘Hello! What’s all this
about? What are the main vase depicting a bunch of here’ immediately sets the dynamic
ideas here? What does delinquent teens. tone of the poem, as well as
the poet want you to feel? These teens engage in risky mirroring PC Plod. He picks up a
activities, such as speeding ‘kitschy vase’, ‘delineating tales of
Is there a message here?
through the night, without a kids’.
care in the world, drugs and These kids ‘flail their motors through
