Here is the poem, just in case your dog ate it.
Brooklyn Cop
by Norman MacCaig
Built like a gorilla but less timid,
thick‑fleshed, steak‑coloured, with two
hieroglyphs in his face that mean
trouble, he walks the sidewalk and the
thin tissue over violence. This morning,
when he said, "See you, babe" to his wife,
he hoped it, he truly hoped it.
He is a gorilla
to whom "Hiya, honey" is no cliché.
Should the tissue tear, should he plunge through
into violence, what clubbings, what
gunshots between Phoebe's Whamburger
and Louie's Place.
Who would be him, gorilla with a nightstick,
whose home is a place
he might, this time, never get back to?
And who would be who have to be
his victims?
What is the poem about?
Norman MacCaig depicts the character of a corrupt, thuggish American cop. A policeman is meant to inspire trust and is employed to 'serve and protect'. Instead the, "Gorilla with a nightstick", is insensitive, violent and appears to enjoy the murderous nature of his occupation. However, despite his brutal nature and tough exterior, there is a gentler side to the cop, who loves his wife and fears for his life. The poem asks us to consider the violence that takes place within a city like New York, and whether the cop is partly responsible.
Imagery
“built like a gorilla” - tells us he is big and strong and is a stereotypical image of a New York cop.
“..but less timid”- suggests he is brave, but brutal
“he walks the sidewalk and the thin tissue over violence” - the divide between civilisation and violence is only ever paper-thin.
“two hieroglyphs in his face that mean trouble” - he is seeking out violence
MacCaig uses the simile at the start of the poem, "built like a Gorilla", but towards the end of stanza one he changes the comparison to a metaphor, "he is a gorilla". This strengthens the image and emphasises the savage, bestial and primitive nature of the cop.
Word Choice
“Phoebe’s Whamburger” and “Louie’s Place” – sound like they might be mafia diners or places where gangsters might hang out.
"nightstick"- It is significant that he has chosen a nightstick, because stereotypical police would have a gun. The Brooklyn Cop has a nightstick, perhaps because he enjoys being able to use it to violently beat up criminals.
Plunge” - suggests falling quickly. It has connotations of falling, uncontrollably, perhaps from a great height into something terrible, like the “thin tissue” into violence
“honey” - has tender associations, and his fear that his “home is a place he might, this time, never get back to” tells us that he is vulnerable.
Structure
Stanza One - builds the cartoon-like image of a stereotypical cop.
Stanza two - shows how how quickly the cop could be thrust from safety into chaos and how violence is always present in his world.
Stanza Three - written as a rhetorical question and is ambiguous. It leaves the reader to question his policing, and his "victims".
It is important to note the stanzas become shorter and much more condensed. This reflects the poet grasping at different ideas and becoming lost. Norman MacCaig's hope of proper justice is disappearing the more he thinks about it.
Setting
‘Brooklyn’ tells us that the poem is set in a poorer part of New York, and it is generally known that crime is more common in poorer parts of the city. The setting emphasises the violence and corruption in the poem.
Overall
The poem explores the relevant and important issue of police brutality. Should we feel sympathy for a family man who has been hardened by everyday violence, or instead be disgusted by his brutal policing, which seems to have little effect? Perhaps you found the poem effective because it describes a realistic character who is both vulnerable, and violent.
