'In the Snack-bar' (SQA National 5 English): Revision Note

Below is a guide to Edwin Morgan’s poem ‘In the Snack-bar’ in preparation for the SQA National 5 English exam. It includes:

• Overview: a breakdown of the poem, including its possible meanings and interpretations

• Writer’s methods: an exploration of Morgan’s techniques and methods

• Understanding the poem: an exploration of the themes and ideas within Morgan’s poem

• Linking the poems: an understanding of how ‘In the Snack-bar’ connects to Morgan’s other prescribed poems for the Scottish text section

Overview

In order to answer questions on any poem, it is vital that you understand what it is about. This section includes:

• An overview of the poem

• A ‘translation’ of the poem, section-by-section

• A commentary of each of these sections, outlining Edwin Morgan’s intention and message

‘In the Snack-bar’ overview

‘In the Snack-bar’, written by the poet Edwin Morgan, is a dramatic monologue (opens in a new tab) of the speaker’s encounter with an old, disabled man in a Glasgow snack-bar. The speaker shows compassion to the man in a poem that explores the theme of social responsibility, as well as offering an emotional insight into the lives of those more vulnerable.

‘In the Snack Bar’ translation 

Lines 1-6

Translation

• The poem begins by introducing the setting (a “snack-bar”) and the subject of the dramatic monologue (“An old man”)

• The man draws attention to himself when he spills a drink

Morgan’s intention

• The poem begins with a series of repeated sound effects:

  • The plosive “k” sound, repeated four times in lines 1-2, emphasises the intrusiveness of the the sound

  • The fricative sounds in lines 4-5 then emphasise the effort the man has to make 

• The use of contrast (“few” versus “crowded”) emphasises how the majority of people are oblivious to the noise, or at least pretend to be oblivious   

Lines 7-13

Translation

• The speaker describes the old man, examining his body movements and clothes

Morgan’s intention

• The speaker uses monosyllabic words in the first sentence on line 7 to suggest the hopelessness of the old man’s plight

• He is then described as a “dismal hump”, a transferred epithet that presents the man as pathetic and misshapen

• This portrayal of the man as somehow lacking human form is further explored in the imagery (opens in a new tab) of the “monstrous animal”, which implies that he is something ugly and misunderstood

• Meanwhile, his movements are unsteady (“sways slightly”) and he seeks to literally hide away by obscuring his “face” beneath a “cap”

Lines 14-22

Translation

• As the old man gets to his feet, the full extent of his disability becomes apparent, notably his blindness

Morgan’s Intention

• It takes until line 16 for the speaker to “notice now his stick”: the irony (opens in a new tab) is that the speaker has been blinded by the man’s appearance to the extent that his literal blindness went unnoticed

• The list of adjectives (“blind”, “hunchback”, “paralysed”) emphasises the scale of the man’s disability and passivity

• Nonetheless, the verbs that follow (“stands”, “speaks”) suggest how the man has the potential to be capable and active

• The statement in line 22 is broken by two dashes to indicate the man’s shortness of breath and effort required to speak

• There is also a sense of shame in this statement, for an adult to have to ask help of a stranger in this way 

Lines 23-34

Translation

• Here, the speaker describes helping the old man towards the toilet

• This journey is stretched across multiple lines, taking on an immense complexity, as the pair move very slowly across the snack-bar

Morgan’s intention 

• This part of the poem seeks to offer a glimpse into the lived reality of the old man, causing the reader to sympathise with his plight

• This sympathy is conveyed through the empathy of the speaker, as he must “concentrate my life to his” in order to help the man

• The use of the pronouns in line 24 suggests the dynamic between the pair is more complex than it first appears

• The enormous scale of the trip is emphasised by the used of “landscape” and the idea that “time has almost stopped”

• The list that follows, beginning on line 29, emphasises the sharp focus that such slow movement encourages, with the speaker’s senses attuned to every detail of the snack-bar

• Overall, the attention to detail from the speaker emphasises the effort the seemingly smallest things require, while the reference to “slow dangerous inches” summarises the challenge of this journey

Lines 35-41

Translation

• The long journey to the toilet continues, with the pair negotiating stairs and then finally entering the toilet

Morgan’s intention

• The speaker is starting to anticipate (“I put”) the man’s needs, indicating his growing empathy, and the man “clings” to symbolise (opens in a new tab) his trust

• This idea is repeated in line 38, as the speaker takes control (“I guide”, “tell him”)

• The repetition (opens in a new tab) of “And slowly we go down” emphasises just how long it takes, but also highlights the sense of unity between the pair

• The writer then uses juxtaposition (opens in a new tab) to contrast the shabby reality of the man (“uncouth”) with the clean, sterile setting (“clinical gleam”) of the toilet

Lines 42-48

Translation

• The speaker describes the old man urinating

• After he has finished, the speaker must help the man with his “buttons”, such is his disability

Morgan’s intention

• Morgan presents a sense of ambiguity at this point in the poem:

  • The word “brooding” has connotations (opens in a new tab) of something dark, powerful and scary, but also of thinking deeply about something

  • The phrase “painful ages” could also describe the awkwardness experienced by the old man, speaker, or both 

• The symbolism of the man’s urine being “thin and slow” suggests a lifelessness

• This symbolism continues in the phrase “apology for living”, with the man feeling he is a burden to society

Lines 49-55

Translation

• The relationship between the speaker and the old man becomes more intimate, as the man is helped to wash and dry his hands

Morgan’s intention

• There is ambiguity in the question, “Can I - wash my hands?”:

  • The question seeks to request permission, but in a rhetorical (opens in a new tab) sense throws doubt on his ability to undertake a this simple action

• The words “clasp” and “gently” underline the growing intimacy and empathy between the two main characters in the poem

• The contrast between “feebly” and "patiently" separates the man’s physical weakness from his mental strength

Lines 56-66

Translation

• The speaker helps the man back up the stairs and finally to the door of the snack-door, before watching him board a bus

Morgan’s intention

• The repetition of ‘He’ puts the old man at the heart of what becomes a symbolic experience:

  • The anaphora (opens in a new tab) (“He climbs”) emphasises the man’s determination and resolve

  • The central concern of the poem is then explored in lines 59-61 (“but…said.”) — the importance of endurance regardless of physical limitations

• The repetition of “we” further emphasises the shared nature of the bond between the old man and speaker

• The writer then uses paradox (opens in a new tab) (“faltering, unfaltering” and “endless, yet not endless”) to underscore how important it is to keep going no matter how hard it gets

• The man must again be “helped” to board a bus:

  • The pathetic fallacy (opens in a new tab) of “rain” suggests a dismal mood, with the movement of the bus (“shudders”) mirroring the movements of the man 

Lines 67-72

Translation

• The speaker moves into a reflection using the old man as a symbol of human suffering

Morgan’s intention

• The reference to “dark” is both literal and metaphorical (opens in a new tab), for human behaviour can be cruel and unpredictable:

  • Even so, the old man must “trust men”, putting his faith in universal humankind

• The use of the plosive “p” in lines 71-72 reinforces his pathetic appearance

• The man was once dehumanised as “the face” in line 12, but the use of “his face” in line 72 suggests that while the speaker may see humanity in the old man, others still view him as “monstrous”

Lines 73-80

Translation

• The speaker reflects on how the old man might see himself

• He concludes by expressing his anger at society 

Morgan’s intention

• The simile (opens in a new tab) “like wet leaves” emphasises the clinging yet powerless nature of the man’s hands, linking to ideas of death and decay

• The juxtaposition of “depends” and “evade” contrasts the tricky nature of the old man’s life

• The transferred epithet of the “blind hump” explores the idea that, while the hump itself is not blind, it is nonetheless a debilitating burden he must carry

• The poem ends with a frustrated call from the speaker:

  • Christ teaches us to love and care for those who are vulnerable, yet society ignores the old man, turning “Dear Christ” into an expletive instead of an expression of love

  • The exclamation to close the poem is a final expression of the speaker’s compassion for the man and anger at society

Writer’s methods

Although this section is organised into three separate sections — form, structure and language — it is always best to move from what the poet is presenting (the techniques they use; the overall form of the poem; what comes at the beginning, middle and end of a poem) to how and why they have made the choices they have. 

Focusing on the poet’s overarching ideas, rather than individual poetic techniques, will gain you far more marks. Crucially, in the below sections, all analysis is arranged by theme and includes Edwin Morgan’s intentions behind his choices in terms of:

• Form

• Structure

• Language

Form

Edwin Morgan’s poem is a dramatic monologue outlining the speaker’s observations and reflections about an old, disabled man.   

Structure

The use of free verse (opens in a new tab)and the present tense give a sense of both reality and immediacy to the poem.

Language

Edwin Morgan uses word choice, imagery and repetition to explore the consequences of old age, infirmity and disability. 

Understanding the poem

For the SQA National 5 English exam, it’s important to show a clear and thoughtful understanding of the poem’s themes and main ideas, as well as how the poet’s techniques and intentions help to convey meaning. This section focuses on two main themes that Morgan examines in ‘In the Snack-bar’:

• Societal attitudes

• Isolation

Societal attitudes

• ‘In the Snack-bar’ explores societal attitudes to those people in society who are isolated or vulnerable

• In the first verse, the old man is largely ignored and treated with indifference:

  • His disturbance only turns a “few heads” and it is left to the speaker to symbolise the more compassionate side of societal behaviour

• His comparison to a “monstrous animal” establishes how society sees this outsider as detestable and freakish

• However, by taking the time to understand and empathise with the old man, the speaker is able to not only humanise him, but also to celebrate his determination in the face of formidable physical challenges

• The poem ends with the speaker imploring society to be less judgemental:

  • The reference to “Dear Christ” reminds the reader of the long-held importance of love and compassion for others

Isolation

• The old man is isolated due to his old age, infirmity and disability, and is seen to be the victim of both social and physical isolation

• He is very much a separate entity, presented as alone, leaving alone, and then being alone on the bus

• This aloneness is clearly a consequence of his “monstrous” appearance, which leaves him utterly reliant on the kindness of a stranger when he needs to navigate himself to the toilet

• This isolation has, however, forged strength, as his relentless “climb” of the stairs indicates

• The final image is of a man alone on a bus, isolated by a society that is unable to see his better qualities

Linking the poems

Students often use Edwin Morgan’s poetry to answer the Scottish texts section of the SQA National 5 Critical Reading exam. If you choose, though, you can write your critical essay question on Morgan’s poetry instead. 

If you decide to write about Morgan for the Scottish text section, the final question asks you to demonstrate a wider understanding of his poetry. This means linking more than one poem together by focusing on his ideas and how he communicates them (his techniques). 

The six Edwin Morgan poems on the SQA syllabus are:

• ‘In the Snack-bar’

• ‘Trio’

• ‘Strawberries’

• ‘Love’

• ‘Glasgow Sonnet i’

• ‘Death in Duke Street’

Here are some parallels between the six poems, organised by shared themes: