Brooklyn CopNorman McCaig's Brooklyn Cop is a poem that explores the theme of violence, a theme that has the potential to affect us all. This theme is explored by McCaig, writing about a cop in Brooklyn and the daily dangers he faces. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The poem is about a policeman who works in Brooklyn, New York, which is renowned for being a rather violent society, thus making the job of being a policeman there even more difficult than being a policeman elsewhere. The fact that every workday is a life-threatening situation for him is evident throughout the poem, as are the fierce, tenacious, and unyielding characteristics of this Brooklyn policeman, all necessary for him to fulfill his duties. The physical description of the policeman leaves the reader in no doubt about his aggressive appearance. McCaig uses the simile in the first line of the policeman being "built like a gorilla". This immediately allows the reader to have the image of the huge and very intimidating policeman, which is, again, a necessary characteristic for a man with such a job. The images of him possessing the qualities needed for his dangerous job continue as his skin is described as "thick, steak-colored flesh." This gives the reader the image of him as a stereotypical red-faced person, someone who gets angry easily and has a short temper. Again the characteristics of being ruthless and fickle are included among those required for his job, when dealing with the type of criminals he deals with on a daily basis. The policeman's eyes are cleverly described as "two hieroglyphics...". means trouble". This metaphor implies that the policeman is very difficult to understand and is someone who cannot be read easily. Once again this is a key characteristic for the policeman as it gives him a distinct advantage over his criminal opponents when confronting them in one-on-one situations. The fact that they "mean trouble" also shows that he is intimidating and implies that the mere look of his eyes would be enough to strike fear into the toughest of criminals. by his very nature, he is potentially violent. He risks his life every day and this is evident from his words to his wife before going to work he says "see you darling" and then she is told that "he hoped so, he really hoped so". .This repetition of “I hoped so” places emphasis on the fact that he really hoped so because he was more than aware that he could be killed on the job and such a scenario was not unlikely. He really hoped that he would make it through another day in society violence he was supervising and to be able to see his wife again. The phrase “hiya honey” is something that many American men regularly say to their wives. and friends that had become a cliché and was said out of habit. However, with the Brooklyn cop in question, that wasn't the case because when he told his wife, she was really happy that he had succeeded, as it meant that he had survived another extremely dangerous day while trying to eliminate some of the violence within of his patrol. We're told the cop "walks the sidewalk and has a penchant for violence." The metaphor of describing civilized society as a thin fabric over violence implies that there is a violent society "under" or within all civilized societies and this violence is so close to us that civilization and violence are simply separated by a "thin fabric". . This way the reader comesmade aware of the violence that coexists with all civilizations. This metaphor is particularly effective as the word "fabric" has the connotation of something that breaks easily and as violence is described as "underneath" this "fabric", the implication is that anyone can fall into this violent society, regardless whether they are victims or perpetrators of violence, it has the potential to affect us all. The use of the extended metaphor in verse two serves to highlight the fragility of maintaining this peace. The possibility of being affected by violence is brought up again when McCaig talks about the "tearing of the fabric" which refers to the policeman breaking through this thin and fragile fabric, when a violent situation erupts and he is suddenly called into a potentially very dangerous situation in per be the keeper of peace. His fall through this fabric is described as a "dive" which has the connotation of a total lack of hesitation on the part of the policeman into the new and unknown dangers that lie beneath this fabric between civilization and a violent society. The fact that he has no hesitations shows that he knows what he has to do to carry out his job of eliminating violence from society, which however is an infinite task. Various locations in the cop's area are mentioned and these include "Phoebe's, Whamburger and Louie's Place." All of these locations are used by McCaig to establish the setting as they are all quintessentially American names, which is obviously where this violent underworld is portrayed. The use of wham in Whamburger is an example of onomatopoeia used to add effect as it gives the effect of violence being committed as it is the sound that can be made when someone or something is hit by someone in a violent way. This is in line with the theme of the poem and is another way for McCaig to point out that violence surrounds civil society. The repetition of "thing" before both "clubbing" and "gunshots" helps to emphasize the force and magnitude of both of these violent acts, thus once again connecting to the theme of violence so prominent within the society. The first two verses described the policeman himself, his attitude, his pace, and the daily dangers he faces. In the third verse McCaig shows that he feels pity for the policeman since he has such a dangerous job, but one so valued by modern society. McCaig evokes sympathy for the cop by asking "who would he be" as it is a job, in McCaig's eyes, that very few people would want to do but is necessary for the functioning of society as it is known. It is clear that his pity is not sentimental as he maintains the metaphor of the policeman as a gorilla, thus making him still the same intimidating and ruthless human being. McCaig talks about how the policeman's job is a life-threatening situation every day when he says it's home it's somewhere "that he may, this time, never return to." The fact that he says "this time" and puts it in brackets makes the reader stop and think about the meaning of "this time". Of course he is referring to the fact that every day there is a possibility that he will not return and every day that comes there is always this sad possibility for him and his loved ones, which they must be aware of. McCaig is implying that the fact that he has come home every other time means nothing about the hope that he will return home safely this time, or any other time in the future. In the final verse, however, McCaig invites the reader to consider the problems faced by police "victims." The word "victim" implies that the person in question is someone who has felt the wrath of someone else to the point of being treated unfairly..