The+Cockroach

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** The Cockroach ** ** Kevin Halligan ** **The Poem** I watched a giant cockroach start to pace, Skirting a ball of dust that rode the floor. At first he seemed quite satisfied to trace A path between the wainscot and the door, But soon he started to jog in crooked rings, Circling the dusty table leg and back, And flipping right over to scratch his wings – As if the victim of a mild attack Of restlessness that worsens over time. After a while, he climbed an open shelf And stopped. He looked uncertain where to go. Was this due payment for some vicious crime A former life had led to? I don't know, Except I thought I recognised myself.

**Introductory Activity** Think about cockroaches for a moment and then jot down answers to the following questions: - What does the word ‘cockroach’ make you think of? - What feelings does that title evoke in you? - Write our 10 words that you immediately associate with cockroaches. - Do you think the poet intended for you to react in this way? If so, why? - What other animals evoke similarly strong reactions from people? - Highlight and make a list of verbs used to describe the cockroach’s movements. What do these suggest about it? - Highlight and make a list of adjectives used in the poem. What detail do they add? How do they contribute to the mood of the poem? - What is the impact of the final line of the poem? - In what ways could the man be compared to the cockroach? - What is the form of the poem? Why is this an unusual form to choose? - What is the effect of the enjambment at the following lines: - Find examples of end-stopping and punctuation used within lines. Comment on the effect this creates to the rhythm and your understanding of the ideas of the poem.
 * Questions for analysis**
 * Mild attack / Of restlessness
 * Open shelf / And stopped
 * Crime / A former life had led to?



Kevin Halligan was born in Toronto, Canada in 1964 He regards himself as an Anglophile and has spent long periods living in England, but has also travelled in Asia, where this poem was written. His collection “Blossom Street” is based on his travels and he often observes alien counties with detailed fascination. In this poem he apparently focuses an intense concentration on an insect, but in a powerful twist of focus the whole poem flips back to reveal that the poet himself is actually the subject. Halligan hones his poems obsessively. He is able to use a variety of forms with great control, and deceptive ease. This seems at first quite a simple poem but it is tightly constructed with great skill.
 * Kevin Halligan Biography**

How much would you FREAK out if you walked into your bathroom and discovered this?
 * Final question... **