The Clown Punk By Simon Armitage

The Clown Punk By Simon Armitage

1. About the Poem

   • The Poem describes a punk who is seen by and man and his children as they drive home through a rundown part of town.
   • The speaker is the driver of the car
   • The punks behaviour is intimidating but the driver helps the children see it as a creation
   • As the punk is described you learn about the drivers attitude and beliefs

2. Ideas, Themes and Issues

   • Appearence
     • The way we dress often influences how people see us. The punk's appearence reflects his beliefs and is intended to create a reaction
   • Fear
     • The children are afraid of the punk because of how he looks and acts, the driver suggests this will change with time.
   • Youth
     • The way we look, what we believe in and what frightens us changes us as we age.
   • Outsiders
     • The clown punk is marginalised both metaphorically and physically

3. Form Structure and Language

   • The use of the sonnet form, which is typically associated with love poetry, could suggest fondness for the punk
   • It has the same line structure as a traditional sonnet but both the rhyme scheme and iambic pentameter are disrupted, reflecting the punk's non-conformist appearence and attitudes
   • The reserved criticisms that the driver makes of the punk create a philosophical tone.
   • Thje description of the punk in the 3rd stanza suggests the driver pities him and wonders what his future holds.
   • Pathos is created by a juxtaposition of the two nouns used in the title 'Clown', 'Punk' and the simile in lines 3/4 that brings to mind the image of a shambolic looking figure
   • Words from a semantic field of images/art remind us that the punk's appearence is a creation

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