Page 51 - The Language of Humour

38 THE SHOCK OF THE NEW

Throwing a brightly coloured piece of material
Over a sofa
Makes it look more interesting.
Pity the same can’t be said for some people.
Slow It Right Down
Nobody gets priority with you
So all concerned must do the best they can:
Be safe and stop, be brave and charge on through—
You are an unmarked crossroads of a man.
Some men I know are double yellow lines
Or traffic lights for everyone to see.
I’m practised when it comes to give way signs
But unmarked crossroads are a mystery
And this time I shall do it by the book,
Slow it right down and read my highway code;
Before reversing, take one final look—
An unmarked crossroads down an unknown road.

Commentary

The image suggested of a lizard-skin handbag is deliberately misleading.
It takes a moment for the reworking of the word ‘handbag’—bag made
out of hands—to sink in. The poem ends quickly, leaving a bizarre
image and a fresh look at the notion of cruelty. Most of the audience
would react unfavourably to animal skin used for bags—how much
worse is it to use human skin? The second poem also begins with an
accepted notion an almost clichéd style of decor—and simply extends
the logic from furniture to people. Sophie Hannah uses an unusual
metaphor for love, and extends the image throughout the poem. There is
something incongruous about such a prosaic image of road features. As
the device itself alludes to the conceits of metaphysical poetry, there is
an element of humour in such modern images. Most people can find a
revealing comment on the necessary dangers of love in ‘Be safe and
stop, be brave and charge on through’.

PRAGMATICS
The term pragmatics is used to refer to the ways that sentences acquire
meanings in contexts. Sometimes factual knowledge and assumptions
are required to understand the significance. It is not enough to