Nooligan and Street Boy Essay -- English Literature

Nooligan and Street Boy The poems "Nooligan" by Roger McGough and "Street Boy" by Gareth Owen are two poems which both deal with the issue of teenage hooliganism, and both poets use language to create a vivid sense of character. Although both deal with the same theme, there are many similarities and differences between the two. "Nooligan" is about a boy who thinks he is really powerful and harsh but is actually an uneducated boy trying to be a real hooligan. "Street Boy" is also about a hooligan except that he actually is more powerful and has a higher status than the inferior "Nooligan". One of the main similarities is that both the poets present the characters as using slang language or some sort of incorrect form of English. In "Nooligan" for example the boy says in the fourth line of the third verse: Football's me game (Well, watchin') McGough has used "me" instead of my. This portrays the "Nooligan" as unintelligent and uneducated because of the use of words and grammar, because the poem gives us an impression that "Nooligan" isn't the type of person who would work hard (he doesn't "give a toss"), I'm not surprised at the hooligan's English. The use of slang by the hooligan in "Street Boy" is the word "hark" instead of listen or hear and "stompin'" instead of walking. The effects that these two words put on us are that we start to think that the boy actually does have some power and attitude, and we believe that he actually is the bully that he's talking about. But at the same time, the use of these slang words makes the characters appear to be foolish and idiotic. Another similarity that the poet employs in the two poems is that in both of them, the first line of each verse is the sa... ...he is. The words "stompin'", "silence", "spaced", "stoned" all show that. In conclusion, the two poems are very interesting and engaging in terms of the use of words, tone, structure etc. The poets Roger McGough ("Nooligan") and Gareth Owen ("Street Boy") use specific techniques to give the poems a certain effect. There are differences and similarities between the two obviously. The main similarity is the poets' use of slang and an incorrect form of English and the main difference is the language and vocabulary between the two poems. Something worth mentioning is that the poets have made the poems relate to all teenagers in general since the name of the "Nooligan" and the "Street Boy" aren't given. So overall, there are a lot of similarities and differences between the two, but both are to the point and give you a general idea of what the poem is about.