City of Steel

For three years I lived in Sheffield whilst at University, the city is one of raw charm and uniqueness.  A breeding ground for poetic inspiration through personal experience, research or observation.  I found it easy to write about an environment which I was in contact with everyday, and became inspired by everything about the city from both the past and present.

There is a great deal of history embedded in Sheffield and I enjoyed researching the famous steel industry for my poem "Wrath of the Mill".  I came to understand that though this industry has brought the city glorification it has also caused pollution and devastation.  In 1937 George Orwell quoted Sheffield to be "the ugliest town in the old world", a statement the reader can reassess at the end of the collection.  Whereas some of the more light-hearted poems into he collection rhyme playfully, e.g. "Castle Calibre", I wanted to adopt a less obvious rhyme scheme, concentrating more so on assonance.  The second history based poem is entitled "The Great Inundation", in reference to the original Sheffield flood in 1864.  This devastating flood is surprisingly unknown of and I thought it would be an interesting topic to tackle, with the possibility of a follow up poem discussing Sheffield's second flood in the summer of 2007.  This poem has no rhyme scheme, a conscious decision I made due to the nature of an unexpected disaster.  I wanted to place emphasis on the imagery of the piece without the reader being distracted by a structural pattern. 

A subtle merging of past and present can be noted within my poem "In the distance", about Park Hill Flats.  When I first visited Sheffield it was those flats which intrigued me the most.  Their dominance of Sheffield's skyline makes them almost intimidating, set back within unknown territory.  "In the distance was the first poem I wrote in this collection, simply because I was inspired by their notoriety and legacy.  I wanted to explore the history of the flats and though there is a negative stigma attached to Park Hill, much is mis-conception.  My original version of the poem was a little judgemental and was directed from an outsider's point of view.  To tackle this I chose to integrate two opposing ideas, presenting both a positive and negative view.  The final line of the poem "kicked to the curb like a punctured football", is representative of Park Hill residents whose right appear to have expired.  As I have done with many of the other poems I used specific street and block names to avoid vagueness and misunderstanding.  As Park Hill flats are such an iconic feature of Sheffield's skyline I thought it would be fitting to dedicate a poem to them, especially as they are soon to be demolished.

I was eager to show as much breadth and variation of styles of writing in my collection.  I wanted to include a list poem which I found difficult to approach with confidence as it was a totally new style for me.  Though it is a short poem it took a re-shuffling of single words to make it flow and work as an effective piece.  I feel most comfortable writing in a relaxed, playful style which is demonstrated. most clearly in "Castle Calibre".  

Castle Square is a part of town which I walked through everyday and I would observe the daily goings on.  I wanted to create an impression for the reader, and to play with the idea of stereotypes to which they can relate.  It portrays a modern vision of Sheffield and a working class culture which is often looked down upon.  I had to re-structure this poem to keep up the 5 line stanza and feel that this has ensured fluidity within the piece.  I have chosen to conclude my collection with a poem about fashion veteran Vivienne Westwood who hails from the nearby market town of Glossop, Derbyshire.  The poem was inspired by her exhibition which took place at the Millennium Galleries in Sheffield.  Choosing to hold such an event in Sheffield marks its acceptance as a modern and artistically inclined city, a far cry from Orwell's damning quote.  I hope my collection shows Sheffield in many different light, but most prominently to be a progressive and enriched gem of the North.