King Billy

Edwin Morgan

Group Task Who was Billy Fullerton?

What is sectarianism?

What is a “Billy Boy”?

In your groups answer the questions and find out as much as you can about Billy Fullerton.

What is in a title?

King Billy

Form and Structure The poem is in 4 stanzas and 29 lines of blank verse

The narrative style of the poem uses third person narration. The persona is a third person omniscient narrator (they have a god-like overview)

The poem’s tone is sombre and serious, and also reflective of the past.

The enjambment used slows the rate of the poem and emphasises its reflective tone. The only use of caesura at the end of “dying alone in Bridgeton in a box bed.” is used to highlight Billy Fullarton’s literal death.

Structure The poem can be structured as follows:

Stanza 1 – The graveyard

Stanza 2 – The flashback to the old Bridgeton

Stanza 3 – The memories of Billy/his funeral and legacy

Stanza 4 – The final reflection – the twist. Not damning Billy Fullarton as expected, but the lack of understanding between people.

Pictures of Glasgow

Billy Fullerton Led a gang the “Billy Boys” famous for violence

in Bridgeton, East End of Glasgow in the 1930s

Associated with Scottish Protestantism, Unionism and sectarianism

Despite his legacy as a folk hero to some, he died alone in Bridgeton where everyday his gang would sing the national anthem.

Around 1000 people followed his funeral procession in Glasgow on its journey to Riddrie cemetery.

Today’s Lesson

Continued notes on BF and structure.

Questions on the poem to be completed and answered as a class.

Begin annotation of the poem in pairs – using glossaries.

‘Grey over Riddrie the clouds piled up / dragged their rain through the cemetery trees.’

Contribution to scene and mood: Setting introduced – ‘Riddrie’. Uses personification – the clouds ‘dragged’

their rain. Suggests they’re heavy with rain. Suggests dull, dreary atmosphere – lots of

grey clouds and penetrating rain. ‘cemetery’ – idea of death / mourning

introduced.

Themes The importance of understanding the past

That poverty can breed violence

The danger of ignorance about the beliefs of others (sectarianism)

Hypocrisy of violence in defence of supposedly Christian beliefs.

‘...Wind rose / flaring the hissing leaves, the branches / swung heavy, across the lamps.’

Contribution to scene and mood: Weather worsening. ‘flaring’ – spreading the leaves everywhere. ‘hissing’ – onomatopoeia / personification – sinister

connotations – hissing usually threatening sound. Heavy branches – makes them sound imposing /

intimidating. Light being obscured by the trees moving in the

wind – spooky / gothic atmosphere – stormy graveyard.

Enjambment – ‘the branches’ – effect of branches swaying in the wind.

‘Gravestones huddled in drizzling shadow’

Contribution to scene and mood: ‘gravestones huddled’ – suggests weather so

bad, they need to huddle together for shelter (personification).

‘drizzling shadow’ – refers to rain and darkness – adds to spooky / sinister atmosphere.

How structure of first 4 lines in second verse adds solemn dignity to the scene:

A long sentence, which lists the various descriptive details of the funeral procession. Creates a slow rhythm which reflects the a slow respectful funeral march.

Use of colon in line 4 to introduce elaboration – King Billy of Brigton has been introduced and now we are going to find out more about him.

How the poet conveys the poverty and violence of King Billy’s background. Poverty ‘brooding days of empty bellies’ ‘billiard smoke and sour pint’ ‘bad times / of idleness and boredom’

Violence ‘boots and fists’ ‘sherrickings’ – public arguments. ‘the scuffle, the flash, the shout / bloody

crumpling...’ ‘bricks’ ‘ambush’ ‘razors’

Structure of lines 19-24

Long list of endless violence. Quick listing – speed arguments turned into

violence. Repetition – it was ongoing. Contrast – Billy Boys v. Conks – power shifts.

‘Sillitoe scuffs the razors down the stank’.

An effective metaphor – comparing Chief Constable’s success in breaking down the power of the razor gangs to him kicking their razors down drains.

Suggests he was personally responsible for eradicating the violence.

Image of razors being washed down drain – into sewers where they belong.

‘stank’ – Glasgow word – sense of place (as if this is a Glaswegian telling us what he did).

Social comment in lines 28-29

Lines imply that the violence was born out of the poverty of the time. People had nothing better to do with themselves (‘idleness and boredom’).

How sympathy is aroused for King Billy. Billy Fullerton was born into poverty and a bad

time, and this did not hold him back – he offered hope to some disaffected people in Glasgow at the time.

However, he was soon forgotten by the people as their circumstances improved.

He ended up forgotten and alone – he used to be a legendary figure (contrast of his lonely death / busy funeral attended by hundreds of mourners).

‘...the flutes / threw ‘Onward Christian Soldiers’ to the winds / from unironic lips...’

It is ironic that a Christian song is playing at the funeral of someone who was very un-Christian in his actions (a violent murderer).

However, much of the violence was born out of religious differences – Catholic v. Protestant.

The mourners do not realise the irony – they are unaware of the discrepancy in what they are doing.

Language used to give sense of time and place:

Time: To Our Leader of Thirty Years Ago Bad times References to the gangs / poverty / events of

the time.

Place References to Riddrie / Brigton / Bridgeton Cross Gangs / characters Descriptive setting at beginning.

Today’s Lesson

Complete annotation of the poem

Work on techniques

Look at the essay question

Essay Question 7. Choose a poem which deals with an

important issue such as war, crime, poverty or racism.

Explain how the poet deepens your understanding of the issue by the choice of content and the skilful use of poetic techniques.