'Your Attention Please' by Peter Porter |
Poetry |
Your Attention Please
The Polar DEW has just warned that
A nuclear rocket strike of
At least one thousand megatons
Has been launched by the enemy
Directly at our major cities.
This announcement will take
Two and a quarter minutes to make,
You therefore have a further
Eight and a quarter minutes
To comply with the shelter
Requirements published in the Civil
Defence Code - section Atomic Attack.
A specially shortened Mass
Will be broadcast at the end
Of this announcement -
Protestant and Jewish services
Will begin simultaneously -
Select your wavelength immediately
According to instructions
In the Defence Code. Do not
Take well-loved pets (including birds)
Into your shelter - they will consume
Fresh air. Leave the old and bed-
ridden, you can do nothing for them.
Remember to press the sealing
Switch when everyone is in
The shelter. Set the radiation
Aerial, turn on the geiger barometer.
Turn off your Television now.
Turn off your radio immediately
The Services end. At the same time
Secure explosion plugs in the ears
Of each member of your family. Take
Down your plasma flasks. Give your children
The pills marked one and two
In the C.D green container, then put
Them to bed. Do not break
The inside airlock seals until
The radiation All Clear shows
(Watch for the cuckoo in
your perspex panel), or your District
Touring Doctor rings your bell.
If before this, your air becomes
Exhousted or if any of your family
In critically injured, administer
The capsules marked 'Valley Forge'
(Red Pocket in No. 1 Survival Kit)
For painless death. (Catholics
Will have been instructed by their priests
What to do in this eventuality).
This announcement is ending.
Our President Has already given orders for
Massive retaliation - it will be
Decisive. Some of us may die.
Remember, statistically It is not likely to be you.
All flags are flying fully dressed
On Government buildings - the sun is shining.
Death is the least we have to fear.
We are all in the hands of God,
Whatever happens happens by His Will.
Now go quickly to your shelters.
The Polar DEW has just warned that
A nuclear rocket strike of
At least one thousand megatons
Has been launched by the enemy
Directly at our major cities.
This announcement will take
Two and a quarter minutes to make,
You therefore have a further
Eight and a quarter minutes
To comply with the shelter
Requirements published in the Civil
Defence Code - section Atomic Attack.
A specially shortened Mass
Will be broadcast at the end
Of this announcement -
Protestant and Jewish services
Will begin simultaneously -
Select your wavelength immediately
According to instructions
In the Defence Code. Do not
Take well-loved pets (including birds)
Into your shelter - they will consume
Fresh air. Leave the old and bed-
ridden, you can do nothing for them.
Remember to press the sealing
Switch when everyone is in
The shelter. Set the radiation
Aerial, turn on the geiger barometer.
Turn off your Television now.
Turn off your radio immediately
The Services end. At the same time
Secure explosion plugs in the ears
Of each member of your family. Take
Down your plasma flasks. Give your children
The pills marked one and two
In the C.D green container, then put
Them to bed. Do not break
The inside airlock seals until
The radiation All Clear shows
(Watch for the cuckoo in
your perspex panel), or your District
Touring Doctor rings your bell.
If before this, your air becomes
Exhousted or if any of your family
In critically injured, administer
The capsules marked 'Valley Forge'
(Red Pocket in No. 1 Survival Kit)
For painless death. (Catholics
Will have been instructed by their priests
What to do in this eventuality).
This announcement is ending.
Our President Has already given orders for
Massive retaliation - it will be
Decisive. Some of us may die.
Remember, statistically It is not likely to be you.
All flags are flying fully dressed
On Government buildings - the sun is shining.
Death is the least we have to fear.
We are all in the hands of God,
Whatever happens happens by His Will.
Now go quickly to your shelters.
Poem Analysis:
Peter Porter’s
‘Your Attention Please’, is a serious poem questioning the
scientific advancement and faith in God. It is based on irony and is
apocalyptic in the way that it presents the vision of the end of the world, by fire. This poem begins with a warning by Polar
Distant Early Warning (DEW), and ends with the helplessness of human
efforts. The warning is that a nuclear rocket strike has been targeted
at the major cities of the poet’s land (Australia). After this
announcement, the people are left with only eight and a quarter minutes
to comply with the shelter requirements which are given in the Civil
Defence Code, were the well-loved pets, the old and bedridden are to
be deserted. Peter Porter’s “Your Attention Please” reflects the disarray and disastrous state of affairs of the contemporary times. It echoes the theme of death, division and decline. This poem is written in the form of a radio announcement, warning of a large nuclear attack aimed at all the major cities. It covers a serious subject and yet the tone used is mostly satirical, and also casual, direct, and instructional, but also terrifying. A rather strong feeling used throughout the whole poem is that it is satirical towards the government. It does so by making the speaker sound overly concerned with procedure at the expense of efficiency, which people often relate to officials and being organized. This acted as a cover for the horrifying truth of the events happening. You also feel intimidated by using specific times and exact measurements like, “This announcement will take two and a quarter minutes to make”. This is also typical of a government speech, wasting time with information you did not really need to know. Another meaning of this poem is possibly to prepare you for a nuclear attack and make you think of what you would do in this situation. This aspect of a war like this is shocking, however, it is obvious that the poet finds it ridiculous. You feel like the inevitable is coming, like a nuclear attack which can not be stopped. “Give your children the pills marked one and two” “and send them to bed” This is meant to be the easy way out, “For painless death”. This just shows how bad this experience must be for the listeners as suicide is an option. In some sections it tries to sounds reassuring. For instance “Remember, statistically it is not likely to be you.” In this example it fails as it is talking about death, an unlikely topic for statistics. The poem finishes off with a command and this just reminds you of all the other commands contained during the poem. Imagery is used very effectively during the whole poem whether it is chilling, strange or reassuring. A the end it says, “All flags are flying fully dressed on government buildings”, which makes the world’s last moments seem honorable when it is actually chaos and desperation. It also tries to take the blame off the government by saying, “Whatever happens happens by His Will”, meaning god. Peter Porter always liked placing things close together for contrasting effect, in this case the power of art against the degrading powers of applied science and technology. Immersed in a world of money, material and munitions, human values have shown a marked deterioration. In an era of competition, time and destruction rule high. In a satiric tone, the poet ascertains that the President has already given orders for Mass retaliation. The decision is “decisive”. The ordinary citizen has no say in the matter. Nor do the military personnel involved. All flags are fully dressed on Government buildings where power reigns supreme.