Two Scavengers in a Truck, Two Beautiful People In A Mercedes

Two Scavengers in a Truck, Two Beautiful People in a Mercedes is a poem by American^[1] poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti.^[1] The poem is studied by English school children as part of the GCSE AQA Anthology.

Description

The poem describes four people stuck at traffic lights in downtown San Francisco - two are garbage collectors and two are an elegant couple in a Mercedes. The poem is about the contrast between these people and the gap that is developing between the rich and poor even in the USA which is meant to be a 'democracy'.^{[2] [3]} The description of the couple as "Beautiful People" is perhaps ironic as the term was first used to describe those had held countercultural ideals during the 1960s.^[3] The poem questions whether America can be called a democracy given the disparities in wealth between those, rich and poor.^[4]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "GCSE Bitesize - Lawrence Ferlinghetti: Two Scavengers in a Truck". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english/poemscult/ferlinghettirev1.shtml. Retrieved 2009-08-20. 
2. ^ "GCSE Bitesize - Lawrence Ferlinghetti: Two Scavengers in a Truck". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english/poemscult/ferlinghettirev3.shtml. Retrieved 2009-08-20. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Andrew Moore. "Different Cultures-AQA Anthology for GCSE". Teachit.co.uk. http://www.teachit.co.uk/armoore/anthology/differentcultures.htm#twoscavengers. Retrieved 2009-08-20. 
4. ^ "GCSE Bitesize - Lawrence Ferlinghetti: Two Scavengers in a Truck". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english/poemscult/ferlinghettirev2.shtml. Retrieved 2009-08-20. 

External links

• BBC
• Text of the poem
• A Slideshow of the poem