Black Roses by Simon Armitage
It concerns Sophie Lancaster’s horrific 2007 murder. In the worst way possible, her murder brings many of the issues we have been discussing up to date. The way you dress and style your hair highlights issues of identity, self-expression, fashion, and personal style.
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Written by Simon Armitage using information from Sophie’s diary and discussions with the mother. Since it is both terrifying and brilliant, the word “love” is not really appropriate. An account of how a group of thugs brutally attacked a little girl simply because she was different. Sophie Lancaster may undoubtedly be categorized as someone who wore gothic clothing. In fact, she is described in this way by the Sophie Lancaster Foundation, a highly significant charity.
However, other journalists, like Catherine Smith, object to being solely categorized in this way. It’s more of a feeling that one’s individuality is in danger. In this instance, the threat did not originate from the faceless institutions of authority as one might have expected, but rather from a gang of young people in Lancashire town.
Teenagers experiment with self-presentation and rebelliousness, and they use fashion to explore issues of difference and otherness. Many people do so well into their later years. It’s appalling that this play has become the target of deadly violence.
Black Roses, a collection of poems by Simon Armitage, is heartbreaking. He almost perfectly captures the agony that so many people experienced in these poems about this terrible incident. He contributed to giving poetry to what many of us have found difficult to convey.
