The Game

This poem compares the game of football to the Faust Legend. The Faust Legend obtains the concept that knowledge comes with a terrible price; a man wished to know everything, and so made a pact with the Devil that one of his demons (Mephistopheles) would be his servant for twenty-four years and give him all his knowledge. After this twenty-four years, the man was taken to hell by the Devil and stayed there for eternity. This links to the poem as 'The Game' follows a theme of corruption. Religion, sport and the passing of time are other themes which the poem follows.
     Throughout 'The Game', Abse presents his home team (Cardiff City) as the side of God; he does this by using angelic phrases to describe them, such as 'cherubs'. He presents the opposing team as the side of the Devil by making references to the Devil himself and 'Mephistopheles'. The first two stanzas give an impression of the scene; an strong image of the stadium is created with its' 'goal posts' and 'brassy band' where 'a hundred matches spark.' The second stanza holds a reminiscent tone as the persona 'recall[s] records' and 'the old songs'. Abse also makes references to 'Fred Keener' and 'Hardy', both legendary players for Cardiff City. He gives the crowd animalistic features; he describes it as an 'injured beast' which 'roars', giving the reader an impression of its' incredible mass and portraying the violence which can occur over football games. These phrases depict the savageness of football, and how the fans turn almost into animals with their pride; an image is created of their immediate urgency to see their team obtain victory.
     The third stanza sees the game begin, and religion is used to describe much of it. He describes himself and the other fans as 'cheer[ing] the Good' and 'hiss[ing] at passing Evil.' The players are described animalisticly in a similar way to the crowd; Abse tells of how they 'howl for blood'. By using this phrase he presents the game as a matter of life and death, portraying how important football is to many people and how victory becomes a vitality, not just something trivial. There is a reference to corruption at the end of this stanza; 'Demons have agents: the Referee is bribed.'
     Half-time is signaled in the fourth stanza with an impressive save from the opposing goal-keeper; 'Satan rose / higher than the others in the smoked brown gloom'. This phrase uses strong imagery of the setting with Abse creating a formidable tone through the word 'gloom'. He applies yet another reference to religion, and it could be argued that Abse is comparing sport and faith to suggest that humankind worships 'The Game' in the same way that others may worship a God - it appears to be a significant part of his life.
     Nostalgia creeps in to the fifth stanza, and Abse describes 'Memor[ies]of faded games' as he and the crowd reminisce. '...the band played the same military airs / as when the Bluebirds once were champions', and this suggests that although many things change with the passing of time, the past is still remembered and filters in to the present; things that have become memories, such as past football victories are not forgotten, and this again shows the importance of sport and how it is a significant part of many peoples' lives.
      In the sixth stanza the game recommences. The caesura used in the final line suggests urgency as if the game is hitting its' peak and every move counts: 'Heads up!' Reference is made to 'Ted Drake' and 'Dixie Dean', both rivals Southampton, Arsenal and Everton. The 'forwards scheme' mentioned is the area of the pitch where strikers and forwards play (near the goal). The Faust Legend is referenced again in the seventh stanza, and it could be argued that Abse is comparing 'Faust [that] must pay that fee' to the fans that have become too arrogant of victory, too sure in their knowledge that the Bluebirds would win the game.
     The final stanza produces a strong image of the 'Silent...stadium' where 'Only the pigeons beneath the roofs remain.' There is a sense of loss and sadness, and a disappointed realisation of the outcome of 'The Game'. Abse uses pathetic fallacy to depict this: 'natural the dark, appropriate the rain'. He describes the newsboys as 'threatening', suggesting hurt pride and a sense of embarrassment at the thought of the rest of the world knowing his team lost. This could also be a reference to the gaining of knowledge, linking to Faust; sometimes it is best for certain areas of knowledge to remain unobtainable, as they come at a price (in this case, humiliation).
     The structure of this poem is nine stanzas long and has an iambic pentameter, with an 'ab' rhyme scheme - this regularity contrasts with the uncertainty of a football game.