The Working Class in Britain
The key theme that runs through all of Turnbull's poetry is the working class in Britain. He seems to be looking down on them, chiefly for not realizing the stereotype that they allow themselves to become. They are seen to be typically preoccupied with designer labels and have claimed Burberry check as their uniform, so much so that the middle and upper classes no longer purchase or wear it. They only wear Calvin Klein jeans and spend an entire paycheck on their labelled denim, even though they can't afford to make ends meet. The working class girls come off particularly harshly in Turnbull's poetry, and are portrayed as sleeping around and getting pregnant very young. The poet observes that although they behave in a way that stereotypes them, they do not realize it.
Generation Gap
There are two distinct generations in Turnbull's poetry, and it is often a case of "never the twain shall meet". There are obvious gaps between the older generation and the younger generation and the two groups don't understand each other. The older generation see the younger generation as constantly partying, obsessed with their image, shallow and overly preoccupied with wearing the right label, listening to the right music and saying the right things. The younger generation feel that the older generation don't listen to them or take them seriously; for example, the kid in "Radioactive Kid" wants to tell people what he knows about the terrible effects of pollution but knows that nobody will listen or believe him if they do.
Modern Versus Classical Literature
In only two poems Turnbull manages to mention five classic poets and authors; "To a Louse" is an answer to Robert Burns, Scotland's version of the Bard himself, William Shakespeare. Turnbull utilizes Burns' Scottish colloquialisms and writing style to write a poem addressing a small and seemingly insignificant parasite, also bringing in Shakespeare and George Orwell to boot. In "Ode on a Grayson Perry Urn" is an allegory of John Keats' Romantic poem "Ode on a Grecian Urn" and he uses the form and meter of the Keats poem, modernizing it with a Turner prize winning ceramics artist and his work, and the moments in time that were being portrayed.
Behavior of Young Women
Turnbull focuses on the behavior of young women in more than one of his poems, but specifically in "Ode on a Grayson Perry Urn". He does not have a high opinion of the moral compass of young working class girls. He sees them as irresponsible, and unaware of the diseases they could be passing between them. He also feels that they do not have any ambition other than sleeping with as many of the local boys as possible. This is a minor theme in his work but it is nonetheless one that repeats many times.
