A good class is Useful Interesting Memorable Time

A good class is: � Useful � Interesting � Memorable

Time for a new approach

Today �Going to highlight everything you can use to talk about theme of a poem. �By the end of the class, you shall be able to discuss theme of any poem in great detail.

Heading Mr. Dunne st 1 October Unseen Poetry 3

Philip Larkin – Three stages of poetry � 1. A poet becomes obsessed with an emotional concept to the point where he or she must write it down. � 2. A poet creates a device which shall reproduce this emotional concept in others. � 3. A reader encounters the device and becomes aware of the concept. That concept is theme of the poem.

How to find a theme – S. P. I. T.

How to find out theme or purpose of a poem. v S. p. i. t. s. v S. – Subject Matter v P. – Purpose or Message v I. – Identify Emotion, Mood or Feeling v T. – Technique v S. – Summary

Subject Matter �What is the poem about? �What is the story, the setting, the event as you see it? �The title of a poem gives clues about theme.

Examples �A Room in the Past �Nettles �A Sentimental Moment

Purpose or Message �Why �Is did the poet write the poem? the poet trying to tell you something or convince you of something? �The answer can be derived from the last line or stanza usually.

Examples � “turning � “My � “I her back on the rest of us, forever”. son would often feel sharp wounds again”. sometimes start to reach for his hand”

Identify Emotion, Mood or Feeling �Is there a strong feeling in this poem? �How �If does it make the reader feel? you do not see a word you can associate with a feeling, look at the verbs and act them out.

Examples �“A kitchen falling through time” �“Slashed in fury” or “feel sharp wounds again” �“He doesn’t know”

Technique �Structure, Language, Imagery, Movement. �S. L. I. M. �How the poem looks, sounds, thinks and moves all reveal theme.

Examples �A Sentimental Moment � There are stanzas - There is order. � Language – what words or letters repeat � Image � No of the son – age. full stop at end of first stanza – confusion.

Summary �What is the impact of the whole poem for you? �What do you think?

I Want to Write � Margaret Walker is an African-American poet. In this poem she celebrates experiences of the African Americans. � Two of the three poems you have done so far have had introductions such as this.

I I I Want to Write want to write the songs of my people. want to hear them singing melodies in the dark. want to catch the last floating strains from their sob-torn throats I want to frame their dreams into words; their souls into notes. I want to catch their sunshine laughter in a bowl; fling dark hands to a darker sky and fill them full of stars then crush and mix such lights till they become a mirrored pool of brilliance in the dawn.

I I I Want to Write – S. want to write the songs of my people. want to hear them singing melodies in the dark. want to catch the last floating strains from their sob-torn throats I want to frame their dreams into words; their souls into notes. I want to catch their sunshine laughter in a bowl; fling dark hands to a darker sky and fill them full of stars then crush and mix such lights till they become a mirrored pool of brilliance in the dawn.

I I I Want to Write – S. want to write the songs of my people. want to hear them singing melodies in the dark. want to catch the last floating strains from their sob-torn throats I want to frame their dreams into words; their souls into notes. I want to catch their sunshine laughter in a bowl; fling dark hands to a darker sky and fill them full of stars then crush and mix such lights till they become a mirrored pool of brilliance in the dawn. - P.

I I I Want to Write – S. want to write the songs of my people. want to hear them singing melodies in the dark. sob-torn want to catch the last floating strains from their sob-torn i. throats I want to frame their dreams into words; their souls into notes. I want to catch their sunshine laughter in a bowl; fling dark hands to a darker sky and fill them full of stars then crush and mix such lights till they become a mirrored pool of brilliance in the dawn. - P.

I I I Want to Write – S. want to write the songs of my people. want to hear them singing melodies in the dark. sob-torn want to catch the last floating strains from their sob-torn i. throats I want to frame their dreams into words; their souls into notes. i. sunshine laughter I want to catch their in a bowl; fling dark hands to a darker sky and fill them full of stars then crush and mix such lights till they become a mirrored pool of brilliance in the dawn. - P.

I I I Want to Write – S. want to write the songs of my people. singing melodies in the dark. want to hear them singing sob-torn want to catch the last floating strains from their sob-torn i. throats I want to frame their dreams into words; their souls into notes. i. sunshine laughter I want to catch their in a bowl; fling dark hands to a darker sky fill them full of stars and fill crush and mix such lights till they become then crush a mirrored pool of brilliance in the dawn. - P.

I I I Want to Write – S. want to write the songs of my people. singing melodies in the dark. want to hear them singing sob-torn want to catch the last floating strains from their sob-torn i. throats T. I want to frame their dreams into words; their souls into notes. i. sunshine laughter I want to catch their in a bowl; fling dark hands to a darker sky fill them full of stars and fill crush and mix such lights till they become then crush a mirrored pool of brilliance in the dawn. - P. T.

I I I Want to Write – S. want to write the songs Songs of my people. singing melodies in the dark. want to hear them singing strains from their sob-torn want to catch the last floating strains i. throats T. souls into I want to frame their dreams into words; their souls notes. i. sunshine laughter I want to catch their in a bowl; fling dark hands to a darker sky fill them full of stars and fill crush and mix such lights till they become then crush a mirrored pool of brilliance in the dawn. - P. T.

I I I Want to Write – S. want to write the songs Songs of my people. singing melodies in the dark. want to hear them singing sob-torn want to catch floatingstrains from their sob-torn catch the last floating i. throats T. frame their souls into I want to frame their dreamsintowords; their souls notes. i. sunshine laughter I want to catch their in a bowl; fling dark Darkhandstotoaadarkersky sky fill them full of stars and fill crush and mix such lights till they become then crush a mirrored pool of brilliance in the dawn. - P. T.

I Want to Write – S. Songs singing throats strains catch the last floating strains frame their dreams into words i. sunshine laughter Dark hands to a darker sky fill crush stars such a mirrored pool of brilliance in the dawn. - P. sob-torn i. souls

I Want to Write – Subject a mirrored pool of brilliance in the dawn. - Purpose sob-torn i. fill i. sunshine laughter crush singing identify emotions Two stanza – order, sense, structure Songs singing stars souls such sob-torn throats catch the last floating strains frame their dreams into words Dark hands to a darker sky Techniques

Summary �Your opinion is always important. A quick summary of the poem and its effect on you is always welcome.

Butterflies �The poet Rosita Boland reflects on the tragedy of the war-torn region in our world

S. p. i. t. s. v Subject Matter v Purpose or Message v Identify Emotion, Mood or Feeling v Technique v Summary

Butterflies In Bosnia, there are landmines Decorated with butterflies And left on the grassy pathways Of rural villages. The children come, quivering down Familiar lanes & fields. Hands outstretched, they reach triumphant For these bright, elusive insects - Themselves becoming wingéd in the act; Gaudy and ephemeral. (Gaudy – loud or noisy) (Ephemeral –lasts a short amount of time) (hint – landmine)

Butterflies – S Butterflies T landmines In Bosnia, there are landmines Decorated with butterflies T Decorated butterflies And left on the grassy pathways Of rural villages. quivering i down The children come, quivering Familiar lanes & fields. T they reach triumphant i Hands Outstretched outstretched, Bright, elusive insects T - For these bright, elusive insects Becoming wingéd in the in act the act; Themselves becoming wingéd Gaudy and ephemeral –P i T Gaudy and ephemeral. (Gaudy – loud or noisy) (Ephemeral –lasts a short amount of time) (hint – landmine)

S. p. i. t. s. v Subject Matter v Purpose or Message v Identify Emotion, Mood or Feeling v Technique v Summary

S. p. i. t. s. v Subject Matter – Butterflies – link to the rest v Purpose or Message v Identify Emotion, Mood or Feeling v Technique v Summary

S. p. i. t. s. v Subject Matter – Butterflies – link to the rest v Purpose or Message - Becoming wingéd in the act, Gaudy and ephemeral v Identify Emotion, Mood or Feeling v Technique v Summary

S. p. i. t. s. v Subject Matter – Butterflies – link to the rest v Purpose or Message - Becoming wingéd in the act, Gaudy and ephemeral v Identify Emotion, Mood or Feeling - quivering v Technique – v Summary –

S. p. i. t. s. v Subject Matter – Butterflies – link to the rest v Purpose or Message - Becoming wingéd in the act, Gaudy and ephemeral v Identify Emotion, Mood or Feeling - quivering v Technique – image of landmine and wings v Summary –

S. p. i. t. s. v Subject Matter – Butterflies – link to the rest v Purpose or Message - Becoming wingéd in the act, Gaudy and ephemeral v Identify Emotion, Mood or Feeling - quivering v Technique – image of landmine and wings v Summary – landmines kill children

Child Of Our Time Yesterday I knew no lullaby But you have taught me overnight to order This song, which takes from your final cry Its tune, from your unreasoned end its reason; Its rhythm from the discord of your murder, Its motive from the fact you cannot listen. We who should have known how to instruct With rhymes for your waking, rhythms for your sleep Names for the animals you took to bed, Tales to distract, legends to protect, Later an idiom for you to keep And living, learn, must learn from you, dead. To make our broken images rebuild Themselves around your limbs, your broken Image, find for your sake whose life our idle Talk has cost, a new language. Child Of our time, our times have robbed your cradle. Sleep in a world your final sleep has woken.

Homework Discuss theme of the poem. Use s. p. i. t. s.