Head of English Carol Ann Duffy Objectives To

Head of English Carol Ann Duffy

Objectives To explore how Duffy uses humour to explore her feelings about arrogant and old fashioned teachers

Starter What would make a teacher old fashioned? Is being old fashioned a good thing or a bad thing?

Content Read the poem through twice with the class. The poem is about how an old fashioned and perhaps bigoted Head of English tries to teach his subject by getting a poet in for the day. Things do not go according to plan.

Structure The poem is a dramatic monologue. We get a very clear impression of the Head of English’s thoughts, personality and judgements. The poem is also a very regular poem. Six lines per stanza and regular line length. The poem is about order, just like the order the Head imposes in his classroom.

The poem does not use a great deal of linguistic features, but instead tells a story about the teacher. We are invited to laugh at how ridiculous and self centred the Head is.

Stanza 1 ‘A real live poet’ is quite a childish expression. Why does he use it? The poem is full of imperative verbs (commands) such as ‘Notice’. Can you highlight any other imperative verbs in the poem. What does this reveal about the Head of English? How does the Head stamp his authority on the pupils in the last line?

Stanza 2 What does the Head of English think makes a poem good? What does this tells us about him? What is ironic about the poem Duffy has written? The speaker likes to speak in short, abrupt sentences, “Still. Never mind”. What does this say about his personality? “We’re paying forty pounds”, what is more important to the Head? The money or the experience?

Stanza 3 Why does he want to see the foreign students at break? What does he think they will not understand? “Seasons of mists and so on and so forth” is the start of a poem by Keats, but the Head can’t remember it all. What do we learn about him? What does the Head say to try and impress his class?

Stanza 4 Why doesn’t the Head of English want “Winds of change about the place”? What is the outcome of the talk for the pupils? Why is this important? Why do we never see or hear the poet the Head is talking about?

Stanza 5 “Well. Really. ” These words suggest the Head is what? Why is the poet’s view an “outside view”? Highlight how the Head is dismissive to the poet. What does this reveal to the reader about the man?

The message… Poetry should be enjoyed, explored and discussed. It should not be just a teaching tool for essay writing. Poetry should also be challenging, difficult and always evolving.