Poetry Follower Seamus Heaney Date Objectives 1 Introduce
Poetry – Follower, Seamus Heaney Date: Objectives 1. Introduce the poem. 2. Reinforce the poet the class is already familiar with. 3. Understand themes of ‘Nature’ and ‘Celebrating a person’. Warm –up – picture on next page Point – reference – explain - 3 sentences on: ‘What do you think of the word follower. Do you follow anyone? ’
Warm-up What do you think of the word ‘Follower’. 3 sentences Good? Bad? Are you a follower of anyone?
Follower by Seamus Heaney My father worked with a horse plough, I stumbled in his hobnailed wake, His shoulders globed like a full sail strung Fell sometimes on the polished sod; Between the shafts and the furrow. Sometimes he rode me on his back The horses strained at his clicking tongue. Dipping and rising to his plod. An expert. He would set the wing I wanted to grow up and plough, And fit the bright-pointed sock. To close one eye, stiffen my arm. The sod rolled over without breaking. All I ever did was follow At the headrig, with a single pluck In his broad shadow around the farm. Of reins, the sweating team turned round I was a nuisance, tripping, falling, And back into the land. His eye Yapping always. But today Narrowed angled at the ground, It is my father who keeps stumbling Mapping the furrow exactly. Behind me, and will not go away.
Follower by Seamus Heaney My father worked with a horse plough, I stumbled in his hobnailed wake, His shoulders globed like a full sail strung Fell sometimes on the polished sod; Sometimes he rode me on his back Exercise 1: First Impressions Between the shafts and the furrow. The horses strained at his clicking tongue. Dipping and rising to his plod. Having read the poem once, write down An expert. He would set the wing I wanted to grow up and plough, one sentence in response and share it. And fit the bright-pointed sock. To close one eye, stiffen my arm. The sod rolled over without breaking. All I ever did was follow At the headrig, Try with ausing: single pluck I think, broad shadow around I know, In. Ihisdon’t know, I the farm. Of reins, the sweating team turned want round to know. I was a nuisance, tripping, falling, And back into the land. His eye Yapping always. But today Narrowed angled at the ground, It is my father who keeps stumbling Mapping the furrow exactly. Behind me, and will not go away.
Follower by Seamus Heaney My father worked with a horse plough, I stumbled in his hobnailed wake, His shoulders globed like a full sail strung Fell sometimes on the polished sod; Between the shafts and the furrow. Sometimes he rode me on his back Dipping and poem rising to his plod. As we write notes of the The horses strained at his clicking tongue. wanted to grow up and plough, Underline what is Iunderlined An expert. He would set the wing And fit the bright-pointed sock. To close one eye, stiffen my arm. I everslides did was follow At the bottom of Allthe. The sod rolled over without breaking. At the headrig, with a single pluck In his broad shadow around the farm. Of reins, the sweating team turned round I was a nuisance, tripping, falling, And back into the land. His eye Yapping always. But today Narrowed angled at the ground, It is my father who keeps stumbling Mapping the furrow exactly. Behind me, and will not go away. These are the important bits/“quotes”.
Notes– stanza one • The poet remembers watching his father work when he was young. This massive man, in the boy’s eyes, is like a boat facing the ocean with the wind blowing at his shirt. He can also command nature with ease. • Question: What compliments are here? He is. . . . Globed: like a globe. . . My father worked with a horse plough, His shoulders globed like a full sail strung Between the shafts and the furrow. The horses strained at his clicking tongue.
Notes – stanza 2 and 3 • The boy idolizes and admires his father. He lovingly portrays the skill and ease with which the farmer works. The technical language shows the poet knows the details of this profession. Why does the boy know these technical terms? An expert. He would set the wing Of reins, the sweating team turned round And fit the bright-pointed sock. And back into the land. His eye The sod rolled over without breaking. Narrowed angled at the ground, At the headrig, with a single pluck Mapping the furrow exactly.
Notes – Stanza 4 and 5 • The second half of the poem is different from the first. The focus is on the boy (the poet), and how different he is to his father. He wanted to be a farmer but was a nuisance; often having to be carried home. • Question: What is your image of the boy? Describe him? I stumbled in his hobnailed wake, I wanted to grow up and plough, Fell sometimes on the polished sod; To close one eye, stiffen my arm. Sometimes he rode me on his back All I ever did was follow Dipping and rising to his plod. In his broad shadow around the farm.
Notes – Stanza 6 • The ‘I’ voice of the poet is an adult at the end. He grew up, found his own passion and left his father’s shadow. He became a writer and now has switched positions with his father. • Question: There are two ways to see this switch: old age and admiration. Explain? I was a nuisance, tripping, falling, Yapping always. But today It is my father who keeps stumbling Behind me, and will not go away.
Questions: Remember “quotes”. 1. How was the poet’s father “An expert” farmer? Give two examples. 2. How was the poet “a nuisance”? 3. Do you think the poet is happy at the end? Explain.
Homework part 2 • Learn the first 3 stanzas My father worked with a horse plough, His shoulders globed like a full sail strung Between the shafts and the furrow. The horses strained at his clicking tongue. An expert. He would set the wing And fit the bright-pointed sock. The sod rolled over without breaking. • Read it aloud • Get someone to quiz you. At the headrig, with a single pluck Of reins, the sweating team turned round And back into the land. His eye Narrowed angled at the ground, Mapping the furrow exactly. • Write it down from memory.
Part 2
Poetry – Follower part 2 Date: Objectives 1. Examine the poetical techniques of the poem: Rhyme, sound, metaphor, enjambment Warm –up –on next page Will be writing the rhyming scheme on the page abba etc
exercise – on sheet Follower by. Warm-up Seamus Heaney My father worked with a horse plough, His shoulders globed like a full sail strung Between the shafts and the furrow. A The horses strained at his clicking tongue. An expert. He would set the wing C And fit the bright-pointed sock. The sod rolled over without breaking. At the headrig, with a single pluck A B B I stumbled in his hobnailed wake, Fell sometimes on the polished sod; Sometimes rode me on his back of Label the he rhyming scheme Dipping and rising to his plod. the poem. Put he letter ‘A’ at the end to ofgrow theupfirst line. If the I wanted and plough, To closeat one eye, word thestiffen endmy arm. of the All I ever did was following line does not rhyme, In his broad shadow around the farm. put the next letter in the Of reins, the sweating team turned round I was a nuisance, tripping, alphabet beside it. falling, And back into the land. His eye Yapping always. But today Narrowed angled at the ground, It is my father who keeps stumbling Mapping the furrow exactly. Behind me, and will not go away. Leave homework on table
Follower Warm-up exercise My father worked with a horse plough, I stumbled in his hobnailed wake, His shoulders globed like a full sail strung Fell sometimes on the polished sod; Between the shafts and the furrow. Sometimes he rode me on his back The horses strained at his clicking tongue. Dipping and rising to his plod. An expert. He would set the wing I wanted to grow up and plough, And fit the bright-pointed sock. To close one eye, stiffen my arm. The sod rolled over without breaking. All I ever did was follow At the headrig, with a single pluck In his broad shadow around the farm. Of reins, the sweating team turned round I was a nuisance, tripping, falling, And back into the land. His eye Yapping always. But today Narrowed angled at the ground, It is my father who keeps stumbling Mapping the furrow exactly. Behind me, and will not go away.
Notes – Rhyme • Every stanza is a neat four lines long with a nice rhythm and one full rhyme in it. There is then one half or slant rhyme as well which you trip or ‘stumble’ over. This mirrors the professional farmer and his clumsy son. • Question: How many metaphors could we come up with here if we say the full rhymes are the father and the half rhymes are the son? • Think about the boy’s feelings, his actions, what will or will never be. My father worked with a horse plough, His shoulders globed like a full sail strung Between the shafts and the furrow. The horses strained at his clicking tongue.
Notes – Sounds • ‘S’ sound alliteration is called ‘Sibilance’ and mirrors the smoothness and swiftness of the farmer’s work. ‘C’ and ‘K’ sounds are harsh and try to convey the difficult or hard work he does. • Question: Have you heard of the phrase ‘rolls of the tongue’? Can you think of other letters that are smooth or harsh? My father worked with a horse plough, His shoulders globed like a full sail strung Between the shafts and the furrow. The horses strained at his clicking tongue.
Follower by Seamus Heaney Quick questions My father worked with a horse plough, I stumbled in his hobnailed wake, His shoulders globed like a full sail strung Fell sometimes on the polished sod; Between the shafts and the furrow. 1. Sometimes Whyhedo poet’s use rode me on his back The horses strained at his clicking tongue. Dipping and rising to his plod. An expert. He would set the wing I wanted to grow up and plough, And fit the bright-pointed sock. To close one eye, stiffen my arm. The sod rolled over without breaking. All I ever did was follow At the headrig, with a single pluck In his broad shadow around the farm. Of reins, the sweating team turned round I was a nuisance, tripping, falling, And back into the land. His eye Yapping always. But today Narrowed angled at the ground, It is my father who keeps stumbling Mapping the furrow exactly. Behind me, and will not go away. stanzas do you think?
Follower by Seamus Heaney Quick questions My father worked with a horse plough, His shoulders globed like a full sail strung Between the shafts and the furrow. The horses strained at his clicking tongue. I stumbled in his hobnailed wake, Fell sometimes on the polished sod; 2. There is one example of one Sometimes he rode me on his back stanza running the other. Dipping and rising tointo his plod. A sentence continues from one An expert. He would set the wing I wanted to grow up and plough, And fit the bright-pointed sock. To close one eye, stiffen my arm. The sod rolled over without breaking. All I ever did was follow At the headrig, with a single pluck In his broad shadow around the farm. Of reins, the sweating team turned round I was a nuisance, tripping, falling, And back into the land. His eye Yapping always. But today Narrowed angled at the ground, It is my father who keeps stumbling Mapping the furrow exactly. Behind me, and will not go away. stanza to the other. Where?
Notes – Enjambment • Enjambment: the continuation of a sentence into the next stanza. It treats the poem like a memory or conversation. The poet can’t stop telling us how great his father was and so keeps going. • (Small example here – much more in other Heaney poems) • Silly Question: Have you ever had a conversation with exactly four lines each time you speak? Is that possible? At the headrig, with a single pluck Of reins, the sweating team turned round And back into the land.
Notes – Metaphor and Simile Does anyone know the myth of Atlas? My father worked with a horse plough, His shoulders globed like a full sail strung Between the shafts and the furrow. The horses strained at his clicking tongue.
Notes – Metaphor and Simile The simile of the boat shows the father’s connection to nature and his strength as well. The word ‘globed’ could be a reference to the Myth of Atlas, who held up the world on his shoulders or back. . . My father worked with a horse plough, His shoulders globed like a full sail strung Between the shafts and the furrow. The horses strained at his clicking tongue.
Homework • Copy the poem onto a page. Learn the first three stanzas. • Using two Point –Quote – Explanations (P. Q. E. ), talk about two images you found interesting. • (Saying you don’t like it is not an option)
Follower by Seamus Heaney My father worked with a horse plough, I stumbled in his hobnailed wake, His shoulders globed like a full sail strung Fell sometimes on the polished sod; Between the shafts and the furrow. Sometimes he rode me on his back The horses strained at his clicking tongue. Dipping and rising to his plod. An expert. He would set the wing I wanted to grow up and plough, And fit the bright-pointed sock. To close one eye, stiffen my arm. The sod rolled over without breaking. All I ever did was follow At the headrig, with a single pluck In his broad shadow around the farm. Of reins, the sweating team turned round I was a nuisance, tripping, falling, And back into the land. His eye Yapping always. But today Narrowed angled at the ground, It is my father who keeps stumbling Mapping the furrow exactly. Behind me, and will not go away.
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