Poetry Revision Objectives To plan and respond to

Poetry Revision Objectives: To plan and respond to an unseen focusing on MITSL To plan for some section B questions http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Rwlh. Uc. SG qgs

The basics Unseen: 45 mins You are given a poem – you respond to it using MITSL as a guide. Section B: You answer TWO questions of a possible three ALL based on clashes and collisions

Explore how Judith Nicholls presents her feelings and ideas about the coming of winter? 20 marks Winter crept through the whispering wood, hushing fir and oak; crushed each leaf and froze each web – but never a word he spoke. Winter prowled by the shivering sea, lifting sand stone; nipped each limpet silently – and then moved on. Winter raced down the frozen stream, catching at his breath; on his lips were icicles, at his back was death. Judith Nicholls 1. Spend 10 minutes getting your MITS on the poem, annotate. 2. Next, spend 5 minutes making an essay plan for the question: M: I: T: S: L: Personal response: 3. Spend 30 minutes on your own writing a response. You should aim for three paragraphs of analysis and a personal response conclusion.

How to begin We are given the meaning of the poem ‘Winter’ in its title. Judith Nicholls chooses to keep the title simple as if she is going to explain to the reader what ‘winter’ is. This is effective because already the reader has connotations that are preconceived – winter means cold, bleak and the end of ‘life’. Nicholls use of imagery in showing her feelings about the coming of winter are clear in the lines ‘winter crept’. Nicholls uses two devices to do this: personification and verbs. By describing winter as a person it allows the reader to visualise him or her ‘creeping’ through the woods which already gives us a sense of its personality. Furthermore, the use of the verb ‘crept’ makes us think that winter doesn’t want the rest of nature to know that it is arriving, almost like winter is not wanted and so it has to creep to surprise the living nature.

Continued The tone of the poem is one of sadness and death. Winter has a job to do and it almost sounds, at times, like he doesn’t want to do it. The use of the words… The structure of the poem is also useful when thinking about the coming of winter. Each stanza begins with a different action… Nicholls use of language also allows the reader to gain an understanding about her feelings regarding the coming of winter…

Which poems are perfect for each other? And which are more awkward to match?

Poems and Topics • • • • Half-caste 20 Parade’s End 21 Belfast Confetti 22* Our Sharpeville 23* Exposure 24 Catrin 26 Your Dad Did What? 27* The Class Game 28 Cousin Kate 29 Hitcher 30 The Drum 31 O What is that Sound 32* Conscientious Objector 34* August 6, 1945 35 Invasion 36* In the contents page, next to each poem, write down the question topic that you think will come up if the poem is selected for the exam. Remember it can be one of the following: Theme Idea Feeling Key moment 5 Minutes

1. Half - Caste • What is the poem about? Tone What tone and mood goes throughout the poem? Find KEY lines that fit this scale. 0 1 2 3 4 Very negative - - - Angry? Confrontational? Defeated? Sarcastic? 5 6 Neutral Detached? 7 8 9 10 -----Very positive Energetic? Excited?

WORDS- EXTENDED METAPHOR Throughout the poem, a picture is built up of half a person, which the writer clearly thinks is being implied by calling people ‘half-caste’. Q 1. Why is the poet spending so much of this poem building an extended metaphor of a half person? What does it show about his attitude towards the term ‘half-caste’?

Rhyme and Rhythm 1. Do the short (half) lines make a difference to the way you read the poem? 2. The sentences that continue on the next line are examples of enjambment. There are five sentences that are not enjambed- find them. 3. Do you think there is a reason why these sentences are not split by a line break? 4. There are two half-rhymes and one full rhyme in the poem, find them. Why might there be so little full rhyme? Do you think half rhymes could be intentional? Is there anything special about the full rhyme?

Why do these images fit with the poem? 2. Parade’s End

The Title The title of the poem is ‘Parade’s End’ ‘Parade’ is defined as: Noun: a public procession, especially one celebrating a special day or event. Verb: walk, march or show off something in an attention seeking way. Which definition do you think is most suitable? (If the noun, who are celebrating what? If the verb, what is being shown to get attention? ) Why add ‘End’?

Message/tone/rhythm/words • What is the main message of this poem? What quotes prove this? • What happens to the tone throughout the poem? Why does it change at the end? • Is there a rhythm to this poem? What does the sentence length do during the poem? • Unusual verbs - what image or idea do you get from the following verbs? 1/ ‘The men who scraped the pavement frost to the dole’ 2/ ‘The few who warmed us a thumbs-up’ 3/ ‘Council mums. . . nestled’

3. Belfast Confetti What impression do you get from the poem from these words? What patterns do you notice? There is not rhyme within these words, why has this been done? confetti Belfast riot-squad trying blocked broken hyphenated rapid stuttering I explosion my escape side streets punctuated What Raglan Where Inkerman Why labyrinth dead-end Odessa Crimea questionmarks complete all exclamationmarks saracen kremlin-2 mesh

The metaphors ‘Quotation’ Image Raining exclamation marks !!! !! A fount of broken type Tm Fghd Ghjhgu jk kjkg The explosion. Itself an asterisk Side streets blocked with stops and colons *. . . . : . : . : : : : : Every move is punctuated A fusillade* of question marks [There is one more- find it!] Meaning ? ? ?

4. OUR SHARPEVILLE • What can you tell about this poem from the title and the pictures? • Does the pronoun ‘our’ make any difference? • Why do you think seeing the poet might help you understand this poem?

There are 5 stanzas in all, with the middle stanza (3) being notably shorter than the others. Summarise what happens in each stanza. Eg. Stanza 1 introduces a young white girl playing. She witnesses lorries of chanting black workers passing by. 1. 2. 3. 4. Suggest why the middle stanza is so different from the others. Is it a key moment of the poem, in your opinion, or not? The last stanza talks about what she would have seen if she had disobeyed her family- why is this important? How does the language change throughout?

5. Exposure After reading the poem, identify the ‘army of nature’ by finding a quotation for each element. 1. Wind 2. Wind (gusts) 3. The Sun 4. Rain 5. Air 6. Snow 7. Frost What do you notice about the way nature is described?

Quotes – • Find key points from the poem and sort into these three categories: Suffering Discomfort Boredom • Which word best sums up Owen’s impression of war: suffering, discomfort or boredom?

6. Catrin LOVE REMEMBER STRUGGLE ROPE What can you say about these four words?

Catrin The poem expresses the paradox of parenthood: the difficulty of accepting separateness and the bond of motherhood. Consequently the tone/mood is often mixed- as if the writer has ‘mixed feelings’. Highlight words that suggest: conflict/struggle/danger/negativity in one colour, peace/stability/happiness/ positivity in another colour

Complex emotions and memories are often described metaphorically in this poem. Discuss what you think the following examples of imagery mean or suggest: A/ As I stood in a hot, White room* B/ people and cars taking turn at the traffic lights* C/ Our first fierce confrontation D/ The tight red rope of love which we both fought over E/ It was a square environmental blank F/ G/ H/ coloured the clean walls with the wild, tender circles* the glass tank clouded with feelings skate in the dark, for one more hour*

7. Your Dad did what? Language – words used? Techniques? Message? Attitude? What are your thoughts? Rhyme and Rhythm? Structure – stanzas?

The poem is about a misunderstanding or misapprehension, and the tone throughout is not the tone created by the whole poem, that the reader feels at the end. The reason for this is that the reader has to work out the problem for themselves. As expected for a teacher, there are many commands (imperative verbs), questions, negatives and judgements which give the poem a condescending and superior tone. For the following lines, decide whether they: 1/ are a command 3/ sound negative 2/ are a question 4/ sound judgemental They may be a combination of these things. . . A/ You make them write B/ Your Dad did what? C/ That’s not a sentence D/ Never mind the bell E/ We stay behind F/ (You who can count and spell) G/ All the assignments are complete bar one H/ This boy seems bright I/ No change J/ The ‘E’ you gave him

8. The Class Game Look at this ranking of social class used by many organisations today. Every household is judged by the main income earner’s occupation. - Which are you? Why might people disagree with classifying people? Why do you think some people would prefer to be called ‘upper middle class’ rather than ‘upper’ class? What would you call social class ‘E’? Grade Social class Chief income earner's occupation % of population (2008) A upper ‘middle’ Higher managerial, administrative or class professional (University Educated) B middle class Intermediate managerial, administrative or C 1 lower middle Supervisory or clerical and junior managerial, class administrative or professional 4 Do you think people can change their social class? 23 professional (University Educated) 29 (University Educated) C 2 skilled working Skilled manual workers 21 D working class Semi and unskilled manual workers 15 E ? Casual or lowest grade workers, pensioners 8 class and others who depend on the welfare state for their income Are there other ways of telling someone’s social class?

Class opposites Working-Class Middle-Class • • Find quotations that show the opposites in the poem. Why is the poet putting these side by side?

9. Cousin Kate In groups of three, each take a character from the poem and find out what they did in each stanza - use a quotation to support point. Character chosen: S 1 S 2 S 3 S 4 S 5 S 6

Imagery Draw an image to go with each line 1 “He wore me like a silken knot” 2 “He changed me like a glove” 3 “Who might have been a dove” 4 “He bound you with his ring” 5 “I sit and howl in dust” 6 “You sit in gold and sing” 7 “You had the stronger wing” 8 “Your love was writ in sand”

Structure, rhythm and tone What can be said about these three things? • Is the structure regular or irregular? Why? • What rhythm does the poem create? Why? • Does the poem stay with one tone or change? Why?

10. Hitcher PEACEFUL AGGRESSIVE The poem switches between these two tones – find quotations that fit within the two columns.

Bob Dylan Here is the last verse and chorus: • What phrases or words in the lyrics above sound like they would appeal to ethnic minorities or people against war? How many times must a man look up, before he sees the sky? And how many ears must one man have, before he can hear people cry? And how many deaths will it take till we know, that too many people have died? • In what way does the main character from Hitcher provide an answer ‘blowin’ in The answer my friend is blowing in the wind, the wind’? the answer is blowing in the wind.

Language – As a class. . . What language devices are used in the poem and what effect do they have?

11. The Drum WHAT CONNOTATIONS DOES THIS IMAGE HAVE? Make a list. . .

11. The Drum The writer describes the effect of ‘that drum’s discordant sound’ on ‘thoughtless youth’ in the first stanza, and on ‘himself’ in the second. 1. Make a list of the effects of the drum on ‘thoughtless youth’ 2. Now make a list of the effects of the drum on him. 3. Do you think the poet is speaking as himself or as a persona/ character? Give your reasons. 4. Do you get the impression that the speaker of this poem feels ‘himself’ to be in the minority? 5. How is the structure used in this poem?

Personification The drum’s discordant sound is personified, perhaps as a mouth, in the second stanza: ‘to me it talks. . . ’; there is also personification of ambition and misery. • If the drum is a mouth, what is ambition and misery? • How are all three connected?

12. ‘O What is that Sound? ’ S 1 S 9 O what is that sound which so O it’s broken the lock and thrills the ear/ Down in the valley splintered the door/ O it’s at the drumming, drumming? / Only the gate where they’re turning, scarlet soldiers, dear, / The turning; / Their boots are heavy soldiers coming on the floor/ And their eyes are burning How many similarities and differences can you spot? How many characters does there appear to be? What do you notice about the end of the poem?

Male Vs Female The questioning female always repeats herself, eg. ‘drumming, drumming? / brightly, brightly? ’. The answering male, always uses the affectionate noun ‘dear’ in his answers. • • What other things shows the male vs the female? What can you tell about the two characters by these repetitions? Is the ‘dear’ sincere, or not, in your opinion? What effect do these two voices have on the poem and the reading of the poem?

PROGRESS Why are these two words important? SOLDIER

13. Conscientious Objector Death is personified as a horseman, just like the biblical Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. • Make a list of all the things Death is described as doing, or wanting to do. • When might it be right to object, to say “No” because you believe it is right to do so?

WORDS Use of Personal Pronouns There are more than 10 uses of the personal pronoun ‘I’ in this poem- what does this tell you? Why is this important? Death - What sort of death do the following words suggest: • • A/ Business in Cuba, business in the Balkans B/ I will not tell him which way the fox ran C/ I will not tell him where the black boy hides D/ I am not on his pay-roll

14. August 6, 1945 Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home, Your house is on fire, Your children shall burn! How can this image and nursery rhyme be connected to the poem?

HISTORY More than any other poem, ‘August 6, 1945’ asks us to consider a certain day and its historic significance. Even its title points to its historicity. The only other poem that deals with an important historical event that can be dated is ‘Our Sharpeville’. 1. Why isn’t ‘Our Sharpeville’ titled ‘ 21 st March 1960’? 2. What difference does it make? 3. What is the historical context of this poem?

"I'm proud that I was able to start with nothing, plan it, and have it work as perfectly as it did. . I sleep clearly every night. " In March 2005, he stated, "If you give me the same circumstances, I'd do it again. " • • • What evidence is there of this uncaring, proud tone in the first two stanzas? Find evidence of a completely different tone in stanzas 4 and 5. Although Paul Tibbets says he sleeps well, that is not presented at the end of the poem; why not?

15. Invasion Soon they will come. First we will hear The sound of their boots approaching at dawn Then they’ll appear through the mist. They We Will

Invasion – language and meaning FEAR DEATH SORT THE LINES INTO THESE THREE COLUMNS CERTAIN DEFEAT WHAT TONE DOES THIS CREATE FOR THE POEM? VERBS – Us and Them SORT THE VERBS OF THE POEM INTO THESE TWO.

15 Poems Poetry Comparison – You now need to group your poems. Which ones would you compare with which? Why?

Questions for Revision 1. Explore how the poet presents the bond between mother and daughter in “Catrin”. 2. Explore how the poet shows a misunderstanding in “Your Dad did What? ” 3. Explore how the writer presents racial discrimination in “Parade’s End” 4. Explore how the writer presents an interesting character in “Hitcher” 5. Explore how the writer shows the horror of war in “Exposure”

Comparison Questions for Practice 1. Compare how the writers explore different types of prejudice in “Half Caste” and “Parade’s End” 2. Compare how the writers explore different feelings about family in “Catrin” and “Cousin Ruth” 3. Compare how the writers explore different actions against other in “Hitcher and “Cousin Kate” 4. Compare how the writers explore the different effects of war in “Exposure” and “August 6, 1945” 5. Compare how the writers explore different types of betrayal in “Cousin Kate” and “o What is that Sound” OR – take the first poem in the question and choose the second poem yourself.

P E E LP John Agard uses metaphors to express his passion and belief that mixed race people should be celebrated not discriminated against. An example of this is the lines, “When yu say half-caste/yu mean Tchaikovsky/sit down at dah piano/an mix a black key/wid a white key/is a half-caste symphony? ” Agard uses a metaphor to compare the mixture of race to the mixture of keys on a piano. He is suggesting that Tchaikovsky’s ‘symphony’ is celebrated and acclaimed and the same should be done with mixed race people. In my opinion Agard successfully uses this metaphor because not only does it emphasise that prejudice towards a race shouldn't be tolerated but the comparison is memorable and makes intelligent links to an expected subject. In Contrast Daljit Nagra uses metaphors to express his sadness at the racial treatment of the family. An example of this is the line, “From gold to the brown of our former colour. ” Nagra is comparing the destruction of the car to the racial torment of the family. The words ‘former colour’ suggest that they have given up trying to be something they are not. In my opinion the poet is successful at creating sadness with this metaphor because it emphasises how the family have surrendered to racism and can’t escape their situation. It also makes the reader feel angry that they have to put up with this treatment. Example

Which poem wins these awards? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. The poem you most want to come up. The poem you least want to come up. The poem that had the biggest impact on you. The poem that has the best language features. The poem that has the best structural features. The poem that has the most links to other poems. The poem that has the least links to other poems. The poem that taught you the most. The poem that you best represents you. Don’t over think, just use your contents page in your anthology