What do you have to do Identify how

What do you have to do? Identify how the language, from and structure of a poem contribute to the creation of a theme, then compare it with another poem of your choice… Language Structure The structure of a text can refer to the ordering of events in it, or the ordering of ideas. You should be able to recognise simple things like repetition and then be able to explain the purpose with relation to theme of the poem. Recognising shifts in the poem and the mood is very important, being able to explain the effect Form is imperative. The form of a text is a name for its Theme shape or type. A poem might be a sonnet, or written in stanzas of four lines, each with ten syllables, rhyming between the second and fourth lines. Some forms we have labels for, others you may have to describe. What’s important is the effect of the form. The language of a poem includes lots of different aspects. This can refer to the literary devices an author uses, like metaphors, alliteration and personification. It is also beneficial to describe the imagery created, for example to say ‘In Flag, John Agard uses violent imagery to reinforce the negative connotations of a flag’.

Questions to ask yourself when annotating… Structure • Does the mood shift at all in the poem? • What effect does this shift have? • Is there a noticeable pattern through the stanzas? • Does each Stanza have a repeated line? • What is the poet trying to achieve by ordering events this way? ? Language Theme Form • What type of imagery is created by the words? • Can you notice any metaphors? • Can you identify any other language features and there purpose? • Is the language poetic or simple? • Is there phonetic spelling? • How is the voice of the narrator represented in the words? How many stanzas are there? Is the form structured or irregular? How does each line end? How long/short are the lines and why? Does the poem rhyme, what is the significance? • How many lines are in each Stanza? • Do the Stanzas get longer, shorter or stay the same? • • • ?

So what is the THEME? What is the writer trying to say? Does the poem reflect the writers life? What issue is being tackled by the poet? What then, is the poem about? Why is the poem important? What is the point? Feel free to be poetic in your response to these questions.

The Right Word Imtiaz Dharker Outside the door, lurking in the shadows, is a terrorist. Is that the wrong description? Outside the door, taking shelter in the shadows, is a freedom fighter. I haven’t got this right. Outside, waiting in the shadows, is a hostile militant. Are words no more than waving, wavering flags? Outside your door, watchful in the shadows, is a guerrilla warrior. God help me. Outside, defying every shadow, stands a martyr. I saw his face. No words can help me now. Just outside the door, lost in the shadows, is a child who looks like mine One word for you, outside my door, his hands too steady, his eyes too hard, is a boy who looks like your son, too. I open the door. Come in, I say. Come in and eat with us. The child steps in and carefully, at my door, takes off his shoes

How is theme of division represented in ‘The Right Word’ by Imtiaz Dharker? EXAMPLE ANSWER The Right Word is a poem written in the aftermath of the September 11 th attacks on New York City in 2001. In the poem, Dharker addresses the consequences of division between people and our inability to make sense of the chaos that division brings. In my opinion, Dharker is presenting this division as something created in the mind rather than anything that is real. Dharker makes clear reference to her difficulty in realising her personal role, as a poet, in situations where division has led to conflict. The poet also uses the child to explore how in dividing ourselves, we expose our children to the horrors of conflict. The poem is split into 9 separate stanzas and this is used to great effect by the poet. The first 4 stanzas represent different interpretations of who might be ‘outside the door’ in the ‘shadows’. In splitting the perceptions of who is outside in the first 4 stanzas, ranging from ‘terrorist’ to ‘freedom fighter’, the poet explores the difficulty of describing a single horrific event accurately, considering the number of ways it can be interpreted. The change of definition in each stanza also represents the chaotic and confused thoughts of someone experiencing the impact of human conflict. The confusion is further represented in Dharker’s language choices. The language used in the poem is very simple and could be described as unpoetic. The poet uses simple language to express how some situations are beyond words, even when a poet tries to break it down as simply as she can. This is further reinforced in the lines ‘are words no more’ and ‘no words can help me now’. These lines describe not only the mental confusion of the narrator in the poem, but also the frustration for the poet herself in not being able identify her purpose in conflict situtations. The poet employs the use of simple techniques like adding ‘too’ when describing how the child’s eyes are ‘too hard’ and his hands are ‘too steady’. The poet is successful here in creating a sense that the child has seen and experienced things that have forced him to mature too quickly and in the process his innocence has been taken from him. The structure of the poem conveys the message that division between people in human conflict is not cause by anything real but by the fear that is created in our minds. There is an important shift in the poem when the narrator uses her eyes rather than her preconceived fears and stereotypes. The line ‘I saw his face’ represents the moment in which the narrator actually looks at the mysterious character outside, and what she sees is an innocent child. The reader is invited to share in the sense of guilt the narrator feels for being so pre-occupied with fear and division that the innocent child is left outside, in the cold, waiting.

Now… choose another poem that explores division, conflict or any other themes we have discussed… • Annotate clearly, with reference to language structure and form • Write a short paragraph for each • You can either draw comparisons with the example as if it were your own on theme of division, or you can write an individual piece with a theme of your own. Remember: In the exam you will have to analyse one unseen poem and also compare two that you have seen before.