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Unseen Poetry Ra-onale for tutors: In their May exam for English Literature, students will have to respond to an ‘unseen’ poem – one which they have not prepared for in lessons. The exam board provides a list of poets from which the poet and poem will be chosen. The exam board requires that students are familiar with these poets and have read some of their poetry in prepara-on for the exam. Prepara-on for this exam forms the basis of Year 10 homework tasks across the year. Knowing something of the poets’ backgrounds will help them to interpret whatever poem is presented to them. For each poet, there is a biography, a quiz on what they’ve read and then a poem/extract with a discussion point.

Brian PaQen Brian PaQen was born in 1946 in Liverpool, and grew up in a working class neighbourhood. He leV school at fiVeen, becoming a junior reporter on The Bootle Times, where he wrote a popular music column. At sixteen he edited and produced the magazine underdog, which gave a plaZorm to the underground poets in Liverpool at that -me. His first solo collec-on was LiQle Johnny's Confessions 1967, published when he was twenty-‐one years old. Since then he has published numerous collec-ons, including Vanishing Trick (1976) Armada (1996), which includes some of his most striking poems, focusing on the death of his mother and his memories of childhood. PaQen is also well-‐known for his best-‐selling poetry collec-ons for children, most famously Gargling with Jelly (1985) and Juggling with Gerbils (2000).

Quick Quiz

1.  In which city was PaQen born? 2.  Which key event in his early life does his

poetry oVen represent? 3.  What kind of neighbourhood did he grow up

in? 4.  In which year was Brian PaQen born? 5.  Who has he wriQen best-‐selling collec-ons of

poetry for?

1.  He was born in Liverpool 2.  He oVen writes about his Mother’s death 3.  He grew up in a working class neighbourhood 4.  He was born in 1946 5.  He has wriQen many collec-ons for children

Quick Quiz

A Small Dragon I've found a small dragon in the woodshed. Think it must have come from deep inside a forest because it's damp and green and leaves are s-ll reflec-ng in its eyes. I fed it on many things, tried grass, the roots of stars, hazel-‐nut and dandelion, but it stared up at me as if to say, I need foods you can't provide. It made a nest among the coal, not unlike a bird's but larger, it is out of place here and is mosjmes silent. If you believed in it I would come hurrying to your house to let you share this wonder, but I want instead to see if you yourself will pass this way.

Is there a message behind this poem, or is it

just a children’s

poem about a dragon?

•  This poem can be read as a poem for children with the imagina-ve story of finding a small dragon

•  However, it can also be read as a poem about the importance of imagina-on

•  He is saying that if you have imagina-on, you will come and look at the dragon

•  If you don’t have imagina-on, you will never know! •  Some of you might have read his poem The Minister For Exams – this is about how imagina-ve children can be, but how the exam system (run by adults) isn’t interested in imagina-on and crea-vity. The two poems are similar.

Ideas and Interpreta-ons

Chris-na Rosej One of the most important female writers of the 19th century, Chris-na Rossej is remembered for her biQer love poetry, vivacious ballads and nursery rhymes. She is probably best-‐known today for wri-ng the carol In the Bleak Mid-‐Winter. Rossej was born in London in 1830 into a remarkable family of ar-sts, scholars and writers. Her father was an exiled Italian revolu-onary and poet and her brothers William and Dante Gabriel Rossej were founding members of art movement the Pre-‐Raphaelite Brotherhood. Chris-na had her own first book of poetry privately printed by her grandfather when she was 12 years old. Aged 19 she contributed poems to a journal under the pseudonym Ellen Alleyn. The women in her family were commiQed High Church Anglicans and as a teenager, Chris-na suffered a nervous breakdown that was diagnosed at the -me as 'religious mania'. Rossej fell in love with several suitors, but rejected them all because they failed to share her precise religious views.

Quick Quiz

1.  In which year was Chris-na Rosej born? 2.  Which famous Christmas carol did Rosej write? 3.  Under what name were Rosej’s poems first

published? a)  Acton Bell b)  Ellen Alleyn c)  Mary WollstonecraV

4.  What affected Rosej’s health in her teenage years?

5.  Which key theme do many of her poems refer to?

1.  She was born in 1830 2.  She wrote the carol In the Bleak Mid-‐Winter 3.  She wrote under the pseudonym (pen name)

Ellen Alleyn (some of you might have recognised the name Mary WollstonecraV – she was Mary Shelley’s famous mother!)

4.  Rosej suffered a nervous breakdown in her teenage years

5.  Many of her poems refer to religion

Answers

A Birthday My heart is like a singing bird Whose nest is in a water'd shoot; My heart is like an apple-‐tree Whose boughs are bent with thickset fruit; My heart is like a rainbow shell That paddles in a halcyon sea; My heart is gladder than all these Because my love is come to me.

Raise me a dais of silk and down; Hang it with vair and purple dyes; Carve it in doves and pomegranates, And peacocks with a hundred eyes; Work it in gold and silver grapes, In leaves and silver fleurs-‐de-‐lys; Because the birthday of my life Is come, my love is come to me.

What do all the words

highlighted in purple have in common?

What do you think Rosej is saying about

love by using all these words?

•  The highlighted words all relate to the theme of nature •  This could suggests that she believes that love is a natural giV

•  Nature is oVen linked to religion in poetry, as many people believe God created all the world

•  Her heart is described as being full of love as all the natural images show fullness (e.g. The apple tree with lots of fruit on its branches)

•  Some people interpret the poem as a celebra-on of the birthday of a man who Rosej loves deeply.

•  However, others say this is unlikely and make links to her strong faith – they would interpret this poem as showing her deep love of God.


Dorothy Parker

Dorothy Parker (August 22, 1893 – June 7, 1967) was an American poet, short story writer, cri-c and sa-rist, best known for her wit and wisecracks. From a conflicted and unhappy childhood, Parker rose to acclaim, both for her literary output in such venues as The New Yorker and as a founding member of the Algonquin Round Table. Following the breakup of the circle, Parker traveled to Hollywood to pursue screenwri-ng. Her successes there, including two Academy Award nomina-ons, were curtailed as her involvement in leV-‐wing poli-cs led to a place on the Hollywood blacklist. Dismissive of her own talents, she hated her reputa-on as a "wisecracker". Nevertheless, her reputa-on for her sharp wit has con-nued beyond her death.

Quick Quiz

1.  What is Dorothy Parker’s na-onality? 2.  What kind of childhood did Parker have? 3.  What is Parker most famous for? 4.  What else did Parker succeed in for a -me,

other than poetry? 5.  Why did Parker get put on a ‘blacklist’?

1.  Parker is American 2.  Her childhood was ‘conflicted and unhappy’ 3.  She is most famous for her funny wri-ng –

her ‘wit’ 4.  She also excelled in screen-‐wri-ng in

Hollywood 5.  She was blacklisted because of her poli-cs –

she was LeV-‐Wing and this was strongly frowned upon in America at the -me

Answers

One Perfect Rose

A single flow'r he sent me, since we met. All tenderly his messenger he chose; Deep-‐hearted, pure, with scented dew s-ll wet -‐ One perfect rose. I knew the language of the floweret; 'My fragile leaves,' it said, 'his heart enclose.' Love long has taken for his amulet One perfect rose. Why is it no one ever sent me yet One perfect limousine, do you suppose? Ah no, it's always just my luck to get One perfect rose

How would you describe the tone of this poem?

Loving?

Roman-c? Humorous? Cri-cal?

Use evidence to support

your discussion.

•  The poem begins in a misleading way – it appears to be a roman-c poem about the giV of a rose

•  However, at the end there is a humorous twist – she didn’t want a rose, as she sees it as worthless and undesirable

•  It can be interpreted as more than simply a humorous twist as it is also quite cri-cal of typical roman-c gestures (and could be interpreted as cri-cal of the behaviour of men)

•  Roses do not last and have no use to a woman •  The last line is sarcas-c and ironic – she does not think the rose is ‘perfect’


Jo ShapcoQ

Jo ShapcoQ was born in 1953 in London and is an English poet. She has won many recent awards for her poetry, including the Na-onal Poetry Compe--on, the Commonwealth Poetry Prize, and the Costa Book of the Year Award. She aQended Trinity College, Dublin and went on to study at Oxford Univerity. She is now a lecturer as well as a poet and teaches crea-ve wri-ng. ShapcoQ was appointed as CBE in 2002. She ini-ally accepted the honour but decided to refuse during the period when the Bri-sh government made prepara-ons to invade Iraq. At the -me, she was being treated for cancer so her refusal to accept the honour was not made public. ShapcoQ’s poetry deals with topics such as nature, the body and rela-onships. She is par-cularly interested in how these issues change. Much of her poetry has been used as lyrics, with composers wri-ng accompanying melodies.

Quick Quiz

1. In which decade was Jo ShapcoQ born? a)  1920s b)  1950s c)  1850s

2. In which city did ShapcoQ NOT aQend university? a)  Oxford b)  Dublin c)  Cambridge

3. What course does ShapcoQ teach? 4. Name one topic which her wri-ng relates to. 5. Why did Jo ShapcoQ refuse her CBE honour?

Answers

1.  Jo ShapcoQ was born in the 1950s 2.  She went to Oxford and Dublin, NOT

Cambridge 3.  ShapcoQ teaches Crea-ve Wri-ng 4.  She writes about the natural world, the

human body and rela-onships. 5.  She refused her CBE because she opposed

the government’s involvement in Iraq.

The Great Storm

We rode it all night. We were not ourselves then. Through the window everything was horizontal. In cars and ships and woods, folk died. Small trees scaQered like matchs-cks and a whole shed flew by. The world roared. A branch broke into the kitchen, strewed twigs into the banging cupboard, filled broken crocks with leaves. I heard a tricycle roll up and down the ajc as the firmament streamed through smashed -les. I loved you but I loved the wind more, wanted to be as horizontal as the tree tops, to cling to the planet by my last fingernail, singing into the rush, into the dark. I didn't know then I would watch my beloveds peel off the earth each side of me, flying among -les, bins, caravans, car doors and chimney pots, watch them turn themselves into flotsam and disappear as wholly as the pier the next morning, a Friday, mid-‐ October. Gone, split, vamoosed like the fiVeen million trees.

How does the poet use language to present the intensity of the storm?

Interpreta-ons

•  This poem describes a massive storm which ShapcoQ herself experienced (The Great Storm of 1987)

•  She creates a great deal of imagery to make the storm appear intense

•  Onomatopoeia (“roar”) presents the overpowering, dangerous nature of the storm

•  Personifica-on (“a branch broke in”) suggests that the storm is threatening, almost criminal

•  The rest of the natural world seems vulnerable and insignificant, for example with the simile “like matchs-cks”

•  The poem can be interpreted as using the storm as a metaphor for the disrup-on and chaos in life in general, especially towards the end when she writes of “my beloveds peeling off the earth”, which seems more general that just a descrip-on of this one event

John Keats

John Keats ( 31 October 1795 – 23 February 1821) was an English Roman-c poet. He was one of the main figures of the second genera-on of Roman-c poets along with Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley, despite his work having been in publica-on for only four years before his death at 26 years of age. Keats suffered the loss of his father at the age of 8, in an accident. His mother died of tuberculosis when he was 14. Keats himself died of tuberculosis 12 years later. Although his poems were not generally well received by cri-cs during his life, his reputa-on grew aVer his death, so that by the end of the 19th century he had become one of the most beloved of all English poets. The poetry of Keats is characterised by sensual imagery and sensory language. Today his poems and leQers are some of the most popular and most analysed in English literature.

Quick Quiz

1.  In which century did Keats live? 2.  How did Keats’ father die? 3.  How old was Keats when he died? 4.  What is his poetry famous for? 5.  To which famous group of writers did Keats

belong?

Answers

1.  Keats lived in the 19th Century 2.  His father died in an accident 3.  Keats was 26 when he died 4.  His poetry is famous for it sensory, sensual

imagery 5.  He belonged to the group of Roman-c poets,

which included Percy Shelley.

When I Have Fears That I May Cease to Be When I have fears that I may cease to be Before my pen has gleaned my teeming brain, Before high-‐pilèd books, in charactery, Hold like rich garners the full ripened grain; When I behold, upon the night's starred face, Huge cloudy symbols of a high romance, And think that I may never live to trace Their shadows with the magic hand of chance; And when I feel, fair creature of an hour, That I shall never look upon thee more, Never have relish in the faery power Of unreflec-ng love — then on the shore Of the wide world I stand alone, and think Till love and fame to nothingness do sink.

What are the main ideas and feelings in this poem? What does he fear?

Interpreta-ons •  Keats presents his fear of death preven-ng him from

achieving in life •  He seems concerned about how he will be remembered as

a writer •  “Before my pen has gleaned my teeming brain” suggests

his fear that he will die before comple-ng his best work •  He seems to say that when he feels these fears he feels

that he is totally alone •  Perhaps the early deaths of both parents inspired the fears

he writes about •  The nega-ve recep-on of his poems in his life-me may also

have inspired the poem •  Some of you may have no-ced that this poem is wriQen as

a sonnet – no-ce the 3 quatrains (verses of 4 lines each) and final rhyming couplet. Don’t forget to look out for the sonnet form in the unseen poetry exam.

Maya Angelou Maya Angelou (April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an African-‐American author, poet, dancer, actress and singer. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, and several books of poetry, and was credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning more than 50 years. She received dozens of awards and over fiVy honorary degrees. She became a poet and writer aVer a series of occupa-ons as a young adult, including fry cook, pros-tute, nightclub dancer and performer, cast member of an opera, coordinator for the Southern Chris-an Leadership Conference, and journalist in Africa. She was ac-ve in the Civil Rights movement, and worked with Mar-n Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. Beginning in the 1990s, she made around 80 appearances a year on the lecture circuit, something she con-nued into her eigh-es. She was respected as a spokesperson for black people and women, and her works have been considered a defence of Black culture. AQempts have been made to ban her books from some U.S. libraries, but her works are widely used in schools and universi-es worldwide. Her books centre on themes such as racism, iden-ty, family, and travel. Her death in 2014 was a major news story around the world, including on the BBC and she was widely mourned due to her contribu-ons to literature and the civil rights movement. Quotes from her wri-ng and public speaking and oVen included in lists of inspira-onal quotes and can oVen be seen in social media.

Quick Quiz

1.  Where is Maya Angelou from? 2.  Which famous Civil Rights ac-vists did Maya

Angelou work with? 3.  Which of these did she NOT do to make a living?

a) pros-tute b) cook c) police woman

4. In which century was Angelou born? 5. When did Maya Angelou die?

Answers

1.  Maya Angelou was from the USA 2.  She worked with Mar-n Luther King (and

Malcolm X, too) 3.  She was once a pros-tute and a cook, but

never a police woman 4.  She was born in the 20th Century 5.  She died last year (2014)

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings The free bird leaps on the back of the wind and floats downstream -ll the current ends and dips his wings in the orange sun rays and dares to claim the sky. But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage can seldom see through his bars of rage his wings are clipped and his feet are -ed so he opens his throat to sing. The caged bird sings with fearful trill of the things unknown but longed for s-ll and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom

The free bird thinks of another breeze and the trade winds soV through the sighing trees and the fat worms wai-ng on a dawn-‐bright lawn and he names the sky his own. But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream his wings are clipped and his feet are -ed so he opens his throat to sing The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for s-ll and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom.

What do you think is the writer’s message in this poem? Do you think she was wri-ng about anybody in par-cular?

Interpreta-ons

•  This poem compares two birds – one which is free, and one which is caged

•  The lives of the two birds are heavily contrasted, with images of freedom juxtaposed with images of death and darkness

•  The poem can be read as a metaphor for different races, with the ‘caged bird’ represen-ng black Americans

•  Perhaps Angelou is saying that the colour of someone’s skin can act as a barrier for that person, like a cage

•  The history of slavery in America springs to many minds when reading this poem

•  The final line of the poem, “the caged bird sings for freedom” can be interpreted as a protest cry, linking to the Civil Rights movement

Owen Sheers

Owen Sheers (born 20 September 1974) is a Welsh poet, author, playwright, actor and TV presenter. He is the first writer in residence to be appointed by any na-onal rugby union team. Sheers was born in Fiji in 1974 but brought up in Abergavenny, South Wales. He was educated at King Henry VIII Comprehensive in Abergavenny and read English at New College, Oxford, before gaining his MA in Crea-ve Wri-ng from the University of East Anglia. The winner of an Eric Gregory Award and the 1999 Vogue Young Writer's Award, Sheers' first collec-on of poetry, The Blue Book, was shortlisted for the Welsh Book of the Year and the Forward Prize Best 1st Collec-on 2001. His poem, Mametz Wood, is included in the AQA Anthology, ‘Moon on the Tides’ and is widely studied by GCSE students. His collec-on ‘Skirrid Hill’ is widely studied on A Level English Literature courses. His poetry draws on natural imagery and also deals with rela-onships between people.

Interpreta-ons •  In this poem, Sheers explores his iden-ty •  He describes seeing a photograph of his mother at 17 and

realizing how much he looks like her. He almost thinks the photograph is of him.

•  The links between masculine (Sheers) and feminine (the mother) are strong in the poem. The mother has shins like a boy and holds the reins in a ‘fist’ which is a more masculine image.

•  It can be interpreted as a poem about how people change – she is a ‘mother’ now but she hasn’t always been

•  The last line can be read in many ways – is he sugges-ng that while she has been many different people, and being his mother is just one of them, he has always been the same to her because he has never existed and not been her child? Is he saying that his iden-ty will always be defined by his family?

Quick Quiz

1.  What na-onality is Owen Sheers? 2.  Which poem in the GCSE Conflict Cluster was wriQen

by Sheers? a) Mametz Wood b) Belfast Confej c) Fu-lity

3. What type of imagery oVen appears in his poems? 4. Where was Sheers born? 5. In which decade was Sheers born?

a) 1930s b) 1960s c) 1970s

Answers

1.  Owen Sheers is a Welsh poet 2.  He wrote the poem Mametz Wood, which

you will all have studied 3.  He oVen uses natural imagery (nature) 4.  He was born in Fiji 5.  He was born in the 1970s and is s-ll wri-ng

today

Not Yet My Mother

Yesterday I found a photo of you at seventeen, holding a horse and smiling, not yet my mother. The -ght riding hat hid your hair, and your legs were s-ll the long shins of a boy's. You held the horse by the halter, your hand a fist under its huge jaw. The blown trees were s-ll in the background and the sky was grained by the old film stock, but what caught me was your face, which was mine. And I thought, just for a second, that you were me. But then I saw the woman's jacket, nipped at the waist, the ballooned jodhpurs, and of course the date, scratched in the corner. All of which told me again, that this was you at seventeen, holding a horse and smiling, not yet my mother, although I was clearly already your child.

What ideas about family rela-onships does Sheers present in this poem? What do you think of the mysterious last line?

Robert Frost

Robert Lee Frost (March 26, 1874 – January 29, 1963) was an American poet. His work was ini-ally published in England before it was published in America. He is highly regarded for his realis-c depic-ons of rural life and his command of American colloquial (everyday) speech. His work frequently employed sejngs from rural life in New England in the early twen-eth century, using them to examine complex social and philosophical themes. One of the most popular and cri-cally respected American poets of the twen-eth century, Frost was honoured frequently during his life-me, receiving four Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry. He became one of America's rare "public literary figures, almost an ar-s-c ins-tu-on." He was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 1960 for his poe-cal works.

Quick Quiz

1.  What na-onality was Robert Frost? 2.  In which century was Frost born? 3.  What type of sejng did he frequently use in

his poetry? 4.  How many -mes did he win the Pulitzer Prize

for poetry? 5.  What kind of themes did he explore through

his poetry?

Answers

1.  Robert Frost was an American poet 2.  He was born in the 19th Century but lived

un-l the 1960s 3.  He frequently used rural (countryside)

sejngs 4.  He won the Pulitzer Prize 4 -mes! 5.  He explored complex themes about society

and philosophy in his poetry

The Road Not Taken Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the beQer claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same, And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.

1. How would you describe this sejng?

2. Is there any difference between the two roads?

3. Why do you think he says ‘with a sigh’ in the future that he took ‘the one less traveled’?

4. What is the extended metaphor in this poem?

Interpreta-ons •  The sejng is rural – typical of Frost’s poetry •  He describes two roads which are both equally worn. They look ‘equally

trod’ and are both ‘as fair’ as each other. •  The persona in the poem reflects on the choice he didn’t make, but knows

he can’t go back and make the choice again •  When he says ‘with a sigh’ that he ‘took the one less traveled’ it may be

because he regrets how he made his decision. He is lying when he says that he took the road less travelled – there was no way of knowing.

•  This famous poem is oVen misread and misunderstood – remember that he didn’t take the one less travelled as the two paths were both the same

•  The poem is widely interpreted as an extended metaphor for the path of life – the decisions we have to take and the way that we look back on those decisions. The decision is difficult – a dilemma – because it really isn’t clear which op-on to take.

•  It could be significant that he seems to feel he should have taken the more obscure path, different to others, as if this would have made his life different

•  No-ce that the poem is called ‘The Road Not Taken’ – it’s more about the choice he didn’t make, rather than the choice he did.

Sophie Hannah

Sophie Hannah was born in Manchester, England; her father was an academic and her mother is the author Adèle Geras. She aQended the University of Manchester. She published her first book of poems, The Hero and the Girl Next Door, at the age of 24. Her style is oVen compared to the light verse of Wendy Cope and the surrealism of Lewis Carroll – the bizarre and absurd. She writes with wit, humour and warmth. Her poems are studied at GCSE, A-‐level and degree level across the UK. Hannah is also the author of a book for children and six psychological crime novels.

Quick Quiz

1.  Where was Sophie Hannah born? 2.  What do you no-ce about where she went to

university? 3.  Which famous children’s writer does her surreal

poetry get compared with? 4.  Which 3 words describe her poetry best: a) wit, cri-cism and sarcasm b) wit, humour and warmth 5. What else has she had published, other than

poetry?

Answers

1.  Sophie Hannah was born in Manchester 2.  She also went to university in Manchester, so

stayed in her home town 3.  Her wri-ng is compared with the surreal,

absurd style of Lewis Carrol 4.  Her wri-ng is best described as containing

wit, humour and warmth (b) 5.  She has also had a children’s book and 6

crime novels published

Don’t Say I Said

Next -me you speak to you-‐know-‐who I’ve got a message for him. Tell him that I have lost a stone Since the last -me I saw him. Tell him that I’ve got three new books Coming out soon, but play it Cool, make it sound spontaneous. Don’t say I said to say it.

He might ask if I’ve men-oned him. Say I have once, in passing. Memorize everything he says And, no, it won’t be grassing When you repeat his words to me – It’s the only way to play it. Tell him I’m toned and tanned and fine. Don’t say I said to say it.

Say that serenity and grace Have taken root inside me. My top-‐note is frivolity But beneath, dark passions guide me. Tell him I’m radiant and replete And add that everyday it Seems I am harder to resist. Don’t say I said to say it. Tell him that all my ancient faults Have been eradicated. I do not carp or analyse As I might have when we dated. Say I’m not bossy any more Or, beQer s-ll, convey it Subtly, but get the point across. Don’t say I said to say it.

What do you think of the persona in the poem and how are they presented through the poet’s language choices?

Interpreta-ons •  This poem refers to the emo-ons aQached to a broken down roman-c

rela-onship •  The persona in the poem is preoccupied with her ex partner’s thoughts about

her – she wants him to hear posi-ve informa-on about how she is gejng on •  She spins off a range of descrip)ons to make herself sound perfect – the

ideal partner. She is, apparently “toned and tanned and fine” etc. •  Ironically, she wants him to think that she doesn’t think about him oVen. It is

clear that she does, though, as the repe))on in the poem suggests she is almost obsessed.

•  The fact that she is having to provide the posi-ve informa-on (e.g. “I’ve got three new books coming out”) leads the reader to ques-on whether the persona is making up untruths.

•  There is humour at the end when she commands, “Say I’m not bossy any more/ Or, beQer s-ll, convey it/Subtly, but get the point across./Don’t say I said to say it.”

•  The use of impera)ves (commands) throughout the poem reveals her to be a very bossy character indeed!

•  The use of everyday, colloquial (cha5y) language makes the text appeal to the reader, who may easily be able to iden-fy with this common experience

Thomas Hardy

Thomas Hardy was born in Dorset in 1840 and died in 1928. He was an English novelist and poet who wrote during the Victorian period. Charles Dickens was an important influence on Hardy. Like Dickens, he was very cri-cal of much in Victorian society, but Hardy focused more on the decline of society in rural areas, wri-ng frequently about the West Country which he knew well. While Hardy wrote poetry throughout his life and regarded himself mostly as a poet, his first collec-on was not published un-l 1898. At first he gained fame as the author of novels, including Far from the Madding Crowd (1874), Tess of the d'Urbervilles (1891), and Jude the Obscure (1895).

Quick Quiz

1.  In which county was Thomas Hardy born? 2.  What is the name of the period of history he

lived in? 3.  Which famous novelist influenced Hardy’s

wri-ng? 4.  Where are many of his books and poems set? 5.  What issue was he oVen concerned with in

his wri-ng?

Answers

1.  Thomas Hardy was born in Dorset. 2.  He lived during the Victorian period. 3.  He was influenced by Charles Dickens. 4.  Many of his books and poems are set in the

countryside of the West Country where he grew up.

5.  His wri-ng oVen deals with the issues faced by rural communi-es.

The Man He Killed

"Had he and I but met By some old ancient inn, We should have sat us down to wet Right many a nipperkin!

"But ranged as infantry, And staring face to face, I shot at him as he at me, And killed him in his place.

"I shot him dead because — Because he was my foe, Just so: my foe of course he was; That's clear enough; although

"He thought he'd 'list, perhaps, Off-‐hand like — just as I — Was out of work — had sold his traps — No other reason why.

"Yes; quaint and curious war is! You shoot a fellow down You'd treat if met where any bar is, Or help to half-‐a-‐crown."

Why does the speaker in the poem think war is ‘quaint and curious’? What do you think Thomas Hardy’s ajtude to war is?

Interpreta-ons •  The poem expresses the strangeness of war •  The speaker discusses a man who, the -tle suggests, he has

killed in baQle •  We assume the speaker is a soldier •  He describes what it would have been like if he had met

this man in another context – the local pub •  They would have been friendly and had a drink together.

He might have bought him the drink or given him some money.

•  He says he killed him because he had to – because he is his enemy

•  Hardy explores the nature of war; he expresses how man is turned against man for no real reason and how both sides in a war are the same

•  He also explores some of the reasons why men enlisted (in the poem, “he thought he’d ‘list”) – oVen because they needed a job

Tony Harrison

Tony Harrison (born 30 April 1937) is an English poet, translator and playwright. He is the son of a baker. He was born in Leeds and he received his educa-on in the classics from Leeds Grammar School and Leeds University. He is one of Britain's foremost verse writers and many of his works have been performed at the Royal Na-onal Theatre. He is noted for controversial works such as the poem V, which was televised by the BBC. It caused a huge outcry, especially for its frequent use of certain 4-‐leQer words. He is also noted for his outspoken views, par-cularly those on the Iraq War.

Quick Quiz

1.  In which century was Tony Harrison born? 2.  In which UK city did Tony Harrison live, go to

school and study at university? 3.  On which TV channel did his poem V appear

as a short film? 4.  Why did the broadcast of V cause a scandal? 5.  Which war has he spoken out against?

Answers

1.  Tony Harrison was born in the 20th Century 2.  He lives in Leeds, where he also studied 3.  His poem V was broadcast by the BBC? 4.  It caused a scandal because there was a lot of

swearing 5.  He has been outspoken on the topic of the

Iraq war

Marked With D.

When the chilled dough of his flesh went in an oven not unlike those he fuelled all his life, I thought of his cataracts ablaze with Heaven and radiant with the sight of his dead wife, light streaming from his mouth to shape her name, 'not Florence and not Flo but always Florrie.' I thought how his cold tongue burst into flame but only literally, which makes me sorry, sorry for his sake there's no Heaven to reach. I get it all from Earth my daily bread but he hungered for release from mortal speech that kept him down, the tongue that weighed like lead. The baker’s man that no one will see rise and England made to feel like some dull oaf is smoke, enough to s-ng one person’s eyes and ash (not unlike flour) for one small loaf.

1. Who do you think ‘he’ refers to? 2. What is happening to ‘him’? 3. What does the ‘he’ believe will happen aVer death? 4. What does the poet/speaker believe will happen aVer death? 5. What do you think the ‘D’ stands for in the -tle?

Interpreta-ons

1. The poet appears to write about his father, who was a baker. There is a lot of baking related language (a ‘seman-c field’ of baking) in the poem – oven, dough, rise, flour etc

2. As the “chilled dough of his flesh went in an oven” he is being cremated aVer his death.

3. The poet suggests his father hoped for a heaven and life aVer death.

4. The poet believes that “no one will see him rise”, because he will not go to heaven – he doesn’t believe in life aVer death (this feeling is also expressed in Long Distance II which was the Higher Unseen Poem in the mock)

5. The leQer ‘D’ in the -tle is metaphorical: like a leQer marked onto a loaf before baking, this man has been marked by death.

Wendy Cope

Wendy Cope was born in 1945 in Erith, Kent. She read History at St. Hilda's College, Oxford. She then taught in primary schools in London before becoming a freelance writer in 1986. She is known for her wiQy, humorous style and she makes fun of ‘literary’ types – writers who take themselves too seriously. She was made an O.B.E. in the Queen's Birthday honours 2010.

Quick Quiz

1.  In which county was Wendy Cope born? 2.  What happened to her in 2010? 3.  What was her first proper job? 4.  What type of poetry does she write? 5.  Who does she like to make fun of in her

poetry?

Answers

1.  Wendy Cope was born in Kent, England. 2.  In 2010, she was made an O.B.E in the

Queen’s birthday honours list. 3.  She began her career as a primary school

teacher in London. 4.  She writes wiQy, humorous poetry. 5.  She likes to make fun of writers who take

themselves too seriously – ‘literary types’.

Flowers Some men never think of it. You did. You'd come along And say you'd nearly brought me flowers But something had gone wrong.

The shop was closed. Or you had doubts -‐ The sort that minds like ours Dream up incessantly. You thought I might not want your flowers.

It made me smile and hug you then. Now I can only smile. But, look, the flowers you nearly brought Have lasted all this while.

How does the speaker feel about the giving of flowers as a giV? Support your ideas with evidence.

Interpreta-ons

•  The poem sums up the feeling of the old saying, “it’s the thought that counts”

•  The speaker feels touched that this man has thought of buying her flowers

•  She feels moved with affec-on for him, and the self-‐conscious way he doubts himself

•  The way she writes ‘minds like ours’ suggests a genuine closeness between the two, as if they think in the same way

•  There is a mournful tone to the poem as she says, ‘now I can only smile’. This suggests that he is gone.

•  The poem ends with the idea that the thought of giving the flowers has lasted far longer than any flowers could have lasted. It is something that she treasures.

W. H. Auden

Wystan Hugh Auden (21 February 1907 – 29 September 1973), who published as W. H. Auden, was an Anglo-‐American poet. He was born in Birmingham, England, was educated in Oxford then later became an American ci-zen. He is regarded by many cri-cs as one of the greatest writers of the 20th century. His work is noted for its style, its engagement with moral and poli-cal issues, and its variety in tone, form and content. The central themes of his poetry are love, poli-cs and ci-zenship, religion and morals.

Quick Quiz

1.  In which city was Auden born? 2.  Which famous university did he study at? 3.  Name a key theme in his poetry 4.  Where did Auden move to and become a

ci-zen of? 5.  In which century did he live?

Answers

1.  Auden was born in Birmingham. 2.  He studied at Oxford University. 3.  Key themes in his poetry include: love,

ci-zenship, moral issues, poli-cs and religion, 4.  He moved to the US and became an

American ci-zen 5.  He was born and died in the 20th century

Find the 5 Ws in the poem: Who? What? Where? When? Why? Support each with evidence.

Interpreta-ons

•  Who? The poem appears to be wriQen in the voice of a German Jew, speaking to a loved one

•  What? The couple are trying to escape from the Holocaust. They seek refuge in another country but they are refused.

•  Where? The country is unnamed but they are trying to escape from Hitler, so it is assumed that they are in Germany, Austria or Poland

•  When? The ac-ons in the poem take place during the Second World War

•  Why? The couple are fleeing for their lives, as ‘ten thousand soldiers’ are hun-ng them down. They are denied asylum for various reasons – their passports are ‘old’, people fear that they will ‘steal our daily bread’. They see animals being treated beQer than them – the poodle in the jacket, the cat let in to the house. They also see the fish free to swim where they want to. But they feel trapped.

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