year 7 poetry unit 2020

Year 7 Poetry Unit 2020

Question & Enquiry Feedback & Assessment Literacy & Numeracy Relationships Challenge

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Year 7 Poetry Unit 2020 GUIDANCE

Hi Year 7 and welcome to your Poetry Unit.

In this unit, you’ll find a range of poems and different activities to work your way through. As this is independent work, you will need to carry out some research for yourself. We have included a helpful “Poetry Guide Booklet” section right at the end of this first part and web site links to support you throughout.

The unit should last you for approximately 3 weeks (although you can spend longer on it should you need to) and we expect that you will spend around about 3 or 4 hours a week on it. Feel free to carry on for longer should you wish. Likewise, don’t worry if you don’t finish everything. The different sections of the unit are divided into “Days” – don’t worry if your “Days” run over. Likewise, you can complete more than one “Day” at a time.



Let’s start with PART ONE:

Literary Heritage Poetry: Ballads

“The Highwayman”P.S “Literary Heritage” means writing (including poems) that have been around since way before you. It means writing that has been influential and is considered to be of quality. Your first poem “The Highwayman” is

one such piece and it was written in 1904.


So, let’s get going with “The Highwayman”

What do you think of when you hear the word ‘highwayman’?

Carry out some internet research on highwaymen.

Brainstorm your ideas.


This might helphttps://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Highwaymen/

https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Highwaymen/

Now:Look carefully at the statements on the following slide. Next to each write either:

T = True (if you agree)

F = False (if you disagree)

This might help

https://writingexplained.org/grammar-dictionary/ballad


https://writingexplained.org/grammar-dictionary/ballad

The HighwaymanDo some research - true or false?

STATEMENTS ABOUT BALLADS

Agree or disagree? 1. A ballad has 14 lines

2. A ballad has a strict rhyme scheme

3. Quatrains (4 line stanzas), which provide short scenes of a story

4. Ballads have a abcb rhyme scheme

5. A ballad will often contain a moral or message

6. Death is a common theme for a ballad

7. Ballads tend to be about war

8. Ballads do not have any sense of rhythm

9. Sonnets are designed to capture a snapshot image

10. Ballads are a traditional form of poetry, originally passed on by word of mouth


The Highwayman

Read the first stanza:

The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees,

The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,

The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor,

And the highwayman came riding –

Riding – Riding –

The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door.

Prediction:What do you think is going to happen in this poem?


The HighwaymanFind at least three examples of each of these poetic devices in the poem. Write down the full quotation that shows the device. You will have to look carefully! (Use the Poetry Guide Booklet to help you with this).

• METAPHOR

• SIMILE

• ALLITERATION

• ONOMATOPOEIA

• REPETITION

• RHYMING COUPLET


The Highwayman

• Go back to your statements about ballads. Read back over your list to remind yourself of the conventions.

• Identify examples of ballad conventions used in “The Highwayman”. If you have a hard copy of the poem, highlight them on the sheet.


To finish, have a go at filling the gaps

The poem begins by describing the arrival of the ____________________ at the old inn. We soon learn that the landlord’s daughter, __________, and the highwayman are in love. Unfortunately for them, the ostler, Tim, also loves Bess, and is ______________ of the highwayman. He overhears the highwayman promising to return to the _______ after his night’s work. The ostlertells the _______________ who arrive and take over the inn to wait for the highwayman. They tie Bess to the foot of the _________ and gag her to stop her calling out to warn her lover. For good measure they fasten a ________ beneath her breast.


She struggles silently until she manages to reach the ___________ of the gun. She knows then that she can give a ______________. After midnight they hear the highwayman approaching. The soldiers prepare to ___________ him down. Bess pulls the trigger of the gun, kills herself, but warns the highwayman who gallops into the ________, not knowing what has happened. At dawn he discovers the dreadful truth. Blinded by sorrow and rage he gallops back to the inn and is shot down by the _______________. The locals say that the spirits of the ___________________ and _________ still meet at the old _________.


Now check your answers

The poem begins by describing the arrival of the ____________________ at the old inn. We soon learn that the landlord’s daughter, __________, and the highwayman are in love. Unfortunately for them, the ostler, Tim, also loves Bess, and is ______________ of the highwayman. He overhears the highwayman promising to return to the _______ after his night’s work. The ostlertells the _______________ who arrive and take over the inn to wait for the highwayman. They tie Bess to the foot of the _________ and gag her to stop her calling out to warn her lover. For good measure they fasten a ________ beneath her breast.

inn

King George’s men

bed

musket

Highwayman

Bess

Jealous


She struggles silently until she manages to reach the ___________ of the gun. She knows then that she can give a ______________. After midnight they hear the highwayman approaching. The soldiers prepare to ___________ him down. Bess pulls the trigger of the gun, kills herself, but warns the highwayman who gallops into the ________, not knowing what has happened. At dawn he discovers the dreadful truth. Blinded by sorrow and rage he gallops back to the inn and is shot down by the _______________. The locals say that the spirits of the ___________________ and _________ still meet at the old _________.

trigger

warning

shootnight

King’s men

Bess

Highwayman Inn


Day Two: BalladsWhat happens?

“The Highwayman”


Now you’ve re-read the poem, let’s have a go at the first task for today:

Complete a timeline on the events from ‘The Highwayman’H

igh

way

man

rid

es u

p t

o in

n

Hig

hw

aym

an s

ho

t d

ead


The HighwaymanWhat are the eight most important moments of the ballad?Think carefully, you’ll need these for your next task.

1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.


The Highwayman

You’re now going to create a storyboard to show the main events in the poem. Your aim is to recreate the tone of the poem looking at the atmosphere, tension and mystery at different times within the poem.

If you can:

Choose eight quotes and storyboard the events within them.


The Highwayman – as a storyboard

The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes

1 2

3 4 5

6 7 8


Day Three: BalladsWriting about the writer’s choices

“The Highwayman”


The HighwaymanOn the next slide you will find a number of questions to guide you through how to look at the choices Alfred Noyes has made when writing his poem “The Highwayman”. Read the questions carefully. Fill in each box with your answers.

Who? What? Rhyme, rhythm and structure

Imagery Tone

Effects Response


PART TWO:Day Four: Literary Heritage:

Ballads

The Lady of Shalott

Predictions and Setting


To analyse how words are used to create atmosphere in the opening stanzas.

To read part one of the poem and answer questions to assess understanding

Well done for finishing Part One.Now, Part Two.Our objectives for the first part of this are:


Let’s begin …

The poem begins with a description of the place where the lady lives.

Read the first two stanzas and highlight words or phrases used by the author to describe the Lady’s home near Camelot.


The Lady of Shalott On either side the river lieLong fields of barley and of rye,That clothe the wold and meet the sky;And through the field the road runs byTo many-towered Camelot;And up and down the people go,Gazing where the lilies blowRound an island there below,The island of Shalott.


The Lady of Shalott Willows whiten, aspens quiver,Little breezes dusk and shiverThrough the wave that runs for everBy the island in the riverFlowing down to Camelot.Four grey walls, and four grey towers,Overlook a space of flowers,And the silent isle imbowersThe Lady of Shalott.


Setting

Look at the following images, which picture is the most like the setting described in the poem?You must explain your answer with evidence from the part of the text you’ve read so far.


1


2


3


When you have decided on the picture, write an explanation for your choice.


The Lady of Shalott

four grey wallsfour grey towers

the stream that runneth ever


Part One

Read the first part of the poem again and the next two slides. What are your first impressions of the lady?

What words or phrases could you use to describe her?


The Lady of Shalott

By the margin, willow-veiled,Slide the heavy barges trailedBy slow horses; and unhailedThe shallop flitteth silken-sailedSkimming down to Camelot:But who hath seen her wave her hand?Or at the casement seen her stand?Or is she known in all the land,The Lady of Shalott?


The Lady of Shalott

Only reapers, reaping earlyIn among the bearded barley,Hear a song that echoes cheerlyFrom the river winding clearly,Down to towered Camelot:And by the moon the reaper weary,Piling sheaves in uplands airy,Listening, whispers "'Tis the fairyLady of Shalott."


Questions

1. What is Shalott?

2. Who is imprisoned in Shalott?

3. Has the person in the tower ever been seen? How do you know?

4. How do people know that she is there?

5. What do the people of Camelot refer to her as?


Unfamiliar WordsThis poem was first published in 1833 and some of the words of the poem are no longer in common use. Jot down any unfamiliar words or phrases from the

first two stanzas of the poem.

Words I do not know

Some examples have been highlighted on the next two slides.


On either side the river lieLong fields of barley and of rye,That clothe the wold and meet the sky;And through the field the road runs byTo many-towered Camelot;And up and down the people go,Gazing where the lilies blowRound an island there below,The island of Shalott.


Willows whiten, aspens quiver,Little breezes dusk and shiverThrough the wave that runs for everBy the island in the riverFlowing down to Camelot.Four grey walls, and four grey towers,Overlook a space of flowers,And the silent isle imbowersThe Lady of Shalott.


What does it mean?Some of the words you may be able to work out as they are similar to words we use today. Look up any words you do not know in a dictionary. Then write down their definitions.

Word Definition

wold upland or rolling country, especially when treeless


Now you’ve read through to the end of part one, complete the summary of the plot by filling in the gaps

The story so far…

The poem begins with the description of _____. Shalott is an _____ in a river just outside _____. Upon the island is a castle of four grey _____ and four grey _____ and inside the castle is ___ ____ __ _____. The lady is a _____. She has never been ____ by those passing by but people know she exists as the _____ sometimes hear her ____ in the early _____. The reapers call her ‘the ____ ____ __ Shalott’.


Check your answers

The story so far…

The poem begins with the description of Shalott. Shalott is an island in a river just outside Camelot. Upon the island is a castle of four grey walls and four grey towers and inside the castle is the Lady of Shalott. The lady is a prisoner. She has never been seen by those passing by but people know she exists as the reapers sometimes hear her sing in the early morning. The reapers call her ‘the fairy Lady of Shalott’.


Day Five: The presentation of the Lady of Shalott

The Lady of Shalott

Part Two


To read part two of the poem and explore how Tennyson presents the Lady of Shalott

Objective:


Description, Dialogue, Action!

Can you match up the word with its correct definition?

Description What the character says

Dialogue What the character does

Action How the character looks, feels and behaves


Part Two

Read the second part of the poem. What new things do we learn about her in part two?


Part TwoThe Lady of Shalott

There she weaves by night and dayA magic web with colours gay.She has heard a whisper say,A curse is on her if she stayTo look down to Camelot.She knows not what the curse may be,And so she weaveth steadily,And little other care hath she,The Lady of Shalott.


The Lady of Shalott

And moving through a mirror clearThat hangs before her all the year,Shadows of the world appear.There she sees the highway nearWinding down to Camelot:There the river eddy whirls,And there the surly village-churls,And the red cloaks of market girls,Pass onward from Shalott.


The Lady of Shalott

Sometimes a troop of damsels glad,An abbot on an ambling pad,Sometimes a curly shepherd-lad,Or long-haired page in crimson clad,Goes by to towered Camelot;And sometimes through the mirror blueThe knights come riding two and two:She hath no loyal knight and true,The Lady of Shalott.


The Lady of Shalott

But in her web she still delightsTo weave the mirror's magic sights,For often through the silent nightsA funeral, with plumes and lightsAnd music, went to Camelot:Or when the moon was overhead,Came two young lovers lately wed;"I am half sick of shadows," saidThe Lady of Shalott.


Questions

1. Using detail from the poem, describe the room in the tower.

2. Why does the lady never look out of the window?

3. What does she do all day?

4. Is she happy? Explain how you know.

5. What do you think would happen if she looked out of the window?


The LadyWhat do we learn about the lady in part two of the poem?


The Lady of Shalott

Remind yourself of part two then complete the table below.

Quotation What it tells us about her

She knows not what the curse may be

She hath no loyal knight and true

“I am half sick of shadows,” said

The Lady of Shalott


Write a paragraph

explaining how Tennyson

presents the character of

the Lady of Shalott to the

reader.

You could use some of

the sentence starters on

the next slide to get you

started.

Characterisation

Tennyson uses …

“Half sick of shadows”


CharacterisationBeginning a piece of writing is often the most difficult part. Below are a few

sentence starters to help with your paragraph:

The Lady of Shalott

The Lady is … in the second part, she is described as….

When she says…it shows…

The author’s use of language gives the reader an insight into the Lady’s character…


Day Six: The Lady and Lancelot

The Lady of Shalott

Part Three

Objective: To read part three of the poem and explore how Tennyson contrasts Lancelot with the Lady of Shalott


Re-read to the end of part two then complete the summary of the plot by filling in the

gaps

The story so far…

Part two begins with the Lady

weaving a magic ___. We discover

that a ____ has been placed upon her

which forbids her from looking

through the ____ to _____. The lady

sees the outside world through a

_____. She sees the ____, the ____

and the _____ passing by. She

weaves the things she sees into the

web. The Lady is _____ and longs

for ______ and ____.


Check your answers

The story so far…

Part two begins with the Lady weaving

a magic web. We discover that a

curse has been placed upon her which

forbids her from looking through the

window to Camelot. The lady sees

the outside world through a mirror.

She sees the road, the river and the

people passing by. She weaves the

things she sees into the web. The

Lady is lonely and longs for

companionship and love.


Part Three

Read the third part of the poem.

Pay close attention to the man who rides by.


Part ThreeThe Lady of Shalott

A bow-shot from her bower-eaves,He rode between the barley-sheaves,The sun came dazzling through the leaves,And flamed upon the brazen greavesOf bold Sir Lancelot.A red-cross knight for ever kneeledTo a lady in his shield,That sparkled on the yellow field,Beside remote Shalott.


The Lady of Shalott

The gemmy bridle glittered free,Like to some branch of stars we seeHung in the golden Galaxy.The bridle bells rang merrilyAs he rode down to Camelot:And from his blazoned baldric slungA mighty silver bugle hung,And as he rode his armour rung,Beside remote Shalott.


The Lady of Shalott

All in the blue unclouded weatherThick-jewelled shone the saddle-leather,The helmet and the helmet-featherBurned like one burning flame together,As he rode down to Camelot.As often through the purple night,Below the starry clusters bright,Some bearded meteor, trailing light,Moves over still Shalott.


The Lady of Shalott

His broad clear brow in sunlight glowed;On burnished hooves his war-horse trode;From underneath his helmet flowedHis coal-black curls as on he rode,As he rode down to Camelot.From the bank and from the riverHe flashed into the crystal mirror,"Tirra lirra," by the riverSang Sir Lancelot.


The Lady of Shalott

She left the web, she left the loom,She made three paces through the room,She saw the water-lily bloom,She saw the helmet and the plume,She looked down to Camelot.Out flew the web and floated wide;The mirror cracked from side to side;"The curse is come upon me," criedThe Lady of Shalott.


Sir LancelotWhat are your first impressions of Sir Lancelot? What words or phrases does the

poet use to describe him.


Sir LancelotWhy has Tennyson chosen such words to introduce Lancelot? What do these words

have in common?

dazzling

flamed

bold

sparkled

silver

glittered

Golden

galaxy

stars

Bridle bells rang merrily

Thick-jewelledBurning

flame

meteor

sunlight


What is contrast?What is the first thing that comes to mind when

you think about the word contrast?

Maybe you think about a TV or computer screen.

What does the contrast button do?


Spot the Contrast

Look at the picture below.

What contrast can you see?


Spot the ContrastThink about the characters of The Lady

of Shalott and Sir Lancelot.

What contrasts can you identify?


Contrast Lancelot and the Lady

The characters of Lancelot and the Lady are very different.

Now you have read part three think about the contrast between the two characters.

Draw a table like this one then/using this one complete the necessary details.

Lancelot The Lady

exciting Lives a dull, empty life


Part Three Questions

1. Who is the man that rides by?

2. What does the description of Lancelot tell us about his character?

3. How is Lancelot different to the Lady?

4. What does the Lady do?

5. Explain what happens and why.


Re-read to the end of part three then complete the summary of the plot by filling in the gaps

The story so far…

In part three _____ rides by the

tower. The sunlight shines upon

his _____ and he _____ as he

rides towards _____.

As his image flashes into the

_____ the lady leaves the _____,

walks across the ____ and looks

out of the _____ towards Camelot.

The _____ strikes. The _____

flies out of the ____ and the mirror

_____ from side to side. ‘“___

_____ __ ____ ____ __,” cried

The Lady of Shalott.’


Check your answers

The story so far…

In part three Sir Lancelot rides by

the tower. The sunlight shines

upon his armour and he sings as

he rides towards Camelot.

As his image flashes into the

mirror the lady leaves the web,

walks across the room and looks

out of the window towards

Camelot. The curse strikes. The

web flies out of the window and

the mirror cracks from side to

side. ‘“The curse is come upon

me,” cried The Lady of Shalott.’

Day Seven: Finishing the poem

The Lady of Shalott

Part Four

Objective: To read part four of the poem, answer consolidation questions and complete sequencing task.


What do you think will happen in the final part of the poem?

Now read the fourth and final part of the poem.


Part FourThe Lady of Shalott

In the stormy east-wind straining,The pale yellow woods were waning,The broad stream in his banks complaining,Heavily the low sky rainingOver towered Camelot;Down she came and found a boatBeneath a willow left afloat,And round about the prow she wroteThe Lady of Shalott.


The Lady of Shalott

And down the river's dim expanse,Like some bold seer in a tranceSeeing all his own mischance,With a glassy countenanceDid she look to Camelot.And at the closing of the dayShe loosed the chain, and down she lay;The broad stream bore her far away,The Lady of Shalott.


The Lady of Shalott

Lying, robed in snowy whiteThat loosely flew to left and right—The leaves upon her falling light—Through the noises of the nightShe floated down to Camelot:And as the boat-head wound alongThe willowy hills and fields among,They heard her singing her last song,The Lady of Shalott.


The Lady of Shalott

Heard a carol, mournful, holy,Chanted loudly, chanted lowly,Till her blood was frozen slowly,And her eyes were darkened wholly,Turned to towered Camelot.For ere she reached upon the tideThe first house by the water-side,Singing in her song she died,The Lady of Shalott.


The Lady of Shalott

Under tower and balcony,By garden-wall and gallery,A gleaming shape she floated by,Dead-pale between the houses high,Silent into Camelot.Out upon the wharfs they came,Knight and burgher, lord and dame,And round the prow they read her name,The Lady of Shalott.


The Lady of Shalott

Who is this? and what is here?And in the lighted palace nearDied the sound of royal cheer;And they crossed themselves for fear,All the knights at Camelot:But Lancelot mused a little space;He said, "She has a lovely face;God in his mercy lend her grace,The Lady of Shalott."


Part Four Questions 1. What does the lady do in the first verse of part four? Why is the last line in

italics?

2. What happens in verses two and three of part four?

3. Explain how she dies.

4. Where does the boat travel?

5. What does Lancelot do when he sees the lady?


Read to the end of part four then complete the summary of the plot by filling in the gaps

The story so far…

In part four the weather is ___ and

_____. The lady leaves the _____

and writes her ____ on the side of a

____. She climbs into the boat and

floats down to _____ singing her

last ____. Her blood _____ and

she ____ as she reaches Camelot.

The _____ of the city come out to

watch the lady float by. In the king’s

_____ cheers turn to _____ and

_____ says, “She has _ _____

____; ___ __ ___ ____ ____ ___

_____, The Lady of Shalott.”

Check your answers

The story so far…

In part four the weather is dark and

stormy. The lady leaves the castle

and writes her name on the side of

a boat. She climbs into the boat

and floats down to Camelot singing

her last song. Her blood freezes

and she dies as she reaches

Camelot. The people of the city

come out to watch the lady float by.

In the king’s palace cheers turn to

silence and Lancelot says, “She

has a lovely face; God in his

mercy land her grace, The Lady of

Shalott.”


Sequencing

Sir Lancelot rides by Shalott in shining armour

People pass the island of Shalott on their way to Camelot

The Lady is imprisoned in a tower on the island

The Lady weaves the web and looks out towards Camelot

The Lady leaves the tower and floats down the river in a boat with her name on the bows

The Lady’s blood freezes and she dies

The Lady is cursed and cannot look through the window

Nobody has ever seen the lady but the reapers hear her singing

The Lady looks into a mirror and weaves whatever she sees into a tapestry

Sir Lancelot blesses the body of the Lady

The mirror cracks and the web flies out of the window

Place the following events in the correct order:


Sequencing

People pass the island of Shalott on their way to Camelot

The Lady is imprisoned in a tower on the island

Nobody has ever seen the lady but the reapers hear her singing

The Lady is cursed and cannot look through the window

The Lady looks into a mirror and weaves whatever she sees into a tapestry

Sir Lancelot rides by Shalott in shining armour

The Lady leaves the web and looks out towards Camelot

The mirror cracks and the web flies out of the window

The Lady leaves the tower and floats down the river in a boat with her name on the bows

The Lady’s blood freezes and she dies

Sir Lancelot blesses the body of the Lady

The correct order is:


To finish off …

Think back to “The Highwayman” and your thoughts on ballads. How does this poem fit in with the conventions of a ballad? Look at the structure and rhyming scheme and decide whether it is a traditional ballad.


Day Eight: It’s all nonsense!!!!!!!!!


Guess what! You have been invited to the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party (Have you read “Alice in Wonderland? If not, while you’re in “lockdown” tick off from your reading list).

He’s really looking forward to meeting you but he’s quite demanding, he wants you to complete a task. You have to bring a nonsense poem to read aloud, preferably one you have written yourself.

Let’s see what style of nonsense he likes …


Firstly, do you know this poem?

Twinkle, twinkle, little star.How I wonder what you are.Up above the world so high -Like a diamond in the sky -Twinkle, twinkle little star -How I wonder what you are.

Can you spot any poetic devices? Rhymes, similes, personification, repetition?


Here’s one he made earlier.

Twinkle, twinkle, little bat!How I wonder what you're at!Up above the world you fly,Like a tea tray in the sky.Twinkle, twinkle, little bat!How I wonder what you're at!

The poem is recited in Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland” by the Mad Hatter.

What do you notice?


Spotting the Difference




Of course you spotted the difference



The Mad Hatter’s version is meant to be nonsense. He is playing with words from the original version. He makes it easy for himself because he doesn’t have to invent a whole poem. Get ready to try this yourself.

Have a go yourself …Twinkle, twinkle, little ______.How I wonder _____________.Up above the world ________ -Like a ___________________ -

Twinkle, twinkle little _______-How I wonder_____________ .

Plane flame came sane cone blame moan againspy high lie cry sigh try why

OR CREATE A DIFFERENT SET OF WORDS THAT RHYME

Tip: it might be called a nonsense poem but it still needs to make some sense to the reader. There should be a possible

truth in there somewhere.


Or you could be even more adventurous/ambitious and recreate something like “Jabberwocky”, another Lewis Carroll creation.

Read through the poem and try to make some sense of it.


BY LEWIS CARROLL

’Twas brillig, and the slithy tovesDid gyre and gimble in the wabe:

All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe.

“Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!

Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun The frumious Bandersnatch!”

He took his vorpal sword in hand; Long time the manxome foe he sought—

So rested he by the Tumtum tree And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood, The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,

Came whiffling through the tulgey wood, And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!

He left it dead, and with its head He went galumphing back.

“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy!

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!” He chortled in his joy.

’Twas brillig, and the slithy tovesDid gyre and gimble in the wabe:

All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe.

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/lewis-carroll

Word from the poem Your definition

brillig Late in the afternoon when the sun is going down

slithy Slimy and light

Choose strange words from the poem and try to make up your own definitions for them:



OR, how about Spike Milligan’s

The Ning Nang Nong

On the Ning Nang Nong

Where the Cows go Bong!

and the monkeys all say BOO!

There's a Nong Nang Ning

Where the trees go Ping!

And the tea pots jibber jabber joo.

On the Nong Ning Nang

All the mice go Clang

And you just can't catch 'em when they do!

So its Ning Nang Nong

Cows go Bong!

Nong Nang Ning

Trees go ping

Nong Ning Nang

The mice go Clang

What a noisy place to belong

is the Ning Nang Ning Nang Nong!!

Spike Milligan

What have you created to impress The Mad Hatter?

Write your creation down.


To finish …

Day Nine:Rhythm



What kinds of mail (post) do people send?


Night Mail by W H Auden (1907-1973)




Letters of thanks, letters from banks,Letters of joy from girl and boy,Receipted bills and invitationsTo inspect new stock or to visit relations,And applications for situations,And timid lovers' declarations,And gossip, gossip from all the nations,News circumstantial, news financial,Letters with holiday snaps to enlarge in,Letters with faces scrawled on the margin,Letters from uncles, cousins, and aunts,Letters to Scotland from the South of France,Letters of condolence to Highlands and LowlandsWritten on paper of every hue,The pink, the violet, the white and the blue,The chatty, the catty, the boring, the adoring,The cold and official and the heart's outpouring,Clever, stupid, short and long,The typed and the printed and the spelt all wrong.

Thousands are still asleep,Dreaming of terrifying monstersOr of friendly tea beside the band in Cranston's or Crawford's:

Asleep in working Glasgow, asleep in well-set Edinburgh,Asleep in granite Aberdeen,They continue their dreams,But shall wake soon and hope for letters,And none will hear the postman's knockWithout a quickening of the heart,For who can bear to feel himself forgotten?

This is the night mail crossing the Border,Bringing the cheque and the postal order,

Letters for the rich, letters for the poor,The shop at the corner, the girl next door.

Pulling up Beattock, a steady climb:The gradient's against her, but she's on time.

Past cotton-grass and moorland boulderShovelling white steam over her shoulder,

Snorting noisily as she passesSilent miles of wind-bent grasses.

Birds turn their heads as she approaches,Stare from bushes at her blank-faced coaches.

Sheep-dogs cannot turn her course;They slumber on with paws across.

In the farm she passes no one wakes,But a jug in a bedroom gently shakes.

Dawn freshens, Her climb is done.Down towards Glasgow she descends,Towards the steam tugs yelping down a glade of cranesTowards the fields of apparatus, the furnacesSet on the dark plain like gigantic chessmen.All Scotland waits for her:In dark glens, beside pale-green lochsMen long for news.

Night Mail

https://allpoetry.com/Night-Mail

What is the poem about?

The poem describes a train travelling from England to Scotland. The train is carrying lots of different kinds of mail.


•What is rhythm?

•Can we clap the rhythm of the poem?

•Does the rhythm change?


Read the fourth stanza

Now, read the last stanza

Do you notice any differences?

This is the Night Mail…


Pace

Looking at stanza 4, make a note of the following…

Rhyme

Repetition

Syllabic Count

Now, do the same for the final stanza.

What might the change in rhythm and rhyme represent, thinking about the subject of the poem?


The poem’s rhythm imitates the train’s wheels as they clatter over the track sections. There are sections of the poem which are faster and then bits that are slower. This could reflect the train’s

changing speed as it goes on its journey through the countryside, towns and villages.


Say it out loud!

Choose a stanza that you feel best represents the chugging of the train.

Prepare a performance that

really brings out the regular

rhythm of the poem. See how

fast you can chant it without

going wrong!


CLAPS

When we are writing about a poem, we could use CLAPS.

Content

Language

Atmosphere

Poetic Techniques

Structure

Work through the following slides answering each of the questions.


Content

What is the poem about?

What is the train delivering?

Where is it travelling from and to?

How do the people and animals react to the Night Mail?


Language

Are there any interesting words?

Find some examples of interesting adjectives, verbs and adverbs and try to explain why you think the poet has used them.


Atmosphere

What mood does the rhyme scheme and rhythm give the poem?

Is there pressure for the train to arrive on time (find proof)?

What kind of mood is there in the last stanza?


Poetic Techniques

Look for examples of personification.

Look for examples of repetition.

Look for use of lists.

What do you think the effect is, of these techniques?


Structure

Look at stanza lengths

Use of rhythm

Use of rhyme

What do you think the effect is, of these techniques?


Finally, a couple of readings…

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLHrPrk3PkU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8_jmtbvzmY


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLHrPrk3PkU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8_jmtbvzmY

Day Ten: Poetry’s not boring!!!!!!!A selection

The following slides contain a selection of poems for you to read, enjoy and consider. When you’ve read each, consider the questions that follow.



The Uncertainty of the PoetI am a poet.I am very fond of bananas.

I am bananas.I am very fond of a poet.

I am a poet of bananas.I am very fond.

A fond poet of 'I am, I am'-Very bananas.

Fond of 'Am I bananas?Am I?'-a very poet.

Bananas of a poet!Am I fond? Am I very?

Poet bananas! I am.I am fond of a 'very.'

I am of very fond bananas.Am I a poet? Wendy Cope


Who's WhoI used to think nurses Were women.I used to think policeWere men.I used to think poetsWere boring,Until I became one of them

Benjamin Zephaniah


Warning

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple

With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.

And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves

And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.

I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired

And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells

And run my stick along the public railings

And make up for the sobriety of my youth.

I shall go out in my slippers in the rain

And pick flowers in other people's gardens

And learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat

And eat three pounds of sausages at a go

Or only bread and pickle for a week

And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry

And pay our rent and not swear in the street

And set a good example for the children.

We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practise a little now?

So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised

When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

Jenny Joseph


Macavity the Mystery CatMacavity's a Mystery Cat:, he's called the Hidden Paw--For he's the master criminal who can defy the Law.He's the bafflement of Scotland Yard, the Flying Squad's despair:For when they reach the scene of crime--Macavity's not there!

Macavity, Macavity, there's no-one like Macavity,He's broken every human law, he breaks the law of gravity.His powers of levitation would make a fakir stare,And when you reach the scene of crime--Macavity's not there!You may seek him in the basement, you may look up in the air--But I tell you once and once again, Macavity's not there!

Macavity's a ginger cat, he's very tall and thin;You would know him if you saw him, for his eyes are sunken in.His brow is deeply lined with thought, his head is highly domed;His coat is dusty from neglect, his whiskers are uncombed.He sways his head from side to side, with movements like a snake;And when you think he's half asleep, he's always wide awake.

Macavity, Macavity, there's no one like Macavity,For he's a fiend in feline shape, a monster of depravity.You may meet him in a by-street, you may see him in the square--But when a crime's discovered, then Macavity's not there!

He's outwardly respectable. (They say he cheats at cards.)And his footprints are not found in any file of Scotland Yard's.And when the larder's looted, or the jewel-case is rifled,Or when the milk is missing, or another Peke's been stifled,Or the greenhouse glass is broken, and the trellis past repair--Ay, there's the wonder of the thing! Macavity's not there!

And when the Foreign Office finds a Treaty's gone astray,Or the Admiralty lose some plans and drawings by the way,There may be a scrap of paper in the hall or on the stair--But it's useless to investigate--Macavity's not there!And when the loss has been disclosed, the Secret Service say:"It must have been Macavity!"--but he's a mile away.You'll be sure to find him resting, or a-licking of his thumbs,Or engaged in doing complicated long division sums.

Macavity, Macavity, there's no one like Macavity,There never was a Cat of such deceitfulness and suavity.He always has an alibi, or one or two to spare:And whatever time the deed took place--MACAVITY WASN'T THERE!And they say that all the Cats whose wicked deeds are widely known(I might mention Mungojerrie, I might mention Griddlebone)Are nothing more than agents for the Cat who all the timeJust controls their operations: the Napoleon of Crime!

TS Eliot


Please Mrs Butler

Please Mrs Butler

This boy Derek Drew

Keeps copying my work,

Miss.

What shall I do?

Go and sit in the hall, dear.

Go and sit in the sink.

Take your books on the

roof, my lamb.

Do whatever you think.

Please Mrs Butler

This boy Derek Drew

Keeps taking my rubber,

Miss.

What shall I do?

Keep it in your hand, dear.

Hide it up your vest.

Swallow it if you like, love.

Do what you think best.

Please Mrs Butler

This boy Derek Drew

Keeps calling me rude names, Miss.

What shall I do?

Lock yourself in the cupboard, dear.

Run away to sea.

Do whatever you can, my flower.

But don't ask me!

Allan Ahlberg


The first blast cleared the backrow

(where those who skive hang out)

they collapsed like rubber dinghies

when the plug's pulled out

"Please may I leave the room sir?"

a trembling vandal enquired

"Of course you may" said teacher

put the gun to his temple and fired

The Head popped a head round the doorway

to see why a din was being made

nodded understandingly

then tossed in a grenade

And when the ammo was well spent

with blood on every chair

Silence shuffled forward

with its hands up in the air

The teacher surveyed the carnage

the dying and the dead

He waggled a finger severely

"Now let that be a lesson" he said

Roger McGough

The Lesson

Chaos ruled OK in the classroom

as bravely the teacher walked in

the nooligans ignored him

his voice was lost in the din

"The theme for today is violence

and homework will be set

I'm going to teach you a lesson

one that you'll never forget"

He picked on a boy who was shouting

and throttled him then and there

then garrotted the girl behind him

(the one with grotty hair)

Then sword in hand he hacked his way

between the chattering rows

"First come, first severed" he declared

"fingers, feet or toes"

He threw the sword at a latecomer

it struck with deadly aim

then pulling out a shotgun

he continued with his game


The Ning Nang NongOn the Ning Nang Nong

Where the Cows go Bong!

and the monkeys all say BOO!

There's a Nong Nang Ning

Where the trees go Ping!

And the tea pots jibber jabber joo.

On the Nong Ning Nang

All the mice go Clang

And you just can't catch 'em when they do!

So its Ning Nang Nong

Cows go Bong!

Nong Nang Ning

Trees go ping

Nong Ning Nang

The mice go Clang

What a noisy place to belong

is the Ning Nang Ning Nang Nong!!

Spike Milligan


Task 1Decide which poem you like the best and write about 100 words explaining why you like it. Include examples from the poem which show why you like it, for example, you could explain why you like certain words, the layout, the content or the feelings that are in the poem.

Task 2The Reading Assignment.Eight questions based on the poems you’ve just read. Choose 5 questions to answer.

1. Why has Wendy Cope used all the same words, just not necessarily in the same order in her poem The Uncertainty of the Poet?2. What is the effect of the rhyming and the rhythm in McCavity the Mystery Cat?3. Why do you think McCavity's fur is "dusty from neglect"?4. Who do you think is the intended audience for Spike Milligan's poem Ning Nang Nong? Explain your answer using at least two quotations from the poem.5. What is the name of the disruptive boy in Allan Ahlberg's poem? 6. What is the message/real meaning in Jenny Joseph's poem? What is she trying to say?7. Is Roger McGough's poem The Lesson funny or frightening? Explain your answer using quotations from the poem to show your opinions.8. Explain in 50 words or more whether you think poetry is boring or not.

Feedback from you …

You’ve got to the end of the unit – WELL DONE YOU SUPERSTAR!Did you find it difficult, easy or just right? Which parts of this did you like the most; which the least? Let us know so that we can update the unit for next time.


Poetry Guide Booklet

(This is to help you work your way through the unit on poetry)

Definitions and examples.If you get a little stuck with your poetic devices, use this handy

power point.


Voice

Who is speaking in the poem?

Sometimes it is the author.

Sometimes the poet creates a character in the poem, a voice, in the same way as authors create characters.

Think about who is speaking the words in the poem.


Alliteration

The repetition of words beginning with the same letter or sound.

Examples:

● The chilling cold chopped at his heart● The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew

Can you write an example of your own? House points for the longest sentence where every word begins with the same letter and makes sense!


Connotation

An idea or feeling associated with a word or phrase.

For example, blue is a colour but people can also ‘feel blue’ -suggesting sadness or depression.

Childish and youthful may sound the same but have different connotations. Childish is immature. Youthful is someone with fresh ideas and energy.


Simile

A comparison using ‘like’ or ‘as….as….’

My love is like a red, red rose

Our soldiers are as brave as lions

The well is as dry as a bone

Can you write some examples of your own? The more original the better.


My love is like a red, red rose...

What connotationsare there in this simile?


MetaphorComparing one thing directly to another.

Examples:

● The classroom was a zoo● The car is a beast● The teacher is a dragon● Juliet is the sun

Can you write a few examples of your own?


PersonificationThe act of attributing human qualities to an animal, object, or abstraction; the act of personifying.

Examples:

● I wandered lonely as a cloud● The sun smiled down on us● The wind whispered● The flowers danced

Can you write some examples of your own? The easiest way to do this is to think of something not living and then a verb. For example, tree / tickle. The trees tickled the sky. Or the trees painted the sky a richer blue.


Tone

What is the tone of the poem?

Is it sad, serious, comic, ironic, for example?

Does the tone change - is the tone different at the end than the beginning?


Pun

A play on words, normally for humour.

Examples:

The tallest building in town is the library — it has thousands of stories!

Why are fish so smart? Because they live in schools.


Enjambment

When poetic lines do not have punctuation at the end it is known as enjambment.

Example:

The sun hovered above

the horizon, suspended between

night and day.


Caesura

Punctuation in the middle of a line of poetry.

Example:

Sing a song of sixpence, a pocket full of rye


End-stopSometimes lines are end-stopped.This is when punctuation comes at the end of a line of poetry. Every line is end-stopped in Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18.

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?Thou art more lovely and more temperate:Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;And every fair from fair sometime declines,By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm'd;But thy eternal summer shall not fade,Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.


Assonance

The repetition of similar or identical vowels in poetry.

For example:

The owl hooted through the wooded trees

Oh, how the evening light fades over the lake.


Consonance

Repetition of the same consonants for effect.

Example:

Cracked and cackled

Pitter patter of the rain (p and t sounds repeated)


Rhyme

Perfect rhyme - cat / sat, fright / night, said / bled

Internal rhyme is a rhyme on the same line - Because of applause I have to pause

Sight rhyme - words which look like they should rhyme but do not. For example, bough / cough / dough / tough, food and flood

Half rhyme or pararhyme - words which nearly rhyme, such as flash / flesh, bug and bag, often used in war poetry, such as Wilfred Owen’s ‘Strange Meeting’.


Juxtaposition

Placing two words or ideas next to each other for effect for comparison.

Examples

Love and hate

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times


Repetition

Repeating a word or phrase for emphasis.


Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia is a word associated with the sound it makes.

For example:

Sizzle bang whoosh

Cuckoo splash belch

Gurgle

Examples of your own...


Oxymorona figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction. For example:

● Open secret.● Tragic comedy.● Seriously funny.● Awfully pretty.● An instant classic.● Original copies.● Pretty ugly.

Romeo shows his confused state by using oxymorons in Act 1 Scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet.

Why, then, O brawling love! O loving hate!O anything, of nothing first create!O heavy lightness! Serious vanity!Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms!Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health!Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is!

Juliet states a much more pleasant oxymoron in the balcony scene:

Parting is such sweet sorrow - which also is an example of alliteration and sibilance


AllusionA word or phrase that refers to something well known or familiar. This is common in poetry, songs and movies.

For example:

You are my Kryptonite (One Direction)

‘You were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles/and my daddy said, “Stay away from Juliet”. Taylor Swift, Love Story

See also: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWFR_pZ2jBg(movies)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWFR_pZ2jBg

Stanza

Stanza are sometimes called verses - a poetic paragraph. However, when you analyse, use the word stanza.

Stanza in Italian means ‘room’ - think of each stanza has a separate room.


Hyperbole

Exaggeration for effect.

Examples:

● My school bag weighs a ton!● This homework is taking me ages.● We have bought enough food to feed an army!● I am so hungry I could eat a horse.

Can you write some examples of your own?


Comparative

Using adjectives that compare one thing to another.

Examples:

Bigger

Smaller

Heavier

Brighter


Superlative

Adjectives that take things to the extreme, such as the biggest, the worst, greatest, best.

Can you give five examples of your own?

Mr Trump often uses superlatives…

“I'm highly educated. I know words. I have the best words, I have the best, but there is no better word than stupid. Right?”


Free Verse

When the poem has no set rhyme, meter, or regular musical patterns.

Poetry does not have to rhyme!


Rhyming couplets

Two lines together which rhyme.

Examples from Shakespeare:

Double, double, toil and trouble,Fire burn and cauldron bubble (Macbeth)

Good night! Parting is such sweet sorrowThat I shall say good night till it be morrow. (Romeo and Juliet)


year 7 poetry unit 2020

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