For each of the following, give the technical term. “Boom!” He has passed away. That is well minging. Caesar was the first to wear the purple. And where do you think you’re going? After what seemed an eternity, they arrived. A chicken crossing the road is truly poultry in motion Betty bought a bit of butter… Each blade of grass was a tiny bayonet pointed … Continue reading Quick Technical Terms Test
Notes from class: Socialism Treating everyone the same way? “To A Mouse” is a socialist poem. The poem is based on an extended metaphor – the human character represents the rich, the mouse represents the poor. Burns makes it easy to sympathise with the mouse in the first stanza. He calls the mouse, “wee sleekit cow’rin’ timrous beastie”. This helps us to feel sympathy for … Continue reading “To A Mouse”
Notes from class Simile – Use of like or as in a comparison Anecdote – A story from our own experience Alliteration – Repetition of consonant sounds Metaphor – Saying one thing is another thing Onomatopoeia – Sound effects Personification – Comparing something non-human to a human Meter – Syllable count per line Stanza – A paragraph Rhyme – Repeating sounds at the end of … Continue reading S1 Poetry
What are the poem’s main concerns/ themes? Highlight any of the following techniques if they are present: Simile Metaphor Alliteration Onomatopoeia Allusion Meter/ form Tone Rhyme/ Rhyme scheme Repetition Continue reading Quick Poetry Analysis Checklist
A metaphor is an expression which says one thing is a thing which it is not. It is, in a way, a LIE. Phrases can have both a LITERAL and METAPHORICAL meaning. My dad’s going to kill me. LITERAL: My dad is going to commit a murder. But the word “kill” is a lie. METAPHORICAL: I am in a lot of trouble. The word … Continue reading Metaphors
How does Rudyard Kipling make his poem, “If”, more memorable for the reader? Point Example Explanation Kipling makes his poem more memorable when he makes use of a definite rhyme scheme. In the poem, every second line rhymes, so, for example, “master” rhymes with “disaster”, and “ “aim” rhymes with “same”. This makes the poem more memorable because the rhymed words stick in the reader’s … Continue reading "If" – Essay Beginnings
Line 27 – If you can be independent. Line 28 – If you value all men, but none too much. Lines 29 and 30 – Use every minute productively. Lines 31 and 32 – You could win anything you want; and you will be a good person. Continue reading "If" – Notes in Progress
Lines 17-20 – Be willing to gamble everything, and even lose, but never complain about your loss. Lines 21 – 24 – Force yourself to go on, even when you feel like you have no strength left. Lines 25&26 – Be able to speak to anyone, regardless of how rich or poor they are. Continue reading "If" – Notes in Progress
Lines 1&2 – Stay calm when others aren’t. Lines 3&4 – Trust yourself when others doubt you. Line 6 – Don’t lie just because others are lying. Line 7 – Don’t hate just because others are hating. Line 8 – Don’t become arrogant. Line 9 – Don’t be controlled by your ambition. Line 10 – Don’t think just for the sake of it. Lines 11&12 … Continue reading "If" – Notes in progress
Metaphor – image stating one thing is something which it is _______________. Simile – _______________ stating one thing is LIKE or AS something which it is not. Alliteration – repetition of the same _______________ sound. End-rhyme – words at the _______________ of a line which end with the same syllable sound. Internal rhyme – words within a line which end with the same _______________ sound. … Continue reading Poetry Vocabulary Task
From today’s class discussion… Choose two poems which approach a similar theme in different ways. Explain the nature of these different approaches and discuss which approach leads, in your opinion, to the more pleasing poem. Introduction: Name of writer Name of the text(s) Date written The gist of the text Intention (What is your essay going to be about) Paragraph One Father worrying … Continue reading Waking With Russell — The Thread – Essay Plan
Following on from a point made in class, this is a clear allusion in Paterson’s poem. Continue reading The Fates – The Thread – Don Paterson
This programme may be of use to the Highers looking at poems by Blake, Byron and Clare. It’s interesting enough for everyone to watch, of course, as the Romantic movement is one of the most powerful cultural forces to have occurred in our history. Continue reading Higher – The Romantics
For those of you waiting for the Blake lectures, the waiting is over… Continue reading William Blake – Poetry Analysis
I have recorded audio versions of the ten poems we read in class. Each is downloadable if you such a thing would be useful when it comes to revising/ memorising them. You can find them here. In the coming week I’ll also be posting analyses of each of these. Continue reading Poetry – Higher
Mostly for my Higher class, here’s a downloadable overview of the Romantic movement. The Romantic poets wrte from the 1770s to the 1830s (roughly) and the six most famous Romantic poets were Blake, Byron, Coleridge, Keats, Shelley and Wordsworth. There are MANY other writers for you to investigate if you have time. Increasingly, John Clare is being added to this Big Six, and female writers … Continue reading Romanticism: A Short Introduction
Today we decided to model an answer around the following question: Answers to questions in this section should refer to the text and to such relevant features as: word choice, tone, imagery, structure, content, rhythm, theme, sound, ideas… Choose a poem about a strong relationship – for example, between two people, or between a person and a place. Show how the poet, by choice of … Continue reading Aimon Armitage – "Mother any distance…"
Answers to questions on poetry should address relevantly the central concern(s)/theme(s) of the text(s) and be supported by reference to appropriate poetic techniques such as: imagery, verse form, structure, mood, tone, sound, rhythm, rhyme, characterisation, contrast, setting, symbolism, word choice . . . 1. Choose a poem in which the poet blends narration and reflection. Show how the poet blends these two aspects in such … Continue reading Higher – Poetry Essay 1 – Choices
Below is the giant riddle/ poem we discussed in class. Let’s see who a) guesses the title and b) can explain why… I’m a riddle in nine syllables. An elephant, a ponderous house, A melon strolling on two tendrils. O red fruit, ivory, fine timbers! This loaf’s big with its yeasty rising. Money’s new-minted in this fat purse. I’m a means, a stage, a cow … Continue reading S2 Riddles
This is not exhaustive but there’s a link on the right-hand side if you need any more. http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/doc_player.swf?doc=poetry-glossary-110211032639-phpapp02&stripped_title=poetry-glossary&userName=bluejorj Continue reading Poetry – Glossary
Remember, alliteration is the repetition of the same consonant sound. These might help you to remember… A proper copper coffee pot. Red Leather Yellow LeatherPeter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.She sells sea-shells on the sea-shore.The shells she sells are sea-shells, for sure. Betty bought a bit of butter and put it in her batterBut the bit of butter Betty bought made her batter … Continue reading Alliteration – Tongue Twisters
Haiku5-7-5(Three) AcrosticEvery line begins with a letter to spell a vertical word. (Eight syllables per line/ min. eight lines) Sonnet14 lines (4/4/4/2)(Ten syllables per line) CoupletsA series of rhyming twin lines.(Ten syllables/ eight lines) QuatrainsA series of rhyming twin lines/ two pairs per verse.(Ten syllables/ 3 quatrains)Themes: MagicForestsSeasonsPlays/ DramaLoveBooksTime Continue reading Poetry Creative Writing – S2
Leading on from a conversation at lunch today with RM and FR. Here are some lines which feature half-rhyme. I especially like the second quatrain, by Emily Dickinson. When have I last looked onThe round green eyes and the long wavering bodiesOf the dark leopards of the moon?All the wild witches, those most noble ladies, Hope is the thing with feathersThat perches in the soul,And … Continue reading Half-rhyme and alternative stresses
This may be of use to two groups of pupils: 1) Advanced Higher pupils looking at “Prayer” by Carol Ann Duffy.2) Sonnet contestants. “The Sonnet (i)” by William Wordworth Nuns fret not at their convent’s narrow room,And hermits are contented with their cells,And students with their pensive citadels;Maids at the wheel, the weaver at his loom,Sit blithe and happy; bees that soar for bloom,High as … Continue reading The Sonnet (i) by William Wordsworth
Write a Shakespearian Sonnet This is a poem of fourteen lines of iambic pentameter. There are four stanzas. Three of four lines, then a final couplet. It follows the rhyme scheme: a, b, a, b,c, d, c, d,e, f, e, f,g, g Scroll down for the PowerPoint presentations or click “Poetry” on the right. The sonnet can be about anything at all: the joy of … Continue reading Term Two Contest
I especially love Don Paterson’s poem to his son, Waking with Russell. Sonnets favouriteshttp://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=sonnets-favourites-101104140200-phpapp01&stripped_title=sonnets-favourites&userName=bluejorj View more presentations from Mr Connor. Continue reading My favourite sonnets
For my S3s (and, indeed, anyone else) who may be interested in the more technical aspects of poetry, this might be worth a look. Even worth trying to write some of your own? http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=basicmetricconstruction-100919164202-phpapp02&stripped_title=basic-metric-construction&userName=bluejorj Continue reading Metrical Construction of Poetry
FireworksBy James Reeves. They rise like sudden fiery flowersThat burst upon the night,Then fall to earth in burning showersOf crimson, blue and white. Like buds too wonderful to name,Each miracle unfoldsAnd Catherine wheels begin to flameLike whirling marigolds. Rockets and Roman candles makeAn orchard of the sky,Where magic trees their petals shakeUpon each gazing eye. 1) Find an example in the poem of a simile.2) … Continue reading First and Second Year Cover Classes
