Exposure

Wilfred Owen was a soldier in World War One. He fought in the trenches and was horrified by the conditions that surrounded him. After being caught in an explosion, he was sent to a hospital to recover from shell-shock. Once better, he returned to the front but was killed one week before the war ended.

The Poem – Subject

1. Read the poem on pages 24 and 25 of the Anthology.2. Complete these sentences:

The poem is aboutIn the middle it describesAt the end of the poem

Language

1. Complete the table below:a. Add quotations to describe the soldiers/conditionsb. For each quotation, identify the language device usedc. Explain the effect of the specific words in the quotation

Quotation Language Device

Effect on reader

The merciless iced east winds that

knive us (1)Personification

It makes the wind seem like it is attacking the men, trying to kill them.Knive emphasises how cold and sharp the wind feels, like a blade.

Organisation

1. Describe the shape of the verses. Are they regular (the same) or irregular? Why has the poet chosen to shape his verses this way?

2. Select three places where the poet has used punctuation in an interesting way. Explain the effect.

I.

II.

III.

3. The last line of each verse is shorter and he often repeats his ideas. Why?

Theme/Opinion

The poem is a war poem. What is the poet’s attitude to war? How do you know?

Do you agree with the poet’s opinion? Why or why not?

What other poems we have studied link with Exposure?

The Drum

The poet was a Quaker and a pacifist. His poem is about the way people were encouraged to go and fight in a war: a drum would be sounded to gather new recruits. The poem is sometimes referred to as ‘The Miseries of War’.

Subject

1. Read the poem on page 31 of the Anthology.Complete these sentences:

The poem is aboutIn the middle it describesAt the end, the poet feels

Language

1. The poet describes the drum in an unpleasant way. Find three examples and explain their effect:

a. b. c.

2. What reasons does the poet give for people joining the war?

3. The poet believes the reality of war is different to people’s ideas.Explain what these quotations suggest about the reality of war.

Quotation What this suggests about warRavaged plains

Mangled limbs

Dying groans

Widows’ tears

Orphans’ moans

All that misery’s hand bestows

The catalogue of human woes

Organisation

This poem has a very regular rhythm and rhyme scheme. Circle the correct rhythm and rhyme scheme from the choices below.

Rhyme: abab aabb abcb abac

Rhythm:

trochaic dactylic iambic phyrric

Why has the poet used this rhyme pattern and rhythm? (Think about the context)

Theme

How is this poem similar and different to Exposure?

Opinion

How do we know that this poem is personal?

What is the poet’s opinion on war?

O What is that Sound

WH Auden’s poem presents mixed ideas about war. It presents the violence and betrayal of war but also people’s lack of understanding. He was writing poems in the

1920s and 1930s. He was generally anti-war in his poems.

Subject

1. Read the poem on pages 32 - 33 of the Anthology.Complete these sentences:The poem is aboutIn the middle it describesAt the end, it says

Language

1. Look closely at the language of the poem. It suggests the speaker is both interested in and frightened by the soldiers. Find evidence for both.

Interested/Excited Frightened

Organisation

1. The poem is set out as a conversation. Who do you think the people are? Why do you think this?

2. All the verses are regular in length and structure. Why do you think the poet has structured his ideas in this way?

Theme/Opinion

1. The poem changes from positive to negative. What lines signals this change in the poem?

Conscientious Objector

This poem was written by an American feminist poet, who was writing around the time of WWII. She was initially against the war but changed her mind later.

Subject

1. Read the poem on page 34.Complete these sentences:At the start of the poem, it saysIn the middle, the poet describesBy the end of the poem, she feels

Language

1. This poem is written in the first person (I/me). Why do you think this is?

2. The poet personifies Death. Draw the image of Death she describes and annotate it with quotations.

Organisation

1. The poem has used irregular verse lengths. Why do you think this is?

2. The poet uses lots of semi-colons. Find two examples and explain their effect.Example 1:Effect:

Example 2:Effect:

Themes

If we didn’t know the title of the poem, it might be hard to call this a ‘war’ poem. Explain how the title of the poem helps us understand its meaning.

Opinion

Do you think the imagery of Death is successful? Why or why not?

August 6, 1945

On the 6th August, 1945, the Americans dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. It had devastating effects on the population and destroyed the city. This poem

is written long after the event and reflects upon the consequences of the bomb.

Subject

1. Read the poem on page 35 of the Anthology.Complete these sentences:At the start of the poem, it describesIn the middle, it saysThe poem ends by

Language

The poem uses some very powerful imagery, linked to the effects of the bomb. Annotate these quotations, explaining their effect.

The whole blooming sky went up like an apricot ice

Later she will walk the dust.

A scarlet girl with her whole stripped skin at her heel

Language (continued)

The writer presents the pilot of the plane in a negative way. Select three quotations that show this feeling.

Example 1

Effect

Example 2

Effect

Example 3

Effect

Organisation

The verses are all of different lengths. Why do you think this is?

The poet uses enjambment (no punctuation at the end of the line). Why?

(her skin) stuck like an old shoe sole or mermaid’s tail

She will lie down in the flecked black ash

The people are become lizards or salamanders

Later in dreams he will look down shrieking

Theme/Opinion

What is the poet’s opinion about the effect of the atomic bomb?

Belfast Confetti

Belfast is a city in Northern Ireland. Many people protested against the presence of British soldiers in Northern Ireland and these protests sometimes ended in violence or riots. These became known as ‘The Troubles’.

Subject

1. Read the poem on page 22 of the Anthology.Complete these sentences:At the start of the poem, it describesIn the middle, it saysThe poem ends by

Language

1. The poem uses some very strong images and vocabulary to convey violence.Explain how the language creates violence in these quotations.

Quotation How this creates violenceSuddenly the riot squad moved inIt was raining exclamation marks

A burst of rapid fire

A Saracen, Kremlin-2 mesh, Makrolon face shields.

2. The poet uses a number of words from the lexical field of writing/punctuation. Give three examples of quotations using this lexical field.1.2.3.

Why do you think the poet has used this language in his description of the conflict?

Language (continued)

3. The poet mentions some street names: Balaclava, Odessa, Crimea.These are all places where wars or battles have been thought. Why do you think he has chosen these particular street names?

Organisation

1. The poet uses enjambment frequently in the poem. Why is this an effective technique for describing the events?

2. The poet uses a number of rhetorical questions in his poem. What situation is he trying to convey?

Themes/Opinion

1. This poem is about a conflict. Whose side do you think the poet is on and why?

2. What is interesting about the title of the poem?

3. Does the poet convey his ideas about conflict effectively, in your opinion?

Invasion

The poet comes from Kurdistan, which is an area that covers parts of Iraq, Iran and Turkey. In Iran, it has been given autonomy, which means ‘self-rule’. It has been invaded many times and in the 1980s many Kurdish people were killed in acts of genocide.

Subject

1. Read the poem on page 36 of the Anthology.Complete these sentences:At the start of the poem, it describesIn the middle, it saysThe poem ends by

Language1. Look closely at the opening sentence. How does this build tension?

2. Select quotations that show the difference between the soldiers and the people they fight.

The soldiers are described asThis suggests

The people are described asThis suggests

Organisation1. The stanzas are different lengths. Why do you think the poet chose to use this structure

to describe the invasion?

Themes/Opinion1. Look at the last two verses. What mood is created and which words do this?

2. How does the poet create a sense of futility (hopelessness)?

Our SharpevilleThe poet is South African and grew up during the time of Apartheid. When she was a little girl, there was a massacre in a town called Sharpeville. Police fired on protesters and killed 69 people. Hundreds were wounded. This poem is her reflection on that day.

Subject1. Read the poem on page 23 of the anthology.

Complete these sentences:The poem begins by sayingIn the middle, she describesAt the end of the poem, she feels

Language1. The poem presents very different views of the protesters. Find quotations that

show the girl’s views and those of her grandmother/white society.The girl’s opinion The grandmother’s opinion

2. Look at the fourth stanza (For it was noon…). How do the quotations below show the violence of the massacre?

OrganisationThe poem has verses and sentences of different lengths. Why do you think the poem is organised this way?

A pool of blood

The dead, buried in voices that reached even my gate

Ambushed trucks

ThemeThis poem is about history and prejudice (judging other people). How can we tell that the poem is set in the past?

What do you think the poet means in these lines:But walking backwards, all I felt was shame, at being a girl, at having been found at the gate, at having heard my grandmother lie and at my fear at what her lie might be true.

OpinionHow does the poet feel about the events at Sharpeville?

What is your opinion on the poem?

Parade’s EndDaljit Nagra is a British born poet who often writes about the experiences of Indian immigrants to the United Kingdom. He was born in London but moved to the north of England where his parents opened their own business.

Subject1. Read the poem on page 21 of the Anthology.

Complete these sentences:The poem begins by describingIn the middle, he saysAt the end of the poem, it shows

Language1. The poem describes the people of the town in an interesting way. Explain the

effect of the language choices in these quotations:Quotation What this suggests about the people

The men who scraped the pavement frost to the doleOne who ‘got on his bike’

The few who warmed us with a thumbs upCouncil mums at our meat display

Loud enough about the way darkies from down south come op ta Yorksha

2. Look closely at the final three verses. Find quotations that:

Create a sense of danger

Suggest that the family have been victims of violence before

Suggest the area is run-down/impoverished

Use personification/metaphor

OrganisationFind two examples of caesura and explain their effect.

Find two examples of lists and explain their effect.

ThemeThe poem is about prejudice. Think about the tone of the poem: what is the poet’s attitude towards prejudice and racism?

OpinionDo you think the poet is successful in showing his ideas?

How does the title fit the poem?

Half-CasteJohn Agard was born in Guyana. His mother is Portuguese and his father is Caribbean. In the poem, he mocks the term ‘half-caste’ which was used to describe people of mixed race. He doesn’t like the way people use the term without thinking about its meaning.

Subject1. Read the poem on page 20 of the anthology.

Complete these sentences:At the start of the poem, he saysIn the middle, he describesAt the end of the poem, he says

Language1. The poem is written phonetically (how it should be said).

Find three examples of phonetic spelling1.2.3.

Why do you think the poet wanted to use this spelling?

2. The poem compares being mixed race to different things. Explain the effect of the comparisons below.

Comparison Effectyu mean when picasso mix red an green is a half-caste canvas

yu mean when light and shadow mix in de sky is a half-caste weather

yu mean tchaicovsky sit down at dah piano and mix a black key wid a white key is a half-caste symphony

3. In the second half of the poem, the poet mocks the idea of being ‘half-human’. He refers to ‘half-a-hand’, ‘half-a-dream’ and ‘half-a-eye’. Why do you think he says these things?

Organisation1. The poem has no punctuation. What effect does this have on the pace (speed)

and rhythm of the poem?

2. The first three lines and last three lines are separate. Why do you think the poet has chosen to do this?

Themes1. Find three lines that suggest the message of the poem.

1.

2.

3.

2. How do you think the poet wants the reader to feel at the end of the poem? Pick one word and explain why you think the reader might feel this.

ANGRY ASHAMED DISAPPOINTED HAPPY BITTEROFFENDED

Opinion1. The poem is quite funny in places. Do you think this makes the message more

or less convincing? Explain why.

LinksHow does this poem compare to ‘The Class Game’?

The Class Game

This poem is set in Liverpool. Liverpool is an industrial city in the north of England. It suffered lots of unemployment during the 1980s. The poet explores the way people judge others depending on what class they are.

Subject1. Read the poem on page 28 of the Anthology.

Complete these sentences:At the start of the poem, she saysIn the middle she describesShe ends the poem by saying

Language1. The poet makes comparisons between the rich and the poor. Find quotations that show

the different classes.RICH/UPPER CLASS POOR/WORKING CLASS

Organisation1. The poem is in one verse, but has clear sections. Where would you divide the poem into

sections and why?

2. The poem uses many rhetorical questions. What effect does this have on the reader?

Theme/Opinion1. Is the poet ashamed or proud of her class? Find quotations that prove both emotions are

true.

ASHAMED

PROUD

HitcherThe poem is a monologue. It describes a man who picks up a hitch-hiker and attacks him. The poet was writing during the 1980s and 1990s. It was a response to the politics at the time; people felt under a lot of pressure as unemployment was high and working life became very competitive.

Subject1. Read the poem on page 30 of the anthology.

Complete these sentences:The poem begins with the man describingIn the middle, the narrator saysAt the end of the poem, it says

Language1. The middle section of the poem is quite violent. Annotate the violent lexis and explain

its effect.

I let him have itOn the top road out of Harrogate – onceWith the head, then six times with the krooklockIn the face – and didn’t even swerve.

2. The main speaker in the poem seems quite cold about his actions. Find three quotations that suggest he doesn’t care about the hitcher and explain their effect.1.

2.

3.

3. The narrator draws comparisons between himself and the hitcher. Why do you think the poet wanted to make these links? Write a PEE paragraph to explain your answer.

Organisation1. The poet makes frequent use of enjambment in the poem. Explain why, using PEE.

2. The poet uses caesura in the poem. Find two examples and explain the effect of the punctuation.

1.

2.

Theme/Opinion1. The poet explains two very different ways of living in the poem. Summarise the lifestyle

of the two main characters.

The driver

The hitcher

2. Some people think that there is only one speaker in the poem. Others think that the first verse is a different speaker to the rest of the poem. Explain why both interpretations could be correct.

3. What message is Simon Armitage offering about the time the poem was written? Try to explain what concerns he has. Use evidence to support your ideas.

Your Dad DidThis poem relies on you reading to the end before you really understand what the it is about. Read it carefully and try and work out the ‘mistake’ in the poem.

Subject1. Read the poem on page 27 of the anthology.

Complete these sentences.The opening of the poem describesIn the middle of the poem, it saysAt the end of the poem, you realise

Language1. What is the ‘story’ of the poem? Try to sum it up in three sentences.

2. The poem is set in a school and the main character is a teacher. How is the voice of the teacher created?

3. What mistake has the teacher made?

Organisation1. The poem uses lots of very short sentences. What effect does this have?

Theme/Opinion1. What message do you think the poet is trying to convey?

2. How does the reader feel about the boy and the teacher by the end of the poem?

LinksWhat other poems in the anthology does ‘My Dad Did’ link with?

CatrinGillian Clarke writes about her relationship with her daughter in this poem. She writes about a fight they had when the daughter was younger and the conflicting feelings parents can have for their children.

Subject1. Read the poem on page 26 of the anthology.

Complete these sentences:The poet begins by sayingIn the middle she describesBy the end she feels

Language1. The poet uses different lexical fields in the poem. Find examples of words in the

following lexical fields:

ANGER

LOVE

2. The poet uses imagery of a rope to show the bond between her and her daughter. She describes it as a unique bond between mother and child. Explain the effect of these quotations:

the tight red rope of love

from the heart’s pool that old rope

trailing love and conflict

Organisation1. The poem is in two clear sections. Why do you think the poet has chosen to divide the

poem at line 18?

2. The poet uses many caesura in the poem. Find three examples and explain their effect.

1.

2.

3.

Theme/OPinion1. The poem is about family relationships. How would you describe the relationship

between Gillian Clarke and her daughter? Use PEE to explain your answer.

2. Look at the final two lines of the poem. These can be seen as a metaphor for a relationship between a parent and a child. What do you think it means?

Links1. How would you link this poem with:

My Dad Did

Cousin Kate

Cousin KateChristina Rosetti was writing in the Victorian times. She was a romantic poet, which meant that she explored human feelings and relationships. She often wrote about the way women were treated in society and how men could often get away with things that women couldn’t. The poem describes a young girl who falls in love with a Duke. He seduces her but then marries her cousin.

Subject1. Read the poem on page 29 of the anthology.

Complete these sentences:The poem is told from the perspective ofIn the poem, she explainsAt the end of the poem, the narrator reveals

Language1. The poem has three distinct characters. Around the names of the character, write down

quotations that describe them. Then draw lines to show their relationships.

The narrator

Cousin Kate

Language (continued)2. The Lord doesn’t treat the young girl very well. Explain why these quotations show this:

a. his plaything

b. he wore me like a golden knot

c. changed me like a glove

3. Why did the Lord prefer Cousin Kate? What does this suggest about men?

4. The poem uses paradoxes. Explain the effect of these language choices:

An unclean thing who might have been a dove

my shame, my pride

5. The narrator doesn’t believe that Kate’s marriage will be successful. Which quotation shows this?

Organisation1. The poem has a regular rhyme scheme and rhythm. What is the rhyme scheme and

what is its effect?

Theme/Opinion1. What message is the poet trying to offer about relationships?

The Lord

2. At the end of the poem, what does the narrator warn Kate?