Poetry year 7

Name:

PoetryContents

Section One: The poems

‘Fog’ – Carl Sandburg, 1878 – 1967 Page 2

- Adelaide Crapsey, 1878 – 1914 Page 2

‘Dreams’ – Langston Hughes, 1902 – 1967 Page 2

‘Sally’ – Phoebe Hesketh, 1909 – 2005 Page 3

‘Frogs’ – Norman MacCaig, 1910 – 1996 Page 3

‘Pigeons’ – Richard Kell, 1927 – Page 4

- Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 1809 – 1892 Page 4

‘The Tyger’ – William Blake, 1757 – 1827 Page 5

‘A Case of Murder’ – Vernon Scannell, 1922 – 2007 Page 6*You will be told when to fill in the poems without titles

Section Two: Resources

2 – Metaphorical or literal Page 7

4 – Tenors and Vehicles Page 8

6 - Poem: Frogs Page 9

6 – ‘Frogs’: Norman MacCaig Page 10

7 – ‘Pigeons’ Page 11

8 – Tenor, Vehicle, Ground Page 12

9 – ‘The Tyger’ Page 13

11 – ‘A Case of Murder’ Page 14

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FogCarl Sandburg, 1878 – 1967 The fog comes on little cat feet.

It sits looking over harbor and city on silent haunches and then moves on.

Task:

1. What animal is the fog compared to?2. How does the fog move?

Writing task: How is the fog compared to a cat? (PREZEL)

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DreamsLangston Hughes, 1902 - 1967Hold fast to dreams For if dreams dieLife is a broken-winged birdThat cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreamsFor when dreams goLife is a barren fieldFrozen with snow.

Answer WGLL questions in full sentences:What Great Looks Like: How does Hughes feel about a life without dreams? 

In ‘Dreams’, the poet compares a life without dreams to something that is incomplete. This can be seen when he compares a life with no aspirations to ‘a broken-winged bird/That cannot fly.’ By comparing life to a bird with a broken wing, the poet suggests that without dreams we are damaged and cannot reach our full potential, just as the ‘broken-winged bird’ is unable to do what birds are meant to do – fly. This idea also implies that dreams and aspirations give us wings: they enable us to reach higher and achieve things we never thought were possible. In addition, a ‘broken-winged bird’ is grounded: it is not where it belongs, in the sky, but is instead left on the ground, in danger from its enemies. In particular, the adjective ‘broken’ highlights the idea that we need dreams in our lives and that we are imperfect or flawed without them. We should constantly be reaching higher, but it is impossible to do that without dreams or aspirations. Readers might feel challenged by this poem to examine their own aspirations, since it is unlikely that any of us would want to identify with a ‘broken-winged bird’ but would instead rather picture ourselves as powerful eagles, soaring through the sky, masters of our own destinies.  1. What does the poet compare a life without dreams to? 2. What does this suggest? 3. How can dreams ‘give us wings’? 4. How might a reader respond to this poem? 5. What metaphor does the writer of the WGOLL use to convey someone who follows his or her dreams?  

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SallyPhoebe Hesketh, 1909 – 2005 She was a dog-rose kind of girl:Elusive, scattery as petals;Scratchy sometimes, tripping you like briars.She teased the boysTurning this way and that, not to be tamedOr taught any more than the wind.Even in school the word ‘ought’ had no meaningFor Sally. On dull daysShe’d sit quiet as a mole at her deskDelving in thought.But when the sun calledShe was gone, running the blue day downTill the warm hedgerows prickled the duskAnd moths flickered out.

Her mother scolded; DadGave her the hazel switch,Said her head was stuffed with feathers And a starling tongue.But they couldn’t take the shine out of her,Even when it rainedYou felt the sun saved under her skin.She’d a way of escape Laughing at you from the bright end of a tunnel,Leaving you in the dark.

Answer WGLL questions in full sentences:What Great Looks Like: How does Hesketh use metaphors to describe Sally? 

In ‘Sally’, the poet uses metaphorical language to compare Sally to nature. This can be seen when she calls Sally “a dog-rose kind of girl”, suggesting that, like the dog-rose flower, Sally is wild and free. This is further emphasised by the reference to her being “scattery as petals”, implying that Sally finds it hard to sit still or stay in one place – the reader is led to think of a wild flower whose petals are dropping in many different places. We also form an idea from this that Sally is someone who is much happier out of doors than inside. However, wild roses like Sally can also be “scratchy”, and this adjective highlights that Sally can also be vicious – whether this is literally scratching people with her fingernails or saying unkind words. In this way, Hesketh uses the metaphor of a wild flower to show that Sally is a free spirit who blossoms out of doors, yet also has a prickly side to her nature.  1. What does the poet compare Sally to? 2. What metaphor does she use and what does it suggest? 3. What other comparison makes us think Sally is like a flower? 4. What are the negative connotations of Sally being like a flower? 5. Why does Hesketh use the metaphor of a wild flower to describe Sally? 

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The EagleBY ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON

He clasps the crag with crooked hands;Close to the sun in lonely lands,Ring'd with the azure world, he stands.

The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls;He watches from his mountain walls,And like a thunderbolt he falls.

Task:What Great Looks Like: How does the poet use metaphors in the poem ‘The Eagle’? The poet uses metaphors to make us feel respect and fear towards the powerful eagle. This can be seen in the final line ‘like a thunderbolt, he falls’, which shows us what a huge force of nature the eagle is. By comparing the eagle to a thunderbolt, the poet shows how fast the eagle is. It is so swift, its enemies are unlikely to see it as it flies. It also suggests how deadly an eagle is, as to be struck by a thunderbolt would be fatal. This is the same for the eagle – it can strike and kill very easily. In addition, the use of the verb ‘falls’, to show how the eagle swoops down quickly, carries connotations of swiftness and something that cannot be stopped. In particular, a thunderbolt is unpredictable and impossible to control. This is also true of the eagle – it is so powerful it cannot be tamed, and instead is a wild and fearsome creature. A reader would feel impressed with the eagle’s speed and power; but he or she might also feel afraid of this powerful bird that can kill easily. In this way, we see that the poet’s use of metaphor is effective because it compares the eagle to a fast and dangerous part of nature that should be respected and feared.  1. Why does the poet use metaphors in the poem ‘The Eagle’? The poet uses metaphors…2. What does the final line compare the eagle to? The final line compares the…3. What does the metaphor of the thunderbolt suggest? This suggests that the eagle is both…4. How might a reader respond to this description of an eagle? A reader might feel both impressed … 5. Why is the poet’s use of metaphor effective? The poet’s use of metaphor is…

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PigeonsRichard Kell, 1927 – They paddle with staccato feetIn powder-pools of sunlight, Small blue busybodiesStrutting like fat gentlemenWith hands claspedUnder their swallowtail coats;And, as they stump aboutTheir heads like tiny hammersTap at imaginary nailsIn non-existent walls.Elusive ghosts of sunshineSlither down the green glossOf their necks an instant, and are gone.

Summer hangs drugged from sky to earthIn limpid fathoms of silence:Only warm dark dimples of soundSlide like slow bubblesFrom the contented throats.

Raise a casual hand –With one quick gustThey fountain into air.

Throughout the poem “Pigeons” by Richard Kell, pigeons are described as dual-natured and deceptive. This is shown in the quotation “Strutting like fat gentlemen.” This quotation implies that the pigeons have an air of confidence surrounding them, and that although they are animals, pigeons are strong, and almost intelligent enough to be viewed as “gentleman.” Furthermore, it could be suggested that pigeons are presented as something to be feared, as it is clear that they are mysterious and intelligent and thus the reader can infer that that may be able to cause harm to people and other animals. However, “gentlemen” are often seen as men who have good manners and abide by social ideals, therefore by describing the pigeon as “fat gentleman” it could be argued that the poet wanted to present the pigeon as sweet, endearing and animals who although dual-natured have good manners. In particular, the word “gentleman” may produce imagery of a kind-hearted animal with courtesy and manners. Here, the poets purposeful use of metaphorical language may lead the reader to question the true nature of animals, because as humans we really never will truly understand the capability, intelligence, or the dual-nature of animals. Arguably, Kell intended to suggest that often, animals seem weak and innocent, but they are unreadable, and whether they are truly innocent is questionable

Task: Use the wgll to help: How is the pigeon presented?

The TygerWilliam Blake, 1757 – 1827

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Tyger Tyger, burning bright, In the forests of the night; What immortal hand or eye, Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies, Burnt the fire of thine eyes?On what wings dare he aspire?What the hand, dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder, & what art,Could twist the sinews of thy heart?And when thy heart began to beat,What dread hand? & what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain, In what furnace was thy brain?What the anvil? what dread grasp, Dare its deadly terrors clasp!

When the stars threw down their spears And water'd heaven with their tears: Did he smile his work to see?Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

Tyger Tyger burning bright, In the forests of the night: What immortal hand or eye,Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

Key notes to help:• Tyger’s descend from cats, which are tricky and evil creatures.• Cats/Tyger’s are ancient creatures that have always been evil since the creator brought

them into being• Cats and Tyger’s are inherently evil; it is in their nature  • Cats and Tyger’s are lawless and have no regard for society or society’s rules

 • People are fools to trust and like cats/Tyger’s as pets because they are so malevolent

and evil • Animals ‘play’ at being domesticated, but deep down they are wild and evil. • Animals are duplicitous and can change their nature for their own gain with ease

Task: How is the Tyger presents? (2 PREZELS)

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A Case of MurderVernon Scannell, 1922 – 2007 They should not have left him there alone, Alone that is except for the cat. He was only nine, not old enough To be left alone in a basement flat, Alone, that is, except for the cat. A dog would have been a different thing, A big gruff dog with slashing jaws, But a cat with round eyes mad as gold, Plump as a cushion with tucked-in paws--- Better have left him with a fair-sized rat! But what they did was leave him with a cat. He hated that cat; he watched it sit, A buzzing machine of soft black stuff, He sat and watched and he hated it, Snug in its fur, hot blood in a muff, And its mad gold stare and the way it sat Crooning dark warmth: he loathed all that. So he took Daddy's stick and he hit the cat. Then quick as a sudden crack in glass It hissed, black flash, to a hiding place In the dust and dark beneath the couch, And he followed the grin on his new-made face, A wide-eyed, frightened snarl of a grin, And he took the stick and he thrust it in, Hard and quick in the furry dark. The black fur squealed and he felt his skin Prickle with sparks of dry delight. Then the cat again came into sight, Shot for the door that wasn't quite shut, But the boy, quick too, slammed fast the door: The cat, half-through, was cracked like a nut And the soft black thud was dumped on the floor. Then the boy was suddenly terrified And he bit his knuckles and cried and cried; But he had to do something with the dead thing there. His eyes squeezed beads of salty prayer But the wound of fear gaped wide and raw; He dared not touch the thing with his hands So he fetched a spade and shovelled it And dumped the load of heavy fur In the spidery cupboard under the stair Where it's been for years, and though it died It's grown in that cupboard and its hot low purr Grows slowly louder year by year: There'll not be a corner for the boy to hide When the cupboard swells and all sides split And the huge black cat pad

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How does Scannell change the way we view the cat throughout the poem? Throughout the poem, the cat transitions from an animal that is viewed as pitiful unimportant “buzzing machine” who is weak and hated by the poems protagonist to a ghostly and intimidating figure, who haunts the neglected child with guilt. This is shown in the quotation “Where it's been for years, and though it died it’s grown in that cupboard and its hot low purr, grows slowly louder year by year.” The writer’s use of metaphorical language implies that the once weak and defenceless cat of the protagonist now haunts him from beyond its death. Furthermore, it could be suggested that rather than having a physical presence in the protagonist’s home, the memory of his murder of the cat is etched upon his mind. In particular, the final lines of the poem serve as an extended metaphor, which present the idea that rather than a pet to be pitied, the cat is much more a symbol of guilt and psychological torment. It is arguable that the cupboard is a metaphor for the boy’s mind, and in his head the cat ‘grows slowly louder year by year’ telling us that the boy develops a conscience and starts to feel guiltier as he ages. The boy can hear the cat “purring”, suggesting that his abuse of the cat is always in his mind. The poet uses metaphor to suggest that one day the guilt will engulf the boy in the poem “there’ll not be a corner for the boy to hide / when the cupboard swells and all sides split.” This suggests that the cat transitions from a pitiful, small pet that the reader feels sympathy for to a looming and intimidating figure, which represents sin and guilt. The poet’s use of this extended metaphor creates a sinister tone, which could lead the reader to question their own behaviours and to look deeply inside their own “cupboards” for actions or behaviours that whether similar to the poems protagonist or not, generate a sense of poignancy, regret or guilt in the reader.   

How does the cat transition throughout the poem? Throughout the poem… What does the quotation “Where it's been for years, and though it died it’s grown in that cupboard and its hot low purr, grows slowly louder year by year” show?  The writer’s use of metaphorical language implies… What do the final lines of the poem serve as? The final lines of the poem serve as… Why does the poet use a metaphor? The poet uses metaphor to suggest… What could the sinister tone of the poem lead the reader to question? The sinister tone, which could lead the reader to …

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2 – Metaphorical or literal

Sentence Is it literal or metaphorical?

If it is metaphorical, does the metaphor

come before or after the main thing being

described?

Extension: If it is metaphorical, what is

the effect of the metaphor?

1. I wandered lonely as a cloud .

2. Sweat dripped from his tense face.

3. As snug as a gun, the pen rests between my finger and my thumb.

4. I could show you wonderful things.

5. The panther paces over and over, like a ritual dance around a centre.

6. Remembering my love, tears fall from my eyes.

7. My love is like a red, red rose that's newly sprung in June.

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4 - Tenors and VehiclesThe tenor is the thing that is being described to the audience. The vehicle is the imaginative idea that you compare the tenor to. It is the part that is not literal. It is the ‘made up’ bit. Identify the tenor and the vehicle in each of these sentences.

Metaphorical sentence Tenor VehicleExtension: what do the tenor

and the vehicle have in common?

Achilles fought like a lion.

Your room is a pigsty.

The room was like a furnace.

Robert is like a bull in a china shop.

The eagle is like a bolt of lightning.

The room was as silent as a graveyard.

She was volcanic with anger.

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6 - Poem: FrogsTenor

(the thing you are writing about)For this poem, the tenor will always be Frogs

Vehicle(the things you are comparing the tenor to)

Things the tenor and vehicle have in common

Frogs swimming

Scuba divers Belong in the waterGlide through the waterLarge finned feetBig goggle eyesSlippery skin/wetsuit

Frogs

Frogs

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Frogs

6 – ‘Frogs’: Norman MacCaigTenor

In this poem, Norman MacCaig is writing about frogs.

VehicleWhat does Norman MacCaig compare frogs to?

GroundThings the tenor and vehicle have in common

Frogs

Frogs

Frogs

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Frogs

7 – ‘Pigeons’Write out the VEHICLE used to describe each TENOR in the poem.

Think of three different things that the TENOR and VEHICLE have in common (this is the GROUND).

Tenor: The movement of pigeons’ feetVehicle:

Tenor: The sound pigeons’ feet make when walkingVehicle:

Tenor: The way pigeons walkVehicle:

Tenor: The movement of pigeons’ headsVehicle:

Tenor: The way light looks on their feathersVehicle:

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Tenor: The sound of pigeons cooingVehicle:

Tenor: The way pigeons fly into the airVehicle:

8 – Tenor, Vehicle, GroundHe clasps the crag with crooked hands; clasps – grabs Close to the sun in lonely lands,Ring'd with the azure world, he stands. azure – deep blue The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls;He watches from his mountain walls,And like a thunderbolt he falls.

Tenor Vehicle Ground

The eagle’s claws

The sea

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The sea

A mountain

The eagle

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9 – ‘The Tyger’Look at these grounds. The ground is the feature that the tenor and the vehicle have in common.Which of these examples of ground are successful? Which ones do not work?

Tyger Tyger, burning bright,

This indicates that the tiger is on fire. This suggests that there are two tigers. This suggests that the tiger’s fur stands out brightly against the night. This indicates that the tiger can breathe fire. This tells us that the tiger is dangerous, just like fire. This tells the reader that the tiger is burning brightly. This tells us that the tiger is hard to control or to tame. This is comparing the tiger’s bright orange fur to a fire.

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11 – ‘A Case of Murder’Here are the first five sentences of the poem:

They should not have left him there alone, Alone that is except for the cat. He was only nine, not old enough To be left alone in a basement flat, Alone, that is, except for the cat. A dog would have been a different thing, A big gruff dog with slashing jaws, But a cat with round eyes mad as gold, Plump as a cushion with tucked-in paws--- Better have left him with a fair-sized rat! But what they did was leave him with a cat. He hated that cat; he watched it sit, A buzzing machine of soft black stuff, He sat and watched and he hated it, Snug in its fur, hot blood in a muff, And its mad gold stare and the way it sat Crooning dark warmth: he loathed all that.

Key notes to help with task:

• Tyger’s descend from cats, which are tricky and evil creatures.• Cats/Tyger’s are ancient creatures that have always been evil since the creator

brought them into being• Cats and Tyger’s are inherently evil; it is in their nature  • Cats and Tyger’s are lawless and have no regard for society or society’s rules

 • People are fools to trust and like cats/Tyger’s as pets because they are so

malevolent and evil • Animals ‘play’ at being domesticated, but deep down they are wild and evil. • Animals are duplicitous and can change their nature for their own gain with ease

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1. These statements summarise each of the first five sentences.You need to put these statements into the correct order.

A. The boy was nine, and too young to be left alone at home. B. The boy hated the cat.C. A boy was left home alone with a cat. D. But the boy was left alone with a cat.E. It might have been better to leave the boy with a dog, or even a rat.

2. Once you have done this, you need to summarise what happens in the rest of the poem. There are 11 sentences for you to summarise.

Task: How is the cat presented? (2 PREZELS0

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