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Love After LoveLove After Love

Poems from Different CulturesPoems from Different Cultures

Slide Contents

AuthorAuthor

ThemesThemes

What is it About?What is it About?

StructureStructure

LanguageLanguage

Examination PreparationExamination Preparation

LinksLinks

The The AuthorAuthor

Derek WalcottDerek WalcottDerek Walcott was born in St Lucia, in the West Indies, in 1930. His mother was African and his father was English. He is a playwright and a painter but is best known as a poet. In many of his poems he explores his feelings of conflict and isolation, caught between European culture and the folk culture of his native Caribbean.

ThemesThemes

Universal IdeasUniversal IdeasUniversal themes are ideas which could apply to any time or place. Themes such as good and evil, love and loneliness have been written about by people all over the world for thousands of years. In Love After Love the main theme is loneliness. The poet believes that it is better to be alone and be yourself than compromise who you are by being in a relationship.

What is it What is it About?About?

What Happens?

Lines What is happening?

1 – 5 The poet says that after the break up of a relationship you rediscover who you really are

and should be happy.

6 – 11

12 – 15

There are three sections to this poem but do you know what they are?

What Happens?

Lines What is happening?

1 – 5 The poet says that after the break up of a relationship you rediscover who you really are

and should be happy.

6 – 11 The poet celebrates by eating and drinking alone to ‘get to know’ himself again.

12 – 15 He recommends removing evidence of previous relationships and to sit back and

appreciate your life.

There are four sections to this poem but do you know what they are?

StructureStructure

StructureStructureThe poem is written in the second person - as if the poet addresses the reader directly. The style is like a self-help book, full of commands such as “sit”, “give”, “eat”, “take” and “feast” and the poet uses repetition (“give”, “love”, “stranger” and “life”) to further emphasise the instructional nature of the poem. This is a very optimistic poem. It tells us that the time following the breakdown of a relationship should not be one of grief and pain but of self fulfilment and recovery.

LanguageLanguage&&

ImageryImagery

Natural ImageryLook at the imagery used in the poem.

Why does the poet use these particular images?

ImagesImages Effects of the imageEffects of the image

Give wine. Give bread. A religious reference – suggests a spiritual process or rite of passage.

Take down the love letters from the bookshelf

Desperate notes

Peel your own images from the mirror

Feast on your life

Language Features

Ceremonial References to religious ceremonies are repeated.

References The self is described as a person within you.

to the self The poet says that we neglect our ‘self’ when we love another.

Instructive The poet offers advice in a confident and Language assured way.

The poem uses three types of language.

Poetic Techniques

TechniqueTechnique DefinitionDefinition

Metaphor the act or process of saying or writing something again

Repetition A figure of speech not meant literally

Personification the attribution of human qualities to objects

Match the technique with the correct definition.

Poetic Techniques

TechniqueTechnique DefinitionDefinition

Metaphor the act or process of saying or writing something again

Repetition A figure of speech not meant literally

Personification the attribution of human qualities to objects

Match the technique with the correct definition.

Poetic TechniquesThink about the poetic techniques discussed on the

last slide. Copy down the chart below. Find examples in the poem and write down the effect created.

Technique Evidence Effect

repetition ‘will’ Will is repeated three times in the first stanza to emphasise the poet’s feelings of optimism and assurance.

metaphor

personification

Feelings Feelings and and AttitudesAttitudes

1. The poet is positive and optimistic.2. He thinks that it is important to spend

time getting to know yourself.3. The poet believes that you would be

happier alone than living with someone else and compromising your true self.

4. He is confident that his advice is good.

ExaminatiExaminationon

PreparatioPreparationn

The Examination PaperThe Examination Paper

• You will have 45 minutes to answer the question.

• You will be asked to compare two poems.• You should begin by annotating the

question for the key words. This will help you to understand what you are being asked to do.

E.g. Compare ‘Love After Love’ with one other poem which shows how poets use language to convey their thoughts and feelings in their poems.

PlanningPlanning• Spend between 5 and 10 minutes

making a plan. This will help you to order your essay logically.

• Make a note of any key ideas you are going to include.

• Leave at least 5 minutes at the end to read through your work and check for any basic errors.

StructureStructureRemember:

• Write in paragraphs. • Don’t forget to P.E.E! Using a range of quotes

that are properly embedded within your answer.

• Begin with an introduction and end with a conclusion.

The main body of the essay should follow these five steps to make a good answer:

• Write about the theme• Compare the structures of each poem• Compare the use of language in each poem• Compare the feelings of the poets• Write about how the poems make you feel.

Making ConnectionsMaking Connections

Similarity Similarity ConnectivesConnectives

• Equally• In the same way• Similarly• Likewise• Just as…also

Contrast Contrast ConnectivesConnectives

• In contrast• However• Whereas (best

used in the middle of a sentence)

• On the other hand

Use a series of comparisons, using connectives to link ideas, both within paragraphs and between paragraphs.

Refer back to the question repeating the key words from it.

AnalysisAnalysisUse the following words to link your Point -> Evidence -> Explain sentences. The use of these words will also help to ensure that your response is analytical.

suggestssuggestsimpliesimplies

gives the impression thatgives the impression thatshowsshows

highlightshighlightsindicatesindicates

To make the same point using a different example, try one of these:

furthersfurthersemphasisesemphasisesreinforcesreinforces

RecapRecap1. When you are comparing poems you will be

asked to look for the similaritiessimilarities and the differencesdifferences.

2. You should comment on the languagelanguage they use. What poetic devicespoetic devices are present? Imagery, similes, metaphors, alliteration, onomatopoeia, personification, rhyme etc. What effect do they have on the What effect do they have on the readerreader?

3. You will need to comment on the structurestructure of the poems. How are they set out? Does Does this add to their overall this add to their overall effect/meaning?effect/meaning?

4. Consider the tonetone of the poems. What mood has the author created?

LinksLinks

Useful LinksUseful Links

‘Love After Love’ short film:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOTbZRgOR6w&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvytgrDO4eg&feature=related