GLOSSARY OF POETIC TERMS - lbec-english -...

Poetry from Different Cultures – Cluster Two

GLOSSARY OF POETIC TERMS

AlliterationThe repetition of the same consonant sounds at any place, but often at the beginning of words. Some famous examples of alliteration are tongue twisters. She sells seashells by the seashore, Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

AssonanceThe repetition or a pattern of (the same) vowel sounds, as in the tongue twister:"Moses supposes his toeses are roses."

Couplet In a poem, a pair of lines that are the same length and (usually) rhyme and form a complete thought. Shakespearean sonnets usually end in a couplet.

EnjambementA line ending in which the sense continues, with no punctuation, into the following line or stanza. "But in contentment I still feel The need of some imperishable bliss."

Hyperbole A figure of speech in which deliberate exaggeration is used for emphasis. Many everyday expressions are examples of hyperbole: tons of money, waiting for ages, a flood of tears, etc.

Imagery The use of pictures, figures of speech and description to evoke ideas feelings, objects actions, states of mind etc.

Litotes A figure of speech in which a positive is stated by negating its opposite. Some examples of litotes: no small victory, not a bad idea, not unhappy.

LyricA poem, such as a sonnet or an ode that expresses the thoughts and feelings of the poet. A lyric poem may resemble a song in form or style.

Metaphor A figure of speech in which two things are compared, usually by saying one thing is another, or by substituting a more descriptive word for the more common or usual word that would be expected. Some examples of metaphors: the world's a stage, he was a lion in battle, drowning in debt, and a sea of troubles.It is probably the most important figure of speech to comment on in an essay.OnomatopoeiaA figure of speech in which words are used to imitate sounds. Examples of onomatopoeic words are:buzz, hiss, zing, clippety-clop, cock-a-doodle-do, pop, splat, thump, tick-tock. Another example of onomatopoeia is found in this line from Tennyson's Come Down, O Maid:"The moan of doves in immemorial elms,/And murmuring of innumerable bees”

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Poetry from Different Cultures – Cluster TwoThe repeated "m/n" sounds reinforce the idea of "murmuring" by imitating the hum of insects on a warm summer day

Pastoral A poem that pictures country life in a peaceful, idealized way.

Personification A figure of speech in which nonhuman things or abstract ideas are given human attributes: the sky is crying, dead leaves danced in the wind, blind justice.

RefrainA phrase, line, or group of lines that is repeated throughout a poem, usually after every stanza.

Rhyme The occurrence of the same or similar sounds at the end of two or more words. The pattern of rhyme in a stanza or poem is shown usually by using a different letter for each final sound. In a poem with an aabba rhyme scheme, the first, second, and fifth lines end in one sound, and the third and fourth lines end in another. This pattern is known as a Rhyme scheme

SimileA figure of speech in which two things are compared using the word "like" or "as." An example of a simile using like occurs in Langston Hughes's poem ‘Harlem’: "What happens to a dream deferred?/ Does it dry up/ like a raisin in the sun?"

Stanza Two or more lines of poetry that together form one of the divisions of a poem. The stanzas of a poem are usually of the same length and follow the same pattern of meter and rhyme.

Stress The prominence or emphasis given to particular syllables. Stressed syllables usually stand out because they have long, rather than short, vowels, or because they have a different pitch or are louder than other syllables.

SymbolWhen a word, phrase or image 'stands for' an idea or theme. The sun could symbolize life and energy or a red rose could symbolize romantic love.

Your culture is the way you live your life. It is about the country you live in, the clothes you wear, your language or style of speech, the sort of food you eat, how you celebrate important occasions, and the things you believe in and value. Think about your own way of life and try to give examples of these aspects of your culture. You may write or draw your ideas.

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Where I live My language/ style of speech

The food I eat Celebrations

The clothes I wear Things I value

Can you think of any ways your culture is different to that of one other person? Make a list

Themes that can help you make links between the poems

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Ideas about language power and dialect

Feelings about being caught between two cultures

Feelings about change or how things do not change

Ideas about language and identity

Differences between attitudes and values

Beliefs and rituals

Customs and traditions

Protest against ideas and attitudes (including racism)

Feelings about independence

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This sounds apologetic. Why has Agard done this?

Repetition.

Questioning. Is Agard asking us, the reader or someone else?

What effect does this description have?

What is Agard suggesting about the listener?

Agard has written in his own accent. How does that affect the reading of the poem?

Agard is clearly angry about being called “half-caste”. What words suggest he is angry?

There is a lack of punctuation in the poem. Why?

Why has Agard used a / in stead of a ?


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This poem is written in a Scottish accent.

Does accent really affect if you believe things?

Why do you think Leonard doesn’t use capital letters?

A “BBC accent” is received pronunciation – no accent. BBC news readers used to speak without accents.

Who can’t talk right? Those without an accent? Or those with?

What affect does the phonetic spelling have on you?

Why end with “belt up”? What affect will it have on the reader?

Poetry from Different Cultures – Cluster TwoGrid (a)

We are learning to: * Think independently about difficult poetry* Organise exam essay that ask us to compare* Write exam quality essays on poetry

Points I want to make about the poems ‘Unrelated Incidents’ ‘Half-Caste’ Similarities

& Differences

CONTENT – what the poem is about

1 2 3

LANGUAGE – words and phrases the poets use, including:

images (pictures in our heads)

rhythm (the beat of the poem)

phonetic spelling (not spelling words as they appear in the dictionary but as they sound when spoken) 4 5 6

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Poetry from Different Cultures – Cluster TwoGrid (b)

We are learning to: * Think independently about difficult poetry* Organise exam essay that ask us to compare* Write exam quality essays on poetry

Points I want to make about the poems ‘Unrelated Incidents’ ‘Half-Caste’ Similarities

& Differences

Language

1 2 3

Poetic Techniques

4 5 6

Structure

Tone

7 8 9

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Tongue can also mean the language you speak. Who is she

addressing?

Shift from 2nd person address to 1st person: “you” to “I”.

Written in Gujarati – Sujata Bhatt’;s mother tongue.

What effect does the dual language have on the reader?

Natural images – plant like.

This is an extended metaphor.

There are 3 sections to the poem. What are the differences and similarities between them?


Love After Love

The time will come when, with elation

you will greet yourself arriving at your own door, in your own mirror

and each will smile at the other's welcome,

And say, sit here. Eat. You will love again the stranger who was your self.

Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

All your life, whom you ignored for another, who knows you by heart.

Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

The photographs, the desperate notes, peel your own image from the mirror.

Sit. Feast on your life.

DEREK WALCOTT

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Christian Imagery.

This is impossible. So what could it mean?

The poem uses a darker tone. Why?

This may mean the narrator is entering a new life. Or can you see other meanings?

The tone in the first verse seems joyful

What could this mean?

This poem has several possible meanings: Self-discovery.Human relationships.Religion.

Using different colours identify all the aspects of the poem that suggests each possible meaning.

Nobody can say exactly what this poems means, so you will gain marks if you show that there is more than one possible interpretation.


This Room by Imtiaz Dharker

This room is breaking outof itself, cracking throughits own wallsin search of space, light,empty air.

The bed is lifting out ofits nightmares.From dark corners, chairsare rising up to crash through clouds.

This is the time and placeto be alive:when the daily furniture of our livesstirs, when the improbable arrives.Pots and pans bang togetherin celebration, clangpast the crowd of garlic, onions, spices,fly by the ceiling fan.No one is looking for the door.

In all this excitementI'm wondering whereI've left my feet, and why

my hands are outside, clapping.

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What could the room be a metaphor for?

What do we associate with

rooms?

What does this image remind you

of?

Does the poet see the room as

a positive or negative thing?

In which direction are things moving?

Is the movement into light

or darkness?

What is our daily

furniture?

Why is ‘no one looking for the door’? What does that usually

mean?

Are there any words that rhyme? Can you spot any onomatopoeia?

Could the furniture be the

beliefs or everyday objects

that clutter our lives?

What does this suggest?

Speaker left wondering what it

means to be swept up in excitement.

Could the poem be about the excitement of moments when things change? At these moments our surroundings seem to

share our excitement. We do not know the cause of this joyful explosion, but it seems to be bound up with personal happiness

- it might be romantic love, but it could be other things: maternity, a new job, almost anything that is profoundly life-

changing.


‘Love after Love’ and ‘This Room’

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Complete these questions about ‘This Room’ by Imtiaz Dharker.

Remember to use inverted commas: “ ” when quoting lines or words from a poem.

1. List all the onomatopoeic words in the poem. Why has the poet used these words?

2. List all the phrases/words associated with escape or freedom. What do you think the poem is saying about these themes?

3. Why do you think that the last stanza contains only one line?

4. The poet, Imtiaz Dharker, says “I don’t want to have to define myself in terms of location or religion.” In the light of this statement, how could you interpret the poem?

Poetry from Different Cultures – Cluster Two‘Love After Love’ could be said to be an optimistic poem. Select another poem from this section that also has an optimistic message. Compare it with ‘Love After Love’, saying what the poets feel optimistic about and how they express their feelings.

As practice, use ‘This Room’ as the second poem.

PARAGRAPH ONE: A brief introduction. Name the two poems and their poets. Summarise the main subject matter of each poem and what it is that the poets feel optimistic about.

PARAGRAPH TWO: Compare in detail the ideas of optimism in each poem, using PEE.

PARAGRAPH THREE: For “how they express their feelings”, compare the form and structure of the two poems, using PEE.

PARAGRAPH FOUR: For “how they express their feelings”, compare the language of the two poems, using PEE.

PARAGRAPH FIVE: Write a brief final consideration of the essay title and make a few new comparative points.

Remember: Compare the two poems in each paragraph. In the exam, you have 45 minutes for this. Try to keep your PEEs precise so that you can make lots of them and

try to avoid repeating the same quotation.

Words for similarities:

similarly just as in the same way equally also

Words for differences:

although whereas while

by contrast unlike however

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PARAGRAPH ONE: Brief Introduction: Use these notes:

Poems and poets’ names. ‘Love After Love’ – must enjoy the people and individuals that we are. Sad love affair can restrict us, making us neglect ourselves but optimistic

message that we will throw this off and be happy again. ‘This Room’ – similar idea of throwing off restrictions and constraints but

more symbolic: restrictions could be anything. It is about the unrestrained joy of life. Both are optimistic poems about happiness.

PARAGRAPH TWO:

Compare in detail the ideas of optimism. Use at least three PEEs on each

poem

‘Love After Love’

1- After sadness such as a failed love affair, poet assures us that, in time, “you will greet yourself arriving” and “will smile”, showing that happiness will return.

2- Calm message that we should discover and cherish ourselves, “the stranger who has loved you all your life”, a comforting promise of permanent love.

3- One of your own!

‘This Room’1- Exciting, lively poem, more effervescent than other, almost like a cartoon

with its crazy ideas of room “breaking out” as pots and pans “fly by the ceiling fan.”

2- An important line is “when the improbable arrives” because she is expressing the need to break out of constraints, to relish the unexpected and live life fully.

3- One of your own!

PARAGRAPH THREE: Compare the form and structure: Use three PEEs on each poem: Use these notes and clues‘Love After Love’

1- Free verse to match the ideas in the poem because it is about the freedom to be ourselves.

2- Clue: enjambment. Turn this into a PEE.3- Clue: structure- look at opening line and final line. Turn this into a

PEE.

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‘This Room’1- Also free verse like other poem. This suits her message of casting off

restrictions.2- Clue: similarly uses frequent enjambment. Turn this into a PEE3- Clue: irregularity of stanza length. Which is longest and why? Which

is shortest and why? Turn this into a PEE

PARAGRAPH FOUR: Compare anything to do with the language of the two poems. Use five PEEs on each poem‘Love After Love’

1- The variety of tenses in the poem captures some of life’s stages. There is the past when you “ignored” yourself but the future for the certainty of how you “will smile.”

2- Clue: repetition. Turn this into a PEE3- Clue: use of monosyllables. Turn this into a PEE4- Clue: interesting images such as the two about mirrors. Turn this

into a PEE5- Clue: religious associations. Turn this into a PEE

‘This Room’1- The present tense throughout the poem captures the action of all this

activity, “This room is breaking out”, “The bed is lifting” and “Chairs are rising.”

2- Clue: alliteration. Turn this into a PEE3- Clue: onomatopoeia. Turn this into a PEE4- Clue: images of movement from darkness into light. Turn this into a

PEE5- One of your own!

PARAGRAPH FIVE: Brief ending making at least three more comparative points

1- Consider how the souvenirs in Walcott’s poem “the love letters”, “the photographs” and “the desperate notes” are just like “the daily furniture of our lives” in Dharker’s poem. Why?

2- Both poems contain ideas of celebrating, Walcott with his references to the Holy Sacrament and “feast” while Dharker proclaims “this is the time and place to be alive.”

3- One more of your own!

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How does this image make you feel?

Poetry from Different Cultures – Cluster TwoNot my business

They picked Akanni up one morningBeat him soft like clay

And stuffed him down the belly of a waiting jeepWhat business of mine is it

So long they don’t take the yam From my savouring mouth?

They came one night Booted the whole house awake

And dragged Danladi out,Then off to a lengthy absence

What business of mine is itSo long they don’t take the yam

From my savouring mouth?

Chinwe went to work one day Only to find her job was gone:

No query, no warning, no probe-Just one neat sack for a stainless record.

What business of mine is itSo long they don’t take the yam

From my savouring mouth?

And then one eveningAs I sat down to eat my yam

A knock on the door froze my hungry hand.The jeep was waiting on my bewildered lawn

Waiting, waiting in its usual silence.

Niyi Osundare

‘Not My Business’ is most likely set in Nigeria, Niyi Osundare's country of birth.

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Who are ‘they’?

Was this planned?What does this

represent?

Does this sound more or less threatening than the

first verse?

What does this show?

Why is it ‘neat’?

Why repeat this word?

Why does the poem not end with a definite

outcome?

Is this image effective?

Think about the country in which this poem is

set. Why is this an effective image?

Poetry from Different Cultures – Cluster TwoHe used this poem and others to object to the cruel dictatorship that ruled his country under General Abacha from 1993 to 1998. During Abacha's rule, writing poetry was considered a dangerous activity. Osundare regularly wrote poems for a Nigerian national newspaper which commented on the lives of people in that country. As a result, he was frequently called to account by security agents and quizzed about what his poems meant and to whom they referred. Osundare himself says, "with the kind of poetry I write, I can never be the dictator's friend. So I get a knock on the door at two in the morning a couple of times."The poem criticises people who allow injustices to go on as long as it does not directly affect them. He suggests that if no one stands up against dictatorship, cruelty, poverty and injustice, it will, eventually, affect their lives.The poem is a very good example of the narrator's voice being different from that of the poet. Even if we didn't know of Niyi Osundare's political beliefs, we naturally disagree with what the narrator says.

Underline all the words in the poem that suggest anger and hate. What is your favourite image in the poem? Write a short summary of

why you like this image.………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… How do you feel about the narrator in this poem?…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

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Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan

They sent me a salwar kameezpeacock-blue,and anotherglistening like an orange split open,embossed slippers, gold and blackpoints curling.Candy-striped glass banglessnapped, drew blood.Like at school, fashions changedin Pakistan -the salwar bottoms were broad and stiff,then narrow.My aunts chose an apple-green sari,silver-borderedfor my teens.

I tried each satin-silkentop -was alien in the sitting-room.I could never be as lovelyas those clothes -I longedfor denim and corduroy.My costume clung to meand I was aflame,I couldn't rise up out of its fire,half-English,unlike Aunt Jamila.

I wanted my parents'camel-skin lamp -switching it on in my bedroom,to consider the crueltyand the transformationfrom camel to shade,marvel at the colourslike stained glass.

My mother cherished herjewellery -

Indian gold, dangling, filigree,But it was stolen from our car.The presents were radiant in my wardrobe.My aunts requested cardigansfrom Marks and Spencers.

My salwar kameezdidn't impress the schoolfriendwho sat on my bed, asked to seemy weekend clothes.But often I admired the mirror-work,tried to glimpse myselfin the miniatureglass circles, recall the storyhow the three of ussailed to England.Prickly heat had me screaming on the way.I ended up in a cotIn my English grandmother's dining-room,found myself alone,playing with a tin-boat.

I pictured mybirthplacefrom fifties' photographs.When I was olderthere was conflict, a fractured landthrobbing through newsprint.Sometimes I saw Lahore -my aunts in shaded rooms,screened from male visitors,sorting presents,wrapping them in tissue.

Or there were beggars,sweeper-girlsand I was there -of no fixed nationality,staring through fretworkat the Shalimar Gardens

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Hurricane Hits England by Grace Nichols

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The hurricane of 1987

Poetry from Different Cultures – Cluster TwoIt took a hurricane, to bring her closerTo the landscapeHalf the night she lay awake,The howling ship of the wind,Its gathering rage,Like some dark ancestral spectre,Fearful and reassuring.

Talk to me HuracanTalk to me OyaTalk to me ShangoAnd Hattie,My sweeping, back-home cousin.

Tell me why you visit.An English coast?What is the meaningOf old tonguesReaping havocIn new places?

The blinding illumination,Even as you short-Circuit usInto further darkness?

What is the meaning of treesFalling heavy as whalesTheir crusted rootsTheir cratered graves?

O Why is my heart unchained?

Tropical Oya of the Weather,I am aligning myself to you,I am following the movement of your winds,I am riding the mystery of your storm.

Ah, sweet mystery;Come to break the frozen lake in me,Shaking the foundations of the very trees within me,Come to let me knowThat the earth is the earth is the earth.

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Ancient gods of storm, thunder and wind.

This is a paradox

Changed to the 1st person

Personification of the hurricane.

What could she mean by this?

Why is this line by itself?

What could this be a metaphor for?

Personified the trees by giving them a death.


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Hurricane Hits England1. Where is the poem set? What is happening?

2. In the first stanza the scene is set and the storm is described. What is it like?

3. How would you describe the mood in the 3rd, 4th and 5th verses?

4. What is the meaning of ‘O why is my heart unchained’?

5. What effect do the winds have on the speaker? What does the storm remind her of?

5. The poet writes that the storm has ‘Come to let me know that the earth is the earth is the earth.’ What does this mean? How does the mood change in this final stanza?

Your own writing Describe in detail how the hurricane affects the speaker in the

poem.

Poetry from Different Cultures – Cluster TwoFor your exam you will have to compare the poems. What is given credit?

Your answer will need to consist of:

1. Examples from the text in the form of short quotations woven into your points of comparison. (embedded quotations.)

2. Comparison connectives introducing …3. A series of points of comparison, which are, in turn, introduced using

connectives.4. Phrases designed to prompt this type of analysis.5. An understanding of the techniques poets use.6. Repetition of the key words in the question.

All these ingredients of a good answer work together, but let’s focus particularly on numbers 2, 3 and 4.

You need to ensure you compare the texts in focus. This means identifying points of similarity and contrast. You will need to draw upon the following comparison connectives:

Similarity connectives Contrast connectivesEqually In contrastIn the same way However Similarly Whereas (best used in the middle

of a sentence)Likewise On the other handJust as … also Conversely The best answers will blend the subtleties of similarity and contrast (whilst both poems highlight … in one this is achieved through a series of striking images, whereas in the other, alliteration is used to evoke … etc.)

The best comparisons deal with the way poems are written (number 5, above) and keep returning to the key words of the question (number 6).

But how do you make sure your answer is analytical?

These words and phrases encourage you to make your point analytical:

suggestsimpliesgives us the impression thatshowshighlightsindicates

If you want to make the same point using a different example, use

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Poetry from Different Cultures – Cluster Twofurthersemphasisesreinforces

So, let’s look at a model paragraph and highlight its strengths, according to the list above.

This is a question based on the Different Cultures Cluster One poems:

Compare the ways in which contrast is used in ‘Island Man’ and ‘Two Scavengers … ’

Model paragraph, focused on the ending of each poem:

Look again at the ingredients of a good answer and identify them in this paragraph so far. How would you complete the paragraph?

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Both poets end their poems using powerful images. In ‘Island Man’ a metaphor is used to show the way in which the real world and the contrasting world of the man’s dream are together in one person. The man’s ‘crumpled pillow waves’ are the folds in the pillow he leaves behind as he ‘heaves himself’ out of bed. The alliteration reinforces the huge effort he makes, and maybe this is suggesting that the contrasting dreamy ‘small emerald island’ is where he would rather stay. The fact that ‘the sound of blue surf’ is in fact the ‘grey metallic soar’ of the ‘dull North Circular roar’ suggests that we are all, perhaps, made up of contrasts. Similarly, a metaphor is also used in the final three lines of ‘Two Scavengers …’


Different Cultures Poems

There are a number of themes you can trace when you consider the subject-matter of these poems:

Identity is perhaps the main theme which binds the poems together but how is identity explored?

Voice and language

Change

Division

Can you add to this list?

It is best to think about each poem not in isolation, but in relation to the others. Usually you have a choice regarding which poem you compare with the named poem.

On the next page decide which poems fit into each category and write them in the box.

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IDENTITY POLITICS

Both poets2 end their poems using powerful images5. In ‘Island Man’ a

metaphor5 is used to show the way in which4 the real world and the3

contrasting6 world of the man’s dream are together in one person. The

man’s3 ‘crumpled pillow waves’1 are the folds in the pillow he leaves

behind as he3 ‘heaves himself’1 out of bed3. The alliteration5 reinforces4

the huge effort he makes3, and maybe this is suggesting4 that the3

contrasting6 dreamy3 ‘small emerald island’1 is where he would rather

stay3. The fact that ‘the sound of blue surf’1 is in fact the ‘grey metallic

soar’1 of the ‘dull North Circular roar’1 suggests4 that we are all, perhaps,

made up of3 contrasts6. Similarly2, a metaphor5 is also used2 in the final

three lines of ‘Two Scavengers …’


If you follow the advice you have been given about how best to plan and structure an essay on the Poems from Other Cultures you should know roughly what ideas and points you are going to cover in each of your paragraphs before you begin writing the essay. In general, each paragraph should deal with one main topic or idea and it may be helpful if you include the following elements to each paragraph.

1. An outline of your argument or point (this should really refer to key words in the question or address issues which it raises).

2. A quotation and / or other detailed reference to the poem named in the question which will support your point.

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USE OF FIRST PERSON PEOPLE

CHANGE USE OF NON-STANDARD ENGLISH

VOICE & LANGUAGE

USE OF SPECIFIC CULTURAL REFERENCES

UNUSUAL PRESENTATION DIVISION

Poetry from Different Cultures – Cluster Two3. A comment on the quotation which will help to explain why you

have chosen it and may analyse the language in it.4. A point of comparison between the named poem and one or

more other poem(s) from the cluster (you could try to draw comparisons and contrasts between poems throughout the whole paragraph).

Remember that you will need to indent, or leave a line between, each paragraph and a paragraph should usually contain more than one sentence.

Sample Paragraph

Compare how ‘Search for my Tongue’ and at least one other poem from Cluster 2 show how belonging to two cultures can be a positive experience.

In ‘Search for my Tongue’ Sujata Bhatt presents language as vital to her sense of cultural identity. The poet begins by explaining that she is afraid that she has lost her mother tongue, or first language, however, when it returns to her in a dream, indicated by the use of Gujerati script in the poem, she realizes that she can never really lose her ‘tongue’ as it ‘blossoms out of my mouth.’ Here, Bhatt’s use of an extended metaphor, where she compares her language to a flower, effectively reinforces the idea that, for her, belonging to two cultures has been enriching as well as a source of conflict. Grace Nichols also uses natural imagery to represent a connection between her cultural roots and the country where she now lives although ‘In Hurricane Hits England’ it is her experience of a hurricane which reminds the poet of her ‘homeland’.

Now write a paragraph in response to each of the following questions. You should try to include the four elements that have been outlined above in each paragraph.

Discuss how ‘Search for my Tongue’ and any other poem from Cluster 2 present the theme of being divided between two cultures.

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The student makes a point in response to the question and introduces the named

A quotation supports the student’s argument

The student ends the paragraph with a point of comparison between the named poem and

This analysis of the quotation explains how it supports the point and refers to the poet’s use of


Compare how ‘Search for my Tongue’ and one other poem from Cluster 2 use imagery from nature.

Discuss how and why ‘Unrelated Incidents’ and one other poem from Cluster 2 use dialect or phonetic language.

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Compare how ‘This Room’ and at least one other poem from Cluster 2 present the theme of celebration.

Compare how ‘Half-Caste’ and at least one other poem from Cluster 2 present the theme of prejudice.

Compare how ‘Hurricane Hits England’ and one other poem from Cluster 2 present the weather.

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Discuss how ‘Half-caste’ and at least one other poem from Cluster 2 use humour.

Discuss how the title, ‘Not My Business’, and the title of at least one other poem from Cluster 2 either prepare or do not prepare the reader for the themes and language of the poem.

Now you have studied all the poems in Cluster One, see how well you do on this quiz. Can you complete it without looking back at the poems???

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Poetry from Different Cultures – Cluster TwoInstructions: Put a cross in the box next to the correct answer.

1. Which of these most accurately describes the mood of “Half-Caste”?a. sombreb. happyc. mockingd. thoughtful

2. In “Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan”, the poet considers the Pakistani clothes to be:

a. out of dateb. lovelyc. too fancyd. suitable for older people

3. The section in the middle of “Search for my Tongue” is:a. Gujerati with a phonetic version beneath it.b. Urdu with non-standard English beneath it.c. Basmati with a phonetic version beneath it.d. Hindi with a non-standard English version beneath it.

4. In “Unrelated Incidents”, the poet expresses his belief that:a. People with strong regional accents would be better

working as newsreaders for ITVb. The Glaswegian accent is very difficult for outsiders to

understand.c. Having a strong regional accent does not mean that a

person is stupid or inferior.d. People with strong regional accents should be allowed

to be BBC newsreaders.

5. In “Hurricane Hits England”, the poet tells of her experience of:a. A power cut.b. A nightmare involving visits by gods.c. The meteorological problems of living in Sussex.d. An event that changed her feelings about living in

England.

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Poetry from Different Cultures – Cluster Two6. Which of these is closest to the message of “Love After Love”?

a. After a failed love affair, the time and pain will pass until you reach a stage of discovering and valuing yourself.

b. It is important to throw away photographs, notes and other souvenirs that might remind you of a past lover.

c. When in pain after a failed romance, you will find it helpful to go to church and take Communion.

d. When a love affair goes wrong, it is inevitable that you will suffer from a lack of self-esteem.

7. In “This Room”, the poet suggests thata. Moving furniture to new places in your home or

workplace makes a refreshing change.b. Upheaval is exciting and should be enjoyed.c. Too much time spent alone in one room will end up

making you feel stifled and desperate for a change.d. It is difficult, but not impossible, for people of different

cultures to be together harmoniously in one room.

8. In “Not my Business”, the poet showsa. The consequences of standing back and doing nothing

when injustice occurs.b. That he did not know Akanni, Danladi and Chinwe well

enough to become involved in what happened to them.c. The importance of the yam to Nigerian people.d. That lying low and judging the right moment to act is

the best way to achieve justice.

9. Which poem does not use the first person?a. “Love After Love.”b. “Unrelated Incidents.”c. “Half-Caste.”d. “This Room.”

10. Which two poems, paired below, are most concerned with the difficulty of belonging to two different cultures?

a. “Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan” and “Search for my Tongue.”

b. “Hurricane Hits England” and “Unrelated Incidents.”c. “Half-Caste” and “Love After Love.”d. “Not my Business” and “This Room.”

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11. Which two poems suggest that something constructive can come after, and out of, violent disruptions?

a. “Love After Love” and “Search for my Tongue.”b. “Hurricane Hits England” and “Love After Love.”c. “Hurricane Hits England” and “This Room.”d. “This Room” and “Not my Business.”

12. Which two poems have the most opposing views on caring for ourselves as the first priority?

a. “Love After Love” and “This Room.”b. “Love After Love” and “Not my Business.”c. “This Room” and “Half-Caste.”d. “Not my Business” and “Search for my Tongue.”

13. Which two poems are most concerned with speaking a language?a. “Search for my Tongue” and “Half-Caste.”b. “Unrelated Incidents” and “Presents from my Aunts in

Pakistan.”c. “Half-Caste” and “Search for my Tongue.”d. “Search for my Tongue” and “Unrelated Incidents.”

14. Which two poems have a link to the Caribbean area?a. “Love After Love” and “Not my Business.”b. “Half-Caste” and “Not my Business.”c. “Hurricane Hits England” and “Love After Love.”d. “Hurricane Hits England” and “Half-Caste.”

15. Which two poems make most use of non-standard English?a. “Unrelated Incidents” and “Half-Caste.”b. “Search for my Tongue” and “This Room.”c. “Search for my Tongue” and “Unrelated Incidents.”d. “Half-Caste” and “Hurricane Hits England.”

16. Which four poems are by women poets?a. “Search for my Tongue”, “Hurricane Hits England”,

“Not my Business” and “This Room.”b. “Hurricane Hits England”, “Presents from my Aunts in

Pakistan”, “Half-Caste” and “Search for my Tongue.”c. “Search for my Tongue”, “This Room”, “Presents from

my Aunts in Pakistan” and “Hurricane Hits England.”

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Poetry from Different Cultures – Cluster Twod. “Not my Business”, “Search for my Tongue”,

“Hurricane Hits England” and “Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan.”

17. Which two poems use phonetic spellings of English words?a. “Search for my Tongue” and “Half-Caste.”b. “Half-Caste” and “Unrelated Incidents.”c. “Unrelated Incidents” and “Not my Business.”d. “Search for my Tongue” and “Unrelated Incidents.”

18. Which of these poems does not feature repetition?a. “Search for my Tongue.”b. “Half-Caste.”c. “This Room.”d. “Not my Business.”

19. Which two poems are structured as if they are answers to, or conversations with, someone and they address this person as “you”?

a. “Hurricane Hits England” and “Half-Caste.”b. “Not my Business” and “Presents from my Aunts in

Pakistan.”c. “This Room” and “Hurricane Hits England.”d. “Search for my Tongue” and “Half-Caste.”

20. Which two poems have no stanza division?a. “Half-Caste” and “Unrelated Incidents.”b. “Search for my Tongue” and “Presents from my Aunts

in Pakistan.”c. “Unrelated Incidents” and “Search for my Tongue.”d. “This Room” and “Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan.”

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from Unrelated Incidents

this is thisix a clocknews thiman said nthi reasona talk wiaBBC accentiz coz yiwidny wahntmi ti talkaboot thitrooth wiavoice likwanna yooscruff. ifa toktabootthi troothlik wanna yooscruff yiwidny thingkit wuz troo.jist wanna yooscruff tokn.thirza rightway ti spellana right wayto tok it. thisis me tokn yirright way aspellin. thisis ma trooth.yooz doant nothi troothyirsellz cawzyi canny talkright. this isthe six a clocknyooz. belt up.

Tom LeonardIntimate Voices: Selected Works 1965—1983 (Vintage,

Context:Tom Leonard sees himself as Scottish and not British.

It is political and critical of what is meant to be the right way to speak.

Seems to be spoken by a BBC

Ironic: the poet is mocking the BBC for presuming that if a newsreader spoke with a Scots dialect, then we wouldn’t trust the news.

This should be seen as the thoughts of the poet (sub-text). A newsreader

Structure and sound: the poem is written in the Glasgow accent and spelt phonetically.

The lines are short to create the same ‘serious’ effect of a news broadcast.

The poem talks directly to the reader to make the ‘message’ personal and more

Poem is meant to feel humorous, but it has a satirical edge (pokes fun at BBC/English)

from Unrelated Incidents

this is thisix a clocknews thiman said nthi reasona talk wiaBBC accentiz coz yiwidny wahntmi ti talkaboot thitrooth wiavoice likwanna yooscruff. ifa toktabootthi troothlik wanna yooscruff yiwidny thingkit wuz troo.jist wanna yooscruff tokn.thirza rightway ti spellana right wayto tok it. thisis me tokn yirright way aspellin. thisis ma trooth.yooz doant nothi troothyirsellz cawzyi canny talkright. this isthe six a clocknyooz. belt up.

Tom LeonardIntimate Voices: Selected Works 1965—1983 (Vintage,

Context:Tom Leonard sees himself as Scottish and not British.

It is political and critical of what is meant to be the right way to speak.

Seems to be spoken by a BBC

Ironic: the poet is mocking the BBC for presuming that if a newsreader spoke with a Scots dialect, then we wouldn’t trust the news.

This should be seen as the thoughts of the poet (sub-text). A newsreader

Structure and sound: the poem is written in the Glasgow accent and spelt phonetically.

The lines are short to create the same ‘serious’ effect of a news broadcast.

The poem talks directly to the reader to make the ‘message’ personal and more

Poem is meant to feel humorous, but it has a satirical edge (pokes fun at BBC/English)

GLOSSARY OF POETIC TERMS - lbec-english -...

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