If words could kill…

Killers in the poetry of

Carol Ann Duffy and

Simon Armitage

'Killing' poem shocks teachers

English teachers in east Yorkshire have refused to include a poem on an exam syllabus because of its violent content. Tutors at Sydney Smith School, Anlaby, Hull, have even said they will tear the page from the book if they have to. But the work, included in a GCSE poetry anthology for schools, has been defended by an examination board as a "fictional view of an adolescent's feelings".

'Killing' poem shocks teachers (ctd.)The school's head of English Gill Gildenberg said: "I never thought I would hear myself saying

this but we do have to take a responsible attitude. It really does worry me that we could be endorsing violent feelings. It is something which children would readily identify with. It is about an unemployed individual who seeks recognition by killing. It is a very powerful poem - but that is my point, we do not want blood on our hands."

'Killing' poem shocks teachers (ctd.)

The poem was written by Glaswegian-born writer and philosophy graduate Carol Ann Duffy. The Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA), the largest examination board in the UK, has included the book in its study list for 15 and 16-year-old students in 2004. Accompanied by a picture of a kitchen knife stuck vertically into a block of wood, it begins: "Today I am going to kill something. Anything.”

'Killing' poem shocks teachers (ctd.)

Ms Gildenberg has written to AQA to complain. But George Turnbull, spokesperson for AQA, said: "We are sorry for any offence. It is a poem selected by teachers and was approved by the government watchdog, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. It is a fictional view of an adolescent's feelings. Pupils can do the course without touching the work."

Education for Leisure

By Carol Ann Duffy

Today I am going to kill somethingToday I am going to kill something. AnythingAnything.I have had enough of being ignoredignored and today I am going to play Godplay God. It is an ordinary day,a sort of grey with boredom stirringboredom stirring in the streets.

I squash a fly against the window with my thumb.

We did that at schoolschool. Shakespeare. It was in

another language and now the fly is in another in another languagelanguage.

I breathe out talenttalent on the glass to write my name.

I am a geniusgenius. I could be anything at all, with half the chance. But today I am going to change the change the worldworld.Something's world. The cat avoids meThe cat avoids me. The cat knows I am a genius, and has hidden itself.

I pour the goldfish down the bogbog. I pull the chain.

I see that it is goodI see that it is good. The budgie is panickingThe budgie is panicking.Once a fortnight, I walk the two miles into town for signing onsigning on. They don't appreciate my They don't appreciate my autographautograph.

There is nothing leftnothing left to kill. I dial the radioand tell the man he's talking to a superstar.

He cuts me offHe cuts me off. I get our bread-knife and go out. The pavements glitterglitter suddenly. I touch your I touch your armarm.

The Hitcher

By Simon Armitage

I’d been tired, underunder

the weatherthe weather, but the ansaphone kept screamingscreaming:One more sick-note, mister, and you’re finished. Fired.I thumbed a lift to where the car was parked.

A Vauxhall Astra. It was hired.A Vauxhall Astra. It was hired.

I picked him up in Leeds.

He was following the sun to west from eastfollowing the sun to west from eastwith just a toothbrush and the good earth for a bed. The truth,

he said, was blowin' in the windblowin' in the wind,

or round the next bendor round the next bend.

I let him have itI let him have iton the top road out of Harrogate - onceonce

with the head, then six times with the with the head, then six times with the krooklok krooklok

in the facein the face - and didn't even swerve.I dropped it into third

and leant acrossto let him out, and saw him in the mirror

bouncing off the kerbbouncing off the kerb, then disappearing down the verge.

We were the same agethe same age, give or take a week.

He'd said he liked the breeze

to run its fingersto run its fingers

through his hairthrough his hair. It was twelve noontwelve noon.The outlook for the day was moderate to fairmoderate to fair.

Stitch thatStitch that, I remember thinking,you can walk from there.

Similarities

• 1st person narrator– Personal account: autobiography– Sense of immediacy

• Envy Revenge– Against society– Against individual

• Ordinary day– Weather– Matter-of-fact tone

• Egotism– ‘Hitcher’ = has ‘the answer’– ‘Education for Leisure’ = ‘plays God’

Differences

• Tense– ‘Hitcher’ = past – ‘Education for Leisure’ = present

• Ending– ‘Hitcher’ = murder has already happened– ‘Education…’ = about to strike (cliffhanger)

• Humour– ‘Hitcher’ = – ‘Education…’ =

• Graphic descriptions– ‘Hitcher’ = – ‘Education…’ = (left more to our imagination)

Final Thoughts

“It really does worry me that we could be endorsing violent feelings. It is something which children would readily identify with. It is a very powerful poem - but that is my point, we do not want blood on our hands.”

WHAT DO YOU THINK?