Lesson Objective:

•To be able to empathise with the poem’s speaker.

Island ManIsland Man

STARTER:

What do these three characters have in common? Complete their speech bubble in your books:

___________________________________

“Island Man” – Grace Nichols(for a Caribbean Island Man in London who still wakes up to the sound of the sea)

Morning muffling muffling

and island man wakes up his crumpled pillow waves

To the sound of blue surf island man heaves himself

In his head

The steady breaking and wombing Another London day.

Wild seabirds

And fishermen pushing out to sea

The sun surfacing defiantly

From the east

Of his small emerald island

He always comes back

Groggily groggily

Comes back to sands

Of a grey metallic soar

to surge of wheels

To dull North Circular roar

The poem is set in TWO locations. Can you guess where they are?

Starter:

Lesson Objective:

•To be able to empathise with the poem’s speaker.

Island ManIsland Man

What would the differences be between life on a Caribbean island and life in London?

Think about sounds and smells as well as images and feelings

The poet, Grace Nichols:

Background information

Grace Nichols was born in Guyana in 1950. After university, she worked in the Caribbean as a journalist and reporter until she moved to Britain in 1977. She now lives and writes in Sussex. In an interview she said:

“ I feel at home now both in Guyana and in England. When I’m in Guyana, or another part of the Caribbean – because I see myself as coming from the wider Caribbean also – I feel I belong there

because I spring from that landscape. But partly because I have children in England, I also feel at home in this culture, with their dreams and aspirations. So I embrace both. England is where I live, where I make my living, but when I’m in England I’m always looking back. Both as a writer and as an individual, I’m always

looking at both worlds.”

Do you have anything in common with Nichols? Is there a place you miss?

MorningAnd island man wakes upTo the sound of blue surfIn his headThe steady breaking and wombing

Alliteration…

Soothing and calm

He can only hear the sound in his head. Why?

wild seabirdsand fishermen pushing out to seathe sun surfacing defiantlyfrom the eastof his small emerald islandhe always comes back

Can you spot any more alliteration?

What does this word suggest about the way he feels about the island?

Comes back to sandsOf a grey metallic soar

to surge of wheelsTo dull North Circular roar

The second part of the poem is a contrast. Why?

Can you spot any negative or depressing vocabulary?

muffling mufflinghis crumpled pillow wavesisland man heaves himself

Another London day

So where is the speaker?What has he been doing?

Try saying this line aloud. How does he feel?

Hot-Seating:If you could ask the Island Man questions, what would you like to know?Brainstorm at least 5 questions you could ask a volunteer Island Man.

Another London day…

Plenary

Complete these sentences to demonstrate that you have met today’s lesson objective:

In this poem the speaker is feeling… because…

The two locations in the poem, (_______ and _______) are very different because:

Challenge: Name one way that the poet uses her words (language) to make the reader feel a certain way.

L.O.: To be able to empathise with the poem’s speaker.