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Poetry and Writing:

Childhood

Icon Meaning

BIG QUESTION:

This is a ‘big question’ meaning it

doesn’t have one simple answer. A ‘big

question’ asks you to consider all the

information you know, different points

of view and most importantly you need

to be detailed in your response.

LEARN

This symbolises new information – you

are going to learn something you don’t

already know. This icon is important

because what follows will help you

with the rest of the

lesson/activities.

FIND/RESEARCH

You will see this icon around

extracts, this means you should find

deeper meaning. This might mean

looking up a word, reading about an

idea or utilising the glossary.

WRITE

You will see this icon when it is time

for you to respond to the specific

tasks that have been set.

Big Question: Is having a childhood

important for later on in life?

Justify your thinking…

How important are our childhood experiences at

shaping us into the people we are later on in

life?

Justify your thoughts with reasoning.

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Term Meaning Example

Metaphor A figure of speech in which

a word or phrase is applied

to an object or action to

which it is not literally

applicable.

Simile

He is as cunning as a

fox.

Personification The attribution of a

personal nature or human

characteristics to

something non-human, or the

representation of an

abstract quality in human

form.

Onomatopoeia

Shush, giggle, growl,

whine, murmur, blurt,

whisper, hiss.

Sibilance Sibilance is a literary

device where strongly

stressed consonants are

created deliberately.

Sally sells seashells

by the seashore.

Alliteration

Peter Piper picked a

peck of pickled

peppers.

Imagery Visually descriptive or

figurative language

Rhyme Correspondence of sound

between words or the

endings of words,

especially when these are

used at the ends of lines

of poetry.

Theme

Love, war, isolation,

motherhood.

Tone The general character or

attitude of a place, piece

of writing, situation, etc.

Stanza

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1. Use at least one simile to describe this man.

E.g ‘the very mystery of him excited her

curiosity like a door that neither lock

nor key.’

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2. Use personification to describe:

e.g ‘the rain played hide and seek amongst the trees’

Rain Wind

3. Simile or Metaphor? (S or M)

a. All the worlds a stage.

b. My life is like an open highway.

c. The air smelled as sharp as newly chopped wood.

d. Life is a journey.

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Introduction: Poetic devices put into

practice

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4. Alliteration

a. Noah nodded………….. napping.

b. Succulent…… strawberries.

c. Lovely Laura ………………………… lavender.

5. Complete the rhyme.

My teacher took my iPod.

She said they had a rule;

I couldn't bring it into class

or even to the ...................

She said she would return it;

I'd have it back that ..............

But then she tried my headphones on

and gave a click on Play.

She looked a little startled,

but after just a while

she made sure we were occupied

and cracked a wicked ...................

Maybe add a fact about rhyme and why it is important

structurally? Or ask them whether they know whether

rhyme is a language or structural feature.

You may want to include an example from a famous

writer/poet?

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Now use a simile and alliteration to describe this

image:

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6. Onomatopoeia

Think of a word to describe the actual sound.

a. Leaves

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...

b. Bell

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c. Bird

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c. Bee

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Stanza (n) a group of lines forming the

basic recurring metrical unit in

a poem.

Capering (v) skip or dance about in a lively

or playful way.

Nostalgia (n) a wistful desire to return in

thought or in fact to a former

time in one's life.

Context (n) the circumstances that form the

setting for an event, statement,

or idea, and in terms of which

it can be fully understood.

Task 1: Draw a simple image to help you remember the

word.

Task 2: Answer the following questions. You must use

one of the new words in each response.

• Where would you typically find a stanza?

• Where would you be most likely to find someone

capering?

• Does nostalgia mean you feel sad?

• Why is learning context important when studying

poetry?

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Vocabulary Starter

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WEEK 1

‘Windy Boy in a Windswept Tree’

Task 1: Geoffery Summerfield uses lots of different poetic techniques to create imagery. Firstly, find and highlight an example of: personification, imagery, alliteration, listing and a simile. Following this, consider why the poet has used this technique and the effect. Use my example to guide you.

Big Question: What is the difference

between childhood and adulthood?

The branch swayed, swerved, Swept and whipped, up, Down, right to left, Then leapt to right again, As if to hurl him down

To smash to smithereens

On the knife-edge grass

Or smother In the close-knit quilts of moss. Out on a crazy limb

He screwed his eyes tight shut, To keep out the dizzy ground. Sweat greased his palms; Fear pricked his forehead, The twisted branches lunged and lurched, His body curved, twisted, he arched

His legs and gripped the bark

Between his ankles. The crust of bark

Sharp as glass paper And rough with wrinkles

Grazed his skin

And raised the raw red flesh

And crazed his mind

With fears of breaking. Then the mad-cap, capering wind

Dropped. The branch steadied, Paused, Rested. He slowly clambered, slowly back, Slowly so safely, Then dropped Like a wet blanket To the rick-like, reassuring ground. Finally, without a sound

He walked carefully Home.

Personification: The poet has used personification to give the impression that the tree is attacking the boy. This makes the tree sound aggressive, and the boy sound like a victim. The wind is therefore made to seem more powerful.

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• Swayed

• Swerved

• Swept

• Whipped

• Leapt

• Hurl

• Smash

• Smother

• Lunged

• Lurched

1- Active

2-

3-

4-

5-

6-

7-

8-

9-

10 - Passive

Task 2: At the end of the poem the boy drops to the ground and walks home in silence. Write a paragraph describing the thought in his head as he walks home, thinking back to the experience in the tree and how he feels now. Write in the first person (‘I’).

Task 3: One of the reasons that this poem is so exciting is the writer’s choice of verbs. Look at the list below and try to rank them. Verbs placed near the top should be active verbs which create the strongest sense of force and power. Verbs you place at the bottom will be the most passive and calm.

Stretch: Justify and explain your choice of order.

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Task 3: Link the following words to the best fit of our

new vocabulary:

• Background information-

• Prance-

• Sentimental-

• Verse-

Task 1: Match the images with the

new words.

Ballad (n) a poem or song

narrating a story in

short stanzas.

Trauma (n) a deeply distressing or

disturbing experience.

Optimism (n) hopefulness and

confidence about the

future or the success

of something.

Blitz (n/v) an intensive or sudden

military attack.

Task2: Use each word correctly in a sentence.

Vocabulary Starter

Vocabulary Plenary

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WEEK 2

Timothy Winters by Charles Causley is a ballad written in the

1950s about a boy who was afflicted with misfortune during

a time where suffering was considered to be a part of the

past. Charles Causley wrote this poem after the Second

World War when Britain was trying to provide security and

care to its citizens, building them up in the aftermath of

war. Most people were trying to forget the trauma and were

willingly allowing themselves to get caught up in the

government’s optimism of a bright future for them all.

Unfortunately, not everyone was appropriately taken care of as

promised; there were still people like Timothy Winters who

continued to suffer in these times of optimism and hope.

Causley highlights the neglect of such people, bringing

attention to their existence in a society that is trying to

move on.

‘Timothy Winters’

Big Question: How is poverty presented

in the poem ‘Timothy Winters’?

Questions and Answers:

1. What is a ballad?

2. What effect does it have on the reader to use a

child to highlight the effects of war even after the

war has ended?

3. Before you read the poem, what kind of suffering

might still have been taking place in the 1950’s?

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Task 1:

Read the poem ‘Timothy Winters’ and consider how does the poem make you feel? What is the message behind the poem? Annotate the poem and find a range of poetic techniques.

Timothy Winters by Charles Causley Timothy Winters comes to school With eyes as wide as a football pool, Ears like bombs and teeth like splinters A blitz of a boy is Timothy Winters. His belly is white, his neck is dark, And his hair is an exclamation mark. His clothes are enough to scare a crow And through his britches the blue winds blow When teacher talks he won't hear a word And he shoots down dead the arithmetic-bird, He licks the patterns off his plate And he's not even heard of the Welfare State. Timothy Winters has bloody feet And he lives in a house on Suez Street, He sleeps in a sack on the kitchen floor And they say there aren't boys like him anymore. Old man Winters likes his beer And his missus ran off with a bombardier. Grandma sits in the grate with a gin And Timothy's dosed with an aspirin. The Welfare Worker lies awake But the law's as tricky as a ten-foot snake, So Timothy Winters drinks his cup

And slowly goes on growing up. At Morning Prayers the Master helves For children less fortunate than ourselves, And the loudest response in the room is when Timothy Winters roars "Amen!" So come one angel, come on ten: Timothy Winters says "Amen Amen amen amen amen." Timothy Winters, Lord. Amen!

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Task 2: Answer the questions below in full sentences.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What do you think ‘blitz of a boy’ means?

2. Why do you think timothy’s clothes can ‘scare a crow’?

3. What is the ‘welfare state’?

4. Why do you think Timothy is ‘dosed with an aspirin’?

5. What do you think ‘the law’s as tricky as a ten-foot snake’ means?

6. Why do you think Timothy’s response to the prayers is the loudest?

Glossary:

Arithmetic- the branch of mathematics dealing with the properties and

manipulation of numbers.

Bombardier- a bombardier or bomb aimer is the crew member of a bomber

aircraft responsible for the targeting of aerial bombs.

Britches- trousers.

Welfare worker- a person employed to give help and advice to people in

need.

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Task 3: What is a rhyme scheme? (think back to when you studied ‘The Raven’ with your class teachers.

1. What rhyme scheme has been used in this poem?

2. Why do you think the poet has used this particular rhyme

scheme?

3. What do you think the significance is?

Stretch: When a rhyme scheme is removed how does this alter

meaning of the poem?

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Task 4: Plan a first-person narrative based on the opening line: Nothing's worse than hearing a teacher say… Use the grid below to help you structure your narrative.

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Task 3: Which of the new words link with…

• Positivity…

• Terror and despair…

• Music…

• War…

Vocabulary Plenary

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WEEK 3

Romanticism (n) a movement in the arts and

literature that originated in

the late 18th century.

Liberty (n) the state of being free within

society from oppressive

restrictions imposed by

authority on one's way of life,

behaviour, or political views.

Solitary (ad) isolated or existing alone.

Revolution (n) a forcible overthrow of a

government or social order, in

favour of a new system.

Task 1: Draw an image that matches each of the new

words.

Task 2: Answer the following questions using a new

word in each response.

• How do you know William Wordsworth was a romanticism

and what does this mean?

• How would you feel it would impact your individual

liberty if you were forced to attend school on a

Saturday?

• Who do you imagine lives in solitary?

• What do you know about the industrial revolution?

Vocabulary Starter

‘The Ballad of Lucy Gray’

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William Wordsworth

William Wordsworth was one of the founders of English

Romanticism and one its most central figures and

important intellects. He began writing poetry as a young

boy in grammar school, and before graduating from

college he went on a walking tour of Europe, which deepened

his love for nature and his sympathy for the common man: both

major themes in his poetry.

Romantic Movement

Before the Romantic movement, in the 19th century, the most

popular type of poetry was called Neo-Classical poetry. It had

set rules. Romantic poets valued liberty and the freedom of

the individual and wanted to rebel against the restrictions of

Neo-Classical poetry and so often wrote in freestyle.

The Industrial Revolution had totally changed British life.

The invention of machinery had created factories. People

rushed from villages to gain employment in them, creating the

first cities. The growing cities in turn created slums and

pollution. Neo-Classical poetry was often about this new city

life. Nature had practically no place.

Romantic poets disliked the Industrial Revolution. They were

more interested in rural (countryside) life and the beauty of

nature. Romantic poets were interested in the simple lives of

the common people, like shepherds and the cottages in which

they lived.

Romantic poets wanted to escape the ugliness and

unpleasantness of the modern world. Some of them tried to do

this by creating a feeling of wonder and mystery in their

poems. Others did it by exploring the past, such as the Middle

Ages and fairy tales. Romantic poets saw scientific reason and

intellect as the causes of the Industrial Revolution. They

valued the imagination, emotions and passion much more than

science and reason.

Big Question: Why has the genre of

supernatural remained popular from

classical literature to the present day?

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QUESTION & ANSWER

1. How did Romantic poetry differ from Neo-classical

poetry?

2. How did the Industrial Revolution change British life?

3. What were Romantic poets interested in?

4. What did Romantic poet’s value?

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Task 1: Read through the poem and consider the following questions:

• What effect does the beginning have

in engaging the reader and setting up

the rest of the narrative?

• Which lines show a build up of

tension after his theft of the boat or

moments where he’s lulled into a

false sense of security?

Oft I had heard of Lucy Gray:

And, when I crossed the wild,

I chanced to see at break of day

The solitary child.

No mate, no comrade Lucy knew;

She dwelt on a wide moor,

--The sweetest thing that ever grew

Beside a human door!

You yet may spy the fawn at play,

The hare upon the green;

But the sweet face of Lucy Gray

Will never more be seen.

"To-night will be a stormy night--

You to the town must go;

And take a lantern, Child, to light

Your mother through the snow."

"That, Father! will I gladly do:

'Tis scarcely afternoon--

The minster-clock has just struck two,

And yonder is the moon!"

At this the Father raised his hook,

And snapped a faggot-band;

He plied his work;--and Lucy took

The lantern in her hand.

Not blither is the mountain roe:

With many a wanton stroke

Her feet disperse the powdery snow,

That rises up like smoke.

The storm came on before its time:

She wandered up and down;

And many a hill did Lucy climb:

But never reached the town.

‘The Ballad of

Lucy Gray’

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Task 1: Read through the poem and consider the following questions:

• Which lines show a build up of

tension after his theft of the boat or

moments where he’s lulled into a

false sense of security?

• How does the last line leave the

reader feeling? Is there an intended

moral is this ending?

The wretched parents all that night

Went shouting far and wide;

But there was neither sound nor sight

To serve them for a guide.

At day-break on a hill they stood

That overlooked the moor;

And thence they saw the bridge of wood,

A furlong from their door.

They wept--and, turning homeward, cried,

"In heaven we all shall meet;"

--When in the snow the mother spied

The print of Lucy's feet.

Then downwards from the steep hill's edge

They tracked the footmarks small;

And through the broken hawthorn hedge,

And by the long stone-wall;

And then an open field they crossed:

The marks were still the same;

They tracked them on, nor ever lost;

And to the bridge they came.

They followed from the snowy bank

Those footmarks, one by one,

Into the middle of the plank;

And further there were none!

--Yet some maintain that to this day

She is a living child;

That you may see sweet Lucy Gray

Upon the lonesome wild.

O'er rough and smooth she trips along,

And never looks behind;

And sings a solitary song

That whistles in the wind.

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Task 2: How does William Wordsworth use poetic devices to create

powerful imagery in ‘Lucy Gray’?

Write a ‘What/How/Why’ paragraph

Use the below questions and your annotations to help you:

• What?- What is ‘Lucy Gray’ about?

• How?- How does Wordsworth use similes/metaphors to show

these ideas?

• Why?- How do these ideas link to Wordsworth as a Romantic

poet?

Model answer: ‘Lucy Gray’ tells the story of an innocent child

named Lucy Gray who goes missing one day. In the final stanza

Wordsworth uses alliteration to create a whistling sound,

‘sings a solitary song that whistles in the wind’. This

suggests that Lucy could still be heard in the wilderness near

her home even though her body was never found she will never be

forgotten by her parents.

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Vocabulary Plenary

Task 3: Link the following words to the new

vocabulary.

• Rebellion…

• Freedom…

• Nature…

• Lonely…

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Challenge: You now have the opportunity to

be included in a writing challenge. This is

a good opportunity to practice the

sophisticated punctuation you learnt with

your English teacher, ambitious vocabulary

and an engaging structure.

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WEEK 4

Humourist (n) a humorous writer, performer, or

artist.

Hostility (n) hostile behaviour;

unfriendliness or opposition.

Intimate (ad) closely acquainted; familiar.

Connotations (n) an idea or feeling which a word

invokes for a person in addition

to its literal or primary

meaning.

Task 1: Match the images with the new words.

Task 2: Use each word correctly in a sentence.

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Vocabulary Starter

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Big Question: What can you remember about

the romanticism?

WEEK 4

‘I Remember, I Remember’

Task 1: Choose your favourite childhood memory- use the images

below if you are stuck and make one up.

Create the opening of poem with a regular rhyme scheme (ABAB…

means the first and third lines of a stanza, or the

“A”s, rhyme with each other, and the second line rhymes with the

fourth line, or the “B”s rhyme together.)

This poem was written by Thomas Hood, a great English poet,

and humourist. ‘I Remember, I Remember’ is one of the best

literary pieces known for its themes of childhood and

recollection of joys. It was first published in 1844. The

poet recalls his childhood memories and compares his

childhood joy with his gloomy present. The poem deals with

the wonder of life through childhood memories.

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I remember, I remember, The house where I was born, The little window where the sun Came peeping in at morn; He never came a wink too soon, Nor brought too long a day, But now, I often wish the night Had borne my breath away!

I remember, I remember, The roses, red and white, The vi’lets, and the lily-cups, Those flowers made of light! The lilacs where the robin built, And where my brother set The laburnum on his birthday,— The tree is living yet!

I remember, I remember, Where I was used to swing, And thought the air must rush as fresh To swallows on the wing; My spirit flew in feathers then, That is so heavy now, And summer pools could hardly cool The fever on my brow! I remember, I remember, The fir trees dark and high; I used to think their slender tops Were close against the sky: It was a childish ignorance, But now ’tis little joy To know I’m farther off from heav’n Than when I was a boy.

Theme: An idea that recurs/ the subject of a piece of writing.

Task 2: Highlight all the words/phrases that link to the theme

of ‘childhood’ in the poem below and analyse the meaning behind

them.

I have done the first one for you as an example…

Stretch: Oher than the theme of

childhood. What other deeper themes

can you identify in this poem? E.g

‘memories’

The first line of the poem uses

repetition to highlight the theme

of ‘childhood’. This is continued

to chime throughout the rest of the

poem. The pronoun ‘I’ is exposing

to the reader an intimate memory,

bringing the reader along for his

nostalgic journey into childhood.

The sun is personified as…

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• We are going to analyse the poem by focusing on the

following question creating a ‘What, How and Why’

paragraph.

It is suggested that the poet misses his childhood ignorance, to

what extent do you agree?

• What is suggested about childhood in the poem?

• How is childhood presented through literary devices?

(select evidence)

• Why does Hood use literary devices to present childhood

nostalgia?

Comprehension Questions:

1. What do we learn about the boys childhood in this poem? Use

evidence from the poem to support your response.

2. What is the use of the semi-colons in the poem?

3. What is the effect of the repetition used in the poem? E.g

‘Roses, red’ and ‘flew in feathers’?

4. What are the connotations linked to the imager of flowers in

the second stanza? What does this suggest about how the boy

feels about his childhood?

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Task 3: Recall…

-The word humourist means:

-List three synonyms of the word hostility:

-List three antonyms of the intimate:

-Give as many connotations of the colour red:

Vocabulary Plenary

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WEEK 5

Sporadic (ad) occurring at irregular intervals

or only in a few places;

scattered or isolated.

Dialect (n) a particular form of a language

which is peculiar to a specific

region or social group.

Hubris (n) excessive pride or self-

confidence.

Ménage (n) the members of a household.

Task 1: Draw an image that matches each of the new

words.

Task 2: Answer the following questions using a new

word in each response.

• Do you ever have sporadic thoughts?

• What dialect do you and your friends or family

have?

• Does hubris lead to downfall?

• What ménage live in your household?

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Vocabulary Starter

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Big Question: Does nature or nurture form a

person’s personality?

A millionbillionwillion miles from home Waiting for the bell to go. (To go where?) Why are they all so big, other children? So noisy? So much at home they Must have been born in uniform Lived all their lives in playgrounds Spent the years inventing games That don't let me in. Games That are rough, that swallow you up. And the railings. All around, the railings. Are they to keep out wolves and monsters? Things that carry off and eat children? Things you don't take sweets from? Perhaps they're to stop us getting out Running away from the lessins. Lessin. What does a lessin look like? Sounds small and slimy. They keep them in the glassrooms. Whole rooms made out of glass. Imagine. I wish I could remember my name Mummy said it would come in useful. Like wellies. When there's puddles. Yellowwellies. I wish she was here. I think my name is sewn on somewhere Perhaps the teacher will read it for me. Tea-cher. The one who makes the tea.

‘First Day at School’

The “First Day at School’ takes us

through the vast stretch of a

child’s mind on his first day at

school. The shifts in focus in

stanza…. Helps to……

Extension: What do "wolves and monsters" together with the action "carry

off and eat children" evoke?

Task 1: Identify the shifts (a change of focus) in the poem. How

does this help to emphasises the sporadic thoughts of a child’s

mind on the first day of school?

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Device Quotation Effect on the reader

Repetition

Enjambement

Personification

Pun

Imagery

Task 2: Fill out the grid below selecting examples of poetic

devices and explaining the effect on the reader.

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Task 3: Recall…

• The word sporadic means:

• List three synonyms of the word dialect:

• List three antonyms of the word hubris:

• Use ménage in a sentence:

Task 3: How is structure and language used to stimulate

the voice and perspective of a child in the poem?

• What is the poem ‘First Day at School’ about?

• How does McGough use structure and language to stimulate the

voice and perspective of a child? (select evidence)

• Why is your chosen technique effective technique for this poem?

Vocabulary Plenary

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WEEK 6&7

Task 1: Create your own poem using the theme of

childhood.

https://kidlit.tv/2017/05/the-kids-are-all-write-how-to-write-a-poem/

TASK 2: Your teachers expect to see the editing process

of your poem from your first draft to your final draft.

Show us the process you have gone through to perfect

your poem.

Tip: You can do this by annotating own poem to show the

changes you have made and why they were made.

Task 3: Now turn poem into a comic book or short story.

This can be done freehand on paper or on the computer.

http://stripgenerator.com/strip/create/