Breathe in: experience. Breathe out: poetry.

Transcription

Experiencing Poetry
“Breathe in: experience.
Breathe out: poetry.”
–Muriel Rukeyser
A Year 10 English Unit
Group Two:
Carly Bretherton
Danielle Santangelo
Andy Williamson
James Butterfield
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Experiencing Poetry
Table of Contents
Rationale
VELS Consideration
3
5
Section One – Carly Bretherton
Poetry: Love me, Love me not
Section One Appendices
6
11
Section Two – Danielle Santangelo
Morbid Pop: The Concept of Death in Poetry and Culture
Section Two Appendices
12
38
Section Three – Andy Williamson
Poetry and War
Section Three Appendices
58
72
Section Four – James Butterfield
Belonging and Dislocation
Section Four Appendices
91
105
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Experiencing Poetry
Unit Rationale
This Unit has been developed as a resource with which teachers can approach the teaching of poetry
at year 10 level. Underlying all of the lessons and activities is a desire to encourage students’ open
and honest responses to poetry and, most of all, to foster engagement with the poetic form and an
interest in poetry that will remain with the students beyond the end of the unit and, hopefully, into
their adult lives.
But why should we teach poetry at all? Often regarded by students, and perhaps teachers as well, as
unapproachable, inaccessible and socially irrelevant, there are convincing arguments about why the
study of poetry should be incorporated into the English curriculum at all levels. For a start, poetry
provides an avenue through which students can explore subjects that are relevant to their own
worlds, and in the myriad styles and forms that are used in poetry, encourages the reader to think
flexibly, appreciating different perspectives and previously unimagined nuances.
On a more practical level, studying poetry assists with development of skills that will be relevant to
other studies, such as building vocabulary, and lays the foundations for an appreciation of the power
of words and how they can be effectively used in a more precise and deliberate manner. Poetry’s
efficacy in building literacy skills is not limited to students talented in English, however. The
heightened role of the imagination and the freedom to ignore textual conventions such as
punctuation and sentence structure provides for many more ways “into” a poem than is offered by a
piece of prose. Similarly, students whose first language is not English are able to enjoy and
appreciate a short poem, improving reading and vocabulary skills whilst simultaneously building
their confidence as an English learner.
This unit approaches the teaching of poetry in a somewhat unconventional manner, not by grouping
poems by author or era, but by examining them in the context of specific themes: “war”, “death”,
“love and friendship” and “belonging and dislocation”. The thematic approach allows comparisons
to be drawn between aspects of popular culture and poetry from any era. A focus on a specific ,
timeless and relevant theme encourages an immediate openness to the role poetry can play in
facilitating nuanced and thoughtful responses and reflection.
Grouped under a given theme, each lesson has a specific objective that focuses on the learning
outcome that students will achieve for that lesson. In this respect, the unit’s method may also differ
from traditional classes in which students, under the direction of a teacher, “do” a poem - analysing
its meaning, unpicking its structure and highlighting lexical incongruities - all the while referring to
the poet’s life experiences that inform the poem. Here, the objective will focus on one particular skill
or aspect of one or more texts, and in the activities that follow, students will gain a thorough
understanding of this aspect and be able to recognise it and apply it in different contexts.
The unit is not meant to be prescriptive and the poems and texts offered herein can be used as a
guide to the sort of poems or texts that a teacher might consider to reach the lesson’s objective.
Other suggestions are offered in each section, however the process of students discovering poetry
that works for them has the potential to greatly enrich the learning experience.
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Experiencing Poetry
Similarly, we have chosen to divide each section or theme into ‘parts’ rather than ‘lessons’. We felt
that this approach would provide more flexibility for teachers when designing lessons; allowing you
to spend more time on one part and less time on another, according to the strengths of your class,
and where you feel they would benefit most.
Finally, a note on assessment. While the unit does include opportunities for assessing students’
work, it was felt that an overly rigorous assessment regime has the potential to undermine
engagement with and enjoyment of poetry. This unit is designed to provide a counterpoint to the
emphasis on functional language and analysis that dominates senior curricula, especially in the VCE.
It is, therefore, more suited to flexible and innovative methods of evaluating students’ progress, and
suggestions about the form that might take are offered within the individual lesson guides.
REFERENCES
Tunica, M. (2005). A Passion for Poetry: Practical Approaches to Using Poetry in the Classroom.
Newtown: Primary English Teaching Association
Wright, T. (2005). How to be a Brilliant English Teacher. Oxon: Routledge.
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Experiencing Poetry
VELS Consideration
This unit is intended for students in Year 10. We have therefore addressed VELS Level 6.
Reading
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Read, view, analyse, critique on and discuss contemporary and classical imaginative texts
that explore personal, social, cultural and political issues of significance to their own lives.
Read, view, analyse and discuss a wide range of informative and persuasive texts and
identify the multiple purposes for which texts are created.
Explain how texts are shaped by the time, place and cultural setting in which they are
created.
Compare and contrast the typical features of particular texts and synthesise information
from different texts to draw conclusions.
Writing
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Write persuasive texts dealing with complex ideas and issues and control the linguistic
structures and features that support the presentation of different perspectives on complex
themes and issues.
Select subject matter and begin to use a range of language techniques to try to position
readers to accept particular views of people, characters, events, ideas and information.
Compose a range of other texts, such as feature articles, web pages and workplace texts.
Plan and deliver presentations, sequencing and organising complex ideas.
Write accurately punctuated, grammatically sound and complex sentences with embedded
clauses and phrases.
Maximise the effects of rhythm and tone, and write with developing fluency. They proofread
and edit their own writing for accuracy, consistency and clarity.
Speaking & Listening
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When engaged in discussion, they compare ideas, build on others’ ideas, provide and justify
other points of view, and reach conclusions that take account of aspects of an issue.
In their presentations, they make effective use of the structures and features of spoken
language to deal with complex subject matter in a range of situations.
Draw on a range of strategies to listen to and present spoken texts, including note-taking,
combining spoken and visual texts, and presenting complex issues or information
imaginatively to interest an audience.
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Experiencing Poetry
Section One
Poetry: Love me, Love me not
Rationale
The aim of this section is to explore the themes ‘love’ and ‘friendship’ as they are conveyed
through poetry. Ultimately, these activities work towards providing students with diverse
learning opportunities. This unit has been designed to allow flexibility in teacher delivery
and incorporates recommended extension and modified activities. Student learning
objectives include building analytical skills in relation to successfully reading poetry, allowing
students to explore ways of learning through a mix of group and individual work as well as
encouraging students to contextualise their learning by identifying the ways in which poetry
is still prevalent and relevant in present day society.
Aims
An overview of the objectives for each class (bullet points)
• Students to apply a variety of language mechanisms and techniques to form
coherent and creative texts aimed at a specific target audience
• Students to successfully identify and understand key forms and mechanics of poetry
and employ these mechanics in the creation of their own poems
• Students to practice group work, presentation, reading and listening skills in the
context of VELS standards; developing skills in listening to others and responding
positively to their opinions
• Students to successfully utilise ICT and research skills
• Develop an increased understanding and awareness of the language techniques used
in poetry and the impact these have on audience
• Students to develop abilities in self-reflection and evaluation
• Students to demonstrate ‘deeper level’ thinking by deconstructing messages within
the poem and applying them to real world contexts
Introduction
Some of the more famous and widely used poems explore themes of ‘love’ and ‘friendship’.
Indeed, Shakespeare’s more famous plays and sonnets tell tales of love and lust and–
combined with the works of other classic poets–illustrate the (excuse the pun) love-affair
poets have had with writing such poems throughout history. These themes are still relevant
in current-day society – not only because of the literary heritage they have instilled within
our culture, but also because that heritage is still being built upon. Contemporary artists,
(including US rapper Eminem and his song ‘Stan’ for example) continue to find modern-day
uses for poetic canons, which work to illuminate the importance of learning and exploring
poetry today.
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Experiencing Poetry
1/Part One: Intro to Love & Friendship
Resources needed: data projector, laptop with internet and YouTube access, newspapers and
magazines, A3 paper, glue and scissors, DVD copy of Ten Things I Hate About You (Gil Junger, 1999),
recording equipment (for production of DVD/MP3)
Activities
Activity 1
Intro to love and friendship: What do these terms mean to me?
Students to work in small groups to identify acronyms, synonyms and symbols that illustrate their
understanding of the terms ‘love’ and ‘friendship’. Teachers may choose to enhance this task by
providing students with newspapers and/or magazines and asking them to find and cut out words,
shapes, symbols, cartoons or specific stories that demonstrate their understanding of ‘love’ and
‘friendship’. Ask students to share their answers with the class and either write their results on the
board or post their articles in their homeroom or in an electronic shared folder for others to access.
Extension activity: using the newspapers and magazines, ask students to cut out a range of words
from latest headlines. Ensure they have at least a dozen words. Next, ask students to put the words
together in order to create a line of a poem. Students could then share their line with a partner, or
use their created line as a prompt and continue writing a poem in their notebooks.
Use this activity to prompt further discussion on ‘love’ and ‘friendship’ and how these themes can be
conveyed through poetry:
• Can you identify or recall any poems you have heard about love and friendship?
• Can you think of any present-day examples of poetry that convey love or friendship?
Teachers may also choose to investigate student learning opportunities here and gather information
on what and how their students would like to learn about poetry:
• How would you like to learn about poetry?
• Have you experienced any problems or difficulties with reading poetry? If so, what were
they?
• What skills do you think you need to ‘read’ and understand a poem? Are there any skills you
would like to build upon?
Activity 2
Famous poets and their poems:
Note: Teachers should ensure that students have
access to library/internet resources for this activity.
Banjo Paterson on the Australian $10 note
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Experiencing Poetry
Divide students into small groups. Teachers may decide to use homogenous (based on ability) or
heterogeneous (mixed ability) groups here, or simply allow students to work in a group of their
choosing. Once divided, clearly explain that each group is to work together to research a famous
poet and report back to the class on their findings. Depending on prior knowledge, teachers may
choose to provide students with a short-list of poets. This short-list could include the following:
William Shakespeare
Rudyard Kipling
Banjo Paterson
Emily Dickenson
Jane Austen
Charlotte Bronte
It may be useful for teachers (specifically for those students requiring a modified delivery) to set
specific research questions to guide students’ learning. These may include a list of points about the
poet that teachers would like each group to answer (i.e. their date of birth/death, where they lived,
what they were famous for, a picture (if available) and a sample poem they wrote). Students may
choose to present this information using PowerPoint or with the help of other internet clips or
resources.
Notes: Teachers should emphasise the importance of gathering reliable information (particularly if
students are using internet resources for this activity). Teachers may like to use a ‘tip sheet’ which
could list recommended websites. Teachers should also stress that students should try relay the
information in their own words, not plagiarise, nor rely upon Wikipedia as a reliable information
resource.
Teachers may also like to ensure that at least one group selects William Shakespeare as their poet as
this will provide a helpful lead into later activities using his works.
Extension activity: Teachers may choose to extend this activity by asking students to analyse and/or
perform a love/friendship poem by their selected poet as part of their presentation.
Before the next lesson…
Explain that students will need to have their presentations completed before the next lesson where
they will be expected to present to the class.
Activity 3
Shakespeare: ‘A Dead White Guy’?
Ideally, students will have already completed Activity 2 through which
one group will have provided the background information on William
Shakespeare. Otherwise, teachers should take a moment to provide
students with a brief biography.
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William Shakespeare
Experiencing Poetry
Explain that the next activity is about understanding a poem’s message. Teachers may like to take
this opportunity to provide students with some standard questions they may like to use when
approaching a new poem. Explain that it can be difficult to understand the message of a poem
straight away and that to ease us into this process, we could begin by noticing ‘things’ about the
poem. These questions could include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
What do you notice about the poem?
What does the poem remind you of?
Can you see any repetition or rhyming in the poem?
Is there anything interesting about the poem’s shape or structure that you can see?
Modified activity: Teacher’s may choose to guide students more readily into these questions by
ensuring they write their responses in their notebooks and kick-start their answers by beginning
their sentence for them (i.e. I notice…; this poem reminds me of…,).
Using Shakespeare’s Sonnet 141, encourage students to re-write the sonnet using contemporary
language.
Part 1: It may be necessary to re-cap what a sonnet is here – specifically Shakespearean sonnets
(see Section 1 Appendices for further information).
Teachers may choose to read or perform Sonnet 141 themselves, or have students read aloud.
Extension Activity: There is also the option of using a clip from the 1999 film – 10 Things I Hate
About You (in which the high school English teacher raps this sonnet), in order to illustrate the ways
in which poetry can be performed. Teachers could use this clip to further discuss the relevance of
poetry today and some of the basics of performing to an audience (see next Activity 4 for further
details). Students could then ‘perform’ this sonnet to the class.
Sonnet 141
In faith, I do not love thee with mine eyes,
For they in thee a thousand errors note;
But ’tis my heart that loves what they despise,
Who in despite of view is pleased to dote.
Nor are mine ears with thy tongue’s tune delighted,
Nor tender feeling to base touches prone,
Nor taste, nor smell, desire to be invited
To any sensual feast with thee alone.
But my five wits, nor my five senses, can
Dissuade one foolish heart from serving thee,
Who leaves unswayed the likeness of a man,
Thy proud heart’s slave and vassal wretch to be.
Only my plague thus far I count my gain,
That she that makes me sin awards me pain.
Source: http://nfs.sparknotes.com/sonnets/sonnet_141.html
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Experiencing Poetry
Part 2: Students may choose to work in small groups or individually for this task. Teachers should
emphasise the importance of ‘translating’ this sonnet on a line-by-line basis. Once completed,
students should be given the opportunity to perform their translated sonnet for the class.
Modified Activity: Prompt students to write answers to the 4 questions discussed earlier in this
activity. Students should also make a list of the words they do not recognise or understand and
work towards defining these words. Students should also work at ‘translating’ the first quatrain.
Extension Activity: Students should attempt their own sonnet, ensuring they stick to the correct
form and structure and convey themes of love and/or friendship.
Activity 4
Poetry in production: poems = written to be heard.
Notes: Teachers will need access to recording equipment (e.g. video camera, sound recorder,
recorder software on MAC/PC). If teachers are unable to access this equipment, they may instead
choose to host a ‘live’ performance and have students perform their selected poem in front of
another class or their family/community if suitable. Teachers should allow at least 3 periods for
writing, rehearsing and performing this activity.
Teachers should explain to students that this activity is performance based and requires them to
perform their poem either to camera or in front of a live audience.
Part 1: Students should write their own sonnet (or other form of poetry). Students may choose to
write their own sonnet based on Shakespeare’s Sonnet 141 (similar to the film 10 Things I Hate
About You in which the central character performs the ‘10 Things’ poem in couplet form).
Alternatively, teachers could select another of poem to use as a prompt or allow students to
formulate their own without a prompt.
Once written, students should practice rehearsing their poems and focus on key performance
elements. Teachers should re-cap important elements to remember when performing (including
tone, expression, emphasis, body movements, eye contact, delivery speed, audience etc).
Teachers may like to run a few ‘warm-up’ activities to get students comfortable with the concept of
performing their piece. Such activities could include having students read a selected poem at
different speeds (i.e. really fast versus very slow) and analyse the difference the speed of delivery
had on their response to the poem. Teachers could run other activities around emphasis and body
language using a similar format.
Part 2: Students should perform their written piece live to an audience or teachers should record
their pieces on camera/sound recorder. If teachers choose to do the latter, the recorded pieces
could be turned into a DVD or MP3 available to students (in compliance with policies of specific
school).
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Experiencing Poetry
Section One Appendices
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Sonnet Characteristics
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A sonnet is a poem with 14 lines, divided into 4 ‘quatrains’ (or sections).
The rhyme scheme of a Shakespearean sonnet is ABAB / CDCD / EFEF / GG
Sonnets are written in iambic pentameter: a poetic meter with 10 beats per line made up of
alternating unstressed and stressed syllables.
A sonnet can be broken down into four sections called quatrains. The first three quatrains
contain four lines each and use an alternating rhyme scheme. The final quatrain consists of
just two lines which both rhyme.
Each quatrain should progress the poem as follows:
First quatrain: This should establish the subject of the sonnet.
Number of lines: 4. Rhyme Scheme: ABAB
Second quatrain: This should develop the sonnet’s theme.
Number of lines: 4. Rhyme Scheme: CDCD
Third quatrain: This should round off the sonnet’s theme.
Number of lines: 4. Rhyme Scheme: EFEF
Fourth quatrain: This should act as a conclusion to the sonnet.
Number of lines: 2. Rhyme Scheme: GG
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Source: http://shakespeare.about.com/od/thesonnets/a/what_is_a_sonnet.htm
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Suggested Rubrix for Performance Activity 4
CRITERIA
Control of selected
form/genre
Use of ideas generated by
set context
Use of language and
structure appropriate
to audience and
purpose
Mastery of key
performance elements
(e.g. tone, gesture,
expression etc)
Evidence of planning and
revision
5
4
3
2
1
0
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Experiencing Poetry
Section Two
Morbid Pop:
The Concept of Death in Poetry and Culture
Rationale
This section will enable students to explore the concept of death as it is used in film, gothic
literature, poetry and music lyrics. The unit is divided into five sections: Death and Horror In Film,
Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven, Japanese Death Poetry and Butoh Dance of Darkness, Suicide and
Seppuku, and Grief and Mourning. The unit is divided in this way to address the multi-faceted
complexity that death has played in cultural texts for thousands of years. Each section facilitates a
diverse range of teaching and learning opportunities which stretch beyond the poetry itself, enabling
critical exploration of contextual topics. Such topics address issues related to cultural understanding,
human motivation and social justice. Students will explore a wide variety of poetic devices,
narratives and structures which aim to engage awareness and advocacy. The ultimate aim of this
section is for students discover their own capacity to question their assumptions about poetry and
how it is interwoven into the entire spectrum of the human condition.
Aims
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Explore the Elements of Horror as extracted from gothic literature by identifying their
representation and purpose in modern horror film.
Analyse ‘The Raven’ by breaking the poem down into sections and interpreting the text into
simplified language. They will identify how the themes of love, madness, the supernatural and
death manifest themselves into the atmosphere of the poetry, and will also identify Poe’s use of
Gothic Elements as well as modern media interpretations.
Investigate Japan’s classic poetic structures, haiku and waka, and how they were used to paint
the final thoughts of samurai, poets and monks.
Explore the concept of life cycle, renewal and rebellion through Butoh Dance.
Identify and elaborate on a variety of contexts related to suicide, its glamorisation and
prevention.
Analyse, compare, discuss, create and perform different texts related to grief, death, war,
mourning suicide and anger.
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Experiencing Poetry
Introduction
Death has been represented in poetry for thousands of years. Ancient Greek Tragedians like
Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides wrote highly emotional portrayals of once-great humans falling
into neurotic pits of despair and chaos, pleading to the gods for Mercy. Though the action itself was
rarely violent, death was laced into the prose, and often the audience was left with their
imaginations to think the unthinkably grotesque. In Euripides’ Medea, for example, the titular
character seeks revenge for her husband’s infidelity by giving a poisoned crown to his new bride. A
Messenger approaches Medea and describes the gruesome death of the bride and her father:
“Defeated by her suffering, she fell
to the ground, difficult to recognize
except by a parent, for the form of her eyes
was not clear, nor her beautiful face,
and blood was dripping from the top of her
head,
burning with fire, her flesh flowing off the bone
like pine sap from the poison's hidden teeth,
a terrible sight. Everyone was
afraid to touch the corpse, for we had
her misfortune as our teacher. Her father,
however—poor man, in ignorance
of the disaster, he came suddenly
into the house and fell on the corpse.
He groaned and embraced her, kissing her
hands,
crying, “My poor child, what god has destroyed
you so pitifully? Who makes this old man,
one foot in the grave, bereft of you?
Oh, would that I could die with you, child!”
When he stopped wailing and groaning, the old
man
tried to stand up, but the fine dress, like ivy
on the branches of a laurel, clung to his skin,
the struggling was terrible. The more he tried
to rise to his knees, the more she held on.
If he used force, he was just tearing the flesh
off his own old bones. In time he gave up
and, unfortunate man, let go his soul,
for he could no longer fight the evil,
The corpses lay there, the young girl with her
old father close by, a disaster regretted
with tears. “
What is particularly effective about this scene is how it describes the offstage action—the audience
can only imagine a beautiful girl slowly burning to death, her ‘flesh flowing off the bone’ and her
father—attempting to save her—becoming literally stuck to his daughter’s poisoned skin, and must
resolve to letting go of his soul and slowly burning to death as well. The scene is gruesome and ugly,
yet it is all happening in the minds of the audience.
Death in poetry has continued its tradition of painting a tragic, beautiful and at times gruesome
picture in the reader’s imagination. It does this using language, rhythm and narrative specifically
focused on plucking particular strings in the reader’s emotions.
Many young people today would connect death not to written poetry, but to its visual
representation in film, television and music. Many have expressed concern about the amount of
violent death featured in these mediums. For example, according to the National Institute of Mental
Health, by the age of 16 the average American has seen 18,000 murders on television. Popular music
frequently has morbid elements that emphasize death’s destructive and catastrophic nature. Many
parents and professionals find such lyrical topics unsavoury and feel they promote destructive and
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Experiencing Poetry
suicidal behaviour in adolescents, and have heralded campaigns to ban, censor or deface the music
and its creators.
In the following units, students will examine death and violence in various historic, modern, poetic
and social contexts, and determine their own understanding of its purpose and value in culture.
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Experiencing Poetry
1/Part One: Death and Horror in Film
Aim
In this section, students will learn the Elements of Horror as extracted from gothic literature by
identifying their representation and purpose in modern horror film. This knowledge will then be
used by students to identify individual elements in specific classic horror scenes, construct their own
modern adaptation of classic urban legends, and later use it to guide their understanding of Poe’s
The Raven.
Suggested Materials: computer, data projector, film clips, blank table worksheets, sinister horror
sound effects and music, torches, urban legends examples, cameras, video editing software.
Introduction
For centuries films have featured death and horror in a number of scenarios. Beginning in the
1950’s, a popular motif involved attacks on humanity by the (un)natural order—sharks, birds,
piranhas, crocodiles, frogs, bees, killer tomatoes and blobs. A vast array of films have featured
disastrous and life-threatening phenomena such as diseases, accidents and natural disasters. Ghost
and ‘monster’ movies emerged in the silent film era, shortly followed by demons and satanic
possession, serial killers and zombies.
A particular focus in these films is death. In the past
several decades, many viewers have found
themselves fascinated by films with violent, gory
death scenes. However, not all ‘horror films’ utilise
graphic death scenes to convey morbid terror. Many
rely on classic elements such as suspense,
atmosphere and high emotions to convey fear in
their characters and enable viewers to experience it
as well. These elements have all been plucked from
gothic literature of previous centuries.
Nosferatu, 1922
The Elements of Horror
The elements of horror have been established through centuries of gothic novels, poems and stories.
In the past century, films have adapted these elements from literature to interpret stories of horror
and terror into a visual format. (See Appendices 1.1 for full list)
Questions:
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What are common themes, plots, settings and characters used in horror films?
Why do some people like scary stories and movies?
Do you think horror has changed over the years? How and why?
Which horror ‘villains’ do you think have been around the longest? Why?
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Experiencing Poetry
Activities
Clipshow
Show a few clips of classic horror scenes. For each clip, have students write down the horror
elements used and how they are used. Use a table for organisation. NOTE: Try to avoid gore.
Suggested clips:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Nosferatu (1922) Staircase scene
The Omen (1976) Priest death scene
Jaws (1975) Skinny dipping death scene
The Evil Dead 2 (1987) Maniacal cabin laughing scene
The Shining (1980) ‘All work and no play’ scene
Scream (1996) Drew Barrymore phone call scene
An American Werewolf in London (1981) Transformation scene
Psycho (1960) Shower scene
Ringu or The Ring (1998/2002) Girl coming out of the TV scene
Mullholland Drive (2001) Dumpster scene
Sound Effects Lightning Writing
Using a collection of creepy Horror/Halloween sound effects and music, have students do ‘automatic
writing’ (aka stream of consciousness writing) relevant to the particular sounds. Scaffold the theme
if necessary. For example, if you play a collage of howling wind, thunder, lightning and ghostly
moans, you can give them the title “Lost in a Dark Forest.” For a collage of creaking stairs, slamming
doors and nails scratching, you can give them the title, “The Abandoned House.” 1-2 minutes for
each segment.
Campfire Stories
Give students time to brainstorm their favourite ghost/horror stories or write their own. Have them
sit in a circle like a campfire, turn off the light and tell their stories. Bring two torches to class—one
for you and one for the student telling the story.
IT’S ALIVE!
Group Project. Students choose their favourite classic horror stories/urban myths. Film, edit and
present a live-action re-telling of the story using modern references and ideas. Incorporate at least
four different Elements of Horror into the story.
Suggested stories and urban myths:
•
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The Babysitter and the Man Upstairs: A teenage babysitter frantically phones the police after
receiving prank calls from a stranger. The police inform him/her that the phone calls are coming
from inside the house.
Aren’t You Glad You Didn’t Turn On the Light?: A uni student goes to a party while her
roommate stays home to study. Late at night, the party girl decides to swing by her flat and pick
up a few things. The lights are out when she gets there. She assumes her roommate fell asleep
and doesn’t turn on the light as to not wake her. The next day she comes home and finds her
roommate murdered. Written in blood on the wall is: “Aren’t you glad you didn’t turn on the
light?”
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Experiencing Poetry
•
•
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The Body in the Bed: A newlywed couple on their honeymoon complains of a weird odour in
their hotel room. After airing the room out and searching for mould, they lift up the mattress
and discover a decomposing body.
The Fatal Tan: A girl obsessed with tanning browns herself one too many times. Her internal
organs cook and she dies on the tanning bed.
The Hook: A boy and girl drive to Lover’s Lane. They hear a radio announcement that an
escaped criminal with a hook for a hand is on the loose. They hear an eerie scratching noise on
the car. They try to ignore it, but when it continues they quickly drive off. Upon arriving home
they discover a bloodied hook hanging from the car’s door handle.
IT’S ALIVE!: Refection Questions
•
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Why did you choose this particular urban legend?
How have you ‘modernized’ it? What have you altered from the original story?
What have you kept from the original story?
Which Elements of Horror have you chosen to use? For each element, explain why you chose
to use it and what effect it is intended to have on the narrative and the audience.
How did you contribute to the production?
How did other group members contribute to the production?
What was one thing you could improve on for the next group project?
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Experiencing Poetry
2/Part Two: The Raven, by Edgar Allen Poe
Aim
Students will analyse ‘The Raven’ by breaking the poem down into sections and interpreting the text
into simplified language. They will identify how the themes of love, madness, the supernatural and
death manifest themselves into the atmosphere of the poetry, and will also identify Poe’s use of
Gothic Elements. They will then compare the written text to The Simpsons version of The Raven,
drawing on their understanding of the text to interpret meaning behind character representation
and use of humour.
Suggested Materials: copies of The Raven, textas, highlighters, Mad Magazine clip, computer, data
projector, The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror (S2E3, segment: The Raven)
Introduction
The Raven (1845) is a narrative gothic poem written by Edgar Alan Poe. It describes a single evening
in the bedroom of a man mourning the loss of his love, Lenore. A talking Raven pays an eerie visit to
the man, who is driven into maniacal distress by the bird’s repeated utterance of the word,
‘Nevermore.’
Themes:
Madness
Melancholy /Love
The Supernatural
Death
Poetic Devises:
Alliteration
Internal Rhyme
Musicality
Stylised Language
Narrative Devises:
Atmosphere
Gothic Elements
Unreliable Narrator
“Nevermore!”
Activities
What drives people crazy?
Have students recall media examples of the use of people ‘going psycho,’ or ‘losing their mind.’
Common Themes: the supernatural, isolation, grief, paranoia
Examples:
The Shining
Fight Club
Misery
Psycho
Cast Away
Secret Window
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Experiencing Poetry
Questions:
•
•
•
What do these common themes suggest about human behaviour?
What are little kids scared of? How does this suggest that fear and anxiety are innate?
Recall media examples of monsters, aliens, zombies, vampires, ghosts, wizards, mutants or
any other supernatural being. How do people in films react to encountering these beings?
Why do they react this way? What do they fear will happen? What usually happens next?
Tip #1: As the language is highly stylized, it will help teachers to study the poem beforehand to get
an idea of the purpose of each stanza and the meaning behind various words and phrases (e.g.
Pallas, obeisance, Gilead, quaff, nepenthe, Night’s Plutonian shore)
Tip #2: Use audio recordings of famous people reading The Raven (try James Earl Jones, Christopher
Walken, Vincent Price). Students might enjoy the performative aspect of the reading, as opposed to
the normal ‘teacher reading voice’ they’re used to.
Mark it up
As the students read along, encourage them to identify themes by marking words or phrases with L
(love), M (madness), S (supernatural) or D (death). Underline, highlight or circle uses of alliteration,
internal or external rhyme.
Modern Drama
In pairs, translate to modern English. Then act out—one student acting, the other narrating the
events.
Gothic Elements concept map
In groups, students develop concept maps of the Elements of Horror used in The Raven. Compare
the traditional and modern representations of these elements.
Diagrammatic Representations
•
•
Draw the setting
Produce a timeline of the poem (divided into eighteen sections—one for each stanza)
outlining the state of mind and consciousness of the narrator
Mad Magazine Parody
The Raven has been parodied for years in print, TV, song and film. In this activity, students will create
their own print parody. Show them a segment of Mad Magazine’s 1954 comic strip parody of The
Raven (see Appendix 2.2), which used the original text with absurd illustrations.
In this activity, students will create their own comic strip parody using absurd or unrelated
illustrations. How does this change the meaning of the text?
Extension: Nevermore re-write: In 1959, Mad Magazine released another parody of The Raven.
Rather than “Nevermore,” the narrator is bombarded with commercial taglines. In one of the Scary
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Experiencing Poetry
Movie films, the line turns into “Quoth Wes Craven: Let’s Make More!” (a commentary on the
production line-quality of the famous horror director’s filmography).
Have students re-write the poem, changing the famous line. Encourage them to change the setting,
characters and theme. How does this change the meaning of the poem?
Modern Media Comparison: The
Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror (see
Appendix 2.3)
In 1990, The Simpsons ran its first episode of
Treehouse of Horror, originally titled The
Simpsons’ Halloween Special. Consisting of
three
unrelated
Halloween-themed
segments, the finale was an adaptation of
Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven. Narrated by
James Earl Jones and starring Homer, Marge
and Bart as the narrator, Lenore and the
raven, respectively, creator Matt Groening
was originally worried it would come off as
pretentious. It has since become a classic retelling of the old tale, and for many young
people, their first exposure to Edgar Allan
Poe.
The narrator (Homer) orders the Raven (Bart) to leave
him in peace.
Students should watch this segment noting both similarities and differences between the clip and
the original text.
Questions:
• Why were these characters chosen to play the Poe characters?
• Examples of humour used. Does it work? Why?
• What do you think of Lisa’s explanation that people were easier to scare in 1845?
• How would other modern TV satires depict The Raven? (think: Family Guy, South Park,
How I Met Your Mother)
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Experiencing Poetry
3/Part Three: Japanese Death Haiku and Butoh Dance of
Darkness
Aim
In this section students will learn about Japan’s classic poetic structures, haiku and waka, and how
they were used to paint the final thoughts of samurai, poets and monks. They will use this
knowledge to modernize famous death poems as well as create their own for modern deceased
celebrities. Students will explore the concept of life cycle and renewal through Butoh Dance, a
spiritual art form rebelling against the Westernization of Japanese culture. Students will construct
their own art rebelling against an aspect of society.
Suggested Materials: Handout: Famous Japanese Death Poems; other death poems, list of dead
celebrities, article: About Butoh, videos of Seppuku and Butoh dance, computers with internet
access, data projector, atmospheric Japanese music, textas,
Introduction
Death has long since been a common theme in Japanese art and spirituality. Shinto and Buddhism,
the two most popular religions in Japan, both integrate ideas of nature, integrity, connectivity, life
and death into their traditions. These concepts have been interwoven into the fabric of Japanese art,
society, law and culture for thousands of years.
Jisei, Japanese Death Poetry
It is ancient tradition for literate people—particularly Zen Monks and writers—to compose jisei on
their deathbeds. The custom continues today. The poems are traditionally composed in kanshi
(Japanese poetry composed in Chinese) waka (classical verse) or haiku.
"The haiku that reveals seventy to eighty percent of its
subject is good.
Those that reveal fifty to sixty percent, we never tire of."
--Matsuo Bashou, legendary haiku poet
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Experiencing Poetry
Typical haiku structure:
•
•
•
•
Use of three lines of up to 17 syllables (traditionally 5-7-5)
Use of a season word or kigo, a word or phrase associated with a particular season
Use of a cut or kire (sometimes indicated by punctuation) to compare two images implicitly)
Few words to describe a multi-tiered structure
Typical waka structure:
•
•
Verse in short-form (tanka) or long-form (choka)
Strictly no concept of rhyme. No accidental rhyme, either!
Activities:
Famous Japanese Death Poems (See Appendices 3.1)
Students use the provided worksheet to draw comparisons to three of the most famous Japanese
Death Poems. Using a table, label each section with the following headings: Author, Occupation,
Type of Poem, Imagery Used, Season Word, Emotion, Meaning.
Pair Interpretation (See Appendices 3.2)
In pairs, students should choose one death poem from the second handout provided and answer the
following questions:
•
•
•
•
•
Explain the meaning of the poem in your own words.
What is the subject?
What imagery does the poem use?
Death poems often indicate a state of emotion in the writer’s final hour. What state of
emotion do you think your poet was in? (Was this a peaceful death? Was he bitter with
the world?)
Say the poem out loud in Japanese. How does it compare to its English translation? Do
you think anything was ‘lost in translation’? If so, what? Why?
Celebrity Death Poem
Write a death poem (waka or haiku) for at least one of the following famous dearly departed.
Remember simplicity, emotion, seasons, human senses.
Marilyn Monroe
Amy Winehouse
Elvis Presely
Ned Kelley
Kurt Cobain
Henry Ford
Harold Holt
Charlie Chaplin
Thomas Edison
Leonardo DaVinci
Jimi Hendrix
Albert Einstein
Charles Darwin
Michael Jackson
Heath Ledger
Steve Jobs
Carl Williams
John Lennon
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Experiencing Poetry
Butoh, Dance of Death
Butoh is an avant-garde performance art originating in the
1960’s. Its founders were a young rebellious modern
dancer named Tatsumi Hijikata and his partner Kazuo
Ohno. Post-War Japan was a time of transition, attempting
to hold onto its traditional values while Western
Democratic values from America began to saturate popular
culture. Butoh was born out of Hijikata’s dissatisfaction
with Japan’s newfound scene of Westernized dance.
Originally called ‘Ankoku Butoh,’ or Dance of Darkness, the
darkness referred to the area of unknown to mankind,
either within himself or in his surroundings. It involves
playful and grotesque imagery, taboo topics, absurd and
surreal environments, and most uniquely, slow hypercontrolled motion. It uses Shinto, an ancient Japanese
religion composed of a deep respect for nature. Butoh
traditionally attempts to connect ideas of body, mind
and spirit with the worship of nature. It speaks to the
dark part of the soul—using highly elaborate makeup
and costuming to depict death, ghosts and demons—
but also speaks to the process of renewal and rebirth.
(See Appendices 3.3)
Questions:
•
•
•
•
•
Can death in art be beautiful? What media
examples depict this kind of ‘grotesque
beauty’? (e.g. Edward Scissorhands, Nightmare
Before Christmas, Silent Hill, Black Swan)
Why does Butoh dance try to connect life,
Butoh performers
death and nature?
What are some other forms of art (movies, magazines, photography, tv shows) that are
rebelling against tradition? Give specific examples.
Why are they rebelling? Who or what are they rebelling against?
What do they have to do to stay ‘fresh’ or ‘cutting edge’?
Activities:
Song Lyrics
Using the internet, find lyrics to a song that juxtaposes grotesque and beautiful imagery. What is the
song’s meaning? What effect does the imagery have? Write your own song lyrics which convey a
similar meaning.
Picture This
Draw a picture incorporating elements of life, death and nature.
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Experiencing Poetry
All the World’s a Stage
Write and act out a short scene depicting each stage in life (birth, childhood, adulthood, old age,
death). The scene can incorporate the slowed-down micro-movement used in Butoh dance if the
student desires.
Rebel Art
Rebel against society! What bothers you about authority, the government, the economy, social
classification? Why are bad tv, bad music and bad internet memes saturating our world and our
minds? Have students choose something to rebel against (an idea, concept or specific example) and
create one of the following:
Illustrated Haiku
Waka
Dramatic scene
Campaign speech
Song
Butoh dance
TV/radio ad
Children’s book
Protest speech
Talk Show
Billboard ad (poster)
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Experiencing Poetry
4/Part Four: Suicide and Seppuku
Aim
By the end of this section, students will be able to identify and elaborate on a variety of contexts
related to suicide, its glamorisation and prevention. Students will demonstrate their knowledge of
the identifying factors of marginalised or isolated individuals. They will draw inspiration from
popular music and Bukowski poetry to create a list of warning signs and preventative strategy action
sheets. Using internet news articles, they will form arguments for or against bands and music genres
often blamed for glamorising or instigating suicide and violence. Finally, students will investigate a
different angle of suicide—that of honour—in the Japanese seppuku, reserved for doomed samurai.
They will compare the tradition to ‘Hollywood’ parodies of the act. They will use their knowledge to
engage in an informed verbal and written persuasive debate over the depiction of suicide in popular
media and what steps need to be taken to uphold a more responsible position in our culture.
Suggested Materials: computers for internet research and creative projects, data projector,
YouTube videos of “Born this Way” and traditional seppuku ceremony, speakers, mp3 player, music
and student copies of lyrics for “Born This Way” and “Adam’s Song,” student copies of Bukowski’s
The Laughing Heart, posterboard, textas, cameras, camcorders, video editing software.
Introduction
Suicide is a relevant issue to teenagers not only because of its representation in classic literature and
modern music, but because of the social fragility teenagers are often forced to deal with. Many
students in high school experience social, physical and emotional obstacles every day, and hence
become marginalized and alienated. Many schools employ anti-bullying campaigns, school
counsellors and peer support workers which all assist in an effort to bring a whole-school approach
to eliminating bullying and identifying the warning signs of depression and suicide.
Tip: Before the unit commences, make sure you discuss the sensitivity of the subject of suicide.
Read the following statement or something of its nature: “In the next few lessons we will be
covering a very sensitive issue. You may be affected personally by the topic that we are discussing
today, or you may know someone else who is. Please be respectful and thoughtful of others, and
treat the subject responsibly. If you would like to talk to someone after the lesson, you can talk
to…” (e.g. you as their teacher, school counsellor, welfare coordinator, etc.)
Questions:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
What do you know about suicide?
Do you know anyone famous or anyone personally who has done it?
What do you think are the main causes of teen suicide?
Who is bullied? Why are they bullied? How does it lead to suicide?
What preventative strategies or organisations are available?
Why does it still happen?
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Experiencing Poetry
Activities
Born This Way by Lady Gaga
Lyric Analysis (See Appendices 4.1)
Students divide into groups—one group for each stanza—and put the lyrics into their own words.
What is this song about? What literary devices are used? Why are certain words and phrases
repeated?
Listen to the song
Thinking Music
Using the chart in (See Appendices 4.2), students brainstorm words, thoughts and images they
think of while listening to the song. Combine student responses into a large class concept map.
Genretized
What if the song was done in a different genre? Would it change the message? Would the
language be different? Students choose a different genre of music and re-write the lyrics to fit
the style while maintaining the original message. If the message has changed, students must
provide a written justification.
Watch the film clip
In small groups, students record and discuss the use of the following imagery: homosexuality,
heterosexuality, sensuality, death, love, acceptance, equity, grotesque. Why do you think Lady Gaga
chose to make the video for this song look like this?
Impact
Many young people idolize Lady Gaga for her style, attitude and equal rights advocacy. One boy,
Jamey Rodemeyer, a 14-year-old bullied gay boy, thanked Lady Gaga in his last video blog entry
before committing suicide. Lady Gaga has since dedicated songs to him and other suicide victims
in her live performances. Unfortunately, Lady Gaga has also come under fire by some
conservative groups, who state that her persona encouraged Jamey to behave in such a way that
would incite bullying. Hence, she has been partly blamed for his suicide.
Blame Game
Research other artists, bands, music genres, video games, TV shows and movies which have
been blamed for influencing teen suicide or violence. Do you think they are responsible? If so,
how? If not, what or who is to blame, and why have these mediums come under fire? How is
death, violence and suicide glamorized in these examples?
Advertisement
Design an advertisement for a human rights organisation or a suicide prevention campaign targeting
LGBT at-risk youth. Draw inspiration from the quote below by gay rights activist and first gay
politician to be elected to public office in the U.S., Harvey Milk:
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Experiencing Poetry
Cheer up, Emo kid
Students read the article Emo Music Blamed on Teen Suicide (NME, 8 May, 2008—see Appendices
4.3) and answer the following questions:
•
•
•
•
What aspects of ‘emo’ as a
subculture are discussed in
the article?
What is your definition of the
emo subculture and emo
music?
How does emo mix the
concepts of love and death?
How might this affect
someone who loves someone
unrequitedly or has recently
broken
up
with
their
boyfriend/girlfriend?
Do you think all emo music
glamorizes death? Why or
why not?
Really?
Dear Editor
Students write a letter to the editor of NME defining their own point of view on the article—did emo
music really kill the teen or was it a mix of issues? What other aspects could have contributed to her
death? What aspects of emo music and subculture have gotten out of control?
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Experiencing Poetry
Mate Debate
Has emo gone too far? Does it really encourage teens to harm themselves? Students choose a side—
yes or no—and participate in a class debate over the topic.
Adam’s Song by Blink-182
Students divide into groups—one group for each stanza—and put the lyrics into their own words.
What is this song about? What literary devices are used? Why are certain words and phrases
repeated? How does the tone of the message change at the end?
Listen to the song
Thinking Music: Using the chart in (See Appendices 4.2), students brainstorm words,
thoughts, feelings and images they think of while listening to the song. Combine student
responses into a large class concept map.
Appealing: What appeals are used in this song (e.g. emotional, nostalgic, family)? Why are
they used and what impact do they have?
Gimme a sign
As a class, brainstorm signs of depression and suicidal thoughts. Then, devise a class action plan.
What would you do if someone began revealing past regrets? Or criticised themselves? What would
you do if you found out your friend’s parents were getting a divorce? Or one of their parents died?
Or they broke up with their boyfriend/girlfriend?
The Laughing Heart by Charles Bukowski
This uplifting poem was written by a man who spent most of his life curled up inside a bottle of
Maker’s. It is included in this section as a discussion point of prevention and healing.
Analyse: Meaning, poetic devises, rhythm and repetition (See Appendices 4.5)
Why does nothing rhyme? What effect does this have on the message? What is repeated? Why are
these lines repeated? How is this related to the central message? Discuss aspects of Bukowski’s life
and literary works. How does this impact students’ understanding of the poem’s message?
Slam It
Memorise and perform the poem in the style of slam poetry.
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Experiencing Poetry
Happy Medium
Illustrate the poem using one of the following mediums:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Film clip
Comic strip
Anime
Claymation
Picture book
Dramatic scene
Song (compose music to accompany the words as lyrics)
Help! I Need Somebody
Have students devise a Suicide Prevention Action Sheet using the Bukowski poem as inspiration.
Include contact information for at least three Victorian suicide prevention organisations.
(SuicideLine, Life Line, Beyond Blue, Life Comminications, Are You OK Day?, Victorian Aboriginal
Suicide Prevention and Response Action Plan)
Seppuku
Seppuku is a Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment.
Originally reserved for samurai, it was used voluntarily as a way to
die with honour rather than fall into the hands of the enemy, as
well as a form of capital punishment for serious offences. Usually
part of a more elaborate ceremony involving spectators, it has
been officially abolished since 1873.
Questions:
•
•
Symbolically, what is the difference between this form of
suicide and others?
Do you think Samurai performing seppuku would have
written a death poem? If so, what would have been the
tone and what type of imagery you would likely see
used?
Dumbledore Death Poem
Compose a death poem for a fallen fictional character.
Traditional Seppuku.
Who’s Who
Seppuku has not been limited to samurai. Actors, writers, politicians and even modern western
musicians have killed themselves in this style over the years. Write and perform a news editorial on
whether or not this is a dishonourable way of suicide outside of Japanese samurai custom. You can
do it from the point of view of a journalist, samurai descendent, or friend of a non-samurai who has
killed themselves via seppuku.
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Experiencing Poetry
Pop cultural parodies of seppuku
Particularly in Western societies, seppuku is often parodied or used to convey a ridiculous or
comedic message. It has been referenced or parodied in many films, tv shows, animations and
literature from around the world, including:
Liar, Liar
Saturday Night Live
Star Trek
How I Met Your Mother
Harold and Maude
Sailor Moon
Questions:
•
•
•
•
Why might audiences find pop cultural uses of seppuku funny or offensive?
Do you ever see other forms of suicide parodied or used in a comedic way? Where have
you seen/read it? Do you find it funny? Why or why not?
What ideas about traditional Japanese culture does it convey? Do you think Westerners
get this confused with Modern Japanese culture? If so, how?
How does this compare to glamorized depictions of death and suicide we discussed
earlier? Does it promote the same message? If not, what does it promote to viewers?
Class Debate
Divide the class into two teams, one advocating the use of seppuku in popular culture and one
against it. Give them time to devise an argument. Everyone in the group should speak at least once.
Encourage the use of charts, diagrams, surprise witnesses/experts. As this is a role-playing game,
remember to insist on being respectful toward other people, cultures and traditions.
Dear Editor
Students take on the role of an informed individual related to the context of teen suicide and
compose a ‘letter to the editor’ stating their viewpoint on the depiction of seppuku and other forms
of suicide in popular media and what steps need to be taken to uphold a more responsible position
in our culture, e.g. less glamorization in media, bigger cultural focus on prevention strategies, wider
variety of education, the dishonourable image of westernized seppuku, etc. Students can choose to
take on the role of one of the following individuals:
• A parent, relative or friend of a suicide victim or attempted suicide
• The director of a particular Victorian suicide prevention organisation
• A musician or member of a band blamed for promoting anti-social behaviour in teenagers
Protest Piece
Students write a piece either advocating or criticising the use of seppuku in popular culture. You
must convey who you are (you can make it up—be anyone!), why you feel this way and why others
should feel the same way as well. Use persuasive appeals such as emotion, patriotism, bribery, etc.)
Perform your petition to the class. Your piece can be structured in the following way:
Slam/rap
Song
Rhyming couplets (AA BB CC DD…)
Campaign commercial
Haiku
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5/Part Five: Grief and Mourning
Aim
In this section students will learn about the process of grieving and how music and poetry have
assisted people in coping during these times. They will analyse and compare two different versions
of the same eulogy song, as well as create a series of eulogies for different purposes, and research
and present a persuasive oral presentation on the banning of pop and footy songs at Catholic
funerals. Finally, they will investigate the events, poetry and music of 9/11, analyse three contrasting
poems, articulating their own viewpoint on the nature and purpose of poetry in the time of national
grief. They will end the unit with something fun: investigating the alleged ‘song ban’ made by Clear
Channel Communications in the wake of 9/11. Students will investigate why these songs were
banned and if companies were ethically right in making such suggestions.
Introduction
Grief is a response to loss, specifically death. Mourning is the act of responding to this loss. It is
physical, cognitive, behavioural, social and philosophical. The way humans experience grief is varied
across cultures, spiritualities, religions, communities, families and generations.
Questions:
•
•
•
•
Have you ever lost something or someone who was very important to you? How did you
react to this loss?
How long does grief last?
How do different people experience grief? What aspects affect this state of mourning?
Think of celebrities, politicians or other well-known individuals who have passed away.
How have large groups or people reacted to their passing?
Activities
“Candle in the Wind”: a comparative analysis
The first version of “Candle in the Wind” was written and performed by Elton John in 1973. It
honoured Marilyn Monroe, who had died 11 years earlier of a drug overdose.
Students read and discuss “Candle in the Wind” and answer the following questions:
•
•
•
•
•
•
How does Elton John describe Marilyn Monroe?
What is the significance of him referring to her by her birth name ‘Norma Jean’?
How does he describe her legacy? Why is this tragic?
How does he view her? How does he see himself in her legacy?
How is he expressing grief for her death?
“It seems as if you led your life like a candle in the wind.” What does this phrase mean?
What type of figurative language is it using?
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Experiencing Poetry
Listen to the song
In small groups, students discuss the following and share their findings with the class:
•
•
•
What is the rhythm of the music and of the lyrics? What emotional effect does this have
on you?
What would happen to the message if the style of music was changed (e.g. into club music,
hip hop, death metal)
Why is the image of grief and mourning associated with slow, pretty music? Is other music
ever appropriate? Why would different styles be used to convey grief? Which styles (or
specific examples) could work best?
I Would Have Liked to Know You
Students write a letter to a fallen celebrity, athlete, family member or politician whom they never
met personally. Draw inspiration from the lyrics of “Candle in the Wind.” This letter should have a
rhythm to it which draws a sympathetic emotional response from the reader. Do this by imagining it
as a song. What poetic devices does it use? (e.g. rhyme—which part of the lines rhyme?). Describe
the person’s life in a way which describes their legacy—maybe their legacy should be different from
what it is.
Watch the video
Students watch Elton John perform “Candle In the Wind” live in the 1970’s.
Questions:
1) How is he honouring Marilyn Monroe using costume and makeup?
2) If a video-style film clip of this were made at the time, what would it look like?
Video Killed the Movie Star
Re-write ‘Candle in the Wind’ for a fallen celebrity, fictional character, athlete, or politician. Keep the
rhythm and similar structure, but change everything else including the lyrics. E.g. ‘Sandle in the Chin’
could be about Kung Fu legend Bruce Lee. Then, make a film clip for your song.
Candle in the Wind 1997 (See Appendices 5.2)
In August 1997 Princess Diana of Wales was killed in a car accident. Renowned for her humanitarian
efforts including work with AIDS sufferers, drug addicts, homeless and elderly, her legacy was
honoured at her funeral by fellow Britton Elton John, who sang to 2.5 billion people, or roughly half
the world’s population at the time. He sang a re-working of his 1971 song “Candle in the Wind”.
Lyric Analysis and Comparison
1997 version Questions:
o What imagery does he use?
o What figurative language does he use?
o How does he describe her legacy?
o How does this song appeal to the audience emotionally?
o How does it appeal to them patriotically?
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Experiencing Poetry
Comparison Questions:
o Has the meaning of the metaphor ‘candle in the wind’ changed?
o What are the major differences between the two versions?
At Your Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony celebrating, sanctifying or remembering the life of a person who has died.
Different cultures and religions have their own funeral traditions. For the purposes of this unit, we
will focus on the literary or poetic aspects of traditional, non-denominational Western funerals.
Eulogies
A eulogy is a speech made at funerals to honour and praise a deceased individual and his or her
virtues. It is traditionally written and presented by a close relative or friend. It sometimes includes a
poem or lyrics to a song which were either highly regarded by the deceased or convey a meaning
appropriate in honouring the person’s life.
Questions:
•
•
•
What are virtues?
What kind of poetry would be appropriate
in a eulogy?
Can and should a funeral eulogy be funny?
Explain your reasoning.
Excerpt
Using the internet, find a poem or lyrics that you
would like to be said at your own funeral. Read this
excerpt out loud to the class and explain your
choice.
The Royal Family at Princess Diana’s funeral, 1997.
Eulogy for a Notable Figure
Students research, write and perform a eulogy for a famous person in history. They should include at
least three important aspects of this person’s life, why they are notable and how their legacy will live
on. They should also find a quote or short excerpt of lyrics or poetry appropriate for this eulogy and
weave it into their writing. They must be able to justify why they chose this excerpt. Costume,
makeup, music and lighting are optional.
Word Funeral
As a class, students compose a list of overused, derogatory or silly words which must be put to rest.
Then, each student chooses a word and writes a short eulogy for that word, including its origin, part
of speech, purpose in language and why it needed to die. Students perform these eulogies with a
print-out of the word next to them. After all students have given their word eulogies, they throw the
words into the bin.
Songs
Many people, before they die, choose specific songs they’d like to be played at their funeral.
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Experiencing Poetry
Playlist (lists extracted from http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/weird/top-10-funeral-songsprovided-by-centennial-park/story-e6frev20-1111116794061)
In 2008, Centennial Park, a leading provider of memorial services in Australia released their Top Ten
most frequently-used songs at funerals:
1) My Way, Frank Sinatra
2) Wonderful World, Louis Armstrong
3) Time To Say Goodbye, Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman
4) Unforgettable, Nat King Cole
5) The Wind Beneath My Wings, Bette Midler
6) Amazing Grace, various artists
7) We'll Meet Again, Vera Lynn
8) Over the Rainbow, Judy Garland
9) Abide With Me, Harry Secombe
10) Danny Boy, various artists
They also released a list of what they consider the ‘most unusual’ songs used in their funeral
services:
1) The Show Must Go On, Queen
2) Stairway to Heaven, Led Zeppelin
3) Highway to Hell, AC/DC
4) Another One Bites the Dust, Queen
5) I'll Sleep When I'm Dead, Bon Jovi
6) Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, Monty Python
7) Ding Dong the Witch is Dead, The Wizard of Oz
8) Hit the Road Jack, Willie Nelson
9) I'm Too Sexy, Right Said Fred
10) Power, Crows and AFL team songs
Write a list of ten songs that you would like to play at your funeral. For each song, justify why you
are including it on your list.
Catholic Church Bans Pop Songs (See Appendices 5.3)
Students read the article Australia’s Catholic Church bans pop songs at funerals (Reuters, 10-092010) and discuss the pros and cons of banning pop music and footy club songs at funerals. They
choose a side: are you for the ban or against the ban? They then construct a persuasive power point
presentation to present to the opposition. For example, if a student is for the ban, the rest of the
class, as the audience, will play the part of musicians, music lovers and free speech advocates. If a
student is against the ban, the class will play the part of Catholic Church officials.
September 11th, 2001
The tragic terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center—which took the lives of over 3,000
Americans—is a day burnt into the memories of millions of people around the world. It was
shocking, confusing and heartbreaking, and everyone reacted differently to it. Some, fuelled by
angry patriotism, blamed the ‘terrorists’ and supported president George W. Bush when he
announced the U.S. would ‘retaliate’ and ‘fight terrorism’ by invading Iraq and capturing Al-Qaeda.
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(To date, over 113,000 civilians in Iraq have died as a result of the war. Go to
http://www.iraqbodycount.org for more information). Al-Qaeda became a buzzword umbrella term
for all terrorist activities, and sparked a racist and misinformed fear of the ‘Islamification of America’
in many.
Others turned to poetry and music as a way of healing and
understanding the new direction America was facing within and
beyond its borders. The music ranged from patriotic rage (e.g.
country singer Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White and
Blue (We’ll Put A Boot In Your Ass)” to cross-cultural
humanistic pride and slamming Bush’s presidency (Beastie
Boys’ To the 5 Burroughs and Green Day’s American Idiot).
Poetry had a similar differences in approach, with three main
ideologies at work: retaliation and American pride, mourning
the victims and sympathising with the objectified Muslims in the
U.S., and questioning the US Government.
Poetry Commotion (See Appendices 5.4)
Students read the article Beyond Grief and Grievance: The poetry of 9/11 and its aftermath by Philip
Metres and the accompanying poems.
Questions:
•
•
How does he explain why and how poetry became ‘useful’ in the wake of 9/11?
How does he explain why many people were bothered by the act of poetry?
3 Different 9/11 Poems (See Appendices 5.5)
Divide the class into 4 groups. One group will analyse “Albanza: In Praise of the Local 100,” one will
analyse “Photograph from September 11,” and two will analyse “Somebody Blew Up America.”
Questions:
•
•
•
•
Poetic devices, rhythm, language
What appeals does it use? How are they used?
What is the meaning of this poem? What is its purpose? Who is the subject?
If this were a song, what style would it be in? Why?
‘Somebody Blew Up America’
This poem was aggressively criticised when it was written, called ‘racist’ and ‘anti-Semitic’. But the
author and many contemporaries have defended it, stating those who see it as racist are missing the
point, for it is really a mirror being held up to powerful Western societies. What is your response to
this poem? Who is the ‘who’ he constantly addresses?
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Slam It: “Somebody Blew Up America”
Students watch the slam version of Amiri Baraka reading his poem. How does poetry change when it
is read out loud?
Using the slam video as inspiration, create a live performance of one of the provided 9/11 poems, or
find a different one of your choice on the internet. Try memorizing it. Create an atmosphere and
visual accompaniment—power point slides, candles, a poster, music, dance, body movement.
To Defend It or Not to Defend It
Is poetry appropriate to the nation in a time of grieving?
Create an advertisement either advocating poetry or
criticising its use after catastrophic events. Include
references to political music, as well. You can also do this in
the form of round-table discussion or a talk show.
A Picture tells 1,000 words.
“Photograph of September 11” was inspired by the
photograph of the Falling Man, who fell to his death from
one of the highest WTC storeys. Use the internet to find a
picture of human suffering and write a poem or song of any
style using it as inspiration. You are not limited to 9/11
pictures. Try Iraq War civilians, Afghanistan, Darfur, Khmer
Rouge, Vietnam War, World War 1 & 2, Immigration
Detention Centres, ‘boat people’, refugees, poverty, etc.)
Clear Channel Song Ban
In the wake of the awful events of 9/11. Clear Channel Communications, an American media
conglomerate company, issued a list of songs to over 1200 radio stations, citing each of the songs as
‘lyrically questionable.’ Though a rumour started that it was an outright ban of these songs, it was
later discovered that it was merely a suggestion Clear Channel made to these stations, though most
stations did in fact follow suit. Clear Channel denies any list ever existing.
The 165 ‘banned’ songs range from songs containing key words like ‘fall,’ ‘fly,’ ‘Tuesday,’ ‘Heaven’
and ‘September’ to songs of peace (e.g John Lennon’s “Imagine”), to songs of death (e.g. Drowning
Pool’s “Bodies”) to politically-challenging songs, including all songs by Rage Against the Machine. A
complete list is available in the appendices.
Questions:
• Why these songs?
•
Were they politically motivated choices? How or how not?
•
Are there any surprises to you on the list?
•
Are there any songs that you’re surprised aren’t on the list?
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Experiencing Poetry
•
Do you agree with companies suggesting to radio stations to ban songs in the time of
mourning? Do you think people would have made 9/11 connections to these songs if they
heard them on the radio?
Justification
Students organise the songs into different categories: Death, Peace, Politics, Sensitive Language. In
pairs, they choose one from each category, research and analyse the lyrics, and present their
findings to the class. They must explain why they think these songs were included on the list, using
specific lyrics as examples. They must also state their opinion—should this song have been banned?
Was it a little silly including it on the list?
Dear Friendly Neighbourhood Media Conglomerate Megacorporation…
Write a letter to Clear Channel, either supporting or criticising their memorandum initiative. Write
from the point of view of a student, parent, musician, politician, someone directly affected by the
9/11 attacks or not. Use the Metres article as well as your own knowledge of censorship and grief
poetry to persuade them into understanding you viewpoint.
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Appendices
1/Part One: Elements of Death, Horror and Goth in Popular Culture
1.1 The Elements of Horror (source: http://www.virtualsalt.com/gothic.htm)
1. Creepy setting. The action takes place in and around an old castle, cabin, woods, house or some
other isolated place, sometimes seemingly abandoned, sometimes occupied. The setting often
contains secret passages, trap doors, secret rooms, dark or hidden staircases, and possibly ruined
sections. A sense of claustrophobia, entrapment and mystery is present.
2. An atmosphere of mystery and suspense. The work is pervaded by a threatening feeling, a fear
enhanced by the unknown. Often the plot itself is built around a mystery, such as unknown
parentage, a disappearance, or some other inexplicable event.
3. An ancient prophecy The prophecy is usually obscure, partial, or confusing. "What could it
mean?" In more watered down modern examples, this may amount to merely a legend: "It's said
that the ghost of old man Krebs still wanders these halls."
4. Omens, portents, visions. A character may have a disturbing dream vision, or some phenomenon
may be seen as a portent of coming events. For example, if the statue of the lord of the manor falls
over, it may portend his death.
5. Supernatural or otherwise inexplicable events. Dramatic, amazing events occur, such as ghosts,
talking animals or inanimate objects coming to life. In some works, the events are ultimately given a
natural explanation, while in others the events are truly supernatural.
6. High, even overwrought emotion. The characters are often overcome by anger, sorrow, surprise,
and especially terror. Characters suffer from raw nerves and a feeling of impending doom. Crying,
emotional speeches, breathlessness, panic and screaming.
7. Person in distress. The characters often face events that leave them fainting, terrified, screaming,
and/or sobbing. The women suffer all the more because they are often abandoned, left alone (either
on purpose or by accident), and have no protector at times.
8. The metonymy of gloom and horror. Metonymy is a subtype of metaphor, in which something
(like rain) is used to stand for something else (like sorrow). For example, the film industry likes to use
metonymy as quick shorthand, so we often notice that it is raining in funeral scenes. The following
metonymies for "doom and gloom" all suggest an element of mystery, danger, or the supernatural.
E.g. darkness, rain, wind, sighs, moans, howls, eerie sounds, doors suddenly slamming shut
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Experiencing Poetry
2/Part Two: The Raven
2.1 Text:
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and
weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a
tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber doorOnly this, and nothing more."
Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the
floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow;- vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow- sorrow for the lost LenoreFor the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name
LenoreNameless here for evermore.
And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me- filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating,
"'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber doorSome late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;This it is, and nothing more."
Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
"Sir," said I, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you"- here I opened wide the
door;Darkness there, and nothing more.
Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering,
fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream
before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word,
"Lenore?"
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word,
"Lenore!"Merely this, and nothing more.
Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
"Surely," said I, "surely that is something at my window lattice:
Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery exploreLet my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;'Tis the wind and nothing more!"
Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and
flutter,
In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore;
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or
stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber
door-
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber doorPerched, and sat, and nothing more.
Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore.
"Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure
no craven,
Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly
shoreTell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian
shore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so
plainly,
Though its answer little meaning- little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber doorBird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber
door,
With such name as "Nevermore."
But the Raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing further then he uttered- not a feather then he
flutteredTill I scarcely more than muttered, "Other friends have flown
beforeOn the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown
before."
Then the bird said, "Nevermore."
Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
"Doubtless," said I, "what it utters is its only stock and store,
Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster
Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden
boreTill the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore
Of 'Never- nevermore'."
But the Raven still beguiling all my fancy into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust
and door;
Then upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yoreWhat this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt and ominous bird of
yore
Meant in croaking "Nevermore."
This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's
core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o'er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o'er,
She shall press, ah, nevermore!
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Experiencing Poetry
Then methought the air grew denser, perfumed from an
unseen censer
Swung by Seraphim whose footfalls tinkled on the tufted floor.
"Wretch," I cried, "thy God hath lent thee- by these angels he
hath sent thee
Respite- respite and nepenthe, from thy memories of Lenore!
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!"
"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil! Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here
ashore,
Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchantedOn this home by Horror haunted- tell me truly, I imploreIs there- is there balm in Gilead?- tell me- tell me, I implore!"
"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us- by that God we both
adoreTell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name LenoreClasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name
Lenore."
"Be that word our sign in parting, bird or fiend," I shrieked,
upstarting"Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian
shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath
spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken!- quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off
my door!"
And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is
dreaming,
And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on
the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the
floor
Shall be lifted- nevermore!
2.2 Mad Magazine Parody Example:
2.3 The Simpsons Raven clip
You will experience difficulty finding a decent clip of the Raven segment from The Simpsons online. Try
downloading the episode. It originally ran in the first Treehouse of Horror Halloween special, Season 2,
episode 3, segment 3.
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Experiencing Poetry
3/Part Three: Japanese Death Haiku and Butoh Dance of Darkness
3.1 Famous Japanese Death Poetry
Ōta Dōkan, 1432-1486 (warrior-poet, military tactician and Buddhist monk)
Dōkan met an untimely end at a Uesiugi clan leader’s home after he was
falsely accused of disloyalty during a period when the Uesugi family
struggled through an internal clan conflict.
Kakaru toki
Had I not known
sakoso inochi no
that I was dead
oshikarame
already
kanete nakimi to
I would have mourned
omoishirazuba
the loss of my life.
Basho Matsuo, 1644-1694 (famous Japanese poet, recognized today
as the master of clear, concise haiku)
Becoming ill and isolated in his later years, Bashō adopted the Buddhist
principle of karumi or "lightness"—greeting the mundane world rather than
separating himself from it. He died peacefully, surrounded by his disciples.
Tabi ni yande
falling sick on a journey
Yume wa kareno wo
my dream goes wandering
Kake meguri
over a field of dried grass.
Taigu Ryōkan, 1758-1831 (eccentric Buddhist monk)
Spending most of his life as a hermit, Ryokan lived a very simple, pure
life, and is remembered for his kindness and generosity
ura wo mise
Now it reveals its hidden side
omote wo misete
and now the other—this it falls,
chiru momiji
an autumn leaf.
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Experiencing Poetry
3.2 Other Jisei (Death Poem) Examples
Atsujin
Earth and metal...
although my breathing ceases
time and tide go on.
Baiko
Plum petals falling
I look up...the sky,
a clear crisp moon.
Chiboku
The running stream
is cool...the pebbles
underfoot.
Chirin
In earth and sky
no grain of dust...
snow on the foothills.
Chogo
I long for people...
then again I loathe them:
end of autumn.
Enryo
Autumn waters
of this world wake me
from my drunkenness.
Fuso
Upon the lotus flower
morning dew is
thinning out.
Gansan
Blow if you will,
fall wind...the flowers
have all faded.
Ginka
I leap from depths
of debt into the skies:
autumn of the dragon.
Tsuchi kane ya
iki wa taete mo
tsukihi ari
Chiru ume ni
miaguru sora no
tsuki kiyoshi
Yuku mizu to
tomo ni suzushiku
ishi kawa ya
Ametsuchi ni
chiri naki yuki no
fumoto kana
Hito koishi
hito mutsukashishi
aki no kure
Yoizame no
kore ya konoyo no
aki no mizu
Asatsuyu no
usura kiekeri
hasu no hana
Fukaba fuke
hana wa sunda zo
aki no kaze
Shakusen no
fuchi kara tenjo
tatsu no aki
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Experiencing Poetry
3.3 Butoh article written by Morita Itto, Butoh dancer
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/butoh/itto/goosay/boston06/zero-arrow/p2.jpg
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Experiencing Poetry
4/Part Four: Suicide and Seppuku
4.1: “Born This Way” by Lady Gaga; Lyrics
It doesn't matter if you love him,
Subway kid, rejoice your truth
or capital H-I-M
In the religion of the insecure
Just put your paws up
I must be myself, respect my youth
'cause you were born this way, baby
A different lover is not a sin
My mama told me when I was young
Believe capital H-I-M (Hey hey hey)
We are all born superstars
I love my life I love this record and
She rolled my hair and put my lipstick on
Mi amore vole fe yah (Love needs faith)
In the glass of her boudoir
Don't be a drag, just be a queen
"There's nothing wrong with loving who you are"
Whether you're broke or evergreen
She said, "'Cause he made you perfect, babe"
You're black, white, beige, chola descent
"So hold your head up girl and you'll go far,
You're Lebanese, you're orient
Listen to me when I say"
Whether life's disabilities
Left you outcast, bullied, or teased
I'm beautiful in my way
Rejoice and love yourself today
'Cause God makes no mistakes
'cause baby you were born this way
I'm on the right track, baby
I was born this way
No matter gay, straight, or bi,
Don't hide yourself in regret
Lesbian, transgendered life,
Just love yourself and you're set
I'm on the right track baby,
I was born to survive.
I was born this way
No matter black, white or beige
Chola or orient made,
Oh there ain't no other way
I'm on the right track baby,
Baby I was born this way
I was born to be brave.
Oh there ain't no other way
I was born this way hey!
I'm on the right track baby
I was born this way
I'm on the right track baby
Don't be a drag
just be a queen [x3]
Don't be!
Same DNA, but born this way.
Same DNA, but born this way.
Give yourself prudence
And love your friends
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Experiencing Poetry
4.2: Thinking Music Map
In the centre circle, write the title of the song. In the surrounding circles, write words, phrases, or
draw pictures which describe how the music and lyrics we listen to make you feel. Meaning images
that go through your head, words that stick out to you, or emotions you may experience.
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Experiencing Poetry
4.3: Emo music article
May 8, 2008 11:04
Emo music attacked over teen suicide
Genre blasted again after 13 year-old 'emo girl' commits suicide
An inquest in Maidstone has heard that Hannah Bond, a 13 year-old girl from Kent, committed
suicide by hanging herself - and emo music has been blamed.
Roger Sykes, the coroner who gave the verdict of suicide yesterday (May 7), suggested that the fact
that Bond was an obsessive fan of such music was linked to her death.
The inquest heard that Bond had discussed with friends the "glamour" of suicide, and was obsessed
with American band My Chemical Romance. She had a picture of an emo girl with bloody wrists on
her Bebo page.
Bond's father Ray explained that his daughter had had an episode of self-harm prior to her suicide,
which she told him was an emo initiation ceremony.
Her mother Heather also provided some background on her interest in the genre explaining: "There
are [emo] websites that show pink teddies hanging themselves. She called emo a fashion and I
thought it was normal. Hannah was a normal girl. She had loads of friends. She could be a bit moody
but I thought it was just because she was a teenager."
However as he gave the verdict of suicide, coroner Sykes criticised the genre saying: "The emo
overtones concerning death and associating it with glamour I find very disturbing."
-http://www.nme.com /news/various-artists/36468
4.4 “Adam’s Song” by Blink-182; Lyrics
I never thought I'd die alone
I laughed the loudest who'd have known
I traced the cord back to the wall
No wonder it was never plugged in at all
I took my time, I hurried up
The choice was mine, I didn't think enough
I'm too depressed, to go on
You'll be sorry when I'm gone
I never conquered, rarely came
16 just held such better days
Days when I still felt alive
We couldn't wait to get outside
The world was wide, too late to try
The tour was over we'd survived
I couldn't wait till I got home
To pass the time in my room alone
I never thought I'd die alone
Another six months I'll be unknown
Give all my things to all my friends
You'll never set foot in my room again
You'll close it off, board it up
Remember the time that I spilled the cup
Of apple juice in the hall
Please tell mom this is not her fault
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Experiencing Poetry
16 just held such better days
Days when I still felt alive
We couldn't wait to get outside
The world was wide, too late to try
The tour was over we'd survived
I couldn't wait till I got home
Tomorrow holds such better days
Days when I can still feel alive
When I can't wait to get outside
The world is wide, the time goes by
The tour is over, I'd survived
I can't wait till I get home
4.5 The Laughing Heart by Charles Bukowski
your life is your life
don’t let it be clubbed into dank submission.
be on the watch.
there are ways out.
there is a light somewhere.
it may not be much light but
it beats the darkness.
be on the watch.
the gods will offer you chances.
know them.
take them.
you can’t beat death but
you can beat death in life, sometimes.
and the more often you learn to do it,
the more light there will be.
your life is your life.
know it while you have it.
you are marvellous
the gods wait to delight
in you.
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Experiencing Poetry
5/Part Five: Grief and Mourning
5.1 “Candle in the Wind” (original) by Elton John; Lyrics
Goodbye Norma Jean
Though I never knew you at all
You had the grace to hold yourself
While those around you crawled
They crawled out of the woodwork
And they whispered into your brain
They set you on the treadmill
And they made you change your name
chorus
And it seems to me you lived your life
Like a candle in the wind
Never knowing who to cling to
When the rain set in
And I would have liked to have known you
But I was just a kid
Your candle burned out long before
Your legend ever did
Loneliness was tough
The toughest role you ever played
Hollywood created a superstar
And pain was the price you paid
Even when you died
Oh the press still hounded you
All the papers had to say
Was that Marilyn was found in the nude
[repeat chorus]
Goodbye Norma Jean
Though I never knew you at all
You had the grace to hold yourself
While those around you crawled
Goodbye Norma Jean
From the young man in the 22nd row
Who sees you as something more than sexual
More than just our Marilyn Monroe
5.2 “Candle in the Wind 1997” by Elton John; Lyrics
Goodbye England's rose
May you ever grow in our hearts
You were the grace that placed itself
Where lives were torn apart
You called out to our country
And you whispered to those in pain
Now you belong to heaven
And the stars spell out your name
chorus
And it seems to me you lived your life
Like a candle in the wind
Never fading with the sunset
When the rain set in
And your footsteps will always fall here
Along England's greenest hills
Your candle's burned out long before
Your legend ever will
Loveliness we've lost
These empty days without your smile
This torch we'll always carry
For our nation's golden child
And even though we try
The truth brings us to tears
All our words cannot express
The joy you brought us through the years
[repeat chorus]
May you ever grow in our hearts
You were the grace that placed itself
Where lives were torn apart
From a country lost without your soul
Who'll miss the wings of your compassion
More than you'll ever know
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Experiencing Poetry
5.3 Catholic Church bans pop music article
Australia's Catholic church bans pop songs at funerals
Football club songs and pop or rock music have been banned from funerals in Catholic churches in
Australia under new guidelines distributed this week to priests and funeral directors.
A funeral should not be a "celebration" of the deceased's life, Archbishop of Melbourne Denis Hart said
in the rules, but a final sacred farewell. Celebrations of that life should be held at social occasions before
or after the funeral, he said.
"The wishes of the deceased, family and friends should be taken into account ... but in planning the
liturgy, the celebrant should moderate any tendency to turn the funeral into a secular celebration of the
life of the deceased," the guidelines state.
"Secular items are never to be sung or played at a Catholic funeral, such as romantic ballads, pop or rock
music, political songs, football club songs."
Some funeral directors, however, said the directive was insensitive to relatives' needs as many grieving
families wanted to incorporate multimedia presentations, including photographs and video of the
deceased person's life as well as music.
"Funerals have become a celebration of people's lives and there aren't many that don't include a DVD
presentation," John Fowler, the general manager of Le Pine Funerals, told Melbourne's Herald Sun
newspaper.
"It really gives you a sense of the joy that this person has brought to the world."
Pop songs have become more common at funerals as new technology allows churches and funeral
parlors to install sound systems and more people opt for services conducted by celebrants instead of
religious ministers.
Centennial Park, a leading provider of cemetery, crematorium and memorial services in Australia, in
2008 compiled a list of the 10 most popular songs at Australian funerals.
The top song was Frank Sinatra's version of "My Way," followed by "Wonderful World" by Louis
Armstrong, "Time To Say Goodbye" by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman, and "Unforgettable" by Nat
"King" Cole.
Rounding out the top 10 were "The Wind Beneath My Wings" by Bette Midler, "Amazing Grace," "We'll
Meet Again" by Vera Lynn, "Over the Rainbow" by Judy Garland, "Abide With Me" by Harry Secombe,
and "Danny Boy."
The list of top 10 most popular unusual funeral songs included listed as Queen's "Another One Bites the
Dust," AC/DC's "Highway to Hell, "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" by Monty Python, and "Ding
Dong the Witch is Dead" from "The Wizard of Oz."
http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/09/10/us-funerals-idUSTRE6890WP20100910
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5.4 Purpose of Poetry article
Beyond Grief and Grievance: The poetry of 9/11 and its aftermath.
By Philip Metres
(extracted from http://www.poetryfoundation.org/article/242580)
It was my second week as a newly-minted professor in the Midwest, September 11, 2001, and I hustled
to complete a lecture on imagery when my wife called. All I could think was, “why is she calling me ten
minutes before I have to teach?”—something about a plane crash something something New York—and
then, “why do I need to know this before class?” I hung up, and returned to the poem before me,
Carolyn Forché’s “The Colonel.”
By the time I arrived in the classroom, after hearing the full extent of the morning’s events, I could
barely get through the poem without breaking down in tears.
It wasn’t just the bag of ears that the Colonel pours across his opulent table. It’s the violence at the
perimeters of vision—the filed nails of the daughter, the moon hanging on a cord, the house
surrounded by a wall of broken bottles, the gratings on the window, even the rack of lamb.
The poem works not merely by intimating torture, but by decorating it so uncannily like homes in our
own country. In the home of Forché’s Colonel, an American cop show plays on television, and a maid
serves a delectable spread. Forché’s poem, in its raw confrontation, jolts us awake to the violence of
privilege. But that’s what made it so difficult to teach on that day. What was 9/11 but the end of the
fantasy of our separateness, our invulnerability?
The events of 9/11 occasioned a tremendous outpouring of poetry; people in New York taped poems on
windows, wheatpasted them on posts, and shared them by hand. In Curtis Fox’s words, “poetry was
suddenly everywhere in the city.” Outside the immediate radius of what became known as “ground
zero,” aided by email, listserves, websites, and, later, blogs, thousands of people also shared poems
they loved, and poems they had written. By February, 2002, over 25,000 poems written in response to
9/11 had been published on poems.com alone. Three years later, the number of poems there had more
than doubled.
Often invisible in American culture, poetry suddenly became relevant, even—and perhaps
dangerously—useful. People turned to poems when other forms failed to give shape to their feelings.
Some of these poems, certainly, employed the language of faith, a faith that has often been mobilized
as a weapon of grievance. Some were desperately angry, in the way Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red,
White, and Blue (The Angry American)” promises to put a “boot in the ass” of those that “messed” with
the U.S. of A. In Cleveland, I recall hearing some rather salty Osama limericks involving his mama.
Of course, poems that take on subjects as public and iconic as the attacks of September 11th risk not
only devolving into cliché and hysterical jingoism, but also, even when most well-meaning, perpetuating
the violence of terror, and the violence of grievance and revenge, as mass media did by endlessly
replaying images of the planes exploding into the World Trade Center towers. Likewise, when we read
enough 9/11 poems, we become awash in falling people, planes described as birds, flaming towers of
Babel, ash and angels, angels and ash. The mythic nature of this attack, this disaster—echoing
everything from the tower of Babel to the fall of Icarus—is undeniable, and the acts of heroism and the
brute loss of so many makes it difficult to find adequate words, even for our most accomplished poets.
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In a riposte to John Lundberg’s 2010 essay on the Huffington Post, “Remembering 9/11 Through
Poetry,” one commenter acidly posted: “isn’t 9/11 bad enough without adding poetry to it?” The
commenter known as “Zymos” may just be a poetry-hater, but he also has a point, made more
articulately by Theodor Adorno, that “to write lyric poetry after Auschwitz is barbaric.” Adorno reflects
on the dangers of art to render traumatic events too easily understandable, too easily commodifiable. In
his essay, “Commitment,” Adorno extends his original critique, saying that by turning suffering into
images, harsh and uncompromising though they are, it wounds the shame we feel in the presence of
the victims. For these victims are used to create something, works of art, that are thrown to the
consumption of a world which destroyed them….The moral of this art, not to forget for a single instant,
slithers into the abyss of its opposite. The aesthetic principle of stylization, and even the solemn prayer
of the chorus, make an unthinkable fate appear to have had some meaning; it is transfigured,
something of its horror removed. This alone does an injustice to the victims; yet no art which tried to
evade them could confront the claims of justice.
But we cannot be silent. So between the Scylla of cliché and the Charybdis of exploitation, poetry
moves. Martín Espada’s “Alabanza: In Praise of Local 100,” for example, offers a globalist ode to the
workers on the restaurant at the top of the World Trade Center who perished in the attacks. By focusing
on people often unnoticed, sometimes undocumented, and occasionally disparaged, Espada celebrates
the diverse gathering of humanity that the American project has enabled, and that the attacks
threatened to separate, in the rhetoric of security and the ideology of fear.
Read ‘Alabanza: In Praise of Local 100’ by Martin Espada in your 9/11 Poetry Pack (see Appendices
5.5)
The poem’s concluding lines brings the victims of war—from the 9/11 victims to the victims of war in
Afghanistan—into conversation again. Perhaps the best response to Adorno’s legitimate concerns is
that “music is all we have.”
Nobel Prize-winning Polish poet Wisława Szymborska also manages to avoid the troubling
possibility of art’s exploitation for easy (and false) transcendence, in her poem “Photograph
from September 11.
Read ‘Photograph from September 11’ by Wislawa Szmborska in your 9/11 Poetry Pack.
Szymborska takes the photograph of the so-called “falling man” and uses it as a monument to our
elegiac desire to freeze the beloved in the moments before death. By not adding a last line and by
not giving the poem its expected (and easy) closure, Szymborska keeps the work open, the wound
fresh.
Not all worthwhile 9/11 poetry reflected such ambiguity, though. It would be strange to talk about
poetry and 9/11 and not mention Amiri Baraka’s scandal-making and splenetic “Somebody Blew Up
America,” published in 2002. At the time, Baraka held the post of New Jersey’s poet laureate, and
his poem caused an outcry principally for perpetuating an Internet myth that 4000 Israelis were told
to stay home from work at the Twin Towers on September 11, and secondarily for its anti-imperialist
rant against the United States and figures of the Bush Administration. His subsequent defense of the
poem, an essay called “I Will Not ‘Apologize,’ I Will Not ‘Resign,’” did not do the work any favors;
rather than arguing that the poem is the dramatized utterance of a suppressed but necessary point
of view—that of the anti-imperialist scourge—Baraka asserts his absolute identification with the
poem’s rhetoric.
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The poem may be smarter than the poet’s argument on its behalf. Emerging from an event which
has ignited as many conspiracy theories as JFK’s assassination, “Somebody Blew Up America” enacts
the intoxification of conspiracy-theorizing itself. Conspiracy theory, spastic groping after fact and
reason, comes out of the fantasy of absolute governmental power. While the poem’s catalogue of
imperial atrocity is mostly documentable (with the glaring exception being Israeli and American
administration complicity in the attacks), the desire to place all the blame on a singular “Somebody”
dramatizes the weakness of a totalizing critique of empire.
Read ‘Somebody Blew Up America’ by Amiri Baraka in your 9/11 Poetry Pack.
The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 compelled me to rethink everything I thought I knew,
and made me want to learn more, to read outside whatever borders I had created for myself. Not to
be more American, but to be a better citizen, a better denizen of the planet. To go global and be
local, to go ancient and be modern, to question all certainties and embrace what I did not know, to
read Rumi and Isaiah, Rushdie and Roy and even Al-Qaeda, to listen to Springsteen and Kulthum, to
refuse the elixir of fundamentalisms, to translate and be translated again by what I could not yet
understand. To tattoo "Oye" on my body. To listen.
5.5 Three Different 9/11 Poems
1) ‘Alabanza’ by Martín Espada
Alabanza. Praise the cook with a shaven head
and a tattoo on his shoulder that said Oye,
a blue-eyed Puerto Rican with people from Fajardo,
the harbor of pirates centuries ago.
Praise the lighthouse in Fajardo, candle
glimmering white to worship the dark saint of the sea.
Alabanza. Praise the cook’s yellow Pirates cap
worn in the name of Roberto Clemente, his plane
that flamed into the ocean loaded with cans for Nicaragua,
for all the mouths chewing the ash of earthquakes.
Alabanza. Praise the kitchen radio, dial clicked
even before the dial on the oven, so that music and Spanish
rose before bread. Praise the bread. Alabanza.
Praise Manhattan from a hundred and seven flights up,
like Atlantis glimpsed through the windows of an ancient aquarium.
Praise the great windows where immigrants from the kitchen
could squint and almost see their world, hear the chant of nations:
Ecuador, México, Republica Dominicana,
Haiti, Yemen, Ghana, Bangladesh.
Alabanza. Praise the kitchen in the morning,
where the gas burned blue on every stove
and exhaust fans fired their diminutive propellers,
hands cracked eggs with quick thumbs
or sliced open cartons to build an altar of cans.
Alabanza. Praise the busboy’s music, the chime-chime
of his dishes and silverware in the tub.
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Alabanza. Praise the dish-dog, the dishwasher
who worked that morning because another dishwasher
could not stop coughing, or because he needed overtime
to pile the sacks of rice and beans for a family
floating away on some Caribbean island plagued by frogs.
Alabanza. Praise the waitress who heard the radio in the kitchen
and sang to herself about a man gone. Alabanza.
After the thunder wilder than thunder,
after the shudder deep in the glass of the great windows,
after the radio stopped singing like a tree full of terrified frogs,
after night burst the dam of day and flooded the kitchen,
for a time the stoves glowed in darkness like the lighthouse in Fajardo,
like a cook’s soul. Soul I say, even if the dead cannot tell us
about the bristles of God’s beard because God has no face,
soul I say, to name the smoke-beings flung in constellations
across the night sky of this city and cities to come.
Alabanza I say, even if God has no face.
Alabanza. When the war began, from Manhattan and Kabul
two constellations of smoke rose and drifted to each other,
mingling in icy air, and one said with an Afghan tongue:
Teach me to dance. We have no music here.
And the other said with a Spanish tongue:
I will teach you. Music is all we have.
2) ‘Photograph from September 11’ by Wislawa Szmborska
They jumped from the burning floors—
one, two, a few more,
higher, lower.
The photograph halted them in life,
and now keeps them
above the earth toward the earth.
Each is still complete,
with a particular face
and blood well hidden.
There’s enough time
for hair to come loose,
for keys and coins
to fall from pockets.
They’re still within the air’s reach,
within the compass of places
that have just now opened.
I can do only two things for them—
describe this flight
and not add a last line.
They jumped from the burning floors—
one, two, a few more,
higher, lower.
The photograph halted them in life,
and now keeps them
above the earth toward the earth.
Each is still complete,
with a particular face
and blood well hidden.
There’s enough time
for hair to come loose,
for keys and coins
to fall from pockets.
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They’re still within the air’s reach,
within the compass of places
that have just now opened.
I can do only two things for them—
describe this flight
and not add a last line
3) ‘Somebody Blew Up America’ by Amiri Baraka
(All thinking people
oppose terrorism
both domestic
& international…
But one should not
be used
To cover the other)
They say its some terrorist, some barbaric
A Rab, in Afghanistan
It wasn't our American terrorists
It wasn't the Klan or the Skin heads
Or the them that blows up nigger
Churches, or reincarnates us on Death Row
It wasn't Trent Lott
Or David Duke or Giuliani
Or Schundler, Helms retiring
It wasn't
the gonorrhea in costume
the white sheet diseases
That have murdered black people
Terrorized reason and sanity
Most of humanity, as they pleases
They say (who say? Who do the saying
Who is them paying
Who tell the lies
Who in disguise
Who had the slaves
Who got the bux out the Bucks
Who got the tar, who got the feathers
Who had the match, who set the fires
Who killed and hired
Who say they God & still be the Devil
Who the biggest only
Who the most goodest
Who do Jesus resemble
Who created everything
Who the smartest
Who the greatest
The Falling Man
Who the richest
Who say you ugly and they the
goodlookingest
Who define art
Who define science
Who made the bombs
Who made the guns
Who bought the slaves, who sold them
Who called you them names
Who say Dahmer wasn't insane
Who/ Who / Who
Who got fat from plantations
Who genocided Indians
Tried to waste the Black nation
Who stole Puerto Rico
Who stole the Indies, the Philipines,
Manhattan
Australia & The Hebrides
Who forced opium on the Chinese
Who live on Wall Street
The first plantation
Who cut your nuts off
Who rape your ma
Who lynched your pa
Who own them buildings
Who got the money
Who think you funny
Who locked you up
Who own the papers
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Experiencing Poetry
Who owned the slave ship
Who run the army
Who own television
Who own radio
Who the fake president
Who the ruler
Who the banker
Who own what ain't even known to be
owned
Who own the owners that ain't the real
owners
Who/ Who/ Who
Who own the suburbs
Who suck the cities
Who make the laws
Who own the mine
Who twist your mind
Who got bread
Who need peace
Who you think need war
Who own the oil
Who do no toil
Who own the soil
Who is not a nigger
Who is so great ain't nobody bigger
Who made Bush president
Who believe the confederate flag need to be
flying
Who talk about democracy and be lying
WHO/ WHO/ WHOWHO/
Who the Beast in Revelations
Who 666
Who decide
Jesus get crucified
Who own this city
Who own the air
Who own the water
Who own your crib
Who rob and steal and cheat and murder
and make lies the truth
Who call you uncouth
Who live in the biggest house
Who do the biggest crime
Who go on vacation anytime
Who killed the most niggers
Who killed the most Jews
Who killed the most Italians
Who killed the most Irish
Who killed the most Africans
Who killed the most Japanese
Who killed the most Latinos
Who/Who/Who
Who own the ocean
Who own the airplanes
Who own the malls
Who the Devil on the real side
Who got rich from Armenian genocide
Who the biggest terrorist
Who change the bible
Who killed the most people
Who do the most evil
Who don't worry about survival
Who have the colonies
Who stole the most land
Who rule the world
Who say they good but only do evil
Who the biggest executioner
Who/Who/Who
Who own the oil
Who want more oil
Who told you what you think that later you
find out a lie
Who/ Who
Who found Bin Laden, maybe they Satan
Who pay the CIA,
Who knew the bomb was gonna blow
Who know why the terrorists
Learned to fly in Florida, San Diego
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Who know why Five Israelis was filming the
explosion
And cracking they sides at the notion
Who got rich from Algeria, Libya, Haiti,
Iran, Iraq, Saudi, Kuwait, Lebanon,
Syria, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine,
Who need fossil fuel when the sun ain't goin'
nowhere
Who cut off peoples hands in the Congo
Who invented Aids Who put the germs
In the Indians' blankets
Who thought up "The Trail of Tears"
Who make the credit cards
Who get the biggest tax cut
Who walked out of the Conference
Against Racism
Who killed Malcolm, Kennedy & his Brother
Who killed Dr King, Who would want such a
thing?
Are they linked to the murder of Lincoln?
Who blew up the Maine
& started the Spanish American War
Who got Sharon back in Power
Who backed Batista, Hitler, Bilbo,
Chiang kai Chek
who WHO W H O
Who invaded Grenada
Who made money from apartheid
Who keep the Irish a colony
Who overthrow Chile and Nicaragua later
Who killed David Sibeko, Chris Hani,
the same ones who killed Biko, Cabral,
Neruda, Allende, Che Guevara, Sandino,
Who killed Kabila, the ones who wasted
Lumumba, Mondlane , Betty Shabazz, Princess
Margaret, Ralph Featherstone, Little Bobby
Who locked up Mandela, Dhoruba,
Geronimo,
Assata, Mumia,Garvey, Dashiell Hammett,
Alphaeus Hutton
Who killed Huey Newton, Fred Hampton,
MedgarEvers, Mikey Smith, Walter Rodney,
Was it the ones who tried to poison Fidel
Who tried to keep the Vietnamese Oppressed
Who put a price on Lenin's head
Who put the Jews in ovens,
and who helped them do it
Who said "America First"
and ok'd the yellow stars
WHO/WHO
Who killed Rosa Luxembourg, Liebneckt
Who murdered the Rosenbergs
And all the good people iced,
tortured , assassinated, vanished
Who decided Affirmative Action had to go
Reconstruction, The New Deal, The New
Frontier, The Great Society,
Who do Tom Ass Clarence Work for
Who doo doo come out the Colon's mouth
Who know what kind of Skeeza is a
Condoleeza
Who pay Connelly to be a wooden negro
Who give Genius Awards to Homo Locus
Subsidere
Who overthrew Nkrumah, Bishop,
Who poison Robeson, who try to put DuBois
in Jail
Who frame Rap Jamil al Amin, Who frame the
Rosenbergs, Garvey, The Scottsboro Boys,
The Hollywood Ten
Who set the Reichstag Fire
Who knew the World Trade Center was gonna
get bombed
Who told 4000 Israeli workers at the Twin
Towers
To stay home that day
Why did Sharon stay away?
Who,Who, Who
explosion of Owl the newspaper say
the devil face cd be seen
Who WHO
Who WHO
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Experiencing Poetry
Who make money from war
Who make dough from fear and lies
Who want the world like it is
Who want the world to be ruled by
imperialism and national oppression and
terror
violence, and hunger and poverty.
Who is the ruler of Hell?
Who is the most powerful
Who you know ever
Seen God?
But everybody seen
The Devil
Like an Owl exploding
In your life in your brain in your self
Like an Owl who know the devil
All night, all day if you listen, Like an Owl
Exploding in fire. We hear the questions rise
In terrible flame like the whistle of a crazy dog
Like the acid vomit of the fire of Hell
Who and Who and WHO who who
Whoooo and Whoooooooooooooooo
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Experiencing Poetry
Section Three - Poetry and War.
Rationale
Like the other units within the sequence this unit aims to use the lens of contemporary
culture and song lyrics to engage students in the learning and appreciation of poetry. This
series of five lessons focuses upon the theme of ‘War’. Broadly speaking each lesson
consists of a ‘conventional’ poem which is set alongside a popular song which raises similar
themes. Haugh (2002) writes that whilst poetry is often perceived by students and teachers
alike as a ‘difficult’ area to teach it actually enjoys the benefit of being the written form with
which teenagers can potentially most easily identify. Song lyrics and genres such as Hip Hop
frequently employ poetic language and, more importantly, whilst few teenagers could claim
to have attempted writing a novel, a large number will have either attempted song writing
(or at least be capable of reciting song lyrics at length). It is upon this notion of poetic
language within music/song lyrics that this unit is focused. The contention is that by
drawing students’ attention to the poetic nature of song lyrics it will both engage students
and serve as a scaffold into an appreciation of more ‘conventional’ poetry. Whilst each of
the five lessons sets a song lyric alongside a poem, each lesson has a different focus and
accompanying set of activities. The degree of self-determination/self-directed learning
within each activity also accommodates varying levels of skill and literacy within the student
body.
All lessons are conceived and formulated with VELS standards in mind, incorporating
elements of reading, writing and discussion. Given the subjective, creative nature of both
the subject matter and related activities it is recommended that this unit be assessed
formatively/PGO, based on both participation and completion of the assigned tasks.
( Haugh, K et al. The English Journal, Vol. 91, No. 3, Teaching and Writing Poetry (Jan., 2002),
pp. 25-31 National Council of Teachers of English.)
Aims
- To engage students in an active appreciation of poetry and poetic language.
- Students to successfully identify and understand key forms and mechanics of poetry.
- Students to successfully employ these mechanics in creating poetry of their own.
- Students to successfully utilise ICT and research skills.
- Students to practice group work, presentation, reading and listening skills
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Experiencing Poetry
Introduction
War and conflict have been recurrent themes in both music and ‘conventional’ poetry for
thousands of years. Historically these accounts usually glorified war and the heroic deeds
and sacrifices made by soldiers. The advent of mechanised warfare at around the time of
the First World War saw a definite change of attitude within popular culture which continues
into the modern era. Whilst politicians, the media and religious groups may at various times
espouse the ‘necessity’ of a war, in the West at least the bulk of both poetry and music is
critical of it.
1/Activity One: “War down the Ages”.
This initial lesson is designed to introduce some traditional ‘heroic’ war poetry and focus upon the
kinds of emotions and sentiments that such works draw upon. Both Blake and Tennyson write
poetry in a ‘classic’ style and whilst their themes are dated for a modern readership their work
provides a strong basis for discussion of terms such as metaphor, meter, form and repetition.
Tennyson is also interesting in the sense that whilst he acknowledges the charge was a ‘blunder’
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Experiencing Poetry
and in some ways futile, he nevertheless glorifies the soldiers heroism and sacrifice. Blake’s famous
poem “Jerusalem” evokes not only patriotism and love of country but also equates these sentiments
to religious righteousness. The Elvis Costello hit“Oliver’s Army” provides an interesting contrast to
these poems. Taking its title from Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658) , thematically it describes the lot of
both conscripted and professional soldiers through British history. Drawn largely from poor working
class backgrounds the songs portraying them as pawns in a political game. When subjected to
analysis as a poem Costello’s song contains many examples of language working at a ‘poetic’ level.
Whilst accommodating all the aims for the unit overall, the activity in this particular lesson places
emphasis upon the recognition, analysis and discussion of poetic language.
Resources needed: photocopies of Blake, Tennyson and Costello, data projector/speaker, glossary
sheets, Youtube link for ‘Oliver’s Army’, whiteboard maker, students to have their own pens/writing
materials.
Activities
In terms of activities this is essentially an oral/discussion based class with some provision for written
answers. Hand out the lyric sheets and then using the Youtube link watch the clip of “Oliver’s
Army”. Costello’s use of irony and suggestion means that the message of the song will take some
discussion/consideration. Read the lyrics aloud and use the glossary sheets to help guide the
students through unfamiliar terms. Identify poetic use of language within the song and discuss its
possible meaning(s). Emphasise questioning rather than lecturing in your teaching practice.
Repeat the process with Blake and Tennyson. Whilst specific language is important (and should be
considered) emphasise the overall sense of the poem and do not get too bogged down in poetical
technicalities. The idea is for students to read and analyse the poem in much the same way as they
would a song lyric. The glossary sheet can be used to introduce some of the terms but simply fill
them out as terms arise in discussion – they are merely an aid and do not need to be filled out
exhaustively.
Written Task.
Having discussed each poem individually ask the students to provide written answers the following
questions (written on the whiteboard).
Discussion Questions .
•
•
Question 1 – Identify forms or types of language are use by all three writers? Give
examples.
Question 2 - Identify forms of language are unique to or emphasised by specific works?
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•
•
Question 3 - Who might the intended audience be for each of the works?
Question 4 - How is heroism portrayed in the earlier poems as opposed to Costello?
Prior to the end of the class let the students know that the coming lesson will be concentrate upon
songs and poems that relate to World War One and that they should spend 15mins investigating
WW1 on the internet and be able to define the term ‘trench warfare’.
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2/Activity Two – The First World War.
Described contemporarily as the ‘War to end all Wars’ and ‘The Great War’, World War One was the
first war of the modern era. Both the impact of mechanised weaponry and its geographic extent
made it a traumatic, devastating event for millions. This trauma was reflected in the poetry of the
era which began to depart from the ‘heroic’ tenor of poets such as Tennyson and Blake. Wilfred
Owen is one of the most noted of the WWI poets and his work is a powerful critique of that conflict.
“Anthem for a Doomed Youth” is perhaps his most famous poem and both its brevity and language
make it accessible to a teenage readership. The sense of disillusionment and despair found in
Owen’s poem is echoed in the tune “Buddy Can You Spare Me a Dime?” – a fitting companion work
both thematically and in terms of language.
Whilst attempting to accommodate all the overall aims , the activity in this lesson places particular
emphasis upon recognition of the parallels that exist between poetry and song/lyric writing.
Students are asked to identify the themes and issues dealt with in Owen’s poem and then express
these in a more familiar form of language. The brevity and relatively simple message of Owen’s
poem make it a suitable vehicle for the “re-telling” that is the main activity in this lesson.
Resources needed: photocopies of ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth” and “Buddy Can You Spare Me a
Dime”, data projector/speaker, glossary sheets, Youtube link for Tom Waits ‘ “Buddy Can You Spare
Me a Dime?”, whiteboard maker, glossary sheets (from previous lesson) ,students to have their own
pens/writing materials.
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Activities
Open the lesson by discussing the task set at the close of the previous lesson (investigating the First
World War and defining the term “trench warfare.”
Watch/listen to “Buddy Can You Spare Me a Dime”, Hand out the song lyrics and then discuss the
following with the class.
•
•
•
•
Question 1 – who is the subject in the song and what have his experiences been?
Question 2 - what are some of the underlying themes of the song?
Question 3- what are some of the examples of poetic language in the song? How do they
add to its impact?
Question 4 – How does the musical composition/instrumentation of the song affect our
perception of the lyrics?
Now hand out and read aloud ‘Anthem for Doomed Youth” by Wilfred Owen. Discuss the following.
•
•
Question 1 – what are the underlying themes of the poem? What is Owen trying to convey?
Question 2 - what is the significance of the various images that Owen uses in this poem?
Song Writing Task.
Divide the class into groups of 3-4.
Having read and discussed both pieces students will work in groups to write or “re-tell” their own
version of Owens “Anthem for Doomed Youth” in song form. This may take the form of a pop tune,
hip-hop rhyme etc. Students can creatively interpret and extrapolate upon the content of
“Anthem” but the key images and themes should be present (funeral imagery, church bells/service
etc).
They may also choose to use pictures, mp3’s or musical instruments to perform their piece.
(Being a group assignment, assessment of this piece will be PGO based upon completion and
participation in the activity).
If students have not yet completed the task in class then they will need to work together at home (or
over the net) to finish their song in preparation for performance at the start of next lesson.
Students will also need to prepare any musical or visual component they wish to add to their piece.
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3/Activity Three: “The Vietnam War”.
At the beginning of this lesson students will perform the task set in the previous class. Having done
so we will move onto the theme of the Vietnam War and a new activity.
“I was only 19” was a highly successful Hip Hop single by Australian group ‘The Herd’ whilst Bruce
Dawe’s poem “Weapon Training” is the most stylised/contemporary of the poems that the students
have read to this point, and potentially the most challenging in terms of analysis. Both pieces are
alike in that they are written in the form of first person dialogue and make extensive use of phonic
devices such as repetition, alliteration and onomatopoeia. They are also alike in that whilst they
make some use of rhyme it is less explicit that in the poems studied previously. The physicality and
immediacy of this type of work is the focus for this particular lesson.
Resources needed: photocopies of “I was only 19” and “Weapons Training”, data
projector/speaker, glossary sheets, Youtube link for The Herd’s “I was Only 19”, whiteboard maker,
glossary sheets (from previous lesson), students will need internet access.
Activities.
The lesson will commence with group performances from the previous activity. Whilst the
performances are not formally assessed offer commentary and feedback with particular attention to
the types of language they have chosen to use. Rely on peer feedback as much as possible.
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Once concluded, use the data projector to watch The Herd’s version of “I was Only 19”. Hand out
the song lyrics.
Discussion Questions (oral)
• Question 1 - How is language/speech rhythm used in this piece to create tension and
momentum?
• Question 2 - Who is telling the story and how does the use of the first person position us as
an audience?
• Question 3 - identify examples of onomatopoeia, repetition and alliteration (be sure to
define these terms on the ongoing glossary sheet if you have not already done so).
• Question 4 – What are the central themes and ideas in this piece?
• Question 5 – How does the musical composition/instrumentation of the song affect our
Now hand out and read aloud Bruce Dawe’s “Weapons Training” and repeat the discussion process.
momentum?
• Question 2 - Who is telling the story and how does the use of the first person position us as
an audience?
• Question 3 - identify examples of onomatopoeia, repetition and alliteration.
• Question 4 – What are the central themes and ideas in this piece?
Comic book poem.
Having discussed concepts such as onomatopoeia, repetition and alliteration students will now
attempt to write a short poem based upon these concepts.
Using the internet (or a comic book of their own) students will choose a comic strip that contains
examples of the above devices. They then need to write this out separately. In the example above
this would be “ratatt, ratta-tatta, wham and pat pat”.
The students then consider the narrative of the comic they have chosen and ‘retell’ the story in the
first person incorporating the onomatopoeic language they have identified. They may choose to use
the exisiting dialogue as a basis for this or devise their own. When working with students
emphasise the phonic nature of this type of writing and encourage use of repetition, alliteration etc.
Students to complete poems as homework and submit along with the cartoon strip upon which their
poem is based.
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4/Activity Four: “Contemporary War: Iraq”.
The two works in this unit are diametrically opposed to one another stylistically but share the
common, contemporary theme of the war in Iraq. Unlike the earlier units every student will have
been exposed extensively with this subject matter in the media, internet and in popular culture. For
this reason I have chosen to juxtapose a US perspective on the conflict (the Beastie Boy’s “In A
World Gone Mad”) with a work by Iraqi poet Saady Yossuf. Whilst the Beastie Boy’s song offers a
critique of George Bush and the hipocracy of the US governments action, Yossuf’s beautifully
constructed poem places the Iraq war in a historical context – one in a long line of wars in a region
that has long been subjected to conflict. Yossuf’s poem is both reflective and expository in style and
is interesting in terms of its physical lay out, its spaciousness (and fatalism) in direct contrast to the
urgency of “In a World Gone Mad”.
The activity in this piece emphasises the role of written layout and punctuation in a poem and how
this can effect our perception of the piece.
Resources needed: photocopies of “Postcards from Hajj Omran” and “In a World Gone Mad”, data
projector/speaker, glossary sheets, Youtube link for The Beastie Boys’ ”In a World Gone Mad”,
whiteboard maker, glossary sheets (from previous lesson), students will need individual access to a
word processor.
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Activities.
Use the data projector to watch the clip of The Beastie Boys’ “In a World Gone Mad”. Hand out the
song lyrics
momentum?
• Question 2 - What are the key themes and contentions of the song? How would you
describe its tone overall?
• Question 3 - How is the writer trying to persuade or position us as the reader?
Now hand out and read aloud Saady Yossuf’s “Postcards from Hajj Omran (sharing reading between
students).
momentum? How does the spacing of the written text effect our perception of it?
• Question 2 - What are the key themes and contentions of the poem? How does it vary in
tone and impact compared to “In a World Gone Mad”?
• Question 3 - How is Yossuf relating to the reader/audience? How is the audience
positioned in relation to the poem/poet compared to “In a World Gone Mad”?
“Scrambled Text” (Short activity)
This is an individual written/oral task that explores how the physical spacing and layout of a poem
can effect its impact in relation to notions such as meaning, emphasis, tone and pace.
•
Working individually the internet students find lyrics to a song that they know.
•
Students cut and paste the lyric into a word document, deleting all punctuation and ‘returns’
so that the lyric forms a single block of text.
•
Swapping computers students now re-write the lyric/text, inserting punctuation and line
ends where they like. Encourage creativity in terms of spacing and the physical appearance
of the poem.
•
Pick volunteers from the class to read their lyric aloud and if possible use the data projector
to project their edit of the lyric.
•
Now use Youtube/the data projector to compare it to the original version of the song.
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Prior to the end of the class let the students know that the coming lesson will concentrate upon
songs and poems that relate to Northern Ireland. In preparation they should spend 15mins
investigating on the internet and be able to define the term ‘IRA’, ‘Bloody Sunday’ and describe a
little of the history of the region.
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5/Activity Five: “Northern Ireland”.
The final unit within this sequence focuses upon Northern Ireland and its history of
Protestant/Catholic based violence. Heaney’s poem reveals how simple things, such as a coal sack or
an apron, can convey emotional weight and poetic significance. "Two Lorries" takes the romantic
innocence of a coalman's truck, circa 1940, with its driver who stops to flirt with the poet's mother,
and measures it against a present-day "heavier, deadlier one, set to explode." The poem itself
merges past memories of his own mother with the contemporary bombing of a bus station (in
Magherafelt 1993). The poem is quite sophisticated in that it is set in both past and present and
manages to capture both lyrical/romantic tradition of Irish culture along with the country’s long
history of internal division and violence.
U2’s “Sunday Bloody Sunday” (1983) is an anthemic protest song that is a response to the events of
“Bloody Sunday” in Derry in 1972 when 26 unarmed protestors were shot by British soldiers. The
language used in U2’s song is far less sophisticated than Heamus’ poem and yet is extremely
effective as a protest piece. Both works make use of sentimental imagery and language to affect the
audience and make a political statement.
This last lesson focuses on the broader notion of the poet/writer/artist as a member of society and
the contribution they make to a society and its identity. It also encourages students to consider the
role of protest/political poetry and the types of language an artist might employ to persuade his/her
audience. This closing unit also encourages students to consider whether poetry is exclusively the
domain of poets, or whether poetic language can find its way into everyday language and culture.
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Resources needed: photocopies of “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and “Two Lorries”, data
projector/speaker, glossary sheets, Youtube link for U2’s ”Sunday Bloody Sunday”, Youtube link for
Martin Luther King’s”I have a dream” speech, whiteboard maker, glossary sheets (from previous
lesson), students will need individual access to a word processor.
Activities
Watch the Youtube clip of U2’s “Sunday Bloody Sunday”. Ask students if any of them can explain the
historical events around which the song is based. Hand out the song lyrics.
Discussion Questions.
• Question 1 - What are the recurring images in the song?
• Question 3 - Identify some of the more emotive/sentimental lyrics within the song.
• Question 4 - Identify how the song uses language and repetition to make its point.
• Question 5 – What are the key themes of the song? How is the writer appealing to us as an
audience?
Hand out and read aloud Seamus Heaney’s “Two Lorries”.
Discussion Questions.
• Question 1 - What are the recurring images in the poem?
• Question 2 – How does the language used differ from “Sunday Bloody Sunday”? How is it
alike? How does Heaney use language and structure to set the tone of his poem?
• Question 3 - Identify some of the emotive/sentimental imagery within the poem.
• Question 4 - When/where is the poem set? What is it about?
• Question 5 – What are the key themes of the poem?
Debate.
Divide the class into two groups to debate the issue: “Should writers/creative
artists also be political activists?”. Group #1 must argue “Yes, writers have an
obligation to be political activists and try to improve the world ” … Group #2
must argue “No, writers should not also be political activists, and they have no
obligation to do so”. Conduct the debate.
As a class, discuss– “Who are some writers/creative people who have changed the
world in some way?”. Ask students to consider “what is the role of the poet/writer or artist in our
society”? Should writers/artists try and “change the world”? Do they have that power?
Conclude the lesson by watching Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech.
Discussion.
• Is this merely a political speech or does the language used make it something else as well?
• What poetic elements and devices can you identify in the speech?
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• How effective is this speech as a work of art? How does the speech seek to position and
influence the audience and how persuasive is it in doing so?
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Appendices for Section Three “Poetry and War”.
Activity One appendices.
POETRY – GLOSSARY
TERM
DEFINITION
ALLITERATION
ASSONANCE
BALLAD
COUPLET
ELEGY
ENJAMBEMENT
FEMININE RHYME
HYPERBOLE
IMAGERY
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LIMERICK
LYRIC
MASCULINE RHYME
METAPHOR
NARRATIVE
ODE
ONOMATOPOEIA
PERSONIFICATION
RHYME
SIMILE
SONNET
STANZA
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SYMBOL
Oliver’s Army
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVwrrkt22Ag
Don't start me talking
I could talk all night
My mind goes sleepwalking
While I'm putting the world to right
Called careers information
Have you got yourself an occupation
CHORUS:
Oliver's army is here to stay
Oliver's army are on their way
And I would rather be anywhere else
But here today
There was a checkpoint charlie
He didn't crack a smile
But it's no laughing party
When you've been on the murder mile
Only takes one itchy trigger
One more widow, one less white nigger
CHORUS
Hong Kong is up for grabs
London is full of arabs
We could be in palestine
Overrun by a chinese line
With the boys from the mersey and the thames and the tyne
But there's no danger
It's a professional career
Though it could be arranged
With just a word in Mr. Churchill's ear
If you're out of luck you're out of work
We could send you to Johannesburg
CHORUS
But here today
But here today
Elvis Costello.
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Charge of the Light Brigade
Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
`Forward, the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns!' he said:
Into the valley of Death
`Forward, the Light Brigade!'
Was there a man dismay'd?
Not tho' the soldier knew
one had blunder'd:
Their's not to make reply,
Their's not to reason why,
Their's but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Flash'd all their sabres bare,
Flash'd as they turn'd in air
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army, while
All the world wonder'd:
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right thro' the line they broke;
Cossack and Russian
Reel'd from the sabre-stroke.
Alfred Lord Tennyson
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Activity Two appendices.
Buddy can you spare me a dime?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0I8-CbJYGMA&feature=related
Once I built a railroad, made it run,
Made it race against time;
Once I build a railroad -- now it's done.
Brother, can you spare a dime?
Once I built a tower to the sun,
Brick and rivet and lime;
Once I build a tower -- now it's done.
Brother, can you spare a dime?
Bridge:
Once, in khaki suits, gee, we looked swell,
Full of that Yankee Doodle de-dum;
Half a million boots went sloggin' through Hell -I was the kid with the drum.
Say, don't you remember, they called me Al?
It was Al all the time.
Say, don't you remember? I'm your pal.
Buddy can you spare a dime?
Words & Music by E.Y. Harburg & Jay Gorney - Recorded by Bing Crosby, 1932
Anthem For Doomed Youth
What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?
--Only the monstrous anger of the guns.
Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle
Can patter out their hasty orisons.
No mockeries for them from prayers or bells,
Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs,The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;
And bugles calling for them from sad shires.
What candles may be held to speed them all?
Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes
Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes.
The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall;
Their flowers the tenderness of silent minds,
And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds.
Wilfred Owen (1893-1918)
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Activity Three Appendices.
I Was Only 19
Mum, Dad and Denny
were some amongst many
who turned up to see the passing out parade at Puckapunyal
Seemed every man and his mongrel
watched cadets stumble
on the long march to the Viet jungle.
'Oh Christ', I mumbled as I drew that card
and my mates came to slap me on the back with due regard
We were the sixth battalion and the next to tour
we did Canungra and Shoalwater before we left, rest assured
Seemed half of Townsville turned out to see us leave
and they lined the footpaths as we marched to the quay
The papers wrote it up like you would not believe
but we were looking to the future for a fast reprieve
The newspaper clippings show us young
strong and clean rockin' slouch hats
slung SLRs and greens
God help me, I was only nineteen
From Vung Tau the black helicopters
the chinhook pilots seemed relieved at Nui Dat when they dropped us
Feels like months running on and off landing pads
letters to Dad
'cause it's like, man, he's sad
But he can't see the tents that we call home
cans of VB and pin-ups on the lockers of chicks off TV
The noise, the mosquitoes and the heat surprising
like the first time you see an agent orange horizon
So please can you tell me doctor why I still can't get to sleep
the scar's left in me?
Night time's just a jungle
dark and a barking M16 that keeps saying
'rest in peace'
And what the hell's this rash that comes and goes
I don't suppose you can tell me what that means?
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Sent off on a four-week long operation
where every single step could be your last one
My two legs were sorta living hell
falling with the shells, war within yourself
But you wouldn't let your mates down
'til they had you dusted off
so you closed your eyes and thought of something else
Then someone yelled 'contact!'
another bloke swore
we hooked in there for hours then a god almighty roar
Then Frankie kicked a mine
the day that mankind kicked the moon
God help me, he was going home in June
And I can still see Frank with a can in his hand
thirty-six hour leave in the bar at the Grand
I can still hear Frank
a screaming mess
of bleeding flesh
couldn't retrieve his legs
The ANZAC legend
neglected to mention
the mud
the fear
the blood
the tears
the tension
Dad's recollection
beyond comprehension
didn't seem quite real until we were sent in
The chaos and confusion
the fire and steel
hot shrapnel in my back
I didn't even feel
So please can you tell me doctor
why I can't get to sleep
I can't hardly eat?
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And the sound of the Channel Seven chopper still chills me to my feet
still fuels my grief?
And what's this rash that comes and goes like the dreams
can you tell me what that means?
Mum and Dad and Denny saw the passing out parade at Puckapunyal
It was a long march from Cadets
The sixth battalion was the next to tour
It was me who drew the card
we did Canungra and Shoalwater before we left
So please can you tell me doctor
why I can't get to sleep
I can't hardly eat?
And the sound of the Channel Seven chopper still chills me to my feet
still fuels my grief?
And what's this rash that comes and goes like the dreams
can you tell me what that means?
God help me, I was only nineteen.
. (John Schumann, as performed by Hip Hop band ‘The Herd’).
Lyrics www.allthelyrics.com/lyrics/the_herd/
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Weapons Training.
And when I say eyes right I want to hear
those eyeballs click and the gentle pitter-patter
of falling dandruff you there what's the matter
why are you looking at me are you a queer?
look to your front if you had one more brain
it'd be lonely what are you laughing at
you in the back row with the unsightly fat
between your elephant ears open that drain
you call a mind and listen remember first
the cockpit drill when you go down be sure
the old crown-jewels are safely tucked away what could be more
distressing than to hold off with a burst
from your trusty weapon a mob of the little yellows
only to find back home because of your position
your chances of turning the key in the ignition
considerably reduced? allright now suppose
for the sake of argument you've got
a number-one blockage and a brand-new pack
of Charlies are coming at you you can smell their rotten
fish-sauce breath hot on the back
of your stupid neck allright now what
are you going to do about it? that's right grab and check
the magazine man it's not a woman's tit
worse luck or you'd be set too late you nit
they're on you and your tripes are round your neck
you've copped the bloody lot just like I said
and you know what you are? You're dead, dead, dead
Bruce Dawe 1930 -
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Activity Four appendices.
The Beastie Boys – In a World Gone Mad.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3szSKD3meg
[CHORUS]
In a world gone mad it's hard to think right
So much violence hate and spite
Murder going on all day and night
Due time we fight the non-violent fight
Mirrors, smokescreens and lies
It's not the politicians but their actions I despise
You and Saddam should kick it like back in the day
With the cocaine and Courvoisier
But you build more bombs as you get more bold
As your mid-life crisis war unfolds
All you want to do is take control
Now put that axis of evil bullshit on hold
Citizen rule number 2080
Politicians are shady
So people watch your back 'cause I think they smoke crack
I don't doubt it look at how they act
[CHORUS]
First the 'War On Terror' now war on Iraq
We're reaching a point where we can't turn back
Let's lose the guns and let's lose the bombs
And stop the corporate contributions that their built upon
Well I'll be sleeping on your speeches 'til I start to snore
'Cause I won't carry guns for an oil war
As-Salamu alaikum, wa alaikum assalam
Peace to the Middle East peace to Islam
Now don't get us wrong 'cause we love America
But that's no reason to get hysterica
They're layin' on the syrup thick
We ain't waffles we ain't havin' it
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[CHORUS]
Now how many people must get killed?
For oil families pockets to get filled?
How many oil families get killed?
Not a damn one so what's the deal?
It's time to lead the way and de-escalate
Lose the weapons of mass destruction and the hate
Say ooh ah what's the White House doin'?
Oh no! Say, what they got brewing?!
Well I'm not pro Bush and I'm not pro Saddam
We need these fools to remain calm
George Bush you're looking like Zoo Lander
Trying to play tough for the camera
What am I on crazy pills? We've got to stop it
Get your hand out my grandma's pocket
We need health care more than going to war
You think it's democracy they're fighting for?
[CHORUS]
Post Cards from Hajj Omran
Macedonians on the lost trail,
Russian cavalry dragging mules,
Shepherds of sly goats on the march,
carrying guns and fresh cheese,
Did Abdel Salam Barazani flare it up Like one strikes a match?
Rawandouz leaves but a sigh, like walnut stains on the palms of your hand,
Which trees questioned for the Naqashbandites the pole star?
Came:Macedonians,
Alexander the grate's ideal stature,
Russians, Kurdish rebels, the British,
Social classes from all over the world,
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the Shah,
artillerymen and rocket experts,
a general from overseas,
came: a woman looking for her sons...
(in this lost corner of the world ships turned in to stone, and the " Nationalist council for Hatred"
reigns over an orchard Of stone and gun-powder.
Flares beyond the river.
Roses from Bukhara. Rosary beads from Qom. An Armenian face. Quiet are the waves of van. Into
the silence, the bell tints. Syria's, Yazidis. Turkmen violence. Assyrian peasants. Delicious is the
village wine- The partisans are in the cave and BobDinar in the Mirage 2000)
Country born
between river and river
Country torn
between sword and sword
You barely drew a map of light, that were dimmed the lights on Summer's minaret and al Raha
walls...
Which white-dark Hellenic woman built a winepress and a pottery? built cities from Hajj Omran to
the sea?
(when Alexander the Great, died there were, in Mesopotamia alone, three hundred towns and cities
bearing his name)
Country born
Country tom
between sword and sword,
Bitter country with imbecile rulers
The children of Nisibis grazed your fresh grass. And the chaldean rose slept in her forgotten mass ...
Do woman still carry it in their wombs?
Hark, rose by river and sea watered:
Once, we meant to make History. but, stood waiting ... so the mom passed,
and History passed Byzantines passed and Daylams.
Constantinople or Mecca. Al-Hallaj and Al-Hajaj.
Who will ever awaken the rose of Memory in these salty marches?
Would we still drink from I shtar's jar wine that once flowed from the eyes of Gilgamesh's?
Ah!
Country born
Country torn
Whenever you conjure your ancestors, beat the Barbarian drums...
Nationalists enjoying the affluence of torture, devouring the tens of thousands they have killed
(the communists were blind-folded, stacked like corpses, yet hymns rose in crescendo as the
execution squads woke UP in the ailing dawn)
Blood in Babylonia, what is the difference between the squads of years and the squads of death?
would that my arm be a tree-root, I'd unleash my Winged Bulls, and with the magic of my Gods
and children, stop the invaders at Uruk's gates...
But,
Country born
Country torn
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Country between Hajj Omran and Basrah,
between Revolution and Death,
the time-bomb was mightier than you, mightier than your contented water clocks. And you
surrendered to the Primitive Bedouins who came from the peripheries, from those villages thrown
in capital letters on the military maps of this cruel world. The Metropoles across Marum
Bizantum had synchronised their time. And the Barbarian hordes swarmed upon you from their
savage villages; you, fair maiden of the Summerian jars; you, beautiful arabesque on the
ceramics murals. You water and words...
The Metropoles had synchronised their time,
and the Barbarians came upon you exhausted and bleeding,
O, country born
country torn
Why
the sailorsbar. Mossul horsemen. Dyana. Assyrian ruins. The kings of the Hatra. Syria's.
Shqlawa. Bab al-Shikh. Bikhal waterfalls. The last sky. AlZaqqura. The papyrus in the Ahwar
marshes. Fahd. The Leninists. The pilot in the MIG fighter. The people of Kufah. The exile in
Nuqrat alSalman. Asoldier in the cafe at Samarrah. Dockers on the waterfront
Why have they all become prisoners in a jungle of wild beasts?
what are Uruk's children up to? What is the priest praying for? What says the oracle?
and the prisoners of war who surrendered to God by the thousands? And the dead?
Country torn
between sword and sword?
The rocks of Kurdistan have acquired the mechanism for destroying bunkers. Vietnam's victory
was no geographic exclusivity.
In Suar Tokeh, the chars carrying mortar guns were weeping like mules. Asks a recruit: why
don't the sergeants rebel?
Yesterday, a platoon surrendered at night fall. Silence, soldiers! silence, palm trees torn between
Khorramshahr and Ahwaz!
My voice, an aunt who lost her sons, a child shuddering On the roads of exile.
Kurdistan retracts into her crevasses. and Dyana asks about Dyana....
Country born
Country torn between sword and sword,
Baghdad buys her gloves from a Parisian fashion shop. Is Jacques Chirac the famous Monsieur 10%
And that socialist who anoints with mpagne the Exocet rocket?
Which genuine Arab in Pouters were the Righteous Ancestors?
Which un-Arab Arabs in these villages of oblivion were the socialists?
(May I suggest to Mr.Francois Mitterand, President of the French Republic, to carefully read the
"Collected Works" of Hajj Khayyrallaa Tulfah, official theoretician of the Baghdad regime; Regis
Derby's help will be appreciated!)
Country born
between river and river country born
This land which had been our home, even for one
day, has it beacon the invaders passageway?
or just another prey? Did You have to elect the sick Prince even at the fateful price?
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Peace be upon you, my land peace be upon you.
Mandali
Ba'qouba
Baghdad...
trinity Of the world-Hellerltic Organization.
And Alexander-the-student/ drunk from Aristotle's cup,was sweeping across lands with horsemen
and wine, building cities to be later destroyed by Priests/ officers and bedouins,
and Mandali was the road...
Xellophones "Anabasis":
Mandali was the road.
Budyeni’s cavalry:
and Mandali was the road...
Persians and Turks. Turks and Turks. Mamluks and Buwayhi soldiers. Arabs for thus and for that.
Sunnis. Sabeans. Shiis descendants of the Prophet's household. Ayyarun. Chaldeans.
Nestorians. Atheists. Sun worshippers. And Kharijites....
One day, Alexander, drunk from Aristotle's cup, came to us from mandali
and Budyeni's cavalry
and Xenophone's " Anabasis".
Hulago came too....
Mandali
Ba'qouba
Baghdad...
Officers at the Headquarters Russian rnade helicopter is Might object. For the Russian made
helicopter is Overflying Hajj Omrane, Becht Ashsn, And this War is unlike wars Of old. For war, here,
is forgotten. Forgotten, the dead Forgotten, the year,. For who remernbers the dead? and who
remembers the Years? (Barely mentioned by sorne bulletins Published Overseas )
Officers at the I feadquarters: we are fighting in a country that was never ours.
Birmam or Tikrit?
Let the jungle of guns burn!
burl, the water Course
Tikrit remains
and Baghdad is the journey's end!
Mandali
Ba'qouba
Baghdad..
The farce begins, and assassinated Baghdad is now dead.
Swiss guards for the intelligent Mary-Antoinette
watching over the Muslims' Treasury
French guards for Mecca and Medina
U.S. guards for those who inherited control to surrender
Israeli guards for Beirut which refuses to surrender
Guards on my house
Guards on my voice
Guards on my Gulf
Guards on Crowned heads from Abha to Ifran
Guards on the sands Of the Arabia, penninsula
Guards nn the channels
Guards on all the airport that link island to island s, far and near Guards On the new's paperink
Guards on my prison
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Guards on flowers
Guards on the tipsiness Of wine
Guards on the branches Of the trees
Guards on my homeland
Heavenly guards on God's children front the East bank of the Euphrates to the Valley of the Nile.
What else remains?
May be in Hajj Omran Will we ask Ourselves about that cup we chose to drink, and prepared for it
banquets dripped with our people's blood.
How naive, were the leftists! how faint the singer's voice!
High grows the papyrus ... but the machine-gun is stacked away,
rocks abound, yet no rifles are at sight.
It is us who delivered our beards ( Assyria's pride to the one who doesn't even know how to pluck
them, taught him to be an executioner and told our friends the sordid lie).
And here we are now, awaiting the end of this orgiastic folly Perhaps in Hajj Omran will we realize
that this cup remains.
Waiters might quarrel; a waiter will go, another will come, yet another, but the cup remains
unchanged.
who knows? Perhaps a new renaissance will deliver us from the burning quest.
Who knows? perhaps a new balance of forces (without our participation) will stop the
catastrophe...
And, what about us? Inflamed by the fire of ancestors,, prepared to receive the rose of the soul,
uncovered discoverers, wanderers, squanderers...
But, mightier, is the Earth, heavier the impact of the falling comet, and all our modern
ammunition is not worth one bullet from our old gun.
Let us, then, rise in soul beyond our bloody Present and recognise, for once, our bitter
predicament and let the journey start from the darkness of this very night!
Saady Yossuf 1934 -
Notes :•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Hajj Omran: is a region in I raq’s Kurdistan occupied by Iranian forces in 1983.
Fahd(Yussuf Salman Yussuf) 1900-1948 is founder and leader of the Iraqi Commu nist Party.
Uruk, Nisibis, hatra, al-Raha: historic localities of Iraq.
Xenophone’s "Anabasis": recounts the author" adventures while a soldier of fortune in
Presses and Kurdistan.
Budyeni: officer of cavalry in Tsarist Russia later to rally the October Revolu tion and become
legendary leader of the Red Cavalry. Led the Russian cavallry in Iraq during WW 1.
Al-Hajaj : bloody ruler of Iraq in 8th century.
Al-Hallaj: sufi martyr.
Ba’quba, Mandali, Shaqlawa, Kufah, Samarrah and Tikrit: Iraqi cities
Bab al-Shaikh : Quarter in Baghdad
Khorramshahr, al-Ahwaz, bechtashan, Mahran : Iranian citeis were involved heavily in IranIraq war.
Naqrat al-Salman: famous prison in the Iraqi desert
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Activity Five appendices.
U2 Sunday Bloody Sunday Lyrics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM4vblG6BVQ&ob=av2n
I can't believe the news today
Oh, I can't close my eyes
And make it go away
How long...
How long must we sing this song
How long, how long...
'cause tonight...we can be as one
Tonight...
Broken bottles under children's feet
Bodies strewn across the dead end street
But I won't heed the battle call
It puts my back up
Puts my back up against the wall
Sunday, Bloody Sunday
And the battle's just begun
There's many lost, but tell me who has won
The trench is dug within our hearts
And mothers, children, brothers, sisters
Torn apart
How long...
How long must we sing this song
How long, how long...
'cause tonight...we can be as one
Tonight...tonight...
Wipe the tears from your eyes
Wipe your tears away
Oh, wipe your tears away
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Oh, wipe your tears away
(Sunday, Bloody Sunday)
Oh, wipe your blood shot eyes
Sunday, Bloody Sunday (Sunday, Bloody Sunday)
Sunday, Bloody Sunday (Sunday, Bloody Sunday)
And it's true we are immune
When fact is fiction and TV reality
And today the millions cry
We eat and drink while tomorrow they die
The real battle just begun
To claim the victory Jesus won
On...
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Sunday Bloody Sunday...
Two Lorries
It's raining on black coal and warm wet ashes.
There are tyre-marks in the yard, Agnew's old lorry
Has all its cribs down and Agnew the coalman
With his Belfast accent's sweet-talking my mother.
Would she ever go to a film in Magherafelt?
But it's raining and he still has half the load
To deliver farther on. This time the lode
Our coal came from was silk-black, so the ashes
Will be the silkiest white. The Magherafelt
(Via Toomebridge) bus goes by. The half-stripped lorry
With its emptied, folded coal-bags moves my mother:
The tasty ways of a leather-aproned coalman!
And films no less! The conceit of a coalman...
She goes back in and gets out the black lead
And emery paper, this nineteen-forties mother,
All business round her stove, half-wiping ashes
With a backhand from her cheek as the bolted lorry
Gets revved and turned and heads for Magherafelt
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And the last delivery. Oh, Magherafelt!
Oh, dream of red plush and a city coalman
As time fastforwards and a different lorry
Groans into shot, up Broad Street, with a payload
That will blow the bus station to dust and ashes...
After that happened, I'd a vision of my mother,
A revenant on the bench where I would meet her
In that cold-floored waiting room in Magherafelt,
Her shopping bags full up with shovelled ashes.
Death walked out past her like a dust-faced coalman
Refolding body-bags, plying his load
Empty upon empty, in a flurry
Of motes and engine-revs, but which lorry
Was it now? Young Agnew's or that other,
Heavier, deadlier one, set to explode
In a time beyond her time in Magherafelt...
So tally bags and sweet-talk darkness, coalman,
Listen to the rain spit in new ashes
As you heft a load of dust that was Magherafelt,
Then reappear from your lorry as my mother's
Dreamboat coalman filmed in silk-white ashes.
Seamus Heaney.
INFORMATION
'cribs': hinged sides
'Magherafelt': (pronounced Mackerafelt) a town in Northern Ireland
'lode': vein or seam rich in coal
'black lead': preparation for smartening and polishing the exterior of black iron
stoves
'emery paper': sandpaper, glasspaper, used for smoothing rough surfaces
'bolted': the lorry's sides put up and locked into place
'red plush': for many people the red velvety seats in cinemas represented luxury
'payload': profit-making cargo; the term is also used of the warhead of a rocket
'revenant': ghost, person returning from the dead
'motes': dust
'tally bags': coal sacks marked so they can be counted and checked off
'heft': lift
'dreamboat': 1940s word for a highly attractive member of the opposite sex
'filmed': covered with a film of ashes (but the idea of a cinema film - black and
white in the 1940s - is also present)
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Excerpt of Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream Speech”.
Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.
And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream
deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We
hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of
former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of
injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and
justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged
by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his
lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama
little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as
sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made
low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the
glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."2
This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.
With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this
faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of
brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle
together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one
day.
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Section Four
Belonging & Dislocation
Rationale
This section presents a series of activities that:
•
•
build students’ experience and confidence in reading, listening to and responding to
poetry; and
explore the theme of belonging and dislocation, encouraging students to empathise
with potentially unfamiliar experiences and to reflect on their own.
The section identifies a number of mainly contemporary poems, songs and multimedia texts
that can be used for the examples, but, as described in the unit rationale, teachers and
students are encourages to find works that will fit with the theme, and often it is the act of
searching for them with a specific focus in mind that is most revealing.
Aims
Using the theme as an entry point, this section seeks to continue to build up students’
confidence in approaching and responding to poems to a point where they are comfortable
writing and sharing their own poetry in a grand finale poetry slam.
The activities build on knowledge of poetic devices and metalanguage from earlier sections,
however the section does not focus on these primarily other than the extent to which they
equip students to respond effectively to poems.
The theme of belonging and dislocation is familiar to many students, who will have
experienced them both to some degree. This provides a perfect opportunity to use poetry as
a means of expressing emotions and feelings that may not otherwise find voice.
Introduction
Part one of this section introduces the theme and encourages students to tap into their
latent knowledge. The section goes to to explore belonging and dislocation in its most
apparent, physical sense, through texts in which a man is in prison and a family constantly on
the move. The migrant experience is touched on next, followed by the indigenous sense of
belonging and, primarily, dislocation, I their own land. Finally, the students are asked to
reflect on what it means to them to be “Australian”, and how this is tied to their own sense
of belonging.
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Texts
Kelly, Paul (2010). How to Make Gravy. Camberwell: Penguin Group
Kinsella, John (ed.)(2009). The Penguin Anthology of Australian Poetry. Camberwell: Penguin Group
Tan, Shaun (2006). The Arrival. South Melbourne: Lothian Books
Tranter, John & Mead, Philip (eds.)(1991). The Penguin Book of Modern Australian Poetry. Ringwood:
Penguin Books
Pung, Alice (ed.)(2008). Growing up Asian in Australia. Melbourne: Back Inc
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4/Part One: Who Belongs?
As an introduction to the section on belonging and dislocation, the activities in part one aim to
develop an understanding of the theme of “belonging and dislocation”, and to present a small
number of poetic texts in a range of styles.
Part one also attempts to get students thinking about the possibilities that the precise use of
language can offer and the meanings that can be conveyed through the poetic form. The familiarity
with the poetic form sparked in these lessons will provide the foundation on which future classes
will be built.
Two poems by a Melbourne-based poet of Chinese background have been chosen for the purposes
of this part of the unit, however there are a vast number of other poems that could work just as
well. Similarly, popular music offers plenty of fodder on the topic of dislocation especially, however
the track chosen is especially suitable because its lyrics suggest a number of deeper political and
social issues, however its true meaning is somewhat amorphous. Hence, in this first class, there is no
question of a student’s response being “wrong”.
Note: Please keep in mind that the texts chosen include some profane language and confronting
themes.
Resources needed: Audio equipment, recording of M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes”, recording of The Clash
“Straight to Hell”.
Texts:
Ken Chau, “The Early Settlers” and “The Terrorists” in Pung (2008).
Lyrics to “Paper Planes”, by M.I.A. are accessible on various websites, also see appendices.
Other suggested texts:
Some of the well known poems of T.S.Eliot, “The Wasteland” or “Lovesong of J Alfred Prufrock”
would work well as an extension for this part.
Activities
1. Introductory questions and discussion
In pairs or small groups, ask the students to answer a selection of the following questions:
•
•
•
•
•
What forms our identities? Family? Friends? Environment? Clothes?
How do we assess and view our own identity?
How do others see us?
Does your identity change as you grow older?
What ‘face’ do we show the world?
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
What parts of our identity do we choose? What parts of our identity are acquired some
other way?
How do other people’s perspectives on you alter your own perspective on yourself?
How does age affect our sense of belonging?
What is needed to belong to a group?
How much of your identity alters when you are part of a group?
How do our impressions of others and of environments change after longer acquaintance?
Why do humans have a need to belong?
What makes you feel you belong?
You may choose to offer all of the questions to the students to answer or have them answer a few
and use the others as guides for a teacher-led classroom discussion about the nature of belonging.
There may be some questions that you want every group to answer.
Once you feel that the students have engaged with the concept of belonging in the class discussion,
delve deeper and ask them to describe the manner in which individuals might become dislocated
from those around them and how that can manifest itself. You may wish to prompt them with ideas
of migration, travel, age, culture etc.
2. Popular expressions of dislocation and belonging
Ask the students if they can name any texts – writing, music, film, television – that deal with the
theme of belonging and dislocation. Write them down on the board and/or ask students to note
them down to provide a prompt for their homework.
As a class, listen to MIA track “Paper Planes”. The first thing that the students will probably note is
the catchy tune, the gunshots and the cash register sounds, and possibly the angelic voices of the
choir.
Encourage these initial reactions and write them on the board, before playing the track a second
time, encouraging students to focus their listening on the lyrics of the song and deciphering what it
might be “about”. Once again, write up the student’s suggestions. By this stage you will be
developing a picture of what the class feels the song is all about.
3. Focussed discussion
Divide the class into an even number of groups provide each group with the lyrics to “Paper Planes”
(ref appendix) and one of the two following statements
• “Paper Planes” glorifies violence and drug taking.
• “Paper Places” draws attention to people’s perception of immigrants.
Ask the groups to come up with examples from the lyrics and music to support each of the posited
positions
The aim of the ensuing class discussion should be to highlight the interpretative clues that are
available in a text and encourage students to use them to support their own responses.
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Two elements that you may wish to highlight when leading a discussion are:
•
•
the contrasts evoked by the somewhat disturbing lyrics, gunshots and language opposed to
the catchy sing-along tune and the angelic voices of the choir; and
the sampling of the Clash song "Straight To Hell" which “was one of The Clash's slowest,
darkest, and most moving songs, a sad meditation on the poor treatment the band felt was
being meted out to Third World immigrants in Great Britain and the USA.”1
4. Teacher reading and discussion – Ken Chau
“Terrorist” – an evocative word that is prominent in much news reporting in the 20th century and has
taken centre stage in the global consciousness in recent history. It is also an ambiguous word, born
out in the cliché “One person’s terrorist is another’s freedom fighter.”
Two poems by Ken Chau explore this ambiguity in a frank and disarming way. Working as a couplet,
they refer to different points in time, “The Early Settlers” providing evidence of the author’s standing
as an “Australian” that is being questioned in “The Terrorists”.
Read aloud “The Early Settlers” to your class, followed by “The Terrorists”. Ask groups or pairs to
take on the persona of the Great Grandfather and the author, and examine the extent to which each
might feel dislocated: how, from whom and why.
Ask the students to find some texts that explore the notion of dislocation. They should be prepared
to present their text to the class, whether that be reading a poem aloud to the class, describing a
film, a book or a song.
1
http://www.shmoop.com/mia-paper-planes/meaning.html. This article has some interesting discussion about the
possible meaning of “Paper Planes” that might provide you with some ideas about where to lead class discussion.
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4/Part Two: Dislocation – “Make a wish Tom”
The immediate response to a poem, either listened or read, can often reveal the most perceptive
insights, however drawing out those initial responses before they become clogged with the
requirement to write clearly, use appropriate metalanguage or refer to technicalities such as
rhyming schema or metaphors is sometimes difficult.
The activity introduced here assists students to “get down” those initial impulses and use them to
generate a written response that can then be used as a foundation for a piece of writing that can
rely on appropriate metalanguage for clarity of expression. It works well in a classroom setting, and
can be especially helpful for students who doubt the value of their own thoughts and refer instead
to formulaic responses or those they have read in critical texts.
Resources needed: Board for noting responses
Texts:
Bruce Dawe, “The Drifters”
Paul Kelly, “How to Make Gravy”
Activities
1. The Brainstorm
Ask students to take everything off their desks except for a single piece of paper and a pen. Then
ask the students to sit at their desks with their eye closed and simply listen to the poem you are to
read. Build suspense by waiting until there is absolute silence, and read theatrically, as appropriate
for the poem itself.
Once you have competed your reading, tell the students to open their eyes and spend five minutes
simply writing down their initial reactions. Let them write for a minute and if you sense some
flagging call out some prompts to assist:
“What did the poem remind you of?”
“Who were the characters that stood out?”
“How did the poem make you feel?”
“What were some of the images that struck you?”
“Write some of the words that stood out.”
“Was there any rhyme or interesting sounds?”
“Do the themes of belonging and dislocation figure?” (Leave this until last 4 minutes or so in to the
exercise.)
Give the students five minutes only.
2. Building on the brainstorm
Now give the students a copy of the poem each, and read the poem aloud again, or have a student
do so. Now, with the poem in front of them, ask the students to write the introduction to an essay-
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length response to the poem, based on, or at least incorporating, their own initial thoughts that
were recorded recorded. Ask students to hand the responses in to you after 15 or 20 minutes.
3. Select students to present to the class
After an intense session of listening and writing, students’ presentations are a good way to mix up
the class and relax the tone. Select students to present the text that they prepared for homework.
You may like to break up this activity over a number of classes if you have a large class.
4. Reading
Read aloud the lyrics to Paul Kelly’s How to Make Gravy, one line at a time. Pause at the end of each,
and ask students to guess where the narrator is. They may get it at the first few lines, however it
may take them until towards the end of the song before they twig that he’s in goal. As a basis for a
discussion, ask the students why they think Kelly did not simply make it obvious in the first line that
the narrator is in gaol. Use this as a prompt to delve into the mood of the poem and how this is
conveyed.
Play the song as an end to the discussion and see if the tune and voice is as the students’ expected.
Ask the students to reflect on the migration experience of someone in their families.
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4/Part Three: Migration and the power of the word
This part focuses on the migrant experience, a theme very relevant to all Australians, from a recent
migrant background or otherwise. Depending on the demographics of your school and class, you
might wish to present some background about Australia’s history as a migrant nation and develop a
discussion about the migrant experience.
The objective of part three is to attune students to the importance that individual words play in
poetry, and how the precise choice and placement of words can elevate a text and its insights
beyond what can be taken at face value. Ironically the approach to dealing with the importance of
words is to remove words, firstly in a cloze reading of Margaret Atwood, and then in showing some
examples of films using the same, basic script to demonstrate how the “padding” around words can
influence their meaning. The final activity requires students to write their own piece of poetry.
Resources needed: Screen that can play YouTube videos; PowerPoint or similar that can display the
Atwood poem with selected words deleted.
Texts:
Margaret Atwood, “The Immigrants”
Shaun Tan, The Arrival
WH Auden “Refugee Blues”, Antigone Kefala “Sunday Visit”
Activities
1. Cloze reading2
A cloze reading provides a chance to challenge students’ understandings of a poem or a poetic form
by strategically deleting words from a poem and having students guess the words.
Begin the class by explaining the notion of the cues we use in reading, linking this with and
explaining cloze procedure, distinguishing between regular random deletions and strategic
deletions.
Also explain the notion of constraints – because of the way our language works there is only a
limited set of possible answers, and the students must determine what the most appropriate word is
taking into account imagistic, tonal and formal qualities of the poems; the rhyme scheme; the metre
of given lines etc. In her excellent narrative of a cloze activity using a Gwen Harwood poem,
Meredith Maher3 offers a number of clues that can be put on the board and discussed prior to the
activity.
2
3
Inspiration for this activity was drawn from: http://www.stella.org.au/pdf/33_maher.pdf
ibid.
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Semantic cues:
•
•
•
•
Does it make sense?
Does it sustain the meaning already established?
Is it consistent with the vocabulary, tone, mood or feeling of the poem (or this segment of
the poem)?
Syntactic cues:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Does it sound like language?
Does it fit with the rhythm of the verse? How many syllables are needed? What stress or
accentuation is needed?
Is it the right part of speech, right tense? (e.g. Is a proper name or a pronoun needed
here? Singular or plural? Past, present, future – or some other tense?)
Where does it fall in the sentence? What possibilities are there for this place in the syntax?
Grapho-phonic cues:
•
•
How does it fit with the rhyming pattern (What is the rhyme scheme)?
Are there any limitations on whether this word begins with a vowel or consonant?
A copy of Margaret Atwood’s poem “The Immigrants” is included in the appendices with suggested
deletions highlighted. This activity works best if you display the poem on the board, read the poem
aloud and then ask the students to work on groups to discuss possible words and their rationale for
suggesting them.
2. Around the words
Make this simple statement to your class:
“Not only is the choice of words crucial in poetry – so is the way words are used.”
Then show them a number of short films from the following website:
http://www.youtube.com/philipscinema
Ensure that you include the first-prize winning film, as the emotional gravity that it manages to
convey within the strict limits set by the competition is outstanding.
As an extension to this activity, you might like to introduce some concrete poems to your students, a
form which truly emphasises the role of techniques outside the words themselves.
3. Writing poetry
Often, however, it is what is not said that is as important as what is said. Ask your students to “read”
Shaun Tan’s graphic novel The Arrival. Then ask them to take one single frame from the book that
resonates most strongly with them, and that will form the basis of a poem. The amount of scaffold
that you provide your students here will vary widely within and between classes. For confident
students you may be able to simply let them get on with writing a poem. For most, however, it will
be worth encouraging them to scribble down ideas as a “brainstorm” and build a poem from there
as a series of drafts.
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4/Part Four: A handful of sand
The first activity of part four is based on ideas explored by John V Knapp4 that are borrowed from
science teaching techniques. Essentially, the Hypothesis-Experiment-Instruction (HEI) method
encourages individual students within a small group to take a position on the meaning of a poem
and argue for it using their developing knowledge of how poetry works. Ideally these discussions
will, if not lead to a consensus, spark an interesting and intellectually stimulating debate.
The teacher’s role is simply to provide an open intellectual environment in which students feel
confident to posit a point of view and put forward an argument supporting it.
Resources needed:
Texts:
Kev Carmody, “Elly”
Mudrooroo, “Blotched Country Boy”
The two anthologies cited in this section offer a selection of indigenous poets’ work as well as a
number of poems that explore issues of indigenous Australians. The songs of Archie Roach and Ruby
Hunter would be ideal also.
Activities
1. Introduction to the HEI approach
Provide the students with a copy of the lyrics to “Elly” by Kev Carmody, and write the following on
the board:
“Elly” is about:
•
•
•
gambling
the price of fame
losing your identity
Ask your students to choose one of the hypotheses and give them five minutes to write a few notes
about why they chose that one. Use these as the basis of a discussion, probing and questioning the
evidence that is provided but taking care never to give the impression that any of the hypotheses is
incorrect.
After a substantial discussion, ask the students to choose again – they can choose a different
hypothesis, the same one or posit a different one altogether. On this occasion, rather than asking
them to back up their choice, ask them what prompted them to make their second decision – a
4
Knapp, John V. (2002).”Teaching Poetry via HEI (Hypothesis-Experiment-Instruction)” in Journal of Adolescent
and Adult Literacy, 45 pp. 718-729
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particularly effective argument from a student, perhaps, or a new idea that was stimulated through
discussion.
2. HEI approach to Mudrooroo
Follow a similar approach to activity one, however this time ask the students to work in small
groups using the handout in the appendices.
Ask your students to have a think about what it means to them to be an Australian and note down
some ideas.
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4/Part Five: Poetry Slam – Being Australian
By this stage, your students should be familiar with listening to poems and responding to them on an
emotional and intellectual level, and being able to communicate responses both verbally and in
writing. They will also be coming to terms with a variety of lexical and poetic techniques that are
used and the effect that they have, and will hopefully be able to recognise that words are malleable
and how powerful they can be in the hands of a skilful poet.
Depending on your focus through the preceding sections, your students may also have gained plenty
of confidence in writing poetry, and in this unit you and your students are going to put your
developing skills out there in “Poetry Slam – Australia”, tying up the theme of belonging and
dislocation through personalising it.
Resources needed: screen with capacity to show You Tube clips.
Texts:
A.D.Hope, “Australia”
Dorothea Mackellar, “My Country”
Activities
1. Perceptions of Australia
Have students work in groups first reading and then discussing one of the two poems focused on
Australia. Ask them to pay particular attention to:
a. What feeling the narrator is displaying towards Australia; and
b. What aspects of the poem lead them to that conclusion. (eg. word choice, metre, rhyming
patterns, other language techniques such as alliteration, metaphors and similes etc.)
2. Writing a poem for a slam
First show the students some examples of slam poetry – there’s plenty to be found on the web –
and brainstorm the main characteristics of the poetry they have watched and those that they found
particularly successful and those that were less so. Also discuss the techniques of the poets doing
the reading.
All your students should write a poem for the poetry slam. It is important that you as the teacher
are seen to be participating, so you should write one too. Take care to respond positively to the
students’ work, and reinforce the importance of the drafting process – no poet gets it just right on
his or her first attempt. Separating students into small groups to work on editing can be effective,
and can also alleviate some of the concerns students have about performing their work to the class
if they have already had some positive feedback from their peers.
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For students that are having difficulty, ask them to brainstorm words and phrases that come to
mind when they think about “my place in Australia” and write them on a piece of card. Then ask
them to cut them up into single words or phrases, and arrange them in groups that have something
in common. This can be used as a framework for a poem, to which can be added linking words and
phrases, and other images that fit in with the theme.
3. Poetry Slam
How you organise the poetry slam itself is, of course, up to you. Fundamentally a poetry slam
involves poets performing their work (usually with a three minute limit) and the audience voting on
the best performance. Here are some things that you may wish to consider before you begin:
•
•
•
•
•
While all students must write a poem, they should not be forced to read them or compete.
Hopefully, as the slam continues, more
Teams’ competition – a friendly competition between, say, two classes, may add to the
atmosphere of the event. Extra spice can be added if the teachers of said classes start the
ball rolling. Having students read poems in pairs, one from each team, the audience votes on
the better performance (secret ballot, loudest cheer?). The team with the most votes wins.
Reading in pairs or small groups should be considered.
Simple props can add to a performance.
Music should not be allowed.
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Assessment
The assessment of this section of the unit has been left deliberately vague, even in comparison to
other units. While feedback on students’ work is obviously encouraged, a structured marking regime
has the effect of restricting the freedom of both the student and the teacher to take risks and
experiment – both crucial in a developed response to poetry and its writing.
The section does, however, offer opportunities to assess students’ work as it stands, and more
similar exercises can be built in if required:
•
•
•
•
In-class written introduction in response to “The Drifters”
Set a homework essay of responding to a number of poems with similar themes (by the
same or different author)
Student poetry
Student performance of poems
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Experiencing Poetry
Section Four Appendices
Part 1 Activity 1
PAPER PLANES
M.I.A
I fly like paper, get high like planes
If you catch me at the border I got visas in my name
If you come around here, I make 'em all day
I get one down in a second if you wait
I fly like paper, get high like planes
If you catch me at the border I got visas in
my name
If you come around here, I make 'em all day
I get one down in a second if you wait
Sometimes I feel sitting on trains
Every stop I get to I'm clocking that game
Everyone's a winner now we're making that
fame
Bonafide hustler making my name
Sometimes I feel sitting on trains
Every stop I get to I'm clocking that game
Everyone's a winner now we're making that fame
Bonafide hustler making my name
All I wanna do is (BANG BANG BANG BANG!)
And (KKKAAAA CHING!)
And take your money
And take your money
And take your money
Pirate skulls and bones
Sticks and stones and weed and bombs
Running when we hit 'em
Lethal poison through their system
Pirate skulls and bones
Sticks and stones and weed and bombs
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Experiencing Poetry
Running when we hit 'em
Lethal poison through their system
No one on the corner has swag like us
Hit me on my banner prepaid wireless
We pack and deliver like UPS trucks
A radio in hell just pumping that gas
No one on the corner has swag like us
Hit me on my banner prepaid wireless
We pack and deliver like UPS trucks
A radio in hell just pumping that gas
And take your money
And take your money
And take your money
M.I.A.
Third world democracy
Yeah, I got more records than the K.G.B.
So, uh, no funny business
Some some some I some I murder
Some I some I let go
Some some some I some I murder
Some I some I let go
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Experiencing Poetry
Part 1, Activity 3
THE EARLY SETTLERS
Ken Chau
THE TERRORISTS
Ken Chau
Great-Grandfather arrived
They are everywhere
in 1897 to grow corn
cabbage tobacco in Wahgunyah
I wear paranoia
like armour
the early settlers
already entrenched
like stone
each a foreign devil
a potential terrorist
like a raincoat
when it rains
when it doesn’t
the first terrorist
he called a fucking bastard
when smothered
by their attacks
in his own language.
I want to die
I want to kill
the fucking bastards
for making me feel that
being born in Australia
and being an Australian
are not the same.
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Experiencing Poetry
Part 2 Activity 2
DRIFTERS
Bruce Dawe
One day soon he’ll tell her it’s time to start packing,
and the kids will yell ‘Truly?’ and get wildly excited for no reason,
and the brown kelpie pup will start dashing about, tripping everyone
up,
and she’ll go out to the vegetable-patch and pick all the green
tomatoes from the vines,
and notice how the oldest girl is close to tears because she was
happy here,
and how the youngest girl is beaming because she wasn’t.
And the first thing she’ll put on the trailer will be the bottling-set she
never unpacked from Grovedale,
and when the loaded ute bumps down the drive past the blackberrycanes with their last shrivelled fruit,
she won’t even ask why they’re leaving this time, or where they’re
heading for
-she’ll only remember how, when they came here,
she held out her hands bright with berries,
the first of the season and said:
‘Make a wish, Tom, make a wish.’
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Experiencing Poetry
Part 3 Activity 1
THE IMMIGRANTS
Margaret Atwood
They are allowed to inherit
the sidewalks involved as palmlines, bricks
exhausted and soft, the deep
lawnsmells, orchards whorled to the land’s contours, the inflected weather
only to be told they are too poor
to keep it up, or someone
has noticed and wants to kill them; or the towns
pass laws and declare them obsolete.
I see them coming
up from the hold smelling of vomit,
infested, emaciated, their skins grey
with travel; as they step on shore
the old countries recede, become
perfect, thumbnail castles preserved
like gallstones in a glass bottle, the
towns dwindle upon the hillsides
in a light paperweight-clear.
They carry their carpetbags and trunks
with clothes, dishes, the family pictures;
they think they will make an order
like the old one, sow miniature orchards,
carve children and flocks out of wood
but always they are too poor, the sky
is flat, the green fruit shrivels
in the prairie sun, wood is for burning;
and if they go back, the towns
in time have crumbled, their tongues
stumble among awkward teeth, their ears
are filled with the sound of breaking glass.
I wish I could forget them
and so forget myself:
my mind is a wide pink map
across which move year after year
arrows and dotted lines, further and further,
people in railway cars
109
Experiencing Poetry
their heads stuck out of the windows
at stations, drinking milk or singing,
their features hidden with beards or shawls
day and night riding across an ocean of unknown
land to an unknown land.
http://www.poetryarchive.org/poetryarchive/singlePoem.do?poemId=97
110
Experiencing Poetry
Part 4 Activity 1
ELLY
Kev Carmody
Elly wrapped her nineteen years
In a coat from ’41
Had the looks that’d make a grown man sigh
From the Diamantina River country
She crossed the dry mid west
From her childhood schemes and sheltered dreams
She broke the ties
The commercial man made blunt demands
As they travelled south by east
Elly turned into a woman over night
He set her down in the heart of town
The millionaires retreat
She gazed up at the tall glass and concrete walls
At Main St. Surfers Paradise
CHORUS
If the decks been marked before the deal
You learn to compromise
Or you get to know the cool hand with the dice
You learn to live off losers, for they make the mistakes twice
You’re living in high society but you’re street wise
Just to survive, just to survive
With those centrefold looks
And bay-blue eyes
Man she stacked them in
All the senators and doctors called her Madam
With her fifteen girls she built a world
A pleasured paradise
On what a man of God would call the wages of sin
CHORUS
A wealthy woman
Drinks with diamond rings
Twenty stories high
Gazes out as the sun lifts from the sea
To make it to the top
Elly sacrificed the lot
And found that seven figure sum was far too high a fee
CHORUS
http://kevcarmody.com.au/recordings/reviews/lyrics-cannot
111
Experiencing Poetry
Part 4 Activity 2
Class handout:
Each student in the group must choose one of the hypotheses below. After you have made your choice, you
and members of your group are to discuss the poem and explain choices. Having fully discussed why you each
made your selection, your group is to revote. Each of you then has the option of choosing another given
alternative to your original choice, or you may create a completely new hypothesis.
The poem the “Blotched Country Boy”:
• is about the effect of drugs on indigenous Australians
• is about the narrator’s desire to return to the country
• is about the narrator’s life journey
• is about the power of the “white man”
BLOTCHED COUNTRY BOY
Mudrooroo
Would you believe that once I breathed
The country air of dreaming forth the big city
Highway straddled, or I the highway
Take your pick or sing a country tune
I was a country boy – once, entire
Now patched blotches map my face
Free from country roads
This is the end of the highway
Sweating, junkie thoughts skin pops the needle
Veined desire hurts worse than country boots
Legs meant for striding
Stagger to the bossman
Remaindering grains of super glue
To fasten down my widebrimmed hat
In shade my face leans away from the sun
To talk of shattered hours through the day
Poverty trembles my lost country voice
As brain cells urge me to avoid the straights in suits
Pontificating in their nice clean city frames
I am a bed rented out by the hour
I am well sold out to the lowest bidder
I mumble a country lie for my feed
I stumble my dole cheque to the Master
Who sprinkles the powder of forgetfulness
Beneath my cowman’s hat in scorn
I suck in phantasy like bulldust
Watching the vein pop up then implode
As cells overdrive into ecstasy
And I ride the range the Marlboro man
Or skid down the highway whole and entire
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Experiencing Poetry
Part 5 Activity 1
MY COUNTRY
Dorothea Mackellar
The love of field and coppice,
Of green and shaded lanes.
Of ordered woods and gardens
Is running in your veins,
Strong love of grey-blue distance
Brown streams and soft dim skies
I know but cannot share it,
My love is otherwise.
I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror The wide brown land for me!
A stark white ring-barked forest
All tragic to the moon,
The sapphire-misted mountains,
The hot gold hush of noon.
Green tangle of the brushes,
Where lithe lianas coil,
And orchids deck the tree-tops
And ferns the warm dark soil.
Core of my heart, my country!
Her pitiless blue sky,
When sick at heart, around us,
We see the cattle dieBut then the grey clouds gather,
And we can bless again
The drumming of an army,
The steady, soaking rain.
Core of my heart, my country!
Land of the Rainbow Gold,
For flood and fire and famine,
She pays us back threefoldOver the thirsty paddocks,
Watch, after many days,
The filmy veil of greenness
That thickens as we gaze.
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Experiencing Poetry
An opal-hearted country,
A wilful, lavish landAll you who have not loved her,
You will not understandThough earth holds many splendours,
Wherever I may die,
I know to what brown country
My homing thoughts will fly.
http://www.imagesaustralia.com/mycountry.htm
AUSTRALIA
A.D.Hope
A nation of trees, drab green and desolate grey
In the field uniform of modern wars
Darkens her hills, those endless, outstretched paws
Of Sphinx demolished or stone lion worn away.
They call her a young country, but they lie:
She is the last of lands, the emptiest,
A woman beyond her change of life, a breast
Still tender but within the womb is dry.
Without songs, architecture, history:
The emotions and superstitions of younger lands,
Her rivers of water drown among inland sands,
The river of her immense stupidity
Floods her monotonous tribes from Cairns to Perth.
In them at last the ultimate men arrive
Whose boast is not: 'we live' but 'we survive',
A type who will inhabit the dying earth.
And her five cities, like five teeming sores,
Each drains her: a vast parasite robber-state
Where second-hand Europeans pullulate
Timidly on the edge of alien shores.
Yet there are some like me turn gladly home
From the lush jungle of modern thought, to find
The Arabian desert of the human mind,
Hoping, if still from the deserts the prophets come,
Such savage and scarlet as no green hills dare
Springs in that waste, some spirit which escapes
The learned doubt, the chatter of cultured apes
Which is called civilization over there.
http://johnwatsonsite.com/MyClassNotes/Topics/Poetry/Australia%20AD%20Hope.html
114

Breathe in: experience. Breathe out: poetry.

Transcription

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