this is what i tell my friends and students and myself if i go into the exam with the attitude that i have no chance of passing then u can **** off and not do the exam at all have a postitive attitude
At the end of the day, you can go into the exam, pick your poems question and then chose which poem you are going to compare it with and spend 5 mins picking out the language techniques/structure etc. to form a plan. I'm sure you'll be fine, and for the second section it all depends on the question really you can't do much but know what features to include in your particular choice of question (inform, explain or describe) Keep calm else you won't be able to focus fully
I love poetry :-D anyone got a fave poem or least favourite poem out of the bunch???
What is in the anthology isn't a very good example of good poetry well certainly not the clusters, if you are doing literature then some of Carol-Anne Duffy's are good. My least favourite clusters are: Night of the scorpion, Presents form Pakistan, search for my tongue and I cant remember any more. I subject that you try to avoid these unless you are happy with a C. My favourite poems are Island man and Nothings changed (I'm currently rather hoping I get the Q of feelings about a place :-)) All in all the choices of poems are based on the UK's previous obsession with multiculturalism due to terrorist attacks IMHO.
Search for my tongue. Language: Part of it is in Gujarati, shows she is able the connection between the two different languages. Under the Gujarati, is the phonetic spelling and translation which shows that is able to use both at the same time. Imagery: Negative, rot, die, pejorative term: foreign. Doesn’t have a choice, has to spit out her mother tongue. Second half, more positive, grows, bud. Mother seen as a carer, protector, so losing it makes her feel unsafe in the US. Structure: The Gujarati is in the middle which shows the importance of her mother tongue is to her. Tone: Disgust of having to lose her mother tongue in the first part. Reassurance that her mother tongue is still there in the middle section Content that her mother tongue grows out of her mouth
Unrelated Incidents Language: Phonetic spelling, makes us talk with his accent, makes it seem natural to us which shows that even though he was brought up elsewhere, we can make this comparison because we are all the same that way. Uses the pejorative term of “scruff” for all people who live in Glasgow because they are unable to work as a newsreader because of their accent, however, because he refers to himself as a scruff, he is saying that anyone can deliver the truth. Imagery: “belt up” could be aimed at the readers, the newsreaders or himself. Structure: Form is like an auto-cue as there are about 2 words per line. Makes it seem more rant-like and harsher. Tone: Rant-like and quite ironic. However, the ending could be interpreted in different tones depending how the reader interprets who the belt up is aimed at.
Half-Caste Language: Phonetic Spelling, makes us talk like we are also Caribbean makes us wonder why we are prejudice to people even though we all talk the same. Uses the pejorative term “Half-Caste” and tries to make it a more optimistic term Imagery: A lot of colour, mixing two colours together to make a beautiful art work but when two mixed colours make a child, they are prejudiced to the mixed child. Physical imagery of being only half a person Structure: Around 4 words per line, rant like. No punctuation so flows and no capitalisation at new line. Tone: Mocking at the beginning to rant/anger to sadness at the end
Love after Love Language: Metaphor “Stranger who was yourself” <- before a relationship Uses imperatives and is rather authoritative to instruct the reader how to become the person who you were before the relationship. Imagery: Religious imagery of you “eating” yourself. Like last supper, eating in memory of who Jesus was in comparison to you eating who you were during the relationship. Imagery of you peeling off images, like clearing out clutter in ‘This Room’ Structure: Not much to talk about structure in all honesty.. Tone: Quite calm mainly because it is reassuring you that it is going to be okay because you might have suffered badly during a relationship.
This Room Language: Onomatopoeia used “clang” and “bang” and “crash” very celebratory also has an alliteration of “celebration, clang” and “pots and pans” and “crash through clouds” – All these are very positive sounds. Imagery: Very metaphorical. Room is Imtiaz Dharker’s head. Person was confined, throwing out the memories to get to a stage where she is content. However, she is throwing out some good memories as well in the process as we don’t know what type of cloud the “chairs” are crashing through. Structure: The use of the enjambment at the end so the last line could be seen as a question or a statement. This shows that she has divided herself in the process of finding the person she wants to be. Also, there is the separation of the fourth stanza from the third and last stanza which shows us that she is separated from the person she was before – it was successful. Tone: There is excitement at being able to become the person that she wants to be but there is also confusion because she is wondering “where I’ve left my feet”
Not My Business Language: The use of not being able to name who is attacking the citizens of Africa, shows the democracy of Africa during that period. The use of the rhetorical question that Niyi Osundare asks at the end of each stanza; it shows the selfishness of not wanting to get involved to help innocent people. Imagery: Personification of the jeep. “stuffed him down the belly” makes the jeep seem monstrous and scary. Also the metonymy of “bewildered lawn” shows the shock of being picked next by the Government even though you think that you haven’t done anything wrong. “Yam” shows the vast population and “savouring mouth” shows the vast hunger. Structure: The indent of the last three lines in the first three stanzas, instead of narrating the story, show the person’s thoughts on the events. The last stanza is only 5 lines long in comparison to the other stanzas which has 7 lines long which shows that the dinner has ended that that there is a surprise. Maybe his life has ended? Tone: Quite selfish and arrogant, maybe led by fear of being picked next to be captured.
Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan Language: Calls the Pakistani clothes what they are really called – shows that she has some knowledge on Pakistan but also has knowledge on English clothes with the “denim and corduroy” Uses the pejorative terms “alien” and “half-English” which shows that she knows that she doesn’t fit in Imagery: Very colourful and has a lot of similes. Metaphor: “bangles snapped, drew blood” has reference to race and ethic and shows that they don’t fit her as in culture-wise and injure her instead – it shows that the clothes are rejecting her as well. Use of “prickly heat” shows that because of her skin colour, she cannot adjust to the temperature change that Britain has. Also the “rise up out of its fire” is a metaphor for being embarrassed by wearing Pakistani clothes in England. She called the Pakistani “costumes” which is seen as something that is worn but doesn’t represent who the person really is. Structure: In free verse which shows how she is mixed up. Tone: Sad because she does not fit in English culture or Pakistani Culture.
Hurricane Hits England Language: It is basically made up of statements, commands and questions. The statements kind of narrate the poem but also tell us what she does about the hurricane. The commands show her connection with the hurricane and how it links her to her homeland. The questions are basically her questioning the hurricane and herself to why she moved to England rather than staying at home. Imagery: Personifies the hurricane. Gives them names and calls them her cousin because hurricanes were a normal even in Guyana. Imagery of the earth being one shows that everyone is the same whether they are from Guyana or Britain. Structure: In free verse which shows the unpredictability of the hurricane. Tone: Reassurance that her home is nearby.
Prejudice: Unrelated Incidents & Half-Caste Culture: Search for my Tongue & Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan Language: Search for my Tongue & Unrelated Incidents & Half-Caste Different Places: Search for my Tongue & Hurricane hits England Finding who you are: This Room & Love after Love Conflict: Presents from me Aunts in Pakistan & Not my Business