Poetry Unit Glasgow 2008
Pre-reading Activities Glasgow 2008 1 Make a list of any streets or places you know in Glasgow. 2 What is your favourite place to visit in Glasgow? Explain why? 3 What would you say are the main differences between visiting Glasgow during the day and during the night? 4 Which time of day do you prefer to visit Glasgow? Explain why you think this. 5 Write a brief note of anything you have seen in Glasgow that you found/or find slightly disturbing? 6 In your opinion, is Glasgow a dangerous place to visit? Give reasons for your answer. Violence 1 Make a list of the types of violence have you witnessed in your life. 2 What is the most violent thing you have ever seen? 3 Are there any times when violence is acceptable? Give examples and reasons.
GLASGOW 5 MARCH 1971 Edwin Morgan 1 With a ragged diamond of shattered plate-glass a young man and his girl are falling backwards into a shop-window. 5 The young man s face is bristling with fragments of glass and the girl s leg has caught on the broken window and spurts arterial blood 10 over her wet-look white coat. Their arms are starfished out braced for impact. Their faces show surprise, shock, and the beginning of pain. 15 The two youths who have pushed them are about to complete the operation reaching into the window to loot what they can smartly. Their faces show no expression. 20 It is a sharp clear night in Sauchiehall Street. In the background two drivers keep their eyes on the road.
Glasgow 5th March 1971 Unseen Textual Analysis Read the poem at least twice and then answer the following questions. 1 What happens in this poem? (3) 2 Who are the characters in this poem? (3) 1 In what way might the title of the poem be compared to a diary entry? (2) 2 How many sentences are there in this poem? (1) 3 Write down all the verbs used in the poem? (12) 4 Are the verbs written in the present, past or future tense. (1) 5 What is the effect of writing the verbs in this tense? (2) 1 Identify and explain the metaphor in the first sentence. (3) 2 What image is created by using the word bristling.? (2) 3 What image is created by using the word starfished.? (2) 4 complete the operation What does the word operation suggest about the attackers? (2) 5 How does the word smartly help reinforce this image? (2) 6 Highlight and discuss the effectiveness of the contrasting facial expressions of the attackers and the victims. (4) Look at the final two lines of the poem. What point do you think Morgan is trying to make about individual social responsibility? (2) Glasgow 5th March 1971 Edwin Morgan
Key Themes and Issues. In groups, discuss what you think are the main themes or issues highlighted in this poem. The poem can be divided into three obvious sections so, it could be argued, that there are three key points being made by Morgan. Task 1 Look at lines 1-14 ending and the beginning of pain. What does this section focus on? What key issue or theme might Morgan be highlighting here? Task 2 Look at lines 15-19 ending. faces show no expression. What does this section focus on? What key issue or theme might Morgan be highlighting here? Task 3 Look at the last four lines ending keep their eyes on the road. What does this section focus on? What key issue or theme might Morgan be highlighting here?
Task Write about a poem which, in your opinion, is very effective in highlighting a number of important social issues. Explain what these issues are and examine and discuss the various ways in which Morgan managed to help you understand the main issues in this poem. Para 1 Mention the title and author and link to first sentence in task. Explain what happens in the poem (two or three sentences at most) Explain what you are going to do in your essay. Para 2 Explain how the poem is structured instamatic technique (give examples) present tense verbs (give examples) Para 3 Work your way through the poem discussing the imagery and word choice describing how they work Write about some or all of the following: ragged diamond of shattered plate-glass man s face is bristling with fragments of glass girl s leg spurts arterial blood arms are starfished out two youths are about to complete the operation to loot what they can smartly their faces show no expression two drivers / keep their eyes on the road Para 4 Write about some of the issues highlighted in the poem. Eg. Violence and its horrible effects People s cold and heartless attitude towards others People not wanting to get involved and deliberately avoid trouble.
Para 5 Finish by giving your overall opinion of the poem. How effective was Edwin Morgan in making you think about the issues in this poem? Did reading this poem make you think about violence and its effect on others? Did it make you think about how horrible some people can be towards others just to get what they want? Did it make you think about whether you would get involved in helping others if you saw that they were in trouble?
Glasgow 5 th March 1971 Imaginative Response to Literature Imagine you are one of the characters of the poem. Write the script of the conversation between yourself and a policeman who interviews you as a victim, witness or accused. Remember this is a script so it must be laid out like one. It must contain information from the poem. Details of the attack, what exactly happened, who did what, when and to whom. Some sense of how the characters felt before during and after. For example: Scene: Inside Police Headquarters, Pitt Street, Glasgow. 5 th. March 1971 PC Williams: Name? Witness: Thomas Carlisle PC Williams: Address? Carlisle: 72 Bent, Rd. Glasgow PC Williams: Age?
Revision Notes Section 1 Mention the title and author and link to first sentence in task. Explain what happens in the poem (two or three sentences at most) Explain what you are going to do in your essay. Section 2 Explain how the poem is structured instamatic technique (give examples) present tense verbs (give examples) Explanation: The way Morgan structures the poem. Section 3 Work your way through the poem discussing the imagery and word choice describing how they work. Describe means go into detail and explain not just mention. Write about some or all of the following: ragged diamond of shattered plate-glass man s face is bristling with fragments of glass girl s leg spurts arterial blood arms are starfished out two youths are about to complete the operation to loot what they can smartly their faces show no expression two drivers / keep their eyes on the road Explanation: Morgan s use of imagery and word choice..
Section 4 Write about some of the issues highlighted in the poem. Eg. Violence and its horrible effects People s cold and heartless attitude towards others People not wanting to get involved and deliberately avoid trouble. Section 5 Conclusion Remember, Remember, Remember The question Link back to the set question using words from it if necessary. Also if necessary: How effective was Edwin Morgan in making you think about the issues in this poem? Did reading this poem make you think about violence and its effect on others? Did it make you think about how horrible some people can be towards others just to get what they want? Did it make you think about whether you would get involved in helping others if you saw that they were in trouble?
Ragged diamond of shattered plate glass == metaphor Both are shiny Rough Tough Extremely hard sharp man s face is bristling with fragments of glass bristles are small pieces of hair which come out of a man s face. Morgan might be suggesting here that the man s face is covered in tiny pieces of glass and it is almost as if he has a beard of glass. girl s leg spurts arterial blood arms are starfished out two youths are about to complete the operation to loot what they can smartly their faces show no expression two drivers / keep their eyes on the road
Task Glasgow 5 th March 1971 Edwin Morgan Write about a poem which, in your opinion, is very effective in highlighting a number of important social issues. Explain what these issues are and examine and discuss the various ways in which Morgan managed to help you understand the main issues in this poem.