Match the poems to the poets: Flag Ted Hughes Out of the Blue Wilfred Owen Mametz Wood John Agard The Yellow Palm E. E. Cummings The Right Word Alfred Tennyson At the Border, 1979 Imtiaz Dharker Belfast Confetti Stevie Smith Poppies Ted Hughes Futility Ciaran Carson The Charge of the Light Brigade Margaret Postgate Cole Bayonet Charge Jane Weir The Falling Leaves Choman Hardi Come on, Come Back Robert Minhinnick next to of course god america i Owen Sheers Hawk Roosting Simon Armitage www.teachit.co.uk 2012 18564 1
Unscramble the poem titles below: Pie Pops Dam Wet Zoom Warthog Ski On Dither Growth Conflict question generator: Think of six suitable questions that could be based around the following themes/words, referring to the poems in the Conflict cluster: e.g. Which war inspired Tennyson s poem The Charge of the Light Brigade? (The Crimean War) a) Patriotism b) Metaphor c) Ballad d) Individual experiences e) Terrorism f) A future war Now swap questions with a partner and answer their questions. Odd one out Look at the list below and decide which is the odd one out. You should be able to come up with more than one reason. a) Belfast Confetti, The Yellow Palm, The Charge of the Light Brigade b) Futility, The Right Word, Come On, Come Back c) next to of course god america i, Bayonet Charge, The Falling Leaves d) Hawk Roosting, Poppies, Mametz Wood e) Flag, At the Border, Out of the Blue www.teachit.co.uk 2012 18564 2
Just a minute Choose one of the poems you have studied and be prepared to talk about it for one minute without hesitation (no um s or uh s), deviation (no going off topic!) or repetition (you need to make a range of different points). Should you hesitate, deviate or repeat yourself, then another member of the group can step in and continue talking. Whoever is still talking at the end of the 60 seconds is the winner. Theme cards Take a set of the following cards and place them face down on the table. Take it in turns to pick up a card and to name a poem that connects to that particular theme. For an extra challenge, identify a feature of the poem that particularly highlights that theme you could use a quotation or refer to an aspect of structure. If you pick a wild card, you can choose the theme! Death Loneliness War Individual experience Family Love Terrorism Divided society Loss Wild card www.teachit.co.uk 2012 18564 3
Sample questions 1. Compare how structure is used to present conflict in Belfast Confetti and one other poem from the Conflict cluster. 2. Compare how language is used to present personal experience in Out of the Blue 3. Compare how form is used to show patriotism in next to of course god america I 4. Compare how language is used to present the theme of death in The Yellow Palm 5. Compare how structure is used to present feelings about war in The Charge of the Light Brigade Actual wording of the AQA mark scheme: 6.1 insightful exploratory response to text What this means you need to do: Understand the poems on different levels. Write about the literal meanings where they re set and what happens. Offer suggestions about the wider impact of the poems. Ask yourself: How do these poems reflect feelings about and outcomes of any conflict? 6.2 close analysis of detail to support interpretation Pick out a range of evidence to examine. This can be quotations or comments about the shape, punctuation or content of the poem. Evidence is clearly linked to your main argument. Ask yourself: What else might this suggest? 6.3 evaluation of writers uses of language and/or structure and/or form and effects on readers Explore how the words/structure/form convey a message. Ask yourself: How does the poem make the reader feel? Why? 6.4 convincing/imaginative interpretation of ideas/themes Explain how the themes and ideas in the poems are important to you and the world at large. Ask yourself: What is important about these themes and ideas? What can society learn from them? www.teachit.co.uk 2012 18564 4
6.5 evaluative comparison of ideas and/or meanings and/or techniques Explain how the poems are similar and different. Ask yourself: How do each of these poems create the same/different feelings? What is similar/different about the content, the words used and the shape of the poems? 6.6 evaluative selection of a range of telling details into comparison Compare your poems throughout. As you make a point about one poem, link it to your second poem, using a similarity or a difference. Use specific details to compare. www.teachit.co.uk 2012 18564 5