Literature Revision

Guys - missing you already!

If you want to have a go at any of these questions and post online or email me, I will give you some feedback  to use for your revision.

Discuss the presentation of loss in Poppies and one other poem. [remember to use methods/techniques/devices to discuss this topic]

 

How does the poet in The Right Word present homecomings.  Compare this poem to one other of your choice.  [remember to use methods/techniques/devices to discuss this topic]

 

How does the poet, Stevie Smith, present the notion of identity in Come on, Come Back – discuss this in comparison with one other poem.  [remember to use methods/techniques/devices to discuss this topic]

Really helpful video links to use for revision

Mametz Wood:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUsRq-fFMDI

Background:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PjUF3TmhA8
 

Essay challenge

Write three paragrpahs using the following question on Belfast Confetti:

How does the poet use techniques to convey a sense of frustration?

Well done!

Guys, as stated in the lesson: I am uber proud of you all, including Ben!

You've made me feel like this (above) and you too should feel like this!  In fact you should all practise this pose, freqently.

On to matters of business, as stated in the lesson, if you want to retake we can re-enter you for June.  Consider this carefully as it is another load to bear and the next priority, from where I am sitting, is the poetry paper.  Consider whether trying to get a B or A or even an A* in the Modern Texts paper will hamper you achieving your predicted grade in the Poetry paper.

If you decide to re-take and don't do as well second time round you will retain the higher mark from the first paper.

Oh, and Ben you are great!

If you also want to talk about A-Levels by the way, find me in lunch to do so.

Oh, and Jade...you're the only person to get full marks out of everyone in the school!

Oh, and Ben you are great!

Create the Learning Objective!

Extension challenge - design a suitable learning objective for the lesson based on what you feel you achieved and how you achieved it.
Comment below with your answer.

Create an improved and more sophisticated response

How does the author convey meaning in the poem Bayonet Charge?

Your task is to create an improved and more sophisticated response than the example below.  The candidate has used some direct reference to detail using quotations, but has failed to pick apart (unpick) the use of language in sufficient detail.  They have also used some of the ideas behind the poem, but haven't really opened these out.

Would you consider this an A, B, C or D grade response?

Why do they keep saying 'it has an effect on the reader'?  I want to know what the effect is, so stop wasting words and rephrase the response!  This is what I feel like screaming into their brain guys.  We can do better than this - they haven't exactly PEE'd it either.  My heart weeps and a drowsy numbness pains my brain!

Leave your response in the comments box underneath this post.


Candidate response:
Bayonet charge is a poem about an unnamed soldier who is fighting in WW1. Even the first word in the poem (suddenly) draws the reader's attention because it shows that the events in the poem are unexpected and unusual. Hughes uses repetition of the word 'raw' to highlight that the soldier is new to the war and is therefore young and inexperienced. The fact that the soldier stumbles and is 'dazzled' also adds to the point that he is inexperienced.

As well as showing that youth played a big part in the war, Hughes shows the horrors of it. He uses the personification ' bullets smacking the belly out of the air' so as not to shock the reader by saying that a soldier has been shot, but to show how horrific the war was.
Hughes also shows the idea of idealism verses reality.

In the second verse, there is a lot of reference to time. For example, the word 'stopped' puts a halt to the time and the clockwork is mentioned in the next line. This has an effect of the reader as it, in a way has a sense of slow motion to it and adds to the tension of the poem.

The idea of patriotism

Cummings mocks the idea of patriotism and America in “’next to of course god america i’ by suggesting that America is unsure of which subject is more important. He does this through a range of structural devices based around ‘god america i’. The order of this list shows us that God may be seen as the most important as he comes first. However the stressed structure of iambic pentameter shows us that God is unimportant as the word “god” is unstressed. It could be argued that “i” is the most important as it is the only stressed word. However it could also be argued that individuals, or even individuality, is unimportant as it is the last in the list, overshadowed by America and God. This use of punctuation also gives us an insight as none have capital letters so all could be seen as equal. Cummings uses this indecisive structure to mock America as it shows America is unaware of what is important.

Charlotte Diffey

Welcome

Welcome to the Literature hub for any revision guidance or ideas you might need prior to the Literature exam on Poetry. At the side you will find pages that lead you to the poems, if you haven't got them to hand. Here you can read through and leave comments recording any ideas you have about the poems. This will be really useful for all of you if you make proper use of it. I will monitor all comments.

You will also find a collection of links to other sites that provide additional insights on the poems we have studied and, hopefully, will freshen your interpretations on the poems and their purposes.

You can also practice questions. There are some starters at the side that can be reworded to fit a poem you would like to have a go at. You can then either post it here in the comments box below, or email. I would like to ask that anything that is emailed in be used on the site as well so that we can share learning, however if you'd rather not then just let me know.

All the best. Only a few weeks to go and it will be all over. Manage your time well and keep your revision blocks to 45 mins, with 15 mins break before returning to it. Be disciplined with time!