Jump Up Guiding questions analysis
1. What contextual information do you need to know You need to have knowledge of John Agard’s background and know that he came from the Caribbean. John is a poet, writer and playwright. He studied English, Latin and French. He left school in He has been the national poet in resident at the NT. Why? Because of his use of the local dialect.
2. What is the poem’s message He is celebrating poetry and the poem How do we know this? He brings the words to life by giving them emotions and movement He is also telling everyone to write a poem – all you need to perspiration indicating that a poet spends a lot of effort and time on writing a poem. Inspiration is also needed but it is 90% sweat and 10 % inspiration as Edison says.
3 and 4. How many verses are there ? There are six verses whose lines are not equal. This suggests that there doesn’t need to be uniformity or adherence to a set of rules – poets are free to express themselves
5. Lines that rhyme Words wild and free/Joining de poetry revelry Dis is poetry carnival/Dis is poetry baccanal Half-rhyme: If you don’t have a pen/What the hell/So long de feeling start to swell Words jumpin off de page/jumpin out a cage Rhyme or no rhyme/I mean to have a good time Half rhyme: celebration/perspiration/inspiration
6. Find one example of lines that are repeated Dis is poetry carnival/Dis is poetry bacchanal Words dancing An a little inspiration Take a look down the street
7. Find six examples of words that are repeated 1. hot 2. inspiration 3. perspiration 4. words 5. feeling 6. rhyme 7. poetry
8. What effect does the repetition have The repetition creates the rhythm of carnival music suggesting fun and celebration. Agard is celebrating the poem – its expression, its message, its feeling and encouraging everyone to join in with the celebration and write a poem regardless of ability of subject.
9. Why choose the method? It creates a tone of fun and celebration which is the message.
10. Who is the voice in the poem I is a poem today suggests that the voice is the poem itself. John has therefore personified the poem. Why? This resonates with the audience who will be encouraged to write their own poems, which have lives of their own that is separate from the poet. The voice is commanding the reader to take up a pen and write a poem. Tell me/Take a look/Just shout de poem out.
12. Use of punctuation The lack of punctuation helps to create the rhythm and speed. If there were commas and full-stops the reader would need to pause. To create the celebratory tone, the poet creates the speed with short lines and one syllable words generally. Apart from the last verse
13. Tone of the poem Take a look at the list but I would suggest that the tone is upbeat, happy, jolly, celebratory, fun
14. Kinesthetic or tactile imagery Words feeling hot hot hot – this is also personification because words cannot feel hot
15. Personification Words feeling hot hot hot Words dancing til dey sweat Words jumpin off de page Words shakin dey waist Words huggin up words
Similes and other literary techniques Words like fishes Words like birds Words wit white skin – imagery – appearance Words wild….- alliteration Words back to back/belly to belly – consonance Words like fishes – visual rhyme - i
Message and the mood The poet celebrates writing a poem The mood created is one of happiness, joy, fun, He creates music through the rhythm and the repetition of the words The poet is encouraging everyone to be a poet – to enjoy the experience of writing poetry. Yes it takes perspiration but it is FUN