Belfast Confetti LO: Understand how Carson uses poetry to show the effects of an bomb explosion on an individual

Punctuation Marks ! - *. : ? Think about these punctuation marks. What does each shape look like? For what reasons can each punctuation mark be used?

Northern Ireland has suffered some terrible conflict in recent years. Divisions between the Protestant and Catholic populations, and between those who wish to stay part of the UK and those who do not, have resulted in horrific violence. The poem explores the fear and chaos of a riot and bombing in the country’s capital city.

Omagh Bombing 1998

Belfast Confetti Suddenly as the riot squad moved in it was raining exclamation marks, Nuts, bolts, nails, car-keys. A fount of broken type. And the explosion Itself – an asterisk on the map. This hyphenated line, a burst of rapid fire … I was trying to complete a sentence in my head, but it kept stuttering, All the alleyways and side streets blocked with stops and colons. I know this labyrinth so well – Balaklava, Raglan, Inkerman, Odessa Street – Why can’t I escape? Every move is punctuated. Crimea Street. Dead end again. A Saracen, Kremlin-2 mesh. Makrolon face-shields. Walkie- talkies. What is My name? Where am I coming from? Where am I going? A fusillade of question-marks. CIARAN CARSON

Shock The first word ‘Suddenly’ captures the reader’s attention and emphasises the shock of the explosion. Find another example of Carson’s shock in the opening of the poem. What effect does this have?

Unfamiliar Language There may be lots of words in the poem that you are unsure of. Highlight them. Do you think that there could be any reason for Carson to intentionally choose language that may be unfamiliar to people? Do the sounds of any of these words make them threatening? How?

Emotions in the poem What emotions does the poet describe himself feeling after the explosion? Identify and label at least three on your poem. Study and annotate the following: I was trying to complete a sentence in my head but it kept stuttering. All the alleyways and side streets blocked with stops and colons. I know this labyrinth so well.

Metaphor Carson has used the metaphor ‘This hypenated line, a burst of / rapid fire…’ to compare the hyphen to what? What are the visual similarities? Choose one other way that Carson has used a punctuation mark to represent something else, and then explain its effect.

Structure and Form The poem does not have a regular shape / form. The lines of the poem do not follow a set order; both the individual lines and the stanzas are of different lengths. a)What does this tell the reader about Carson’s emotions immediately after the bombing? b)Does this irregular arrangement on the page remind you of anything? Think about the poem’s title.