GCSE: Poetry Mametz Wood by Owen Sheers Lesson Objective – To explore Owen Sheer’s poem Mametz Wood, considering context and deeper meaning Assessment Objectives for your exam: AO1: Read, understand and respond to texts. Students should be able to: Maintain a critical style and develop an informed personal response Use textual references, including quotations, to support and illustrate interpretations (assessed in all questions) AO2: Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects, using relevant subject terminology where appropriate (assessed in all questions) AO3: Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written (assessed in responses to the poetry anthology question and 19th century prose question) AO4: Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation (assessed in Shakespeare essay response and the post 1914 prose/drama response)

GCSE: Poetry Mametz Wood by Owen Sheers Lesson Objective – To explore Owen Sheer’s poem Mametz Wood, considering context and deeper meaning Assessment Objectives for today’s lesson: AO2: Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects, using relevant subject terminology where appropriate (assessed in all questions) AO3: Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written (assessed in responses to the poetry anthology question and 19th century prose question)

GCSE: Poetry Mametz Wood by Owen Sheers Lesson Objective – To explore Owen Sheer’s poem Mametz Wood, considering context and deeper meaning Lesson Outcomes: Bronze: I can make simple comments on the effect that the writer’s context has on the meaning of texts. My comments make inferences and deductions based on textual evidence. Silver: I can give some explanation of how the contexts in which texts are written and read contribute to meaning. My comments consider wider implications of information, events or ideas in the text contribute to overall meaning. Gold: I can make some detailed discussion of how the contexts in which texts are written or read affect meaning. My comments begin to develop an interpretation of the text making connections between meanings and making insights.

Who is Owen Sheers? Owen Sheers was born on 20th September 1974 and is a Welsh poet, author, playwright, actor and TV presenter. He was the winner of the 1999 Vogue Young Writer’s award and is currently the first ever writer in residence to be appointed by any national rugby union team. Sheers was born in Fiji, but was raised in Abergavenny in Wales.

What is Mametz Wood? Mametz Wood is a wooded area in northern France that was the location for the Battle of Mametz Wood, which was part of the famous Battle of the Somme in 1916 (World War One). The battle saw the 38th Welsh Division pitted against German Forces on the border of the wooded area. The German Forces were nestled in the trees with machine guns and the Welsh Division were in open ground. The 38th Welsh division took heavy losses of around 4000 men.

Mametz Wood by Owen Sheers For years afterwards the farmers found them – the wasted young turning up under their plough blades as they tended the land back into itself. A chit of bone, the china plate of a shoulder blade, the relic of a finger, the blown And broken bird’s egg of a skull, all mimicked now in flint, breaking blue in white across this field where they were told to walk, not run, towards the wood and its nesting machine guns. And even now the earth stands sentinel, reaching back into itself for reminders of what happened like a wound working a foreign body to the surface of the skin. This morning, twenty men buried in one long grave, a broken mosaic of bone linked arm in arm, their skeletons paused mid dance-macabre in boots that outlasted them, their socketed heads tilted back at an angle and their jaws, those that have them, dropped open. As if the notes they had sung have only now, with this unearthing, slipped from their absent tongues.

As farmers plough the field – their machines uncover the graves. Stanza ONE Farmers discover the shallow graves to this day – up to and including 20 bodies at a time are often found in the area (skeletons with their arms linked together.) For years afterwards the farmers found them – the wasted young turning up under their plough blades as they tended the land back into itself. The word ‘wasted’ demonstrates Sheers feelings about the futility of war and how young lives are deemed disposable. As farmers plough the field – their machines uncover the graves.

Stanza TWO A chit of bone, the china plate of a shoulder blade, Metaphor which makes the bones of the fallen soldiers seem very delicate A ‘chit’ is a small piece of paper or relic/the remains of a corpse. A chit of bone, the china plate of a shoulder blade, the relic of a finger, the blown And broken bird’s egg of a skull, Anything left when the rest has decayed Empty remains of a young mans head – fragile and broken

Stanza THREE all mimicked now in flint, breaking blue in white Because they were marching, German forces were able to easily gun the Welsh soldiers in the field. The 38th Welsh Division were told to march across open ground and were gunned down. all mimicked now in flint, breaking blue in white across this field where they were told to walk, not run, towards the wood and its nesting machine guns. Continuation of the bird metaphor – machine guns nested and hidden within the trees

Personification of the earth – protecting the graves of the soldiers Stanza FOUR Personification of the earth – protecting the graves of the soldiers Lookout or Guard And even now the earth stands sentinel, reaching back into itself for reminders of what happened like a wound working a foreign body to the surface of the skin. Simile for the earth revealing the bones of soldiers and shallow graves referring to something introduced from the outside, like the Welsh soldiers in France

Small art design made from small squares of colour stone or glass Stanza FIVE Small art design made from small squares of colour stone or glass This morning, twenty men buried in one long grave, a broken mosaic of bone linked arm in arm, their skeletons paused mid dance-macabre Fragments of bone, pieced together like a jigsaw. Suggests that the remains of different bones were in a condition that would allow them to be pieced together ‘Dance-macabre’ = Dance of Death. This was a common theme within medieval poetry and art and often depicted a skeleton leading people to their graves (linked arms). This was said to symbolise the idea that death is unavoidable. This used to make people reflect on the state of their souls.

Stanza SIX in boots that outlasted them, Irony – their boots lasted longer than the soldier’s did – dark ideal about the frailty of life in boots that outlasted them, their socketed heads tilted back at an angle and their jaws, those that have them, dropped open. Disturbing how some do not have boots with them – reminds the reader of the horrors the soldiers may have faced Very disturbing vivid imagery of the positions some of the soldiers remains are in after the discovery of this new grave

Stanza SEVEN As if the notes they had sung The words ‘had’ suggests that they are no longer able to – this is Sheers again, addressing the waste of life during war As if the notes they had sung have only now, with this unearthing, slipped from their absent tongues. An emotive phrase used to emphasise the futility of war – earlier in the poem the death were ‘wasted young’ and their ‘absent tongues’ suggest they cannot speak for themselves. This can be seen to emphasise the idea that during war, decisions are made for soldiers which they must carry out – some of which are not successful.

The poem Mametz Wood can be broken down into FOUR sections: Section ONE: Lines 1-9 This first sections almost gives a background to the poem, informing the reader that for years, farmers have been unearthing the remains of the fallen from the battle of Mametz Wood. Section TWO: Lines 10-12 The poet’s voice is heard in this section, reflecting on how new discoveries of the shallow graves and remains of fallen soldiers are still found today. (Bringing the past to the present). Section THREE: Lines 13-18 This sections tells of an actual new discovery that has been made – the vivid imagery in this section invites the reader to imagine exactly how this new grave and its inhabitants look. Section FOUR: Lines 19-21 This section reintroduces Sheers’ feelings towards war and the waste of young vigorous life.