Sounds Of The Day - Annotation We are learning to: annotate the text and identify the use of poetic techniques.

Thinking About Silence Think about the different types of silence that you can have. What kind of silence do you have when you are happy? What kind of silence do you have when you are upset or lonely? What power does silence have? Where else have we looked at silence and the impact that no noise can have on someone?

First Impressions Create a mind map with a partner about your first impressions of the poem. What’s it about? What’s the message/theme? Any relevant techniques? And anything else you would like to comment on. Remember, it is how YOU interpret it; there are no right or wrong answers in poetry analysis.

Sounds Of The Day In Sounds of The Day MacCaig begins by describing the sounds that he hears in a still silent environment. It begins in a positive and descriptive manner. However the sound of a door closing in stanza two signifies the turning point in the poem and MacCaig goes on to explore the despair of loss. (again!)

Structure -This poem is written in free verse made up of four irregular stanzas. -The division between each of the stanzas helps to focus the reader on the specific idea that is contained within each one -The poem is organised in a fairly straightforward chronological order.

Stanza Summaries In your groups, come up with summaries of each of the four stanzas.

Structure The poem begins by describing sounds in stanzas one and two and moves onto describing feelings in stanza three and four. The memories evoked by the “sounds of the day” allow MacCaig to explore this difficult and emotional experience

Stanzas Stanza One: the speaker describes natural sounds: horses, a bird, waves and a waterfall. On its own, this stanza paints a pleasant picture and indicates the speaker’s delight in nature Stanza Two: The shut door, described in the second stanza, is the turning point of the poem. Here the ideas move from a delight found in a variety of natural sounds to a reflection upon one specific experience

Stanza Three: The personal nature of the poem is apparent in the third stanza as the speaker addresses the person who has left. We get the impression of a figure, suddenly alone, faced with the consequences of a separation. Stanza Four: Honest assessment of how deeply he has been affected by the experience. The relationship has meant a lot to the speaker and the separation, though painful enough during the moment itself, has left a lasting impression

Poem begins by listing the “sounds of the day” Stanza One Poem begins by listing the “sounds of the day” When a clatter came, it was horses crossing the ford. When the air creaked, it was a lapwing seeing us off the premises of its private marsh. A snuffling puff ten yards from the boat was the tide blocking and unblocking a hole in a rock. When the black drums rolled, it was water falling sixty feet into itself. What is most significant is the acuteness and descriptiveness of these distinct sounds in emphasising how alert the speaker is to them. He can hear it because of the silence that surrounds him – it is an enriching and still environment

Stanza One Inverted list – it is the sound that comes first. When a clatter came, it was horses crossing the ford. When the air creaked, it was a lapwing seeing us off the premises of its private marsh. A snuffling puff ten yards from the boat was the tide blocking and unblocking a hole in a rock. When the black drums rolled, it was water falling sixty feet into itself. Inverted list – it is the sound that comes first. In this instance it is the sound that is most important (as the title suggests)

Stanza One When a clatter came, it was horses crossing the ford. When the air creaked, it was a lapwing seeing us off the premises of its private marsh. A snuffling puff ten yards from the boat was the tide blocking and unblocking a hole in a rock. When the black drums rolled, it was water falling sixty feet into itself. MacCaig uses onomatopoeia and alliteration to imitate these specific sounds There is a strong sense of the power of nature. Theme of importance of Natural World established.

Stanza One Humorous image – personification When a clatter came, it was horses crossing the ford. When the air creaked, it was a lapwing seeing us off the premises of its private marsh. A snuffling puff ten yards from the boat was the tide blocking and unblocking a hole in a rock. When the black drums rolled, it was water falling sixty feet into itself. Humorous image – personification Show how territorial the lapwing is Air creaked – very detailed description of the sound – emphasises how still and quiet the poet must have been

Stanza One Stanza finishes with the first hint that the poem may have a darker meaning that the first stanza suggets When a clatter came, it was horses crossing the ford. When the air creaked, it was a lapwing seeing us off the premises of its private marsh. A snuffling puff ten yards from the boat was the tide blocking and unblocking a hole in a rock. When the black drums rolled, it was water falling sixty feet into itself. CK - consonance/harsh sounding words Black drums rolled – hints at darker undertones (ominous and brooding) Foreshadowing the mood and tone to come

Turning Point in the Poem Stanza Two When the door scraped shut, it was the end of all the sounds there are. The silence that allowed him to hear so keenly the sounds of the natural world has returned, yet this silence is oppressive and suffocating Turning Point in the Poem

Stanza Two Door is a metaphor for the end of relationship and suggests a barrier that cannot be crossed. When the door scraped shut, it was the end of all the sounds there are. Hyperbole of final statement – underlines the significance of the moment. No pleasure in sitting listening to sounds Scraped – Same harsh sound as at the end of stanza one Scraped has connotations of pain and hurt Clear sense of the despair and pain that follows a parting Idea that nothing will be the same again (links to Memorial)

National 5 – “Sounds of the Day” Annotation Success Criteria We will apply knowledge of poetic techniques to analyse stanza 3 of the poem Answer practice textual analysis questions, ensuring that each entire question has been answered in full

Recap On Monday you spent time in groups to analyse Sounds of the Day, looking for: examples of techniques –metaphor, simile, alliteration, onomatopoeia, emjambment, personification, etc. Examples of interesting word choice Theme/ideas Structure Pay attention to the next two slides, and add to your notes for STANZA 3 now

Move away from sounds to feelings and emotions Stanza Three You left me beside the quietest fire in the world. Move away from sounds to feelings and emotions This single sentence stanza explains the reason for this shift in mood. The speaker implies the impact of the parting is that he is no longer to hear and take pleasure in sounds – the huge impact of the loss.

Stanza Three Word choice – again emphasising the lack of sound. Contrast to stanza one. You left me beside the quietest fire in the world. Use of personal pronouns. Accusing tone (similar technique used in Memorial) Unambiguous statement Suddenness of the silence Use of hyperbole – communicate the extreme pain he is feeling

Individual Task Work on the textual analysis questions for Sounds of the Day. Ensure you are answering in complete sentences (no fragments or one word answers!) Ensure you answer everything the question has asked for. Be ready to hand these in tomorrow at the start of class. *** If you finish, continue to work on your comparative MacCaig chart

Stanza Four The final verse is utterly bleak I thought I was hurt in my pride only, forgetting that, when you plunge your hand in freezing water, you feel a bangle of ice round your wrist before the whole hand goes numb. The final verse is utterly bleak The focus of the poem moves from sound to touch Complexity of emotions that comes when there is a parting.

Stanza Four Initial feeling is on the surface – he thinks it is his feelings are not badly hurt at first I thought I was hurt in my pride only, forgetting that, when you plunge your hand in freezing water, you feel a bangle of ice round your wrist before the whole hand goes numb. Word Choice – plunge emphasises the suddeness of the parting Metaphor – raw initial grief of someone leaving He conveys the emotional pain that still lies, like the hand, beneath the surface even if he is numb to it at the moment.

Themes The closing door is an important image in the poem and introduces the theme of loss and parting. For the speaker, the separation is significant and painful. He feels his life has been changed and his senses have been altered forever. MacCaig explores how parting affects us in a significant way. He captures both the initial, difficult pain of a break-up but also the lasting effect such experiences can have on us. Love is usually depicted in poetry positively, yet this love has resulted only in pain and heartbreak, leaving the reader to consider whether this relationship has been worth the pain of parting.

Tasks Comparative Chart What is the 8 mark question? Practice 8 mark comparative question Listening Assessment has been pushed back till after October Break