AS90055 1.4 Read, study and show understanding of short written text

What is Short Written Text? Short written text includes: Poetry Short Stories Print media (newspaper articles etc) We will be looking at poetry this year.

An External Standard Short Written Text is assessed at the end of the year in the external examinations. You will need to be able to write a 200-word essay about the short written texts that we will study in class. You will have 25 minutes in the final exams for this essay. You will write practice essays in both the mid-year and Term 4 mock exams.

Achievement Criteria: Achievement with Merit Achievement with Excellence Show understanding of specified aspect(s) of at least two short written texts using supporting evidence. Show convincing understanding of specified aspect(s) of at least two short written texts using supporting evidence. Show perceptive understanding of specified aspect(s) of at least two short written texts using supporting evidence.

Read the poem on the next page Read it through once to get an idea of what it is about. This is a simple poem – what do you think it is about?

The rose that grew from concrete Did you hear about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete? Proving nature's law is wrong it learned to walk without having feet. Funny it seems, but by keeping its dreams, it learned to breathe fresh air. Long live the rose that grew from concrete when no one else ever cared.

Analyse the poem… The poem is a metaphor for something. What is it? The poet was Tupac Shakur. Does this help you to know what the metaphor might be? Think about the kinds of things that would have been important to the poet.

Studying a poem Studying a poem involves looking closely at three key areas: Content What the poem focuses on and says Form How the poet chooses to shape the content Effect What the reader sees, hears, considers, realises as a result of the content and form.

Content The content of a poem is what the poet focuses on: Events Scenes Descriptions Characters The content is also the message of the poem.

Content – Title and Theme The title can help you to understand what the poem is about. The theme is the message or idea that the poet is trying to communicate. Think about why the poet has chosen to write the poem.

Example: What do each of the following poem titles suggest to you? Seven ages of man The General The Highwayman The Lesson Loveliest of trees Jabberwocky On his blindness

They could be about… Seven ages of man – life? History? The General – an army general? The Highwayman – a highwayman? The Lesson – a classroom? A teacher? Loveliest of trees – a tree? With blossoms? Jabberwocky – nonsense? On his blindness – a man going blind?

From Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll ‘Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe; All mimsy were the borogroves, And the mome raths outgrabe. Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! Beware the Jubjub bird and shun The frumious Bandersnatch!

From The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees, The moon was a ghostly galleon, tossed on stormy seas. The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor, And the highwayman came riding – Riding – riding – The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door.

From The Lesson by Roger McGough Chaos ruled OK in the classroom as bravely the teacher walked in the hooligans ignored him his voice was lost in the din "The theme for today is violence and homework will be set I'm going to teach you a lesson one that you'll never forget" He picked on a boy who was shouting and throttled him then and there then garrotted the girl behind him (the one with grotty hair) …

Form Form involves: The physical layout of the poem The use of figures of speech The use of sound devices Word choice Rhyme Point of view

Poem Layout How many stanzas does the poem have? How does the content develop through the stanzas? Does it matter where one stanza ends and another begins? Does it matter where the lines start and finish?

Poem Layout A line of poetry can be either end-stopped or use enjambment. End-stopped The phrase or thought is complete at the end of the line For example: ‘You are old, Father William, the young man said, ‘And your hair has become very white; And yet you incessantly stand on your head – Do you think, at your age, it is right?

Poem Layout Enjambment For example: He saw its shadow in his dream The thought or idea continues on to the next line. This allows the poet to maintain a rhyme scheme or end a line with an important thought. For example: He saw its shadow in his dream Circle the house, as though it searched For one it loved or hated. Claws On gravel and a rabbit’s scream Ripped the fabric of his dream.

Language Techniques There are different types of language techniques: Sound techniques Poetic techniques General language techniques

Explanation of Example Sound Techniques We have covered these already in class. Draw up a table like this and fill it in: Language feature Definition General Effect Example Explanation of Example Onomatopoeia The use of words that create a sound Writing is brought to life through sound and the sound is reinforced for the reader. Whispering ‘Whispering’ creates a tone of secrecy and softness, as the word itself sounds like a whisper Alliteration Assonance The repetition of vowel sounds across two or more words The words are connected and therefore stand out The moon loomed on the horizon.

Poetic Techniques Fill in the table… Language feature Definition General effect Example Explanation Simile A comparison between two things using ‘like’ or ‘as’. The reader’s understanding is increased by comparing the object to something they understand. The baby’s eyes were as blue as the sky. The reader visualises a clear blue sky, therefore understanding what the writer is saying more clearly. Metaphor The reader’s understanding is increased by the direct comparison. Personification The tree waved in the wind.

General Language Techniques Language feature Definition General effect Example Explanation Repetition The repetition of a word or phrase throughout a text. Puts emphasis on the phrase/word and makes the reader aware of it We walked and walked and walked… The repetition reinforces the idea that the walking went on for a long time. Symbol An object or word that represents another idea The reader thinks of the things associated with the symbol A dove Colloquial language Informal everyday language Creates an informal atmosphere He’s a good mate Jargon Specialised language associated with a particular group Makes the writer sound knowledgeable Can be exclusive Cricket jargon – ‘out for a duck’

Word Choice Each word in a poem is carefully chosen for This is something that you can also apply to your Creative Writing. Each word in a poem is carefully chosen for its subtlety of meaning. It is important to consider the connotations of words. A connotation is the meaning that we add to a word beyond its dictionary meaning. For example, the word ‘nun’ means a female member of a religious order living under vows’, but the connotations extend to the ideas of purity, duty, generosity and calm.

Activity Write down the connotations of each of these words: Fragrance vs. Smell Dummy vs. Pacifier Red vs. Crimson Bossy vs. Assertive Which of the words has more positive connotations?

Rhyme Rhyme makes a poem easy to remember. It also links the lines – they are connected by sound. Rhyme is usually found at the end of a line Eg. What is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare? It can also be in a line – this is called internal rhyme. Eg. I walked out in the rain, and back again

Effect The content and form that a poet uses are all to create a particular effect. You need to be able to comment on why different effects have been employed and what effect they have on the reader.

Example Identify the language technique below and comment on its effect. Dirty British coaster with a salt-caked smoke stack Butting through the Channel in the mad March days… Language technique = Effect =

Case Study – The Sea by James Reeves The sea is a hungry dog, Giant and grey. He rolls on the beach all day. With his clashing teeth and gnashing jaws Hour upon hour he gnaws The rumbling, tumbling stones, And ‘Bones, bones, bones, bones!’ The giant sea-dog moans, Licking his greasy paws. And when the night wind roars And the moon rocks in the stormy cloud, He bounds to his feet and snuffs and sniffs, Shaking his wet sides over the cliffs, And howls and hollos long and loud. But on quiet days in May or June, When even the grasses on the dune Play no more their reedy tune, With his head between his paws He lies on the sandy shores, So quiet, so quiet, he scarcely snores. Case Study – The Sea by James Reeves

Identify and explain For each of the following phrases: Identify the poetic technique Explain the image that is created Explain what the image adds to the reader’s understanding of the sea. ‘Shaking his wet sides over the cliffs’ ‘So quiet, so quiet, he scarcely snores’ With his clashing teeth and gnashing jaws

Questions about the poem… Why is repetition used in the first stanza? What effect does it have? What is the effect of the rhyme in the poem? What happens in the final stanza? How is this shown by the words chosen? Give examples.

Matching Exercise Line Technique Match the line(s) of the poem with the correct techniques. Line Technique ‘The sea is a hungry dog’ Enjambment ‘And howls and hollos long and loud’ Repetition ‘He bounds to his feet and snuffs and sniffs’ Personification ‘With his clashing teeth and gnashing jaws/Hour upon hour he gnaws…’ End-stopped line ‘So quiet, so quiet, he scarcely snores’ Alliteration ‘Licking his greasy paws.’ Onomatopoeia

Activity For each of the lines and techniques on the previous slide: Why do you think the poet chose to use this technique? What is the effect on you, the reader?