POEMS Bradley Rutherford

QUICK DRAW  Quick draw is a one-sided snapshot of a relationship. The speaker of the poem is waiting for contact from her lover. The context of the relationship is unclear, and we do not know if the speaker welcomes contact or not. It would appear that some sort of disagreement or separation has occurred before the events presented in the poem.  Quick draw has four stanzas of four lines each, two of which are joined by a continuation of sentences, where one line carries on into the next.  There is no rhyme scheme or regular rhythm. The poem is largely written in free verse.  Carol Ann Duffy is the first female Poet Laureate, she was born in 1955 in Glasgow. Duffy is well known for poems that give a voice to the dispossessed ; she encourages the reader to put themselves in the shoes of people they might normally dismiss.

NETTLES  Nettles is about a child falling into a patch of nettles and seeking comfort from his parents. The speaker in the poem, after attending to his son's injuries - sets about destroying the nettles, only for them to return with the passing of just "two weeks".  The poem consists of a single stanza and has alternately rhyming lines. The poem is a narrative account, focused on the father's perspective of an accident involving his son.  Vernon Scannell was most famous as a war poet, having fought in World War Two. His other poetry also has echoes of his war experience, as in this poem Nettles.

PRAISE SONG FOR MY MOTHER  A praise song is a traditional form from many African cultures and is often sung rather than being written down. This poem is a child's celebration of her mother, explaining her qualities and the ways in which she has helped her daughter.  The poem is based around the first three stanzas of three lines each, which are very similar in format. The fourth stanza begins in the same way as the first three but is extended, bringing attention to the poem's final line about the daughter's expanding horizons and moving towards "wide futures", as if reflecting the way in which the mother's care for her has allowed her to grow and move on.  Grace Nichols was born in the Caribbean country of Guyana (on the northern coast of South America) and moved to the UK in the late 1970s. Her poetry takes inspiration from her Caribbean heritage, folk tales, the tradition of oral storytelling and her move between cultures.

IN PARIS WITH YOU  In Paris with You is recounted by a persons relationship that has just ended and who is now in Paris with someone else. This suggests a long-term relationship has ended and the speaker is currently enjoying a less serious liaison.  The poem has four stanzas of five or six lines, with a longer stanza of nine lines in the centre, acting as a chorus in which the mood of the poem changes. The first half of the poem deals with the lead up to the current situation; the second half is concerned with enjoying the present. The repeated line "I'm in Paris with you" can be described as a refrain. The use of repetition reflects the speaker's insistent concentration on the present.  James Fenton is a modern poet who has worked as a political journalist. He is well known for writing war poetry as well as poems that deal with relationships. His style is characterised by word play and a use of traditional forms of poetry such as ballads, sonnets and lyrics.

SISTER MAUDE  Sister Maude describes the death of a loved one caused by the actions of a jealous sister. The poem is ambiguous but hints strongly that jealousy and betrayal led to the death of a sister's lover. The poem is written from the point of view of the betrayed sister, left alone without her loved one, who was coveted by Maude.  Each stanza contains even lines that rhyme; this regular pattern helps to reinforce the traditional source for the poem because older poetry is often characterised by the use of strict structural devices like rhyme, rhythm and even line and stanza lengths.  Christina Rossetti, born , is remembered as one of the Pre-Raphaelites, a group of 19th century artists and writers who took inspiration from works of art produced in the Middle Ages.

BROTHERS  The poem Brothers is about a boy spending an afternoon with his younger brother and his friend, and explores the relationship between siblings. It is written from an adult perspective but considers the feelings of the older brother who thinks of his younger brother as an inconvenience.  There are three stanzas; they recount three stages of the afternoon. The first stanza sets the scene, showing the relationship between the speaker and his brother as well as the speaker and his friend. The second stanza presents the disruption to plans for the afternoon. The final stanza concludes the story, revealing the separation of the brothers.  Andrew Forster is a modern poet known for writing about childhood by drawing on autobiographical material. His style is to often refer to everyday objects and experiences.