1. Walnut Tree Forge – by John Tripp –
Welsh writing in English
Walnut Tree Forge – by John Tripp –
Choose a task
Choose a task based on the poem.
Activity A
Activity B
Activity C
Activity D
Activity E
Activity F
Glossary

2. Walnut Tree Forge – by John Tripp –
Welsh writing in English
Walnut Tree Forge – by John Tripp –
Activity A
From whose point of view is the poem written? What impression is created of the speaker?
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My father shod horses in the sun
while I threw old shoes at an iron pin.
From the bank of the canal I saw
a kingfisher dive like a blue-green streak
clean through the water and out again
with lunch in its beak, then glide
to its fish-boned hole in the bank.
My father would look up from his work
and lean against the door to rest
from the bending, the weight on his back
of a shire, big and restless in the heat,
that tested all his muscles and skill.
He would wipe his brow with a rag.
‘Did you see a kingfisher, then?’ I nodded.
He never welcomed the big horses
made for show, all rump and heavy
with the spoilt pride of their runners,
shone to a tantrum and cockade gloss
for anything but work. These gave him
a rough hour of shifting and fret,
too pampered by the hands of others.
It was labour to him, one more task
for a pound, the ponies coming in a string
on a good day. To me it was freedom
from arithmetic, as golden time used up
so easily. There were just the two of us,
the ring of the shoes hitting the pin,
and a kingfisher, and a shire, in the long-ago sun.
About how old do you think the boy is at the time? What is your evidence?
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3. Walnut Tree Forge – by John Tripp –
Welsh writing in English
Walnut Tree Forge – by John Tripp –
Activity B
How is the father presented in the poem? Justify your answer by close reference to the text.
Menu
My father shod horses in the sun
while I threw old shoes at an iron pin.
From the bank of the canal I saw
a kingfisher dive like a blue-green streak
clean through the water and out again
with lunch in its beak, then glide
to its fish-boned hole in the bank.
My father would look up from his work
and lean against the door to rest
from the bending, the weight on his back
of a shire, big and restless in the heat,
that tested all his muscles and skill.
He would wipe his brow with a rag.
‘Did you see a kingfisher, then?’ I nodded.
He never welcomed the big horses
made for show, all rump and heavy
with the spoilt pride of their runners,
shone to a tantrum and cockade gloss
for anything but work. These gave him
a rough hour of shifting and fret,
too pampered by the hands of others.
It was labour to him, one more task
for a pound, the ponies coming in a string
on a good day. To me it was freedom
from arithmetic, as golden time used up
so easily. There were just the two of us,
the ring of the shoes hitting the pin,
and a kingfisher, and a shire, in the long-ago sun.
What are his skills, his likes and dislikes?
What are his reasons for disliking the ‘big horses’?
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4. Walnut Tree Forge – by John Tripp –
Welsh writing in English
Walnut Tree Forge – by John Tripp –
Activity C
Select a specific aspect of the description of the kingfisher which you think is powerful. Explain why you think the choice of words and/or imagery is effective.
Menu
My father shod horses in the sun
while I threw old shoes at an iron pin.
From the bank of the canal I saw
a kingfisher dive like a blue-green streak
clean through the water and out again
with lunch in its beak, then glide
to its fish-boned hole in the bank.
My father would look up from his work
and lean against the door to rest
from the bending, the weight on his back
of a shire, big and restless in the heat,
that tested all his muscles and skill.
He would wipe his brow with a rag.
‘Did you see a kingfisher, then?’ I nodded.
He never welcomed the big horses
made for show, all rump and heavy
with the spoilt pride of their runners,
shone to a tantrum and cockade gloss
for anything but work. These gave him
a rough hour of shifting and fret,
too pampered by the hands of others.
It was labour to him, one more task
for a pound, the ponies coming in a string
on a good day. To me it was freedom
from arithmetic, as golden time used up
so easily. There were just the two of us,
the ring of the shoes hitting the pin,
and a kingfisher, and a shire, in the long-ago sun.
If others suggest different parts of the text, explain why you have chosen your selection in preference to theirs.
Click to show shading.

5. Walnut Tree Forge – by John Tripp –
Welsh writing in English
Walnut Tree Forge – by John Tripp –
Activity D
How does the poet present the ‘big horses’ and the people who usually look after them?
Menu
My father shod horses in the sun
while I threw old shoes at an iron pin.
From the bank of the canal I saw
a kingfisher dive like a blue-green streak
clean through the water and out again
with lunch in its beak, then glide
to its fish-boned hole in the bank.
My father would look up from his work
and lean against the door to rest
from the bending, the weight on his back
of a shire, big and restless in the heat,
that tested all his muscles and skill.
He would wipe his brow with a rag.
‘Did you see a kingfisher, then?’ I nodded.
He never welcomed the big horses
made for show, all rump and heavy
with the spoilt pride of their runners,
shone to a tantrum and cockade gloss
for anything but work. These gave him
a rough hour of shifting and fret,
too pampered by the hands of others.
It was labour to him, one more task
for a pound, the ponies coming in a string
on a good day. To me it was freedom
from arithmetic, as golden time used up
so easily. There were just the two of us,
the ring of the shoes hitting the pin,
and a kingfisher, and a shire, in the long-ago sun.
What does ‘shone to a tantrum’ suggest?
What does ‘anything but work’ suggest?
Do you sympathise more with the father shoeing the horses or the usual handlers of these animals? Why?
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6. Walnut Tree Forge – by John Tripp –
Welsh writing in English
Walnut Tree Forge – by John Tripp –
Activity E
Do you think this poem is mainly about the son, the father, their relationship, or something else?
Menu
My father shod horses in the sun
while I threw old shoes at an iron pin.
From the bank of the canal I saw
a kingfisher dive like a blue-green streak
clean through the water and out again
with lunch in its beak, then glide
to its fish-boned hole in the bank.
My father would look up from his work
and lean against the door to rest
from the bending, the weight on his back
of a shire, big and restless in the heat,
that tested all his muscles and skill.
He would wipe his brow with a rag.
‘Did you see a kingfisher, then?’ I nodded.
He never welcomed the big horses
made for show, all rump and heavy
with the spoilt pride of their runners,
shone to a tantrum and cockade gloss
for anything but work. These gave him
a rough hour of shifting and fret,
too pampered by the hands of others.
It was labour to him, one more task
for a pound, the ponies coming in a string
on a good day. To me it was freedom
from arithmetic, as golden time used up
so easily. There were just the two of us,
the ring of the shoes hitting the pin,
and a kingfisher, and a shire, in the long-ago sun.
Justify your choice by close reference to the text.

7. Walnut Tree Forge – by John Tripp –
Welsh writing in English
Walnut Tree Forge – by John Tripp –
Activity F
What made it a ‘golden time’ for the boy?
Menu
My father shod horses in the sun
while I threw old shoes at an iron pin.
From the bank of the canal I saw
a kingfisher dive like a blue-green streak
clean through the water and out again
with lunch in its beak, then glide
to its fish-boned hole in the bank.
My father would look up from his work
and lean against the door to rest
from the bending, the weight on his back
of a shire, big and restless in the heat,
that tested all his muscles and skill.
He would wipe his brow with a rag.
‘Did you see a kingfisher, then?’ I nodded.
He never welcomed the big horses
made for show, all rump and heavy
with the spoilt pride of their runners,
shone to a tantrum and cockade gloss
for anything but work. These gave him
a rough hour of shifting and fret,
too pampered by the hands of others.
It was labour to him, one more task
for a pound, the ponies coming in a string
on a good day. To me it was freedom
from arithmetic, as golden time used up
so easily. There were just the two of us,
the ring of the shoes hitting the pin,
and a kingfisher, and a shire, in the long-ago sun.
What does the adjective ‘golden’ suggest?
What senses are used to describe the events in the poem?
Which description do you find most evocative in creating a sense of the ‘golden time’?
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8. Walnut Tree Forge – by John Tripp –
Welsh writing in English
Walnut Tree Forge – by John Tripp –
Glossary
Click on the highlighted words to show their meaning
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Walnut Tree Forge
fitted shoes on
My father shod horses in the sun
while I threw old shoes at an iron pin.
From the bank of the canal I saw
a kingfisher dive like a blue-green streak
clean through the water and out again
with lunch in its beak, then glide
to its fish-boned hole in the bank.
My father would look up from his work
and lean against the door to rest
from the bending, the weight on his back
of a shire, big and restless in the heat,
that tested all his muscles and skill.
He would wipe his brow with a rag.
‘Did you see a kingfisher, then?’ I nodded.
He never welcomed the big horses
made for show, all rump and heavy
with the spoilt pride of their runners,
shone to a tantrum and cockade gloss
for anything but work. These gave him
a rough hour of shifting and fret,
too pampered by the hands of others.
It was labour to him, one more task
for a pound, the ponies coming in a string
on a good day. To me it was freedom
from arithmetic, as golden time used up
so easily. There were just the two of us,
the ring of the shoes hitting the pin,
and a kingfisher, and a shire, in the long-ago sun.
brightly-coloured bird living by water and skilful at diving for fish
the largest kind of horse, used for pulling loads
rear part of animal
people leading the shire horses
outburst of temper
feather or rosette or ribbon
shiny brightness/superficial attractiveness
spoilt, over-indulged