Year 9: Poetry

Name: Poetry Contents

‘Wherever I Hang’ by Grace Nichols (1950-) Page 2

‘The Night Mail’ by W. H. Auden (1907-1973) Page 3

‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot’ by Wallace Willis (1820-1880) Page 5

‘The Canterbury Tales’ by Geoffrey Chaucer (c.1343-1400) Page 7

‘Paradise Lost’ (extract from Book 1) by John Milton (1608-1674) Page 10

Compare the ways poets present fictional journeys Page 12

‘The Road Not Taken’ by Robert Frost (1874-1963) Page 13

‘My Father Thought It’ by Simon Armitage (1963-) Page 14

Compare how poets reflect on journeys Page 17

‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’ (extract) by T. S. Eliot (1888- Page 18 1965)

Essay Writing Practice Page 20

1 Wherever I Hang – Grace Nichols (1950-)

I leave me people, me land, me home For reasons I not too sure I forsake de sun And de humming-bird splendour Had big rats in de floorboard 5 So I pick up me new-world-self And come to this place call England At first I feeling like I in a dream - De misty greyness I touching the walls to see if they real 10 They solid to de seam And de people pouring from de underground system Like beans And when I look up to de sky I see Lord Nelson high – too high to lie. 15 And is so I sending home photos of myself Among de pigeons and de snow And is so I warding off de cold And is so, little by little I begin to change my calypso ways 20 Never visiting nobody Before giving them clear warning And waiting me turn in queue Now, after all this time I get accustom to de English life 25 But I still miss back-home side To tell you de truth I don’t know really where I belaang Yes, divided to de ocean Divided to the bone 30 Wherever I hang me knickers – that’s my home.

2 The Night Mail – W. H. Auden (1907-1973)

This is the Night Mail crossing the border, Bringing the cheque and the postal order, Letters for the rich, letters for the poor, The shop at the corner and the girl next door. Pulling up Beattock, a steady climb: 5 Beattock – The gradient's against her, but she's on time. village in Past cotton-grass and moorland boulder Scotland; Shovelling white steam over her shoulder, moorland – Snorting noisily as she passes a piece of Silent miles of wind-bent grasses. 10 land

Birds turn their heads as she approaches, Stare from the bushes at her blank-faced coaches. Sheep-dogs cannot turn her course; They slumber on with paws across. 15 In the farm she passes no one wakes, But a jug in the bedroom gently shakes.

Dawn freshens, the climb is done. Down towards Glasgow she descends 20 Towards the steam tugs yelping down the glade of cranes, yelping – a Towards the fields of apparatus, the furnaces sharp cry Set on the dark plain like gigantic chessmen. All Scotland waits for her: In the dark glens, beside the pale-green sea lochs 25 loch – lake Men long for news.

Letters of thanks, letters from banks, Letters of joy from the girl and the boy, Receipted bills and invitations 30 To inspect new stock or visit relations, And applications for situations And timid lovers' declarations timid – And gossip, gossip from all the nations, scared News circumstantial, news financial, 35 Letters with holiday snaps to enlarge in, Letters with faces scrawled in the margin, scrawled – Letters from uncles, cousins, and aunts, written Letters to Scotland from the South of France, quickly Letters of condolence to Highlands and Lowlands 40 Notes from overseas to Hebrides Hebrides – Written on paper of every hue, islands off

3 The pink, the violet, the white and the blue, the coast The chatty, the catty, the boring, adoring, of Scotland The cold and official and the heart's outpouring, 45 Clever, stupid, short and long, The typed and the printed and the spelt all wrong.

Thousands are still asleep Dreaming of terrifying monsters, 50 Or of friendly tea beside the band at Cranston's or Crawford's: Cranston's Asleep in working Glasgow, asleep in well-set Edinburgh, or Asleep in granite Aberdeen, Crawford's They continue their dreams, – tea shops And shall wake soon and long for letters, 55 And none will hear the postman's knock Without a quickening of the heart, For who can bear to feel himself forgotten?

4 ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot’ by Wallace Willis The poem we are learning about today is an African American spiritual song. It is believed to have been composed by Wallace Willis, a black American slave in the 19th century. Wallace Willis was a slave who worked on a plantation in Mississippi. He and his family were moved to a farm in Oklahoma, and it is believed that the song was composed on the cotton plantation there. Some believe that the song was used as a coded message about escaping their slavery and moving to the north of America, where slaves could have freedom. During this time in American history, slaves did not receive an education. Many were unable to read and write. The Bible still played an important part of slaves’ lives, though. This poem is part of the call and response tradition. This means that the leader would sing a line and then the others would repeat the line together. Often the songs were not written down, but they were passed down between generations orally. The songs were often about the struggle of slavery, oppression and the hope they had for the future. This type of music influenced gospel music traditions we have today. The content of the poem is based on a passage in the Bible. It is about a man called Elijah. Elijah was a prophet and miracle worker. This is the moment Elijah is walking to the river Jordan, he strikes the water and it is divided. He is then taken to heaven on a chariot that passes between the water. His assistant Elisha witnesses the miracle.

As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and 12 Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two. (2 Kings chapter 2 verses 11-12)

5 Swing Low, Sweet Chariot – Wallace Willis (1820-1880?)

Swing low, sweet chariot, Coming for to carry me home, Swing low, sweet chariot, Coming for to carry me home.

I looked over Jordan and what did I see, Coming for to carry me home? 5 A band of angels coming after me, Coming for to carry me home.

If you get there before I do, Coming for to carry me home, 10 Tell all my friends I’m coming too, Coming for to carry me home.

The brightest day that ever I saw, Coming for to carry me home. 15 When Jesus washed my sins away, Coming for to carry me home.

I’m sometimes up and sometimes down, Coming for to carry me home, 20 But still my soul feels heavenly bound, Coming for to carry me home...

6 ‘The Canterbury Tales’ by Geoffrey Chaucer We are going to be studying a section of a poem called ‘The Canterbury Tales’. This is a very long poem that includes 24 stories told by different pilgrims on a journey in Springtime. They travel the 50 miles from the Tabard Inn in Southwark (London) to the shrine of Thomas à Becket in Canterbury in Kent.

Map of the route taken by the pilgrims The 29 pilgrims are referred to as a ‘company’ in the poem. These people came from varying walks of life. In ‘The Canterbury Tales’ the company was made up of a knight, a cook, a man of law, a seamstress, a friar, a sailor, a monk and many more. They take it in turns to tell stories as they travel to Canterbury. Their stories reflect their personalities and their social status. A pilgrimage was a rare occasion when people from different parts of society would interact as they had the same purpose. Journeys in Medieval England The pilgrimage to Canterbury would have taken three or four days on horseback, depending on how many times they stopped for rest. But the company would travel at just faster than walking pace, so traditionally it would have taken longer. Chaucer uses this context to write his poem. The fictional pilgrims were travelling from a city to the country. They would have seen the landscape change as they completed their journey. The tavern owner, Harry Bailly, suggests that they tell stories to pass the time and to entertain themselves. In Medieval England, the oral tradition of storytelling was a key part of life. Chaucer’s characters and stories are still famous today. Language The poem would have originally been written in Middle English which was a combination of French and English. This is because of the Norman invasion in 1066 when those in power spoke French. England at this time was undergoing great political and linguistic change, Chaucer wanted to create a snapshot of society at this time. We are going to read and study the poem in a modern translation.

7 The Canterbury Tales – Geoffrey Chaucer (c.1343-1400) The General Prologue

When April with his showers sweet with fruit The drought of March has pierced unto the root drought – dryness And bathed each vein with liquor that has power vein – root of each To generate therein and sire the flower; plant When Zephyr also has, with his sweet breath, 5 Zephyr – the west Quickened again, in every holt and heath, wind The tender shoots and buds, and the young sun Into the Ram one half his course has run, Ram – zodiac sign And many little birds make melody of Aries (so it is That sleep through all the night with open eye 10 mid-April) (So Nature pricks them on to ramp and rage)- Then do folk long to go on pilgrimage, And palmers to go seeking out strange strands, palmers – To distant shrines well known in sundry lands. dedicated pilgrims And specially from every shire's end 15 Of England they to Canterbury wend, The holy blessed martyr there to seek holy blessed Who helped them when they lay so ill and weak. martyr – St Thomas à Becket Befell that, in that season, on a day In Southwark, at the Tabard, as I lay 20 Ready to start upon my pilgrimage Tabard, hostelry – To Canterbury, full of devout homage, an inn that There came at nightfall to that hostelry provides food, Some nine and twenty in a company drink and lodging Of sundry persons who had chanced to fall 25 sundry – varied In fellowship, and pilgrims were they all fellowship - That toward Canterbury town would ride. company The rooms and stables spacious were and wide, And well we there were eased, and of the best. eased – And briefly, when the sun had gone to rest, 30 comfortable So had I spoken with them, every one, accommodation That I was of their fellowship anon, anon – soon And made agreement that we'd early rise To take the road, as you I will apprise. apprise – tell

8 The Canterbury Tales (Stanza 1)

When April with his showers sweet with fruit The drought of March has pierced unto the root And bathed each vein with liquor that has power To generate therein and sire the flower; When Zephyr also has, with his sweet breath, 5 Quickened again, in every holt and heath, The tender shoots and buds, and the young sun Into the Ram one half his course has run, And many little birds make melody That sleep through all the night with open eye 10 (So Nature pricks them on to ramp and rage)- Then do folk long to go on pilgrimage, And palmers to go seeking out strange strands, To distant shrines well known in sundry lands. And specially from every shire's end 15 Of England they to Canterbury wend, The holy blessed martyr there to seek Who helped them when they lay so ill and weak.

9 Paradise Lost (extract from Book 1) – John Milton (1608-1674) Original Poem Modern Prose Of Man’s First Disobedience, and the Fruit Lines 1 – 5: Tell me about man's first sin, when he tasted the Of that Forbidden Tree, whose mortal taste forbidden fruit and caused all our troubles, until Jesus came Brought Death into the World, and all our woe, and saved us. With loss of Eden, till one greater Man Restore us, and regain the blissful Seat, 5 Sing Heav'nly Muse, that on the secret top Lines 6 – 11: Muse, inspire me with this knowledge. You are Of Oreb, or of Sinai, didst inspire the Holy Spirit who inspired Moses in his teachings. That Shepherd, who first taught the chosen Seed, In the Beginning how the Heav'ns and Earth Rose out of Chaos: Or if Sion Hill 10 Delight thee more, and Siloa's Brook that flow'd Fast by the Oracle of God; I thence Lines 12 – 16: I'm asking for your help because I want to write Invoke thy aid to my adventrous Song, a great work different from any that have ever been written That with no middle flight intends to soar before. Above th' Aonian Mount, while it pursues 15 Things unattempted yet in Prose or Rhime. And chiefly Thou O Spirit, that dost prefer Before all Temples th' upright heart and pure, Lines 17 – 18: I want you to teach me, Holy Spirit, because Instruct me, for Thou know'st; Thou from the first you value goodness more than fancy churches. Wast present, and with mighty wings outspread 20 Lines 19 – 22: You know everything. You were there at the Dove-like satst brooding on the vast Abyss Beginning. You sat like a dove with your wings spread over And mad'st it pregnant: What in me is dark the dark emptiness and made it come to life. Illumin, what is low raise and support; That to the highth of this great Argument Lines 23 – 26: Holy Spirit, enlighten me where I am ignorant I may assert Eternal Providence, and strengthen my abilities so that I can correctly explain And justifie the wayes of God to men. 25 God's great purpose to men. Say first, for Heav'n hides nothing from thy view 10 Nor the deep Tract of Hell, say first what cause Lines 27 – 32: Holy Spirit, you know everything about Heaven Mov'd our Grand Parents in that happy State, and Hell, so tell me, what was it that made Adam and Eve go Favour'd of Heav'n so highly, to fall off against God's orders? They seemed so happy. He had given From thir Creator, and transgress his Will 30 them the whole world, except for one little thing. For one restraint, Lords of the World besides? Who first seduc'd them to that foul revolt? Th' infernal Serpent; he it was, whose guile Lines 33 – 36: Who made them do this awful thing? It was that Stird up with Envy and Revenge, deceiv'd snake from Hell, wasn't it? His envy and thirst for revenge The Mother of Mankind, what time his Pride 35 made him trick Eve the way he did. Had cast him out from Heav'n, with all his Host Of Rebel Angels, by whose aid aspiring Lines 37 – 43: Satan’s pride got him thrown out of Heaven To set himself in Glory above his Peers, with all his followers. They supported his ambition to glorify He trusted to have equal'd the most High, himself - even to the point of waging war against God. If he oppos'd; and with ambitious aim 40 Against the Throne and Monarchy of God Rais'd impious War in Heav'n and Battel proud With vain attempt. Him the Almighty Power Hurld headlong flaming from th' Ethereal Skie Lines 44 – 49: But Satan was doomed to fail. After a terrible With hideous ruine and combustion down 45 war, God threw him into Hell for daring to fight him. To bottomless perdition, there to dwell In Adamantine Chains and penal Fire, Who durst defie th' Omnipotent to Arms.

11 Compare the ways poets present fictional journeys in ‘The Canterbury Tales’ and ‘Paradise Lost’.

12 The Road Not Taken – Robert Frost (1874-1963)

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, diverged – separated And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; 5 undergrowth – plants that grow under trees in Then took the other, as just as fair, the woods And having perhaps the better claim, better claim – looked Because it was grassy and wanted wear; more appealing Though as for that the passing there 10 Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay 12 – 13: Both roads In leaves no step had trodden black. looked the same in the Oh, I kept the first for another day! 15 morning Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: 20 ages hence – in the Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— future I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.

13 The 1970s – The era of punk A front-page newspaper article on punk The rebellious youth of the 1970s and 1980s found shocking band The Sex Pistols ways to show their identities. This was most evident in the A POP group shocked punk movement. Punk was a fashion and music style that millions of viewers last defied the social norms. night with the filthiest Punks wore shredded clothing and dyed their hair bright language heard on colours and shaved and shaped it into spikes and ridges British television. such as the Mohawk (a ridge of hair sticking straight up, The Sex Pistols, leaders of running down the centre of the head). They got tattoos and the new “punk rock” cult, pierced their bodies in many places rarely seen in modern hurled a string of four-letter Western culture, performing many of the piercings obscenities at interviewer themselves. It was typical to see punk youth wearing safety Bill Grundy on Thames TV’s pins in their pierced ears, noses, eyebrows, and cheeks. Their family teatime programme, appearance was scandalous – many people blamed the “Today”. rising crime rates on the establishment of this subculture! The Thames switchboard was flooded with protests. If the early punk piercings were all about rebellion and Nearly 200 angry viewers telephoned the Mirror. One man shock, later piercings had a more fashionable purpose. The was so furious he kicked in the screen of his £380 colour TV. ears were still a popular spot to pierce, but instead of Grundy was immediately carpeted by his boss and will one earring now each ear might hold several earrings, apologise in tonight’s programme. ranging from the lobe to the top of the ear. SHOCKER A Thames spokesman said: “Because the programme was The clothes were never cheap, but the Punks improvised live, we could not foresee the language which would be used. their own gear and the look spread rapidly. It provoked We apologise to all viewers.” open hostility and is still potent today. Lorry driver James Homes, 47, was outraged that his eight- Fashion designers at the time viewed the year-old son Lee heard the swearing… and kicked in the punk movement as 'a heroic attempt to screen of his TV. confront the older generation'. Over time, “It blew up and I was kicked backwards,” he said. the radical nature of punk was absorbed “But I was so angry and disgusted with this filth that I took by mainstream culture and fashion, and a swing with my boot. became less dangerous and revolutionary. “I can swear as well as anyone, but I don’t want this sort of muck coming into my home at teatime.”

14 My Father Thought It – Simon Armitage (1963 – )

My father thought it bloody queer, the day I rolled home with a ring of silver in my ear half hidden by a mop of hair. "You’ve lost your head. If that’s how easily you’re led you should’ve had it through your nose instead." 5

And even then I hadn’t had the nerve to numb the lobe with ice, then drive a needle through the skin, then wear a safety-pin. It took a jeweller’s gun 10 to pierce the flesh, and then a friend to thread the sleeper in, and where it slept the hole became a sore, became a wound, and wept.

15 At twenty-nine, it comes as no surprise to hear my own voice breaking like a tear, released like water, cried from way back in the spiral of the ear. If I were you, I’d take it out and leave it out next year.

15 My Father Thought It – Simon Armitage (1963 – )

My father thought it bloody queer, Stanza 1 questions: the day I rolled home with a ring of silver in my ear 1. What is the context of this poem? half hidden by a mop of hair. "You’ve lost your head. 2. Which people are referred to in this stanza? If that’s how easily you’re led 3. How does the speaker feel about the experience? you should’ve had it through your nose instead." 5 4. What is the relationship between the father and son like? And even then I hadn’t had the nerve to numb Stanza 2 questions: the lobe with ice, then drive a needle through the skin, 5. What happens to the piercing? then wear a safety-pin. It took a jeweller’s gun 6. What evidence do we have that the speaker regrets to pierce the flesh, and then a friend the decision to get a piercing? to thread the sleeper in, and where it slept 10 7. How does the repetition of ‘and’ show the passing of the hole became a sore, became a wound, and wept. time? 8. The final line in this stanza describes what happens to the piercing. How could this line also be a metaphor? At twenty-nine, it comes as no surprise to hear Stanza 3 questions: my own voice breaking like a tear, released like water, 9. How is the passing of time indicated? cried from way back in the spiral of the ear. If I were you, 10. The poem is nostalgic and emotional. Highlight phrases I’d take it out and leave it out next year. 15 that show this. 11. Why are italics used for the last line of the poem?

16 Compare how poets reflect on journeys in ‘The Road Not Taken’ and ‘My Father Thought It’.

17 ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’ (extract) – T.S. Eliot (1888 – 1965)

Let us go then, you and I, When the evening is spread out against the sky Like a patient etherized upon a table; etherized – medicated for an operation Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets, The muttering retreats 5 Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels And sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells: sawdust – an inferior wood Streets that follow like a tedious argument Of insidious intent insidious intent – deceptive purposes To lead you to an overwhelming question ... 10

Oh, do not ask, “What is it?” Let us go and make our visit.

In the room the women come and go Talking of Michelangelo.

The yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window-panes, 15 The yellow smoke that rubs its muzzle on the window-panes, muzzle – the nose and mouth Licked its tongue into the corners of the evening, Lingered upon the pools that stand in drains, Let fall upon its back the soot that falls from chimneys, Slipped by the terrace, made a sudden leap, 20 And seeing that it was a soft October night, Curled once about the house, and fell asleep.

And indeed there will be time

18 For the yellow smoke that slides along the street, Rubbing its back upon the window-panes; 25 There will be time, there will be time To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet; There will be time to murder and create, And time for all the works and days of hands That lift and drop a question on your plate; 30 Time for you and time for me, And time yet for a hundred indecisions, And for a hundred visions and revisions, Before the taking of a toast and tea.

In the room the women come and go 35 Talking of Michelangelo.

And indeed there will be time To wonder, “Do I dare?” and, “Do I dare?” Time to turn back and descend the stair, With a bald spot in the middle of my hair — 40 (They will say: “How his hair is growing thin!”) My morning coat, my collar mounting firmly to the chin, mounting – rising up to My necktie rich and modest, but asserted by a simple pin — asserted – held there (They will say: “But how his arms and legs are thin!”) Do I dare 45 Disturb the universe? In a minute there is time For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse.

19 Essay Writing Writers’ names You should refer to the author of a text by their surname.  Which of these sentences would be correct?  Fix up the incorrect sentences. 1. Eliot presents the speaker in ‘Love Song’ as a procrastinator. 2. Grace is an immigrant from Guyana to England – she is not treated very well. 3. Milton speaks about Satan’s rebellion against God and why he was ‘hurld’ from heaven. 4. In ‘The Road Not Taken’, Forst presents the predicament of choosing between two roads. 5. By using vivid imagery, Simon Armitage shows that he regrets getting the piercing.

Pronouns It is important to be able to distinguish between the writer, speaker and characters in your writing. You should avoid using ‘he’, ‘him’, ‘she’ and ‘her’ if it could be unclear who you are talking about. Here are some passages for ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot’ and ‘Paradise Lost’.  Correct the unclear parts.

1. Willis and Milton describe journeys between heaven and earth. The poem is set in the present, but he also refers to the future hope that he has.

2. Milton and Willis describe the bliss of home. He speaks of the terrible mistake Adam and Eve made when they ate from the ‘forbidden tree’ and were expelled from the Garden of Eden.

3. Both poets speak of the future. Willis says his ‘soul feels heavenly bound’ whilst Milton speaks of us being restored by ‘one greater man’. He speaks of Jesus washing his sins away.

20 Tone These two essays make the same points in different ways. Which is better? Why? A) But Satan didn’t want to do what God said so he fight him and LOST!!! So he fell into hell when God kicked him and there he stayed and it was hot and nasty to be there and he was miserable.

B) However, Satan was disobedient and did not want to follow God’s rule. He rebelled and was sent out of heaven to gruesome hell. Milton describes hell as an unpleasant place and not one his readers would want to go to suggesting that the poem has a moral.

Vocabulary

Where relevant, you can use the words and terms we have studied in your essay.

 What are the missing terms, definitions, or examples?

Term: Extended metaphor

Definition: ______

Example from ‘The Road Not Taken’: Frost describes two roads as life choices that people need to decide on.

Term: ______

Definition: A person who moves to live in another country permanently. This may be out of choice or sometimes people are forced to move because of war, natural disasters or financial difficulty.

Example from ‘Wherever I Hang’: Nichols describes her move from Guyana to England in the 1970s.

Term: Procrastinate

Definition: to wait a long time before doing something that you must do.

Example from ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock’: ______

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Term: Epic poetry

Definition: a type of poetry that uses big themes, invocation of the Muse and epithets.

Example(s) from ‘Paradise Lost’: ______

Proof reading

A student has written a paragraph about time in ‘The Canterbury Tales’.

 Fix up the errors in this paragraph.

Chaucer uses time to celebrate the season of Spring. In the

opening of the poem he describes how the weather makes the

land fertile. The poem is set during the astrological sign of Aries

which means that the seasons are changing. It also reminded

Christians to be more holy because it was soon Easter. Spring

spreads to every part of the land, including the birds. Chauncer

says that ‘many little birds make melody’ which shows how

idyllic the time of year is. It is during this season that people are

motivated and reminded to go on a pilgrimage.

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