POEMS Bradley Rutherford. QUICK DRAW Quick draw is a one-sided snapshot of a relationship. The...
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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
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.
Slide 3
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.
Slide 4
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.
Slide 5
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.
Slide 6
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 1830-1894, 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.
Slide 7
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.