TWATJohn Cooper-Clarke

Definition of twatnouna person regarded as stupid or obnoxious:“My next door neighbour’s a right twat.”verb[with object] British informal : to hit or punch someone:

“ if my best mate said that I’d twat him one.”

Starter

Write a brief description of someone you don’t like very much. Describe what they are like and what they have

done to make you dislike them.

TWATJohn Cooper-Clarke

Learning Objectives

As we study this poem you will learn:• the story of the poem • More about the terms,

Rhyme Schemes: Alliteration: Simile: Imagery: Enjambement: Pace/Tempo:

• how to read out part of the poem to the class• You will also complete some mini tasks and a

test on the poem.

Like a Night Club in the morning, you’re the bitter end. Like a recently disinfected kharzi, you’re clean around the bend. You give me the horrorstoo bad to be true All of my tomorrow’sare lousy coz of you.You put the Shat in ShatterPut the Pain in SpainYour germs are splattered aboutYour face is just a stainYou’re certainly no raver, commonly known as a drag.Do us all a favour, here... wear this polythene bag.You’re like a dose of scabies,I’ve got you under my skin.You make life a fairy tale... Grimm!People mention murder, the moment you arrive.I’d consider killing you if I thought you were alive.

You’ve got this slippery quality,it makes me think of phlegm,and a dual personalityI hate both of them.Your bad breath, vamps disease, destruction, and decay.Please, please, please, please, take yourself away.Like a death at a birthday party,you ruin all the fun.Like a sucked and spat out smartie,you’re no use to anyone.Like the shadow of the guillotineon a dead consumptive’s face.Speaking as an outsider,what do you think of the human raceYou went to a progressive psychiatrist.He recommended suicide...before scratching your bad name off his list,and pointing the way outside.What kind of creature bore youWas is some kind of batThey can’t find a good word for you,but I can... TWAT.

• The poem is written in the form of an address or letter to a person the poet really dislikes.

• Although humours, the poem is a list of insults that lead inexorably to the title line of the poem, ‘Twat’ which the poet feels encapsulates all that he has said before.

• We do not know if what the poet says is true, nor do we hear the protagonists response to these insults.

TWATJohn Cooper-Clarke

The Story of the Poem

Look at the poem....What do you notice about the rhyme scheme

TWATJohn Cooper-Clarke

Mini Task 1

Look at the poem....What do you notice about the rhyme scheme

You should have noticed the poem is made up of alternate rhyming couplets. But there are some un-rhymed lines and some internal rhymes.

TWATJohn Cooper-Clarke

Mini Task 1

Like a Night Club in the morning, you’re the bitter end. Like a recently disinfected kharzi, you’re clean around the bend. You give me the horrorstoo bad to be true All of my tomorrow’sare lousy coz of you.You put the Shat in ShatterPut the Pain in SpainYour germs are splattered aboutYour face is just a stainYou’re certainly no raver, commonly known as a drag.Do us all a favour, here... wear this polythene bag.You’re like a dose of scabies,I’ve got you under my skin.You make life a fairy tale... Grimm!People mention murder, the moment you arrive.I’d consider killing you if I thought you were alive.

You’ve got this slippery quality,it makes me think of phlegm,and a dual personalityI hate both of them.Your bad breath, vamps disease, destruction, and decay.Please, please, please, please, take yourself away.Like a death at a birthday party,you ruin all the fun.Like a sucked and spat out smartie,you’re no use to anyone.Like the shadow of the guillotineon a dead consumptive’s face.Speaking as an outsider,what do you think of the human raceYou went to a progressive psychiatrist.He recommended suicide...before scratching your bad name off his list,and pointing the way outside.What kind of creature bore youWas is some kind of batThey can’t find a good word for you,but I can... TWAT.

The poem also make frequent use of alliteration.

Look at the poem and see how many you can spot.

Alliteration – Where the sound at the beginning of two words close to each other is the same.

TWATJohn Cooper-Clarke

Mini Task 2

Like a Night Club in the morning, you’re the bitter end. Like a recently disinfected kharzi, you’re clean around the bend. You give me the horrorstoo bad to be true All of my tomorrow’sare lousy coz of you.You put the Shat in ShatterPut the Pain in SpainYour germs are splattered aboutYour face is just a stainYou’re certainly no raver, commonly known as a drag.Do us all a favour, here... wear this polythene bag.You’re like a dose of scabies,I’ve got you under my skin.You make life a fairy tale... Grimm!People mention murder, the moment you arrive.I’d consider killing you if I thought you were alive.

You’ve got this slippery quality,it makes me think of phlegm,and a dual personalityI hate both of them.Your bad breath, vamps disease, destruction, and decay.Please, please, please, please, take yourself away.Like a death at a birthday party,you ruin all the fun.Like a sucked and spat out smartie,you’re no use to anyone.Like the shadow of the guillotineon a dead consumptive’s face.Speaking as an outsider,what do you think of the human raceYou went to a progressive psychiatrist.He recommended suicide...before scratching your bad name off his list,and pointing the way outside.What kind of creature bore youWas is some kind of batThey can’t find a good word for you,but I can... TWAT.

The poem starts with two similes and then uses similes and metaphors to describe how obnoxious and horrible this person is.

Mini Task 3Look at the poem and to list as many similes as you can.

TWATJohn Cooper-Clarke

Key Feature – Simile

Like a Night Club in the morning, you’re the bitter end.

Like a recently disinfected kharzi, you’re clean around the bend.

commonly known as a drag.

You’re like a dose of scabies,

You make life [like]a fairy tale...

Like a death at a birthday party,you ruin all the fun.

Like a sucked and spat out smartie,you’re no use to anyone.

Like the shadow of the guillotineon a dead consumptive’s face.

The poem relies on a series of images to create its effect. Some of these images some of these images are humours, others are disturbing and repulsive.

Mini Task 4Draw up a table that lists the images in these two categories.

TWATJohn Cooper-Clarke

Key Feature – Imagery

Humorous Disturbing/Repulsive

TWATJohn Cooper-Clarke

Key Feature – Imagery Humorous Disturbing/Repulsive

Night Club in the morning, recently disinfected kharzi,

wear this polythene bag. Your germs are splattered about

I’ve got you under my skin. You’re like a dose of scabies,

Your bad breath, vamps disease, makes me think of phlegm,

Like a death at a birthday party, a sucked and spat out smartie,

scratching your bad name off his list, the shadow of the guillotine

some kind of bat a dead consumptive’s face.

As well as Rhyme and Alliteration, the poem also relies on enjambment to create the fast pace/tempo of the poem

Mini Task 5Look at the poem and on your copy use arrows to show where the enjambment is.

TWATJohn Cooper-Clarke

Key Feature – Enjambment

Like a Night Club in the morning, you’re the bitter end. Like a recently disinfected kharzi, you’re clean around the bend. You give me the horrors too bad to be true All of my tomorrow’s are lousy coz of you.You put the Shat in Shatter Put the Pain in SpainYour germs are splattered about Your face is just a stainYou’re certainly no raver, commonly known as a drag.Do us all a favour, here... wear this polythene bag.You’re like a dose of scabies,I’ve got you under my skin.You make life a fairy tale... Grimm!People mention murder, the moment you arrive.I’d consider killing you if I thought you were alive.

You’ve got this slippery quality,it makes me think of phlegm,and a dual personality I hate both of them.Your bad breath, vamps disease, destruction, and decay.Please, please, please, please, take yourself away.Like a death at a birthday party,you ruin all the fun.Like a sucked and spat out smartie,you’re no use to anyone.Like the shadow of the guillotine on a dead consumptive’s face.Speaking as an outsider,what do you think of the human raceYou went to a progressive psychiatrist.He recommended suicide...before scratching your bad name off his list,and pointing the way outside.What kind of creature bore you Was is some kind of batThey can’t find a good word for you,but I can... TWAT.

Because of – the alternate rhyming couplet rhyme scheme– The frequent use of alliteration– The use of enjambment

Twat has a very strong rhythm.

TWATJohn Cooper-Clarke

Pace & Tempo

G 12 Tues 2 OctG 11 Wed 3 Oct

TWATJohn Cooper-Clarke

Quiz

Like a Night Club in the morning, you’re the bitter end. Like a recently disinfected kharzi, you’re clean around the bend. You give me the horrorstoo bad to be true All of my tomorrow’sare lousy coz of you.You put the Shat in ShatterPut the Pain in SpainYour germs are splattered aboutYour face is just a stainYou’re certainly no raver, commonly known as a drag.Do us all a favour, here... wear this polythene bag.You’re like a dose of scabies,I’ve got you under my skin.You make life a fairy tale... Grimm!People mention murder, the moment you arrive.I’d consider killing you if I thought you were alive.

You’ve got this slippery quality,it makes me think of phlegm,and a dual personalityI hate both of them.Your bad breath, vamps disease, destruction, and decay.Please, please, please, please, take yourself away.Like a death at a birthday party,you ruin all the fun.Like a sucked and spat out smartie,you’re no use to anyone.Like the shadow of the guillotineon a dead consumptive’s face.Speaking as an outsider,what do you think of the human raceYou went to a progressive psychiatrist.He recommended suicide...before scratching your bad name off his list,and pointing the way outside.What kind of creature bore youWas is some kind of batThey can’t find a good word for you,but I can... TWAT.