English - Anthology: Character and Voice

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Name the 14 poems
The Clown Punk, Checking Out Me History, Horse Whisperer, Medusa, Singh Song!, Brendon Gallacher, Give, Les Grands Seigneurs, Ozymandias, My Last Duchess, The River God, The Hunchback in the Park, The Ruined Maid, Casehistory:Alison (head injury)
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What is the 'Clown Punk' about?
The poem describes an encounter with the eponymous Clown Punk, a tattooed, slightly tragic character who presses his face against the windscreen of the narrator's car when it stops at traffic lights, frightening the children in the back seats
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What are the themes in the 'Clown Punk'?
Character on Margins of Society, Mortality, Vulnerability
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What is the structure of the 'Clown Punk'?
3 quatrains and a couplet - Pentametre (10 syllables per line) - Sonnet
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What is the sound of 'Clown Punk'?
Vocab is very northern "slathers his daft mush" - Rhyme in the phrase "town clown" contributes to the comical image
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What and how would you compare 'Clown Punk' with?
'Give' - main characters not part of conventional society (get close audience)- 'Clown Punk' the character doesn't speak but the character does in 'Give' -or- 'Horse Whisperer' - Face to face with unusual character, physical detail, change over time
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What is 'Checking Out Me History' about?
The poem draws on Agard's experience to make us look at the way history is taught, and at how we conceive our identity as we learn about cultural traditions and narratives. He challenges this view of history and cites some major black figures
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What are the themes of 'Checking Out Me History'?
Truth, Identity, Prejudice, Racism
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What is the structure of 'Checking Out Me History'?
2 structures marked by 2 different fonts. He used the phrase "Dem tell me" to indicate the white version written in rhyming couplets. The stories of the 3 black historical figures are written in shorter sentences and irregular rhyme
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What is the sound of 'Checking Out Me History'?
Variation in spelling suggests Caribbean dialect (importance of carving out his identity). Repetition (rhyme)
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What and How would you compare 'Checking Out Me History' with other poems?
'Give' - Both concerned with challenging the status quo - Narrator is strong and dialect (addressing the reader) - Tone different (G=sarcastic COMH=Confident) -or- 'Les Grands Seigneurs' - Historical imagery - change in power balance
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What is the 'Horse Whisperer' about?
Tells the story of a horse whisperer. His skills were once admired and sought-after but changing times meant he was no longer needed and he seeks revenge for his treatment
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What are the general themes of 'Horse Whisperer'?
Revenge, Outsiders, Change and Modernity, Superstition/fear of the unknown
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What is the structure of 'Horse Whisperer'?
Free Verse composition and enjambment reflects the changes in the way the whisperer is seen. Repeated 1st line reflects how much he was needed. Stanzas become shorted (no longer need him).
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What is the sound of 'Horse Whisperer'?
At 1st the tone of the person reflects the whisperer's pride in his skills. This turns to anger when he describes his betrayal, then to nostalgia in the final lines
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What and How would you compare 'Horse Whisperer' with another poem?
Medusa -Theme of revenge for a betrayal - Focus of physicality - Magic -or- Checking Out Me History - Historical Characters -Both narrators have an alternative to the official view of history - COMH = Triumphant, HW = Sadness
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What is 'Medusa' about?
A dramatic monologue where we hear the voice of a woman who has become consumed with jealousy as she suspects her husband is being unfairthful.
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What are the general themes in 'Medusa'?
Jealousy and Possession, Youth and beauty, Violence and Love
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What is the structure of 'Medusa'?
The repetition, end rhyme and clusters of 3 create a string rhythm and link ideas.
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What is the sound of 'Medusa'?
End rhyme, Repetition, Sibilance
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What and How would you compare 'Medusa' with another poem?
'The Clown Punk' -Eponymous characters (frightening as well as tragic) - strong visual imagery -or- 'Singh Song!' - Distinctive imagery - Alliteration and rhyme - no regular structure - **=Happiness, M=Jealosy
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What is 'Singh Song?' about?
The dramatic monologue in which we hear the voice of a Sikh man who works in his fathers shop. He describes his daily routine and has recently married and they both seem dissatisfied with life and dream together in the evenings
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What are the general themes of 'Singh Song!'
Racism, Alienation and Assimilation, Modern Urban lives, Clashing generations, sexual desire, passion and love
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What is the structure of 'Singh Song!'
1st person = very intimate, Idiolect = Unique voice and shows that this is a personal story
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What is the sound of 'Singh Song!' ?
Phonetic spellings (Puglish) - creates alliteration and rhyme.
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What and How would you compare 'Singh Song!' with another poem?
'Checking Out Me History' - non-standard spelling - both bring the voices of other characters into their poetry - COMH = more political -or- 'Brendon Gallacher' -Repetition - Love - Humour
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What is 'Brendon Gallacher' about?
The 1st person narrator recalls an imaginary friend from her childhood and describes the differences between his life and hers.
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What are the general themes in 'Brendon Gallacher'?
Childhood, Mourning/Loss, Imagination
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What is the structure of 'Brendon Gallacher'?
It's an Elegy (loosing Brendon). Regular with 5 stanzas of 5 lines each.
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What is the sound of 'Brendon Gallacher'?
Every line rhymes in full or half rhyme(childish voice). Dialect Words - Scottish. Repetition of "my Brendon Gallacher"
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What and How would you compare "Brendon Gallacher" with?
'The Horse Whisperer' - Regretful tone - Secret they keep from others - Strong Emotions -or- 'The Clown Punk' - Vivid visual descriptions - Twist at the end - TCP = Real, BG=Imaginary
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What is 'Give' about?
Narrated by the voice of a homeless person who is sleeping in a doorway
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What are the themes of 'Give'?
Social Responsibility, Homelessness
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What is the structure of 'Give'?
Regular form (5 stanzas each with 2 or 3 lines)
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What is the sound of 'Give'?
Alliteration is used throughout the poem
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What and How would you compare 'Give' with another poem?
'Les Grands Seigneurs' -Dramatic images - Ironic tone -or- 'Singh Song!' - Directly address the readers - challenge to society's stereotypical perceptions - Both use repeated sentence structures
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What is 'Les Grands Seigneurs' about?
The relationship between men and women and romantic love. Initially it celebrates courtly love but a twist suggests marriage changes everything
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What are the themes in 'Les Grands Seigneurs'?
Power, Love and marriage, Women and men
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What is the structure of 'Les Grands Seigneurs'?
4 stanzas. The twist is notified in stanza 3 as it only has 3 lines where as the rest have 4
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What is the sound of 'Les Grands Seigneurs'?
The alliteration in the 2nd stanza underlines a sence of ridiculousness. No regular rhyme scheme
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What and How would you compare 'Les Grands Seigneurs' with another poem?
'Medusa' - unexpected take on relationships - black humour in both - both use extended metaphor to drive the poem -or- 'Singh Song!' - Relationship between husband and wife - women both strong individuals
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What is 'Ozymandias' about?
The narrator met a traveler from an ancient land and then tells us the story the traveller told him. He had seen the remains of a huge statue in the desert.
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What are the themes of 'Ozymandias'?
Death and mortality, Pride, Art and Power
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What is the structure of 'Ozymandias'?
The sonnet (14 lines) is written in am iambic pattern. There are no clear stanzas, but the sonnet is split up with lots of punctuation
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What is the sound of 'Ozymandias'
The poem is powerful when read aloud. The iambic pentameter means that it has a regular sound
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What and How would you compare 'Ozymandias' with another poem?
'My Last Duchess' or 'River God' -One clear distinctive voice - Narrator has some unpleasant qualities - Power in some sense - No characters exist in real sense - Dark Side
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What is 'My Last Duchess' about?
We hear the voice of the Duke describing a portrait of his late wife to a visiting servant (who is helping arrange a marriage between the Duke and his masters daughter). We learn the Duke had has his wife killed as he suspected she was unfaithful
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What are the themes of 'My Last Duchess'?
Violence, Power and Control, Jealousy, Pride
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What is the structure of 'My Last Duchess'?
Dramatic Monologue, Rhyming couplets, There are twists and turns withing the lines (variety of punctuation)
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What is the sound of 'My Last Duchess'?
Rhyming couplets = memorable, There is lots of stopping and starting, Rhyme is lost with enjambement
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What and How would you compare 'My Last Duchess' with another poem?
'Ozymandias' or 'River God' - Clear, Distinctive voice - Built around a character who has distinctively unpleasant qualities
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What is 'The River God' about?
The river is personified in this poem as a narrator. The river god seems to be old, smelly and helpless but as the poem progresses a speedy, dark and dangerous side is revealed. He has a weakness for women and takes one for a companion.
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What are the themes of 'River God'?
Power, Revenge and Isolation
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What is the structure of 'The River God'?
The dramatic monologue. Rhyme embedded in the poem but changes at the end. Irregular line lengths combined with the lack of breaks.
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What is the sound of 'The River God'?
Childlike due to the simple rhyme. Clumsy because of the inconsistent beats in each line.
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What and How would you compare 'The River God' to another poem?
'Ozymandias' 'My Last Duchess' - Clear distinctive voice - Unpleasant qualities - None of the characters actually exist in any real sense. -or- 'The Ruined Maid' - Black Humour - Dramatic Monologue - Women being used and abused
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What is 'The Hunchback in the Park' about?
It's the sad story of a man who is different from other (physically and mentally). He is isolated and spends a lot of time in the park. He is tormented by the local children and also has to avoid the park keeper.
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What are the themes in 'The Hunchback in the Park'?
Isolation, Imagination, The artist
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What is the structure of 'The Hunchback in the Park'?
Regular stanzas with the same number of lines. Punctuation is irregular. The lack of organisation could represent the lack of stability in the life of the 'hunchback'
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What is the sound of 'The Hunchback in the Park'?
Sound is mentioned in the poem as hostile. The only spoken words are "Mister,,, Hey mister" as the children try to attack his attention to mock and laugh at him
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What and How would you compare 'The Hunchback in the Park' with?
'The Ruined Maid' - Cruel life - Society has a responsibility to look after people -or- 'Casehistory: Alison (head injury) - Isolated characters - Disability - Sympathy for both characters
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What is 'The Ruined Maid' about?
An unnamed farm girl meets a friend called 'Melia' (who she hasn't seen for a long time). The farm worker is surprised to see the change in her (dressed very well with jewellery)
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What are the themes in 'The Ruined Maid'~?
Morality and Appearances
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What is the structure of 'The Ruined Maid'?
6 (4 line) stanzas. Regular 'aabb' rhyme scheme
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What is the sound of 'The Ruined Maid'?
The words chosen in the rhyme scheme sound exactly like each other. Irony is created because of the happy regular rhyme scheme and we realise she's a prostitute
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What and How would you compare 'The Ruined Maid' with another poem?
'River God' - Black humour - Theme of women being used and abused -or- 'The Hunchback in the Park' - Life can be very cruel sometimes - Don't judge on appearance - Society has a responsibility to look after people
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What is 'Casehistory: Alison (head injury)' about?
Alison is a women who has suffered from brain damage after an accident. Alison looks at a photo of her younger self and talks about the person as if it's someone else.
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What are the themes of 'Casehistory: Alison (head injury)'?
Youth and age, Mourning and loss, Personal identity
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What is the structure of 'Casehistory: Alison (head injury)'?
Regular stanza length and the shortness of the majority of the lines reflect the repetitiveness of lines may reflect the repetitiveness of her life. 1st and 3rd person used to describe her life
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What is the sound in 'Casehistory: Alison (head injury)'?
At 1st it sounds like a conversation but becomes clear she's taking to herself. Lots of short sentences that show how Alison is taking her time.
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What and How would you compare 'Casehistory: Alison (head injury)' with another poem?
'The Hunchback in the Park' -Isolation - Disability - Judging on appearance - Sympathy -or- 'On a Portrait of a Deaf Man' - Deal with before and after scenario - sympathy - theme of death
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What is 'On a Portrait of a Deaf Man' about?
The voice recalls the memories of the poet's father (a deaf man). His father was a kind man who enjoyed simple pleasures. The voice cannot separate the images from the pleasant ones and of his dead body.
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What are the themes of 'On a Portrait of a Deaf Man'?
Mourning and loss, Memories, Faith
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What is the structure of 'On a Portrait of a Deaf Man'?
It's an elegy. 8 stanzas written in ballad metre. Line 1 and 3 also have more beats in them than lines 2 and 4
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What is the sound in 'On a Portrait of a Deaf Man'?
Ballad metre - the poem lends itself to being read aloud and has harmony, rhyme and rhythm that are quite lyrical
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What and How would you compare 'On a Portrait of a Deaf Man' with another poem?
'Casehistory: Alison (head injury)' - Before and after scenario - Sympathy - Death
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Card 2

Front

What is the 'Clown Punk' about?

Back

The poem describes an encounter with the eponymous Clown Punk, a tattooed, slightly tragic character who presses his face against the windscreen of the narrator's car when it stops at traffic lights, frightening the children in the back seats

Card 3

Front

What are the themes in the 'Clown Punk'?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

What is the structure of the 'Clown Punk'?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

What is the sound of 'Clown Punk'?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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