AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
‘Medusa’ by Carol Ann Duffy
What were Greek myths?
Greek myths were adapted and changed according to the storyteller; it was very
competitive, so the myths changed according to the listeners’ needs. According to some,
‘mythological correctness’ is seen as being fraudulent; there is no right or wrong story.
However, the most well known story of Medusa can be seen in the short summary below.
Medusa was a very attractive mortal who was admired for her
beauty and lovely locks. One day, Poseidon, the God of the Sea,
seduced Medusa in Athena’s temple. Athena, the Goddess of war
strategy and the protector of land, was very angry that Medusa
disgraced her in her temple; therefore, she took Medusa’s beauty
away and turned her into an ugly Gorgon with snakes on her
head. From then on, any person that Medusa looked at would turn
into stone. This obviously meant that she could never fall in love
or have herself attached to someone again. Perseus, a Greek hero, was able to cut off
Medusa’s head by using a polished shield from Athena. He saw Medusa in the reflection
of the shield (this allowed him not to turn to stone) and was able to use her head to
combat many future battles.
What type of poem is this? This poem is a dramatic monologue. A dramatic monologue is a piece of verse that
gives the speaker a voice to express his / her feelings. In the case of ‘Medusa’, Carol Ann
Duffy is giving a voice to Medusa.
In this poem, Medusa expresses her bitter feelings about becoming old and, in a sense,
unwanted. She is directing the poem to her husband, her Greek God.
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
Poetry detectives Work in pairs to make a note of examples (quotations) from the poem in the table
below.
Poetic techniquesand devices
Examples
alliteration
assonance
metaphor
verbs
repetition
questions
imperative sentences
pleasant images
ugly images
one line stanza
narrative voice
Let’s take a closer look
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
Answer the following questions by providing quotes and analysis.
Stanza 1
1. What can we infer about the speaker?
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Stanza 2
1. What does ‘my bride’s breath soured’ imply?
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2. Why should Medusa’s husband be terrified?
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Stanza 3
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
1. Why is it terrifying that Medusa loves him? What are the consequences?
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2. What is the effect of the internal rhyme in ‘you’ll go, betray me, stray from home’?
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3. Why is it better if he is stone? What does that allow Medusa to do? Hint: Think about how
she is feeling.
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Stanzas 4-5
1. Why is it significant that she ‘glances’?
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
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2. What do the images of the bee, singing bird, ginger cat and snuffling pig convey? What is
Medusa not able to allow herself to do?
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3. Why is the phrase, ‘a heap of shit’ so powerful?
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Stanza 6
1. Why is it significant that she ‘stares’?
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
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2. What does Medusa see in the mirror?
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Stanza 7 and last line
1. What is the significance of ‘And here you come’? What is the tone?
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2. What emotions are displayed in this stanza and how are they displayed?
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3. Why is the last line poignant? What is she tempting him to do?
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
My Itchy Toes Smell Loads Complete the table below with what you consider to be the
most important quotes and poetic devices within each category.
meaning
imagery
tone
Structure and Form
language
Comparing poems
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
- AO3: Make comparisons and explain links between texts, evaluating writers’ different
ways of expressing meaning and achieving effects
Use the Venn diagram to find the differences and similarities between the two
poems.
Sample exam question Compare the central characters in ‘Medusa’ and ‘My Last Duchess’.
Compare the ways that jealousy is explored in ‘Medusa’ and ‘My Last Duchess’.
Comparing poems
‘Medusa’ ‘my last duchess’
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
- AO3: Make comparisons and explain links between texts, evaluating writers’ different
ways of expressing meaning and achieving effects
Use the Venn diagram to find the differences and similarities between the two
poems.
Sample exam question Compare the central characters in ‘Medusa’ and ‘Les Grand Seigneurs’.
Planning an essay
‘Medusa’ ‘Les grand seigneurs’
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
Using MITSL as a guide, create an essay plan or spider diagram for your essay
question. You must include 3 - 5 points of comparison. Number each point in the order
you would write about them in your exam. When you write your essay, remember to
analyse structural and poetic devices for their effect and meaning. Don’t just list.
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‘Ozymandias’
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
by Percy Bysshe Shelley
The title What is the meaning of Shelley’s title?
OzymandiasOzy comes from the Greek
“ozium” which means
either, ‘to breathe’ or ‘air’.
Mandias comes from the Greek “mandate” which
means ‘to rule’.
Now that you understand the meaning of the title, how do these ideas link
to the poem?
Make a note of your ideas.
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Pharaoh Facts
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
The gods had a little help, in the form of
pharaohs. Pharaohs were the kings of
Ancient Egypt. In hieroglyphics,
pharaoh means “great house” or
“palace”, a word that was eventually
used to describe the king himself. The
ancient Egyptians saw their pharaoh as a
god, more specifically as the god Horus.
They thought that when the pharaoh
died, a new Horus was born to rule on
earth, thus achieving eternal life. In
reality, the pharaohs headed the
government, the army, set taxes, judged
criminals and were high priests of all the
temples. All this was in theory, of
course. Appointed officials did most of
the work, in his name.
http://www.angelfire.com/wi/egypt/phar.html
Read the poem.
What are your first impressions of the tone and meaning?
Make a note of your ideas.
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Let’s take a closer look
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
Answer the following questions by providing quotes and analysis. Think PEA -
point, example, analysis.
What does the adjective, ‘antique’, suggest? Is it a positive or negative description, or is it
both?
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What is the effect of creating a ‘traveller’ to narrate the story?
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Why does Shelley use ‘vast’ to describe the remains of the statue, rather than ‘big’?
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What does the noun, ‘frown’ and the noun phrase ‘wrinkled lip’ suggest about the nature of
the Pharaoh?
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Up until line five, Shelley’s focus is on, primarily, the image of the statue in the
desert.
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
Underline each NOUN and highlight each adjective up until line five. Then, using
this to aid you, in the space below, draw an image of Shelley’s creation of Egypt.
Make sure you draw every object the way they are described by the poet.
At line 6, the poem subject shifts to the sculptor, Ozymandias’s servant: ‘its sculptor well those
passions read…’ How does this extract support your previous answers?
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“My name is Ozymandias, king of kings
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
a. What do you think these lines meant in the context of the time?
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b. What do you think these lines mean in today’s context? What does the verb, ‘despair’,
suggest?
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c. How many references are there to Ozymandias himself in these lines? What does this
suggest?
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d. ‘Mighty’ is a noun in line 11. Who does it refer to?
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e. Using punctuation, how has Shelley created the superior status of Ozymandias? Note and
explain two examples.
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Describe the grammar of this sentence: ‘Nothing beside remains.’ What is its effect? Think
about the contrast with the previous lines.
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
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Whose work has lasted - Ozymandias’ or the sculptor’s? What do you think Shelley is
suggesting?
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Rhythm and Rhyme Label the rhyme scheme.
Does the rhyme scheme follow the conventions of a Petrarchan sonnet?
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What is the symbolism of replacing old rhymes with new ones?
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What is the effect of the rhythm in the poem’s last line?
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
My Itchy Toes Smell Loads Complete the table below with what you consider to be the most important quotes and poetic devices within each category.
meaning
imagery
tone
Structure and Form
l
angu
ageComparing poems
17
AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
- AO3: Make comparisons and explain links between texts,
evaluating writers’ different ways of expressing meaning and
achieving effects
Use the Venn diagram to find the differences and similarities between
the two poems.
Sample exam question Compare the characters in ‘Ozymandias’ and ‘My Last Duchess’.
Compare the ways that voice is created in ‘Ozymandias’ and ‘My
Last Duchess’.
Comparing poems
‘Ozymandias’ ‘my last duchess’
18
AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
- AO3: Make comparisons and explain links between texts,
evaluating writers’ different ways of expressing meaning and
achieving effects
Use the Venn diagram to find the differences and similarities between
the two poems.
Sample exam questions Compare the ways that character and voice is created in
‘Ozymandias’ and ‘Medusa’.
Compare the presentation of power in ‘Ozymandias’ and ‘Medusa’.
Planning an essay
‘Ozymandias’ ‘Medusa’
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
Using MITSL as a guide, create an essay plan or spider diagram for
your essay question. You must include 3 - 5 points of comparison.
Number each point in the order you would write about them in your
exam. When you write your essay, remember to analyse structural and
poetic devices for their effect and meaning. Don’t just list.
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‘The Clown Punk’
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
by Simon Armitage
Let’s take a closer look Answer the following questions by providing quotes and analysis. Think PEA -
point, example, analysis.
Stanza 1
Driving home through the shonky side of town,
three times out of ten you’ll see the town clown,
like a basket of washing that got up
and walked, towing a dog on a rope. But
What does the phrase, ‘the shonky side of town’, suggest about the Clown
Punk’s status?
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Note the simile in this stanza:
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What does this simile imply about the Clown Punk? Describe its
effectiveness.
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What do the verbs, ‘driving’, ‘got up’, ‘walked’ and ‘towing’ have in common?
They are verbs of M _ V _ _ E _ T
Look up this noun in a dictionary. One definition of the word is one that also
denotes ‘revolution’.
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
Describe the significance and irony of Armitage’s verb choices.
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Why does Simon Armitage end with ‘But’ in the first stanza? What does it
cause you to do? Think about rhythm.
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Stanza 2
don’t laugh: every pixel of that man’s skin
is shot through with indelible ink;
as he steps out at the traffic lights,
think what he’ll look like in thirty years’ time
What are imperative verbs and what are the effects of Armitage’s use of
them?
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Why does Armitage use a hyphen at the end of the stanza? What does it
cause the reader to do?
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
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Stanza 3
the deflated face and shrunken scalp
still daubed with the sad tattoos of high punk.
You kids in the back seat who wince and scream
when he slathers his daft mush on the windscreen,
Why are the adjectives ‘deflated’ and ‘shrunken’ effective? What are their
connotations?
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Fill the gap in the following sentence:
The poem is written in ___________ person.
What is the effect of this narrative mode?
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Stanza 4
remember the clown punk with his dyed brain,
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
then picture windscreen wipers, and let it rain.
What does the imperative fourth stanza suggest? What do you think Armitage
is trying to convey?
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When asked about this poem, Armitage said that a man he used to see on
the street influenced him. He stated:
‘”I used to see around town quite a lot, who once pressed his face up against the
windscreen of my car while I was stopped at the traffic lights. There's a tradition in
English Literature of writing such poems, where one type of person stands eyeball to
eyeball with another type, and something passes between them.’”
Sex PistolsLook at the following album cover for the Sex Pistols.
What do you think their or other punks’ political views were? Make a note
of your ideas in the space below.
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
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My Itchy Toes Smell Loads Complete the table below with what you consider to be the most
important quotes and poetic devices within each category.
meaning
imagery
tone
Structure
and Form
language
Comparing poems
25
AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
- AO3: Make comparisons and explain links between texts, evaluating
writers’ different ways of expressing meaning and achieving effects
Use the Venn diagram to find the differences and similarities between the
two poems.
Exam question Compare the attitudes presented towards a disadvantaged person in
‘The Clown Punk’ and ‘The Hunchback in the Park’
Planning an essay
‘The Clown Punk’ ‘The Hunchback in the
Park’
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
Using MITSL as a guide, create an essay plan or spider diagram for your
essay question. You must include 3 - 5 points of comparison. Number each
point in the order you would write about them in your exam. When you write
your essay, remember to analyse structural and poetic devices for their
effect and meaning. Don’t just list.
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‘Checking Out Me History’ by John Agard
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
1. Why do you think it might it be a good idea to teach young people history at school? Note three
reasons.
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2. Why do you think that British history is widely taught across the world?
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3. What reasons might there be to teach young people about the history of other cultures as well
as British history?
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What type of poem is this?
This poem is a dramatic monologue. A dramatic monologue is a piece of
verse that gives the speaker a voice to EXPRESS his / her feelings to a silent
audience.
In the case of ‘Checking Out Me History’, Agard’s speaker expresses a desire
to learn more about his / her own country of origin, not just the British
history s/he has been taught in school. Agard himself was born in Guyana in
South America in 1949 and moved to England in 1977.
Spot the following poetic techniques and devices at work in the poem. What is their
PURPOSE and EFFECT?
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
techniques examples and analysis
short lines
italics
non-standard
english
repetition
lack of
punctuation
a range of
historical
events /
figures
rhyme
Let’s take a closer look
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
Answer the following questions by providing quotes and analysis. Think PEA - point,
example, analysis.
Stanzas 1 – 3
Dem tell me
Dem tell me
Wha dem want to tell me
Bandage up me eye with me own history
Blind me to me own identity
Dem tell me bout 1066 and all dat
dem tell me bout Dick Whittington and he cat
But Toussaint L’Ouverture
no dem never tell me bout dat
What can we infer about the speaker?
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Who do you think ‘dem’ refers to?
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Why do you think the poet has included a mixture of real events, characters from children’s
stories and nursery rhymes?
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Select an effective noun phrase used to describe each historical figure. Discuss the effect of
each noun phrase and how the speaker’s praise for them is made clear.
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
Toussaint L’Ouverture
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Nanny de Maroon
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Mary Seacole
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What might the metaphor ‘I carving out me identity’ mean? Think about the connotations of the
verb ‘to carve’.
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What could you infer about the way the speaker feels about his or her identity from this stanza?
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31
AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
My Itchy Toes Smell Loads Complete the table below with what you consider to be the most
important quotes and poetic devices within each category.
meaning
imagery
tone
Structure
and Form
language
Comparing poems- AO3: Make comparisons and explain links between texts, evaluating writers’ different ways of
expressing meaning and achieving effects
32
AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
Use the Venn diagram to find the differences and similarities between the two poems.
Sample exam question Compare the theme of history in ‘Checking Out Me History’ and ‘The Horse Whisperer’.
Planning an essay Using MITSL as a guide, create an essay plan or spider diagram for your essay question.
You must include 3 - 5 points of comparison. Number each point in the order you would write
‘Checking Out Me ‘The Horse Whisperer’
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
about them in your exam. When you write your essay, remember to analyse structural and
poetic devices for their effect and meaning. Don’t just list.
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‘The River God’ Medusa
Character
What sort of character
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
is presented in each poem?
What are the most striking aspects of each character?
Do you feel any sympathy for the characters?
What other feelings do you have towards these characters?
Point of view
Whose point of view is used in each poem?
Does the point of view change at any point?
Does the poem use the first person (I) or the third person (he/she)?
Does the speaker of the poem have a particular audience in mind?
Language
Is there any striking imagery in each poem (metaphor, simile, personification)?
Are any phonological techniques used (alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia)?
Which words or phrases do you find particularly effective and why?
‘Singh Song!’ by Daljit Nagra
Let’s take a closer look
35
AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
Answer the following questions by providing quotes and analysis. Think
PEA - point, example, analysis.
Stanza 1
I run just one ov my daddy's shops
from 9 o'clock to 9 o'clock
and he vunt me not to hav a break
but ven nobody in, I do di lock –
- How is the father / son relationship represented in the first three lines of
the poem? What can we infer about the Indian work ethic?
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- The use of connectives in this first stanza is very interesting. For
example, the connective, ‘and’, emphasizes the father’s hard-working
attitude and strict role as father. What is the effect of the connective,
‘but’?
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Stanza 2
“They are not said to be husband and wife, who merely sit together.
Rather they alone are called husband and wife, who have one soul in two
bodies.”
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cos up di stairs is my newly bride
vee share in chapatti
vee share in di chutney
after vee hav made luv
like vee rowing through Putney –
AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
- Guru Amar Das.
This saying by Guru Amar Das summarises the philosophy behind Sikh
matrimony.
- Which two lines represent this philosophy? Which poetic technique has
Nagra used to establish it, and what is its effect?
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- Circle any non-standard grammar. What is the effect?
Stanza 3
- Why do you think Nagra uses Indian dialect and accent throughout the
poem, even when the voice is clearly that of a customer?
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Stanzas 4 – 7: Singh’s Wife
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Ven I return vid my pinnie untied
di shoppers always point and cry:
Hey Singh, ver yoo bin?
Yor lemons are limes
yor bananas are plantain,
dis dirty little floor need a little bit of mop
in di worst Indian shop
on di whole Indian road –
Above my head high heel tap di ground
as my vife on di web is playing wid di mouse
ven she netting two cat on her Sikh lover site
she book dem for di meat at di cheese ov her price –
AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
- Nagra refers to Singh’s wife as ‘netting two cat on her Sikh lover site’?
Explain the pun.
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- What does Singh’s wife do and how may that differ from the traditional
Indian marriages?
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- Considering what you may know about the Indian culture, how would
you describe Singh’s wife? What do you think the Indian community’s
reaction to her might be?
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my bride
she effing at my mum
in all di colours of Punjabi
den stumble like a drunk
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
making fun at my daddy
my bride
tiny eyes ov a gun
and di tummy ov a teddy
my bride
she hav a red crew cut
and she wear a Tartan sari
a donkey jacket and some pumps
on di squeak ov di girls dat are pinching my sweeties –
Draw a picture of Singh’s wife below by using the details from stanzas five,
six and seven. Surround your picture with quotes which support your
interpretation.
Stanza 9Late in di midnight hour
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
ven yoo shoppers are wrap up quiet
ven di precinct is concrete-cool
vee cum down whispering stairs
and sit on my silver stool, from behind di chocolate bars
vee stare past di half-price window signs
at di beaches ov di UK in di brightey moon –
Name three poetic techniques used in this stanza. What are their effects?
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2. ____________________________________________________________
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3. ____________________________________________________________
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- The Indian word for Britain is ‘Blighty’. Do you see any words that rhyme
with that word? Why do you think Nagra has done this?
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Comparing poems
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
- AO3: Make comparisons and explain links between texts, evaluating
writers’ different ways of expressing meaning and achieving effects
Use the Venn diagram to find the differences and similarities between the
two poems.
Sample exam questions Compare the characters and situations in ‘Singh Song’ and ‘Checking
Out Me History’.
Compare how voice is created in ‘Singh Song’ and ‘Checking Out Me
History’.
Planning an essay
‘Singh Song!’ ‘Checking Out Me History’
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
Using MITSL as a guide, create an essay plan or spider diagram for your
essay question. You must include 3 - 5 points of comparison. Number each
point in the order you would write about them in your exam. When you write
your essay, remember to analyse structural and poetic devices for their
effect and meaning. Don’t just list.
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‘The River God’ by Stevie Smith
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
Character and voice Read the following lines from the opening of the poem:
“I may be smelly and I may be old,
Rough in my pebbles, reedy in my pools,
But where my fish float by I bless their swimming
And I like the people to bathe in me, especially women.”
Who is the speaker of this poem? Explain your answer.
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Rhyme scheme The poem is written almost entirely in rhyming couplets. The only
exceptions are:
the first two lines of the poem;
the last four lines of the poem. (Though the last four lines do contain a
couplet, the regular pattern is broken.)
Let’s take a closer lookWhat other poetic techniques does the poet use to create the sound of water?
Identify and explain three examples.
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What is the effect of the rhyme scheme changing at the end of the poem?
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
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There are two lines in the poem that begin with a single word followed by a full
stop. What are they, and what is the effect on the reader?
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44
AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
Poetry detective
Poetic techniques and devices
Examples
assonance
rhyme
mid-line full stops
onomatopoeia
modal verbs
repetition
use of personal pronouns
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
Comparing poems- AO3: Make comparisons and explain links between texts, evaluating
writers’ different ways of expressing meaning and achieving effects
Use the Venn diagram to find the differences and similarities between the
two poems.
Sample exam questions Compare the central characters in ‘The River God’ and ‘Medusa’.
Compare the presentation of the theme of power in ‘The River God’ and
‘Medusa’.
Planning an essay
‘The river god’ ‘medusa’
46
AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
Using MITSL as a guide, create an essay plan or spider diagram for your
essay question. You must include 3 - 5 points of comparison. Number each
point in the order you would write about them in your exam. When you write
your essay, remember to analyse structural and poetic devices for their
effect and meaning. Don’t just list.
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
‘Les Grands Seigneurs’ by Dorothy Molloy
Look at the following images. Note down the connotations that each image
suggests to you.
‘castellated towers’
‘the peacocks’
‘performing seals’
‘sailing-ships’
‘monkey-men’
Let’s take a closer look Read the final stanza of the poem again.
What is the turn in the poem?
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Why did this change happen ‘overnight’?
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What do you think the speaker means by ‘called my bluff’?
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
Device spotting
Examiner’s Hint
Technical terms, device spotting, counting lines and alphabetising rhyme
schemes are only of any use if they support your understanding of the
poems and the comparisons between them – and you show this.
So, there is very little point in saying:
Molloy uses a metaphor in line … of the poem.
There is also very little point in saying:
In the metaphor, she compares … to ...
The above, although useful in focusing your thoughts, will not earn you many
marks in terms of the assessment objectives and they will only be of use if
you also do the following.
To earn the marks, you must:
use appropriate quotations;
analyse and explain the use of any technical terms and poetic devices;
show your understanding and detail your personal response;
make comparisons.
link all of the above to the wider content of the poem.
Select one metaphor from the poem. Write your response to Molloy’s use
of the metaphor. Try to earn full marks.
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
Poetry detectives Make a note of examples (quotations) from the poem in the table below.
Poetic techniques and devices
Examples
metaphors
narrative voice
rhyme
mid-line full stops
enjambment
parenthesis
alliteration
assonance
sibilance
consonance
word sets
the poem’s turn
pun
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