Textual Analysis

Jackie Kay

Poems

• Six poems (titles)• Voices or narrators of each poem, whether

it’s Jackie herself, a younger version of Jackie or someone else.

• Themes• Techniques• Structure/style• Commonalities across the poems through

any of the above

Visual Reminders• Draw images you associate with this

poem, e.g. a bottle of Lucozade for ‘Lucozade’ or an orchid for ‘Keeping Orchids’ and get a partner to guess the poem or image (and effect).

• Draw images that will get your partner to really think about the poem, rather than something obvious.

• E.g. train station for ‘Keeping Orchids’, nappies for ‘Bed’ or a baby scan for ‘Gap Year’

Thinking Hats

• White – summarise the basic facts of the poem’s narrative, listing the objective information and considering the denotations of these.

• Red – focus on the emotive language within the poem (words or phrases), the reader’s emotional response and the emotive connotations.

• Yellow – positive ideas/images in the poem, aspects of the poem that are effective, things the learner likes in the poem, positive connotations.

• Black – negative ideas/images in the poem, aspects of the poem that are confusing/difficult, negative connotations.

• Green – connections or links between parts of the poem and others across the collection, new ideas/interpretations as you read.

The Big Picture

• Test each other’s knowledge of the poems by looking for a certain image across all of the poems, e.g. a bed across ‘Bed’, ‘Lucozade’, ‘My Grandmother’s Houses’ and ‘Gap Year’.

• Try with flowers or food items – what kind of food? What does this tell us about the narrator?

Understanding

Looking for your interpretation of the poems – the narrator, the themes, the language, etc. – based on what you already know.

Ability to explain in your own words without using evidence.

Analysis

How has the poet conveyed their message and what effect(s) does this have on the way you read and interpret the poem?

‘Keeping Orchids’Explain how the poet’s use of language in lines 1-7 shows the physical and emotional distance between the poet and her mother. (4)

• “when we first met”

• “buds remain closed as secrets”

• “like a baby in a shawl”

• “from her train station to mine”

2 x quotes, 2 x supporting comments = 4

Analysis of these phrases/images and how they prove the physically and emotionally distant relationship between Jackie Kay and her birth mother.

Analysis

Look at lines 8-14. With reference to poetic techniques, show two other ways which proves that the poet does not have a close relationship with her mother. (4)

• Enjambment – example – effect (2)• Caesura – example – effect (2)• Alliteration – example – effect (2)• Word choice – example – effect (2)

Any combination of two from the list above = 4

e.g. “Her face is fading fast.” – Caesura – this pause in the line creates a dramatic effect, as we feel sorry for the poet not being able to remember what her real mother looks like after their first meeting. The alliteration of the ‘f’ sound also creates tension, as we can tell that the poet is panicking about forgetting her mother’s looks.

• Alliteration• Ambiguity• Assonance• Cliché • Climax• Colloquialisms• Colon• Complex Sentence• Connotation• Contrast • Dash• Denotation• Euphemism• Fact• Form• Hyperbole• Imagery• Irony• Juxtaposition• List• Metaphor• Metonymy• Mood

• Narrative stance and structure• Onomatopoeia• Oxymoron• Paradox• Parenthesis• Persona• Personification• Pun• Purpose• Register• Repetition• Rhetorical question• Satire• Semi-colon• Sibilants• Simile• Symbol• Synecdoche• Syntax• Theme• Tone• Transferred epithet• Word choice

By referring to this poem (‘Keeping Orchids’) and to at least one other poem by Jackie Kay, discuss how she explores the theme of love and relationships. (8)

8 Mark Question

Candidates may choose to answer in bullet points in this final question, or write a number of linked statements. There is no requirement to write a “mini essay”.

1. Up to 2 marks can be achieved for identifying elements of commonality as identified in the question.

2. A further 2 marks can be achieved for reference to the extract given.

3. 4 additional marks can be awarded for similar references to at least one other text/part of the text by the writer.

8 Mark Question

Identification of commonality (2) (eg: theme, central relationship, importance of setting, use of imagery, development in characterisation, use of personal experience, use of narrative style, or any other key element…)

from the extract:

1 x relevant reference to technique

(1)1 x appropriate comment (1)OR1 x relevant reference to

idea (1)1 x appropriate comment (1)OR1 x relevant reference to

feature (1)1 x appropriate comment (1)

OR1 x relevant reference to

text (1)• 1 x appropriate comment

(1)• (maximum of 2 marks

only for discussion of extract) from at least one other text/part of the text:

• as above (x 2) for up to 4 marks

Any questions?

https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/my/forresy2/

Both tutorials available on Glow and Student WorkOut