EAL Nexus resource. Not my business. Language of the poem. Subject: English Age group: Poems from other cultures

Transcription

1 This project and its actions were made possible due to co-financing by the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals EAL Nexus resource Not my business Language of the poem Subject: English Age group: Topic: Poems from other cultures Licence information This resource is free to use for educational purposes. British Council 2014 Source This resource was originally developed by Zdravka Davies and has been adapted by EAL Nexus.

2 Verbs in the poem In your groups, have 3 different coloured highlighters, pens or coloured pencils ready Go through and mark all the verbs in one colour. The first stanza has been done for you: 1.They picked Akanni up one morning 2. Beat him soft like clay 3. And stuffed him down the belly 4. Of a waiting jeep. 5. What business of mine is it 6. So long they don t take the yam 7. From my savouring mouth?

3 Use of speech in the poem Now go through poem again with a different colour and mark all the speech. The first stanza has been done for you: 1.They picked Akanni up one morning 2. Beat him soft like clay 3. And stuffed him down the belly 4. Of a waiting jeep. 5. What business of mine is it 6. So long they don t take the yam 7. From my savouring mouth?

4 Language in the poem Now underline any examples of similes, metaphors, emotive language, powerful imagery, rule of three, rhetorical questions, personification, alliteration or repetition with your third colour. The first stanza has been done for you. 1.They picked Akanni up one morning 2. Beat him soft like clay 3. And stuffed him down the belly 4. Of a waiting jeep. 5. What business of mine is it 6. So long they don t take the yam 7. From my savouring mouth?

5 Poetic techniques Match the technique with the correct definition: metaphor repetition words or phrases are repeated two or more words starting with the same sound alliteration an object is given human characteristics personification when something is said to be something else

6 Poetic techniques Match the technique with the correct definition: rule of three compare two things using the words like or as simile rhetorical question A question that does not need an answer a group of three words or ideas to increase tension and hold readers attention

7 Violence Many words in the poem convey violence and brutality. Find examples and add them to the spider diagram. stuffed him beat him a lengthy absence dragged froze my hungry hand booted the whole house awake

8 Complete the table Quotation beat him soft like clay Poetic devices simile How does this relate to life in Nigeria during the dictatorship People were physically beaten by the army and police

9 Possible answers 1 Quotation stuffed him down the belly of a waiting jeep What business of mine is it? Poetic devices Life in Nigeria during dictatorship personification Arrested people were taken away to prison in jeeps rhetorical question People did not want to get involved, because they were scared

10 Possible answers 2 Quotation Poetic devices Life in Nigeria during the dictatorship So long they don t take the yam from my savouring mouth metaphor They didn t get involved because they were not directly affected hungry hand alliteration Nigerians didn t have much food no query, no warning, no probe The rule of three/ repetition People didn t get any warning about what might happen to them

11 Imagery Look at the imagery used in the poem. Why does the poet use these images? Images Beat him soft like clay Stuffed him down the belly of a waiting jeep Notes on the images Violent image suggesting the man was beaten very badly. My savouring mouth

12 Imagery: suggested answers 1 Images Beat him soft like clay Stuffed him down the belly of a waiting jeep My savouring mouth Booted the whole house awake Notes on the images Violent image suggesting the man was beaten very badly. This suggests that the person was pushed violently into the jeep The narrator eats with pleasure The whole family was distressed by the violent entry

13 Imagery: suggested answers 2 Images A knock on the door froze my hungry hand My bewildered lawn Waiting in its usual silence Notes on the images The narrator was shocked Everyone and everything was confused and scared Nobody gets involved if it is not their business, as people were scared of punishment