Seasons
How does the poet present their feelings about NATURE in the following verse? (24 marks)
How does the poet present their feelings about NATURE in the following verse? (24 marks)
TAPESTRY by Lesley Elaine Greenwood
TAPESTRY by Lesley Elaine Greenwood
If I could take a brush and paint the mountains and the moors,
If I could take a brush and paint the mountains and the moors,
I would splash the hillsides yellow and cover them in gorse.
I would splash the hillsides yellow and cover them in gorse.
I'd take the finest needle and the darkest thread of green
I'd take the finest needle and the darkest thread of green
And sew a line of bracken along the landscape. In-between
And sew a line of bracken along the landscape. In-between
I'd lay a purple carpet of wild heather in the dells
I'd lay a purple carpet of wild heather in the dells
And fringe the edge of all the woods with their pretty lilac bells.
And fringe the edge of all the woods with their pretty lilac bells.
I'd merge the bracken with the heather, mix their colours like the sea,
I'd merge the bracken with the heather, mix their colours like the sea,
A green and purple ocean on my own rich tapestry.
A green and purple ocean on my own rich tapestry.
Then I'd take a ball of soft, white wool and stitch a mass of daisy chains
Then I'd take a ball of soft, white wool and stitch a mass of daisy chains
Around the lush green meadows and up the sides of winding lanes.
Around the lush green meadows and up the sides of winding lanes.
On the marshes I would stencil, just like pure white china cups,
On the marshes I would stencil, just like pure white china cups,
Some fragile water lilies and, by the ponds, sweet buttercups.
Some fragile water lilies and, by the ponds, sweet buttercups.
I'd mix orange, reds and yellows planting poppies wild and free
I'd mix orange, reds and yellows planting poppies wild and free
Onto nature's coloured canvas, my own rich tapestry.
Onto nature's coloured canvas, my own rich tapestry.
© Lesley Elaine Greenwood
For the first poem, just make sure you write about the following things:
For the first poem, just make sure you write about the following things:
- A brief summary of what the poem is about
- Analyse some language - two or three specific words will do
- Analyse a couple of techniques - again, two or three techniques will be plenty
- Say something about the structure of the poem.
An example answer: (24 marks)
An example answer: (24 marks)
Here, the poet compares the creations of nature to a personal craft project, comparing it to painting, sewing and other creative endeavours.
Here, the poet compares the creations of nature to a personal craft project, comparing it to painting, sewing and other creative endeavours.
Throughout the poem, the writer uses the language of arts and crafts to describe the colours of nature. She says she' like to "splash" colour on a hillside, as though it was something fun and surprising. At the same time she would "lay" a carpet of wild flowers, which suggests her taking time to position it just right. By doing this she shows how both chaos and order can be a part of both nature and art.
Throughout the poem, the writer uses the language of arts and crafts to describe the colours of nature. She says she' like to "splash" colour on a hillside, as though it was something fun and surprising. At the same time she would "lay" a carpet of wild flowers, which suggests her taking time to position it just right. By doing this she shows how both chaos and order can be a part of both nature and art.
Really the whole poem is an extended analogy that compares art and nature. The image of the poet taking a "ball of soft white wool" to "stitch a mass of daisy chains" enhances the softness and comfort we get from the image of the "daisy chains," which reminds us of childhood - an time when we might have all spent more time enjoying the carefree fun of making art - and innocence, since "white" is often a colour that connotes innocence.
Really the whole poem is an extended analogy that compares art and nature. The image of the poet taking a "ball of soft white wool" to "stitch a mass of daisy chains" enhances the softness and comfort we get from the image of the "daisy chains," which reminds us of childhood - an time when we might have all spent more time enjoying the carefree fun of making art - and innocence, since "white" is often a colour that connotes innocence.
She repeats the use of whiteness to symbolise innocence when she uses a simile to compare "fragile lilies" to "pure white china cups." Here, the comparison is both visual, as lilies are white, and the shape of lilies, which open up as they grow, look similar to cups opening. Here, however, the reminder that they are "fragile" also reminds us that nature, like china cups, must be taken care of and protected.
She repeats the use of whiteness to symbolise innocence when she uses a simile to compare "fragile lilies" to "pure white china cups." Here, the comparison is both visual, as lilies are white, and the shape of lilies, which open up as they grow, look similar to cups opening. Here, however, the reminder that they are "fragile" also reminds us that nature, like china cups, must be taken care of and protected.
The poem has a strict AABB rhyme scheme, with a rhyming couplet at the end. Though this poem is similar to a classic sonnet in that it is about her shared love for nature and art, it doesn't have a turn. Most of the ideas in the poem are contained within one or two lines, which gives it a sense of order and completeness. It also means that each image is neatly contained within a rhyming couplet which adds to the poem's innocent, child-like feel. It seems ordered and neat. In this respect, it is as though she is using her arts and crafts to bring order to the chaos of nature, and in doing so enhances the beauty of what she sees.
The poem has a strict AABB rhyme scheme, with a rhyming couplet at the end. Though this poem is similar to a classic sonnet in that it is about her shared love for nature and art, it doesn't have a turn. Most of the ideas in the poem are contained within one or two lines, which gives it a sense of order and completeness. It also means that each image is neatly contained within a rhyming couplet which adds to the poem's innocent, child-like feel. It seems ordered and neat. In this respect, it is as though she is using her arts and crafts to bring order to the chaos of nature, and in doing so enhances the beauty of what she sees.
Reflecting on that answer:
Reflecting on that answer:
For this one, I used my opening paragraph to establish what the poem was about - there's normally always a "big idea" behind a poem that you can express in a sentence or two. Keep this opening simple, and then go from there.
For this one, I used my opening paragraph to establish what the poem was about - there's normally always a "big idea" behind a poem that you can express in a sentence or two. Keep this opening simple, and then go from there.
Initially, I looked for a couple of words I could analyse from the opening - I looked at "splash" and "lay." To choose those two I first picked out "splash" and then found another verb - it's often easy to compare two words of the same class. Once I'd got them, I noticed that they were almost opposites to each other which allowed me to pursue the deeper analysis.
Initially, I looked for a couple of words I could analyse from the opening - I looked at "splash" and "lay." To choose those two I first picked out "splash" and then found another verb - it's often easy to compare two words of the same class. Once I'd got them, I noticed that they were almost opposites to each other which allowed me to pursue the deeper analysis.
For the technique I referred back to my initial statement and then found am image that supported that - a part of the poem where she compared a piece of nature to something from arts and crafts. I could have chosen any one of a few different images so I just chose one I could write about.
For the technique I referred back to my initial statement and then found am image that supported that - a part of the poem where she compared a piece of nature to something from arts and crafts. I could have chosen any one of a few different images so I just chose one I could write about.
The structure of this poem is very simple, childlike and ordered, and so the key was finding a way to link "childlike," "simple" and "ordered" to the big idea of the poem. It seems obvious that arts and crafts are childlike and simple, so that was good. And then I thought about how the poem brings order to nature, which is often quite disordered, hence her trying to bring order to chaos.
The structure of this poem is very simple, childlike and ordered, and so the key was finding a way to link "childlike," "simple" and "ordered" to the big idea of the poem. It seems obvious that arts and crafts are childlike and simple, so that was good. And then I thought about how the poem brings order to nature, which is often quite disordered, hence her trying to bring order to chaos.
The KEY to this is that opening statement - you'll recognise that in a poem relatively quickly - and then, once you see it, you should be able to start linking any of the key ideas or techniques in the poem to the big idea.
The KEY to this is that opening statement - you'll recognise that in a poem relatively quickly - and then, once you see it, you should be able to start linking any of the key ideas or techniques in the poem to the big idea.
- Find the big idea
- Choose an image / word or structural feature and be creative in how you link them
Really, that's all you have to do...
Really, that's all you have to do...
Compare how the poets present their feelings about NATURE in the following to poems. - (8 marks)
Compare how the poets present their feelings about NATURE in the following to poems. - (8 marks)
TAPESTRY by Lesley Elaine Greenwood
TAPESTRY by Lesley Elaine Greenwood
If I could take a brush and paint the mountains and the moors,
If I could take a brush and paint the mountains and the moors,
I would splash the hillsides yellow and cover them in gorse.
I would splash the hillsides yellow and cover them in gorse.
I'd take the finest needle and the darkest thread of green
I'd take the finest needle and the darkest thread of green
And sew a line of bracken along the landscape. In-between
And sew a line of bracken along the landscape. In-between
I'd lay a purple carpet of wild heather in the dells
I'd lay a purple carpet of wild heather in the dells
And fringe the edge of all the woods with their pretty lilac bells.
And fringe the edge of all the woods with their pretty lilac bells.
I'd merge the bracken with the heather, mix their colours like the sea,
I'd merge the bracken with the heather, mix their colours like the sea,
A green and purple ocean on my own rich tapestry.
A green and purple ocean on my own rich tapestry.
Then I'd take a ball of soft, white wool and stitch a mass of daisy chains
Then I'd take a ball of soft, white wool and stitch a mass of daisy chains
Around the lush green meadows and up the sides of winding lanes.
Around the lush green meadows and up the sides of winding lanes.
I would stencil on the marshes, just like pure white china cups,
I would stencil on the marshes, just like pure white china cups,
Some fragile water lilies and by the ponds, sweet buttercups.
Some fragile water lilies and by the ponds, sweet buttercups.
I'd mix orange, reds and yellows planting poppies wild and free
I'd mix orange, reds and yellows planting poppies wild and free
Onto nature's coloured canvas, my own rich tapestry.
Onto nature's coloured canvas, my own rich tapestry.
© Lesley Elaine Greenwood
RAIN by Edward Thomas
RAIN by Edward Thomas
Rain, midnight rain, nothing but the wild rain
On this bleak hut, and solitude, and me
Remembering again that I shall die
And neither hear the rain nor give it thanks
For washing me cleaner than I have been
Since I was born into this solitude.
Blessed are the dead that the rain rains upon:
But here I pray that none whom once I loved
Is dying tonight or lying still awake
Solitary, listening to the rain,
Either in pain or thus in sympathy
Helpless among the living and the dead,
Like a cold water among broken reeds,
Myriads of broken reeds all still and stiff,
Like me who have no love which this wild rain
Has not dissolved except the love of death,
If love it be towards what is perfect and
Cannot, the tempest tells me, disappoint.
Poem A & Poem B - (8 marks)
Poem A & Poem B - (8 marks)
Remember that in the exam you'll only have 10-15 mins for this question - and it's only worth 8 marks - so you're just being asked to write about a few key features.
Remember that in the exam you'll only have 10-15 mins for this question - and it's only worth 8 marks - so you're just being asked to write about a few key features.
Below I've written some comparisons between the two poems. If you'd picked up on two or three of these you could probably get 6 or 8 out of 8 for the final exam:
Below I've written some comparisons between the two poems. If you'd picked up on two or three of these you could probably get 6 or 8 out of 8 for the final exam:
Poem A uses images of brightness and colour; Poem B is bleak and dark
Poem A uses images of brightness and colour; Poem B is bleak and dark
Poem A has someone who takes control of nature; Poem B is someone responding to nature
Poem A has someone who takes control of nature; Poem B is someone responding to nature
Poem A talks about a range of different parts of nature; Poem B is just about the rain
Poem A talks about a range of different parts of nature; Poem B is just about the rain
Poem A has a strong, clear rhyme scheme; Poem B has no rhyme scheme
Poem A has a strong, clear rhyme scheme; Poem B has no rhyme scheme
Poem A keeps its ideas contained within rhyming couplets; Poem B has enjambment and caesura to throw the rhythm into chaos
Poem A keeps its ideas contained within rhyming couplets; Poem B has enjambment and caesura to throw the rhythm into chaos