Poems of the Decade - What We've Done So Far

Hello year 12s,

Thank you so much for your contributions to this blog - I have really enjoyed reading them and would like you to comment on the thoughts of your classmates over the next week.
Before I leave poetry in the capable hands of Mr Gun-Why, I would like to share all of the thoughts we have had on the poems we've looked at so far. Here are all of the annotations I have made to my copy of the book as a result of the discussions we've had in lessons.

“Eat me” by Patience Agbabi (Carys)

The poem I like the most from the Anthology of poems is “Eat me” by Patience Agbabi. I find this poem interesting as it is based on a topic relevant to today’s society. The number of people with obesity has significantly increased within the last 30 years and I think that the way Agbabi addresses obesity and the power to overcome the struggle of dealing with it is very remarkable.

There is also an interpretation of a reference to the story of Alice in Wonderland, which I find interesting. In the first stanza it says “The icing was white but the letters were pink, they said, EAT ME. And I ate, did what I was told.” This references the part where Alice was able to change her size by eating or drinking certain things. I liked this as Alice in Wonderland is a movie that I enjoyed as a child, and so I felt as if I had a link to it and I could understand the significance of the reference within the poem.

Although there are some aspects in this poem which I found amusing, I also recognise and appreciate the serious feelings and emotions that are present throughout. The narrator in the poem is constantly made to feel self-conscious and weak as her partner continues to over feed her and make her gain wait. The use of the words “shipwreck, broad, tidal wave and beached whale” provide the imagery of the narrator being extremely large, however it also make me think of how these words can emotionally damage her and how it can have a negative effect on a person.

In general, I prefer this poem to the others that I’ve looked at because it focuses on a current worldwide issue, it involves a range of language to create humorous and serious scenarios in my mind, and how it shows the greed for power.

CHAINSAW VERSUS THE PAMPAS GRASS (Maham)

The poem ‘Chainsaw Versus the Pampas Grass’ is written by Simon Armitage. One of the predominant themes in this poem is the idea of masculinity VS femininity. The main way in which Armitage presents this theme is through the use of personification. The chainsaw is personified throughout the poem in order to portray several stereotypical aspects of masculinity, for example the phrase “knocked back” in stanza 1 implying grudging desire to complete the task it has been set and there’s a sense of inability to refuse a challenge. Also this illustrates a masculine gesture with a violent imagery.

Also the personification shows the chainsaw as if its sulking e.g. “ Back below stairs on its hook, the chainsaw seethed”(stanza 8) which implies that the chainsaw and men in particular, will remain  angry for a long time after the loss of a battle, without moving on and admitting defeat. However this can be contrasted with the first stanza where “the chainsaw swung nose-down” which links to disappointment and an initial start to defeat. This reflects on the nature of a man where he may experience many things before actually starting the task.

Meanwhile, the pampas grass represents many stereotypical aspects of femininity, for example in stanza 4 there is an example of narcissism (self-importance) “The pampas grass with its ludicrous feathers and plumes”, in which the word “ludicrous” advocates elegance and a sense of being quite self-centred, proposing that the pampas grass/ women have a high opinion on themselves and reflects their nature. Moreover there is a desire for attention e.g. “taking the warmth and light...stealing the show”, which implies that the pampas grass (representation of women) will go to great lengths and measures to be the centre of attention, often imposing itself on others in order to direct their attention towards it.

 Also the preoccupation with physical appearance e.g. “sunning itself” suggest that women will spend large amounts of time trying to make themselves look attractive and grab people’s attention are always standing out in the crowd.  Lastly throughout the whole poem the chainsaw tried to defeat the pampas grass but at the end it is said that it’s “corn in Egypt” which means it comes back in a bundle and in richer condition (denser) and it reflects a sort of mocking of the chainsaws effort of trying to get rid of it. “Wearing a new crown” shows that the pampas grass has won this year as well because it supreme and dominant as there’s a new crown being gifted to her.

“Please Hold” by Ciaran O’Driscoll (Molly)

My favourite poem is “Please Hold” by Ciaran O’Driscoll. I think it is such an accurate representation of society and how we are expected to behave. I also admire the sheer bluntness of the speaker, he adopted a robotic tone to mimic how society has become enslaved by technology and yet he has his own voice, his own thoughts and opinions. I’m always on my phone or my laptop so the poem made me think about how often I actually need to be doing this and how much technology has changed my life.  I find that the humorous tone and sarcasm make the poem more relatable, especially because I’m sarcastic for a majority of the time. Also, the ending of the poem made me empathise with the speaker, he is seriously concerned by how technology is taking over our lives and even though he tried to fight it, even he was tragically affected by technology. It was inevitable.

To My Nine-Year-Old Self - Helen Dunmore (Lauren)

From the poems studied so far, To My Nine Year Old Self has been my favourite as it is not as plain as it may seem. After my first reading of the poem it was clear to see that Helen Dunmore is writing a letter to her past self. At first, it seems as though she is reminiscing as she lists things she did as a child which provides a nostalgic atmosphere and also presents the notion that Dunmore is envious of the carefree life a child has. However, once you’ve delved in more depth this is where a differing interpretation comes to the forefront. Dunmore suggests throughout the poem that she has been scarred by adulthood and that something traumatic has occurred in her life that has altered her. This is where the previous interpretation of a nostalgic letter is changed and the letter could actually be a warning to her younger self of what to expect in the future.

 

The imagery in this poem captures your attention. In one stanza Dunmore will be expressing sweet, innocent images that would most commonly be associated with a child such as ice-lollies and sherbet lemons. Yet in the next stanza the atmosphere will completely change and she’ll create dark, ominous images that connote something dismal. In Stanza four, one particular piece of imagery stood out to me, in the fifth line Dunmore states ‘time to hide down scared lanes/from men in cars after girl-children,’. This implies something iniquitous happened to her - depending on your interpretation it could be seen as a sexual assault of some kind. Which supports the concept of the letter being a warning to her younger self and why she views her adult self as scarred and tainted.

 

This poem holds a plethora of interpretations that makes it all the more interesting. The persona has clearly been altered by some event in her life and has chosen to make her past self acknowledge the privilege of not having to bear this burden yet. The nine year olds worries are menial in comparison to her adult self which is what makes the poem that much more complex. The barrage of interpretations allows the poem to be appreciated in more than one way. This is why it is my favourite of the collection we have studied so far.

'Please Hold'

Hello year 12s,


Well done on making it through 'induction test week'. I am looking forward to reading your analysis of 'To My Nine Year Old Self' and will be able to give you feedback next week. This week we were looking at 'Please Hold' by Ciaran O'Driscoll and considering the huge impact that technology has on our lives.


These are the annotations I made as a result of our discussion:

I am looking forward to hearing your presentations on 'Look We Have Coming to Dover', 'You, Shiva and My Mum' and 'On Her Blindness' next lesson. Don't forget to read the article on Poems of the Decade and read and annotate 'A Minor Role' for Thursday's lesson.


Have a lovely week,


Miss Ryall

Homework for Week 4

Hello year 12s,

Here is a link to the article I would like you to read for homework this week. We will be discussing it in next week's lessons so please come prepared.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByjTQpSbakfiMzd0cHY1MU5fbm8/view?usp=sharing

Miss Ryall