GCSE Anthology

[AhlaamBella]

:sl:

So many interpretations to the culture poems in this book that we students have to study!

This thread is for us all to study them together and go over the messages and techniques etc.

The first one I studied was Search For My tongue. Any comments?

:sl:
Khadijah

[Kittygyal]

salamualikum.

identity of two different languages, Gujrati it's in the middle because it's for the attention and the way it's structured. It's got repitition and enjarment.

...And if you lived in a place you ''HAD'' to. where it says had sujata Bhatt has been forced. Theres alot of metaphors ''Rot and die in your mouth'' that is referring to a plant.

This poem is all about like a living thing in Sujata Bhatt's mouth, she thinks she lost her mother language but it comes back to her.
Ma'assalama

[AhlaamBella]

Right! I love the last stanza. The way she describes her mother tongue blossoming in her mouth. It's beautiful.

[Kittygyal]

salamualikum.
Yes she says something like this

''It blossoms out of my mouth''

Ma'assalama

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[ummAbdillah]

salaam
i need to revise those peoms and practise essay writing
coz we've exam's comming up soon!! this threads will be
useful! thanks for starting it sis
wa salaam

[Kittygyal]

salamualikum.
What about ''Halfcaste''?? lol John Argard is well funny haha
Ma'assalama

[ummAbdillah]

salaam
i saw John Argard reading some of his poems in this museum that we went
to. He is realy funny and his poems have a deeper message to them, My fav one is Halfcsate :)
wa salaam

[AhlaamBella]

'wah u mena when u say half-caste'.

Lol I love that poem!!

How many speakers are there? 2 or 3?

[Kittygyal]

salamualikum
2 i think. That poem is challenging people face of different sorrounding identity. Acceptance does variety society accept what you are. All about ''Half'' of something and the culture.
Ma'assalama

[ummAbdillah]

salaam

Excuse me
standing on one leg
I'm half-caste

Explain yuself
wha yu mean
when yu say half-caste
yu mean when picasso
mix red an green
is a half-caste canvas/
explain yuself
wha u mean
when yu say half-caste
yu mean when light an shadow
mix in de sky
is a half-caste weather/
well in dat case
england weather
nearly always half-caste
in fact some o dem cloud
half-caste till dem overcast
so spiteful dem dont want de sun pass
ah rass/
explain yuself
wha yu mean
when yu say half-caste
yu mean tchaikovsky
sit down at dah piano
an mix a black key
wid a white key
is a half-caste symphony/

Explain yuself
wha yu mean
Ah listening to yu wid de keen
half of mih ear
Ah looking at u wid de keen
half of mih eye
and when I'm introduced to yu
I'm sure you'll understand
why I offer yu half-a-hand
an when I sleep at night
I close half-a-eye
consequently when I dream
I dream half-a-dream
an when moon begin to glow
I half-caste human being
cast half-a-shadow
but yu come back tomorrow
wid de whole of yu eye
an de whole of yu ear
and de whole of yu mind

an I will tell yu
de other half
of my story

John Agard

wa salaam

[Kittygyal]

salamualikum.
^ lol good one
Ma'assalama

[ummAbdillah]

salaam

I got this stuf of BBCBitesize, It'll be useful i think :)

Structure

The poem is written is five stanzas of varying lengths. Look carefully at the gaps between the stanzas (lines 38/39, 47/48 and 50/51). Why do you think the poet left these gaps, when the sentence seems to run on into the next stanza?

The lines throughout the poem are quite short, perhaps to hammer home the message.

Language

When you read the poem, you will notice that certain phrases (eg 'Explain yuself, half') are repeated or echoed, which builds up a pattern in the language. Do you think that this repetition is a successful way of strengthening the impact of his argument?

The poem relies on comparisons to make us see how stupid it is to judge things that are in contrasting colours as only 'half' worthy. He uses examples of great and famous artists (Picasso and Tchaikovsky). What is the effect of this?

He also uses the weather as an example of something that is full of contrasting colour. Think about what the poet is doing when he uses the phrase 'overcast' (line 20). It sounds like the same word as 'caste' with an 'e', but is actually an entirely different word. Do you think this adds to the humour of the poem? Agard said: 'I think humour can be very powerful. Humour breaks down boundaries, it topples our self-importance, it connects people, and because it engages and entertains, it ultimately enlightens.'

The poet has decided not to use standard English in this poem.

He doesn't use the standard form of punctuation. This is partly because it's a poem that is written to be performed aloud. Agard said: 'Sometimes I think no punctuation can be effective because if the words are floating in space it gives the reader a chance to punctuate with their own breath...'
He uses the lower case where standard English would use capital letters. Even proper names - like 'picasso', or 'tchaikovsky' - are written in this way. What effect does this create?
He writes in a Caribbean dialect -'yu' instead of 'you', for example, or 'dem' for 'them'. Why do you think Agard chose to write 'Half-Caste' in 'non-standard' form

any good?

[strider]

I love English Literature.

If anybody needs help with English, especially literature, feel free to drop me a note.

[AhlaamBella]

snap sis! literature is my fave! lol

[Kittygyal]

lol it's designed for GCSE students. I suppose you could call us kiddies lol
JazakAllah sis Aisha I will defo use that.

Salamualikum.
Not to worry sis. How many poems have you studied so far?
Ma'assalama

[H4RUN]

:sl:
Eng lit anthology! I so wanted to throw that down a drain or something last year! I still got notes in mine, very useful if i may add:p...anyone want to place a bid for it...20p for starters:D


:w:

[AhlaamBella]

:sl:
Eng lit anthology! I so wanted to throw that down a drain or something last year! I still got notes in mine, very useful if i may add:p...anyone want to place a bid for it...20p for starters:D


:w:

How long ago did you sit the exam bro?

[strider]

How long are everybodies English exams?

(Mine was 2hrs and 15 minutes)

[H4RUN]

How long ago did you sit the exam bro?

:sl:

It was last summer...or should i say late spring...i need to get hold of the video the headmaster made of all us walking into the exam hall....i tripped over..
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yeh right:p
Put your head down now:D It's easy to get distracted at the end of high school days...Unfortunately it was more jokes than work for some of us....did not affect us too much when the results came in....but trust me, they could have been better...more A's would have done the trick:D

peace
:w:

[GhettoMuslimah]

:w:
My favorite was is definately Half Caste coz it is funny and still brings a message across.:thumbs_up
:w:

[AhlaamBella]

I can't seem to find ANY revision notes online for these poems:
Limbo
Two Scavengers in a truck
What were they like?
Love after Love
This Room
Not my buisness
Hurricane hits England

I need some notes which the techniques and everything in it

[czgibson]

Greetings DeepOcean,

Have a look here.

The Andrew Moore website is great for GCSE English revision - you should find just about everything you need.

Peace

[Maarya]

:sl:

i found this website. its got info on the culture poems, cluster 1 and 2.

http://www.universalteacher.org.uk/a...tcultures.htm#

[strider]

Top tip: Be original. Read a poem and write down what YOU think of it, not what Bob thinks of it. With literature, you can afford to branch out and develop individual ideas. The only thing you have to remember to do is back up your ideas with quotations and discuss the type of effect is created. :)

[ummAbdillah]

Top tip: Be original. Read a poem and write down what YOU think of it, not what Bob thinks of it. With literature, you can afford to branch out and develop individual ideas. The only thing you have to remember to do is back up your ideas with quotations and discuss the type of effect is created. :)

salaam
top tip!!! well done sis. I agree with you. When some people get in to that exam room, they try to remeber as many things as they can form sites like bitesize,, i think it's best to be original because you can't go wrong in English as long as you back your points with evidences from texts ect. :)
w/salaam

[The Ruler]

:sl:

just read the poems and use your head.

that's what the examiners are looking for. if you just use points and techniques you read from a website, it doesnt help much. if you read and have insight into the poems, that is what is going to get your the A*s.

:w: