HIgher 'Valentine questions'

Many of the main ideas or concerns of the poem come across clearly in the first and second stanzas.

 
1. By referring closely to lines 1-5, evaluate their effectiveness as an opening to the poem. 2

2. Discuss how the writer effectively creates a persona through her use of word choice, structure and/or tone. 4

3. Analyse how the writer’s use of imagery and/or symbolism is effective in conveying the persona’s opinions on love. 4

4A1 'Bed' HOMEWORK FOR TUESDAY 26th

1)What do we learn about the speaker’s circumstances in stanzas 1 and 2?
2)What feelings does she express about her situation?
3)Name the techniques the poet uses in the following phrases and comment on how effective they are in portraying the woman’s personality: “this big blastit bed”; “year in, year oot”; “ma great tent o’ nappy”.
4)What reason is suggested for the lack of communication between mother and daughter in the statement, “the blethers ha been plucked oot o’ us”?
5)In stanzas 4, 5 and 6, what more do we learn about her and her situation?
6)Which of her expressions reveal her frustration with her isolation and lack of company?
7)Look at stanza 7. Why do you think she says “Aye fine” when her daughter hands over her “baby food”?
8)In stanza 9 and the first line of stanza 10 the woman’s language becomes less conversational. Comment on the effectiveness of the language techniques the poet uses to convey this change.
9)What qualities does the woman still have, despite her cruel circumstances?

Nat 5 broadsheet review power-point

Can be found here:
https://msbellamyenglish.wordpress.com/2017/09/15/nat-5-broadsheet-review-pp/

N5 LOTF Characterisation: Ralph key points

RALPH

1.He is the epitome of the stereotyped protagonist –tall, fair-skinned, blonde hair, blue-eyed (ironically Aryan featured).
2.He represents the good in mankind
3.He also symbolizes that all men, even the good ones, are flawed – have the ability to be cruel
4.He and Jack are binary oppositions of one another.
5.Elected leader, but not forceful enough to maintain the position.
6.An idealist and a dreamer – it is Piggy who does all of the thinking for him.
7.He is eventually reduced to the status of outcast, who must flee for his life.
8.Just before the end, he becomes almost savage and animalistic in order to try to survive
9.At the end of the novel he is a disillusioned realist, who now sees the world and its inhabitants for what they really are.

S3 'Brooklyn Cop' article analysis questions

1.State the purpose of the article- what was the writer trying to do when he/she wrote it? Persuade you think something? Inform you about something? Why do you think this?


2.What does the article tell you about Brooklyn cops? Bullet point at least 3 things.


3.What evidence is provided to back up each of these point made about Brooklyn cops (use your 3 points from the answers above)?


4.What is the writer’s point of view of Brooklyn cops? (does she respect them? Think they do their jobs properly? Does she think life is difficult for them?)


5.How is this point of view clearly shown ( Quote and comment on at least 3 aspects of language here and explain them fully) i.e.

  ‘with his brethren loitering’. Word-choice of ‘loitering’ has a denotation of standing around with no apparent purpose. Connotations of 'loitering' are laziness, being ‘up to no good’. This tells us that the writer thinks Brooklyn cops are idle and not doing their jobs properly.


6. How did the article make you feel about police in Brooklyn?

Nat 5 Dramatic monolgue features

Can be found on the Nat 5 Jackie Kay page at link to the side of this blog.

Nat 5 'Bed' translation task and dicussion question.

To be completed for next Tuesday.


1. In pairs, discuss what the old woman is actually saying in the poem. Bullet point the main things that she tells you.

2. Now, individually, translate the poem into a series of diary entries, in the persona of the old woman but in normal English.
•The diary should begin in the morning and end at night.
•Pay attention to detail; use the poem to guide you but also show some creative license where
appropriate.



After writing: compare your translation to the original poem. Consider what is lost in the act of translation from Scots to Standard English and from poetry to prose. Why did Kay choose to write in the form that she did?