The poem uses personification to represent Death as a horseman who is in a hurry to make calls to wars in Cuba and the Balkans. The speaker says they will not help or cooperate with Death, refusing to hold the bridle, give a leg up, or tell Death where people are hiding. The repetition of "I shall die, but that is all that I shall do for death" conveys the speaker's strong sense of conscience and unwillingness to actively assist with death and war.

1. What do you predict that the poem
is going to be about?

2. Conscientious Objector
Learning Objective: To evaluate the
effect of personification in the
poem on the reader
What is the meaning of this poster?
Who is it aimed towards?
Why is it effective?

3. Imagine...
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s stated How would you react to
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that all ab
le-bodied
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, must jo receiving this letter?
age o f forty-five
below the
forces.
t he armed
r current What reasons could you
e sent to fight in ou
You will b
conflicts. give that would mean you
reason,
o utstanding wouldn’t have to fight?
u have an training
Unless yo for battle
report
you must
ext week.
w ithin the n
fully,
Why might people disagree
Yours faith
strongly with being forced
f Defence
Minister o to fight in a war?

4. C o n g r a t u la t io n s !
Yo u a r e n o w a
c o n s c ie n t io u s
o b je c t o r !

5. Conscientious Objector
• Conscientious objectors are people who object to participating
in wars for either moral or religious reasons
• During the two world war’s, many men were imprisoned and
some even sentenced to death for refusing to fight in the British
Army.
• The poem we are going to look
at today is written from the
point of view of a conscientious
objector.

6. Personification
• One of the key devices
used in this poem is
personification.
• What is personification?
• Which of these
sentences are examples
of personification?

7. The sea raced up the beach.

8. The angry shoulders of the
mountain raged.

9. He was swallowed by the
enormous armchair.

10. The plants grew like wildfire.

11. The gate creaked in the wind.

12. Reading the poem
• As we read through the poem, annotate any
examples of personification that you hear.
• What is being personified?

13. I shall die, but that is all that I shall do for death.
I hear him leading his horse out of the stall; I hear
the clatter on the barn-floor.
He is in haste; he has business in Cuba, business in the
Balkans, many calls to make in the morning.
But I will not hold the bridle while he cinches the girth.
5
is ?
And he may mount by himself; I will not give him a leg
up.
h ifat ied
W n
Though he flick my shoulders with his whip, I will not
so
tell him which way the fox ran.
er that I shall do for death; I am
With his hoof on my breast, I will not tell him where the
p
black boy hides in the swamp.
I shall die, but that is all
not on his pay-roll.
I will not tell him the whereabouts of my friends nor of
10 my enemies either.
Though he promises me much, I will not map him the
route to any man’s door.

14. Paired Work
• Look at lines 4-7.
• In your pairs, try to deduce how
the port uses the personification of
Death to show the role of the
conscientious objector.
• What does death do in the poem
which is intimidating? What might
these images represent?
• Be ready to feedback your ideas to
the class.

15. Themes and Ideas
• Look at lines 3, 6 and 7.
• Where does death Cuban war of
The ‘Have business’?
independence and the
Balkan War were both
major conflicts during
the poet’s life.

16. Themes and Ideas
• The poet also references two other ideas in the
poem.
• Why did she include these? What message is
she trying to send?
• Ext: What is the effect of repeating the first line
of the poem in line eight?

17. Independent Writing
• Write a paragraph in response to the following
question.
How does the poet create a voice and persona to
convey the idea of conscience in the poem?
• You should refer to...
– The personification of death
– The use of first-person narration
– The image of death as a horseman

18. Finally...
• Is it right that people should be allowed to
refuse to fight for their country?
• Vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on your post-it, along with
a reason for your vote.