The poem describes a playground as a terrifying place called "The Killing Ground" where children are mercilessly bullied and abused for any reason. The poet uses vivid imagery to depict the barren, prison-like playground and the cruel behavior that occurs there. He argues this type of environment does not prepare children for life and causes lasting harm rather than good. In the end, the poet declares he has found no place in his life worse than the horrors of his school playground.

1. 'Back in the Playground Blues'
Adrian Mitchell
1.4 English
Mr. Roddy

2. By the end of the lesson you will
understand:
1. What the key events in this poem are.
2. What the poet’s message is.
3. The meaning of 'Imagery'.

4. What is an image?

5. Imagery
.
We associate 'Images' with
pictures but Imagery can
appeal to any of the five
senses; touch, taste, smell,
sight and hearing.
Imagery is the name given to the elements in a
poem that spark off the senses

6. I dreamed I was back in the playground, I was about four feet high
Yes dreamed I was back in the playground, standing about four feet high
Well the playground was three miles long and the playground was five miles
wide
It was broken black tarmac with a high wire fence all around
Broken black dusty tarmac with a high wire fence running all around
And it had a special name to it, they called it The Killing Ground
Got a mother and a father, they're one thousand years away
The rulers of The Killing Ground are coming out to play
Everybody thinking: 'Who they going to play with today?'

7. You get it for being Jewish
Get it for being black
Get it for being chicken
Get it for fighting back
You get it for being big and fat
Get it for being small
Oh those who get it get it and get it
For any damn thing at all
Sometimes they take a beetle, tear off its six legs one by one
Beetle on its black back, rocking in the lunchtime sun But a beetle can't
beg for mercy, a beetle's not half the fun
I heard a deep voice talking, it had that iceberg sound;
'It prepares them for Life' - but I have never found
Any place in my life worse than The Killing Ground.

8. What is this stanza about?
What is the poet’s message about schools?
What is the main image in this Stanza?
I dreamed I was back in the playground, I was about four feet high
Yes dreamed I was back in the playground, standing about four feet high
Well the playground was three miles long and the playground was five miles wide

9. Group 1 stanza 2:
It was broken black tarmac with a high wire fence all around
Broken black dusty tarmac with a high wire fence running all around
And it had a special name to it, they called it The Killing Ground
What is this stanza about?
What is the poet’s message about schools?
What is the main image in this Stanza?

10. Group 2: Stanza 3
Got a mother and a father, they're one thousand years away
The rulers of The Killing Ground are coming out to play
Everybody thinking: 'Who they going to play with today?'
What is this stanza about?
What is the poet’s message about schools?
What is the main image in this Stanza?

11. Group 3 stanza 4
Well you get it for being Jewish
And you get it for being black
Get it for being chicken
And you get it for fighting back
You get it for being big and fat
Get it for being small
Oh those who get it get it and get it
For any damn thing at all
What is this stanza about?
What is the poet’s message about schools?
What is the main image in this Stanza?

12. Group 4 stanza 5
Sometimes they take a beetle, tear off its six legs one by
one
Beetle on its black back, rocking in the lunchtime sun
But a beetle can't beg for more, a beetle's not half the fun
What is this stanza about?
What is the poet’s message about schools?
What is the main image in this Stanza?

13. Group 5 stanza 6
I heard a deep voice talking, it had that iceberg sound
'It prepares them for Life' - but I have never found
Any place in my life worse than The Killing Ground.
What is this stanza about?
What is the poet’s message about schools?
What is the main image in this Stanza?

14. • What is Mitchell trying to say about being a
child at Primary School?
• Do you agree or disagree?
• How does his poem make you feel?