2. Homework
• For first lesson after half-term:
• How does Scannell present the idea of
parental anger in his poem ‘Nettles’.
3. 1. Title
What ideas are suggested by the title?
• Mind map all the possible interpretations and
connotations of the title
• Read the poem quickly to see if any of the
words, phrases and ideas support your
interpretations of the title. Highlight those
that do.
• Check the opening and closing lines more
thoroughly. Do these link in any way?
4. 2. Shape
Look at the shape of the poem on the page.
• Does it have a recognisable form… is it a sonnet, a
ballad, a narrative?
• If so, how does that add to your ideas about the title?
• Does it have stanzas?
• Does it have an odd shape?
• What are the line lengths like – all equal or very
different?
• Can you make predictions about the poem based on
your answers to these questions?
5. 3. Personal Response
Read the poem again and decide what you think the
poet was trying to do.
• Is there a message?
• Is it an emotional response to an event?
• Is it trying to create an emotive response from
you?
• Is it for someone else?
• Can there be different interpretations?
Many of the best poems have different
interpretations.
6. 4. Voice
• Who seems to be speaking in the poem? Is there
a clear persona?
• What type and tone of voice do you imagine?
• Which parts of the poem are most powerful
aloud?
• As you were reading you may have noticed sound
effects such as alliteration and assonance. What
effect do these create?
• Is the poem told as a narrative?
• Are there any words/phrases to suggest time
sequence (ie ‘at last’, ‘and then’) and what is the
effect of this?
7. 5. Vocabulary
Are there any words or phrases that you find interesting?
Find a couple and share your reasons why they stand out
to you.
• Now, can you trace any others that link to the ones you
first chose?
You can often find chains of reference in this way.
• Are there any repetitions?
• What types of words are used a lot? Verbs; nouns;
adjectives; pronouns…
This can tell you a lot about what a poem is doing.
8. 6. Imagery
Some of the words and phrases you found may be used
to create visual imagery. Making a visual collage is a good
way of capturing the imagery and making links between
the kinds of images used.
• Are there any similes (using ‘like’ or ‘as’) as these can
make direct comparisons
• Look for metaphors and symbols. These are more
difficult to find. Note any references in the poem that
could stand for something else?
• The best symbols could stand for a number of different
things.
• Note the effect of other figurative language such as
personification
9. 7. Structure
How is the poem organised?
• If the poem has stanzas, are they used to develop an
idea (like paragraphs in prose)
• Are the lines end-stopped or run on using
enjambment? Enjambment shows that the poet has a
reason for running an idea into another line – what is
the effect of this?
• What is the rhyme structure (abab,cdcd?)
• Is there a recognisable rhythm to the lines (ie iambic
pentameter – 5 pairs of syllables with alternate stress)
– what is the effect of the rhythm?
• Is the rhythm consistent? If it changes, what is the
effect of the change?
• Does the rhythm link to the theme? How?
10. 8. Interpretation
This is what you have been doing in steps 1-7.
Now you can put it together in a response.
Remember, it is your idea which counts – as long
as you can support it:
• The poem suggests…
• The form may mean…
• The voice of the poem supports this because…
• The vocabulary/imagery/sound/structure
suggests… for example…
