Tuesday's poems: 'The Clown Punk' and 'Give' by Simon Armitage

Hi folks,


Good work today - I think we just about cracked The Clown Punk by the end of the lesson.



 










Here's a quick recap of some of the key ideas from 
the lesson:
  

Give:

• The speaker is a homeless person
• It starts and ends with full rhymes - this is when the speaker is being most bold, direct and personal in addressing us. Perhaps the shift away from rhyme in the poem represents the chaos and uncertainty in his life.
• The poem is an imagined conversation - like an interior monologue - exploring the desperate thoughts that are left unsaid in the embarrassment and awkwardness of a encounter between beggar and 'member of the public'.
• Even though there is evidence that the speaker is addressing someone who has brought him tea, I liked Harlie's idea that the poem is like a prayer. He's desperately appealing for some kind of miraculous change.
• The third stanza shows his increasing desperation and the extreme lengths he'd go to to get off the streets. These offers seem detached from reality in the same way as homeless people seem detached from our reality.
• 'Holding out' (line 9) is an interesting phrase. It represents both holding out your hand for money, but also to resist - to not give in and to wait for something better.It suggests that there is a strong urge to give up completely, but the speaker is resisting dark thoughts to hold out for a better tomorrow.
• The 'gold' in stanza 3 brings in the 'frankincense' and 'myrrh' in stanza 4. Why does the speaker remind us of Jesus at this point? Think of the stable: there was no room at the inn, so he was born in a 'lowly cattle shed'. Is he accusing society of forgetting the human dignity of those who find no room at the inn (ie. those who don't fit in with the rest of society)?
• The last stanza is so emotive because of its simplicity and directness. The short pairs of rhyming sentences (tea/knees/you/you) leave a lasting impression.

The Clown Punk:

• Stanza 1 reveals the speaker's prejudice with it's confident rhyming opening and clumsy simile.
• The enjambment at the start of line 5 emphasises the key to the tone of the poem: don't laugh. This is tragedy, not comedy (despite the clown reference).
• the use of 'pixel' further dehumanises the punk - like he's a fictional character on a screen
• 'shot through with indelible ink' - sounds harsh, almost violent. Indelible means it can't be erased. His lifestyle choices are indelible.
• 'deflated' and 'shrunken' predict his future and are key mood words in the poem
• the 'dyed brain' is arguably the key to the poem: who else has got a dyed brain?
• The final image is one of cleansing. Is this a positive or negative message for his kids? Is he telling his kids to ignore those who are different, like the punk and the homeless person?

Next steps:

1) Re-read the poems.

2) Look at your study guide to make sure you're happy with these two poems.

3) Complete your comparison grid.

4) Read the next poem, The Hunchback in the Park, by Friday.

Here's a comparison grid for your use:

Please add any questions or comments.

Mr M