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This is Poetry HL 24
A Bird, came down the Walk
Watch Video 3, which is a trailer for the TV series Dickinson.
• Mention three things it suggests about Dickinson's life.
• Mention three things it suggests about her personality.
• Did this portrayal fit with your own mental image of the poet?
I could bring You Jewels – had I a mind to
Watch Video 4, which provides a virtual tour of Homestead, the house where Dickinson spent her adult life. Based on your viewing of the video, pick three adjectives that, in your opinion, best describe the poet's personality.
Song: Go, and catch a falling star
Watch Video 3, which features a reading of the poem by actor Richard Burton. Pick out three words or phrases to which he gives particular emphasis while he reads. Identify one place where he speeds up his reading and one place where he slows down.
The Flea
Watch Video 4, which features a dramatised reading of 'The Flea'. Identify two emotions displayed by the female actor throughout the piece and two emotions displayed by the male actor. Did you find the performance effective or silly and over-the-top?
The Forge
Watch Video 5 of a blacksmith at work in Bunratty Castle, Co. Clare. Then answer the following questions:
• What is he making?
• Name the different pieces of equipment he uses.
• Choose three adjectives that best describe the sounds of the forge and three adjectives that best describe the colours and visuals of the forge.
A Constable Calls
Class Discussion: Watch Video 6, which depicts a series of events that took place twenty years after those described in this poem. What is ticking at the conclusion of the poem? What other devices are known for producing a ticking sound? Do these lines anticipate the Troubles depicted in the video?
A Call
Class Discussion: Watch Video 7. Imagine it was Death on the phone, rather than the poet. How would the father react to being summoned into the afterlife? Would he respond with calmness and acceptance, or with disbelief and rage? Would he bargain and plead as Everyman did in the video?
As Kingfishers Catch Fire, Dragonflies Draw Flame
Watch Video 8, which features a reading and discussion of the poem. Did you find the choice of images that accompanied the reading appropriate? What did you enjoy most about the presenter's interpretation of the poem?
The Windhover
Watch Video 9, which features 'The Windhover' set to music and sung by Lorcán Mac Mathúna. Do you think that Hopkins's lines lend themselves well to such a performance? Give a reason for your answer.
The Pattern
Watch Video 10, which features a reading of the poem by the poet herself. • Mention three things we learn about the poet's mother from the introduction to the reading. • Pick out two or three words or phrases that Meehan particularly emphasises as she reads. • During what section of the poem did the poet's reading become most emotional? Give a reason for your answer.
The Statue of the Virgin at Granard Speaks
Watch Video 11, which is the first part of a documentary about the tragic death of Ann Lovett.
• Mention three things you learned about Irish society in the 1980s.
• Has Irish society changed completely since that time?
• Are any aspects of Irish society the same?
My Father Perceived as a Vision of St Francis
Watch Video 12, which is a scene from Brother Sun, Sister Moon.
• Who has St Francis come to visit and what does he want?
• Do Francis and his followers seem to fit in in this location? Give a reason for your answer.
• Pick three adjectives that best describe your impression of St Francis's personality
The Second Voyage
Watch Video 13, which shows how Odysseus has been represented in literature, art, and cinema over the ages. How does Ní Chuilleanáin’s portrayal of Odysseus compare? Why do you think the poet was drawn to Odysseus? What is it about this character that she finds most fascinating? Give a reason for your answer.
All For You
Watch Video 14, in which Ní Chuilleanáin reads and speaks about 'All For You'.
· What provided Ní Chuilleanáin's original spark of inspiration for
the poem?
· Class Discussion: To what extent is the house in the poem the same
house in which Ní Chuilleanáin herself grew up?
· What effect did Ní Chuilleanáin wish to convey through her depiction
of the house's ovens?
· What trope common to many fairy tales does Ní Chuilleanáin refer to
in the video?
· Do you agree that the description of the doors 'Of guardroom,
chapel, storeroom' contributes to this fairy tale atmosphere?
The Times Are Tidy
Watch Video 15, which is titled ' Living the American Dream'. How would you characterise the lifestyle that the video showcases? What does the video suggest brings fulfilment and happiness in life? Do you think that it was this kind of life that Plath is criticising in 'The Times Are Tidy'?
The Arrival of the Beebox
Watch Video 16, in which Iseult Gillespie discusses why she thinks you should read Sylvia Plath. What is it about Plath's poetry that Gillespie finds most interesting? Do you agree with her interpretation of Plath's work, based on your reading of the poems on your course?
Easter 1916
Watch Video 17 and explain in your own words why the Rising happened. What did those who organised it hope to achieve?
The Second Coming
Watch Video 18. Based on your viewing of this video, what topics do you anticipate will be tackled by ‘The Second Coming’?
The Stare’s Nest by my Window
Watch Video 19 and answer the following questions:
• Why was Thoor Ballylee so important to Yeats?
• In what year did he move from this tower?
• What happened to the tower after he left it?
• What happened to the tower in 2015?
In Memory of Eva Gore-Booth and Con Markievicz
Watch Video 20, which depicts Lissadell House in Co. Sligo, and answer the following questions:
• What recent projects have been undertaken with regard to the house and its gardens?
• What features of the house and its gardens strike you as appealing? Are there any features of the property that strike you as unappealing?
• Is it a place where you personally would like to live or spend part of every year? Give a reason for your answer.
Swift’s Epitaph
Google the term ‘satire’; then watch Video 21. Who or what is being satirised in this extract? How is the satire being carried out? Is it easy to see why creators of satire, like Swift, might require moral courage?
Politics
Watch Video 22, which contains newsreel footage from 1938, the year in which the poem was written. What significant political events were happening in Europe? Having watched this footage, how would you characterise the mood and atmosphere of the time?