Category Archives: Higher

The Kite Runner – Chapter 7 textual analysis

November 12, 2014 Ms Davidson Leave a comment

Answers
Textual Analysis of The Kite Runner, chapter 7 (answers)

1. a) How does Hosseini’s word choice in the opening paragraph create an unsettling mood on the morning of the kite tournament?

The final sentence in the opening paragraph creates the unsettling mood as it tells us that there is a ‘monster’ in the lake and that it has been swimming at the bottom, ‘waiting’. The idea that there is a monster is already unsettling as we see these as something disturbing and not to be trusted. It is a malevolent being. It is made worse by the point that the monster is ‘waiting’. There is a sense that it is lurking there, biding its time before it launches an attack or take some innocent.

b) Show how this mood changes in the telling of the rest of the dream.
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The mood changes from unsettled to happy and exultant. The word choice demonstrates this – we read the people are ‘clapping’ for Amir and Hassan telling us they are applauded for their actions and therefore revered. The idea of them being revered and celebrated is also suggested in the name-change for the lake, it becomes the ‘Lake of Amir and Hassan, Sultans’. Here they are viewed as heroes and their actions catapults them to the highest rank in the land of ruler.
c) How does this dream mirror a later event in the chapter?
In the dream Amir and Hassan work together to prove there is no monster in the lake and are applauded by the adoring crowd. In the kite tournament, Amir and Hassan win, and are congratulated by the tournament audience. The monster however, comes to represent Assef. He is the lurking danger in the two boys life and although he shouldn’t really be a problem he is the thing that splits the two boys up.

2. Comment on the significance of the description of the snow covered scene on p. 57 in terms of later events. Look closely at word choice and imagery.

The snow in this scene is significant because it comes to represent purity and innocence. We are told that everything ‘glistened with fresh snow’ and that it was a ‘blinding white’. The snow should be seen to represent Hassan. The alliteration of the ‘blameless blue’ drags your attention to the odd word choice. The word choice suggests an event is going to happen for which someone should have taken responsibility. We know this event will be Amir’s betrayal of Hassan.
Building on this Amir notes that Ali “always said a prayer when his son left the house” – Ali knows Hassan is in permanent danger of discrimination because he is a Hazara. It is important that this is mentioned now. It gives a sense of foreboding to the chapter.
Both of these phrases are at odds with the purity image, suggesting something bad is going to happen.

3. Explain how the writer conveys the thrill of kite flying on p. 60

The section on kite flying conveys how thrilling it is in several ways. First of all Amir says a prayer – ‘koran ayat’ – before he plays. This is like a charm to protect himself. A series of similes are used to reinforce the thrill of kite-flying. He says the players are like Olympic athletes showing their gold medals. This suggests that they have gone through a tough competition to get where they are and suggests feelings of victory. The kites are also described as “paper sharks roaming for prey”, this makes it sound like the game they are playing is deadly and dangerous, again ramping up the sense of adrenaline. The last simile is that the kites looked “like shooting stars”. This tells us how beautiful they were to watch.

4. Show how sentence structure helps to reinforce how focused Amir is on winning both the tournament and his father’s approval on p. 61

There are a series of short sentences used which demonstrate Amir’s focus like ‘the blue kite’. His thoughts are becoming very centred on winning. In particular he tells us and convinces himself that “I was going to win”. A colon is used to add information that the competition is near an end point and that now there is only two of them left.
Parenthesis also adds that all Amir was thinking about was winning.
The use of ‘I’ and ‘me’ at the start of sentences demonstrates Amir is aware of only himself and the tournament.

5. Study Hosseini’s description of Amir’s ‘out of body experience’ on p. 62. How does this momentary pause motivate Amir into action?

This pause allows Amir to see what he needs to do. He can see himself and he smiles at himself which pushes him onto victory.

6. Comment on the effectiveness of the structure of the sentence beginning “and that right there was the single greatest moment…” p. 63

A list is used to build up a sense of Amir’s emotions. The sentence begins with the conjunction ‘and’ which tags it on to the rest of the paragraph and emphasises that this is a separate but linked point which expresses this is the happiest Amir had been up until that point. The placement of “at last” at the end of the sentence emphasises just how long Amir had been waiting for Baba’s approval.

7. What is the significance of Hassan’s final word to Amir on p.63

Hassan’s final words to Amir are “for you a thousand times over” shows the extent of Hassan’s devotion to Amir. Also becomes a motif throughout the novel of one’s devotion to another.

8. In light of later events, how do these words seem poignant?

Hassan refuses to give up the kite, proving he meant what he said. Amir’s loyalty to Hassan does not work like this though as he betrays Hassan by not stepping forward.

9. How do word choice and sentence structure reinforce Amir’s buoyant mood in the first paragraph on p. 64?

colon – to expand on how he plans the scene in his head
One word sentences – places a great deal of importance on these things. This shows how much Amir wants them from his father.
Rhetorical questions – Amir doesn’t know what else will happen. He has not planned beyond that point of celebration.
Elipses – a moments pause whilst Amir and the reader envision the scene.

“warrior”, “hero” – word choice, victorious champions of violence .
“prized trophy” – treasured reward for which one worked hard
“bloodied hands” – pride in his wounds, which prove his might
“worthiness” – deserving of his father’s attention.
“grand entrance” – dramatic scene
“Rostram and Sohrab” – pictures a happy ending to the tale, over the sad.
Vindication, salvation, redemption. – everything will be fine now

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Note-taking

November 11, 2014 Ms Davidson Leave a comment

Some of you still seem to be struggling with note-taking and organising your own work. This a really important skill you need to have in order to make sure you are not plagiarising (lifting someone else’s work). In this post we will look at how to take notes from a source before using these notes to write your own paragraph. The important thing is to scan through for the specific bits of information you need and adapt the information to suit your purpose.

In the first example, a student was looking into the origins of the gaming company Rockstar North in order to see how this company has affected Scotland and represents us.

The original paragraph was taken from Wikipedia and read:

DMA Design was founded in 1988 by David Jones in Dundee, Scotland, whose first employee was Mike Dailly followed by Russell Kay and Steve Hammond. The name DMA was taken from the Amiga programming manuals (where it stood for Direct Memory Access) and the initials were later ‘retrofitted’ so that they briefly stood for Direct Mind Access (DMA was also jokingly referred to as “Doesn’t Mean Anything” by a company founder). In 1988 DMA signed with UK label Psygnosis and developed Menace and Blood Money – side-scrolling space shooters which gained attention from gamers and critics for both their high-quality presentation and difficulty. As with all the company’s early games, Menace and Blood Money debuted on the Amiga, one of the leading platforms for video games in Europe between the late 1980s and the early 1990s. A Commodore 64 port was published immediately after, later followed by DOS and Atari ST versions.

I’m looking for information here on Rockstar North’s history, how it became successful and any points that relate specifically to Scotland. The notes I would take from this are
• DMA designs set up in 1988
• David Jones
• Dundee, Scotland
• First three employess Mike Dailly, Russell Kay, Steve Hammond
• Direct Memory Access > Direct Mind Access
• Menace and Blood Money – side-scrolling space shooters were seen as enjoyable, high quality and challenging.

We take these notes and we turn it into a new paragraph that covers the same main points as the original but it shares little of the same sentence structure or wording.

The foundations of Rockstar North were laid in the late 1980’s when David Jones set up DMA Designs in his hometown of Dundee. His company grew to inculde Mike Dailly, Russell Kay and Steve Hannond in 1988. The title of the company allegedly came from the anagram Direct Mind Access (a computer programming term). It was later changed to Direct Mind Access and an employee would later koke that it stood for Doesn’t Mean Anything. The first games produced by this small Scottish company were Menace (1988) and Blood Money (1989). These received high critical acclaim within a short space of time due to their difficulty level which gamers felt set an appropriate level of challenge and the high quality presentation.

A second example of note-taking looks at the Scottish sit-com Still Game and how it was established in Scotland’s culture. The original passage reads:

Still Game is a Scottish comedy, produced by The Comedy Unit with the BBC. The show was created by Greg Hemphill and Ford Kiernan, who also play the lead characters Jack Jarvis and Victor McDade two Glaswegian pensioners. Following its debut episode on the 1st of September 2002 forty-four episodes of Still Game were aired including the Christmas and New Year’s Eve specials. The first three series of the show were shown only on BBC One Scotland, however, the five episodes that compiled from the first two series were then later broadcasted throughout Britain on BBC Two in January to February 2004. All of the subsequent episodes received UK-wide broadcasts on BBC Two.

The notes that would be taken are:
• Scottish comedy
• Produced by The Comedy Unit for the BBC
• Created by Greg Hemphill and Ford Kiernan
• Jack jarvis and Victor McDade are the main characters

Notes that are added in from elsewhere include:
• There are six series altogether
• Set in the fictional Craiglang about two old men
• Teddy Jamieson of The Herald said it ‘paints [Scotland] in broad strokes’

This then becomes:
Still Game is a Scottish sit-com produced by The Comedy Unit for the BBC. Still Game was created by Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill who also play the lead characters who are Glaswegian pensioners. The series began on the 1st September 2002 and ran for 44 episodes (this included 6 series and a Christmas and Hogmany specials). Still Game is set in Craiglang however, the Maryhill district is one one of the famous filming locations of Still Game. As episodes went on the figures gradually grew. Teddy Jamieson a television critic for The Herald said the comedy “paints [Scotland] in broad strokes”

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The Kite Runner – discussion points

November 11, 2014 Ms Davidson Leave a comment

You should have read the book by now. Below are some quick notes to get you thinking about how Hosseini has created characters, setting, themes and symbols.

In chapter 7 Hassan is abused by Assef and his friends whilst defending a kite. Whilst Assef attacks Hassan, Amir shuts his eyes and pictures the Eid sacrifice. This sacrifice is part of the Islamic festival called Eid al-adha. Muslims will sacrifice a goat or sheep and divide the parts amongst their family, friends and the poor. It is done in remembrance of Abraham and his son, Ishmael. Abraham was asked by God to sacrifice Ishmael and Ishmael accepted this fate. When Abraham went to cut Ishmael’s throat he found instead a dead ram. Ishmael’s willingness to die proved his love of God. In much the same way, Hassan’s acceptance of the rape demonstrates his deep love and loyalty to Amir and reflects his earlier statement that he “would eat dirt for [Amir].”
Amir however, does not stick to Hassan’s earlier claim that Amir would never ask him to do this as he stands by and allows his best friend to be raped by their biggest enemy. We can question to what extent Amir can be blamed for these events. Amir is several years younger than Assef and his friends, he knows that he and Hassan will be outnumbered three to two and he has been stranded in a neighbourhood where everyone else seems to have deserted the streets for the main Eid festival celebrations. He is unable to call for an adult for help. Amir knows that if he confronts Assef he will probably be beaten up quite severely. However, Assef feels able to sexually assault Hassan here because he thinks there are no witnesses. If Amir were to interrupt it is likely that Assef would only have beaten up the two younger boys. Also Assef knows that Amir is likely to tell his father which would result in Assef getting into a lot of bother. Baba knows Assef’s father quite well and Baba believes that the Hazara community should be treated with respect. We can accept then that Amir faces a big dilemma at this point.

Amir decides in Chapter 9 that he will plant his birthday presents in Hassan’s room so that Hassan gets into trouble. Amir hopes that by doing this, Hassan will be sent away (and that Amir’s guilt at not intervening will also disappear). Instead, Baba calls a meeting between himself, Amir, Hassan and Ali. Hassan is questioned about the ‘stolen’ goods. He admits to stealing them, which leaves Amir gobsmacked. Baba then tells Hassan that he forgives him. Ali reveals that he and Hassan were going to leave Kabul anyway, as Ali no longer feels the city is safe for him or his son.
Baba’s reaction to Ali’s decision is startling. He becomes greatly distressed and is practically begging his old friend to stay. He even goes so far as to forbid Ali to leave. In fact, you could argue it is almost like Baba feels someone is trying to take his child from him! (Plot spoiler: Someone is trying to take his child from him!)

At the end of chapter 16 Amir has gone back to Pakistan to hear what Rahim Khan has to say, he finds out that Hassan has died at the hands of the Taliban, and worse, his death has left his son alone in Afghanistan. Rahim Khan tells the story in a specific order: it is clear from the telling that Hassan’s life had mirrored Amir’s. He had given himself some form of education, he had found a wife and he had seen the death of his father. Where Amir and Soraya had failed to conceive a child, Hassan and his wife had Sohrab. The build-up of the story would also suggest it was leading to a happy ending, instead it takes a horrific turn with the death of Hassan and his wife.

In chapter 18 Amir states ‘like father, like son’. Baba told Amir that the worst thing you can do to a person is steal from them. When you fail to be honest with someone, you are stealing the truth from that person. It has been revealed in this chapter that both men have concealed the truth in some way that has had devastating consequences: Baba failed to reveal that Hassan was his son, causing Amir to feel unexplainable resentment for his best friend and hurt between Baba and Ali. Amir fails to intervene when Hassan is assaulted and later cannot admit this cowardice or what he saw to himself or Hassan. The two characters are similar in that their ‘lies’ have knock-on effects for other people.

Hosseini reveals in chapter 20 that the orphanage has no money and cannot be run properly. Some support is provided by the local Taliban leader who provides money every so often in return for a child. The manager claims he does not know what purpose the child serves but it is implied that they probably end up abused. It turns out that Hassan’s son, Sohrab, is just the latest in a long line of victims to be removed by this terrible man. The manager claims he is sacrificing one child for the greater good of the others. By letting one child go, he is able to feed, clothe and shelter the remaining orphans. If he didn’t do this, it is highly likely that the Taliban men would simply take the children they wanted anyway. We can understand the manager’s reasons for allowing this to happen even if we do not agree with his decision.

In Chapter 21 Amir attends a football game. During half-time, the pitch is taken over by the Taliban group who lead out a woman and man, both blindfolded. The pair are buried up to their chests before being stoned to death. They have been accused of adultery. This is a shocking scene for many reasons. Firstly, one would not expect this to occur at a football match. It would seem that the pair did not have a formal trial. Lastly, this is a cruel and public death sentence. This is certainly not a fair version of justice.

The events in Chapter 22 are important as they show Amir finally redeeming himself. The fatal mistake he made earlier in his life was to not step in and help Hassan against Assef. At the Taliban headquarters he has the chance to make up for this as Sohrab is being held by Assef. He finally stands up to Assef, even though this time it will probably result in him being beaten to death. It is Sohrab who makes it possible for them to escape when he fires a slingshot pellet into Assef’s eye, blinding him. Sohrab’s actions here make him appear almost like Hassan’s ghost come to protect Amir again.

In Chapter 24, we see that Sohrab is understandably struggling to come to terms with the trauma of the past few months – the death of his parents, being held hostage by abusive Taliban men and almost witnessing Amir being beaten to death. The majority of this chapter seems hopeful that Amir will be able to adopt Sohrab and take him back to America to live as a family with Soraya. In the closing paragraphs of this chapter we discover the adoption will be a lengthy process and Sohrab will have to go back to an orphanage. Sohrab attempts suicide at this news. This adds another twist to the plot. Amir does not stop screaming the whole way to the hospital which contrasts with Sohrab’s silence.

In chapter 25 we see the psychological toll of Sohrab’s experience being suggested through his continued silence. He no longer talks to anyone and withdraws himself as much as possible from people. This is at a peak when Soraya’s parents visit for dinner. However it gives Amir the chance to show he has finally become the man his father wanted him to be. Here, the General makes a snidy comment about the ‘Hazara boy’ living with them. Amir makes it very clear that the child is his nephew and that this is what should be told to the nosy people that inquire about Sohrab. He also states clearly to the General that Sohrab is not to be referred to as the ‘Hazara boy’ in a derogatory tone ever again. Amir has finally grown a backbone.

Most people would agree that the end to this novel is largely a positive one, certainly in terms of the hope it demonstrates. Although a serious amount of trauma has been experienced by all parties involved most of the characters have found a happy ending. Amir has finally redeemed himself and stopped being a coward. He has finally become the man his father wanted him to be, whilst still being true to himself with his work as a writer. Soraya desperately wanted children despite being unable to conceive and now she has Sohrab to look after. We can imagine that the bond between these two will grow and strengthen. Sohrab, although he has lost his biological parents is at least still with family and can begin to restore himself. Some might argue that it would have been nice to find out what happened to Rahim Khan, but his elusive ending is in keeping with his fairy-godfather-esque part. There are those as well that think Assef should have suffered a much worse fate than simply losing one eye.

The Kite Runner definitely conjures scenes of the Middle East. When one delves into the book, it can seem a strange title. The book is really one story about two boys – Amir who does something wrong as a boy and must right it as an adult and Hassan who is forever good. The whole book is about Amir learning the depth of his own loyalty to his best friend and brother and it is fitting that the title of a book almost becomes an ode to this character. The Kite Runner is clearly Hassan.

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R. U. A. E. – Cillian Murphy

October 22, 2014 Ms Davidson 2 Comments

Have a look at the following newspaper article – http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/sep/24/cillian-murphy-interview-peaky-blinders-ballyturk

Now have a look at the questions below with their accompanying answers.

1a) What impression are we given of Cillian Murphy in the first paragraph?
• We are to see Murphy as a typical run of the mill man who lives a regular life with his family
• He is keen to remain out of the public eye

b) With close reference to the text, analyse how this impression is created.
• ‘seems keen to pass anonymously’
• ‘keen’ tells us this is something he really wants to do and anonymous tells us that he likes to keep a low profile.
• ‘a dad of two young sons, with his partner of almost 20 years’
• This is a typical description of a family man and shows us stability and security in his home life. He has been with his partner for two decades and they have two children together.
• ‘lives in the unglitzy borough of Kilburn’
• Again suggests a normalness to his life and a step away from celebrity with the word ‘unglitzy’
• ‘his only vices are tabasco and Dragon’s Den’
• There is a hint here that these are normal vices – a favourite food and tv programme – again they make Murphy seem average.

2. Analyse how the writer uses language to emphasise his admiration for Cillian Murphy in paragraph 2.
• ‘hardly been quiet supporting turns’
• Nothing Murphy has done has been under the radar, in fact he has usually played a major part in the films he has appeared in.
• ‘still underrated’
• He feels that one of Murphy’s roles should be given more critical thought and recognition that it currently receives as the film and murphy’s part in it were so good.

3. Explain, using your own words as far as possible, what Cillian Murphy found appealing about the role of Tommy Shelby in paragraph 3 and 4.
• Murphy liked the idea of playing someone who was the opposite of how he saw himself. He describes himself as a’wimp’ someone who is quite weak and he saw playing a tough guy as a bit of a challenge for himself.
• He also admits that he has played the bad guy before – the Scarecrow and a stalker – but that the bad side to these characters was a mental one whereas Shelby offered him a more physical part.

4. Explain the meaning of the writer’s image in paragraph 5 and analyse its effect.
• A metaphor is used to describe Murphy’s eyes as ‘huge, blue marbles’
• You get a sense that Murphy’s eyes are the main feature of his face and that they draw your attention immediately with their intense gaze.
• You get a sense from this that Murphy’s eyes are a clear and stony blue. There could be a rich or otherworldly feeling associated with seeing his eyes.

5. In your own words, explain what the writer means at the end of paragraph 6.
• Cillian Murphy is someone we would recognise as being a famous actor yet he does not involve himself in a celebrity lifestyle of being at all the events or endorsing products.
• A lot of people want to work with him and he is an easy-going person to work with

6a)summarise in your own words what Cillian Murphy dislikes about the world of celebrity in paragraph 7.
• Murphy dislikes the pressure to appear at events and the scrutiny the media places celebrities appearances under.

b) identify and explain how Cillian Murphy enjoys his anonymity in paragraph 8.
• Murphy’s anonymity allows him to behave like a normal person in day-to-day life
• He states “I get the bus, I get the tube, I go to the shop and get the milk” which shows us he is not being stalked by the media like some celebrities are and this allows him to just get on with things.
• He also feels his anonymity allows him to play real people better
• As he says if your “supposed to be playing a reall person it seems essential to live like a normal person”. This allows him to incorporate his life experiences into his acting pieces.

7. Analyse how the writer uses language to suggest that Ballyturk is an appealing work of theatre in paragraph 11.
• ‘but burrow under your skin’
• Suggests that the play will take a hold on you and you will want to watch it
• ‘plenty of manic, funny clowning’
• Suggests it is humorous and a bit mad-cap with lots of silliness in it that will appeal to most people. The tone of this phrase is also positive and light-hearted again engaging with the reader and convincing them that this is a play worth seeing.

8. Identify a purpose of this text. Explain your answer with close reference to the text.
• The purpose of this text is to inform us about Cillian Murphy.
• It is mostly a promotional piece on his two works – the TV show that is currently airing called Peaky Blinders and the National Theatre production he is starring in called Ballyturk.

9. A text may have many audiences. Identify a possible audience for this text, and explain your answer with close reference to the text.
• A possible audience for this text could be people interested in film/ in TV drama/ people interested in the theatre/ fans of Cillian Murphy/ those interested in celebrity life. (these are all possible audiences for this piece of work, you need to identify only one of these and show how you arrived at that conclusion for the next part of your answer).
• There is a focus on Christopher Nolan and his role as the Scarecrow in the first two Batman films OR There is an emphasis on his role as Tommy Shelby and his ‘return to screen’ in the second series of Peaky Blinders OR it mentions the Ballyturk which is ‘currently receiving rave reviews at the National Theatre’ OR the focus on different aspects of Murphy’s life as it tells us about his family life and certain bits of his childhood aswell as his likes and dislikes and the trajectory his career has taken.

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Another sample answer for the 10 marker

October 7, 2014 Ms Davidson Leave a comment

sample-stamp-29407314 — taken from http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-images-sample-stamp-image29407314

Some of you are still struggling to get to grips with the ten marker in the Scotish Set Text section so I have copied up another example below for you to take a look at:

Waking with Russell is a poem by Don Paterson which clearly deals with the nature of life. In this poem Paterson looks at his four day old son and the happiness this has brought him. Here the nature of life is that having a child has brought meaning into Paterson’s meandering life. In The Thread we are again faced with a poem about Paterson’s children, however this time it deals with the difficulties surrounding Jamie’s birth and then his vitality at the age of two. Here the nature of life is both its fragility (as the child almost dies) but also its robustness (he survives).

This idea of meaning being brought to Paterson’s life is brought in during the second half of the poem. He says that the “true path was as lost to him as ever” reflecting that his life had little meaning and that he felt like he was merely filling space and time for the sake of it. The fact that Russell gives his life meaning is given in the next line “when you cut in front and lit it as you ran”. Russell appears with speed and Paterson seems surprised at his arrival suggesting that perhaps he was not prepared for fatherhood. Russell now lights the path ‘of life’ for his father, meaning he has given him a reason to live. The father must follow his son in order to protect him.

In The Thread we get a hint that Jamie’s birth didn’t go so well as early as line 2. We are told he arrived so fast that he almost “ploughed straight back into the earth”. Here there is a sense of life and death with the use of the word ‘ploughed’ as this suggests harvest cycles. There is also a nod towards Christian funeral rights with the idea of Jamie being put in the earth for burial.

The idea that Jamie has come incredibly close to death and that life is fragile but also robust is also suggested in the following lines where we are told Jamie was sustained by the “thread of his one breath”. The singleness of “one” in this line shows that this was a game-changing breath for Jamie, this one breath and the life it supplied him with would mean he survived. The tenuousness of that breath is suggested in the thinness of thread. But there is a sense it is also strong here as thread can hold things together if it is of a tough enough tensile.

Later the thread is used to suggest the strength of life. The thread has expanded to “hold all of us” together: the entire family. Here it is described as the thing that glues the father, his wife and the two sons together and makes sure they are happy. The sense and scale of life is suggested in the ‘all’.

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Practice 10 markers

October 7, 2014 Ms Davidson Leave a comment

Here are some ten markers for you to practice. You will need to think about what poem they best suit first of all, before chosing your comparison poem or poems.

1. This poem examines the theme of death. Discuss the way in which Don Paterson uses language to explore this theme, with reference to one or more other poems you have studied.

2. With reference to this, and one or more other poems, discuss the importance of contrasts and/or dualities in Don Paterson’s poetry.

3. This poem explores ideas about death and diminution. Show how the ideas/and or language of the poem are similar or different to another poem or poems by Paterson that you have read.

4. This poem deals with the passing of time and the effects that passing time can have. With reference to one or more poems by the same poet, and with close reference to each, show how Paterson uses language to explore the idea of time.

5. This poem explores themes of time and place. Examine, with reference to one or more other poems, the importance of either time or place in Don Paterson’s poetry.

6. This poem is structured around a journey. Discuss the importance of ‘journeys’, real or imaginary, in Don Paterson’s poetry. In your answer you should refer to this poem and one or more other poems that you have studied.

7. This poem deals with a family relationship. With close textual reference, show how Don Paterson explores similar relationships in another poem (or poems) that you have read.

8. The speaker in this poem reflects on the nature of life. With close textual reference, show how Paterson examines the nature of life or existence in another poem (or poems) that you have read.

9. With close textual reference, show how the ideas and/or language of this poem are similar or different to another poem or poems by Paterson that you have read.

10. This poem explores childhood. How is this idea developed in another poem or poems by Paterson that you have read?

11. In this poem, Jamie’s birth is contrasted with his life at two. Show how contrast is used to illuminate and explore a central theme or idea in another poem or poems by Paterson.

12. This poem explores the idea of closeness and separation. Discuss how one or both of these themes are explored with detailed reference to one or more other poems by Paterson.

13. The final lines of this poem are ambiguous. With detailed reference to one or more other poems, examine the role ambiguity plays in Paterson’s poetry.

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Sample Questions The Ferryman’s Arms

October 7, 2014 Ms Davidson Leave a comment

tfa — taken from httptamowicz.deviantart.comartThe-Ferryman-Charon-393146852

1. The main themes of the poem are introduced in the title and first six lines
Identify one main theme and show how poetic technique is used to introduce this theme. (3)

2. By referring closely to lines 6—20, analyse the use of poetic technique to achieve a change of mood from alienation and uncertainty to one of confidence. (4)

3. Evaluate the effectiveness of the second stanza as a conclusion to the poem. (3)

4. In this poem, Paterson uses an apparently ordinary experience to explore a deeper truth about humanity. By referring to this and another poem or poems by Don Paterson you have studied discuss how he uses poetry to explore the deeper truths behind ordinary experience. (10)

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The Thread notes

October 7, 2014 Ms Davidson Leave a comment

lifeline — taken from taken from http://www.123rf.com/photo_11718494_ecg-ekg-monitor-pulse-rate-medical-symbol-of-health-and-healthy-lifestyle-green.html

The thread is a very appropriate title for this poem. The poem talks about Jamie’s birth and the aftermath which saw him fighting for his life. In this sense the thread is a metaphor for the thing that kept him alive. In the second half of the poem there is an image of Paterson, Jamie and Russell all running down a hill together in a line. Here the thread is the family as they stretch out across the grass.

The split in the poem creates a clear division between the past and the present. The past was a tense time as they thought that Jamie might not make it, however now Jamie is very much alive and filled with energy.

The flying metaphor in this poem helps us understand both Jamie’s birth and the life he is living aged 2. In line 2-3 it tells us that Jamie “made his landing in the world so hard he ploughed straight back into the earth”. The use of “landing” makes it seem like Jamie is some otherworldly being who has arrived on our plane. This suggests he is a gift to his parents. It also suggests the speed and panic surrounding his difficult birth, especially with the follow up of “so hard he ploughed straight back into earth” which suggests he almost died.
The metaphor of flying is again used to describe Jamie, aged 2. This time it suggests family and a vibrant energy about Jamie. We are told that Paterson and his two boys make a “great twin-engined swaying wingspan” as they run down the hill. Here the word choice creates a sense of a family unit and vitality. The word ‘great’ suggests that this family is powerful and mighty in some way. “twin-engined” shows us that it is the boys who give their father his energy and drive and swaying wingspan” again suggests the size of this family, they feel invincible in this moment as they run down the hill. Jamie in particular stands out as we are told his lungs “somehow out-rev every engine in the universe”. There is a suggestion here that Jamie is far more powerful and alive than anything that has been made by man.

The language in lines 2 and 3 creates a sense of wonder at Jamie’s survival. His landing is so hard that he went “straight back into the earth”. Although this is a metaphor for the landing plane it has other connotations of a body being laid to rest hinting that Jamie came very close to death. We are told the doctors “caught” him, which suggests he was falling in some way. We already know he was almost dead from the previous line. The seriousness of the issue is put across in the “one breath”. It suggests that Jamie only had one shot at living and that this was it.

In the final three lines Paterson uses structure to create a sense of the thread holding the family together. First of all line 12 talks about the “long week” of Jamie’s hospitalisation at birth. This creates a sense of worry. Paterson then quickly moves on the thread giving us a time shift with the word “now” that comes after the caesura, this lets us know that he is going to be focusing on the present. He then places the words “the thread” at the end of line 12, which emphasises its importance as a key idea in the poem. He then goes on to say that the thread is “holding all of us” which lets us know he is talking about the whole family unit. This time he expands the family unit further to include his wife. There is a colon which goes on to introduce the mother “look at our tiny house,/ son, the white dot of your mother waving” which gives us the full image of the family – father and sons at the top of the hill with their mother at the other end of the thread at the bottom of the hill.

Line 7 is very effective at creating an image of the family strength by focusing on the male members of the family. Paterson uses a metaphor to compare himself and his two boys to a plane with a “great twin-engined swaying wingspan”. Paterson clearly feels that his energy is derived from his boys and that they drive him in some way. They are clearly one unit, as together they form the plane and there is a sense of immensity here with the word choice “great” and the implication of size through “wingspan”.

Higher

Waking with Russell notes

October 7, 2014 Ms Davidson Leave a comment

The difference Russell makes to his father’s life is to give a new purpose and sense of direction. Before Russell was born the speaker felt he was simply drifting through life, but now he has a child to raise and look after.

Language is used to create a contrast between the child’s smile and the speakers ‘grin’ – the former is a true smile whereas the latters is forced. Paterson’s old smile is made to sound false and difficult. He calls it ‘hard-pressed’ suggesting he was once intensely cynical and had become world-weary. He was often just going through the motions of appearing happy. On the other hand, Russell’s smile is one filled with genuine joy. It is described as something that ‘dawned on him’ suggesting it was something that got bigger and wider the longer it went on. There is also this idea that it completely takes over Russell as we are told his grin “possessed him”. It is an unbreakable smile, with nothing unable to break it – “it would not fall or waver”. Russell has not encountered anything to make him unhappy yet.

The sestet comes first in the poem and is addressed to an unknown listener. The octave which forms the final 8 lines of the poem is addressed directly to Russell.

In lines 8-9 Paterson is using an allusion to the path of life from Dante’s Inferno to get across the idea that his life now has meaning. In line 8 he talks about the “true path” being lost to him, which means that he felt his life had no definition or point to it. He was lost in some way,

The poet’s use of language is revelatory. Everything about Russell has changed the poet’s perception of life. This revelation hits the day he wakes up next to Russell – “it all began” showing us that this is the beginning of something new for Paterson. He talks about finding “the true path” suggesting that now he knows the purpose of his life whereas before he was simply going through the motions of living.

This image is very effective in conveying the point that Russell is a huge natural force that has taken over his life. First of all Paterson mimics the noise of a river by having lots of ‘r’ sounds in these lines. This creates an impression of the rushing noise of a river. Paterson also talks about the smile being “poured”. The word choice here is again suggestive of a great force which is unstoppable, just like a river.

The first light imagery is in the first few lines when he talks about Russell’s smile “dawning” on him. This suggests that the smile will grow and brings light and therefore happiness with it. There is also an idea of light connected with Russell when he interrupts his father on the path of life, and acts as a guide to his father, showing him what the meaning of his life now is. We are told in very simple terms that Russell “lit it as you ran”. Really Paterson should be guiding Russell as his father, but here it is the other way round as Russell shows his father the true meaning of life.

Higher

Two Trees notes

October 7, 2014 Ms Davidson Leave a comment

The whole of the poem is in rhyming couplets which makes it sound like a nursery rhyme as this gives it a lyrical feel. There is also a clearly identified protagonist in the first line – Don Miguel – who is clearly on some form of mission which makes this seem like a fairytale.

The poem is about two trees that are first of all tied together by Don Miguel and then separated by an unnamed owner. There are themes here of new life and separation or death. The poem is clearly split into two stanzas, each of these could be said to represent a tree as the stanzas are of equal length just the trees are equal to each other. The trees also form a pair, and throughout the whole poem there are rhyming couplets again highlighting for us the two trees. The storyline also deals with the joining of the trees by Don, this is clearly focused on in the first stanza. This leaves the second stanza free to deal with a later section of time and the separation of the trees – which they manage to survive.

The word choice in lines 4-5 makes clear to us the difficulty of joining the trees. First of all the speaker talks about how “it took him the whole day” suggesting it was strenuous and lengthy work to put the trees together. It also speaks about having to “work” them free from their original spots which again hints at a great effort being put into this task. The difficulty is also suggested in the words to do with pain in lines 5. “lay open their sides” suggests that the trees are in some way exposed, and “lash them tight” suggests that they are having to be held together in a violent way. The “lash” has connotations of being hit with rope or pulled tight.

The kids think the tree is magic because for them it appears as one tree that is somehow able to produce the fruits from two trees. The fact that this is an illusion is given in the expression “looked like”, as the tree is still two separate ones each putting forth their own fruits. The fact that there is a double harvest is given in “double crop” which tells us it provides both lemons and oranges.

Don Miguel is cast as the hero and the man is cast as a villain. This is reinforced through word-choice. At the start of the poem the words are short and have an upbeat effect. We also get a sense that Don Miguel is excessively hard working and enthusiastic about his idea – “Don Miguel got out of bed/ with one idea rooted in his head”. Although it doesn’t say whether this is a good idea or not the lyrical effect of these two lines creates a happy tone and we automatically think that the splicing of the two trees is a good idea.

The man is made to seem like a villain as he remains nameless, he is a shadowy figure in the poem. We are told that he “had no dream” which makes him seem aimless in comparison to Don Miguel. We are then told that his decision to separate the trees is a “dark malicious whim”. The word choice here is very effective at creating a sinister personality for the man as opposed to Don Miguel’s happy persona. His thoughts are “dark” and therefore unwanted and evil. He is called “malicious” suggesting that he aims to cause hurt and finally his actions are perceived as just a “whim” – this is something he hasn’t even bothered to plan out, he is acting spontaneously without thinking about the effect almost as if he is a small child doing whatever he feels like.

The effect of the parallel structure in lines 17-19 is to reinforce that the two trees were not harmed in any way by their separation. This is done with the repeated “no”s at the start of each line and then the unbearable experiences they did not go through – suffering severe loneliness, becoming infertile, suffering from wounds that are incapable of healing properly.

The tone in these lines is didactic and a little sad, the speaker is trying to teach us that despite separation things can survive. The language is quite formal, almost archaic with the use of “nor”, and verging on flowery to create these grand poetic images. This creates an image of a wise person feeding us important information. The language begins with “they did not die from solitude” suggesting that they were not feeling too alone, it continues with the lack of “sterile fruit” again suggesting that they were still able to bear offspring or continue to make produce. There is also the word “flanks” used to describe their open scars from the separation which makes them sound like beasts. It ends on the rather desolate image of “empty, intricate embrace” to describe the trees survival without each other which has left them saddened – their lifes’ are now a little devoid of something, and what they had before was complex, and they provided a comfort to each other.

The final lines of this poem are effective as they challenge the reader to think. It talks about how trees are passive living things – they do not “ache or weep or shout”. This comes after the speaker has suggested that the trees do have human emotions and we would expect the trees to be aching or weeping or shouting. In the final line Paterson’s meaning is ambiguous as he states “trees are all this poem is about”. If this is the case then it is a very simple poem. However, the fairytale structure would suggests that Paterson does actually want us to read a deeper meaning into this story and that there is a moral point here about surviving traumatic separations.