here is the annotations for this poem. That means you need to click me to open the file.
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Poetry – Keeping Orchids by Jackie Kay
taken from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Butterfly_Orchid_(Crazy_Backlight)_(5792522843).jpg
1. Explain how we get a sense of the speaker’s uneasiness in lines 1-12.
2. What is the speaker’s attitude about herself (line 7-16) and how is it suggested?
3. What impression do we get of the mother’s feelings about her own life (lines 19-28)
4. What do you think the speaker is really saying in the last two lines?
5. This poem is about a first person experience. Think of another Kay poem which uses this style and show how it compares and contrasts with this poem in its use of techniques.
Poetry – Bed by Jackie Kay
1 Explain how the speaker’s sense of frustration is conveyed in lines 1-6.
2 What is the speaker’s attitude about herself (line 7-16) and how is it suggested?
3 What impression do we get of the daughter’s feelings towards her mother and how is this portrayed (lines 25-8)
4 Choose an image from lines 33-6 and explain how it is effective.
5 What do you think the old woman is trying to say in the last two lines?
6 This poem is about a first person experience. Think of another Kay poem which uses this style and show how it compares and contrasts with this poem in its use of techniques.
Poetry – Lucozade by Jackie Kay
taken from https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6d/Hospital_beds_for_Guantanamo_Captives.JPG/800px-Hospital_beds_for_Guantanamo_Captives.JPG
lucozade annotations to copy out!
In lines 1-6 the speaker makes clear her sense of incompetence. First of all her inability to do anything is expressed when she talks about the ‘sad chrysanthemums.’ This is transferred epithet. At this point it is not the flowers who feel sad but the girl speaking. She feels sad because she is unable to do anything to make her mum better. In the third line she states quite clearly ‘I am scared my mum is going to die’. She identifies very clearly for us here her fear of her mother’s death. She, obviously, doesn’t want her mother to die but she feels that that is what is going to happen. By stating this out loud she acknowledges that this is a possibility and infers that she has no control over it. In lines 5-6, we get a sense that the speaker is helplessly watching her mother in the bed. She says ‘she nods off and her eyes go back in head’. This is quite a scary image, like her mother is passing out. The girl can do nothing to stop it.
In lines 9-20 we get a clear sense that the mother is not very happy at being in the hospital, that she resents the fuss and is incredibly bored. First of all she attacks the doctors. She uses the metaphor ‘swarm of eyes’ to describe how they examine her body. She feels invaded and objectified. She is merely a problem for the doctors to solve, not a human with an illness. She speaks of their ‘white lies’, the falsehoods they tell her in order to stop her panicking about her illness. She begrudges this as she’d rather deal with the truth of her illness.
The magazines brought in to keep her occupied bore and upset her. The Woman’s Own is ‘too much about size’. The magazine articles tear healthy women apart for being too skinny or too fat. She finds this disturbing as she is wasting away due to her illness. She does not want to be reminded of how unhealthy she is.
She also hates the things people bring in to her as gifts. Yes, she is ill and wants to put healthy things into her body but she would also like luxuries and treats too. The use of, and wording of, a list emphasises all the treats she would like to have. The multiple objects listed shows how many delicious things she could have. The alliteration of ‘big brandy’ hammers into us how much she desires this treat – she wants it to be huge. Again this is repeated in the next item ‘generous gin’. She wants alcohol and a lot of it. Then she lists foods she craves – ‘biscuits’, chocolate gingers’ ‘dirty big meringue’. The use of ‘dirty’ tells us she knows these things are bad for her, but the excited tone here shows how much she is missing them, and infers that the hospital food and gifts are bland in comparison.
In stanza 5 Kay uses personification to describe the grapes with ‘no imagination’. Again this is transferred epithet. Really she means that her visitors are uncreative and bore her.
In lines 25-28, we get a sense that the mother is much calmer and serene by the end of the hospital visit. She is described as being ethereal (heavenly) in these lines. The hospital sheets are described as ‘billowing’ and ‘whirling’ suggesting a lightness to them, and therefore giving a sense that things are better. We get told that the mother’s face has become ‘light and radiant’, she no longer seems ill. Instead she appears to give off energy. We are told that the hospital table is ‘divine’. This is still linked to the mother and it suggests that the mother has become holy and pure.
The last line of the poem is effective as it gives a sense of hope about the mother recovering fully. The daughter is ‘singing an old song’. Throughout the rest of the poem she has been tense and worried. The fact that she is now singing suggests this tension has been released and that she feels positive. Her mother pepping up has in turn pepped her up.
Poetry – Divorce by Jackie Kay
taken from https://www.flickr.com/photos/mindaugasdanys/3766009204
Explain how the speaker’s sense of irritation is conveyed in lines 1-6.
The speaker’s sense of irritation is conveyed quite clearly in the opening statement of the poem. She uses full words instead of shortening them down. i.e. she says ‘did not’ instead of ‘didn’t’. This makes it clear she wants the listener to understand how angry she is and that she did not agree to do anything.
The word choice in these lines also exemplifies her anger. She identifies the idea of an agreement with the word ‘promise’. The agreement alluded to is staying together forever. She is saying here that she never made any contract or treaty or oath to stay with this person.
What is the speaker’s attitude to her parents (line 6-14)?
In lines 6-14 the speaker is annoyed and aggravated by her parents. This is first expressed at her mother who she feels is ungrateful. She states that her mother ‘never, ever said a kind word’ showing that she feels her mother is indifferent towards her or does not love her properly. The build up here of ‘never, ever’ suggests that she can’t remember it ever happening.
She mocks her father’s mocking of her with ‘Are you off in the cream puff, Lady Muck?’ It is clear from her derisory follow up – ‘in this day and age?’ that she thinks her father’s nickname for her is derogatory and it upsets her.
How does the tone change in the second stanza and how is this achieved?
The tone goes through several changes in the second stanza. The first one is when the tone shifts from attacking to authoritative. She is no longer picking on her parents but stating simple facts. ‘I want a divorce’ is a clear statement about her desires. It is a direct assault on her parents stating that she wishes to leave them.
The stanza then takes on a whimsical and poetic tone. She begins to talk about other parents but manages to make them sound mythical and fantastical through the word choice. She says ‘there are parents… whose faces turn up to the light’. The use of ‘light’ makes us think about goodness and sunshine and makes these parents sound happy.
Choose two examples of imagery from lines 16-23 and explain in detail how each adds to your understanding of the poem.
There are two examples of imagery in lines 16-23 and both of them are metaphors dealing with other types of parents. The first metaphor states there are parents who ‘speak in the soft murmur of rivers’. This compares the way these parents speak to the sound of rivers. These rivers are soft and calm and soothing. The speaker clearly thinks these parents are lovely as they never raise their voices and are lovely all the time.
The second example still focuses on how the parents sound and now compares their singing to ‘the colourful voices of rainbows’. This sounds like when they singing happy colours come out of their mouths. They seem joyous and magical. You could imagine having a wonderful time with these parents. Both of these metaphors add to my understanding of the poem as I understand that the speaker really wants happy parents and feels she doesn’t get on well with her own.
This poem is about a first person experience. How does Kay use style and techniques to put this across.
This is a very strong dramatic monologue from a child to her parents asking for a separation.
The first thing that makes this clear is the title. She chose to call this poem ‘divorce’. From this word we know that the poem is going to be about two things splitting up, in this instance it is a child pulling away from her parents.
The second thing stylistically is the structure of the poem. This is interesting for two reasons. The poem is in two stanzas, which could refer to the two parts involved – the parents and the child. On the page they are separated by the gap, demonstrating their split, but coming together to make the poem thereby representing the family unit. The other thing to note here is that each stanza is 14 lines long. Usually sonnets are 14 lines long, and normally a sonnet is a love poem. Here though, it is used for the opposite purpose – the speaker declares her lack of love for her parents in demanding a divorce.
The final thing to say about this poem is that it is very clearly a dramatic monologue as the speaker constantly uses the word ‘I’. this makes it clear that the poem is a list of demands and actions. ‘I want a divorce’, ‘I will file for divorce’. The strong use of ‘I’ at the start of sentences convinces you that the speaker knows what she wants.
Another sample answer for the 10 marker
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’.
Practice 10 markers
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.
Sample Questions The Ferryman’s Arms
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)
The Thread notes
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”.
Waking with Russell notes
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.
