in mrs tilcher’s class
TRANSCRIPT
In Mrs Tilcher’s Class
LO: How to analyse an unseen poem
Match the terms to their definitions and an example. Use a different
colour for each term.
Poetry Terms Warm-up
Simile A word with the function of describing a noun
Metaphor
The not so clever catAte the polyester mat
A comparison where the person/thing ‘is’ something else
The enormous, grey elephant began to paint
A string of words beginning with the same of similar sounds
Alliteration I’m wondering whereI’ve left my feet, and why
my hands are outside clapping.She was as clever as a professor, with eyes that sparkled like a diamond
Onomatopoeia Words which imitate the sound
A non-human thing or idea is given human attributes
A comparison using ‘as’ or ‘like’ The day was a picture, a painting of perfection.
The clash of the clouds, the whoosh of the wind
A line ending in which the sense continues into the following stanza
Enjambment
Rhyme The terrifying teacher terrorised the trembling twins
The same or similar sounds at the end of two or more words
The frost froze spitefully over the pavement and waiting with glee for an unsuspecting pedestrian
Adjective Personification
Simile A word with the function of describing a noun
Metaphor
The not so clever catAte the polyester mat
A comparison where the person/thing ‘is’ something else
The enormous, grey elephant began to paint
A string of words beginning with the same or similar sounds
Alliteration I’m wondering whereI’ve left my feet, and why
my hands are outside clapping.She was as clever as a professor, with eyes that sparkled like a diamond
Onomatopoeia Words which imitate the sound
A non-human thing or idea is given human attributes
A comparison using ‘as’ or ‘like’ The day was a picture, a painting of perfection.
The clash of the clouds, the whoosh of the wind
A line ending in which the sense continues into the following stanza
Enjambment
Rhyme The terrifying teacher terrorised the trembling twins
The same or similar sounds at the end of two or more words
The frost froze spitefully over the pavement and waiting with glee for an unsuspecting pedestrian
Adjective Personification
Learning Checklist
AO1 and AO2
1. Respond with insight and imagination; select text detail to support interpretations.
2. Explain how the writer uses language, structure and form to present ideas, themes and settings.
Things to notice in a
poem!
What tone of voice should it be read in?
How do the images support the meaning?
What effect does the poem have on you?
How has the poet recreated sound?
Has the poet used any patterns?
What is the poem about?
When you read a poem, always remember to SMILE
• Structure (including form, rhyme and rhythm)
• Meaning (including storyline and viewpoint)
• Imagery (including the senses, simile, metaphor, adjectives and personification)
• Language (including word use and onomatopoeia)
• Effect (including mood, emotion and tone)
SM I L E These should form the
paragraphs for your response
1) Read through the poem once.2) Read through the poem again, working out a general impression of the poem – What is the poem about?* What happens in each stanza – note this down next to each stanza* What is the poem about as a whole? Does it deal with a particular topic or issue?3) Look at the language used to express ideas for an idea of tone* Is the tone of the poem happy/sad/positive/negative? How do you know (which words create this tone – underline them)? Does the tone vary at any point in the poem?
Skimming the Surface of a Poem
Discuss your ideas with your neighbour!Do they have a different interpretation?
In Mrs Tilscher’s ClassYou could travel up the Blue Nilewith your finger, tracing the routewhile Mrs Tilscher chanted the scenery.”Tana. Ethiopia. Khartoum. Aswan.”That for an hour,then a skittle of milkand the chalky Pyramids rubbed into dust.A window opened with a long pole.The laugh of a bell swung by a running child.
This was better than home. Enthralling books.The classroom glowed like a sweetshop.Sugar paper. Coloured shapes. Brady and Hindleyfaded, like the faint, uneasy smudge of a mistake.Mrs Tilscher loved you. Some mornings, you foundshe'd left a gold star by your name. The scent of a pencil slowly, carefully, shaved.A xylophone's nonsense heard from another form.
Over the Easter term the inky tadpoles changedfrom commas into exclamation marks. Three frogshopped in the playground, freed by a duncefollowed by a line of kids, jumping and croakingaway from the lunch queue. A rough boy told you how you were born. You kicked him, but staredat your parents, appalled, when you got back home.
That feverish July, the air tasted of electricity.A tangible alarm made you always untidy, hot,fractious under the heavy, sexy sky. You asked her how you were born and Mrs Tilscher smiledthen turned away. Reports were handed out.You ran through the gates, impatient to be grownthe sky split open into a thunderstorm.
SM I L E
Go through the poem and pick out other features of SMILE you can write about, as many as you can in 10 minutes
In the exam you will have 10 minutes at most to do this
What did you pick out?
Page 156
Write your introductionHow does the poet show her feelings about her time
at Primary school?You should consider:• how the poet describes the sights and sound of the Primary School• how the poet describes the experiences of Primary School• what she realises as an adult looking back on her experiences• the tone of voice in the poem• the language the poet uses• how the poem is structured• anything else that you think important.
In your introduction it is a good idea to summarise the poem’s meaning, tone and the response you think the poet wanted from the reader.
So you’ve gathered your evidence to answer this question. Now, how will you structure your response? What will your PEARLs be?
PEARLs:1. 2. 3.
Number your evidence/annotations to show which PEARL it belongs with. Will you cover all elements of the question/ SMILE with this plan?
PLANNING YOUR PEARL
Lesson 2
Learning Objective: using the PEARL paragraph structure
StarterBrainstorm your memories of Primary School.
In Mrs Tilscher’s ClassYou could travel up the Blue Nilewith your finger, tracing the routewhile Mrs Tilscher chanted the scenery.”Tana. Ethiopia. Khartoum. Aswan.”That for an hour,then a skittle of milkand the chalky Pyramids rubbed into dust.A window opened with a long pole.The laugh of a bell swung by a running child.
This was better than home. Enthralling books.The classroom glowed like a sweetshop.Sugar paper. Coloured shapes. Brady and Hindleyfaded, like the faint, uneasy smudge of a mistake.Mrs Tilscher loved you. Some mornings, you foundshe'd left a gold star by your name. The scent of a pencil slowly, carefully, shaved.A xylophone's nonsense heard from another form.
Over the Easter term the inky tadpoles changedfrom commas into exclamation marks. Three frogshopped in the playground, freed by a duncefollowed by a line of kids, jumping and croakingaway from the lunch queue. A rough boy told you how you were born. You kicked him, but staredat your parents, appalled, when you got back home.
That feverish July, the air tasted of electricity.A tangible alarm made you always untidy, hot,fractious under the heavy, sexy sky. You asked her how you were born and Mrs Tilscher smiledthen turned away. Reports were handed out.You ran through the gates, impatient to be grownthe sky split open into a thunderstorm.
Answer the following questions. Focus on using the PEARL
paragraph structure.
PointEvidence
AnalysisReader responseLink back to question
Read ‘In Mrs Tilscher’s Class’ in your Anthology and answer the following questions using the PEARL paragraph structure:
a) Why might Duffy have chosen to write the poem in the second person?
b) In the first stanza, do you think the children understand what they are learning?
c) In the second stanza, how does Duffy show her positive attitudes towards school?
d) How is the image of the tadpoles relevant to the main themes of the poem?
e) How does Mrs Tilscher finally disappoint Duffy?
f) How does Duffy use language to appeal to the senses?
PEARL EXAMPLE: Why might Duffy have chosen to write the poem in the second person?
Duffy may have chosen to write the poem in the second person to encourage the reader to empathise with its themes. Lines like ‘Mrs Tilscher loved you’ and the imagery in the simile ‘the classroom glowed like a sweetshop’ are childlike observations and evoke positive memories and feelings of how safe and happy they felt in the school environment as children. Through this personal involvement, the reader is therefore as shocked as the poet when the tone of the poem suddenly changes alongside the poets realisation that her parents and teachers have lied to her and the world is not quite as it seemed. The use of the second person effectively places you within the poem and encourages you to personally engage with both the themes portayed and the feelings implied.
Plenary
PEER ASSESSMENT• Swap books with your partner• Read their PEARL responses.• How could they improve them? • How is their interpretation different to yours?• Give your partner feedback.
Write a full answer – 30 minutesHow does the poet show her feelings about her time
at Primary school?You should consider:• how the poet describes the sights and sound of the Primary School• how the poet describes the experiences of Primary School• what she realises as an adult looking back on her experiences• the tone of voice in the poem• the language the poet uses• how the poem is structured• anything else that you think important.
In your introduction it is a good idea to summarise the poem’s meaning, tone and the response you think the poet wanted from the reader.
Task: Write Miss Allen’s class in the style of Duffy’s poem