Explore the following images. Which would you group together and why? Which would you not put together? Why? Could these pictures ever combine together to make one image?

Write words around the image to describe what you see and how the man might be feeling.

Confused

Peaceful

Contrast

loud

• Get yourselves into pairs• Sit facing each other

• A – clap slowly• B – read in time to the clap up till

‘groggily groggily’

• Repeat this activity• B – clap more quickly• A – read in time to the beat up

until ‘groggily groggily’

• Which pace sounded better? Try to suggest why this might be…

• Which way round worked best? Should it be read half fast, half slow? Does this metre/ beat of the poem reflect Island Man’s feelings of his home country and abroad?

“Island Man” – Grace NicholsMorning muffling mufflingand island man wakes up his crumpled pillow wavesTo the sound of blue surf island man heaves himselfIn his headThe steady breaking and wombing Another London day.

Wild seabirdsAnd fishermen pushing out to seaThe sun surfacing defiantlyFrom the eastOf his small emerald islandHe always comes back

Groggily groggilyComes back to sandsisland manOf a grey metallic soar

to surge of wheelsTo dull North Circular roar

Is there a line where the mood of the poem changes? How can we tell?

Circle all the verbs – how do choices of verbs reflect the poet’s mood?

Can the verbs be categorized? What do the verbs suggest about the writer’ s feelings for the two places?

What is at the heart of the poem?

‘…the steady breaking and wombing’

‘…the sun surfacing defiantly’

‘…a grey metallic roar’

‘…surge of wheels’

‘…crumpled pillow waves’

Rank order these examples of imagery for their effectiveness. Be prepared to explain your thinking.

At tables, make a visual collage of the poem, Island Man writing out the poem and analysing the key features you identify – transferring what you have learnt from the poems you’ve studied so far.

Review• Using the ‘Odd one Out’

grid, annotate similarities between Blessing, Two Scavengers and Island Man, considering how each poem could be the ‘odd one out’. Do this on the reverse using a line from each poem.