AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
Learning objectives:
- AO1 : respond to texts critically and imaginatively, select and evaluate textual detail to illustrate and support interpretations.
- AO2 : explain how language, structure and form contribute to wr iters’ presentation of ideas, themes and settings.
Pre-reading activity:
1. What is a horse whisperer? What do you already know about them?
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 P A I R
Take two minutes to discuss your ideas with your partner. Make a note of any new ideas.
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE 2
Fortune teller
Spiritual person / preacher

Look at the images above. Next to the picture, write down the stereotypes associated with this type of person.
 T H I N K
How do you think these types of people would have been viewed in the past, before the industrial revolution, when the majority of people lived off the land?
What about in today’s society?
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE 3
 Punctuation: Poets will use punctuation as they structure and write their poems. Some will use punctuation conventionally. Others will not. Others will use a mixture of both conventional and unconventional punctuation in their poems. Whichever is used, the use of punctuation will , along with word choices , be central to the poem’s messages, ideas and themes .
 Capitalisation : The use of capital letters for certain words.
 End-stopped lines : An end-stopped line is one in which a grammatical pause comes at the end of the line. It can be shown, for example, by the use of a comma, semicolon or full stop.
 Enjambment : or run-on lines. This is a line ending in which the syntax, rhythm and thought are continued into the next line without pausing or stopping. Run-on lines can also straddle verses – not just lines.

Mid-line full stops: The use of a full stop within a line.
The grammatical pause causes a break in the syntax, rhythm or thought within the line.
 Mid-line commas: The use of a comma or commas within a line. It can be used for listing, or for separating clauses.
Examiner’s Hint
1. Some poets will capitalise the start of every line in their poem.
2. Some poets will only capitalise the start of a line if it is also the start of a sentence .
3. Some poets will capitalise the start of some (but not all) lines – even if it is not the start of a sentence. If this latter strategy is used, the poet is making a conscious decision to give special emphasis to a word.
 In ‘Horse Whisperer’ by Andrew Forster, the poet uses punctuation in a conventional, traditional manner. Below, the poem has been converted into a piece of prose. Read it as a class and then again, silently.
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE 4
Version 1
 In pairs, try and turn the text back into a poem. Each paragraph represents a stanza.
They shouted for me when their horses snorted, when restless hooves traced circles in the earth and shimmering muscles refused the plough. My secret was a spongy tissue, pulled bloody from the mouth of a just-born foal, scented with rosemary, cinnamon, a charm to draw the tender giants to my hands.
They shouted for me when their horses reared at the burning straw and eyes revolved in stately heads. I would pull a frog’s wishbone, tainted by meat, from a pouch, a new fear to fight the fear of fire, so
I could lead the horses, like helpless children, to safety.
I swore I would protect this legacy of whispers but the tractor came over the fields like a warning. I was the life-blood no longer. From pulpits I was scorned as demon and witch. Pitchforks drove me from villages and farms.
My gifts were the tools of revenge. A foul hex above a stable door so a trusted stallion could be ridden no more. Then I joined the stampede, with others of my kind, to countries far from our trade.
Still I miss them. Shire, Clydesdale, Suffolk. The searing breath, glistening veins, steady tread and the pride, most of all the pride.
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE 5
Version 2
 In pairs, try and turn the text back into a poem.
They shouted for me when their horses snorted, when restless hooves traced circles in the earth and shimmering muscles refused the plough. My secret was a spongy tissue, pulled bloody from the mouth of a just-born foal, scented with rosemary, cinnamon, a charm to draw the tender giants to my hands. They shouted for me when their horses reared at the burning straw and eyes revolved in stately heads. I would pull a frog’s wishbone, tainted by meat, from a pouch, a new fear to fight the fear of fire, so I could lead the horses, like helpless children, to safety. I swore I would protect this legacy of whispers but the tractor came over the fields like a warning. I was the life-blood no longer. From pulpits I was scorned as demon and witch. Pitchforks drove me from villages and farms.
My gifts were the tools of revenge. A foul hex above a stable door so a trusted stallion could be ridden no more. Then I joined the stampede, with others of my kind, to countries far from our trade. Still I miss them. Shire, Clydesdale, Suffolk.
The searing breath, glistening veins, steady tread and the pride, most of all the pride.
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
6
 Capitalisation.
In his poem, Andrew Forster uses version 2 above.
(see page 3.) However, there are three occasions where he uses midline full stops . This means that there are therefore three occasions where words within a line are capitalised.
 End-stopped lines.
There are twenty examples of end-stopped lines
– ten commas and ten full stops.
 Enjambment.
There are fourteen examples of enjambment.
 As you structure your version of the poem, try and think about the poet’s message and theme.
If necessary, and / or for differentiation purposes, provide the following extra information to students.
There are five stanzas .
 Stanza one is nine lines long.
 Stanza two is eight lines long.
 Stanza three is seven lines long.
 Stanza four is six lines long.
 Stanza five is four lines long.
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE 7
TASK
 Read ‘Horse Whisperer’ by Andrew Forster and compare your version of the poem to the original.
 Discuss your findings with your teacher and the rest of the class. Compare moments where your versions were very similar and / or very different to the original.
 Look closely at Andrew Forster’s original version. Working on your own, identify, and label on the poem, where he has used:
 capitalisation;
 end-stopped lines;
 enjambment;
 mid-line full stops and commas.
You can use highlighting, colour coding or annotation.

Work in pairs to identity one of the most effective examples of each technique. Make a note of your ideas below and explain why they were effective.
Capitalisation
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End-stopped lines
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE 8
Enjambment
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Mid-line full stops and commas
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 Which stanza in the poem has no examples of enjambment?
Make a note of your ideas.
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 Why might this be significant?
Make a note of your ideas.
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE 9
 Below is a copy of ‘Horse Whisperer’ by Andrew Forster. As you can see, the words and lines have been silhouetted. This has been done in order to force you to respond to the poem visually, to respond to the way that the poem has been structured , on the page.
Horse Whisperer
They shouted for me when their horses snorted, when restless hooves traced circles in the earth and shimmering muscles refused the plough.
My secret was a spongy tissue, pulled bloody from the mouth of a just-born foal, scented with rosemary, cinnamon, a charm to draw the tender giants to my hands.
They shouted for me when their horses reared at the burning straw and eyes revolved in stately heads.
I would pull a frog’s wishbone, tainted by meat, from a pouch, a new fear to fight the fear of fire, so I could lead the horses, like helpless children, to safety.
I swore I would protect this legacy of whispers but the tractor came over the fields like a warning. I was the life-blood no longer. From pulpits
I was scorned as demon and witch.
Pitchforks drove me from villages and farms.
My gifts were the tools of revenge.
A foul hex above a stable door so a trusted stallion could be ridden no more. Then I joined the stampede, with others of my kind, to countries far from our trade.
Still I miss them. Shire, Clydesdale, Suffolk.
The searing breath, glistening veins, steady tread and the pride, most of all the pride.
ANDREW FORSTER
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE
 Look at the silhouetted version of the poem and then complete the following activity.
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 Stanza one is __________ lines long.
 Stanza two is __________ lines long.
 Stanza three is __________ lines long.
 Stanza four is __________ lines long.
 Stanza five is __________ lines long.
 What do you notice about the number of lines in each stanza? Why might this be significant to the poem’s meaning ?
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 What do you notice about stanza five when you compare it to the poem’s first stanza? What does this suggest, and how might this reinforce Forster’s message and ideas ?
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 What is particularly noticeable about the length of stanza four when compared to stanza five – the poem’s last stanza? What does this suggest, and how might this reinforce Forster’s message and ideas ?
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE 11
Tense : Like all writing, poems, too, can be written in a range of tenses
– past, present and future.
 What tense are stanzas 1 – 4 written in? Explain why.
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 What tense is stanza five – the poem’s last stanza – written in in? Explain why.
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE 12
 Work in pairs to make a note of examples (quotations) from the poem in the table below.
Poetic techniques and devices
Examples similes metaphors word sets punctuation enjambment narrative voice repetition adjectives verbs the poem’s turn(s)
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE 13
In groups of three, draw a theme tree to capture all your ideas.
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE 14
 Complete the table below with what you consider to be the most important quotes and poetic devices within each category
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t one
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE 15
- AO3: Make comparisons and explain links between texts, evaluating writers’ different ways of expressing meaning and achieving effects
 Use the Venn diagram to find the differences and similarities between the two poems.
‘horse whisperer’ ‘checking out me history’
 Compare the ways that the theme of history, and attitudes to history, are presented in ‘Horse Whisperer’ and ‘Checking Out Me History’.
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE 16
- AO3: Make comparisons and explain links between texts, evaluating writers’ different ways of expressing meaning and achieving effects
 Use the Venn diagram to find the differences and similarities between the two poems.
‘horse whisperer’ ‘the river god’
 Compare the presentation of religion, superstition and power in ‘Horse
Whisperer ’ and ‘The River God’.
 Compare the ways that character and voice is created in ‘Horse
Whisperer’ and ‘The River God’.
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE 17
 Using MITSL as a guide, create an essay plan or spider diagram for your essay question. You must include 3 - 5 points of comparison. Number each point in the order you would write about them in your exam. When you write your essay, remember to analyse structural and poetic devices for their effect and meaning . Don’t just list .
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE 18
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25
15
10
5
They shouted for me 30 Still I miss them. Shire, Clydesdale, Suffolk.
when their horses snorted, when restless hooves traced circles in the earth and shimmering muscles refused the plough.
My secret was a spongy tissue, pulled bloody from the mouth of a just-born foal, scented with rosemary, cinnamon, a charm to draw the tender giants to my hands.
They shouted for me when their horses reared at the burning straw and eyes revolved in stately heads.
I would pull a frog’s wishbone, tainted by meat, from a pouch, a new fear to fight the fear of fire, so I could lead the horses, like helpless children, to safety.
I swore I would protect this legacy of whispers but the tractor came over the fields like a warning. I was the life-blood no longer. From pulpits
I was scorned as demon and witch.
Pitchforks drove me from villages and farms.
My gifts were the tools of revenge.
A foul hex above a stable door so a trusted stallion could be ridden no more. Then I joined the stampede, with others of my kind, to countries far from our trade.
The searing breath, glistening veins, steady tread and the pride, most of all the pride.
Andrew Forster
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AQA GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE - POETRY ANTHOLOGY: CHARACTER AND VOICE 19
Written by Chantel Mathias and Amanda Fiegel
Introduction and copy by Karen Bishop
Audio file scripts and recordings by Barrie McDermid - www.podcastrevision.co.uk
Interactive resources and design by David Riley - www.triptico.co.uk
Forster, Andrew
‘Horse Whisperer’ by Andrew Forster from his collection
FEAR OF THUNDER (Flambard, 2007).
Every effort has been made to contact copyright holders of material reproduced in this collection. If notified, we will be pleased to rectify any errors / omissions.
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