Experiencing Poetry
“Breathe in: experience.
Breathe out: poetry.”
–Muriel Rukeyser
A Year 10 English Unit
Group Two:
Carly Bretherton
Danielle Santangelo
Andy Williamson
James Butterfield
1
Experiencing Poetry
Table of Contents
Rationale
VELS Consideration
3
5
Section One – Carly Bretherton
Poetry: Love me, Love me not
Section One Appendices
6
11
Section Two - Danielle Santangelo
Morbid Pop: The Concept of Death in Poetry and Culture
Section Two Appendices
12
37
Section Three– Andy Williamson
TITLE
Section Three Appendices
Section Four – James Butterfield
Belonging and Dislocation
Section Four Appendices
Experiencing Poetry
Unit Rationale
This Unit has been developed as a resource with which teachers can approach the teaching of poetry
at year 10 level. Underlying all of the lessons and activities is a desire to encourage students’ open
and honest responses to poetry and, most of all, to foster engagement with the poetic form and an
interest in poetry that will remain with the students beyond the end of the unit and, hopefully, into
their adult lives.
But why should we teach poetry at all? Often regarded by students, and perhaps teachers as well, as
unapproachable, inaccessible and socially irrelevant, there are convincing arguments about why the
study of poetry should be incorporated into the English curriculum at all levels. For a start, poetry
provides an avenue through which students can explore subjects that are relevant to their own
worlds, and in the myriad styles and forms that are used in poetry, encourages the reader to think
flexibly, appreciating different perspectives and previously unimagined nuances.
On a more practical level, studying poetry assists with development of skills that will be relevant to
other studies, such as building vocabulary, and lays the foundations for an appreciation of the power
of words and how they can be effectively used in a more precise and deliberate manner. Poetry’s
efficacy in building literacy skills is not limited to students talented in English, however. The
heightened role of the imagination and the freedom to ignore textual conventions such as
punctuation and sentence structure provides for many more ways “into” a poem than is offered by a
piece of prose. Similarly, students whose first language is not English are able to enjoy and
appreciate a short poem, improving reading and vocabulary skills whilst simultaneously building
their confidence as an English learner.
This unit approaches the teaching of poetry in a somewhat unconventional manner, not by grouping
poems by author or era, but by examining them in the context of specific themes: “apocalypse/war”,
“death”, “love and friendship” and “belonging and dislocation”. The thematic approach allows
comparisons to be drawn between aspects of popular culture and poetry from any era. A focus on a
specific , timeless and relevant theme encourages an immediate openness to the role poetry can
play in facilitating nuanced and thoughtful responses and reflection.
Grouped under a given theme, each lesson has a specific objective that focuses on the learning
outcome that students will achieve for that lesson. In this respect, the unit’s method may also differ
from traditional classes in which students, under the direction of a teacher, “do” a poem - analysing
its meaning, unpicking its structure and highlighting lexical incongruities - all the while referring to
the poet’s life experiences that inform the poem. Here, the objective will focus on one particular skill
or aspect of one or more texts, and in the activities that follow, students will gain a thorough
understanding of this aspect and be able to recognise it and apply it in different contexts.
The unit is not meant to be prescriptive and the poems and texts offered herein can be used as a
guide to the sort of poems or texts that a teacher might consider to reach the lesson’s objective.
Other suggestions are offered in each unit, however the process of students discovering poetry that
works for them has the potential to greatly enrich the learning experience.
Experiencing Poetry
Similarly, we have chosen to divide each section or theme into ‘parts’ rather than ‘lessons’. We felt
that this approach would provide more flexibility for teachers when designing lessons; allowing you
to spend more time on one part and less time on another, according to the strengths of your class,
and where you feel they would benefit most.
Finally, a note on assessment. While the unit does include opportunities for assessing students’
work, it was felt that an overly rigorous assessment regime has the potential to undermine
engagement with and enjoyment of poetry. This unit is designed to provide a counterpoint to the
emphasis on functional language and analysis that dominates senior curricula, especially in the VCE.
It is, therefore, more suited to flexible and innovative methods of evaluating students’ progress, and
suggestions about the form that might take are offered within the individual lesson guides.
REFERENCES
Tunica, M. (2005). A Passion for Poetry: Practical Approaches to Using Poetry in the Classroom.
Newtown: Primary English Teaching Association
Wright, T. (2005). How to be a Brilliant English Teacher. Oxon: Routledge.
Experiencing Poetry
VELS Consideration
This unit is intended for students in Year 10. We have therefore addressed VELS Level 6.
Reading
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Read, view, analyse, critique on and discuss contemporary and classical imaginative texts
that explore personal, social, cultural and political issues of significance to their own lives.
Read, view, analyse and discuss a wide range of informative and persuasive texts and
identify the multiple purposes for which texts are created.
Explain how texts are shaped by the time, place and cultural setting in which they are
created.
Compare and contrast the typical features of particular texts and synthesise information
from different texts to draw conclusions.
Writing
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Write persuasive texts dealing with complex ideas and issues and control the linguistic
structures and features that support the presentation of different perspectives on complex
themes and issues.
Select subject matter and begin to use a range of language techniques to try to position
readers to accept particular views of people, characters, events, ideas and information.
Compose a range of other texts, such as feature articles, web pages and workplace texts.
Plan and deliver presentations, sequencing and organising complex ideas.
Write accurately punctuated, grammatically sound and complex sentences with embedded
clauses and phrases.
Maximise the effects of rhythm and tone, and write with developing fluency. They proofread
and edit their own writing for accuracy, consistency and clarity.
Speaking & Listening
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When engaged in discussion, they compare ideas, build on others’ ideas, provide and justify
other points of view, and reach conclusions that take account of aspects of an issue.
In their presentations, they make effective use of the structures and features of spoken
language to deal with complex subject matter in a range of situations.
Draw on a range of strategies to listen to and present spoken texts, including note-taking,
combining spoken and visual texts, and presenting complex issues or information
imaginatively to interest an audience.
Experiencing Poetry
Section One
Poetry: Love me, Love me not.
Rationale
The aim of this section is to explore the themes ‘love’ and ‘friendship’ as they are conveyed
through poetry. Ultimately, these activities work towards providing students with diverse
learning opportunities. This unit has been designed to allow flexibility in teacher delivery
and incorporates recommended extension and modified activities. Student learning
objectives include building analytical skills in relation to successfully reading poetry, allowing
students to explore ways of learning through a mix of group and individual work as well as
encouraging students to contextualise their learning by identifying the ways in which poetry
is still prevalent and relevant in present day society.
Aims
An overview of the objectives for each class (bullet points)
 Students to apply a variety of language mechanisms and techniques to form
coherent and creative texts aimed at a specific target audience
 Students to successfully identify and understand key forms and mechanics of poetry
and employ these mechanics in the creation of their own poems
 Students to practice group work, presentation, reading and listening skills in the
context of VELS standards; developing skills in listening to others and responding
positively to their opinions
 Students to successfully utilise ICT and research skills
 Develop an increased understanding and awareness of the language techniques
used in poetry and the impact these have on audience
 Students to develop abilities in self-reflection and evaluation
 Students to demonstrate ‘deeper level’ thinking by deconstructing messages within
the poem and applying them to real world contexts
Introduction
Some of the more famous and widely used poems explore themes of ‘love’ and ‘friendship’.
Indeed, Shakespeare’s more famous plays and sonnets tell tales of love and lust and–
combined with the works of other classic poets–illustrate the (excuse the pun) love-affair
poets have had with writing such poems throughout history. These themes are still relevant
in current-day society – not only because of the literary heritage they have instilled within
our culture, but also because that heritage is still being built upon. Contemporary artists,
Experiencing Poetry
(including US rapper Eminem and his song ‘Stan’ for example) continue to find modern-day
uses for poetic canons, which work to illuminate the importance of learning and exploring
poetry today.
1/Part One: Intro to Love & Friendship
Resources needed: data projector, laptop with internet and YouTube access, newspapers and
magazines, A3 paper, glue and scissors, DVD copy of Ten Things I Hate About You (Gil Junger, 1999),
recording equipment (for production of DVD/MP3)
Activities
Activity 1
Intro to love and friendship: What do these terms mean to me?
Students to work in small groups to identify acronyms, synonyms and symbols that illustrate their
understanding of the terms ‘love’ and ‘friendship’. Teachers may choose to enhance this task by
providing students with newspapers and/or magazines and asking them to find and cut out words,
shapes, symbols, cartoons or specific stories that demonstrate their understanding of ‘love’ and
‘friendship’. Ask students to share their answers with the class and either write their results on the
board or post their articles in their homeroom or in an electronic shared folder for others to access.
Extension activity: using the newspapers and magazines, ask students to cut out a range of words
from latest headlines. Ensure they have at least a dozen words. Next, ask students to put the words
together in order to create a line of a poem. Students could then share their line with a partner, or
use their created line as a prompt and continue writing a poem in their notebooks.
Use this activity to prompt further discussion on ‘love’ and ‘friendship’ and how these themes can be
conveyed through poetry:
 Can you identify or recall any poems you have heard about love and friendship?
 Can you think of any present-day examples of poetry that convey love or friendship?
Teachers may also choose to investigate student learning opportunities here and gather information
on what and how their students would like to learn about poetry:
 How would you like to learn about poetry?
 Have you experienced any problems or difficulties with reading poetry? If so, what were
they?
 What skills do you think you need to ‘read’ and understand a poem? Are there any skills you
would like to build upon?
Experiencing Poetry
Activity 2
Famous poets and their poems:
Note: Teachers should ensure that students have
access to library/internet resources for this activity.
Banjo Paterson on the Australian $10 note
Divide students into small groups. Teachers may decide to use homogenous (based on ability) or
heterogeneous (mixed ability) groups here, or simply allow students to work in a group of their
choosing. Once divided, clearly explain that each group is to work together to research a famous
poet and report back to the class on their findings. Depending on prior knowledge, teachers may
choose to provide students with a short-list of poets. This short-list could include the following:
William Shakespeare
Rudyard Kipling
Banjo Paterson
Emily Dickenson
Jane Austen
Charlotte Bronte
It may be useful for teachers (specifically for those students requiring a modified delivery) to set
specific research questions to guide students’ learning. These may include a list of points about the
poet that teachers would like each group to answer (i.e. their date of birth/death, where they lived,
what they were famous for, a picture (if available) and a sample poem they wrote). Students may
choose to present this information using PowerPoint or with the help of other internet clips or
resources.
Notes: Teachers should emphasise the importance of gathering reliable information (particularly if
students are using internet resources for this activity). Teachers may like to use a ‘tip sheet’ which
could list recommended websites. Teachers should also stress that students should try relay the
information in their own words, not plagiarise, nor rely upon Wikipedia as a reliable information
resource.
Teachers may also like to ensure that at least one group selects William Shakespeare as their poet as
this will provide a helpful lead into later activities using his works.
Extension activity: Teachers may choose to extend this activity by asking students to analyse and/or
perform a love/friendship poem by their selected poet as part of their presentation.
Before the next lesson…
Explain that students will need to have their presentations completed before the next lesson where
they will be expected to present to the class.
Experiencing Poetry
Activity 3
Shakespeare: ‘A Dead White Guy’?
Ideally, students will have already completed Activity 2 through which
one group will have provided the background information on William
Shakespeare. Otherwise, teachers should take a moment to provide
students with a brief biography.
Explain that the next activity is about understanding a poem’s
message. Teachers may like to take this opportunity to provide
students with some standard questions they may like to use when
approaching a new poem. Explain that it can be difficult to
understand the message of a poem straight away and that to ease us
into this process, we could begin by noticing ‘things’ about the poem.
These questions could include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
William Shakespeare
What do you notice about the poem?
What does the poem remind you of?
Can you see any repetition or rhyming in the poem?
Is there anything interesting about the poem’s shape or structure that you can see?
Modified activity: Teacher’s may choose to guide students more readily into these questions by
ensuring they write their responses in their notebooks and kick-start their answers by beginning
their sentence for them (i.e. I notice…; this poem reminds me of…,).
Using Shakespeare’s Sonnet 141, encourage students to re-write the sonnet using contemporary
language.
Part 1: It may be necessary to re-cap what a sonnet is here – specifically Shakespearean sonnets
(see Section 1 Appendices for further information).
Teachers may choose to read or perform Sonnet 141 themselves, or have students read aloud.
Extension Activity: There is also the option of using a clip from the 1999 film – 10 Things I Hate
About You (in which the high school English teacher raps this sonnet), in order to illustrate the ways
in which poetry can be performed. Teachers could use this clip to further discuss the relevance of
poetry today and some of the basics of performing to an audience (see next Activity 4 for further
details). Students could then ‘perform’ this sonnet to the class.
Sonnet 141
In faith, I do not love thee with mine eyes,
For they in thee a thousand errors note;
But ’tis my heart that loves what they despise,
Who in despite of view is pleased to dote.
Nor are mine ears with thy tongue’s tune delighted,
Nor tender feeling to base touches prone,
Nor taste, nor smell, desire to be invited
Experiencing Poetry
To any sensual feast with thee alone.
But my five wits, nor my five senses, can
Dissuade one foolish heart from serving thee,
Who leaves unswayed the likeness of a man,
Thy proud heart’s slave and vassal wretch to be.
Only my plague thus far I count my gain,
That she that makes me sin awards me pain.
Source: http://nfs.sparknotes.com/sonnets/sonnet_141.html
Part 2: Students may choose to work in small groups or individually for this task. Teachers should
emphasise the importance of ‘translating’ this sonnet on a line-by-line basis. Once completed,
students should be given the opportunity to perform their translated sonnet for the class.
Modified Activity: Prompt students to write answers to the 4 questions discussed earlier in this
activity. Students should also make a list of the words they do not recognise or understand and
work towards defining these words. Students should also work at ‘translating’ the first quatrain.
Extension Activity: Students should attempt their own sonnet, ensuring they stick to the correct
form and structure and convey themes of love and/or friendship.
Activity 4
Poetry in production: poems = written to be heard.
Notes: Teachers will need access to recording equipment (e.g. video camera, sound recorder,
recorder software on MAC/PC). If teachers are unable to access this equipment, they may instead
choose to host a ‘live’ performance and have students perform their selected poem in front of
another class or their family/community if suitable. Teachers should allow at least 3 periods for
writing, rehearsing and performing this activity.
Teachers should explain to students that this activity is performance based and requires them to
perform their poem either to camera or in front of a live audience.
Part 1: Students should write their own sonnet (or other form of poetry). Students may choose to
write their own sonnet based on Shakespeare’s Sonnet 141 (similar to the film 10 Things I Hate
About You in which the central character performs the ‘10 Things’ poem in couplet form).
Alternatively, teachers could select another of poem to use as a prompt or allow students to
formulate their own without a prompt.
Once written, students should practice rehearsing their poems and focus on key performance
elements. Teachers should re-cap important elements to remember when performing (including
tone, expression, emphasis, body movements, eye contact, delivery speed, audience etc).
Teachers may like to run a few ‘warm-up’ activities to get students comfortable with the concept of
performing their piece. Such activities could include having students read a selected poem at
different speeds (i.e. really fast versus very slow) and analyse the difference the speed of delivery
Experiencing Poetry
had on their response to the poem. Teachers could run other activities around emphasis and body
language using a similar format.
Part 2: Students should perform their written piece live to an audience or teachers should record
their pieces on camera/sound recorder. If teachers choose to do the latter, the recorded pieces
could be turned into a DVD or MP3 available to students (in compliance with policies of specific
school).
Section One Appendices
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Sonnet Characteristics
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A sonnet is a poem with 14 lines, divided into 4 ‘quatrains’ (or sections).
The rhyme scheme of a Shakespearean sonnet is ABAB / CDCD / EFEF / GG
Sonnets are written in iambic pentameter: a poetic meter with 10 beats per line made up of
alternating unstressed and stressed syllables.
A sonnet can be broken down into four sections called quatrains. The first three quatrains
contain four lines each and use an alternating rhyme scheme. The final quatrain consists of
just two lines which both rhyme.
Each quatrain should progress the poem as follows:
First quatrain: This should establish the subject of the sonnet.
Number of lines: 4. Rhyme Scheme: ABAB
Second quatrain: This should develop the sonnet’s theme.
Number of lines: 4. Rhyme Scheme: CDCD
Third quatrain: This should round off the sonnet’s theme.
Number of lines: 4. Rhyme Scheme: EFEF
Fourth quatrain: This should act as a conclusion to the sonnet.
Number of lines: 2. Rhyme Scheme: GG
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Source: http://shakespeare.about.com/od/thesonnets/a/what_is_a_sonnet.htm
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Suggested Rubrix for Performance Activity 4
CRITERIA
Control of selected
form/genre
Use of ideas generated by
set context
Use of language and
structure appropriate to
audience and purpose
Mastery of key
performance elements
(e.g. tone, gesture,
expression etc)
Evidence of planning and
revision
5
4
3
2
1
0
Experiencing Poetry
Section Two
Morbid Pop:
The Concept of Death in Poetry and Culture
Rationale
This section will enable students to explore the concept of death as it is used in film, gothic
literature, poetry and music lyrics. The unit is divided into five sections: Death and Horror In Film,
Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven, Japanese Death Poetry and Butoh Dance of Darkness, Suicide and
Seppuku, and Grief and Mourning. The unit is divided in this way to address the multi-faceted
complexity that death has played in cultural texts for thousands of years. Each section facilitates a
diverse range of teaching and learning opportunities which stretch beyond the poetry itself, enabling
critical exploration of contextual topics. Such topics address issues related to cultural understanding,
human motivation and social justice. Students will explore a wide variety of poetic devices,
narratives and structures which aim to engage awareness and advocacy. The ultimate aim of this
section is for students discover their own capacity to question their assumptions about poetry and
how it is interwoven into the entire spectrum of the human condition.
Aims
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Explore the Elements of Horror as extracted from gothic literature by identifying their
representation and purpose in modern horror film.
Analyse ‘The Raven’ by breaking the poem down into sections and interpreting the text into
simplified language. They will identify how the themes of love, madness, the supernatural
and death manifest themselves into the atmosphere of the poetry, and will also identify
Poe’s use of Gothic Elements as well as modern media interpretations.
Investigate Japan’s classic poetic structures, haiku and waka, and how they were used to
paint the final thoughts of samurai, poets and monks.
Explore the concept of life cycle, renewal and rebellion through Butoh Dance.
Identify and elaborate on a variety of contexts related to suicide, its glamorisation and
prevention.
Analyse, compare, discuss, create and perform different texts related to grief, death, war,
mourning suicide and anger.
Introduction
Death has been represented in poetry for thousands of years. Ancient Greek Tragedians like
Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides wrote highly emotional portrayals of once-great humans falling
into neurotic pits of despair and chaos, pleading to the gods for Mercy. Though the action itself was
Experiencing Poetry
rarely violent, death was laced into the prose, and often the audience was left with their
imaginations to think the unthinkably grotesque. In Euripides’ Medea, for example, the titular
character seeks revenge for her husband’s infidelity by giving a poisoned crown to his new bride. A
Messenger approaches Medea and describes the gruesome death of the bride and her father:
“Defeated by her suffering, she fell
to the ground, difficult to recognize
except by a parent, for the form of her eyes
was not clear, nor her beautiful face,
and blood was dripping from the top of her
head,
burning with fire, her flesh flowing off the bone
like pine sap from the poison's hidden teeth,
a terrible sight. Everyone was
afraid to touch the corpse, for we had
her misfortune as our teacher. Her father,
however—poor man, in ignorance
of the disaster, he came suddenly
into the house and fell on the corpse.
He groaned and embraced her, kissing her
hands,
crying, “My poor child, what god has destroyed
you so pitifully? Who makes this old man,
one foot in the grave, bereft of you?
Oh, would that I could die with you, child!”
When he stopped wailing and groaning, the old
man
tried to stand up, but the fine dress, like ivy
on the branches of a laurel, clung to his skin,
the struggling was terrible. The more he tried
to rise to his knees, the more she held on.
If he used force, he was just tearing the flesh
off his own old bones. In time he gave up
and, unfortunate man, let go his soul,
for he could no longer fight the evil,
The corpses lay there, the young girl with her
old father close by, a disaster regretted
with tears. “
What is particularly effective about this scene is how it describes the offstage action—the audience
can only imagine a beautiful girl slowly burning to death, her ‘flesh flowing off the bone’ and her
father—attempting to save her—becoming literally stuck to his daughter’s poisoned skin, and must
resolve to letting go of his soul and slowly burning to death as well. The scene is gruesome and ugly,
yet it is all happening in the minds of the audience.
Death in poetry has continued its tradition of painting a tragic, beautiful and at times gruesome
picture in the reader’s imagination. It does this using language, rhythm and narrative specifically
focused on plucking particular strings in the reader’s emotions.
Many young people today would connect death not to written poetry, but to its visual
representation in film, television and music. Many have expressed concern about the amount of
violent death featured in these mediums. For example, according to the National Institute of Mental
Health, by the age of 16 the average American has seen 18,000 murders on television. Popular music
frequently has morbid elements that emphasize death’s destructive and catastrophic nature. Many
parents and professionals find such lyrical topics unsavoury and feel they promote destructive and
suicidal behaviour in adolescents, and have heralded campaigns to ban, censor or deface the music
and its creators.
In the following units, students will examine death and violence in various historic, modern, poetic
and social contexts, and determine their own understanding of its purpose and value in culture.
Experiencing Poetry
1/Part One: Death and Horror in Film
Aim
In this section, students will learn the Elements of Horror as extracted from gothic literature by
identifying their representation and purpose in modern horror film. This knowledge will then be
used by students to identify individual elements in specific classic horror scenes, construct their own
modern adaptation of classic urban legends, and later use it to guide their understanding of Poe’s
The Raven.
Suggested Materials: computer, data projector, film clips, blank table worksheets, sinister horror
sound effects and music, torches, urban legends examples, cameras, video editing software.
Introduction
For centuries films have featured death and horror in a number of scenarios. Beginning in the
1950’s, a popular motif involved attacks on humanity by the (un)natural order—sharks, birds,
piranhas, crocodiles, frogs, bees, killer tomatoes and blobs. A vast array of films have featured
disastrous and life-threatening phenomena such as diseases, accidents and natural disasters. Ghost
and ‘monster’ movies emerged in the silent film era, shortly followed by demons and satanic
possession, serial killers and zombies.
A particular focus in these films is death. In the past
several decades, many viewers have found
themselves fascinated by films with violent, gory
death scenes. However, not all ‘horror films’ utilise
graphic death scenes to convey morbid terror. Many
rely on classic elements such as suspense,
atmosphere and high emotions to convey fear in
their characters and enable viewers to experience it
as well. These elements have all been plucked from
gothic literature of previous centuries.
Nosferatu, 1922
The Elements of Horror
The elements of horror have been established through centuries of gothic novels, poems and stories.
In the past century, films have adapted these elements from literature to interpret stories of horror
and terror into a visual format. (See Appendices 1.1 for full list)
Questions:
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What are common themes, plots, settings and characters used in horror films?
Why do some people like scary stories and movies?
Do you think horror has changed over the years? How and why?
Which horror ‘villains’ do you think have been around the longest? Why?
Experiencing Poetry
Activities
Clipshow
Show a few clips of classic horror scenes. For each clip, have students write down the horror
elements used and how they are used. Use a table for organisation. NOTE: Try to avoid gore.
Suggested clips:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Nosferatu (1922) Staircase scene
The Omen (1976) Priest death scene
Jaws (1975) Skinny dipping death scene
The Evil Dead 2 (1987) Maniacal cabin laughing scene
The Shining (1980) ‘All work and no play’ scene
Scream (1996) Drew Barrymore phone call scene
An American Werewolf in London (1981) Transformation scene
Psycho (1960) Shower scene
Ringu or The Ring (1998/2002) Girl coming out of the TV scene
Mullholland Drive (2001) Dumpster scene
Sound Effects Lightning Writing
Using a collection of creepy Horror/Halloween sound effects and music, have students do ‘automatic
writing’ (aka stream of consciousness writing) relevant to the particular sounds. Scaffold the theme
if necessary. For example, if you play a collage of howling wind, thunder, lightning and ghostly
moans, you can give them the title “Lost in a Dark Forest.” For a collage of creaking stairs, slamming
doors and nails scratching, you can give them the title, “The Abandoned House.” 1-2 minutes for
each segment.
Campfire Stories
Give students time to brainstorm their favourite ghost/horror stories or write their own. Have them
sit in a circle like a campfire, turn off the light and tell their stories. Bring two torches to class—one
for you and one for the student telling the story.
IT’S ALIVE!
Group Project. Students choose their favourite classic horror stories/urban myths. Film, edit and
present a live-action re-telling of the story using modern references and ideas. Incorporate at least
four different Elements of Horror into the story.
Suggested stories and urban myths:
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The Babysitter and the Man Upstairs: A teenage babysitter frantically phones the police after
receiving prank calls from a stranger. The police inform him/her that the phone calls are coming
from inside the house.
Aren’t You Glad You Didn’t Turn On the Light?: A uni student goes to a party while her
roommate stays home to study. Late at night, the party girl decides to swing by her flat and pick
up a few things. The lights are out when she gets there. She assumes her roommate fell asleep
and doesn’t turn on the light as to not wake her. The next day she comes home and finds her
roommate murdered. Written in blood on the wall is: “Aren’t you glad you didn’t turn on the
light?”
Experiencing Poetry
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The Body in the Bed: A newlywed couple on their honeymoon complains of a weird odour in
their hotel room. After airing the room out and searching for mould, they lift up the mattress
and discover a decomposing body.
The Fatal Tan: A girl obsessed with tanning browns herself one too many times. Her internal
organs cook and she dies on the tanning bed.
The Hook: A boy and girl drive to Lover’s Lane. They hear a radio announcement that an escaped
criminal with a hook for a hand is on the loose. They hear an eerie scratching noise on the car.
They try to ignore it, but when it continues they quickly drive off. Upon arriving home they
discover a bloodied hook hanging from the car’s door handle.
IT’S ALIVE!: Refection Questions
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Why did you choose this particular urban legend?
How have you ‘modernized’ it? What have you altered from the original story?
What have you kept from the original story?
Which Elements of Horror have you chosen to use? For each element, explain why you
chose to use it and what effect it is intended to have on the narrative and the audience.
How did you contribute to the production?
How did other group members contribute to the production?
What was one thing you could improve on for the next group project?
Experiencing Poetry
2/Part Two: The Raven, by Edgar Allen Poe
Aim
Students will analyse ‘The Raven’ by breaking the poem down into sections and interpreting the text
into simplified language. They will identify how the themes of love, madness, the supernatural and
death manifest themselves into the atmosphere of the poetry, and will also identify Poe’s use of
Gothic Elements. They will then compare the written text to The Simpsons version of The Raven,
drawing on their understanding of the text to interpret meaning behind character representation
and use of humour.
Suggested Materials: copies of The Raven, textas, highlighters, Mad Magazine clip, computer, data
projector, The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror (S2E3, segment: The Raven)
Introduction
The Raven (1845) is a narrative gothic poem written by Edgar Alan Poe. It describes a single evening
in the bedroom of a man mourning the loss of his love, Lenore. A talking Raven pays an eerie visit to
the man, who is driven into maniacal distress by the bird’s repeated utterance of the word,
‘Nevermore.’
Themes:
Madness
Melancholy /Love
The Supernatural
Death
Poetic Devises:
Alliteration
Internal Rhyme
Musicality
Stylised Language
Narrative Devises:
Atmosphere
Gothic Elements
Unreliable Narrator
“Nevermore!”
Experiencing Poetry
Activities
What drives people crazy?
Have students recall media examples of the use of people ‘going psycho,’ or ‘losing their mind.’
Common Themes: the supernatural, isolation, grief, paranoia
Examples:
The Shining
Fight Club
Misery
Psycho
Cast Away
Secret Window
Questions:



What do these common themes suggest about human behaviour?
What are little kids scared of? How does this suggest that fear and anxiety are innate?
Recall media examples of monsters, aliens, zombies, vampires, ghosts, wizards, mutants or
any other supernatural being. How do people in films react to encountering these beings?
Why do they react this way? What do they fear will happen? What usually happens next?
Tip #1: As the language is highly stylized, it will help teachers to study the poem beforehand to get
an idea of the purpose of each stanza and the meaning behind various words and phrases (e.g.
Pallas, obeisance, Gilead, quaff, nepenthe, Night’s Plutonian shore)
Tip #2: Use audio recordings of famous people reading The Raven (try James Earl Jones, Christopher
Walken, Vincent Price). Students might enjoy the performative aspect of the reading, as opposed to
the normal ‘teacher reading voice’ they’re used to.
Mark it up
As the students read along, encourage them to identify themes by marking words or phrases with L
(love), M (madness), S (supernatural) or D (death). Underline, highlight or circle uses of alliteration,
internal or external rhyme.
Modern Drama
In pairs, translate to modern English. Then act out—one student acting, the other narrating the
events.
Gothic Elements concept map
In groups, students develop concept maps of the Elements of Horror used in The Raven. Compare
the traditional and modern representations of these elements.
Diagrammatic Representations


Draw the setting
Produce a timeline of the poem (divided into eighteen sections—one for each stanza)
outlining the state of mind and consciousness of the narrator
Experiencing Poetry
Mad Magazine Parody
The Raven has been parodied for years in print, TV, song and film. In this activity, students will create
their own print parody. Show them a segment of Mad Magazine’s 1954 comic strip parody of The
Raven (see Appendix 2.2), which used the original text with absurd illustrations.
In this activity, students will create their own comic strip parody using absurd or unrelated
illustrations. How does this change the meaning of the text?
Extension: Nevermore re-write: In 1959, Mad Magazine released another parody of The Raven.
Rather than “Nevermore,” the narrator is bombarded with commercial taglines. In one of the Scary
Movie films, the line turns into “Quoth Wes Craven: Let’s Make More!” (a commentary on the
production line-quality of the famous horror director’s filmography).
Have students re-write the poem, changing the famous line. Encourage them to change the setting,
characters and theme. How does this change the meaning of the poem?
Modern Media Comparison: The
Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror
(see Appendix 2.3)
In 1990, The Simpsons ran its first episode
of Treehouse of Horror, originally titled The
Simpsons’ Halloween Special. Consisting of
three
unrelated
Halloween-themed
segments, the finale was an adaptation of
Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven. Narrated by
James Earl Jones and starring Homer,
Marge and Bart as the narrator, Lenore
and the raven, respectively, creator Matt
Groening was originally worried it would
come off as pretentious. It has since
become a classic re-telling of the old tale,
and for many young people, their first
exposure to Edgar Allan Poe.
The narrator (Homer) orders the Raven (Bart) to leave
him in peace.
Students should watch this segment noting both similarities and differences between the clip and
the original text.
Questions:
 Why were these characters chosen to play the Poe characters?
 Examples of humour used. Does it work? Why?
 What do you think of Lisa’s explanation that people were easier to scare in 1845?
 How would other modern TV satires depict The Raven? (think: Family Guy, South Park,
How I Met Your Mother)
Experiencing Poetry
3/Part Three: Japanese Death Haiku and Butoh Dance
of Darkness
Aim
In this section students will learn about Japan’s classic poetic structures, haiku and waka, and how
they were used to paint the final thoughts of samurai, poets and monks. They will use this
knowledge to modernize famous death poems as well as create their own for modern deceased
celebrities. Students will explore the concept of life cycle and renewal through Butoh Dance, a
spiritual art form rebelling against the Westernization of Japanese culture. Students will construct
their own art rebelling against an aspect of society.
Suggested Materials: Handout: Famous Japanese Death Poems; other death poems, list of dead
celebrities, article: About Butoh, videos of Seppuku and Butoh dance, computers with internet
access, data projector, atmospheric Japanese music, textas,
Introduction
Death has long since been a common theme in Japanese art and spirituality. Shinto and Buddhism,
the two most popular religions in Japan, both integrate ideas of nature, integrity, connectivity, life
and death into their traditions. These concepts have been interwoven into the fabric of Japanese art,
society, law and culture for thousands of years.
Jisei, Japanese Death Poetry
It is ancient tradition for literate people—particularly Zen Monks and writers—to compose jisei on
their deathbeds. The custom continues today. The poems are traditionally composed in kanshi
(Japanese poetry composed in Chinese) waka (classical verse) or haiku.
"The haiku that reveals seventy to eighty percent of its
subject is good.
Those that reveal fifty to sixty percent, we never tire of."
--Matsuo Bashou, legendary haiku poet
Experiencing Poetry
Typical haiku structure:




Use of three lines of up to 17 syllables (traditionally 5-7-5)
Use of a season word or kigo, a word or phrase associated with a particular season
Use of a cut or kire (sometimes indicated by punctuation) to compare two images implicitly)
Few words to describe a multi-tiered structure
Typical waka structure:


Verse in short-form (tanka) or long-form (choka)
Strictly no concept of rhyme. No accidental rhyme, either!
Activities:
Famous Japanese Death Poems (See Appendices 3.1)
Students use the provided worksheet to draw comparisons to three of the most famous Japanese
Death Poems. Using a table, label each section with the following headings: Author, Occupation,
Type of Poem, Imagery Used, Season Word, Emotion, Meaning.
Pair Interpretation (See Appendices 3.2)
In pairs, students should choose one death poem from the second handout provided and answer the
following questions:





Explain the meaning of the poem in your own words.
What is the subject?
What imagery does the poem use?
Death poems often indicate a state of emotion in the writer’s final hour. What state of
emotion do you think your poet was in? (Was this a peaceful death? Was he bitter with
the world?)
Say the poem out loud in Japanese. How does it compare to its English translation? Do
you think anything was ‘lost in translation’? If so, what? Why?
Celebrity Death Poem
Write a death poem (waka or haiku) for at least one of the following famous dearly departed.
Remember simplicity, emotion, seasons, human senses.
Marilyn Monroe
Amy Winehouse
Elvis Presely
Ned Kelley
Kurt Cobain
Henry Ford
Harold Holt
Charlie Chaplin
Thomas Edison
Leonardo DaVinci
Jimi Hendrix
Albert Einstein
Charles Darwin
Michael Jackson
Heath Ledger
Steve Jobs
Carl Williams
John Lennon
Experiencing Poetry
Butoh, Dance of Death
Butoh is an avant-garde performance art originating in
the 1960’s. Its founders were a young rebellious modern
dancer named Tatsumi Hijikata and his partner Kazuo
Ohno. Post-War Japan was a time of transition,
attempting to hold onto its traditional values while
Western Democratic values from America began to
saturate popular culture. Butoh was born out of Hijikata’s
dissatisfaction with Japan’s newfound scene of
Westernized dance. Originally called ‘Ankoku Butoh,’ or
Dance of Darkness, the darkness referred to the area of
unknown to mankind, either within himself or in his
surroundings. It involves playful and grotesque imagery,
taboo topics, absurd and surreal environments, and most
uniquely, slow hyper-controlled motion. It uses Shinto,
an ancient Japanese religion composed of a deep
respect for nature. Butoh traditionally attempts to
connect ideas of body, mind and spirit with the worship
of nature. It speaks to the dark part of the soul—using
highly elaborate makeup and costuming to depict death,
ghosts and demons—but also speaks to the process of
renewal and rebirth. (See Appendices 3.3)
Questions:





Can death in art be beautiful? What media
examples depict this kind of ‘grotesque
beauty’? (e.g. Edward Scissorhands, Nightmare
Before Christmas, Silent Hill, Black Swan)
Why does Butoh dance try to connect life,
Butoh performers
death and nature?
What are some other forms of art (movies, magazines, photography, tv shows) that are
rebelling against tradition? Give specific examples.
Why are they rebelling? Who or what are they rebelling against?
What do they have to do to stay ‘fresh’ or ‘cutting edge’?
Activities:
Song Lyrics
Using the internet, find lyrics to a song that juxtaposes grotesque and beautiful imagery. What is the
song’s meaning? What effect does the imagery have? Write your own song lyrics which convey a
similar meaning.
Picture This
Draw a picture incorporating elements of life, death and nature.
22
Experiencing Poetry
All the World’s a Stage
Write and act out a short scene depicting each stage in life (birth, childhood, adulthood, old age,
death). The scene can incorporate the slowed-down micro-movement used in Butoh dance if the
student desires.
Rebel Art
Rebel against society! What bothers you about authority, the government, the economy, social
classification? Why are bad tv, bad music and bad internet memes saturating our world and our
minds? Have students choose something to rebel against (an idea, concept or specific example) and
create one of the following:
Illustrated Haiku
Waka
Dramatic scene
Campaign speech
Song
Butoh dance
TV/radio ad
Children’s book
Protest speech
Talk Show
Billboard ad (poster)
Experiencing Poetry
4/Part Four: Suicide and Seppuku
Aim
By the end of this section, students will be able to identify and elaborate on a variety of contexts
related to suicide, its glamorisation and prevention. Students will demonstrate their knowledge of
the identifying factors of marginalised or isolated individuals. They will draw inspiration from
popular music and Bukowski poetry to create a list of warning signs and preventative strategy action
sheets. Using internet news articles, they will form arguments for or against bands and music genres
often blamed for glamorising or instigating suicide and violence. Finally, students will investigate a
different angle of suicide—that of honour—in the Japanese seppuku, reserved for doomed samurai.
They will compare the tradition to ‘Hollywood’ parodies of the act. They will use their knowledge to
engage in an informed verbal and written persuasive debate over the depiction of suicide in popular
media and what steps need to be taken to uphold a more responsible position in our culture.
Suggested Materials: computers for internet research and creative projects, data projector,
YouTube videos of “Born this Way” and traditional seppuku ceremony, speakers, mp3 player, music
and student copies of lyrics for “Born This Way” and “Adam’s Song,” student copies of Bukowski’s
The Laughing Heart, posterboard, textas, cameras, camcorders, video editing software.
Introduction
Suicide is a relevant issue to teenagers not only because of its representation in classic literature and
modern music, but because of the social fragility teenagers are often forced to deal with. Many
students in high school experience social, physical and emotional obstacles every day, and hence
become marginalized and alienated. Many schools employ anti-bullying campaigns, school
counsellors and peer support workers which all assist in an effort to bring a whole-school approach
to eliminating bullying and identifying the warning signs of depression and suicide.
Tip: Before the unit commences, make sure you discuss the sensitivity of the subject of suicide.
Read the following statement or something of its nature: “In the next few lessons we will be
covering a very sensitive issue. You may be affected personally by the topic that we are discussing
today, or you may know someone else who is. Please be respectful and thoughtful of others, and
treat the subject responsibly. If you would like to talk to someone after the lesson, you can talk
to…” (e.g. you as their teacher, school counsellor, welfare coordinator, etc.)
Questions:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
What do you know about suicide?
Do you know anyone famous or anyone personally who has done it?
What do you think are the main causes of teen suicide?
Who is bullied? Why are they bullied? How does it lead to suicide?
What preventative strategies or organisations are available?
Why does it still happen?
Experiencing Poetry
Activities
Born This Way by Lady Gaga
Lyric Analysis (See Appendices 4.1)
Students divide into groups—one group for each stanza—and put the lyrics into their own words.
What is this song about? What literary devices are used? Why are certain words and phrases
repeated?
Listen to the song
Thinking Music
Using the chart in (See Appendices 4.2), students brainstorm words, thoughts and images they
think of while listening to the song. Combine student responses into a large class concept map.
Genretized
What if the song was done in a different genre? Would it change the message? Would the
language be different? Students choose a different genre of music and re-write the lyrics to fit
the style while maintaining the original message. If the message has changed, students must
provide a written justification.
Watch the film clip
In small groups, students record and discuss the use of the following imagery: homosexuality,
heterosexuality, sensuality, death, love, acceptance, equity, grotesque. Why do you think Lady Gaga
chose to make the video for this song look like this?
Impact
Many young people idolize Lady Gaga for her style, attitude and equal rights advocacy. One boy,
Jamey Rodemeyer, a 14-year-old bullied gay boy, thanked Lady Gaga in his last video blog entry
before committing suicide. Lady Gaga has since dedicated songs to him and other suicide victims
in her live performances. Unfortunately, Lady Gaga has also come under fire by some
conservative groups, who state that her persona encouraged Jamey to behave in such a way that
would incite bullying. Hence, she has been partly blamed for his suicide.
Blame Game
Research other artists, bands, music genres, video games, TV shows and movies which have
been blamed for influencing teen suicide or violence. Do you think they are responsible? If so,
how? If not, what or who is to blame, and why have these mediums come under fire? How is
death, violence and suicide glamorized in these examples?
Advertisement
Design an advertisement for a human rights organisation or a suicide prevention campaign targeting
LGBT at-risk youth. Draw inspiration from the quote below by gay rights activist and first gay
politician to be elected to public office in the U.S., Harvey Milk:
Experiencing Poetry
Cheer up, Emo kid
Students read the article Emo Music Blamed on Teen Suicide (NME, 8 May, 2008—see Appendices
4.3) and answer the following questions:




What aspects of ‘emo’ as a
subculture are discussed in
the article?
What is your definition of the
emo subculture and emo
music?
How does emo mix the
concepts of love and death?
How might this affect
someone who loves someone
unrequitedly or has recently
broken
up
with
their
boyfriend/girlfriend?
Do you think all emo music
glamorizes death? Why or
why not?
Really?
Dear Editor
Students write a letter to the editor of NME defining their own point of view on the article—did emo
music really kill the teen or was it a mix of issues? What other aspects could have contributed to her
death? What aspects of emo music and subculture have gotten out of control?
Experiencing Poetry
Mate Debate
Has emo gone too far? Does it really encourage teens to harm themselves? Students choose a side—
yes or no—and participate in a class debate over the topic.
Adam’s Song by Blink-182
Lyric Analysis (See Appendices 4.4)
Students divide into groups—one group for each stanza—and put the lyrics into their own words.
What is this song about? What literary devices are used? Why are certain words and phrases
repeated? How does the tone of the message change at the end?
Listen to the song
Thinking Music: Using the chart in (See Appendices 4.2), students brainstorm words,
thoughts, feelings and images they think of while listening to the song. Combine student
responses into a large class concept map.
Appealing: What appeals are used in this song (e.g. emotional, nostalgic, family)? Why are
they used and what impact do they have?
Gimme a sign
As a class, brainstorm signs of depression and suicidal thoughts. Then, devise a class action plan.
What would you do if someone began revealing past regrets? Or criticised themselves? What would
you do if you found out your friend’s parents were getting a divorce? Or one of their parents died?
Or they broke up with their boyfriend/girlfriend?
The Laughing Heart by Charles Bukowski
This uplifting poem was written by a man who spent most of his life curled up inside a bottle of
Maker’s. It is included in this section as a discussion point of prevention and healing.
Analyse: Meaning, poetic devises, rhythm and repetition (See Appendices 4.5)
Why does nothing rhyme? What effect does this have on the message? What is repeated? Why are
these lines repeated? How is this related to the central message? Discuss aspects of Bukowski’s life
and literary works. How does this impact students’ understanding of the poem’s message?
Slam It
Memorise and perform the poem in the style of slam poetry.
Experiencing Poetry
Happy Medium
Illustrate the poem using one of the following mediums:







Film clip
Comic strip
Anime
Claymation
Picture book
Dramatic scene
Song (compose music to accompany the words as lyrics)
Help! I Need Somebody
Have students devise a Suicide Prevention Action Sheet using the Bukowski poem as inspiration.
Include contact information for at least three Victorian suicide prevention organisations.
(SuicideLine, Life Line, Beyond Blue, Life Comminications, Are You OK Day?, Victorian Aboriginal
Suicide Prevention and Response Action Plan)
Seppuku
Seppuku is a Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment.
Originally reserved for samurai, it was used voluntarily as a way
to die with honour rather than fall into the hands of the
enemy, as well as a form of capital punishment for serious
offences. Usually part of a more elaborate ceremony involving
spectators, it has been officially abolished since 1873.
Questions:


Symbolically, what is the difference between this form
of suicide and others?
Do you think Samurai performing seppuku would have
written a death poem? If so, what would have been
the tone and what type of imagery you would likely
see used?
Dumbledore Death Poem
Compose a death poem for a fallen fictional character.
Traditional Seppuku.
Who’s Who
Seppuku has not been limited to samurai. Actors, writers, politicians and even modern western
musicians have killed themselves in this style over the years. Write and perform a news editorial on
whether or not this is a dishonourable way of suicide outside of Japanese samurai custom. You can
do it from the point of view of a journalist, samurai descendent, or friend of a non-samurai who has
killed themselves via seppuku.
Experiencing Poetry
Pop cultural parodies of seppuku
Particularly in Western societies, seppuku is often parodied or used to convey a ridiculous or
comedic message. It has been referenced or parodied in many films, tv shows, animations and
literature from around the world, including:
Liar, Liar
Saturday Night Live
Star Trek
How I Met Your Mother
Harold and Maude
Sailor Moon
Questions:




Why might audiences find pop cultural uses of seppuku funny or offensive?
Do you ever see other forms of suicide parodied or used in a comedic way? Where have
you seen/read it? Do you find it funny? Why or why not?
What ideas about traditional Japanese culture does it convey? Do you think Westerners
get this confused with Modern Japanese culture? If so, how?
How does this compare to glamorized depictions of death and suicide we discussed
earlier? Does it promote the same message? If not, what does it promote to viewers?
Class Debate
Divide the class into two teams, one advocating the use of seppuku in popular culture and one
against it. Give them time to devise an argument. Everyone in the group should speak at least once.
Encourage the use of charts, diagrams, surprise witnesses/experts. As this is a role-playing game,
remember to insist on being respectful toward other people, cultures and traditions.
Dear Editor
Students take on the role of an informed individual related to the context of teen suicide and
compose a ‘letter to the editor’ stating their viewpoint on the depiction of seppuku and other forms
of suicide in popular media and what steps need to be taken to uphold a more responsible position
in our culture, e.g. less glamorization in media, bigger cultural focus on prevention strategies, wider
variety of education, the dishonourable image of westernized seppuku, etc. Students can choose to
take on the role of one of the following individuals:



A parent, relative or friend of a suicide victim or attempted suicide
The director of a particular Victorian suicide prevention organisation
A musician or member of a band blamed for promoting anti-social behaviour in teenagers
Protest Piece
Students write a piece either advocating or criticising the use of seppuku in popular culture. You
must convey who you are (you can make it up—be anyone!), why you feel this way and why others
should feel the same way as well. Use persuasive appeals such as emotion, patriotism, bribery, etc.)
Perform your petition to the class. Your piece can be structured in the following way:
Slam/rap
Song
Rhyming couplets (AA BB CC DD…)
Campaign commercial
Haiku
Experiencing Poetry
5/Part Five: Grief and Mourning
Aim
In this section students will learn about the process of grieving and how music and poetry have
assisted people in coping during these times. They will analyse and compare two different versions
of the same eulogy song, as well as create a series of eulogies for different purposes, and research
and present a persuasive oral presentation on the banning of pop and footy songs at Catholic
funerals. Finally, they will investigate the events, poetry and music of 9/11, analyse three contrasting
poems, articulating their own viewpoint on the nature and purpose of poetry in the time of national
grief. They will end the unit with something fun: investigating the alleged ‘song ban’ made by Clear
Channel Communications in the wake of 9/11. Students will investigate why these songs were
banned and if companies were ethically right in making such suggestions.
Introduction
Grief is a response to loss, specifically death. Mourning is the act of responding to this loss. It is
physical, cognitive, behavioural, social and philosophical. The way humans experience grief is varied
across cultures, spiritualities, religions, communities, families and generations.
Questions:




Have you ever lost something or someone who was very important to you? How did you
react to this loss?
How long does grief last?
How do different people experience grief? What aspects affect this state of mourning?
Think of celebrities, politicians or other well-known individuals who have passed away.
How have large groups or people reacted to their passing?
Activities
“Candle in the Wind”: a comparative analysis
The first version of “Candle in the Wind” was written and performed by Elton John in 1973. It
honoured Marilyn Monroe, who had died 11 years earlier of a drug overdose.
Lyric Analysis (See Appendices 5.1)
Students read and discuss “Candle in the Wind” and answer the following questions:






How does Elton John describe Marilyn Monroe?
What is the significance of him referring to her by her birth name ‘Norma Jean’?
How does he describe her legacy? Why is this tragic?
How does he view her? How does he see himself in her legacy?
How is he expressing grief for her death?
“It seems as if you led your life like a candle in the wind.” What does this phrase mean?
What type of figurative language is it using?
30
Experiencing Poetry
Listen to the song
In small groups, students discuss the following and share their findings with the class:



What is the rhythm of the music and of the lyrics? What emotional effect does this have
on you?
What would happen to the message if the style of music was changed (e.g. into club music,
hip hop, death metal)
Why is the image of grief and mourning associated with slow, pretty music? Is other music
ever appropriate? Why would different styles be used to convey grief? Which styles (or
specific examples) could work best?
I Would Have Liked to Know You
Students write a letter to a fallen celebrity, athlete, family member or politician whom they never
met personally. Draw inspiration from the lyrics of “Candle in the Wind.” This letter should have a
rhythm to it which draws a sympathetic emotional response from the reader. Do this by imagining it
as a song. What poetic devices does it use? (e.g. rhyme—which part of the lines rhyme?). Describe
the person’s life in a way which describes their legacy—maybe their legacy should be different from
what it is.
Watch the video
Students watch Elton John perform “Candle In the Wind” live in the 1970’s.
Questions:
1) How is he honouring Marilyn Monroe using costume and makeup?
2) If a video-style film clip of this were made at the time, what would it look like?
Video Killed the Movie Star
Re-write ‘Candle in the Wind’ for a fallen celebrity, fictional character, athlete, or politician. Keep the
rhythm and similar structure, but change everything else including the lyrics. E.g. ‘Sandle in the Chin’
could be about Kung Fu legend Bruce Lee. Then, make a film clip for your song.
Candle in the Wind 1997 (See Appendices 5.2)
In August 1997 Princess Diana of Wales was killed in a car accident. Renowned for her humanitarian
efforts including work with AIDS sufferers, drug addicts, homeless and elderly, her legacy was
honoured at her funeral by fellow Britton Elton John, who sang to 2.5 billion people, or roughly half
the world’s population at the time. He sang a re-working of his 1971 song “Candle in the Wind”.
Lyric Analysis and Comparison
1997 version Questions:
o What imagery does he use?
o What figurative language does he use?
o How does he describe her legacy?
o How does this song appeal to the audience emotionally?
Experiencing Poetry
o How does it appeal to them patriotically?
Comparison Questions:
o Has the meaning of the metaphor ‘candle in the wind’ changed?
o What are the major differences between the two versions?
At Your Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony celebrating, sanctifying or remembering the life of a person who has died.
Different cultures and religions have their own funeral traditions. For the purposes of this unit, we
will focus on the literary or poetic aspects of traditional, non-denominational Western funerals.
Eulogies
A eulogy is a speech made at funerals to honour and praise a deceased individual and his or her
virtues. It is traditionally written and presented by a close relative or friend. It sometimes includes a
poem or lyrics to a song which were either highly regarded by the deceased or convey a meaning
appropriate in honouring the person’s life.
Questions:



What are virtues?
What kind of poetry would be
appropriate in a eulogy?
Can and should a funeral eulogy be
funny? Explain your reasoning.
Excerpt
Using the internet, find a poem or lyrics
that you would like to be said at your own
funeral. Read this excerpt out loud to the
class and explain your choice.
The Royal Family at Princess Diana’s funeral, 1997.
Eulogy for a Notable Figure
Students research, write and perform a eulogy for a famous person in history. They should
include at least three important aspects of this person’s life, why they are notable and how
their legacy will live on. They should also find a quote or short excerpt of lyrics or poetry
appropriate for this eulogy and weave it into their writing. They must be able to justify why
they chose this excerpt. Costume, makeup, music and lighting are optional.
Word Funeral
As a class, students compose a list of overused, derogatory or silly words which must be put
to rest. Then, each student chooses a word and writes a short eulogy for that word,
including its origin, part of speech, purpose in language and why it needed to die. Students
perform these eulogies with a print-out of the word next to them. After all students have
given their word eulogies, they throw the words into the bin.
Songs
Many people, before they die, choose specific songs they’d like to be played at their funeral.
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Playlist (lists extracted from http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/weird/top-10-funeralsongs-provided-by-centennial-park/story-e6frev20-1111116794061)
In 2008, Centennial Park, a leading provider of memorial services in Australia released their
Top Ten most frequently-used songs at funerals:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
My Way, Frank Sinatra
Wonderful World, Louis Armstrong
Time To Say Goodbye, Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman
Unforgettable, Nat King Cole
The Wind Beneath My Wings, Bette Midler
Amazing Grace, various artists
We'll Meet Again, Vera Lynn
Over the Rainbow, Judy Garland
Abide With Me, Harry Secombe
Danny Boy, various artists
They also released a list of what they consider the ‘most unusual’ songs used in their funeral
services:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
The Show Must Go On, Queen
Stairway to Heaven, Led Zeppelin
Highway to Hell, AC/DC
Another One Bites the Dust, Queen
I'll Sleep When I'm Dead, Bon Jovi
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, Monty Python
Ding Dong the Witch is Dead, The Wizard of Oz
Hit the Road Jack, Willie Nelson
I'm Too Sexy, Right Said Fred
Power, Crows and AFL team songs
Write a list of ten songs that you would like to play at your funeral. For each song, justify
why you are including it on your list.
Catholic Church Bans Pop Songs (See Appendices 5.3)
Students read the article Australia’s Catholic Church bans pop songs at funerals (Reuters, 1009-2010) and discuss the pros and cons of banning pop music and footy club songs at
funerals. They choose a side: are you for the ban or against the ban? They then construct a
persuasive power point presentation to present to the opposition. For example, if a student
is for the ban, the rest of the class, as the audience, will play the part of musicians, music
lovers and free speech advocates. If a student is against the ban, the class will play the part
of Catholic Church officials.
September 11th, 2001
The tragic terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center—which took the lives of over 3,000
Americans—is a day burnt into the memories of millions of people around the world. It was
shocking, confusing and heartbreaking, and everyone reacted differently to it. Some, fuelled by
angry patriotism, blamed the ‘terrorists’ and supported president George W. Bush when he
Experiencing Poetry
announced the U.S. would ‘retaliate’ and ‘fight terrorism’ by invading Iraq and capturing Al-Qaeda.
(To date, over 113,000 civilians in Iraq have died as a result of the war. Go to
http://www.iraqbodycount.org for more information). Al-Qaeda became a buzzword umbrella term
for all terrorist activities, and sparked a racist and misinformed fear of the ‘Islamification of America’
in many.
Others turned to poetry and music as a way of healing and
understanding the new direction America was facing within and
beyond its borders. The music ranged from patriotic rage (e.g.
country singer Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White and
Blue (We’ll Put A Boot In Your Ass)” to cross-cultural
humanistic pride and slamming Bush’s presidency (Beastie
Boys’ To the 5 Burroughs and Green Day’s American Idiot).
Poetry had a similar differences in approach, with three main
ideologies at work: retaliation and American pride, mourning
the victims and sympathising with the objectified Muslims in the
U.S., and questioning the US Government.
Poetry Commotion (See Appendices 5.4)
Students read the article Beyond Grief and Grievance: The poetry of 9/11 and its aftermath by Philip
Metres and the accompanying poems.
Questions:


How does he explain why and how poetry became ‘useful’ in the wake of 9/11?
How does he explain why many people were bothered by the act of poetry?
3 Different 9/11 Poems (See Appendices 5.5)
Divide the class into 4 groups. One group will analyse “Albanza: In Praise of the Local 100,” one will
analyse “Photograph from September 11,” and two will analyse “Somebody Blew Up America.”
Questions:




Poetic devices, rhythm, language
What appeals does it use? How are they used?
What is the meaning of this poem? What is its purpose? Who is the subject?
If this were a song, what style would it be in? Why?
‘Somebody Blew Up America’
This poem was aggressively criticised when it was written, called ‘racist’ and ‘anti-Semitic’. But the
author and many contemporaries have defended it, stating those who see it as racist are missing the
point, for it is really a mirror being held up to powerful Western societies. What is your response to
this poem? Who is the ‘who’ he constantly addresses?
Experiencing Poetry
Slam It: “Somebody Blew Up America”
Students watch the slam version of Amiri Baraka reading his poem. How does poetry change when it
is read out loud?
Using the slam video as inspiration, create a live performance of one of the provided 9/11 poems, or
find a different one of your choice on the internet. Try memorizing it. Create an atmosphere and
visual accompaniment—power point slides, candles, a poster, music, dance, body movement.
To Defend It or Not to Defend It
Is poetry appropriate to the nation in a time of grieving?
Create an advertisement either advocating poetry or
criticising its use after catastrophic events. Include
references to political music, as well. You can also do this in
the form of round-table discussion or a talk show.
A Picture tells 1,000 words.
“Photograph of September 11” was inspired by the
photograph of the Falling Man, who fell to his death from
one of the highest WTC storeys. Use the internet to find a
picture of human suffering and write a poem or song of any
style using it as inspiration. You are not limited to 9/11
pictures. Try Iraq War civilians, Afghanistan, Darfur, Khmer
Rouge, Vietnam War, World War 1 & 2, Immigration
Detention Centres, ‘boat people’, refugees, poverty, etc.)
Clear Channel Song Ban
In the wake of the awful events of 9/11. Clear Channel Communications, an American media
conglomerate company, issued a list of songs to over 1200 radio stations, citing each of the songs as
‘lyrically questionable.’ Though a rumour started that it was an outright ban of these songs, it was
later discovered that it was merely a suggestion Clear Channel made to these stations, though most
stations did in fact follow suit. Clear Channel denies any list ever existing.
The 165 ‘banned’ songs range from songs containing key words like ‘fall,’ ‘fly,’ ‘Tuesday,’ ‘Heaven’
and ‘September’ to songs of peace (e.g John Lennon’s “Imagine”), to songs of death (e.g. Drowning
Pool’s “Bodies”) to politically-challenging songs, including all songs by Rage Against the Machine. A
complete list is available in the appendices.
Questions:
 Why these songs?

Were they politically motivated choices? How or how not?

Are there any surprises to you on the list?

Are there any songs that you’re surprised aren’t on the list?
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
Do you agree with companies suggesting to radio stations to ban songs in the time of
mourning? Do you think people would have made 9/11 connections to these songs if they
heard them on the radio?
Justification
Students organise the songs into different categories: Death, Peace, Politics, Sensitive Language. In
pairs, they choose one from each category, research and analyse the lyrics, and present their
findings to the class. They must explain why they think these songs were included on the list, using
specific lyrics as examples. They must also state their opinion—should this song have been banned?
Was it a little silly including it on the list?
Dear Friendly Neighbourhood Media Conglomerate Megacorporation…
Write a letter to Clear Channel, either supporting or criticising their memorandum initiative. Write
from the point of view of a student, parent, musician, politician, someone directly affected by the
9/11 attacks or not. Use the Metres article as well as your own knowledge of censorship and grief
poetry to persuade them into understanding you viewpoint.
Experiencing Poetry
Appendices
1/Part One: Elements of Death, Horror and Goth in Popular Culture
1.1 The Elements of Horror (source: http://www.virtualsalt.com/gothic.htm)
1. Creepy setting. The action takes place in and around an old castle, cabin, woods, house or some
other isolated place, sometimes seemingly abandoned, sometimes occupied. The setting often
contains secret passages, trap doors, secret rooms, dark or hidden staircases, and possibly ruined
sections. A sense of claustrophobia, entrapment and mystery is present.
2. An atmosphere of mystery and suspense. The work is pervaded by a threatening feeling, a fear
enhanced by the unknown. Often the plot itself is built around a mystery, such as unknown
parentage, a disappearance, or some other inexplicable event.
3. An ancient prophecy The prophecy is usually obscure, partial, or confusing. "What could it
mean?" In more watered down modern examples, this may amount to merely a legend: "It's said
that the ghost of old man Krebs still wanders these halls."
4. Omens, portents, visions. A character may have a disturbing dream vision, or some phenomenon
may be seen as a portent of coming events. For example, if the statue of the lord of the manor falls
over, it may portend his death.
5. Supernatural or otherwise inexplicable events. Dramatic, amazing events occur, such as ghosts,
talking animals or inanimate objects coming to life. In some works, the events are ultimately given a
natural explanation, while in others the events are truly supernatural.
6. High, even overwrought emotion. The characters are often overcome by anger, sorrow, surprise,
and especially terror. Characters suffer from raw nerves and a feeling of impending doom. Crying,
emotional speeches, breathlessness, panic and screaming.
7. Person in distress. The characters often face events that leave them fainting, terrified, screaming,
and/or sobbing. The women suffer all the more because they are often abandoned, left alone (either
on purpose or by accident), and have no protector at times.
8. The metonymy of gloom and horror. Metonymy is a subtype of metaphor, in which something
(like rain) is used to stand for something else (like sorrow). For example, the film industry likes to use
metonymy as quick shorthand, so we often notice that it is raining in funeral scenes. The following
metonymies for "doom and gloom" all suggest an element of mystery, danger, or the supernatural.
E.g. darkness, rain, wind, sighs, moans, howls, eerie sounds, doors suddenly slamming shut
Experiencing Poetry
2/Part Two: The Raven
2.1 Text:
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and
weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a
tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber doorOnly this, and nothing more."
Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the
floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow;- vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow- sorrow for the lost LenoreFor the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name
LenoreNameless here for evermore.
And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me- filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating,
"'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber doorSome late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;This it is, and nothing more."
Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
"Sir," said I, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you"- here I opened wide the
door;Darkness there, and nothing more.
Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering,
fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream
before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word,
"Lenore?"
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word,
"Lenore!"Merely this, and nothing more.
Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
"Surely," said I, "surely that is something at my window lattice:
Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery exploreLet my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;'Tis the wind and nothing more!"
Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and
flutter,
In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore;
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or
stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber
doorPerched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber doorPerched, and sat, and nothing more.
Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore.
"Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure
no craven,
Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly
shoreTell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian
shore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so
plainly,
Though its answer little meaning- little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber doorBird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber
door,
With such name as "Nevermore."
But the Raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing further then he uttered- not a feather then he
flutteredTill I scarcely more than muttered, "Other friends have flown
beforeOn the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown
before."
Then the bird said, "Nevermore."
Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
"Doubtless," said I, "what it utters is its only stock and store,
Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster
Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden
boreTill the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore
Of 'Never- nevermore'."
But the Raven still beguiling all my fancy into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust
and door;
Then upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yoreWhat this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt and ominous bird of
yore
Meant in croaking "Nevermore."
This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's
core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o'er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o'er,
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She shall press, ah, nevermore!
Then methought the air grew denser, perfumed from an
unseen censer
Swung by Seraphim whose footfalls tinkled on the tufted floor.
"Wretch," I cried, "thy God hath lent thee- by these angels he
hath sent thee
Respite- respite and nepenthe, from thy memories of Lenore!
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil! Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here
ashore,
Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchantedOn this home by Horror haunted- tell me truly, I imploreIs there- is there balm in Gilead?- tell me- tell me, I implore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us- by that God we both
adoreTell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore-
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name
Lenore."
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
"Be that word our sign in parting, bird or fiend," I shrieked,
upstarting"Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian
shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath
spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken!- quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off
my door!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is
dreaming,
And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on
the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the
floor
Shall be lifted- nevermore!
2.2 Mad Magazine Parody Example:
2.3 The Simpsons Raven clip
You will experience difficulty finding a decent clip of the Raven segment from The Simpsons online. Try
downloading the episode. It originally ran in the first Treehouse of Horror Halloween special, Season 2,
episode 3, segment 3.
Experiencing Poetry
3/Part Three: Japanese Death Haiku and Butoh Dance of Darkness
3.1 Famous Japanese Death Poetry
Ōta Dōkan, 1432-1486 (warrior-poet, military tactician and Buddhist monk)
Dōkan met an untimely end at a Uesiugi clan leader’s home after he
was falsely accused of disloyalty during a period when the Uesugi
family struggled through an internal clan conflict.
Kakaru toki
Had I not known
sakoso inochi no
that I was dead
oshikarame
already
kanete nakimi to
I would have mourned
omoishirazuba
the loss of my life.
Basho Matsuo, 1644-1694 (famous Japanese poet, recognized today
as the master of clear, concise haiku)
Becoming ill and isolated in his later years, Bashō adopted the Buddhist
principle of karumi or "lightness"—greeting the mundane world rather than
separating himself from it. He died peacefully, surrounded by his disciples.
Tabi ni yande
falling sick on a journey
Yume wa kareno wo
my dream goes wandering
Kake meguri
over a field of dried grass.
Taigu Ryōkan, 1758-1831 (eccentric Buddhist monk)
Spending most of his life as a hermit, Ryokan lived a very simple, pure
life, and is remembered for his kindness and generosity
ura wo mise
Now it reveals its hidden side
omote wo misete
and now the other—this it falls,
chiru momiji
an autumn leaf.
Experiencing Poetry
3.2 Other Jisei (Death Poem) Examples
Atsujin
Earth and metal...
although my breathing ceases
time and tide go on.
Baiko
Plum petals falling
I look up...the sky,
a clear crisp moon.
Chiboku
The running stream
is cool...the pebbles
underfoot.
Chirin
In earth and sky
no grain of dust...
snow on the foothills.
Chogo
I long for people...
then again I loathe them:
end of autumn.
Enryo
Autumn waters
of this world wake me
from my drunkenness.
Fuso
Upon the lotus flower
morning dew is
thinning out.
Gansan
Blow if you will,
fall wind...the flowers
have all faded.
Ginka
I leap from depths
of debt into the skies:
autumn of the dragon.
Tsuchi kane ya
iki wa taete mo
tsukihi ari
Chiru ume ni
miaguru sora no
tsuki kiyoshi
Yuku mizu to
tomo ni suzushiku
ishi kawa ya
Ametsuchi ni
chiri naki yuki no
fumoto kana
Hito koishi
hito mutsukashishi
aki no kure
Yoizame no
kore ya konoyo no
aki no mizu
Asatsuyu no
usura kiekeri
hasu no hana
Fukaba fuke
hana wa sunda zo
aki no kaze
Shakusen no
fuchi kara tenjo
tatsu no aki
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3.3 Butoh article written by Morita Itto, Butoh dancer
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/butoh/itto/goosay/boston06/zero-arrow/p2.jpg
Experiencing Poetry
4/Part Four: Suicide and Seppuku
4.1: “Born This Way” by Lady Gaga; Lyrics
It doesn't matter if you love him,
Subway kid, rejoice your truth
or capital H-I-M
In the religion of the insecure
Just put your paws up
I must be myself, respect my youth
'cause you were born this way, baby
A different lover is not a sin
My mama told me when I was young
Believe capital H-I-M (Hey hey hey)
We are all born superstars
I love my life I love this record and
She rolled my hair and put my lipstick on
Mi amore vole fe yah (Love needs faith)
In the glass of her boudoir
Don't be a drag, just be a queen
"There's nothing wrong with loving who you are"
Whether you're broke or evergreen
She said, "'Cause he made you perfect, babe"
You're black, white, beige, chola descent
"So hold your head up girl and you'll go far,
You're Lebanese, you're orient
Listen to me when I say"
Whether life's disabilities
Left you outcast, bullied, or teased
I'm beautiful in my way
Rejoice and love yourself today
'Cause God makes no mistakes
'cause baby you were born this way
I'm on the right track, baby
I was born this way
No matter gay, straight, or bi,
Don't hide yourself in regret
Lesbian, transgendered life,
Just love yourself and you're set
I'm on the right track baby,
I'm on the right track, baby
I was born to survive.
I was born this way
No matter black, white or beige
Chola or orient made,
Oh there ain't no other way
I'm on the right track baby,
Baby I was born this way
I was born to be brave.
Baby I was born this way
Oh there ain't no other way
I was born this way hey!
Baby I was born this way
I'm on the right track baby
I'm on the right track, baby
I was born this way hey!
I was born this way
I'm on the right track baby
I was born this way hey!
Don't be a drag ‒ just be a queen [x3]
Don't be!
Same DNA, but born this way.
Same DNA, but born this way.
Give yourself prudence
And love your friends
Experiencing Poetry
4.2: Thinking Music Map
In the centre circle, write the title of the song. In the surrounding circles, write words, phrases, or
draw pictures which describe how the music and lyrics we listen to make you feel. Meaning images
that go through your head, words that stick out to you, or emotions you may experience.
Experiencing Poetry
4.3: Emo music article
May 8, 2008 11:04
Emo music attacked over teen suicide
Genre blasted again after 13 year-old 'emo girl' commits suicide
An inquest in Maidstone has heard that Hannah Bond, a 13 year-old girl from Kent, committed
suicide by hanging herself - and emo music has been blamed.
Roger Sykes, the coroner who gave the verdict of suicide yesterday (May 7), suggested that the fact
that Bond was an obsessive fan of such music was linked to her death.
The inquest heard that Bond had discussed with friends the "glamour" of suicide, and was obsessed
with American band My Chemical Romance. She had a picture of an emo girl with bloody wrists on
her Bebo page.
Bond's father Ray explained that his daughter had had an episode of self-harm prior to her suicide,
which she told him was an emo initiation ceremony.
Her mother Heather also provided some background on her interest in the genre explaining: "There
are [emo] websites that show pink teddies hanging themselves. She called emo a fashion and I
thought it was normal. Hannah was a normal girl. She had loads of friends. She could be a bit moody
but I thought it was just because she was a teenager."
However as he gave the verdict of suicide, coroner Sykes criticised the genre saying: "The emo
overtones concerning death and associating it with glamour I find very disturbing."
-http://www.nme.com /news/various-artists/36468
4.4 “Adam’s Song” by Blink-182; Lyrics
I never thought I'd die alone
I laughed the loudest who'd have known
I traced the cord back to the wall
No wonder it was never plugged in at all
I took my time, I hurried up
The choice was mine, I didn't think enough
I'm too depressed, to go on
You'll be sorry when I'm gone
I never conquered, rarely came
16 just held such better days
Days when I still felt alive
We couldn't wait to get outside
The world was wide, too late to try
The tour was over we'd survived
I couldn't wait till I got home
To pass the time in my room alone
I never thought I'd die alone
Another six months I'll be unknown
Give all my things to all my friends
You'll never set foot in my room again
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You'll close it off, board it up
Remember the time that I spilled the cup
Of apple juice in the hall
Please tell mom this is not her fault
I never conquered, rarely came
16 just held such better days
Days when I still felt alive
We couldn't wait to get outside
The world was wide, too late to try
The tour was over we'd survived
4.5 The Laughing Heart by Charles Bukowski
your life is your life
don’t let it be clubbed into dank submission.
be on the watch.
there are ways out.
there is a light somewhere.
it may not be much light but
it beats the darkness.
be on the watch.
the gods will offer you chances.
know them.
take them.
you can’t beat death but
you can beat death in life, sometimes.
and the more often you learn to do it,
the more light there will be.
your life is your life.
know it while you have it.
you are marvellous
the gods wait to delight
in you.
I couldn't wait till I got home
To pass the time in my room alone
I never conquered, rarely came
Tomorrow holds such better days
Days when I can still feel alive
When I can't wait to get outside
The world is wide, the time goes by
The tour is over, I'd survived
I can't wait till I get home
To pass the time in my room alone
Experiencing Poetry
5/Part Five: Grief and Mourning
5.1 “Candle in the Wind” (original) by Elton John; Lyrics
Goodbye Norma Jean
Though I never knew you at all
You had the grace to hold yourself
While those around you crawled
They crawled out of the woodwork
And they whispered into your brain
They set you on the treadmill
And they made you change your name
chorus
And it seems to me you lived your life
Like a candle in the wind
Never knowing who to cling to
When the rain set in
And I would have liked to have known you
But I was just a kid
Your candle burned out long before
Your legend ever did
Loneliness was tough
The toughest role you ever played
Hollywood created a superstar
And pain was the price you paid
Even when you died
Oh the press still hounded you
All the papers had to say
Was that Marilyn was found in the nude
[repeat chorus]
Goodbye Norma Jean
Though I never knew you at all
You had the grace to hold yourself
While those around you crawled
Goodbye Norma Jean
From the young man in the 22nd row
Who sees you as something more than sexual
More than just our Marilyn Monroe
5.2 “Candle in the Wind 1997” by Elton John; Lyrics
Goodbye England's rose
May you ever grow in our hearts
You were the grace that placed itself
Where lives were torn apart
You called out to our country
And you whispered to those in pain
Now you belong to heaven
And the stars spell out your name
chorus
And it seems to me you lived your life
Like a candle in the wind
Never fading with the sunset
When the rain set in
And your footsteps will always fall here
Along England's greenest hills
Your candle's burned out long before
Your legend ever will
Loveliness we've lost
These empty days without your smile
This torch we'll always carry
For our nation's golden child
And even though we try
The truth brings us to tears
All our words cannot express
The joy you brought us through the years
[repeat chorus]
Goodbye England's rose
May you ever grow in our hearts
You were the grace that placed itself
Where lives were torn apart
Goodbye England's rose
From a country lost without your soul
Who'll miss the wings of your compassion
More than you'll ever know
Experiencing Poetry
5.3 Catholic Church bans pop music article
Australia's Catholic church bans pop songs
at funerals
Football club songs and pop or rock music
have been banned from funerals in Catholic churches in Australia under new
guidelines distributed this week to priests and funeral directors.
MELBOURNE | Fri Sep 10, 2010 2:46am EDT
A funeral should not be a "celebration" of the deceased's life, Archbishop of Melbourne Denis Hart said in
the rules, but a final sacred farewell. Celebrations of that life should be held at social occasions before or
after the funeral, he said.
"The wishes of the deceased, family and friends should be taken into account ... but in planning the liturgy,
the celebrant should moderate any tendency to turn the funeral into a secular celebration of the life of the
deceased," the guidelines state.
"Secular items are never to be sung or played at a Catholic funeral, such as romantic ballads, pop or rock
music, political songs, football club songs."
Some funeral directors, however, said the directive was insensitive to relatives' needs as many grieving
families wanted to incorporate multimedia presentations, including photographs and video of the deceased
person's life as well as music.
"Funerals have become a celebration of people's lives and there aren't many that don't include a DVD
presentation," John Fowler, the general manager of Le Pine Funerals, told Melbourne's Herald Sun
newspaper.
"It really gives you a sense of the joy that this person has brought to the world."
Pop songs have become more common at funerals as new technology allows churches and funeral parlors to
install sound systems and more people opt for services conducted by celebrants instead of religious
ministers.
Centennial Park, a leading provider of cemetery, crematorium and memorial services in Australia, in 2008
compiled a list of the 10 most popular songs at Australian funerals.
The top song was Frank Sinatra's version of "My Way," followed by "Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong,
"Time To Say Goodbye" by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman, and "Unforgettable" by Nat "King" Cole.
Rounding out the top 10 were "The Wind Beneath My Wings" by Bette Midler, "Amazing Grace," "We'll Meet
Again" by Vera Lynn, "Over the Rainbow" by Judy Garland, "Abide With Me" by Harry Secombe, and "Danny
Boy."
The list of top 10 most popular unusual funeral songs included listed as Queen's "Another One Bites the
Dust," AC/DC's "Highway to Hell, "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" by Monty Python, and "Ding Dong
the Witch is Dead" from "The Wizard of Oz."
http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/09/10/us-funerals-idUSTRE6890WP20100910
Experiencing Poetry
5.4 Purpose of Poetry article
Beyond Grief and Grievance: The poetry of 9/11 and its aftermath.
By Philip Metres
(extracted from http://www.poetryfoundation.org/article/242580)
It was my second week as a newly-minted professor in the Midwest, September 11, 2001, and I hustled
to complete a lecture on imagery when my wife called. All I could think was, “why is she calling me ten
minutes before I have to teach?”—something about a plane crash something something New York—and
then, “why do I need to know this before class?” I hung up, and returned to the poem before me,
Carolyn Forché’s “The Colonel.”
By the time I arrived in the classroom, after hearing the full extent of the morning’s events, I could
barely get through the poem without breaking down in tears.
It wasn’t just the bag of ears that the Colonel pours across his opulent table. It’s the violence at the
perimeters of vision—the filed nails of the daughter, the moon hanging on a cord, the house
surrounded by a wall of broken bottles, the gratings on the window, even the rack of lamb.
The poem works not merely by intimating torture, but by decorating it so uncannily like homes in our
own country. In the home of Forché’s Colonel, an American cop show plays on television, and a maid
serves a delectable spread. Forché’s poem, in its raw confrontation, jolts us awake to the violence of
privilege. But that’s what made it so difficult to teach on that day. What was 9/11 but the end of the
fantasy of our separateness, our invulnerability?
The events of 9/11 occasioned a tremendous outpouring of poetry; people in New York taped poems on
windows, wheatpasted them on posts, and shared them by hand. In Curtis Fox’s words, “poetry was
suddenly everywhere in the city.” Outside the immediate radius of what became known as “ground
zero,” aided by email, listserves, websites, and, later, blogs, thousands of people also shared poems
they loved, and poems they had written. By February, 2002, over 25,000 poems written in response to
9/11 had been published on poems.com alone. Three years later, the number of poems there had more
than doubled.
Often invisible in American culture, poetry suddenly became relevant, even—and perhaps
dangerously—useful. People turned to poems when other forms failed to give shape to their feelings.
Some of these poems, certainly, employed the language of faith, a faith that has often been mobilized
as a weapon of grievance. Some were desperately angry, in the way Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red,
White, and Blue (The Angry American)” promises to put a “boot in the ass” of those that “messed” with
the U.S. of A. In Cleveland, I recall hearing some rather salty Osama limericks involving his mama.
Of course, poems that take on subjects as public and iconic as the attacks of September 11th risk not
only devolving into cliché and hysterical jingoism, but also, even when most well-meaning, perpetuating
the violence of terror, and the violence of grievance and revenge, as mass media did by endlessly
replaying images of the planes exploding into the World Trade Center towers. Likewise, when we read
enough 9/11 poems, we become awash in falling people, planes described as birds, flaming towers of
Babel, ash and angels, angels and ash. The mythic nature of this attack, this disaster—echoing
Experiencing Poetry
everything from the tower of Babel to the fall of Icarus—is undeniable, and the acts of heroism and the
brute loss of so many makes it difficult to find adequate words, even for our most accomplished poets.
In a riposte to John Lundberg’s 2010 essay on the Huffington Post, “Remembering 9/11 Through
Poetry,” one commenter acidly posted: “isn’t 9/11 bad enough without adding poetry to it?” The
commenter known as “Zymos” may just be a poetry-hater, but he also has a point, made more
articulately by Theodor Adorno, that “to write lyric poetry after Auschwitz is barbaric.” Adorno reflects
on the dangers of art to render traumatic events too easily understandable, too easily commodifiable. In
his essay, “Commitment,” Adorno extends his original critique, saying that by turning suffering into
images, harsh and uncompromising though they are, it wounds the shame we feel in the presence of
the victims. For these victims are used to create something, works of art, that are thrown to the
consumption of a world which destroyed them….The moral of this art, not to forget for a single instant,
slithers into the abyss of its opposite. The aesthetic principle of stylization, and even the solemn prayer
of the chorus, make an unthinkable fate appear to have had some meaning; it is transfigured,
something of its horror removed. This alone does an injustice to the victims; yet no art which tried to
evade them could confront the claims of justice.
But we cannot be silent. So between the Scylla of cliché and the Charybdis of exploitation, poetry
moves. Martín Espada’s “Alabanza: In Praise of Local 100,” for example, offers a globalist ode to the
workers on the restaurant at the top of the World Trade Center who perished in the attacks. By focusing
on people often unnoticed, sometimes undocumented, and occasionally disparaged, Espada celebrates
the diverse gathering of humanity that the American project has enabled, and that the attacks
threatened to separate, in the rhetoric of security and the ideology of fear.
Read ‘Alabanza: In Praise of Local 100’ by Martin Espada in your 9/11 Poetry Pack (see Appendices
5.5)
The poem’s concluding lines brings the victims of war—from the 9/11 victims to the victims of war in
Afghanistan—into conversation again. Perhaps the best response to Adorno’s legitimate concerns is
that “music is all we have.”
Nobel Prize-winning Polish poet Wisława Szymborska also manages to avoid the troubling possibility
of art’s exploitation for easy (and false) transcendence, in her poem “Photograph from September
11.
Read ‘Photograph from September 11’ by Wislawa Szmborska in your 9/11 Poetry Pack.
Szymborska takes the photograph of the so-called “falling man” and uses it as a monument to our
elegiac desire to freeze the beloved in the moments before death. By not adding a last line and by
not giving the poem its expected (and easy) closure, Szymborska keeps the work open, the wound
fresh.
Not all worthwhile 9/11 poetry reflected such ambiguity, though. It would be strange to talk about
poetry and 9/11 and not mention Amiri Baraka’s scandal-making and splenetic “Somebody Blew Up
America,” published in 2002. At the time, Baraka held the post of New Jersey’s poet laureate, and
his poem caused an outcry principally for perpetuating an Internet myth that 4000 Israelis were told
to stay home from work at the Twin Towers on September 11, and secondarily for its anti-imperialist
rant against the United States and figures of the Bush Administration. His subsequent defense of the
poem, an essay called “I Will Not ‘Apologize,’ I Will Not ‘Resign,’” did not do the work any favors;
rather than arguing that the poem is the dramatized utterance of a suppressed but necessary point
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of view—that of the anti-imperialist scourge—Baraka asserts his absolute identification with the
poem’s rhetoric.
The poem may be smarter than the poet’s argument on its behalf. Emerging from an event which
has ignited as many conspiracy theories as JFK’s assassination, “Somebody Blew Up America” enacts
the intoxification of conspiracy-theorizing itself. Conspiracy theory, spastic groping after fact and
reason, comes out of the fantasy of absolute governmental power. While the poem’s catalogue of
imperial atrocity is mostly documentable (with the glaring exception being Israeli and American
administration complicity in the attacks), the desire to place all the blame on a singular “Somebody”
dramatizes the weakness of a totalizing critique of empire.
Read ‘Somebody Blew Up America’ by Amiri Baraka in your 9/11 Poetry Pack.
The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 compelled me to rethink everything I thought I knew,
and made me want to learn more, to read outside whatever borders I had created for myself. Not to
be more American, but to be a better citizen, a better denizen of the planet. To go global and be
local, to go ancient and be modern, to question all certainties and embrace what I did not know, to
read Rumi and Isaiah, Rushdie and Roy and even Al-Qaeda, to listen to Springsteen and Kulthum, to
refuse the elixir of fundamentalisms, to translate and be translated again by what I could not yet
understand. To tattoo "Oye" on my body. To listen.
5.5 Three Different 9/11 Poems
1) ‘Alabanza’ by Martín Espada
Alabanza. Praise the cook with a shaven head
and a tattoo on his shoulder that said Oye,
a blue-eyed Puerto Rican with people from Fajardo,
the harbor of pirates centuries ago.
Praise the lighthouse in Fajardo, candle
glimmering white to worship the dark saint of the sea.
Alabanza. Praise the cook’s yellow Pirates cap
worn in the name of Roberto Clemente, his plane
that flamed into the ocean loaded with cans for Nicaragua,
for all the mouths chewing the ash of earthquakes.
Alabanza. Praise the kitchen radio, dial clicked
even before the dial on the oven, so that music and Spanish
rose before bread. Praise the bread. Alabanza.
Praise Manhattan from a hundred and seven flights up,
like Atlantis glimpsed through the windows of an ancient aquarium.
Praise the great windows where immigrants from the kitchen
could squint and almost see their world, hear the chant of nations:
Ecuador, México, Republica Dominicana,
Haiti, Yemen, Ghana, Bangladesh.
Experiencing Poetry
Alabanza. Praise the kitchen in the morning,
where the gas burned blue on every stove
and exhaust fans fired their diminutive propellers,
hands cracked eggs with quick thumbs
or sliced open cartons to build an altar of cans.
Alabanza. Praise the busboy’s music, the chime-chime
of his dishes and silverware in the tub.
Alabanza. Praise the dish-dog, the dishwasher
who worked that morning because another dishwasher
could not stop coughing, or because he needed overtime
to pile the sacks of rice and beans for a family
floating away on some Caribbean island plagued by frogs.
Alabanza. Praise the waitress who heard the radio in the kitchen
and sang to herself about a man gone. Alabanza.
After the thunder wilder than thunder,
after the shudder deep in the glass of the great windows,
after the radio stopped singing like a tree full of terrified frogs,
after night burst the dam of day and flooded the kitchen,
for a time the stoves glowed in darkness like the lighthouse in Fajardo,
like a cook’s soul. Soul I say, even if the dead cannot tell us
about the bristles of God’s beard because God has no face,
soul I say, to name the smoke-beings flung in constellations
across the night sky of this city and cities to come.
Alabanza I say, even if God has no face.
Alabanza. When the war began, from Manhattan and Kabul
two constellations of smoke rose and drifted to each other,
mingling in icy air, and one said with an Afghan tongue:
Teach me to dance. We have no music here.
And the other said with a Spanish tongue:
I will teach you. Music is all we have.
2) ‘Photograph from September 11’ by Wislawa Szmborska
They jumped from the burning floors—
one, two, a few more,
higher, lower.
The photograph halted them in life,
and now keeps them
above the earth toward the earth.
Each is still complete,
with a particular face
and blood well hidden.
There’s enough time
for hair to come loose,
for keys and coins
to fall from pockets.
They’re still within the air’s reach,
within the compass of places
that have just now opened.
I can do only two things for them—
describe this flight
and not add a last line.
Experiencing Poetry
They jumped from the burning floors—
one, two, a few more,
higher, lower.
The photograph halted them in life,
and now keeps them
above the earth toward the earth.
Each is still complete,
with a particular face
and blood well hidden.
There’s enough time
for hair to come loose,
for keys and coins
to fall from pockets.
They’re still within the air’s reach,
within the compass of places
that have just now opened.
I can do only two things for them—
describe this flight
and not add a last line
3) ‘Somebody Blew Up America’ by Amiri Baraka
(All thinking people
oppose terrorism
both domestic
& international…
But one should not
be used
To cover the other)
They say its some terrorist, some barbaric
A Rab, in Afghanistan
It wasn't our American terrorists
It wasn't the Klan or the Skin heads
Or the them that blows up nigger
Churches, or reincarnates us on Death Row
It wasn't Trent Lott
Or David Duke or Giuliani
Or Schundler, Helms retiring
It wasn't
the gonorrhea in costume
the white sheet diseases
That have murdered black people
Terrorized reason and sanity
Most of humanity, as they pleases
They say (who say? Who do the saying
Who is them paying
Who tell the lies
Who in disguise
Who had the slaves
Who got the bux out the Bucks
Who got fat from plantations
Who genocided Indians
Tried to waste the Black nation
Who live on Wall Street
The first plantation
Who cut your nuts off
Who rape your ma
Who lynched your pa
Who got the tar, who got the feathers
The Falling
Man
Who had the match,
who set
the fires
Who killed and hired
Who say they God & still be the Devil
Who the biggest only
Who the most goodest
Who do Jesus resemble
Who created everything
Who the smartest
Who the greatest
Who the richest
Who say you ugly and they the
goodlookingest
Who define art
Who define science
Who made the bombs
Who made the guns
Who bought the slaves, who sold them
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Who called you them names
Who say Dahmer wasn't insane
Who live in the biggest house
Who do the biggest crime
Who go on vacation anytime
Who/ Who / Who
Who killed the most niggers
Who killed the most Jews
Who killed the most Italians
Who killed the most Irish
Who killed the most Africans
Who killed the most Japanese
Who killed the most Latinos
Who stole Puerto Rico
Who stole the Indies, the Philipines,
Manhattan
Australia & The Hebrides
Who forced opium on the Chinese
Who own them buildings
Who got the money
Who think you funny
Who locked you up
Who own the papers
Who owned the slave ship
Who run the army
Who/Who/Who
Who own the ocean
Who own the airplanes
Who own the malls
Who own television
Who own radio
Who the fake president
Who the ruler
Who the banker
Who own what ain't even known to be
owned
Who own the owners that ain't the real
owners
Who/ Who/ Who
Who own the suburbs
Who suck the cities
Who make the laws
Who own the mine
Who twist your mind
Who got bread
Who need peace
Who you think need war
Who own the oil
Who do no toil
Who own the soil
Who is not a nigger
Who is so great ain't nobody bigger
Who made Bush president
Who believe the confederate flag need to be
flying
Who talk about democracy and be lying
WHO/ WHO/ WHOWHO/
Who the Beast in Revelations
Who 666
Who decide
Jesus get crucified
Who own this city
Who own the air
Who own the water
Who own your crib
Who rob and steal and cheat and murder
and make lies the truth
Who call you uncouth
Who the Devil on the real side
Who got rich from Armenian genocide
Who the biggest terrorist
Who change the bible
Who killed the most people
Who do the most evil
Who don't worry about survival
Experiencing Poetry
Who have the colonies
Who stole the most land
Who rule the world
Who say they good but only do evil
Who the biggest executioner
Who/Who/Who
Who own the oil
Who want more oil
Who told you what you think that later you
find out a lie
Who/ Who
Who found Bin Laden, maybe they Satan
Who pay the CIA,
Who knew the bomb was gonna blow
Who know why the terrorists
Learned to fly in Florida, San Diego
Who know why Five Israelis was filming the
explosion
And cracking they sides at the notion
Who need fossil fuel when the sun ain't goin'
nowhere
Who make the credit cards
Who get the biggest tax cut
Who walked out of the Conference
Against Racism
Who killed Malcolm, Kennedy & his Brother
Who killed Dr King, Who would want such a
thing?
Are they linked to the murder of Lincoln?
Who invaded Grenada
Who made money from apartheid
Who keep the Irish a colony
Who overthrow Chile and Nicaragua later
Who killed David Sibeko, Chris Hani,
the same ones who killed Biko, Cabral,
Neruda, Allende, Che Guevara, Sandino,
Who killed Kabila, the ones who wasted
Lumumba, Mondlane , Betty Shabazz, Princess
Margaret, Ralph Featherstone, Little Bobby
Who locked up Mandela, Dhoruba,
Geronimo,
Assata, Mumia,Garvey, Dashiell Hammett,
Alphaeus Hutton
Who killed Huey Newton, Fred Hampton,
MedgarEvers, Mikey Smith, Walter Rodney,
Was it the ones who tried to poison Fidel
Who tried to keep the Vietnamese Oppressed
Who put a price on Lenin's head
Who put the Jews in ovens,
and who helped them do it
Who said "America First"
and ok'd the yellow stars
WHO/WHO
Who killed Rosa Luxembourg, Liebneckt
Who murdered the Rosenbergs
And all the good people iced,
tortured , assassinated, vanished
Who got rich from Algeria, Libya, Haiti,
Iran, Iraq, Saudi, Kuwait, Lebanon,
Syria, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine,
Who cut off peoples hands in the Congo
Who invented Aids Who put the germs
In the Indians' blankets
Who thought up "The Trail of Tears"
Who blew up the Maine
& started the Spanish American War
Who got Sharon back in Power
Who backed Batista, Hitler, Bilbo,
Chiang kai Chek
who WHO W H O
Who decided Affirmative Action had to go
Reconstruction, The New Deal, The New
Frontier, The Great Society,
Who do Tom Ass Clarence Work for
Who doo doo come out the Colon's mouth
Who know what kind of Skeeza is a
Condoleeza
Who pay Connelly to be a wooden negro
Who give Genius Awards to Homo Locus
Subsidere
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Who overthrew Nkrumah, Bishop,
Who poison Robeson, who try to put DuBois
in Jail
Who frame Rap Jamil al Amin, Who frame the
Rosenbergs, Garvey, The Scottsboro Boys,
The Hollywood Ten
Who set the Reichstag Fire
Who knew the World Trade Center was gonna
get bombed
Who told 4000 Israeli workers at the Twin
Towers
To stay home that day
Why did Sharon stay away?
Who,Who, Who
explosion of Owl the newspaper say
the devil face cd be seen
Who WHO
Who WHO
Who make money from war
Who make dough from fear and lies
Who want the world like it is
Who want the world to be ruled by
imperialism and national oppression and
terror
violence, and hunger and poverty.
Who is the ruler of Hell?
Who is the most powerful
Who you know ever
Seen God?
But everybody seen
The Devil
Like an Owl exploding
In your life in your brain in your self
Like an Owl who know the devil
All night, all day if you listen, Like an Owl
Exploding in fire. We hear the questions rise
In terrible flame like the whistle of a crazy dog
Like the acid vomit of the fire of Hell
Who and Who and WHO who who
Whoooo and Whoooooooooooooooo
Experiencing Poetry
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