Text for Scotland S1 Teacher Guide
Unit 5 Scottish Poetry
5 Scottish Poetry
Answers
1 Narrative poems
Student Book pages 110-111
Activity 1
2
· The king needs to find a skilful sailor
· Sir Patrick Spens is named
· The King writes a letter telling Sir Patrick that he has to go on the dangerous voyage
· Sir Patrick bravely takes on the mission although he knows that it is hopeless
· One of his sailors has a premonition that the ship will sink
· The ship sinks
· The ladies wait in vain for the sailors to return
· The ship lies at the bottom of the ocean with all the sailors and Lords on it
3 Many possible answers: Perhaps Verse 6 where the storm is predicted; Verse 8 where the storm happens
Activity 2
1 The king; a knight; Sir Patrick Spens; un-named member of the crew; Scots nobles; ladies
2 Like: Sir Patrick Spens because he is brave and skilful
Dislike the knight for suggesting that someone else goes on a dangerous mission
Dislike the Lords for being cowardly during the storm
3 He is heroic because he accepts the King’s orders even though he knows that it is impossible.
He is heroic in his preparations for the voyage.
Also, because it is Sir Patrick that the ladies are waiting for – not the Lords.
Finally, the Lords lie at his feet even in death.
Activity 3
1 The King – last two lines of verse 1
A Knight – last two lines of verse 2
Sir Patrick Spens – all of verse 5 and first two lines of verse 6
One of the sailors – last two lines of verse 6 and all of 7
2 Could mention the repetition of pattern in verse 4; first line of verse 6; line 3 of verse 7; first line of verse 9; first line of verse 10
3a toun/ town; bluid/ blood; braid/ broad as in long; lauch/ laugh; wha/ who; richt/ right
3b skeely/ skilful (verse 1); neist/ next (verse 4); yestre’en/ last night (verse 7); schoone/ shoes (verse 8); aboone/ above (verse 8)
2 Rhyme
Student Book pages 112-113
Activity 1
2
· A description of the heroic character
· Lochinvar rides relentlessly to the wedding
· He enters the wedding and is challenged by the groom’s family
· He says that he loves Ellen and asks her to leave with him
· The poem reaches the point where she has to decide
3 It is a fast paced poem. The action and speed of the poem is captured by the repetition of “he rode” in verse one and the repetition of how he did not stop in verse 2. The adverb “boldly” in verse 3 keeps the pace going and the groom’s father with “his hand on his sword” also presents action.
Activity 2
1 Rhyme scheme for remaining verses is: a, a, b, b, c, c. Lines rhyme in pairs – rhyming couplets.
2a Many examples of rhyme.
Half-rhyme: war/ Lochinvar; sword/ word; stone/none
2b Half-rhyme might be used to allow a sensible word to be used rather than forcing a rhyme. Particularly true when a poem has to keep to a conventional rhyming pattern.
It also slows the pace.
3 Rhyme and repetition
Student Book pages 114-115
Activity 1
2 Bridges, houses, hedges, ditches, meadows, horses, cattle, stations, a child, brambles, a tramp, a green, a cart, a mill and a river
3 Faster, charging, driving (rain), wink of an eye, whistle by, clambers, scrambles, run away
4 That we just see these scenes once and then never again. Our life is like this train journey moving from scene to scene.
Activity 2
2 Fast-er than fair-ies, fast-er than wit-ches
Brid-ges and hous-es, hed-ges and dit-ches
The pattern is repeated but not exactly the same in every line.
3 It is imitating the rhythm of a moving train.
Knowledge about language: Comparative and superlative adjectives
1 Comparative is used when contrasting two items. Superlative is more than two. More is used for comparative; most is superlative. E.g
Comparative Superlative
more happy most happy
more subtle most subtle
more interested most interested
more annoyed most annoyed
more complete most complete
2 e.g. “From a Railway Carriage” has a faster rhythm than “Sir Patrick Spens”. (comparative) “Sir Patrick Spens” is the most dramatic of the poems. (superlative)
4 Active reading
Student Book pages 116-117
Activity 1
2 Mars: Fine red clothes
Venus: Green silk dress
Moon: ostrich feathers
Earth: neglected perhaps ragged clothes
Activity 2
1 Apart from Earth: vanity, fashionable, frivolity
2 Earth is neglected, dirty even but nonetheless “bonnie” or pretty because of its plainness.
3 Earth is different because it can cry/ show emotion. It is also childlike in comparison to the other planets.
4 It means that the earth is given no thought at all by the others. The poet sympathises with the Earth and values the ability to show emotion/ compassion.
Activity 3
1a “But” indicates a turning point or a change in the argument.
1b Earth can cry/ show emotion. This is more important than wealth and showing off finery.
2 bonnie; broukit; bairn; braw; crammasy; goun; auld; mune; shaks; gowden; wheen o’ blethers; nane; thochtie, greet, haill, clanjamfrie
3 Answers could perhaps comment on the onomatopoeia of “greet” or “blethers” or “clanjamfrie” to suggest the noise embodied in the meaning of the words.
5 Imagery
Student Book pages 118-119
Activity 1
2 real spikes; got into position; limbs seriously tense; one knee on the asphalt; crouched over; like a predator waiting for prey, took flight; so fast; arms pounding; flew past; raced straight, left standing behind, ran and ran, pounding feet, streak lightning
3 Joyful – euphoria; it felt as though I could run forever. Comfortable and happy when running; my feet became the land
4a I raced straight towards the future/ The past was left standing behind; run for ever; years on; past forty
4b The poet is referring to her own life as a race. She has grown old in the space of the one race.
5 She feels dejected as she has become old without noticing and her speed has gone.
Activity 2
Real spikes like rose thorns – This is effective because it suggests pain and perhaps the pain of running. It is also effective because her shoes are red and this colour is the stereotypical colour of a rose.
I crouched . . . like a predator ready for prey – This is effective because it shows her eagerness to win and defeat anyone. Her reflexes are sharp like an animal waiting to pounce in its victim.
I might just stop like a heartbeat – This is effective because it ties in with the idea of the race as her life. As she is dejected that she is becoming old she is worried that she will lose her speed.
Activity 3
1 She feels that her life is fast moving and competitive.
6 Writers’ language choices
Student Book pages 120-121
Activity 1
2 wee – means small
sleekit – means slender
cowrin – shows it is scared
tim’rous – afraid in relation to the size of man
beastie – diminutive form of beast
wee-bit hoosie – reference to the size of the mouse’s nest
silly wa’s – feeble walls
wee bit heap o’ leaves and stibble – suggests the small size of the nest
3 Alliteration of harsh <k> sound in “crash! The cruel coulter passed” to bring together the idea of the plough cutter and the destruction it causes.
Activity 2
1/ 2 Bleak December’s winds ensuin’ – the word bleak suggests something really unpleasant so the weather that is coming will be terrible.
Fields laid bare an’ waste – shows how difficult winter on a farm was as no crops can grow in the cold. The word waste implies that no comfort can be gained from the land at this time of year.
Weary winter – everything slows down in winter. This personification helps us see this.
Winter’s sleety dribble – the rain is constant, cold and snow like. Dribble uses onomatopoeia.
Cranreuch cauld- this is a thick harsh winter frost. The alliteration of the harsh <k> sounds emphasises this.
Activity 3
1 Grief and pain
2 guess and fear
3 Many possible interpretations. Generally, use the punctuation to place pause rather than end of lines. Overall tone should be contemplative, sombre.
8 Writer’s point of view
Student Book pages 125-127
Activity 1
2
Statement / Poet / Some words in the poem supporting thisWe should all be proud of our country / Sir Walter Scott / This is my own, my native land
The writer is proud of Scotland’s scenery / George Gordon Byron / The steep frowning glories
Scotland is a country which has a troubled past / Maurice Lindsay / The grey defeats that are dead and gone
The same old ideas are used to describe Scotland / Tyrell McConnall / Bagpipes and haggis
There is a lot more to Scotland than you might think / Hugh MacDiarmid / incomplete
The poet is proud of Scotland and Scottish people. / Robert Burns / O Scotia! My dear, my native soil!
3 McConnall. He criticises the images of Scotland. The phrase “you must be joking” shows disdain.
Activity 2
1 Perhaps images of thistles, bagpipes, Highland Games, tartan, kilts, football, whisky . . .
2 Most of the images are old, though not as ancient as they are believed to be. Many of them are Victorian representations of Scotland.
Knowledge about language: there/ their/ they’re and where/ were/ we’re
1a The children put their shoes in the cupboard.
1b In the box under the stairs there were six, tiny black and white kittens.
1c “We mustn’t disturb them, they’re too small at the moment,” said dad.
2a “Do you know where my new scarf is?” asked mum.
2b “We put it in the box with the kittens because they were cold,” admitted Jake.
2c “When we come home from school, we’re going to name them,” he continued.
2d Meanwhile, the kittens were purring contentedly in their warm bed.
9 Writing about poems
Student Book pages 128-129
Activity 1
2b Rain – its colour and its sad mood
Fog – its dancing movement
Snow – the patterns of its snowflakes
Thunderstorm- its flashing colours
2c Weather
2d There is excitement/ danger with the lightning.
Activity 2
1 Sample answers – many possibilities.
Your thoughts / “Your Dresses”Structure and form / The poet uses a different verse for each idea about a different weather type.
Meaning / The poem is about the weather and the different moods that it makes us feel.
Imagery / She uses some similes and metaphors. For example the main metaphor is the one about the weather being different dresses.
Language (pick out key words and phrases) / The poet uses the difference between “like” and “love” to show which one she prefers most.
Explain your own ideas about the poem.
3 Statement Carol Ann Duffy describes the mood of each type of weather.
Reference She uses words like “swirls” and “dance on the lawn” to describe the fog. Comment This made me think that she likes the way the fog seems to move quickly and create a happy atmosphere.
10 Planning
Student Book pages 130-131
Activity 1
1 There are several possible combinations.
A The first six verses describe the mouse’s life and how Burns has destroyed its nest.
D The poem is about how we treat the natural world.
C The poet uses lots of words and phrases to make the mouse seem small and fragile.
F Burns uses Scots words to talk to the mouse as if it is a friend.
B The last verse is a description of how Burns feels about his own life.
E Finally, I liked the way the poem made me think about how we can destroy nature.
Assessment task: Reading Activity: Analysis of two poems
Student Book pages 132-134
1 The living room – explanation of the grandmother dancing.
Her bedroom – explanation of how the room loves her.
2 Kitchen – family fights on Christmas day.
Hall – poor repair.
Small room – hamster might do damage.
Toilet – unpleasant memories of grandfather’s visits! or noise of the pipes.
Parents’ bedroom – image suggests arguments or troubled relationship.
Brother’s bedroom – her brother’s personality
3 Her own bedroom. She uses the word “love” to describe this room. It is a personal space.
4 The room is mentioned and then the description follows. It puts the reader’s attention on the room.
5 It contrasts the dreams of the house looking for more pleasant ideas than the reality.
6 The robins dancing is a comic image and finishes the poem with a happy mood. The idea of the roof as a dance floor suggests that they are enjoying themselves.
7 The metaphor of the parents’ bedroom having a “bed in a choppy sea” – effective because a choppy sea is caused by a storm and this suggests a troubled relationship.
Reference to any of the rooms metaphorically having feelings could also be used.
8 Someone imaginative. Probably a young child who still likes hiding.
9 Beneath the table – because of solitude and hiding
Under the stair – the idea of a second home makes it sound personal
Bedroom –it is a place to dream about what you will become
Above the wardrobe – it is a place where you can keep things known only to you
The attic – a place of retreat