To learn to analyse Island Man by Grace Nichols.
Video reading of poem:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/1368.flv
The Poem
Island Man
(for a Caribbean island man in London
who still wakes up to the sound of the sea)
Morning
and island man wakes up
to the sound of blue surf
in his head
the steady breaking and wombing
wild seabirds
and fishermen pushing out to sea
the sun surfacing defiantly
from the east
of his small emerald island
he always comes back groggily groggily
Comes back to sands
of a grey metallic soar
to surge of wheels
to dull north circular roar
muffling muffling
his crumpled pillow waves
island man heaves himself
Another London day
Grace Nichols
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Homework - due Friday 14th
1. Watch the video-clip (click the link below the video if it fails to load)
2. Read the poem/lyrics to the song (below)
3. Research meaning of certain words (more info below)
4. Answer the question at the bottom of the poem.
- post answers WITH YOUR NAME in the 'comments' section.
Billy Bragg - England, Half English
Read the lyrics to the song, 'England, Half English' by Billy Bragg (below)
What is Bragg referring to by 'red, white and blue', 'Hindustan', 'Bubble and Squeek', 'three lions', 'Morris dancing' and 'Morrisey'? Look them up!
ENGLAND, HALF-ENGLISH
My mother was half-English
And I’m half-English too
I’m a great big bundle of culture
Tied up in the red, white and blue
I’m a fine example of your Essex Man
And I'm well familiar with the Hindustan
‘Cos my neighbours are half-English
And I’m half-English too
My breakfast was half-English
And so am I you know
I had a plate of Marmite soldiers
Washed down with a cappuccino
And I have a veggie curry about once a week
The next day I fry it up as ‘Bubble ‘N’ Squeak’
‘Cos my appetite’s half-English
And I’m half-English too
Dance with me
To this very English melody
From Morris dancing to Morrissey
All that stuff came from across the sea
Britannia , she’s half-English
She speaks Latin at home
St. George was born in the Lebanon
How he got here I don’t know
And those three lions on your shirt
They never sprang from England’s dirt
Them lion’s are half-English
And I’m half-English too
Le-li Umma le-li-ya, le-li Umma le-li-ya
Le-li Umma le-li-ya, bledi g’desh akh! le-li-ya
Oh my country
Oh my country
Oh my country
What a beautiful country you are.
Question:The phrase: "Le-li Umma le-li-ya, bledi g’desh akh! le-li-ya" is Algerian for "Oh my country / What a beautiful country you are" (the music to the song in the video is also Algerian in origin). How does England, Half English compare with The British (serves 60 million) by Zephaniah and Island Man by Nichols? What's the same? What's different? Answer in full sentences.
ALL ANSWERS (WITH YOU NAME!) POSTED IN THE COMMENTS SECTION OF THIS POST BY MONDAY 17th.
BY KATIE GROSE 8X2 -
ReplyDelete*red,white and blue - The Union Jack - (flag)
* Hindustan - northern region of India where Hinduism predominates <-- this word means 'lots of it'
*Bubble 'N' squeak - Traditional British dish
*Three lions - its on the English football shirt
*Morris Dancing - Traditional Dance
*Morrisey - A famous singer.
The difference between this poem and the two other poems is that, this poem only talks about one place, but mentions phrases from other countries . The other two poems describe a different number of countries, and how they have a way of living. Also, all three poems have a different way of putting sentences of the poem together. The British(serves 60 million) - more like a recipe, Island man- More descriptive, and this poem tells a story in detail.
Amie Warner 8X2
ReplyDeletered,white+blue= the union jack flag
hindustan= historical region in india where hinduism is used
bubble and sqeak= traditional british dish
three lions=- symbol used for many british occasions
morris dancing= various types of british old folk dancing
morrisey= singer+song writter
The difference between english,half english and the two other poems is that english,half english speacials out england but uses cultures from other countries whereas the two other poems specialise all countries and there cultures.
The poets also use different languages, for instance, the british(serves 60 million) uses unformal language, island man uses formal language and english,half english uses more informative language.
Finaly, the last difference is the way in which the poems are performed, english,half english is performed as a song but the other two are read, as though being read out of a book.
Alough all poems show simalar things in the way cultures are used they are all different in the way information is persieved.
This poem is similar to both poems because:
ReplyDelete- Some of this poem had a bit about other countries like the poem British (serves 60 million).
- I also says that he eats ‘half English food’ which shows that he is also from another country , its also like the poem British (serves 60 million).
-It says ‘a great bundle of cultures’, this means that there are loads of countries that he may be related too.
- This is different to the poem island man because this poem doesn't describe how he is missing the country that he lived in before.
-He is telling about his country and how he is half English. he is also showing that he cares about the other countries that he is related too and remains missing them but he shows a lot
of respect to his country, England.
By ASHMA ALI 8x2
Red, blue and white is the union jack
ReplyDeleteHindustan is referring to the whole of India
Bubble and squeek is fried up vegetables and potatoes
Three lions on the England football shirt
Morris dancing is a form of English folk dance
Morrissey is an English singer and song writer and former lead singer of The Smiths
The differences between English, Half English and the other 2 poems are The British (serves 60 million) is a recipe which combines all countries and cultures with England. Island Man is about a Caribbean man who still wakes up to the sound of the sea even though he is in London. English, Half English is about lots of things about Britain and some of those things are not actually English.Whats the same is that all 3 poems mention England and other places in them.
the difference between the poems is that it talks about britin more but uses different phrases form different contries and laguges and reigons. beetween the island man that is about a man dreaming about his home country, also this man explains about his family and there origins. the difference between the british and this one is that the british is more focussed on the whole world but this one looks at that less
ReplyDeleteExcellent comments, everyone. You've all made some very interesting comparisons. Well researched, too.
ReplyDeleteRemember: when you are typing the name of a poem, book, or anything published, make sure to either put it in italics (ctrl+i) or inside single apostrophes 'like this'.
Katie: good ideas worth thinking about with the other poems we'll look at. Good attention to the poems' structures.
Amie: good attention to the language used in the poems. Remember it is 'informal', rather than 'unformal'. Your answers are interesting.
Ashma: excellent use of evidence from the poem ("great big bundle of culture") and well compared to the other poems.
Cameron: good summaries of the three poems and a well spotted comparison - are there any more similarities? Do the people in the poems like /dislike the country?
Sophie: interesting comparisons between the different poems. Can you back this up with evidence (quotations) from the texts?
--> You will all have 3 vivos loaded onto your accounts for your good work. Well done.
Red white blue- the union jack
ReplyDeleteBubble and squeak- a traditional english dish
the differance between each poems is that one talks about britain more and the other talks about respecting the country more. it also says that he eats food from different countrys so it means that he is from more than one country.
GEORGIA TAGG 8X2
the difference between the poems is that it talks about britin more but uses different phrases form different contries and laguges and reigons. the difference between the poems is that it talks about britin more but uses different phrases form different contries and laguges and reigons. Red, blue and white is the union jack
ReplyDeleteHindustan is referring to the whole of India
Bubble and squeek is fried up vegetables and potatoes
red white and blue = the union jack flag
ReplyDeletebubble and sqeak = traditional british dish
three lions = symbol used for many british occasions
morris dancing = various types of british old folk dancing
i think the poems are simualr because they both talk about cultures the diffrence is that oone talk about more cultures than the other. :)
red,whiteand blue= union jack flag
ReplyDeletebubble and squeak is a tradinal dish
the diffence between the poems that in one it talks about british stuff and the island man is talking about a man that lives in london (england) that mises his homeland
the island man has more discriptive words in it the poems words on the other one is not so discriptive.and its about people that are half british
ReplyDeletered white blue- union jack
ReplyDeleteblubble n squeak- dinner/food
3 lions- england badge/logo
morris dancing- dance
morrissey- singer
difference- one has moredescription than the other
really sorry it's late, i forgot about the lunch thing.
Georgia T: good comments. Interesting reference to food. Can that be linked to aything else?
ReplyDeleteGeorgia B: again, very good comments made, but is it possible to back your points up with evidence? What 'different phrases' are used? What do they show?
Grant: Which one talks about culture more? Be specific - make sure to name the poems:
In the poem 'England, Half English', the poet...
Oscar: is there anything suggested about the poets' different attitudes to Britain? Good research, but more detail needed!
Michael: Which 'other one'? You could have used evidence from the text: which descriptive words? Tell us!
Millie: good research of words, but you need to include far more detail in your longer answers. Which poem? What detail? Evidence?
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Good effort, everyone. I look forward to reading your next set.
cant find the other home work ryan o'connor and christian mann
ReplyDeleteIt's above higher up the page, Ryan and Christian.
ReplyDeleteOr click here:
http://mrnallcooper.blogspot.com/2011/01/8x2-lesson-4-agrarain-vs-industrial.html