Common Themes in Poetry Analysis
The
Ferryman’s
Arms
The 10 Mark Question
Commonality
•
First 2 marks – identify the
commonality
: the thing that
links both the poems you are using.
Make it very clear how it is shown in both poems.
Printed Text/Extract
•
Next 2 marks – show how this commonality is
demonstrated
in the poem in front of you
.
Do this by quoting a relevant section or phrase and then
analyse it in detail.
Secondary text/Elsewhere
•
The remaining 6 marks are best split into 3 lots of 2 marks
OR
2 lots of 3 marks. Referring to the other poem you are
using,
show how it demonstrates the commonality by
quoting a relevant section or phrase and then analyse it in
detail.
The amount of detail in your analysis will determine
whether you get 3 or 2 marks in this section.
Commonality
•
Describe the area of commonality between the poem
and the other poem to which you will be referring
(2 marks)
For example, stating that the poem has clear mood and
then a sentence outlining how the subject matter of
each poem explores this technique/theme. Both poems
portray a menacing and disturbing world.
11:00:
Baldovan
portrays through imagery the landscape of
nightmare with its unfamiliar streets , and in
The
Ferryman’s Arms
the place between life and death is
explored.
•
I mark for a simple remark about commonality
•
2 marks for a more well-developed answer.
Printed Text/Extract
Make a specific reference (quote or reference) to the poem in
front of you in answer to the question (2 marks) –
-
You must make a reference to or quote from the extract and
then explain how this extract explores the theme of
bitterness or pain.
–
No marks
for quote/reference alone
– 1 mark for
brief comment/analysis
– 2 marks for
more well-developed, deeper analysis
For example, explain that the poem deals with a sinister
mood. In
The Ferryman’s Arms
we are presented with an
unsettling place where the speaker is drawn in to the backroom
to the worn pool table with its intestinal rumble. The second
stanza then sees him waiting on the ghost-like ferry which
arrives without breaking the skin of the water. The sea in this
poem is also black and foreboding.
Extract/Elsewhere
Make 3 references to another poem and link each one to the
question by showing how the same theme is explored (6 marks)
– Refer to one incident or quote and explain how pain of love
revealed/developed in that moment
(1 mark for basic comment; 2 marks for insightful comment)
– REPEAT TWICE MORE
– The points you make
do not need to be linked together in any
way
. You must simply choose 2 to 3 relevant moments and
explain how they exemplify the point you made in the
commonality section.
Extract/Elsewhere
Worrying gets the boy nowhere:
“...the bus will let us down in another country...”
It is as if he has no control and can’t do anything to
stop it. The metaphor ”another country” implies a
foreign place that is unfamiliar to the speaker.
This image signifies the poem’s transition into a
metaphorical world and one that is menacing.
The bus the boys travelled on becomes a ”charred
wreck”
Question
In this poem, Paterson uses an apparently
ordinary experience
to explore a deeper truth
about
humanity
.
By referring to this and another poem or poems
by Don Paterson you have studied discuss how
he uses poetry to explore
the deeper truths
behind ordinary experience.
Commonality
The
Ferryman’s Arms
and
Nil Nil
are two poems by
Don Paterson. Each of them take an apparently
everyday event and turn it into a deeper look at our
lives. The Ferryman’s Arms would appear to be
about a man waiting in an island pub for the Ferry
that will fetch him home, however a deeper reading
of the text reveals that it could actually be about
dying. A similar truth is revealed in Nil Nil when
Paterson suggests that everything will fade to
nothing through the tale of a declining football
team and a devastating spitfire crash during WW2.
Both poems then could be read as teaching us
about death or nothingness.
Printed Text / Extract (the one in front of you)
In The Ferryman’s Arms there is a clear reference to
death when Paterson writes about being drawn to
the pool room “like a moth”. This simile is effective
on two levels. First of all he is comparing himself to
a moth and the pool room to a light. This suggests
that he can’t help himself in finding something to
fill ten minutes. On a deeper reading though, the
poem has multiple references to Greek mythology
and we see that here as a moth represents the soul
and we could read it as his soul being taken
somewhere. There is another idea of death here as
well as the moth is being ‘pulled towards the light’
just like the western euphemism for death.
Secondary Text(s)/Elsewhere
In Nil Nil there is an idea of nothingness or
death introduced straight away in the phrase
“plague of grey bonnets”. Here Paterson has
used a metaphor and word choice to shape his
idea. The “plague” of grey bonnets is the
spectators’ hats but the word “plague” suggests
they are a disease which will eradicate the
football. There are connotations of a “plague of
locusts” which leave nothing behind when
finished. The colour “grey” is also nondescript
again hinting at the nothingness to come.
.
Secondary Text(s)/Elsewhere
At the end of Nil Nil there is a definite image of
nothingness or death as the speaker addresses us
directly in the phrases “failing light,” the trail that
“steadily fades” and eventually “nirvana” and “the plot
thinning down to a point so thin not even angels can
dance on it”. Paterson carefully selects specific words
here to hint at the nothingness. “failing” tells us that
the light is no longer there, that it is dying out.
“steadily” again repeats this idea that it is definitely
declining into nothing. Nirvana is the state of non-
being, it is a passive nothingness. The final image
shows us that there is nothing left of the story as not
even the delicate angels are able to do anything on it as
it no longer exists.
The task involves analyzing common themes in two poems, identifying how they are depicted in each, and referring to a third poem to demonstrate similar themes. The goal is to quote, analyze, and link these themes across the poems, showcasing a deep understanding of their exploration of bitterness, pain, and love.
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Presentation Transcript
The Ferryman s Arms
The 10 Mark Question Commonality First 2 marks identify the commonality: the thing that links both the poems you are using. Make it very clear how it is shown in both poems. Printed Text/Extract Next 2 marks show how this commonality is demonstrated in the poem in front of you. Do this by quoting a relevant section or phrase and then analyse it in detail. Secondary text/Elsewhere The remaining 6 marks are best split into 3 lots of 2 marks OR 2 lots of 3 marks. Referring to the other poem you are using, show how it demonstrates the commonality by quoting a relevant section or phrase and then analyse it in detail. The amount of detail in your analysis will determine whether you get 3 or 2 marks in this section.
Commonality Describe the area of commonality between the poem and the other poem to which you will be referring (2 marks) For example, stating that the poem has clear mood and then a sentence outlining how the subject matter of each poem explores this technique/theme. Both poems portray a menacing and disturbing world. 11:00: Baldovan portrays through imagery the landscape of nightmare with its unfamiliar streets , and in The Ferryman s Arms the place between life and death is explored. I mark for a simple remark about commonality 2 marks for a more well-developed answer.
Printed Text/Extract Make a specific reference (quote or reference) to the poem in front of you in answer to the question (2 marks) - You must make a reference to or quote from the extract and then explain how this extract explores the theme of bitterness or pain. No marks for quote/reference alone 1 mark for brief comment/analysis 2 marks for more well-developed, deeper analysis For example, explain that the poem deals with a sinister mood. In The Ferryman s Arms we are presented with an unsettling place where the speaker is drawn in to the backroom to the worn pool table with its intestinal rumble. The second stanza then sees him waiting on the ghost-like ferry which arrives without breaking the skin of the water. The sea in this poem is also black and foreboding.
Extract/Elsewhere Make 3 references to another poem and link each one to the question by showing how the same theme is explored (6 marks) Refer to one incident or quote and explain how pain of love revealed/developed in that moment (1 mark for basic comment; 2 marks for insightful comment) REPEAT TWICE MORE The points you make do not need to be linked together in any way. You must simply choose 2 to 3 relevant moments and explain how they exemplify the point you made in the commonality section.
Extract/Elsewhere Worrying gets the boy nowhere: ...the bus will let us down in another country... It is as if he has no control and can t do anything to stop it. The metaphor another country implies a foreign place that is unfamiliar to the speaker. This image signifies the poem s transition into a metaphorical world and one that is menacing. The bus the boys travelled on becomes a charred wreck
Question In this poem, Paterson uses an apparently ordinary experience to explore a deeper truth about humanity. By referring to this and another poem or poems by Don Paterson you have studied discuss how he uses poetry to explore the deeper truths behind ordinary experience.
Commonality The Ferryman s Arms and Nil Nil are two poems by Don Paterson. Each of them take an apparently everyday event and turn it into a deeper look at our lives. The Ferryman s Arms would appear to be about a man waiting in an island pub for the Ferry that will fetch him home, however a deeper reading of the text reveals that it could actually be about dying. A similar truth is revealed in Nil Nil when Paterson suggests that everything will fade to nothing through the tale of a declining football team and a devastating spitfire crash during WW2. Both poems then could be read as teaching us about death or nothingness.
Printed Text / Extract (the one in front of you) In The Ferryman s Arms there is a clear reference to death when Paterson writes about being drawn to the pool room like a moth . This simile is effective on two levels. First of all he is comparing himself to a moth and the pool room to a light. This suggests that he can t help himself in finding something to fill ten minutes. On a deeper reading though, the poem has multiple references to Greek mythology and we see that here as a moth represents the soul and we could read it as his soul being taken somewhere. There is another idea of death here as well as the moth is being pulled towards the light just like the western euphemism for death.
Secondary Text(s)/Elsewhere In Nil Nil there is an idea of nothingness or death introduced straight away in the phrase plague of grey bonnets . Here Paterson has used a metaphor and word choice to shape his idea. The plague of grey bonnets is the spectators hats but the word plague suggests they are a disease which will eradicate the football. There are connotations of a plague of locusts which leave nothing behind when finished. The colour grey is also nondescript again hinting at the nothingness to come. .
Secondary Text(s)/Elsewhere At the end of Nil Nil there is a definite image of nothingness or death as the speaker addresses us directly in the phrases failing light, the trail that steadily fades and eventually nirvana and the plot thinning down to a point so thin not even angels can dance on it . Paterson carefully selects specific words here to hint at the nothingness. failing tells us that the light is no longer there, that it is dying out. steadily again repeats this idea that it is definitely declining into nothing. Nirvana is the state of non- being, it is a passive nothingness. The final image shows us that there is nothing left of the story as not even the delicate angels are able to do anything on it as it no longer exists.
