Y12 examinations

Just a reminder:

Your Unit 1 examination for Prose and Poetry is on Wednesday 20th May 2009 (2hr 15mins, am).

Happy days!

Coursework completion and poetry preparation

Coursework Folders

You should now have completed your two assignments and only need to make minor corrections to them in order to submit for final marking.

2500 is the maximum word length for both assignments together. The Explorative Study should be about 1600-1800 words and the Creative Critical Piece about 700-900 words but no more.

Please ensure you hand in your final submission to me next week, at the latest by Friday 8th May 2009. I will have to final mark and moderate by 13th May so MUST have these in hand.

Unit 1 Poetry: "From Here to Eternity"

We will look together at "CV" by Simon Armitage and "It's Work" by Benjamin Zephaniah.


"CV" by Simon Armitage

1. How many jobs are there on this CV? Make a list.
2. What reasons does the narrator give for leaving some of these jobs?
3. What impression does the rapid-fire listing of jobs give in the poem? Of work and of the 'worker' or narrator?
4. Are these jobs all part of one CV or several? Why do you think this?
5. What impressions and images of work are given by this poem? Is it something noble or of value in the lives of others in this poem? Why?
6. How does this poem reflect a view that work is part of a 'rat race' and what might this mean? How might class be a significant presence in the poem? Or is it?
7. What is the significance of the ending of the poem for what has come before?
8. How is this poem a commentary on the meaning and value of work in contemporary society?
9. Do you think this is a cynical poem? Why/why not?
10. How realistic to the experience of people in modern Britain is this poem?

"It's work" by Benjamin Zephaniah

1. What kinds of work are catalogued in this poem?
2. Which jobs would the narrator feel comfortable with and why?
3. How much is this a poem about growing up?
4. What does the poet mean by "An me black heart don't get no lighter"?
5. How much is this a poem about the experience of black youth - and especially males - in modern Britain?
6. Why does the poet suggest that "One day I'll have a proper job"?
7. What is the poet adamant he "won't do "? Why is this?
8. How does the poet use non-standard English in the poem?
9. How does this poem compare to "CV" by Simon Armitage?
10. Which do you prefer and why?

Homework

1. Complete coursework for final marking.
2. Complete questions on the poems.

Image: Simon Armitage, as he appears on his website http://www.simonarmitage.co.uk/.