The Paper Tiger
Play script by
Teacher Pack by
Matt Edgerton
Emily Bosco
Directed by
Darren Gilshenan
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................... i
Project Zero: Harvard Graduate School of Education .............................................................................. i
Classroom Activities ................................................................................................................................... i
Extracts....................................................................................................................................................... i
Images and Photographs .......................................................................................................................... i
How to Use this Teacher Pack ................................................................................... ii
Approaches to Teaching and Learning .....................................................................................................ii
The Paper Tiger ......................................................................................................... iii
Writer’s Introduction ................................................................................................................................iii
Now that You’ve Seen Our Show… ........................................................................... 1
A Poem Begins in Delight… ....................................................................................................................... 1
Give One, Get One .................................................................................................................................... 1
Let’s Take a Closer Look at the Featured Poems… .................................................................................. 2
Play On by Omar Musa ............................................................................................................................. 2
Let’s Focus on Metaphor! ..............................................................................................................................3
Plus One .........................................................................................................................................................3
The Tyger by William Blake ...................................................................................................................... 4
Classroom Activities .......................................................................................................................................4
From Poetry to Art! ........................................................................................................................................5
Think, Puzzle, Explore.....................................................................................................................................5
Poetic Putdowns: Having Fun with Shakespearean Insults .................................................................... 6
Shakespearean Insults Generator ..................................................................................................................6
Get Creative! ..................................................................................................................................................8
The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe.................................................................................................................. 9
Let’s Take a Look at Rhyme and Alliteration! .............................................................................................. 10
Sibilance: A Special Case ............................................................................................................................. 11
Mulga Bill’s Bicycle by Banjo Paterson .................................................................................................. 12
Let’s Take a Look at Rhythm and Imagery! ................................................................................................. 12
Creating Original and Unusual Imagery: Avoiding Clichés ................................................................... 14
Turning Maya’s Clichés into Potent Images ................................................................................................ 14
Beautiful Soup by Lewis Carroll .............................................................................................................. 15
The Literary Nonsense Genre...................................................................................................................... 15
The Melancholy of the Mock Turtle ............................................................................................................ 15
Poetry in Action: Words that Changed the World
‘Jabberwocky’ and the Slipperiness of Language .........................................................................................16
Soup Crimp & Four Way Crimp/Paper Castle Medley by The Mighty Boosh (Noel Fielding & Julian
Barratt ..................................................................................................................................................... 17
Crimping: Pushing Genre Boundaries ..........................................................................................................17
The Mixed-Up Cliché Game: Combating Clichés with Nonsense Poetry ......................................................18
Get Creative! ................................................................................................................................................19
Risk by Anaïs Nin ..................................................................................................................................... 20
Let’s Take a Look at Objective Correlative! ..................................................................................................20
Considering Theme ......................................................................................................................................20
Still I Rise by Maya Angelou ................................................................................................................... 21
Layers ...........................................................................................................................................................21
May Your Pen Grace the Page by Luka Lesson ...................................................................................... 23
Connect, Extend, Challenge .........................................................................................................................23
Thinking About Poetry! ............................................................................................. 25
I Used to Think… But Now I Think…..............................................................................................................25
Acknowledgements
Project Zero: Harvard Graduate School of Education
The materials in this book make extensive use of thinking routines to assist students in making their
thinking visible. These thinking routines were developed by Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate
School of Education as part of the Visible Thinking project, funded by Carpe Vitam Foundation, Artful
Thinking and the Cultures of Thinking project funded by Bialik College and Abe and Vera Dorevitch. Use
of these routines here is not reflective of any endorsement by Project Zero, Harvard University or any
of the funding entities of their research projects.
Classroom Activities
The Shakespearean insults activity on page 6 has been adapted from the work of Lindsey Price at
Theatrefolk. The original classroom activity can be found here.
The Mixed-Up Cliché Game on page 18 has been adapted from the work of Chris Dunmire at
Chrisdunmire.com. The original activity can be found here.
Extracts
The author would like to acknowledge the following:
Extracts from ‘Play On’ by Omar Musa, 2011, 2; ‘The Tyger’ by William Blake, Songs of Experience, Public
Domain, 1794, 4; King Lear by William Shakespeare, Public Domain, First Folio edition 1623, 6; ‘The
Raven’ by Edgar Allan Poe, Public Domain, 1845, 9; ‘Mulga Bill’s Bicycle’ by Banjo Paterson, Rio Grande's
Last Race and Other Verses, Public Domain, 1902, 12; ‘Beautiful Soup’ by Lewis Carroll, Alice’s
Adventures in Wonderland, Public Domain, 1865, 15; ‘Soup Crimp’ and ‘Four Way Crimp/Paper Castle
Medley’ by Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt, 1998, 17; ‘Risk’ by Anaïs Nin; 20; ‘Still I Rise’ by Maya
Angelou, Still I Rise: A Book of Poems, 1978, 21; ‘May Your Pen Grace the Page’ by Luka Lesson, 23.
Images and Photographs
Cover image: ‘The Tyger’ by William Blake, William Blake Archive, Public Domain,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29524596
Omar Musa, States of Poetry, via The Australia Book Review:
https://www.australianbookreview.com.au/arts-update/theatre/171-states-of-poetry-act/2976states-of-poetry-act-about-omar-musa?tmpl=component&print=1, 2
Cliché graphic, via TES: https://www.tes.com/lessons/qICbwTWprte0ZA/cliches, 14
Noel Fielding & Julian Barratt, via UK Independent: http://www.independent.co.uk/artsentertainment/tv/news/the-mighty-boosh-noel-fielding-says-he-is-writing-with-julian-barratt-againa6857926.html, 17
Anaïs Nin, photograph by Elsa Dorfman [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/), via Wikimedia Commons, 20
Maya Angelou, photograph by Adria Richards [CC BY-SA 2.0
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons, 21
Luka Lesson, photograph by Arterium Creations (Arterium Creations) [Public domain], via Wikimedia
Commons, 23
Wikimedia commons, 4, 5, 6, 9, 12, 15, 16.
Poetry in Action: Words that Changed the World
i
How to Use this Teacher Pack
Approaches to Teaching and Learning
This pack has been designed to enhance your students’ experience of our show, The Paper Tiger. To
ensure that students get the most from the show, we have included a variety of classroom activities to
promote critical engagement with the featured poems in our show.
Of course, classroom teachers are the best judge of their students’ skills and knowledge!
For this reason, your students do not need to progress through every activity. Although, doing so will
certainly maximise the value of the show! Rather, the pack has been written with flexibility,
differentiation, and a cross-curriculum focus in mind. On the pages that follow, you will find that there
is a wealth of teaching and learning activities relevant to: English, History, Visual Arts, and Drama.
Each of the poems featured in the show have been organised into a mini-unit of work, making it easy
for you to select those poems you would like your students to consider more closely. Included are notes
on each poet and poem, along with individual and group activities. Visible thinking routines, inspired
by Project Zero at the Harvard University of Education, have been integrated into the study of each
featured poem.
Poetry in Action: The Paper Tiger
ii
Poetry in Action presents
The Paper Tiger
Writer’s Introduction
By Matt Edgerton
Why does poetry matter?
Why are creativity and self-expression important?
What would a world without poetry and creativity look like?
These are the questions posed by The Paper Tiger.
The forces of darkness are gathering to take away all the lyrical flow of
everyone on earth – what is at stake?
The show is a frenetically paced, funny, and absurd adventure story,
designed to give junior high schools students a joyful experience of
poetry, while exploring elements of poetry such as: rhyme, rhythm,
imagery, nonsense, and theme.
The poetry included in the show is eclectic. It includes Aussie hip-hop from Omar Musa and Luka
Lesson, Shakespearean insults, international classics from William Blake and Edgar Allan Poe, and an
Australian classic from Banjo Paterson, as well as nonsense from Lewis Carroll and The Mighty Boosh.
The show draws both implicitly and explicitly on a number of popular culture tropes including: The
Mighty Boosh, Harry Potter, zombie films, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, The Phantom Tollbooth, Alice’s
Adventures in Wonderland, and the work of Lewis Carroll more broadly. It certainly creates an absurd
world all of its own!
Students will follow the show and its ideas without any preparation, but will certainly benefit from
familiarity with some or all of the featured poems.
Matt Edgerton
Poetry in Action: The Paper Tiger
iii
Now that You’ve Seen Our Show…
So, you’ve just seen The Paper Tiger, and you’re understandably sad it all had to come to an end!
But, rest assured the fun and games don’t have to stop just because the curtain has closed. There is
plenty more to do, and loads more fun to be had exploring the poems featured in our show!
And where better to start this process than with you?
A Poem Begins in Delight…
The American poet, Robert Frost once said that “a poem begins in delight and ends in wisdom”.
By this, Frost meant that when we first encounter a poem, it is the beauty of words coming together
to form images that captivates us, and brings us joy. Our initial attraction is to the language, and what
it allows us to see, feel, and experience. From this point of view, poetry speaks to us before we have
completely understood what it is saying.
However, the beauty and charm of poetic language can
only carry us so far. For a poem to be genuinely
significant to us, we must also strive to understand the
poet’s message.
Think back to the show and choose the poem that
delighted you the most. Answer all or some of the
following questions:
Featured Poems
Play On, Omar Musa (2011)
The Tyger, William Blake (1794)
The Raven, Edgar Allen Poe (1845)
Mulga Bill’s Bicycle, A.B. Banjo Paterson
(1896)
Beautiful Soup, Lewis Carroll (1865)
Soup Crimp and Four Way Crimp/Paper
Castle Medley, The Mighty Boosh (1998)
Risk, Anaïs Nin
Still I Rise, Maya Angelou (1978)
May Your Pen Grace the Page, Luca Lesson
(2012)
How did the poem make you feel?
What images came to mind as you were listening?
Write down one of the images that really stood
out for you. Why do you think this image is so
memorable?
If the poem were a painting, what would it look
like?
What is the poet’s message? In two or three sentences, explain what you understand to be the
message of the poem you have chosen.
Give One, Get One
Now, look back over your answers to the above questions. Select the answer you are most proud of,
and highlight it. Next, find a partner. Share your response to your chosen poem with this partner. Next,
listen to your partner’s response to their chosen poem, and write this down. Take a moment to think
about your partner’s response, and to reflect on the discussion you have had about the poems featured
in the show.
What have you learnt about power, beauty, and charm of poetic language from your peers?
What makes poetry an effective medium for communicating ideas?
What do you still find puzzling or challenging about poetry, or the role of the poet?
To what sources could you turn for more information and clarification?
Poetry in Action: Words that Changed the World
1
Let’s Take a Closer Look at the Featured Poems…
To help you really get into poetry, we have come up with some activities that focus on the poems in
the show. Because we need to keep the show to a reasonable length, many of these poems have been
abridged. However, we do encourage teachers to offer the poems unabridged to students in the
classroom, where appropriate, and to use this as an opportunity to push student thinking further. So,
for each poem, a link to the full text has been provided.
Play On
By Omar Musa
Poet: Omar Musa is an Australian author, poet, and
performance poet. His work is held in high regard for its
treatment of issues such as: youth, identity, and culture. In 2009
he won the Australian Poetry Slam.
‘Play On’
This is a warning to everyone.
Source: States of Poetry 2016, via
https://www.australianbookreview.com.au/art
s-update/theatre/171-states-of-poetryact/2976-states-of-poetry-act-about-omar-
Purpose: ‘Play On’ encourages the
audience to pursue their dreams,
despite life’s setbacks, and to never
give up. Expressed as a warning, the
poem cautions us against losing our
passion in the face of criticism and
rejection.
Full Text: Please note, we removed
the coarse language from our
performance of the poem. You can,
however, read the full text of the
poem
. Alternatively, you can
view a performance of ‘Play On’ by
Omar Musa on YouTube
.
Tomorrow is not your friend.
Tomorrow is a visitor whose arrival you cannot prepare for, whose
moodswings you cannot anticipate. You cannot anticipate because
you never know whether he arrives at your door bearing flowers or a
handgun, but you know that he approaches by the hour.
This is a warning.
Never let the fire in the lamp burn low. Never stop making your
music, even if the record is scratched, the needle is snapped and the
mic is unplugged - play on.
Even when you stand looking out over treacherous reefs, where coral
is like the blades of razors, where the sky is glimmering coal above
sharks and shimmering shoals. Where you wade through tides of
information (some right, some wrong, some plain insane) waves of
opinion so powerful they threaten to drown you - play on.
But I'm not sure why we should, when clearly the odds are stacked
against us. And I know that men's hearts are pastures that bloom with
darkness. And when I look up at a crystalline structure of stars… I see
just that.
All I know is that I am blessed to be here and that someday soon this
man of passion and lust will be ashes and dust. And they will sprinkle
me back into the soil from which I sprang and I don't want my final
whisper to be a lament. I want to say that I sipped from the chalice
when it was handed to me, that I leapt from the cliffs when the
moment demanded it. That even though the record was scratched,
the needle was snapped and the mic was unplugged, I played on.
This is a warning to everyone. Tomorrow is not your friend. So never
let the fire in the lamp burn low. Because you never know when today
might end.
Poetry in Action: The Paper Tiger
2
Let’s Focus on Metaphor!
A metaphor is a figure of speech. It refers to an abstract concept or idea by mentioning it in relation to
another object, or comparing it to another object.
For example, in ‘Play On’, Omar Musa uses the object of “the fire in the lamp” as a metaphor for our
individual passion. This metaphor is effective because a fire creates energy, burns brightly, and
illuminates and warms the surrounding area. It can also rage out of control, and be difficult to contain.
When you think about it, our creative passions have similar characteristics. So, it makes sense to think
of intense human emotions and desires as a burning fire.
What other metaphors does Omar Musa use in ‘Play On’? Write as many as you can in the box below:
My list of metaphors:
Plus One
Now, it is time to work with your peers! Pass your list of metaphors to the person on your right.
You will be given one minute to read their list and add any metaphors to it.
At the end of this minute, you need to pass the list you have to your right again.
You will be given one minute to read the list in front of you, and add any metaphors that haven’t
been mentioned.
When time is up, you need to find the owner of the list you have.
Take a moment to read what your peers have added to your list.
At the end of this routine, your teacher will ask you to contribute metaphors from your list to a whole
class discussion.
After this class discussion has ended, choose your favourite metaphor. Using the example at the top of
this page as a model, explain your chosen metaphor and elaborate on why it is an effective comparison.
Poetry in Action: The Paper Tiger
3
The Tyger
By William Blake
Poet: William Blake was an English poet, painter, and engraver.
Although many of his poems belong to the genre of pastoral poetry,
and seem to be about nature and animals, they are in fact powerful
meditations on living in a world characterised by great social, religious,
and political upheaval. Writing in the wake of the American Revolution
(1775) and the French Revolution (1789), and during England’s
Industrial Revolution, Blake sought to capture and provoke reflection
upon the spirit of rebellion that characterised his age.
About the poem: ‘The Tyger’ is a poem taken from Blake’s collection
of poetry called Songs of Experience. In this poem, the tiger is both
beautiful and fearsome. By using the tiger as a symbol of magnificence
and destruction, Blake challenges us to think about the kind of creator
who would design a beast so splendid, yet so terrifying. In this sense,
Blake is interrogating the nature of the Christian God, who as a creator is a complex mixture of
benevolence and malevolence. He is asking us to consider: what does the existence of evil in the world
tell us about God?
Source: By Phillips Schiavonetti [Public
domain], via Wikimedia Commons
However, Blake is also questioning the nature of humankind, who, like the tiger, have the potential to
be beautiful and destructive. By presenting us with this puzzle, we are given the opportunity to ponder
the existence of power and violence in our world, what purpose it serves, and what it means to live
with the knowledge that we are capable of great brilliance and great brutality.
Full Text: You can read the poem in full here.
Classroom Activities
Take a close look at ‘The Tyger’. Be sure to read the poem
aloud, twice.
1. Notice that the tiger is a source of energy, but also a
source of fear. This is called a paradox. Can you
identify some lines that show the tiger as having both
attributes?
2. Blake describes the Tyger as “Burning bright/In the
forests of the night”. Do you interpret this as an
image of a beautiful, or a fearsome creature? Provide
reasons for your response.
3. There is an emphasis on the tiger as a creation.
Highlight the words or phrases that show the tiger is
made, or created. What is the effect of this
emphasis? What do you think Blake is trying to say?
4. Explain the effect of structuring the poem as a series
of rhetorical questions.
Poetry in Action: The Paper Tiger
‘The Tyger’ Excerpt:
Tyger Tyger burning bright
In the forests of the night.
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare seize the fire?
And what shoulder, and what art.
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? And what dread feet?
Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?
4
From Poetry to Art!
William Blake was known for both his poetry and his art. He
used a technique called engraving to illustrate his poems.
To the left you can see the illustrated version of ‘The Tyger’,
which was published in 1789.
This helps us to understand how the poet imagined the
tiger. Notice the artistic emphasis on symmetry? This
reveals a little more about those attributes of the tiger that
Blake felt strongly about.
Now, think about the one image from the poem that strikes
you the most. Is it the tiger burning brightly in the nighttime forest? Perhaps it is the dark craftsmanship required
to “twist the sinews” of the tiger’s heart?
Choose one image from the poem, and create an artwork
of this image as it appears to you in your imagination. To do
this, choose a particular artistic style for your
representation of the tiger.
Source: William Blake [Public domain], via Wikimedia
Commons
For example, your artwork could be in the style of an
Impressionist, like Claude Monet. Or, you might prefer the
abstract style of a Cubist, like Pablo Picasso. Or, your idea
of the tiger might be best expressed in the Surrealist style
of Salvador Dali. There are many artistic movements to
choose from, so be sure to do some research. The Art Story
is a good place to start.
Once you have completed your artwork, compose a 300 word reflection statement, which explains the
artistic choices you have made. Be sure to include insight into:
Your chosen image from the poem, and what struck you about this image.
Your choice of artistic movement, and why you believe it was the most effective stylistic choice
for representing your understanding of the tiger.
Think, Puzzle, Explore
Now it is time to share your artwork with a partner! Exchange artworks, and use the thinking routine
below to consider your partner’s representation of an image from ‘The Tyger’:
Think
Puzzle
Explore
Poetry in Action: The Paper Tiger
What image from ‘The Tyger’ do you think the artwork represents?
What artistic style has been used to represent this image?
What is the effect of rendering the tiger using this particular artistic
style? In what ways does this visual representation affect your
interpretation of the image from the poem?
Share your thoughts with the owner of the artwork. Ask them to
explain or clarify any parts of their artwork that you found puzzling.
5
Poetic Putdowns
Having Fun with Shakespearean Insults
In The Paper Tiger, Lewis uses insults from Shakespeare’s works to bring
Maya back to life after she has been bitten by a poetry zombie. And, it
turns out these putdowns are pretty powerful stuff!
But, like Lewis, when we first encounter Shakespearean language, we
might not realise how powerful it really is. Rather than revelling in the
grittiness, violence, and vulgarity of the language, we can feel a bit
intimidated by it as it seems so strange, formal, and old-fashioned.
The characters in The Paper Tiger remind us that how we think about,
and approach Shakespearean language is important because it ends up
having great influence over how we view Shakespeare’s works. If we
only see Shakespearean drama as the serious business of academic
Source: By Martin Droeshout.[Public
English studies, it remains difficult and dry. By thinking, like Lewis, that
domain], via Wikimedia Commons
there aren’t any rude bits, because “it’s Shakespeare”, we risk missing
all the fun and enjoyment that comes from playing around with language for the purpose of achieving
the most potent effect possible.
Shakespearean Insults Generator
Shakespeare knew that a proper insult requires
imagination, nerve, grace, and eloquence, mixed
with a hint of bitterness.
Below, you will find a table that will help you
construct your very own Shakespearean insults that
are guaranteed to meet this very high standard!
To make your insult, begin with the word thou,
followed by a word from column A, B, and C. For
example, using the first word from each column
gives the insult: Thou artless base-court apple-john.
The Rudest Thing Shakespeare Ever Wrote:
You’re are a knave, a rascal, an eater of broken
meats, a base, proud, shallow, beggarly, threesuited, hundred-pound, filthy, worsted-stocking
knave! A lily-livered, action-taking knave! A
whoreson, glass-gazing, super-serviceable finical
rogue and art nothing but the composition of a
knave, beggar, coward, pandar, and the son and heir
of a mongrel boar pig!
Kent, King Lear (II.ii)
“ El tigre de papel… let’s dance, you
Mangled Toad-Spotted Puttock. You may
take my poetry, you may take my
imagination, but you’ll never take my
freedom!
”
The Paper Tiger
Poetry in Action: The Paper Tiger
6
Column A
Shakespearean Insults Generator
Column B
Column C
artless
bawdy
beslubbering
bootless
burly-boned
caluminous
churlish
cockered
clouted
craven
cullionly
currish
dankish
dissembling
droning
errant
fawning
fishified
fobbing
froward
frothy
fusty
gleeking
goatish
gorbellied
impertinent
infectious
jarring
loggerheaded
lumpish
mammering
mangled
mewling
misbegotten
odiferous
paunchy
poisonous
pribbling
puking
puny
quailing
rank
reeky
roguish
ruttish
saucy
spleeny
Poetry in Action: The Paper Tiger
base-court
bat-fowling
beef-witted
beetle-headed
boil-brained
clapper-clawed
clay-brained
common-kissing
crook-pated
dismal-dreaming
dizzy-eyed
doghearted
dread-bolted
earth-vexing
elf-skinned
fat-kidneyed
fen-sucked
flap-mouthed
fly-bitten
folly-fallen
fool-born
full-gorged
guts-griping
half-faced
hasty-witted
hedge-born
hell-hated
idle-headed
ill-breeding
ill-nurtured
knotty-pated
lily-livered
malmsey-nosed
milk-livered
motley-minded
onion-eyed
plume-plucked
pottle-deep
pox-marked
rampallian
reeling-ripe
rough-hewn
rude-growing
rump-fed
scurvy-valiant
shard-borne
sheep-biting
apple-john
baggage
barnacle
bladder
blind-worm
boar-pig
bugbear
bum-bailey
canker-blossom
clack-dish
clotpole
coxcomb
codpiece
death-token
dewberry
flap-dragon
flax-wench
flirt-gill
foot-licker
fustilarian
giglet
gudgeon
haggard
harpy
hedge-pig
horn-beast
hugger-mugger
jolthead
knave
lewdster
lout
maggot-pie
malt-worm
mammet
measle
minnow
miscreant
moldwarp
mumble-news
nut-hook
pigeon-egg
pignut
popinjay
puttock
pumpion
ratsbane
rogue
7
spongy
surly
tottering
unmuzzled
vain
venomed
villainous
warped
wart-necked
wayward
weedy
wimpled
yeasty
spur-galled
swag-bellied
tardy-gaited
tickle-brained
toad-spotted
urchin-snouted
weather-bitten
whoreson
scullian
scut
skainsmate
strumpet
varlet
vassal
whey-face
wagtail
Get Creative!
After you have written a few insults, find a partner to work with. Together, think of a simple scenario
in which two people find themselves arguing. For inspiration, you could look at the opening scene from
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. In this scene, Samson and Gregory, servants of the Capulet House,
encounter Abraham and Balthasar, who are servants of the Montague House, on a street in Verona.
These houses, or families, bear a very old and deep-seated grudge against one another. So, upon seeing
Abraham and Balthasar, Samson and Gregory decide to pick a fight by hurling insults at them.
After you have decided on a scenario, compose a short piece of dialogue using your own
Shakespearean insults. Write your finished dialogue in the box below:
Poetry in Action: The Paper Tiger
8
The Raven
By Edgar Allan Poe
Poet: Edgar Allan Poe was an American poet, writer, and literary
critic. Writing during the 1830s and 1840s, he is an important
figure in the establishment and growth of American literature,
which was in its infancy at this time. Poe is best known for his
contribution to the American Gothic genre, and a great many of
his poems and short stories explore the darker facets of the
human mind and experience.
About the poem: ‘The Raven’ was first published in The New
York Evening Mirror in 1845. It follows an unnamed narrator who
sits reading a book by his fireplace in an effort to distract himself
from the death of his beloved, Lenore. He suddenly hears a
repeated tapping at his window, which turns out to be a raven.
Source: W.S. Hartshorn, Providence, Rhode
After letting the bird into his chamber, it settles upon the bust of
Island derivative work: BorgQueen at
en.wikipedia (Edgar_Allan_Poe_2.jpg)
Pallas (the Goddess of Wisdom), above the door. The narrator
[Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
proceeds to talk to the raven, becoming increasingly unstable as
the bird reminds him of Lenore’s death and his grief. He is torn between wanting to forget Lenore, and
wanting to remember her, and even have her return from the dead as a ghost. However, the raven’s
repeated refrain, “nevermore”, serves to dash his hopes as he knows that in reality Lenore is gone
forever. She is nothing more than an “echo”.
From this point of view, the poem is a meditation on the
destructive consequences of undying, and obsessive love
and devotion. The appearance of the raven, and what it
might signify, leads the narrator to contemplate the
supernatural as an antidote to his pain and suffering.
Beginning the poem as a “weary”, but rational man, the
narrator descends into madness by the poem’s close as he
indulges his desire, firstly to be reunited with Lenore’s
ghost, and secondly to be saved from his painful memories
of her by means of a supernatural potion: a “nepenthe”.
Realising the impossibility of both options, he erupts in
fury and despair, demanding the raven leave him.
However, like the death and memory that the raven
symbolises, the bird refuses to leave, trapping the narrator
in a world characterised by an unrelenting awareness of
death, sorrow, and memory.
So, what does the raven
symbolise?
In his essay, The Philosophy of
Composition, Edgar Allan Poe
remarked that his raven is
“emblematical of Mournful and never
ending Remembrance”.
But, in mythology and literature, the
raven is a very complex symbol. Do
some research to find out other
interpretations of the raven. Apply
these interpretations to Poe’s poem
to see if the poem can support them.
Full Text: You can read the
poem in full here.
Poetry in Action: The Paper Tiger
9
Let’s Take a Look at
Rhyme and Alliteration!
In The Paper Tiger, Poe teaches
Maya about the poetic devices of
rhyme and alliteration.
Read the excerpt from ‘The Raven’
aloud, twice.
1. Now, highlight all the words
in the poem that rhyme.
Notice that some words within the
same line rhyme, like “dreary” and
“weary”. But, some words used at
the end of the lines also rhyme, like
“lore” and “door”.
When words within the same line
rhyme it is called internal rhyme.
The word internal means inside.
‘The Raven’ Excerpt:
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 someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door Only this, 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 door Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door Perched, 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 shore Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!'
Quoth the raven, `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 fluttered Till I scarcely more than muttered `Other friends have flown before On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before.'
Then the bird said, `Nevermore.'
2. Re-read the first stanza of
the poem.
3. Circle the words that form
an internal rhyming pattern. See how these rhymes help you to notice those words more than
the other words in the lines?
4. Poets sometimes use internal rhymes to help readers see connections between the rhyming
words. Choose one example of internal rhyme from the poem and explain the connection
between these words.
When words at the end of lines rhyme it is called external rhyme. The word external means outside. An
easy way to visualise a poem’s external rhyme scheme is to assign each sound at the end of a line a
letter. So, the first sound you come to you mark with an A, the second a B, and so on. If the same sound
occurs in a later line, you simply write the letter you gave that sound when you first heard it. This is
how you would label the external rhyme scheme of the first stanza of ‘The Raven’:
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary, [A]
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore, [B]
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, [C]
As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. [B]
`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door – [B]
Only this, and nothing more. [B]
So, the external rhyme scheme for this stanza is written as: ABCBBB. Unlike an internal rhyme scheme,
which is unique to each stanza, an external rhyme scheme usually applies to the entire poem. When
the external rhyme scheme forms the same pattern throughout the poem, we say that the poem has
a regular rhyme scheme.
Poetry in Action: The Paper Tiger
10
5. Look at the other
stanzas, and label the
Rhymes are used for all sorts of things. I think of
external rhyme scheme.
them as like little meat-hooks in your brain that
6. What is the effect of this
pull you though the poem. Each one keeps you
external rhyme scheme
listening as you wait for the next one. Napping!
on the pace (the rate or
Rapping! Rapping! Tapping!
speed) of the poem?
7. What themes, ideas, or
The Paper Tiger
aspects of the narrator’s
character does Poe reinforce by using this external rhyme scheme?
“
”
Alliteration is the repetition of the first consonant sound in a series of words.
8. Using a different coloured highlighter, highlight all the examples of alliteration you can find in
‘The Raven’.
9. What effect does Poe’s use of alliteration have on the mood or atmosphere of the poem?
Sibilance: A Special Case
Like alliteration, sibilance is a form of rhyme that is created through the repetition of consonant sounds.
However, in the case of sibilance, the repeated consonant sound is either an s, sh, z, or ch sound that
occurs in close proximity.
Did You Know?
The word sibilance comes from the
Latin word sībilant, which means “a
hissing” or “whistling.”
Sibilance has a special effect on the ear. On the one hand,
the consonant blends of sh and ch produce a harmonious,
calming sound. This is sometimes called hushing sibilance.
On the other hand, s and z sounds often sound harsh to the
ear, and this can produce a cacophony of sound. This is
sometimes called hissing sibilance.
When used by poets, both types of sibilance impact on the
meaning communicated. Hushing sibilance might be used
to communicate feelings of peace or relief, whilst hissing sibilance may communicate feelings of anxiety
or discord.
‘The Raven’ has many examples of sibilance, and Poe has used both types to communicate the
precarious nature of narrator’s mental state to us. For instance, in the second stanza of the poem, the
pattern of sibilance looks like this:
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 Lenore—
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore—
Nameless here for evermore.
In this stanza, the hushing sound in “wished” communicates the narrator’s hope for what the new
day might bring, whilst the rest of the sibilant sounds are hissing and harsh. They show the narrator’s
grief and anxiety over the death of Lenore.
What other examples of sibilance can you find throughout the poem? What effect does it have?
Poetry in Action: The Paper Tiger
11
Mulga Bill’s Bicycle
By Banjo Paterson
Poet: Andrew Barton ‘Banjo’ Paterson was an Australian poet and
journalist from 1885 to 1908. He wrote many poems about life in the
Australian outback, including ‘The Man from Snowy River’ and ‘Waltzing
Matilda’. These poems made Banjo Paterson a household name.
About the poem: ‘Mulga Bill’s Bicycle’ was written in 1896, and first
published in the Sydney Mail. It tells the story of Mulga Bill, who buys a
new bicycle, boasts that owing to his superior horsemanship, he can ride
a bicycle with ease, only to end up crashing it into a creek.
The poem features a type of bicycle called a safety bicycle. This type of
bicycle was invented in 1876 by the English engineer Harry Lawson, as an
Source: NLA (author unknown)
alternative to the penny-farthing bicycle. It became popular in Australia
[Public domain], via Wikimedia
in the 1890s, giving rise to a cycling boom in the decade to 1900. Bicycles
Commons
were a particularly popular mode of transport for people in the Australian
outback at this time. This was owing mainly to the
period of drought beginning in 1894, which often
meant there was no feed for horses. So, like
Mulga Bill, many shearers and farmers gave up
horse-riding in favour of cycling.
Full Text: You can read the poem in full here.
Let’s Take a Look at Rhythm and
Imagery!
Source: [L] Penny-farthing bicycle circa 1880 and [R] Safety
bicycle circa 1886. From The Dictionary of Technology by Otto
Lueger, 1904, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=402170
In The Paper Tiger, Mulga Bill teaches Maya and
Lewis about the poetic devices of rhythm and imagery.
‘Mulga Bill’s Bicycle’ is a ballad, or narrative poem, written using heptameter. This means that each line
of the poem consists of fourteen syllables. Seven of these syllables are iambic feet. This type of poem
is also called a ‘Fourteener’.
Did You Know?
Heptameter comes from the Greek
words ‘hepta’ meaning seven, and
‘metron’ meaning measure.
When a poem is written in iambic heptameter, the word
iambic tells us about the nature of the seven feet found in
each line. It means that each foot consists of only two
syllables, called disyllabic, with the first syllable unstressed
and the second syllable stressed.
As an example, let’s take a look at the first line of ‘Mulga Bill’s
Bicycle’. The stressed syllables appear in bold:
'Twas Mul-ga Bill, from Ea-gle-hawk, that caught the cy-cling craze
Poetry in Action: The Paper Tiger
12
Now it’s your turn! Read the excerpt from
‘Mulga Bill’s Bicycle’ aloud, twice.
1. Choose two lines from the poem,
and map out the heptameter in
the same way as the above
example.
2. What effect does the heptameter
have on the pace of the poem?
‘Mulga Bill’s Bicycle’ Excerpt:
'Twas Mulga Bill, from Eaglehawk, that caught the cycling craze;
He turned away the good old horse that served him many days;
He dressed himself in cycling clothes, resplendent to be seen;
He hurried off to town and bought a shining new machine;
He turned the cycle down the hill and mounted for the fray,
But ere he'd gone a dozen yards it bolted clean away.
It left the track, and through the trees, just like a silver streak,
It whistled down the awful slope towards the Dead Man's Creek.
Paterson has also made use of visual
imagery to help us see Mulga Bill and his
bicycle, kinaesthetic imagery to help us
experience the movement of the bicycle,
and aural imagery to help us hear the
bicycle crash.
It shaved a stump by half an inch, it dodged a big white-box:
The very wallaroos in fright went scrambling up the rocks,
The wombats hiding in their caves dug deeper underground,
As Mulga Bill, as white as chalk, sat tight to every bound.
It struck a stone and gave a spring that cleared a fallen tree,
It raced beside a precipice as close as close could be;
And then as Mulga Bill let out one last despairing shriek
It made a leap of twenty feet into the Dead Man's Creek.
3. What examples of visual,
kinaesthetic, and aural imagery
can you find? Find one example of each type of imagery and highlight it.
“
So imagery is all about word-pictures
that bring a poem to life. And rhythm is
the beat that makes it go forward.
”
Now, use the table below to help you think
about each of your examples. The first one
has been done for you:
The Paper Tiger
Type of Imagery
What does this image
help you to see or
experience?
Look at the language
and analyse how this
image has been
created.
Visual Image
This image helps me to picture the
brand new bicycle.
The phrase “shining new machine”
captures both the freshness of the
bicycle and its allure. The verb
“shining” and the adjective “new”
create an image of a glistening bike.
Calling it a “machine” communicates
that it is a technologically advanced
mode of transport, as compared to
the “old horse”.
Write your example from the poem
here.
He hurried off to town and bought a
shining new machine
Kinaesthetic Image
Write your example from the poem
here.
Aural Image
Write your example from the poem
here.
Poetry in Action: The Paper Tiger
13
Creating Original and Unusual Imagery
Avoiding Clichés
In the show, the Paper Tiger tricks Lewis into giving Maya
cliché cake. Once Maya has eaten it, she can only express
herself in common, over-used phrases and idioms.
Clichés are the enemy of poetry because they are images that
have been used so many times that they have lost their
impact.
So, if a poem is to make an impression on its audience, the
images it contains need to be specific, fresh, and unusual.
Source:
https://www.tes.com/lessons/qICbwTWprte0ZA/
cliches
Turning Maya’s Clichés into Potent Images
In the table below, you will find some the clichés Maya uses in the show. Notice that a lot of her clichés
are actually similes. A simile is a figure of speech that compares two unlike things, using the words like
or as.
With a partner, work on re-writing each clichéd simile into your own specific, unusual image.
Maya’s Clichéd Similes
Your Own Image
Right as rain
As right as…
Good as gold
As good as…
Fit as a fiddle
As fit as…
As happy as Larry
As happy as…
She’s sweet as pie
She’s sweet as…
I’m sick as a dog
I’m sick as…
Poetry in Action: The Paper Tiger
14
Beautiful Soup
By Lewis Carroll
Poet: Lewis Carroll was an English writer, poet, and mathematician. He
had a long literary career, spanning much of the Victorian period from the
1850s to the 1890s. He is much loved for his contribution to the literary
nonsense genre, with Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland being the most
famous of his works to fall within this genre.
About the poem: ‘Beautiful Soup’ appears in chapter ten of Alice’s
Adventures in Wonderland. In this chapter, the Mock Turtle sings ‘Beautiful
Soup’ for Alice “in a voice sometimes choked with sobs”. Just as he is about
to begin a repeat of the chorus, the Queen’s voice interrupts, announcing
that the trial is about to start. The Gryphon pulls Alice away for the trial as
the Mock Turtle continues his mournful song.
Source: Photograph taken by Oscar
Gustave Rejlander [Public domain],
via Wikimedia Commons
Full Text: You can read the poem in full, as it appears in Alice’s Adventures
in Wonderland here.
The Literary Nonsense Genre
It is important to understand that literary
nonsense does not mean that a text is
lacking in sense or meaning. Rather, the
genre is all about disrupting the reader’s
sense of certainty and familiarity by
manipulating language to create an entirely
new world.
“ Literary nonsense both supports the myth
of an informative and communicative
language, and deeply subverts it by first
whetting, then frustrating the reader’s
deep-seated need for meaning.
”
Jean-Jacque Lecercle
In works of nonsense, the meaning of words
is often constructed, then immediately deconstructed, or destabilised. Through this process, the writer
reveals how slippery and inconsistent the meaning of language can be. By keeping us continually offbalance, and never quite sure of the meaning, the writer keeps us amused and interested.
“ That really is the beauty of the genre;
it dangles a carrot of meaning in front
of us, then laughs as we jump to
catch it. And Carroll’s genius for
nonsense lies in the fact that we keep
jumping for twelve chapters. There is
just enough “tolerable” and
“intolerable” nonsense that it keeps
us engaged, enthralled, and
entertained.
The Melancholy of the Mock Turtle
In its original context, ‘Beautiful Soup’ is a sad song.
In fact, the Mock Turtle cannot stop crying for most
of chapter ten. He has a profoundly sentimental
side, which Carroll brings out by using language
that balances the frivolity of song and dance with
undercurrents of suffering a violence.
”
Read chapter ten of Alice’s Adventures in
Wonderland.
George A. Dunn
Poetry in Action: The Paper Tiger
15
1. Describe how this chapter makes you feel.
2. How does the Mock Turtle’s melancholic demeanour influence your understanding of ‘Beautiful
Soup’?
3. What is the effect of having the mournful strains of “Soo–oop of the e–e–evening,
Beautiful, beautiful Soup!” sound just as Alice is hauled off to the trial?
4. Now, think back to the show. How was ‘Beautiful Soup’ performed in this context? What
characteristics of the poem were emphasised? Describe what you remember of the
performance.
5. Explain the effect of performing the poem in this way. How did this performance impact on the
meaning?
6. What do these two different performances and interpretations of ‘Beautiful Soup’ reveal to you
about nonsense poetry?
‘Jabberwocky’ and the Slipperiness of
Language
Lewis Carroll’s poem ‘Jabberwocky’ is another example of
how the nonsense genre can be used, not only to tell an
interesting story, but to reveal to us the slipperiness of
language itself.
This poem appeared in the novel, Through the Looking Glass,
which is the sequel to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The
poem contains many playful made-up, or nonce words,
which leave Alice wondering about the meaning of the
poem.
In groups of three, read and discuss ‘Jabberwocky’. You can
find the full text of the poem here. In your group, come to a
consensus as to what the poem is about.
Now, in chapter six of Through the Looking Glass, Alice asks
Humpty Dumpty to explain the meaning of ‘Jabberwocky’.
Read Humpty Dumpty’s explanation here.
‘Beautiful Soup’ Excerpt:
BEAUTIFUL Soup, so rich and green,
Waiting in a hot tureen!
Who for such dainties would not stoop?
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
Beau--ootiful Soo-oop!
Beau--ootiful Soo-oop!
Soo--oop of the e--e--evening,
Beautiful, beautiful Soup!
Beautiful Soup! Who cares for fish,
Game, or any other dish?
Who would not give all else for two
Pennyworth only of Beautiful Soup?
Pennyworth only of beautiful Soup?
Beau--ootiful Soo-oop!
Beau--ootiful Soo-oop!
Soo--oop of the e--e--evening,
Beautiful, beauti--FUL SOUP!
1. Notice that one of Carroll’s main methods for making up words is
to create portmanteaus. What is a portmanteau? What examples
from ‘Jabberwocky’ can you find?
2. Creating portmanteaus is one way of playing with words, and
altering the meaning of words. Consider the examples of
portmanteaus you have identified from the poem. What words have
been combined? What impact does this have on your
understanding?
3. What other devices has Carroll used to play with words and their
meaning?
4. What does Humpty Dumpty’s explanation of the poem reveal
about the relationship between language, imagination, and
meaning?
Source: Jabberwocky by John Tenniel
[Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Poetry in Action: The Paper Tiger
16
Soup Crimp & Four Way Crimp/Paper Castle Medley
By The Mighty Boosh (Noel Fielding & Julian Barratt
Authors: Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt are British stand-up
comedians. They became friends due to a shared appreciation for
each other’s absurd and surreal sense of humour.
About the poems: ‘Soup Crimp’ and ‘Four Way Crimp/Paper
Castle Medley’ formed part of The Mighty Boosh comedic theatre
show. This show was first performed by Noel Fielding and Julian
Barratt in 1998 as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
‘Four Way Crimp/Paper Castle Medley’
Sugar man
Light source
Why did you come to me
Put me in a coma
Woke up in the future
Robot man can’t you help me find my wayyy
I can't understand the things you sayyy
Chew mouse
I love you so
I took you from the underground and bought you
home
I put you in my jacket pocket, took you to the
meeting
Put you in my jacket pocket, took you to the
meeting
Put you in my jacket pocket
Put you in my jacket pocket
Put you in my jacket
Put you in my jacket
Jean Claude Jaquetiiieee
With his jacket on
Jean Claude Jaquetiiieee
With his jacket off
Jacket on jacket off
Jacket on jacket off
Ooh ooh ooh I did a twisty
Ooh ooh ooh a tiny twisty
Twist 'em up
Twist 'em down
Twist 'em all around
Like the cobra
Dancin' to the music of the pipe
The pipe
The pipe
The pipe of life
Aaaaiiiiaaaaiiiiaaaaiiiiaaaa
Calama shalama cinema in the night
Such a good thing
Don't forget to bring
Popcorn tony and his paper castle
Poetry in Action: The Paper Tiger
Source: UK Independent, 2016:
http://www.independent.co.uk/artsentertainment/tv/news/the-mighty-booshnoel-fielding-says-he-is-writing-withjulian-barratt-again-a6857926.html
‘Soup Crimp’
Soup soup, a tasty
soup soup, a spicy
carrot and coriander (chilli chowder)
CROUTON CROUTON!
Crunchy friends in a liquid broth
I am gazpach-io(oh)
I am a summer soup(oh)
MISO MISO
Fighting in the dojo
MISO MISO
Oriental prince in the land of soup
Crimping: Pushing Genre Boundaries
‘Soup Crimp’ and ‘Four Way Crimp/Paper Castle
Medley’ are written and performed in a style called
crimping.
Research this style. What are its main characteristics
or features? Write a definition of crimping in your own
words in the box below:
Explain how crimping could be viewed as an extension
of the nonsense genre.
17
The Mixed-Up Cliché Game: Combating Clichés with Nonsense Poetry
In The Paper Tiger, Lewis enlists the help of Sweet Little Susie Soup to help cure Maya. Together, they
use ‘Soup Crimp’ to concoct a soup that stops Maya from expressing herself exclusively in clichés.
Talking nonsense isn’t only a whole lot of fun! It also helps to restore creative thinking! The Mixed-Up
Cliché Game is a great way to create nonsense poetry. Here’s how it works:
1. Find yourself a partner
2. Select two or more clichés from the list of clichés in the table below, and combine them into
one new mashed-up version.
List of Clichés
A
a bad scene
add insult to injury
agree to disagree
all things considered
all too soon
along these lines
ample opportunity
armed to the teeth
as a matter of fact
at a loss for words
at one fell swoop
avoid it like the plague
B
back at the ranch
back to the drawing board
bated breath
beginning of the end
before you know it
benefit of the doubt
best-laid plans
better late than never
better left unsaid
beyond the shadow of a doubt
bite the bullet
bitter end
bone of contention
bottom line
budding genius
burning question
busy as a bee
by leaps and bounds
by the same token
C
calm before the storm
Poetry in Action: The Paper Tiger
call of the wild
casual encounter
chain reaction
circumstances beyond my
control
clear as crystal
come full circle
cool as a cucumber
cut a long story short
D
days are numbered
dead as a doornail
deafening crash
depths of despair
diamond in the rough
dig in your heels
E
easier said than done
eat, drink, and be merry
epic struggle
exception that proves the rule
F
fall on bad times
fall on deaf ears
far and wide
far be it from me
fateful day
fate worse than death
feel free to
few and far between
final analysis
finishing touches
fit as a fiddle
food for thought
fools rush in
foregone conclusion
foul play
H
heartfelt thanks
heart of the matter
heart's desire
heave a sigh of relief
herculean efforts
hook, line, and sinker
I
ignorance is bliss
in no uncertain terms
in the limelight
in the nick of time
in the same boat with
in the twinkling of an eye
in this day and age
it dawned on me
J
just in time
K
keep options open
L
labor of love
lashed out at
last but not least
last-ditch effort
leaps and bounds
leave no stone unturned
leaves much to be desired
lend a helping hand
18
let well enough alone
lit up like a Christmas tree
live and let live
look before you leap
M
matter of life and death
method to his madness
milk of human kindness
miraculous escape
moment of truth
more than meets the eye
more the merrier
N
narrow escape
needs no introduction
never a dull moment
never before in the history of
nipped in the bud
no sooner said than done
O
one and the same
on more than one occasion
other things being equal
overwhelming odds
own worst enemy
P
pales in comparison
paralysed with fright
pay the piper
pet peeve
pick and choose
pie in the sky
pipe dream
place in the sun
play it by ear
powers that be
pros and cons
proud heritage
pull one's weight
R
rack and ruin
ravishing beauty
reigns supreme
reliable source
remedy the situation
rest on laurels
ripe old age
round of applause
S
sadder but wiser
saw the light of day
sea of faces
second to none
select few
selling like hotcakes
shattering effect
shot in the arm
sigh of relief
simple life
skeleton in the closet
snug as a bug in the rug
stick out like a sore thumb
stick to one's guns
straight and narrow path
such is life
superhuman effort
supreme sacrifice
sweat of his brow
sweet sixteen
trials and tribulations
U
uncharted seas
untimely end
untiring efforts
V
vale of tears
vanish into thin air
W
watery grave
wear and tear
whirlwind tour
wide open spaces
words fail to express
word to the wise
T
take the bull by the horns
there's the rub
this day and age
throw caution to the wind
time of one's life
tongue in cheek
too funny for words
tough it out
tower of strength
Get Creative!
Now that you have a whole lot of new nonsense phrases, take it a step further by using these to
compose your own poem.
Poetry in Action: The Paper Tiger
19
Risk
By Anaïs Nin
Poet: Anaïs Nin was an essayist, novelist, short story writer, and journal
writer. Originally born and raised in France, she later moved to the
United States of America, where she became a well-known writer.
About the poem: ‘Risk’ is a poem that uses objective correlative to
place the experience of risking safety and security against risking
freedom and change.
‘Risk’
And then the day came,
when the risk
to remain tight
in a bud
was more painful
than the risk
it took
to Blossom.
Source: Photograph by Elsa Dorfman
[GFDL
(http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html
), CC-BY-SA-3.0
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/
by-sa/3.0/) via Wikimedia Commons
Let’s Take a Look at Objective Correlative!
Objective correlative is a literary technique or device. It refers to a situation where a writer has used a
symbolic object to express and provoke a particular emotion. In doing so, the writer allows us to
experience that emotion, which may otherwise remain abstract to us if we did not have the help of the
object.
1. In ‘Risk’, Anaïs Nin uses the flower as an objective correlative. What emotions does the flower
as symbol allow us to experience?
2. Why do you think the flower is an effective choice for communicating these emotions?
3. Using objective correlative also enables the writer to communicate the theme, or message of
their text. What does the evolution of the flower over the course of the poem allow us to
understand about risk-taking?
Considering Theme
“ … theme is… well it’s the most
important thing in a poem. Rhyme,
rhythm, imagery – none of that
matters if you don’t have a theme.
Your theme is what you have to say:
Love! Death! Pancakes! Loneliness!
Joy! Puppies! Hope! Your theme is the
whole reason you write.
Think back to the other poems featured in the show.
What themes have really stood out for you?
Choose one other poem from the show and write a
paragraph discussing the poem’s theme.
”
The Paper Tiger
Poetry in Action: The Paper Tiger
20
Still I Rise
By Maya Angelou
Poet: Maya Angelou was an American poet, writer, and civil
rights activist. A prolific writer throughout her lifetime, Angelou
received international recognition and critical acclaim for her
work.
About the poem: ‘Still I Rise’ is a powerful poem about
overcoming oppression and injustice. It encourages us to believe
that no matter what kind of cruelty we might encounter in our
lives, we have the capacity to rise up and overcome adversity.
Full Text: You can read the full text of the poem here.
Source: Photograph by Adria Richards [CC
BY-SA 2.0
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/bysa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
‘Still I Rise’ Excerpt:
You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may tread me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.
Layers
The layers routine is a great tool for conducting a close analysis
of a poem. This is because it helps you to focus in on each of
the parts that make up a whole poem.
Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.
When looking at poems, these parts are: the narrative, the
aesthetic, the mechanical, the dynamic, and the theme or
message.
You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.
By taking the time to think carefully about each of these parts,
you will come to a much deeper understanding of how they work together to make the whole poem
successful.
Using the layers table on the next page, complete an examination of Maya Angelou’s poem ‘Still I Rise’.
“
All my work, my life, everything I do is
about survival, not just bare, awful,
plodding survival, but survival with grace
and faith. While one may encounter many
defeats, one must not be defeated.
”
Maya Angelou
Poetry in Action: The Paper Tiger
21
Layers
Narrative
What is the poem’s story?
Aesthetic
What images capture your attention and imagination, and keep you interested?
Mechanical
What poetic devices are significant? Be sure to use what you have learnt about
rhyme, alliteration, and imagery from the show, as well as any other poetic
devices.
Dynamic
What makes the poem dynamic or lively? Describe any elements of movement,
emotion or tension in the poem. Think about what you have learnt about
rhythm.
Theme/Message What is the theme or message of the poem?
Poetry in Action: The Paper Tiger
22
May Your Pen Grace the Page
By Luka Lesson
Poet: Luka Lesson is an Australian slam poet. His work is held in
high regard for the way it uses language, not only as a means of
critiquing society, but as a vehicle for empowering young people.
About the poem: ‘May Your Pen Grace the Page’ is a powerful callto-action. It encourages us to believe in the strength of our own
voice, and the importance of creative expression as a way of
achieving empowerment.
Full Text: You can read the full text of the poem here.
Source: Photograph by By Arterium
Creations (Arterium Creations) [Public
domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Connect, Extend,
Challenge
Notice that The Paper Tiger begins and
ends with call-to-action poems?
The first poem in the show was ‘Play
On’ by Omar Musa. It is all about
following our dreams and not giving
up. This is similar to the final two
poems in the show: ‘Still I Rise’ by
Maya Angelou, and ‘May Your Pen
Grace the Page’ by Luka Lesson.
Each of these poems reminds us that
not only is language a really powerful
thing, but that poetry is important for
its ability to inspire us, encourage us to
believe in ourselves, and embolden us
to always strive to reach our full
potential.
‘May Your Pen Grace the Page’ Excerpt:
May your pen grace the page at the same pace as your brain
May your grey matter from now on no longer be grey
May you mean every word that you say
And from now on may writing your lines be the way that you pray
Get up step up never let up
Get your set up set up
Get recording,
Get stories pouring
Ignoring your calling and calling you boring is boring
May your pen express upon the page every feeling you’re in
May your white page - yang
Love your black pen - yin
May the ball in your ballpoint roll cos that’s the point of the ball
And if we can’t make our points then what’s the point of it all
May the lead in your lead pencil lead you astray
We spell it L E A D cos we’ve made leaders this way
I know it’s hard but easy to say
But I mean what I say when I say:
Mean what you say
May your pen grace the page at the same pace as your brain
May your grey matter from now on no longer be grey
May you mean every word that you say
And from now on may writing your lines be the way that you pray
May writing your lines be the way that you pray.
So, let’s spend some time taking a
closer look at each of these three poems to better understand the connections between them, how
they push our thinking in new and different directions, and how they challenge us to reflect on the role
of poetry in our lives.
Find yourself a partner, and work through the thinking routine on next page, together.
Poetry in Action: The Paper Tiger
23
How are the poems: ‘Play On’, ‘Still I Rise’, and ‘May Your Pen Grace the Page’
connected to each other?
Write any connections you can think of: thematic, stylistic, tone, genre, etc.
Connect
What new ideas does ‘May Your Pen Grace the Page’ offer you that have extended
you thinking, or pushed your thinking in a new direction?
Extend
How do each of the three poems challenge us to reflect on the role of the poet, and
the role of poetry in our world?
Challenge
Poetry in Action: The Paper Tiger
24
Thinking About Poetry!
The Paper Tiger is a show that has a lot to say about why poetry matters, and why creativity and selfexpression are not only worth safeguarding, but fostering.
So, what did you take away from the show? Take a moment to think, before writing down the one
sentiment about poetry, or poetic expression that really stood out to you.
Write your take away in the box below:
The one thing about poetry that stood out for me was…
1. Explain why this idea got your attention.
2. How did the show communicate this idea about poetry?
I Used to Think… But Now I Think…
When you are learning new information and concepts, it is important to take the time to reflect on
your learning. One way to do this is to consider how and why your thinking on a particular topic has
changed.
So, take a moment to reflect on what you thought, and knew about things like:
The power of language
Playing with language
Using rhyme and alliteration
Understanding rhythm and imagery
Contemplating theme and message
before seeing The Paper Tiger, and completing the activities in this book. Write your thoughts in the
left-hand column of the table below.
Once you have done this, reflect on your current thinking, in light of seeing the show, and working your
way through the activities in this book. Write your thoughts in the centre column of the table below.
Then, see if you can identify how you have been changed by your experience of The Paper Tiger.
Poetry in Action: The Paper Tiger
25
I Used to Think…
Now I Think…
So, How Have I
Changed?
We sincerely hope you have enjoyed the show, and the activities in this book!
Poetry in Action: The Paper Tiger
26