More than words
Yeats College teacher Naomi Kloss shares her advice and insights into what is important when preparing for the English exam
Junior Cert English requires you to become sensitive to the power of words to express how we feel and what we dream, believe or think. You need to be able to comprehend by summarising what is in front of you, appreciate the way writers use language to entertain or enlighten us and be able to form a response. We read and write for a purpose: to entertain, to evaluate, to research; to comment on what has just been said, to criticise, to persuade, to argue, to imagine or to narrate. The list goes on.
At the end of the Junior Certificate cycle, you will face a two-hour exam. You need to be able to explore the techniques used in posters, newspapers or on web-pages. Notice the colour, the graphics (images used), the tagline (short line used in an advert that captures the basic idea of the film) and the style of lettering or font type. You could be asked to present an argument in the form of a debate; create your own dialogue, describe a place or situation, compose a blog or web-page or write a short talk for the radio.
You need to be able to appreciate the language and dramatic techniques used in films and plays as well as the way the printed word conveys events, atmosphere and mood in novels and short stories. You need to be able to write through diverse media.
THE THEME OF FAMILY
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton “I had a long walk home and no company, but I usually lone it anyway, for no reason except that I like to watch films undisturbed so I and get into them and live them with the actors. When I see a film with someone, it’s kind of uncomfortable, like having someone read your book over your shoulder. I am different that way, I mean, my second oldest brother, Soda, never cracks a book at all, and my oldest brother, Darrel, who we call Darry, works too hard to be interested in a story or drawing a picture, so I’m not like them. And nobody in our gang digs movies and books the way I do. For a while I thought I was the only person in the world that did. So I loned it. Soda tries to understand, at least, which is more than Darry does. But then Soda is different from anybody; he understands everything, almost. Like he’s never yelling at me as if I was six instead of fourteen.” This novel depicts Ponyboy’s tumultuous family life. The form of narration used restricts our view of the other characters in the text as we see the world through Ponyboy’s eyes alone. Notice the way he is angry towards Darry who has assumed the role of guardian for the teenager while Soda is praised for his responsiveness to Ponyboy’s emotional needs. In the novel, he gives us a wider account of the turbulence of his family circle set against the backdrop of gang warfare.
Yet in this opening example, we picture a lighter moment where Ponyboy lives in the fantasy fairyland of his own mind as he drifts aimlessly down the street. His leisure pursuit becomes his defence mechanism to enable him to deal with his parents’ horrific death in a car accident and the violent world around him.
THE THEME OF WAR IN POETRY
Wilfred Owen’s descriptive poem Dulce et Decorum est and the satirical treatment in Base Details by Siegfried Sassoon create for us the horrors of war. Dulce et Decorum est (Sweet and honourable it is to die for one’s country) Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through the sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs, And towards our distant rest began to trudge Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots But limped on, blood-shod. All went limp; all blind; Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of tired, outstripped Five Nines that dropped behind. Gas! GAS! Quick boys - An ecstasy of fumbling Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling And floundr’ing like a man in fire or lime… Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light, As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.
In all my dreams, before the helpless sight, He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning. If in some smothering dreams you too could pace Behind the wagon that we flung him in
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face, His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs Obscene as cancer, bitter as a cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues - My friend, you would not tell with such high zest To children ardent for some desperate glory The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori. Siegfried Sassoon is severely critical of those who were in charge in the conflict.
Base Details
If I were fierce and bald, and short of breath, I’d live with scarlet majors at the Base, And speed glum heroes up the line to death. You’d see me with my puffy face, Guzzling and gulping in the best hotel, Reading the Roll of Honour “Poor young chap” I’d say – “I used to know his father well; Yes, we lost heavily in this last scrap. And when the war is done and the youth stone dead,
I’ d toddle safely home to die - in bed. Both Owen and Sassoon were famous war poets who were deeply critical of World War One. Over nine million soldiers lost their lives in the conflict. Owen was awarded the Military Cross. His poetry mixes realism with a romantic lyricism. Dulce et Decorum est is graphic and heart-rending. Owen suffered from shellshock and when recuperating, he met his fellow poet and friend Sassoon. He was influenced by Sassoon, whose scathing sarcasm is shown in the way the scarlet major is depicted in Base Details.
The words leap off the page. Sassoon used onomatopoeia and assonance with phrases such as “Guzzling and gulping” and gives a rounded effect through the extensive used of end-line rhyme. Through this, he communicates his seething anger towards the scarlet major’s callous attitude towards the sheer numbers of lives lost in the trenches. Likewise, Wilfred Owen was personally familiar with the horror of war on levels we can only begin to imagine. He died in the conflict a week before Armistice 1918 but his words live on to tell his tale. The sense of time and space has broken down. The constant bombardment of heavy gunfire is deafening and soul-destroying, most graphically conveyed in the lines Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots/Of tired, outstripped Five Nines that dropped behind.” War is aimless and directionless. World War One was brutal and the sheer drudgery on the battlefield is depicted in these two incisive and insightful poems. Essentially, both poems have the same message. They are a testament to the fruitless lives which were lost in conflict like the horrific slaughter in battles such as the Somme. The upper class were insensitive to the pain and anguish of the soldiers then;
Base Details explains this more indignantly than Dulce et Decorum Est. The tone is angry and savage. Equally, there is veiled anger or sarcasm when Owen disputes
the myth that it is honourable to die for one’s country in the trenches in World War One. Wilfred Owen’s poem is more graphic. We see at first hand through his description the sheer brutality of the battlefield; the young soldiers act and behave like old men. “Bent double, like beggars under sacks.” The harrowing experiences of war have taken their toll on these men. The words chosen are emotive “All went lame/
all blind.” Equally, in Base Details, we see that “glum
heroes up the line to death”. Yet, in Base Details were see a wider, satirical side to the conflict; the scarlet majors are tragic figures of fun “fierce” and “bald” and “short
of breath”. In Wilfred Owen’s poem we see the soldiers are so tired that they “marched asleep”; the sheer drudgery of war itself makes it difficult for the soldier to stay awake. They seem to be marching on nervous energy. In both poems a soldier dies; in Dulce Decorum est, a soldier’s last moments are described “white eyes writh
ing in his face.” He has inhaled too much gas. His lungs were described as “froth corrupted” and he is gasping for breath. This detail is not given in Base Details. Both poems use verbs effectively; the scarlet major is not ashamed but lives on too much wine and food. “Guz
zling and gulping in the best hotel”. Equally, in Dulce Decorum est, the verbs powerfully convey the poor soldier’s tormented last moment almost like an act in a drama. “He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drown
ing.” The words chosen are powerful and poignant. Owen and Sassoon challenged the authorities to think again about their conduct of the war and their role in the lives of thousands of young lives on the torturous battlefield. Ask yourself the following questions in relation to these poems:
• Could I imagine what it would be like to be there? • Why do I think the poet wanted to write this poem? • Would a newspaper article, catalogue of names of lives lost or a simple bar chart tell the harrowing story of WWI differently? How so? Which would you think would be more effective?
• Listen to the sounds of the poem. Are they soft or
hard? Why might that be?
LITERARY TERMS
It is important in the exam to be aware of literary terms and their effectiveness.
Adjectives: Words that describe objects and people more vividly and imaginatively.
Atmosphere: The feelings that a poet manages to create in a poem. It is linked to mood.
Mood: The poet’s feelings or attitude as it comes across in the poem.
Similes: This is an effective comparison using ‘ like’, ‘as’ or ‘than’. It is used to create an effective picture for the reader so that he/she can see what is happening. One of the tasks of the poet is to create a series of pictures. Instead of using a paint brush, the poet uses words. ‘He is as strong as a lion.’ Metaphor: A metaphor is a comparison without the use of words ‘ like’ or ‘as’. For example, ‘He is a lion’ or ‘She is heartbroken’. Personification: Non-human things are seen to have human characteristics.
A POEM WITH STRONG IMAGES
Some poems offer us a very visual impression of what is happening. The speaker in the poem is the snake that slithers around in the undergrowth.
I am a snake By Karla Kuskin
“I am a snake.
I snake alone
Through rushes and bushes Past moss and stone,
I slide through grass,
I skim through grass,
The slim stalks sigh,
Bees buzz the news
As I slip by.
Mushrooms tremble,
Clover tumbles,
One field mouse squeaks
And stumbles,
Butterflies and bees and bumbles, Wing away to nest and hives, Beetles scatter for their lives. Silence settles where I went.
The snake is slow to make a friend.” This imaginative poem captures the furtive movement of the deadly snake in the long grass. Effectively, the poet attempts to highlight the dangers associated with this deadly creature; it is a loner, separated from other creatures. It evokes fear and trepidation. We can easily picture the scene; the snake slithers along in the long grass as the vulnerable creatures such as the field mouse, the bees and butterflies move away from its path in fear for their lives. Even the plants’ fear is well captured by the verbs “tremble” and “tumbles.” It is a colourful portrait of the earthy underworld of rushes and bushes. Fear is best conveyed in the dramatic line “Beetles scatter for
their lives.” The snake is in ultimate despotic control.
THE SOUNDS OF POETRY
Words are often chosen by the poet to create an effective or startling sound. Alliteration: This means the same consonant sound is repeated. The snake slides along and this movement is captured with words such as “silence settles”. This is an example of sibilance. Other uses of alliteration “bees buzz”, “Butterflies and bees and bumbles” highlight the mutual plight of these creatures, united in their fear of the deadly snake.
Assonance: Words written in close succession which have the same vowel sound.
Onomatopoeia: The word means as it sounds; rattle, clatter, patter, clash, bash. All these words convey through the sound what they mean.
Rhythm: A regular beat in the lines.
THE WORLD OF DRAMA
The production staff and actors • The director has overall responsibility for the perfor- mance. • The stage manager is responsible for the setting, the props, costumes and sound effects. • The costume designer has overall responsibility for the lighting and design of the stage. William Shakespeare was born in April 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire. His father was a prosperous merchant who married Mary Arden, daughter of a substantial landowner. Shakespeare was well read having learned Latin and literature at school but there was no opportunity to go to college in his day. He had a powerful imagination and he was very much the stage performer. Shakespeare wrote tragedies, histories and comedies. He wrote about love and friendship, art and poetry, remedies against time and gave a social commentary on his time. In Shakespeare’s comedies, he celebrates love through farcical situations while in his tragedies there is calamity and heartbreak. Shakespeare was well aware of the exotic world of the court but also the world of the everyday drudgery of ordinary people. He makes observations on human nature which are relevant to the present day; through his plays, he spoke of love lost and love gained, of betrayal, dishonesty, of misuse of power; of friendships which are broken and families who are torn apart. Shakespeare conveys astonishing empathy in his plays towards many characters in very different situations, though the playwright’s opinions remain very much a mystery. Stagecraft is essential for dramatic performance. 1. What types of stage design would suit the performance?
2. What costumes and design would be needed? Costumes tell us not only about the status of individual characters but also their state of mind. Distressed characters could be dressed in a chaotic fashion highlighting their inner turmoil. Notice the colour and
style used. 3. Think about certain characters like Portia in the Mer
chant of Venice or Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. What would their jewellery and hairstyle be like? 4. What props could be used on stage and how might that add to the performance?
5. How could the actors be positioned on stage? The level of positioning has to match the quality of two characters’ relationship. In Shakespeare’s Merchant of
Venice, Shylock and Antonio loathed each other. It is unlikely they ever stood close to each other. 6. Focus on what the audience will see. Lighting can be linked to symbolism. 7. Think of the thunderous look Shylock might give his arch enemy Antonio in The Merchant of Venice or the how the tension between Tybalt and Romeo in Romeo
and Juliet can be conveyed through the actors’ facial expression. 8. A character’s physical posture can tell us how they see themselves. 9. Is there any music being played? This can add to the overall mood of the performance. Are there any isolated noises? These can add to increase the suspense and tension.
ROMEO’S MOST FAMOUS SOLILOQUY “But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? /It is the east and Juliet is the sun.
Arise, fair sun and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief.” (Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, Scene 2) Soliloquies are important in Shakespeare’s plays to convey the characters’ innermost thoughts. In the above famous soliloquy, Shakespeare uses the language of love. Think of Romeo’s romantic words when he sees Juliet from her balcony window. This is an example of courtly love where he idealises Juliet. Notice the way Juliet is connected to the natural, nocturnal world. Later on in this soliloquy, he is captivated by the light in her eyes; it is like as if the bright stars are her eyes. All of nature is involved and captivated by Juliet’s beauty and wonder. The birds would sing as if daylight had dawned “That birds would sing and think it were not night.” (Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, Scene 2)
The Merchant of Venice
In The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare, there is a dangerous conflict between the Jew, Shylock and the Venetian merchant, Antonio. Antonio is the protagonist in the play, hence its title, while the true villain who seeks to do him harm is his arch-enemy, the play’s antagonist, Shylock. The lead-up to the climax, the trial scene, is well conveyed; Shylock’s hatred towards Antonio is deep-seated. Antonio lends money without interest in an attempt as Shylock sees it, to ruin his business. After all, money lending is one of the few professions open to those of the Jewish faith in Jacobean England. Shylock is very bitter towards Antonio, though not without good reason. Antonio is also willing to insult him in public by spitting at him and calling Shylock a “dog”. “You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog/And spit upon my Jewish gabardine.” Shylock is vengeful and we see how his revenge destroyed him. In his aside, he states how “like a fawning publican he looks/ I hate him for he is a Christian.” He despises the way Antonio lends money “gratis” thus making it difficult for Shylock’s business to survive. He hopes to catch Antonio upon the ‘hip’ and this will enable him to ‘feed fat’ the ancient grudge he bears him. However, Shylock’s bitterness against Antonio is counter-productive as we see when the play reaches its climax in the trial scene. It is one of the play’s pivotal moments. At first, it seemed as if Shylock would win. Antonio feels he is about to die. It adds to the suspense. Shakespeare keeps up the tension and suspense. Antonio is inconsolable; “I am tainted wether of the flock, meekest for death.’ Shylock refuses to accept the Duke’s plea for mercy, preferring to rely on his “humour.” By painting meek Antonio in this way, Shakespeare reinforces our view of Shylock as a bitter man. Notice the contrast in characterisation. He shows his horrifying attitude in response to Bassanio’s question “Do all
men kill the things they do not love?” Shylock retaliates by saying “Hates any man the thing he would not kill?”
Bassanio even offers to repay the loan twice over but contemptuously, he refuses. “If every ducat in six thousand ducats/ Were in six parts and every part a ducat/ I would not have them”. He even sharpens his knife for Antonio’s flesh. Portia contends that Shylock is within his rights but he could be merciful. Just at the moment when it appears to be all over for Antonio, Shylock is about to lose everything. As Shylock prepares to cut his pound of flesh, Portia warns him that should Shylock shed “one drop of Christian blood” then all his property would be confiscated. Shylock is the antagonist in the play, but he does not see himself as evil as he claims that the Christians around him are just hypocrites who keep slaves. In a sense by what Shylock does and says he makes the play a dramatic masterpiece. Notes on Romeo and Juliet • The development of the characters is the means by which the playwright tells the story. They can be the hero or the heroine in the play. Their action is central in propelling the plot onto a further stage. In Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet both characters fit this role. Notice how in certain key scenes Romeo changes his role from peacemaker to offender in the space of a few seconds. Romeo feels that Mercutio died saving his honour and that he must now fight to prove that his love for Juliet has not softened him. He kills Tybalt in fury. However, he is aware of the consequences of this violent action when he declares himself “fortunes fool.” • The villain or antagonist has a role in making it difficult for the hero or heroine. In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Tybalt fitted this role.
• The dialogue is central in driving the plot forward. • Review openings and endings: Juliet and Romeo manage to do in death what they failed to achieve in life; end the feud between their respective families. In grief, Capulet and Montague join hands and resolve to become friends by commemorating statues for the ‘poor sacrifices of our enmity.’ This highlights the deep division between these warring families is now at an end.
PUTTING THE MOMENT TO FILM
Films are moving images in a sequence. The camera is the narrator, showing us all the action from the opening image to the very final shot at the end. Like in plays, the actors assume their respective roles by living out their character’s experiences, communicated by tone of voice, facial expression, an action or movement.
THE WORLD OF FICTION
Fiction is imagined narrative. All good works of fiction have an effective plot structure, a descriptive backdrop or setting and create an effective mood and memorable characters.
To Kill a Mockingbird is an intriguing title. Harper Lee uses the title to set the tone for the story itself. The mockingbird is a finch with a beautiful song which mimics the tune of the other birds. Atticus, the force for good in this novel, emphasises the point that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. Scout realises that the exposure of Boo Radley at the end of the novel would be like shooting a mockingbird. Both Boo Radley and Tom Robinson have mockingbird traits in terms of their innocence, kindness and vulnerability.