Lesson video

Hello everyone.

My name's Ms. Keller, and welcome to today's lesson where we are going to be reading and understanding the poem, "Letters from Yorkshire" by Maura Dooley.

So by the end of today's lesson, we will be able to explain how Maura Dooley presents the multifaceted effect of a long distance relationship.

So let's have a look at today's key words.

We have sentimental, ambiguous, platonic, moral value, and kindred.

So, what do these words mean? Well, sentimental is emotional attachment or the value that we often associate with memories.

Ambiguous means that something has an unclear meaning or one that has multiple interpretations.

Platonic is an intimate friendship that is devoid of romantic or sexual involvement.

Moral value, beliefs governing right and wrong conduct, guiding ethical decisions and actions.

And finally, kindred, which means sharing similar qualities, interests, or origins.

And that prefix, kin, often is used to refer to somebody's family.

So it's worth bearing that in mind.

So, how is today's lesson going to look? Well, we are going to start off by understanding the poem.

We're gonna read through and explore what the poem is about, and then we are going to focus on the context and the key themes.

So I'd like to start off with a discussion.

What ideas do you associate with letters? So take a moment to discuss this with the people around you, or if you're working on your own, that's okay, make some notes on your paper or in your exercise book.

Pause the video while you have your discussion, and then when you're ready to feedback your responses, click play and we'll carry on.

Okay, welcome back.

Some really fantastic discussions there to start off today's lesson.

So let's just pick up on some of the great responses that I overheard.

So we had lots of people picking up on this idea that letters were historically used for courting and romance.

Nowadays, we perhaps use social media or messaging, but historically, this was how courting was done.

We also have this idea that letters are very one-sided.

We only ever get one person's view of what's happening or of a discussion at once.

And for that reason, they're usually a lot more descriptive.

It's also a much slower method of communication, and particularly in modern society, it's much less common.

A lot of people associate it with the idea of it being quite old fashioned.

It's nostalgic.

A lot of people nowadays perhaps think of letters as something we associate with the past.

And for that reason, our memories or our perspective on letters is often tinged with sentimentality.

They could also signify a more casual or platonic relationship.

In modern society, letters is by far the slowest way to communicate.

So, if we're using letters as part of a relationship, it's probably fair to assume that we don't need such regular communication or contact with the person we're writing the letters to because it could take days or weeks for us to get a response.

And finally, letters have physical copies.

That's a big difference to the way we communicate today.

There are physical copies of letters and people often keep them as memories.

Okay, so again, I'd like to throw it over to you for another discussion.

So the title of today's poem is "Letters from Yorkshire," and I'd like you to think really carefully about what we can infer from this title.

So take a few moments to discuss it, pause the video for as long as you need to, and then when you're ready to feedback your responses, click play and we'll continue.

Okay, again, some really fantastic responses with lots of people drilling down onto the individual words in this title.

So first of all then, I overheard a really great deduction from somebody that if there are letters, there are necessarily going to be two characters perhaps in this poem, the sender of the letters and a receiver.

And I took that a little bit further to deduce also that there are probably two settings.

We can infer that perhaps one of those settings is Yorkshire, since some letters are coming from Yorkshire, but also this idea of it being somewhere else.

Because perhaps if both the people writing the letters live really near to each other, they wouldn't be communicating using letters.

Got that link again to this idea of letter writing being old-fashioned and somebody inferring that maybe this suggests the relationship between the people in the poem is an old-fashioned traditional relationship, or even perhaps that the people could be older.

We also have the idea that maybe these letters are treasured by the speaker.

And finally, the fact that this couple are communicating with letters could signify a casual or a more platonic relationship.

So what I would like you to do now is for you to open your anthology and read the poem, "Letters from Yorkshire." And as you're reading the poem, I would like you to make notes about the two people in it.

In particular, what do we learn about each of them and what kind of relationship do they have? So, pause the video while you give the poem a really good read and you have that glossary there to help you with some of the more difficult vocabulary.

Make some notes about these two questions, and then when you're ready to feedback your responses, click play and we'll continue.

Welcome back.

So let's discuss these two questions then.

So, what do we learn about each of the people in the poem? Well, we learn that we've got two very different people.

One of the people, the man from Yorkshire, we could infer is a farmer, or somebody who works in the natural landscape because we see this idea at the beginning that he's digging.

And then our speaker, we could infer that they are perhaps a journalist or a writer because later on in stanza three, they link their work to the idea of headlines.

So what relationship then do we think these two people have? Well, actually, I would argue that the relationship between these two people in the poem is ambiguous.

It's perhaps uncertain or it has different, multiple different ways that we could interpret it.

It could be a platonic friendship or it could be a case of unrequited romantic love.

So we've got this idea then that this relationship is ambiguous.

We're uncertain exactly about the nature of it.

And the two ways that we could interpret this relationship are firstly that it is platonic.

So on one hand, they could be friends or acquaintances who are pen-pals and they write letters to each other sharing their lives.

Or on the other hand, the speaker's feelings for her friend could be romantic, but one-sided.

So, I'd like to throw it over to you again then at this stage, which interpretation do you agree with at the moment? So pause the video while you have a discussion about this, and when you're ready to feedback your responses, click play and we'll continue.

Okay, welcome back.

Lots of fantastic discussions taking place there.

I was really interested to see that we were quite divided in terms of our opinion with lots of people thinking it was a platonic relationship, but also a lot of people agreeing with that idea that there could be some elements of unrequited romantic feelings.

So let's explore both of these interpretations in more detail.

And as we do, keep these two interpretations in your mind because I'm going to ask you again later on if your opinions have changed.

So on line two then, we've got this reference to lapwings.

And what they're doing in the poem is the birds have come back from their yearly migration, and this actually inspires the man from Yorkshire to come inside and write our speaker a letter.

So in this sense, we can infer that he does think of her while they're apart.

He sees something happen and perhaps he thinks, "Ooh, she'll really like that.

I want to go in and tell her about that." So there is this idea that he does care about her and he does think about her.

And then in line five, we've got the word "not," which seems to clarify that their relationship is platonic and not one with romantic feelings.

But this line does have a soundbite structure.

So it leads me to beg the question, is this actually her opinion or could this be something that perhaps the man from Yorkshire has said to her and she's repeating perhaps to remind herself that that is how he feels? So interestingly in line five, we are getting this idea that there relationship could be platonic, but if we read it in this other way, we are actually picking up on those unrequited romantic feelings.

Line seven then, the word "heartful," which suggests here perhaps that her work entirely consumes her.

Heart is full of what she does for her job.

Which could suggest that there is no room in her heart for love.

Line 10, then, we have the word "wouldn't" combined with this second person pronoun, which indicates that the speaker knows the man from Yorkshire well enough to predict his behaviours.

She knows perhaps what he would or he wouldn't do, which again indicates that they have a close relationship of some sort.

They're familiar with each other as people.

Line 13, then, we've got a reference to this envelope that he sends her filled with natural elements.

Which gives us this impression that his letters bring her hope and comfort, which indicates that the communication that she has with him is very important to her.

And then our final line of the poem, line 15, we have a reference to "souls," which suggests perhaps that the speaker views the relationship as a spiritual connection.

From that, we can infer perhaps maybe that she views that they're soulmates connected across this distance, which perhaps indicates that this relationship, at least as far as our speaker sees it, is a bit more than just a platonic friendship.

So I'd like to return back to these two different interpretations.

Now we've had a chance to look at some of the language from the poem.

And I'd like to ask you again, now we've explored these interpretations in more detail, has your initial opinion changed? So, pause the video for a few moments while you discuss this or make some notes and then click play when you're ready to carry on.

Okay, welcome back.

Again, lots of fantastic debates taking place across the room.

It was interesting to see that some people were sticking with their original opinion, whereas other people had moved to other side completely.

So, do keep these interpretations in your mind as we carry on looking at this poem.

So now I'd like to pause and check our understanding of the poem so far.

Which of these words would you not use to describe the relationship between the two people in the poem? So pause the video while you have a look at these responses, choose which one you think is correct, and when you click play, I'll reveal the correct answer.

Welcome back, and well done to those of you who said A, apathetic.

It's unclear whether their relationship is platonic or an unrequited romance, but either way, they care about each other and communicate in a way that is friendly and amicable.

So, because we have these two readings, we could describe this relationship as ambiguous, and we also could say that they behave in an amicable way towards each other.

However, apathetic, which is a word that means you don't really care either way, isn't really a word we could apply to this relationship.

So now it's time to attempt our first practise task of the lesson.

And what I would like you to do is to complete the following sentences.

And when you've done that, I'd like you to add another sentence of your own to each one, including a relevant piece of supporting evidence from the poem.

So, let's have a look at these sentence stems that we've got then.

So number one, the relationship between the speaker and her friend is ambiguous because.

Number two, the relationship between the two people is ambiguous, but.

And number three, the relationship between the people in the poem is ambiguous.

So now pause the video while you give this a really good go.

Take as much time as you need and reread through the poem if you need to, and then click play when you're ready to feedback your responses.

Okay, welcome back.

So, here is what you could have written.

So, number one, the relationship between the speaker and her friend is ambiguous because on the surface it seems platonic, yet there are hints that the speaker may have unrequited feelings for her friend.

While the description of how their relationship shouldn't be described as a romance suggests casual detachment, the phrasing sounds like a soundbite, which implies that it could be something he's said to her and she repeats it to remind herself.

Number two, the relationship between the two people is ambiguous, but it's likely that they both act as though it is platonic.

Regardless of whether the speaker has feelings for her friend, the distance between them and the use of letters to communicate suggests their relationship is detached, distant and casual since they do not talk frequently.

And number three, the relationship between the people in the poem is ambiguous.

So, the poet is able to demonstrate the importance of a cherished friendship.

The speaker clearly treasures their relationship since the description that he fills his envelopes with "light" could symbolise the hope and comfort these letters bring.

However, the platonic nature of the friendship that isn't a romance means we do not expect the dramatic expressions of passion and desire common in love poetry.

So these subtler expressions of affection emphasise the importance of the relationship to the speaker.

Okay, so we have made it to the halfway point of the lesson.

So, well done for all your efforts so far and keep up the good work.

In this section, we are going to focus on the wider context of the poem and look at some of the key themes.

So let's start by exploring the life experiences and influences of our poet, Maura Dooley.

So, she was born in Cornwall in the 1950s, but during the course of her life, spent time living in Yorkshire, London and Bristol.

It's thought that "Letters from Yorkshire" draws on her personal experiences.

Lots of her poetry focuses on themes of communication, and it's easy to see how this poem might link into that idea.

And it's been said that the Yorkshire man in the poem could actually be Dooley's father.

And now this is just one interpretation of the text.

So I'd like to ask you, do you agree with this last interpretation? Do you think that there is sufficient evidence to support this claim that the Yorkshire man could be Dooley's father? So, pause this video while you discuss it with the people around you for a few minutes, or make some notes on your paper if you're working on your own, and press play when you're ready to continue.

Okay, welcome back.

Lots of interesting opinions there.

And it was quite intriguing to see that we were rather divided.

With some people agreeing with this interpretation and other people thinking quite the opposite, that there was no way that this Yorkshire man could have been Maura Dooley's father.

And I guess a lot of that links into this idea of which of those earlier interpretations you agreed with.

Did you think that relationship was platonic or did you think there were those unrequited romantic feelings? So, at this point then I would like to pause and check our understanding again.

So lots of Maura Dooley's poetry focuses on the theme of what? Have a look at the answers below, choose which one you think is correct, and then click play when you'd like me to reveal the correct answer.

Okay, welcome back.

And well done to those of you who said communication.

So now let's stop again for another discussion.

What I would like you to do is look at the words below, which are all examples of possible key themes that we might be able to identify in this poem.

And what I would like you to decide is which ones you most associate with the poem.

So pause the video while you discuss this, and then click play when you're ready to continue and we'll feedback some responses.

Okay, welcome back.

Lots of fantastic discussions taking place there.

And interestingly, people choosing lots of different words, we weren't all agreeing on the same one or two key themes, which is fantastic because it shows that lots of us are making those personal interpretations of the text.

So Alex said, "Nature and moral value links to the poem as the speaker questions whether her friend's life is real because he works with nature." Jun said, "Nostalgia and sentiment link to the poem as the speaker's reflections of her friend are framed through a memory of a particular letter he sent her." And Jun's interestingly there, linking to that idea that we perhaps view letters as something traditional.

We feel sentimental or nostalgic towards them.

And finally, Sofia said, "Distance and longing link to the poem since the speaker emphasises the icy distance between them and views his letters as a comfort." So, already we can see there in green, lots of those words were picked up on, and even better, they were combined, because very rarely do we ever see just one key theme in a poem.

So, let's explore some of these key themes in a bit more detail.

And I've just selected a few from that list that we looked at a second ago.

So I'd like to start then with stanza one, where the speaker describes a time where the man wrote her a letter.

And on line two she indicates that what caused him to do that was the return of these birds.

And the idea that perhaps then uniting them, coming together again, is what encourages him to think of her, which could symbolise reunification after separation.

So we're already getting this idea of distance and people coming together as a couple or in this case, birds.

And then on line one and line two, we've also got this reference to potatoes and to lapwings, which suggest here that Dooley is creating a vivid image of the Yorkshire man's natural world.

So, she's painting a picture perhaps of what he can see, and this could indicate that perhaps she romanticises his life.

She's painting this vivid image of the natural world, which could imply that maybe she yearns to experience this life herself.

Maybe she wants to grow vegetables or she wants to see these birds returning after their migration.

But unfortunately, her urban lifestyle doesn't really allow her to have these life experiences.

And in stanza one, we can actually see lots of links to key themes.

We've got this idea of nostalgia and sentiment in perhaps the way she views his natural world.

We've got this idea of distance and nature, in particular with the return of the birds.

And also a friendship and or family, depending on which of those interpretations you believe.

Stanza two then, the speaker begins to comment on the nature of their relationship and then further describes the man's life.

So on line five, you've got the word "not," which very much sets down the terms of their relationship.

Suggests it could link to a platonic relationship or it could be interpreted as a comment on the return of the birds.

And the way that we can infer that is because we've got this idea of the matter of fact tone, so perhaps it's phrased like a soundbite, and therefore she was repeating his words, which could confirm that their relationship is platonic.

But equally, it could suggest that she perhaps has a tendency to romanticise nature or this rural life, which links to what we were discussing a second ago when we were talking about stanza one.

Stanza two and three then, she begins to compare herself to the man.

So line six and line seven, we get this idea that he experiences the seasons, something very natural, whereas she experiences or she works with headlines.

So, his life revolves around nature, whereas she revolves around the news.

Which gives us this idea that he's got this direct experience with the natural world, whereas our speaker deals in other people's stories, her experience is mediated, it's a secondary experience because she deals in other people's direct experiences.

And then on line nine, we have that rhetorical question which suggests that she attaches moral value to rural life.

Maybe she views it as wholesome or worthwhile and could suggest perhaps that she's got this yearning, this longing to return to nature.

We've got lots of key themes there just in those few lines.

And then down to that last stanza where the speaker's comparisons continue.

We've got this idea on line 14, the words "same" and "different." Our speaker is picking out the similarities and the differences between their lives, which could suggest that they view it like they both experience the same world, but they experience it in a different way.

They live in the same country perhaps, but their experiences of it day-to-day are extremely different.

And then onto that last line, and that key word there, "souls," which suggests that they are kindred spirits who provide comfort to each other.

So, we're getting that idea perhaps then of them as soulmates, which does link to that idea of being similar.

They're similar inside.

And again, on that last line, we've got the adjective "icy" to describe that distance between them, which emphasises it by giving it a bleak and negative impression.

The distance between them is not something that our speaker views as positive.

Okay, so let's pause and check our understanding again.

So, Maura Dooley definitely wrote this poem about her relationship with her father.

Pause while you have a think and decide whether you think it's true or false.

And then click play when you'd like me to reveal the correct answer.

Okay, welcome back.

And well done to those of you who said it was false.

So now it's time to justify our answer.

So, have a look at these two possible justifications and decide which one you think best supports our ideas above.

So, pause the video while you have a read through and click play when you're ready for me to reveal the correct answer.

Okay, welcome back.

And well done to those of you who said B, this poem could be semi-autobiographical, perhaps based on her father, but we cannot prove this.

It's also possible to infer the speaker has unrequited romantic feelings.

So we've got this idea that we don't know why Maura Dooley wrote the poem, but we can make our own interpretations.

And actually, that's why it's really important to use tentative language because it shows that we're not simply trying to state something as a fact, but rather we're indicating that it's our personal interpretation.

We've got lots of tentative language in this answer here, "could," "perhaps," "we cannot prove this," "possible," and "infer." So, tentative language is really, really important.

Okay, so we've made it to the final task of today's lesson.

And what I'd like you to do is to find evidence from the poem to support each of these interpretations.

We've got three.

Love is complicated and challenging.

The speaker admires her friend and the relationship brings the speaker comfort.

And what we'd like you to do is find some supporting evidence from the poem and put it in that middle column, and then in the column on the right, I would like you to start making notes on the writer's use of methods in these quotations and the effects that the language or the structure or the form or whatever it is that you've identified, creates.

So, pause the video while you give this a really good go.

Go back over your copy of the poem if you need to.

And then when you're ready to go through some responses, click play and we'll carry on.

Okay, welcome back.

Fantastic effort from everybody there.

I could see everybody working really, really hard and identifying lots of fantastic methods in their key quotations.

So let's have a look then at what you could have written.

So if a love is complicated and challenging, you could have chosen this quotation from line five where our speaker indicates that it is not a romantic relationship, but perhaps it also suggests that her feelings are unrequited because this phrasing sounds alien to her voice.

So it suggests to us that perhaps she's repeating his words.

We've got this matter-of-fact tone.

Maybe these are not the words of the speaker, but the words of the man from Yorkshire.

The second one then, the speaker admires her friend.

So we could have chosen that rhetorical question there on line nine, because actually his life and what she knows about him actually causes her to question her own life choices.

And she questions whether his life has more moral value than hers because he gets to engage directly with the natural world.

And in particular, we have the use of that comparative there, "more." The word, "More." His life perhaps has more moral value than hers because he engages with nature.

And then last of all, the relationship brings the speaker comfort.

Line 13 and the reference to this envelope filled with natural elements.

So perhaps his letters bring her these glimpses of the natural world that she treasures so much.

And we've got this use of the metaphor because obviously, the man from Yorkshire is not sending an envelope full of natural elements.

This is a metaphor our speaker is using perhaps to symbolise the comfort and freedom or the hope or truth that these letters bring.

So, take a moment to compare this to what you've written.

You don't need to use the same evidence, you don't need to have identified the same methods or effects, as long as your notes link to the key idea in that left hand column.

And then when you've done that, I would like you to think, were all your quotes accurate, precise, and judiciously chosen? So if you copy them down correctly, do they support that key idea? And have you chosen perhaps just enough of the quote, you've not written too much, but perhaps you've not written too little that it's impossible for us to make that language link in the right hand column.

So, check your responses and redraft where you need to.

Pause the video for as long as you need.

And when you're ready to continue, click play.

Okay, well done.

We've made it to the end of today's lesson and I'm really pleased with all the effort that everybody has put in today.

So you could be really proud of yourselves.

I'd just like to summarise what we've covered in this lesson.

The speaker is enriched and comforted by her long distance correspondence with a friend.

Although their relationship is distanced, the speaker treasures it and looks forward to the man's letters.

Dooley spent time living in the countryside, so this could be a reflection of her longing to return to a natural setting.

Dooley seems to depict an ambiguous relationship, which could be platonic, romantic, or familial.

And the speaker's admiration for her friend or relative causes her to question her own life choices.

So, thank you once again for joining me.

I hope you enjoyed today's lesson and you feel a bit more confident when it comes to approaching this poem.

Have a great day and I hope to see you again soon.