Lesson video

Hello everyone, my name is Mr. Brown and I'm your English teacher for today's lesson.

we are going to be writing a poem inspired by Joseph Coelho's "MORERAPS".

That's what we're doing today.

We will be using that poem and the structure that he provides us to be able to write a poem ourselves following the same structure.

So, in previous lessons, we've looked at "MORERAPS", we have read it, we've discussed it.

It's now time to write our own "MORERAPS" poem.

Let's get started.

The outcome of today's lesson is I can write my own "MORERAPS" poem.

The keywords we'll use are structure, repetition, and personification.

Let's say those together.

My turn and then your turn.

Structure, repetition, personification, fabulous.

Now, structure in poetry refers to the way a poem is organised or put together.

Repetition is the repeated use of sounds, words, phrases, or structural elements that are repeated for emphasis.

Personification is a way of describing a non-living thing as if it's acts or feels like a human.

We'll start today's lesson by preparing to write and then move on to writing a poem.

In today's lesson, we'll be writing our own poem following the structure laid out in Joseph Coelho's poem "MORERAPS".

The poem is taken from his published collection of poems, "Werewolf Club Rules", which was Coelho's first published book of poetry.

Let's remind ourselves of the poem, "MORERAPS".

Read it out loud with a partner, reading one verse each and then swapping.

Once you've read the poem, discuss the purpose of the poem and how Joseph Coelho wants to inspire you to write your own.

Pause the video and read "MORERAPS" now.

Welcome back.

Okay, I hope you enjoyed reading that fabulous poem.

Let's remind ourselves by looking at a list of the different poetic devices that are included in Joseph Coelho's "MORERAPS" poem.

We have a metaphor onomatopoeia, rhyme, emotion, repetition, alliteration, personification, and simile, and of course, if you put all of those letters together, the first letter of each word, it spells MORERAPS.

How does Joseph Coelho intend for us to use this to write our poem? How do you think he wants us to use this to write our poem? Pause the video and discuss with your partner now.

Welcome back.

Okay, how do you think? So, Joseph Coelho's "MORERAPS" poem was written as a way of helping to remember all the poetic devices we can use when creating poetry.

So, we know that each of these are poetic devices.

Now, each letter of "MORERAPS" stands for a different poetic device.

Coelho intends to inspire anyone to write their own "MORERAPS" poem by using the same poetic devices in the same order.

So, starting with metaphor, then onomatopoeia, then rhyme, and finishing the personification, and finally, simile.

We have already looked at some of the poetic devices, including Joseph Coelho's "MORERAPS" poem in more detail.

We've looked at metaphor, onomatopoeia, alliteration, and simile.

A poet is always looking for ways to have an impact on the reader.

To do this, a poet may use repetition, which was another one of the poetic devices, wasn't it? In the "MORERAPS" poem.

Now, repetition is the repeated use of sounds, words, phrases, or structural elements.

So, things in the poem, the way that it's organised perhaps, that are repeated for emphasis.

Repeating a word or phrase in a sentence can emphasise a point.

Making it more memorable.

It can also help to create a rhythm, making the poem more engaging and easier to read aloud.

Why might a poet use repetition? Would it be A, to emphasise a point, B, to create rhyme, C, to give detailed imagery, or D, to create a rhythm? Why might a poem, why I a poet, sorry, use repetition? Pause the video and decide now.

Welcome back, let's see if you managed to find the correct answers.

There could be more than one.

It's to emphasise a point and to create a rhythm.

That's why repetition will be used.

Personification is a powerful tool in poetry.

Personification is a way of describing a non-living thing as if it acts or feels like a human.

For example, the river happily skipped through the mountains.

Of course, a river is not capable of happily doing anything, let alone happily skipping through the mountains, but the way that I describe the river as happily skipping through the mountains helps me to visualise a river going up and down and up and down through the mountains.

The flowers proudly smiled at the garden.

The tower sternly stared down over the city.

Which of these is an example of personification? Is it A, his shoes moaned in agony after the run, is it B, his shoes were broken after the run, or is it C, his shoes had holes in them after the run? Which one is an example of personification? In which one do I bring objects that are not human to life by describing them as if they are human, as if they have human feelings, or do human things? Pause the video and decide now.

Welcome back, let's see if you managed to find the correct answer.

Of course, it was A, his shoes moaned in agony.

Shoes cannot moan in agony.

They can be, B, broken or, C, have holes in them, but they can't moan in agony, which means that is personification.

And it's a beautiful way of describing how the shoes are perhaps broken, have holes in them.

They are really struggling after that long run, and that's why personification works.

It helps to put that vivid image in the reader's head.

We are going to write our own poems following the "MORERAPS" structure.

Structure in poetry refers to the way a poem is organised or put together.

We will follow the same structure and order as "MORERAPS".

Therefore, our first line must include a metaphor, our second line onomatopoeia.

Yes, you've guessed it, then rhyme, then emotion, repetition, alliteration, personification.

And the last line of our poem will be A, tell me.

Simile, exactly.

Metaphor will start.

Which poetic device must we include in the second line of our "MORERAPS" poem? Is it A, metaphor, B, onomatopoeia, or C, a simile, and I have put the "MORERAPS" list, the order, on the right-hand side of the screen so you can see that there as well.

Pause the video and decide what's the correct answer now.

Welcome back, let's see if you found the right answer.

Well done if you said onomatopoeia.

That comes second, metaphor first.

The second line of our "MORERAPS" poem would be onomatopoeia, because of course, M, metaphor, O, the O of "MORERAPS" is onomatopoeia.

We need to decide what the subject of our poem will be.

The subject of a poem is the main topic or idea that the poet is writing about.

Poems can be written about anything.

Here are some ideas of subjects that might help you decide.

Things in nature such as rain, sunshine, storms, rainbows, or waterfalls.

These are all excellent topics or subjects to write poetry about.

Things that mean something to you.

So important, if you're going to write poetry that it means the subject you're writing about means something to you.

So, family, friends, hobbies, these are the kind of things you may want to write a poem about.

Places, this could be countries, cities, train stations, football stadiums, parks, anything.

Anywhere that inspires you to be able to write a poem.

Anywhere that inspires and provokes a feeling and emotion in you, that will be a good topic for a poem.

So, time for a check.

And I'd like you to choose a subject for your poem.

Explain to your partner why you chose it.

You can use these ideas to help you decide, like we said, things in nature, things that mean something to you and places.

Here's an example from Jun.

He says, "I have chosen the topic for my "MORERAPS" poem to be a train station.

I love trains and the hustle and bustle of a train station will be a fun topic for poetry." Yeah, I agree with you, Jun.

That sounds fabulous.

And it seems like your love for train stations is going to shine through and inspire an excellent poem.

So now it's open to you.

Pause the video and decide what subject will you choose for your poem.

Pause the video now.

And welcome back.

I hope you have now chosen the subject for your poem.

Let's move on to a task.

I'd like you to create two lines of your "MORERAPS" poem.

One line must include repetition and the other personification.

Let's focus on the poetic devices we've looked at in today's lesson and then share them with your partner.

Now, repetition remember, means repeating words, phrases, or sounds to have an impact on the reader.

Personification means referring to a non-living thing, as if it acts or feels like a human.

Over to you.

Create two lines of your "MORERAPS" poem.

Pause the video and have a go at this task now.

Welcome back.

Okay, let's see an example perhaps of these two lines.

So, Jun was focusing on train stations, wasn't he? And he said he's line for repetition I think this one would be first, yeah? "I look at the platform as trains arrive and leave, arrive and leave, arrive and leave." Lovely, Jun, I really like that the way you've used arrive and leave.

You've used that repetition and you've really created a vivid image in my head of trains just coming into the platform, stopping, going, coming, going, coming, going, arriving, leaving.

That's exactly what you've been trying to create.

I love it.

Okay, let's look at the next one, which was personification wasn't it.

"The station clock watches anxiously as people dive between closing doors." Really nice, really, really nice.

So, every train station has, usually a big clock might be at the top, it might be a digital clock at the top of a board, or a big analogue clock in the middle of the station.

It's watching over everything.

And that's because when you're in a train station, time is important.

You need to not miss your train.

And so, the idea of the station clock watching anxiously.

So getting nervous, because people are getting tight to missing their train and having to dive between the doors as they're closing.

I think that's a lovely image to create.

Well done, Jun.

Repetition and personification.

Let's move on to writing a poem.

Joseph Coelho created "MORERAPS" to help remember all the different poet devices a writer could use when creating poetry.

We will now write our own "MORERAPS" poem by following the same structure.

We will write a line for each poetic device in the order that spells MORERAPS vertically.

Poets spend time generating ideas before they start writing a poem.

A poet writing a "MORERAPS" poem would generate ideas for each of the poetic devices.

They may generate more than one idea for a poetic device.

In this case, they will decide which idea to use when they come to write.

We're just generating some ideas first.

Let's look at some ideas I generated from a "MORERAPS" poem about the Sun.

And you can see I've organised it into a table where I've got my poetic devices on one side and my ideas on the other.

So, for my metaphor, I've put burning bulb, blazing torch, giant lamp.

That's three different metaphors.

Three ways that I can refer to the Sun.

I don't know which one I'm going to use yet.

I might use one, I might use two.

That's the purpose when I come to writing, that's the moment that I will look at that.

At the moment, my purpose is just to create ideas.

So, onomatopoeia, you know that is words that sound like the thing that they are describing.

The thing that they do.

So, we have cackle, or crackle, sorry, sizzle, roads, pavement, streets.

Okay, so I'm gonna talk about the crackle and the sizzle of roads, pavements, and streets, because they get so hot.

Rhyme, I've got bright and light.

The Sun is definitely very bright, so I can rhyme bright and light, hot and spot, and burn and turn.

For emotion, I'm gonna write about the Sun being a symbol for joy and hope.

I think that can be quite an emotional sentence or a line in my poem.

Repetition, I'm going to use rising and setting, rising and setting.

A bit like Jun did with his arriving and leaving with the trains.

Alliteration, I've got golden globe gleaming.

Three words that start with a g-sound.

Then personification and gazing down proudly.

I want to describe that Sun gazing down proudly upon everything that it has helped to grow and create.

I think I can create a real feeling there.

And then finally, a simile.

Burned like a blazing bonfire.

I have the image of a bonfire on fireworks night that is blazing and hot and bright, and that's what I'm trying to create in terms of the Sun.

So, here is my "MORERAPS" poem written about the Sun.

"The Sun".

Metaphor - The Sun, a blazing torch, illuminating the world.

Onomatopoeia - Pavements sizzle as it burns down.

Rhyme - Burning bright, a blinding light.

The Emotion is - A symbol for joy and hope.

Repetition - Rising and setting, rising and setting.

Alliteration - A golden globe gleaming above.

Personification - Gazing down proudly upon the green lands.

And finally, Simile - The Sun burns on like a blazing bonfire.

And that is my "MORERAPS" poem.

And you can see I have followed exactly the same structure of poetic devices in the same order as Joseph Coelho.

Now, I can present my "MORERAPS" poem without the poetic devices listed at the start of each line and it would look like this.

So, we can now see it looks a little bit more like a poem, and I think it might flow a bit better as well.

So, I'm still using the same poetic devices in the same order, but now, I'm going to read it again, and let's see if it sounds a bit more like a poem that's a bit more finished and ready to be presented.

"The Sun".

"The Sun, a blazing torch illuminating the world.

Pavements sizzle as it burns down.

Burning bright, a blinding light.

A symbol for joy and hope.

Rising and setting, rising and setting.

A golden globe gleaming above.

Gazing down proudly upon the green lands.

The Sun, burns like a blazing bonfire." Okay, discuss with a partner your response to my 'MORERAPS" poem about the Sun.

Here's an example.

"The poem made me feel happy and amazed to think about all the ways the Sun impacts our lives." Okay, pause the video and discuss with your partner your response to my "MORERAPS" poem about the Sun.

Pause the video now.

And welcome back.

I'm really interested to know what you thought about my poem.

And the amazing thing is everybody will have a different response to it.

Izzy says, "My favourite part was the rhyming line as it was catchy to read." Alex says, "I enjoyed the way the poem followed the "MORERAPS" structure and used lots of different poetic devices." So, now it's over to you.

I'd like you to write your own "MORERAPS" poem.

Write a line for each poetic device following the same order.

You can write the name of the poetic device at the start of the line, if would like to.

It's up to you.

You can do it either way.

You have your metaphor, onomatopoeia, rhyme, emotion, repetition, alliteration, personification, and simile.

They all need to be included in your "MORERAPS" poem.

Okay, it's over to you now.

Pause the video, take your time and write your "MORERAOS" poem now.

Welcome back.

Let's have a look at an example, and it's Jun's example.

We know that he wanted to write a poem at a train station following that "MORERAPS" structure.

So, let's read it.

"The Train Station".

"A busy beehive of activity.

The continuous hiss of doors sliding open and shut.

Rows of people standing up straight, altogether they silently wait.

The excitement builds as hundreds of journeys begin.

I look at the platform as trains arrive and leave, arrive and leave, arrive and leave.

Trusty trains travel tirelessly transporting tired travellers.

The train station clock watches anxiously as people dive between closing doors.

Trains pass through like rivers flowing endlessly." Wow, well done, Jun.

That's a fantastic poem about a train station following that "MORERAPS" structure.

You have your metaphor at the start, "A busy beehive of activity." Is the train station actually a beehive? No.

Which is why that is a metaphor.

I loved your onomatopoeia, the "hiss".

I thought that really captured the sound that the train doors make as they open and close, hissss.

So many excellent examples of the different poetic devices.

Well done, Jun.

And well done you for writing your own "MORERAPS" poem.

Let's summarise the learning we've done today.

"MORERAPS" is a type of poem that Joseph Coelho invented to help him remember the different poetic devices.

A poetic device is a technique used by poets to enhance the meaning, sound, and overall impact of their poems. Repetition is the repeated use of sounds, words, phrases, or structural elements that are repeated for emphasis.

Personification is a way of describing a non-living thing as if it acts or feels like a human.

And the subject of a poem is the main topic or idea that the poem is written about.

Brilliant work today, and not just today, these last few lessons have been building up to writing of very own "MORERAPS" poem.

I would love for you to take this skill, take this technique, and use it to keep writing more poems just like the ones we've done today.

I'll see you again very soon.