Lesson video

Hello everyone.

My name is Mr. Brown and I am your teacher for today's English lesson, and we are going to be continuing our work on the fabulous British poet Joseph Coelho.

Today we'll be reading and responding to his poem, "I am a Writer." That's the name of his poem.

"I am a Writer." Sounds interesting, doesn't it? So let's get started.

The outcome for today's lesson is I can give a personal response to the poem and read it aloud.

The key words we will use are theme, metaphor, and imagery.

Let's serve this together.

My turn, and then your turn, theme, metaphor, imagery.

Perfect.

Let's look at the definitions.

A theme is a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a text.

A metaphor is a way of describing and comparing something by saying that it is something else.

Imagery is the use of a language to create a mental picture or sensory experience for the reader or listener.

Today's lesson, we'll start with an introduction to the poem, the poet, and then move on to exploring the poem itself.

Now, Joseph Coelho is an award-winning performance, poet, playwright and children's author, Joseph's poetry is known for using, engaging and emotive themes such as identity, family, and friendship.

In 2022, he was appointed Children's Laureate.

Now, today we'll be reading and responding to Joseph Coelho poem, "I am a Writer." This poem is taken from his published collection of poems, "Werewolf Club Rules," which was Joseph Coelho's first published book of poetry.

Now, before we read the poem, what does the title "I am a Writer" make you think of? What words or images come to mind? Hmm.

Here's an example from Jin.

He says, it makes me think the poem is about a writer talking about themselves, maybe, yeah? And then we have another example.

I imagine the poem will be full of useful tips of things you might need to become a writer.

That's really interesting.

Now these positive or are these negative images, seems to be quite positive, doesn't it? Talking about what tips you might need to become a writer, the process of a writer talking about themselves.

Why don't you pause the video and have a chat with a partner.

What comes to mind for you when you think of the title, "I Am a Writer." Pause the video and have a discussion now.

Welcome back.

Okay, well let's have a look and see.

You are going to listen to the poem, "I Am a Writer." Once you've listened to the poem, we'll discuss our initial, which means our first responses to the poem.

Okay.

Time for you to listen to and enjoy, Joseph Coelho's poem, "I am a Writer." Pause the video and listen now and welcome back.

I hope you enjoyed the poem.

So I'm going to give my initial response to the poem, and I'm going to use the questions, what did you like about the poem and do you have any questions about it? Just to help me scaffold my ideas.

So I liked how the poem included different objects that a writer might use.

I really enjoyed that, and I would like to know if the poet really can make music with words.

So now it's your turn to give your initial response to the poem using the same questions.

What did you like about the poem? And do you have any questions about it? Pause the video and have a discussion with your partner to give your initial responses to the poem now and welcome back.

Okay, let's have a look at the poem in a bit more detail.

So in lines one to four, the poem begins with the speaker saying that they have a creative force in them because they create new worlds.

They also say they are the awareness of nature, implying they have a connection and ability to listen to nature.

In lines five to eight, the speaker says how they are the sweat of a rainbow hinting at the hard work it takes to create something beautiful.

The metaphor used to compare the speaker to blood in a pen suggests the speaker's writing is vital and carries truths and emotions like blood in the body.

The speaker compares themselves to a blade in a sharpener, being able to remove the worn or dull parts of a pencil and allow it to become sharp again.

They say they are the outside of a rubber, indicating that they have been shaped and softened by their experiences and mistakes.

In lines 13 to 16, the speaker says they are the discussion between musical notes hinting that they can create and develop beautiful musical compositions.

Continuing the musical theme, they say they are the holes in a flute and they know tunes before they've played, even been played out loud.

Now this highlights the speaker's potential to create new and unheard music.

In the final verse of the poem, the speaker says they are the surface of a drum, and every time they are struck, a sound is made.

This indicates that the speaker is able to create vibrant and rhythmic expressions.

So for a task, I'd like you to put the following events that occur in the poem in order.

So you have A, the speaker compares themselves to outside of a rubber.

B, the speaker says they are collisions in space, and C, the speaker uses a metaphor to say that they are the surface of a drum.

Pause the video and put these events that occur in the poem in order now and welcome back.

Okay, let's have a look and see how you got on.

The first one was the speaker saying they are the collisions in space.

Then it's the speaker compares themselves to the outside of a rubber.

And finally, we finished the poem with the speaker using a metaphor to say that they are the surface of a drum.

How did this poem make you feel? Izzy says, the poem made me think about how being a writer is so special because you can create anything and Andeep things, the poem made me feel amazed at how many different ways there are to create writing.

So how about you? And remember, our personal responses to the poem will all be different because we are unique.

So enjoy a discussion with someone where they may have a very different response to you.

Pause the video and have a discussion with your partner.

How did this poem make you feel? Pause the video now.

Welcome back.

Okay, let's move on to a task.

I would like you to refer to the poem and discuss these questions with your partner.

What do you think the main message of the poem is and what images created by the poet were memorable for you? So which one stood out in your mind and why? Here's some talk scaffolds you may want to use.

I think the main message of the poem is, and the image of something.

So you'll say what the image was was memorable for me because, and then you'll explain why.

Okay, time for a task.

Pause the video and complete this task now.

Welcome back.

Okay, let's have a look.

So Jin, what do you think? Jin says, I think the main message of the poem is that being a writer is like being so many different things as you have the power to create whatever you want.

It's a really, really nice answer.

I think that's exactly what Joseph Coelho is trying to get across.

That being a writer gives you this incredible power to create anything, anything.

You can write a story about being an outer space and you can write a story about being in a city, you are in control.

And then we have Laura who says, the image of a rainbow sweating was memorable for me because I never thought about how much hard work is needed to create something beautiful.

When we look at beautiful artwork or an incredible story or a beautiful poem, these things have taken a lot of hard work.

And so the idea of a rainbow sweating is a beautiful image that Joseph Coelho creates.

Now let's move on to exploring the poem.

Joseph Coelho's poems often explore personal experiences.

This means he is writing poetry using real events from his own life as inspiration.

A theme is a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a text.

Some themes in this poem include creativity, imagination, identity.

Now identity is how you define who you are and how you fit into the world.

Which of these themes are explored in the poem? Is it A, environment, B, creativity, or C identity? Pause the video and decide now.

Welcome back.

Okay, which of these themes are explored in the poem? It is of course, creativity and identity.

Well done if you said B and C.

Imagery is the writer's use of highly descriptive and vivid language that appeals to the senses to paint a picture, it includes metaphors, similes, and personification.

By making specific language choices, poets can enhance meaning in their poems and create a specific impression.

So I'd now like you to read the poem, "I am a Writer" again, and we're going to look out for metaphors, similes, personifications, but metaphors in particular.

Okay.

Pause the video and read the poem again.

Welcome back.

Okay, let's look at those metaphors.

A metaphor is a way of describing and comparing something by saying that it is something else.

For example, he had a heart of gold in "I am a Writer," Joseph Coelho uses metaphors throughout the poem.

Many of the comparison he makes are two items associated with writing and poetry, such as ink, rubbers, and sharpness.

What other comparisons are made in the poem? Pause the video and discuss and read through the poem to see if you can see any other comparisons.

Pause the video now and welcome back.

How did you get on? Let's have a look.

So do you like the metaphors that have been used? If you could add another metaphor to the poem to create a comparison, what would it be and why? Discuss with your partner.

You're going to add another metaphor to the poem.

What would it be and why? Pause the video and have a go, now.

Welcome back.

Okay, let's have a look.

It's an example, so Lucas says, I liked the metaphor of the edge of the eraser.

He reminded me that we can all learn from our mistakes.

And Izzy says, I would use the metaphor, I am a spark of fire because I am full of ideas as a writer and can take my writing in any direction, and often we refer to ideas as sparks.

That's a lovely idea, Izzy.

So we talk about having a spark.

A spark of an idea.

And so Izzy's going to refer to herself as a spark because when you're writing, you can take your ideas in any direction.

Which of these is a metaphor? Is it A she's as sly as a fox.

Is it B? He is a couch potato.

Is it C? They were like busy bees.

Which of these is a metaphor? Remember, metaphor is when you say something actually is something else.

Pause the video and decide the correct answer now.

Welcome back.

Let's see if you found that metaphor.

Well done if you said be he is a couch potato.

He's not actually a couch potato.

That's why it's a metaphor.

The other two, she is as sly as a fox is a simile because of the word as.

And C is also a simile because of the word like.

They were like busy bees, similes, compare something using like, or as, time for a task, I'd like you to read the whole poem out loud to a partner.

Use your voice to bring the vivid imagery in the poem to life.

Read the poem clearly and with expression, pause the video and read, Joseph Coelho's "I am a Writer" now.

Welcome back.

Okay, let's take a moment to reflect on how you read the poem to your partner.

Did you read the poem in a loud, clear voice? Did you use your voice to emphasise the imagery? And did you read with expression? So here's an example of an answer.

I used my voice to emphasise the image of a drum by saying the words beat and bang in a louder voice.

Lovely, good.

I really like that.

Using the on onomatopoeia, the words beat and bang to be able to create that louder tone that you used just like a drum.

Lovely.

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

Joseph Coelho's poem, "I am a Writer," uses metaphors to compare the process of being a writer to many other things.

The poem explores the themes of creativity, imagination, and identity.

Poets can use a range of poetic devices to enhance the meaning or impact of their poems. A metaphor is a way of describing something by saying that it is something else.

An imagery is the use of language to create a mental picture or sensory image for the reader or listener.

Superb work today.

Another poem by Joseph Coelho.

You now know "I am a Writer." I hope you enjoyed it and I will see you again very soon.