Hello, everyone.

How are you doing today? I hope you're feeling really, really good.

My name's Ms. Afzal, and I am feeling good today because we're going to be exploring some poetry.

We're going to explore the poetry of Valerie Bloom, and you'll need a copy of the text "Stars with Flaming Tails." So I'm gonna pause here while you go off and fetch your copy of the text.

Okay, you're back.

You've got your copy of the text "Stars with Flaming Tails" an anthology of poetry by Valerie Bloom.

And we are gonna explore a couple of poems in particular.

Guess what? These poems have the best theme ever.

We're looking at the theme of love.

So get ready.

We are going to have a good time.

Let's get started.

The outcome for today's lesson is I can read and reflect on poetry about love.

We have some keywords in our lesson today.

Let's go through them one at a time.

My turn.

Your turn.

Theme.

Imagery.

Metaphor.

Fantastic.

I loved hearing those.

Let's find out what these words mean.

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

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

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

Let's be on the lookout for these words.

Let's listen out for them.

Let's think carefully about them.

They'll be coming up in our lesson today.

So today's lesson is exploring themes of love in "You Are" and "Mum Says She Loves Me." First of all, we'll be exploring "You Are," and next we'll be exploring "Mum Says She Loves Me." Let's begin with the poem "You Are." "'You Are' and 'Mum Says She Loves Me' are both poems written by Valerie Bloom.

Valerie was born in 1956 in Clarendon, a parish in Jamaica." And we can see an image of Jamaica on the map there.

What a beautiful looking place surrounded by the Caribbean Sea.

Oh my goodness, I want to go there.

"Valerie has enjoyed writing from a young age.

She describes the moment that a poem she wrote in primary school was published in a national newspaper and how this inspired her to become a writer." "Valerie moved to the UK in the 1970s." "Valerie's poetry is known for its musicality, rhythm and vivid imagery." And there's imagery, one of our keywords.

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

"She frequently uses Caribbean dialects, humour, and storytelling techniques to explore themes of identity, family, culture, and everyday life." And again, another key word, theme.

Remember, that's a big idea or topic that occurs within a text.

Check for understanding.

Which of the following are true? A poem Valerie wrote was published in a national newspaper when she was in primary school.

Valerie was born in the UK.

Valerie's poems often include Caribbean dialects, humour, and storytelling techniques.

Pause the video while you decide which of these are true.

Well done if you selected A and C.

Indeed, Valerie wrote a poem that was published in a national newspaper when she was in primary school.

And Valerie's poem often include Caribbean dialects, humour, and storytelling techniques.

And she wasn't born in the UK.

She came to the UK in the 1970s.

"Valerie writes several poems about the theme of family and friends in her collection 'Stars with Flaming Tails.

'" "Two poems that we will focus on today are called 'You Are' and 'Mum Says She Loves Me.

'" First of all, I'd like you to read the poem "You Are" on page 12.

And then I'd like you to answer these questions.

What are your first impressions of the poem? So your first thoughts and feelings about the poem.

And what do you like about the poem? So pause the video while you read the poem "You Are" on page 12.

And then share with someone nearby your first impressions and what you like about the poem.

<v ->"You Are."</v> "You are the silver in the moonlight.

The waves kissing the beach.

The nectar in the mango.

The sweetness in the peach.

You are the perfume of the jasmine.

Winter's virgin snow.

The softness of a velvet cushion.

A sunset's golden glow.

You're the contented purr of the kitten.

The orange groves of Spain.

The silence of soft midnight.

And a favourite tune's refrain.

Flowers bloom in winter.

Soft sunlight bathes the ground.

And birdsong fills the neighbourhood.

Whenever you're around." <v ->Okay, it's great to be back with you.

</v> I hope you enjoyed reading that poem, and sharing your first impressions and what you liked.

Let's hear what Andeep has to say.

"The poem describes a family member, perhaps a parent, in a very loving way.

I like the repetition of the title in the first three verses of the poem." Thanks for sharing that, Andeep.

Yeah, that word love, I think that's going to come up quite a bit in our lesson today.

That very loving way in which the family members described.

Andeep like the repetition.

Fantastic.

I wonder what you liked.

"'You Are' is a four verse poem.

The poem contains lots of imagery.

It uses a range of poetic devices to convey emotion to the reader." "Metaphors are used throughout the poem.

They're a way of describing and comparing something by saying that it is something else." "For example, her laughter was a melody dancing through the room." "In this metaphor, laughter is compared to a melody, suggesting that it has a musical quality and brings joy and harmony to the environment, much like a melody does in music." I wonder if you know someone like that who has that kind of laughter that just brings joy and harmony wherever they go.

"Metaphors are different to similes, which compare something using the terms like or as." So in metaphor you're saying that something is something else.

And now I'd like you to refer to the poem "You Are." What is your favourite metaphor and why? So pause the video while you refer to the poem "You Are" and select your favourite metaphor.

And why do you like it? Share with someone nearby.

Here's Sophia.

"I enjoyed how the metaphor in the first verse compared the subject of the poem to juicy, sweet fruit.

Valerie includes descriptions that appeal to the senses and this made me think of how I might describe my own friends and family." Oh, I love your answer, Sophia.

I love how you really honed in on that language there, the juicy, sweetness of the fruit that the family members are being compared to.

And I like how it's making you think about your own friends and family, and how might you might describe them.

Hmm, now I'm wondering about you.

Is there someone, maybe one of your friends, or someone in your family that you can think of? And can you come up with a little metaphor? How would you describe them? Any fruit you would compare them to or indeed, some other thing that you would say that they are? Pause the video while you reflect on this.

I hope you enjoyed reflecting on someone in your friend or a family group and how you would describe them.

Check for understanding.

Which of the following are examples of metaphors? Together, we share moments of joy and triumph.

He's the compass of our friendship, leading us on adventures and keeping us on course.

In their company, we find acceptance and understanding.

Pause the video while you decide which of these are examples of metaphors.

Well done if you selected he's the compass of our friendship, leading us on adventures and keeping us on course.

And there we have the metaphor of the friend being described as a compass.

A key difference to other poetic devices is that metaphor state that one thing is another.

So the friend is a compass.

Many of the metaphors in a poem are based on nature.

Refer to the poem "You Are." Does the poet associate positive or negative imagery with the subject of the poem? And how do you know? So pause the video while you refer back to the poem, and decide whether the poet associates positive or negative imagery with the subject of the poem.

And how do you know this? Here's Sam.

"The poet associates the subject of the poem with positive imagery including kisses, sunsets, and birdsong.

By linking with things that are beautiful, comforting, and pleasant, you can tell that they must love the subject very much." Thank you for your answer, Sam.

I loved how you found those specific images in the poem that were really quite positive and quite uplifting.

"The illustrations by Ken Wilson Max also add to this association.

They depict flowers of the wild frangipani, a plant grown on Jamaica." "One of the key themes within a poem is love.

One way we can reflect on a poem and its themes is to think about our own personal responses to it." "When thinking about love, we can create our own metaphors about the theme.

We can do this by creating a mind map of things that we associate with love." So here are some examples.

A tree which provides shelter and roots.

A gentle stream that's flowing by.

A light.

Guiding, illuminating.

A quilt that's warm and comforting.

And a garden.

Each flower unique.

I'm wondering how you're feeling as you hear these ideas and as you see these words.

I notice that I'm feeling a sense of warmth and love just by talking about these things and sharing these metaphors about love.

"We can develop these ideas into a metaphor by using the prompt, love is.

I'm going to work through an example using one idea, the tree.

A tree is a good metaphor for love as it has roots which keep it nourished and anchored in storms. They can provide shelter from sun and rain.

Just like trees, love can help us feel comforted and help us through challenging situations." Love is a sturdy oak tree, its roots deep and unwavering, providing shelter and support through life's storms." Check for understanding.

True or false? Love is one of the themes within the poem "You Are." Pause the video while you decide if this is true or false.

Well done if you selected true, and now I'd like you to justify your answer.

"You Are" describes the subject of the poem using very positive imagery, showing that the speaker loves the subject.

Many of the metaphors in a poem are based on nature.

Pause the video while you decide which of these statements justifies your earlier answer.

Both of the statements are true, but it's the first one which is more directly related to your earlier answer.

And now it's time for your first task.

I would like you to create a metaphor based on the theme of love.

Like Valerie Bloom, you might like to associate this with family or friends.

Mind map a series of associations and connections that you have to the word before creating a metaphor describing your response.

So here's a template for you to use.

And first of all, come up with some associations and connections to the word love.

And after that, create your metaphor.

And you can begin your metaphor love is.

So pause the video while you have a go at this task.

It's great to be back with you.

So how did you get on with creating your metaphor based on the theme of love? Let's hear from Aisha.

"Love is a beacon of light, offering us hope and reassurance in the darkness." Oh my goodness, Aisha, I am feeling that one.

Love that.

And here is Lucas.

"Love is a quilt of memories, wrapping us in its warmth and comfort." Oh my goodness, I'm feeling that one too, Lucas.

I'm literally feeling that warmth and comfort of the quilt.

Thank you for sharing these.

I wonder how your metaphor compares to your partner's.

You might like to share yours with a friend.

And now we're onto the next part of our lesson, exploring the poem "Mum Says She Loves Me." "On the very next page of the collection, Valerie offers a contrasting poem called 'Mum Says She Loves Me.

'" I'd like you to read the poem "Mum Says She Loves Me" on page 13.

And then share with someone nearby what are your first impressions of the poem? What do you like about the poem? Pause the video while you do this.

<v ->"Mum Says She Loves Me."</v> "Mom says she loves me and I believe her.

Dad says he loves me and he's not a deceiver.

They say that they'll always love me forever.

I only wish they could love me together." <v ->Here's Alex.

</v> "I like the use of rhyme.

It is written from the child's point-of-view.

The poem reflects a family structure where the parents are no longer together." Thank you for sharing your first impressions there and what you liked, Alex.

Some people really like poems that rhyme, and you're one of them.

And I wonder what you liked about the poem and what your first impressions were.

I hope you enjoyed sharing with someone.

"The poem is eight lines long and has four rhyming words, which are at the end of every second line." I'd like you to refer to the poem.

How does this poem reflect on the theme of love? Pause the video and share with someone nearby how this poem reflects on the theme of love? Here's Izzy.

"The poem reflects the love that each parent has with their child individually.

The child perhaps wishes that they could do this as one family unit, even though they are no longer together." Thanks for sharing that, Izzy.

So yeah, there's a lot of love in this poem, isn't there? From each of the parents.

And maybe a wish for something else from the child.

And now refer to the poem.

"Why do you think a poem like 'Mum Says She Loves Me' is important to read?" Pause the video while you refer to the poem, and share your answer to this question with someone nearby.

Here's Jacob.

" I think the poem is important to read because some readers may have experienced similar feelings or have a similar family structure in their own lives." Really important point there, Jacob.

Thank you.

Many of us have different family structures and it's really important that we can see ourselves represented and know that maybe others feel a similar way can be really helpful.

Check for understanding.

True or false? In the poem "Mum Says She Loves Me," the speaker's mother is the only parent to love them.

Pause video while you decide if this is true or false.

Well done if you selected false.

And now I'd like you to justify your answer.

Both parents are described as loving the speaker of the poem.

The poem uses rhymed to create a rhythm when the poem is read aloud.

Pause the video while you decide which of these statements justifies your earlier answer.

Well done if you selected statement A.

Absolutely, both of the parents are described as loving the speaker, and that relates to earlier answer.

Poems can be based on similar themes and they can convey a range of different feelings and emotions.

I would like you now to reread both poems aloud with your partner.

Remember to use your reading aloud tips.

Expressive voice.

Volume.

Emphasis on keywords.

Facial expressions.

And then answer the following question.

"From reading both poems, what overall message do you take away about the theme of love?" Oh, it's a big theme.

It's quite a big question.

So let's just go through that one more time.

"From reading both poems, what overall message do you take away about the theme of love?" And you may like to begin your answer with a sentence starter like this, from reading both poems I think that.

So pause the video here.

Reread both poems aloud.

Remember your reading aloud tips.

And then answer the question from reading both poems, what overall message do you take away about the theme of love? And I'll see you when you're finished.

It's great to be back with you.

I hope you enjoyed reading aloud those poems. I hope you remembered all of the tips for reading aloud.

And what is your overall message that you're taking away? I'm so curious.

Let's hear from Jun.

"I think that both poems celebrate love and how it is unique for everyone." Mm, it's a beautiful message.

Thank you.

And here's Sophia.

"I think both poems write about love in a positive light.

It is described as something that has a positive effect." Yes, yes, yes, yes to all of that.

Thank you, Sophia.

Such a.

Yeah, such a glowing, beautiful, positive effect from the love in these poems. Thank you for sharing your takeaway messages and I hope you can keep sharing some of this theme of love yourselves, keeping some of that in your heart.

In our lesson today, exploring themes of love in "You Are" and "Mum Says She Loves Me," we have covered the following.

"'You Are' and 'Mum Says She Loves Me' are both poems written by Valerie Bloom.

Each poem is accompanied by an illustration by Ken Wilson Max.

The poem 'You Are' contains lots of imagery.

It uses a range of poetic devices to convey emotion to the reader.

Metaphors are used throughout the poem 'You Are.

' They are a way of describing and comparing something by saying that it is something else.

'Mum Says She Loves Me' is a poem that offers a different perspective on the theme of love.

One way we can reflect on a poem and its themes is to think about our own personal response to it." Well, my personal response to you is thank you.

Thank you for joining in with this lesson.

I really loved hearing about your responses to these two incredible poems, "You Are" and "Mum Says She Loves Me." And what a theme.

So wonderful to explore this theme of love.

I especially enjoyed your metaphors that you came up with.

Those are really beautiful, I will be taking those away with me and holding some of this love close in my heart.

I hope you will, too.

See you at the next lesson.

Bye for now.