Lesson video

Hello everybody.

How are you doing? I hope you're really well.

My name is Ms. Afzal and I'm feeling great today because we're gonna be exploring some poetry.

The poem we're exploring today is called "My Heart Is a Volcano." It's by Valerie Bloom, and it's in her anthology "Stars with Flaming Tails." So that's what you need to find a copy of now, so please pause the video here while you go off and find your copy of the poem or the whole anthology "Stars with Flaming Tails." Okay, you are back.

You've got your poem or your anthology.

You have hopefully got lots of ideas and enthusiasm and you're ready to respond to this fantastic poem, "My Heart Is a Volcano." Let's get started.

The outcome for today's lesson is I can read and respond to a poem before performing it.

We have some keywords in our lesson today, let's go through them.

My turn, your turn.

Imagery.

Gesture.

Atmosphere.

Fixed verse.

Pace.

Great stuff, I liked hearing those loud and clear.

Let's find out what these keywords mean.

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

A gesture is a movement that helps to express an idea or meaning.

Atmosphere is the mood created in a section or the whole of a text.

Fixed verse is poetry with a specific structure, rhyme and metre.

And pace is the speed or rhythm at which a poem is read or performed.

These are our keywords.

Let's listen out for them, let's look out for them.

They will be in our lesson today.

So here's our lesson.

"Reading, responding to, and performing 'My Heart Is a Volcano.

'" Two parts to the lesson.

Exploring "My Heart Is a Volcano" and performing "My Heart Is a Volcano." Let's begin by exploring this poem.

"My Heart Is a Volcano" is a poem written by Valerie Bloom.

Valerie was born in 1956 in Clarendon, a parish in Jamaica.

And we can see Jamaica on the map there, a beautiful island in the Caribbean Sea.

Valerie moved to the UK in the 1970s.

Valerie's poetry is known for its musicality, rhythm, and vivid imagery.

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

She frequently uses Caribbean dialects, humour, and storytelling techniques to explore themes of identity, family, culture, and everyday life.

Her collection, "Stars with Flaming Tails," contains poems written about friends, family, the wider world and animals.

It also explores a range of different forms. Hmm, I'm wondering if you could write a collection of poems, what might some of the topics be that you'd write about? Would you write about friends, family, the wider world, animals, or something else? Pause the video and tell someone nearby, what would you write poems about? Okay, good to be back with you, I hope you enjoyed sharing.

I wonder if you had the same kind of themes or maybe different things that you wanted to write about.

So before we read the poem, what does the title, "My Heart Is a Volcano," make you think of? What words or images come to mind? Pause the video here, turn to someone nearby and share with them, what does "My Heart Is a Volcano" make you think of? What words or images come into your mind? Okay, I wonder what you were thinking of, what images came into your mind.

Let's hear from Jun.

"The title makes me imagine someone whose heart is intense and fiery, ready to erupt in anger." Alright, thank you Jun.

And here is Sofia.

"Perhaps like a volcano, the speaker's feelings and emotions run deep.

I wonder if the emotions they show on the surface are different to how they feel inside?" Oh, wow, I love that idea.

Thanks for sharing that, Sofia.

Yes, there could be something happening on the outside, on the surface, but actually something else running deep within.

Hmm, so interesting.

And what about these images that came into your mind, are they positive or negative images? And imagine if we had a scale there, positive to negative, whereabouts do the things that have come into your mind fit on that scale? So just pause and reflect on this for a moment.

Are your images more positive or negative? And share with someone nearby.

Pause the video here.

Okay, good to be back with you.

I wonder whether your image is more positive or negative or maybe somewhere in between.

Check for understanding, true or false.

The title of a poem can provide the reader with an impression of what the poem is about.

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.

Describing the speaker's heart as a volcano can conjure up imagery related to power, intensity and unpredictability.

Describing the speaker's heart as a volcano is a metaphor.

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

Describing the speaker's heart as a volcano is a metaphor.

When we say one thing is another thing, that's a metaphor.

However, it's the first statement that more directly relates to your answer earlier.

And now it's time to read the poem.

I'd like you to refer to page 27 of your poetry anthology.

And to begin, read the poem silently in your head, and then read out loud.

You might like to read it with a partner, with one person taking the first two lines of each verse and the other the final two lines.

So pause the video now while you have a go at reading this poem, first of all silently in your head and next out loud.

<v ->"My Heart Is a Volcano."</v> "My heart is a volcano.

A cyclone, a shooting star.

My heart is a speeding freight train, a runaway racing car.

My heart is a hunting cheetah, an eagle soaring above the sea.

My heart is a captive lovebird that's suddenly been set free.

My heart is a trembling gazelle grazing the African plain.

My heart is a sleeping baby.

My dad is home again." <v ->Okay, I hope you enjoyed reading that poem.

</v> I got some questions for you.

Did the poem match your expectations from thinking about its title? And why, or why not? Pause the video here and share with someone nearby.

Did the poem match your expectations from thinking about its title? Why or why not? Okay, so I wonder, did it match your expectations? Let's see what Aisha has to say.

"I thought the poem would be explosive and full of anger.

It actually conveys a range of feelings and emotions." Yeah, thanks for sharing that, Aisha.

So you thought one thing and actually you found there was something else is the case.

"My Heart Is a Volcano" is split into three verses, also known as stanzas, with four lines in each.

Each verse follows an ABCB rhyme scheme.

The second and fourth lines rhyme.

The poem uses several metaphors.

As a result, it's rich in imagery.

Remember that use of language to create the mental picture, sensory impression.

I'd like to refer to the poem, which was your most vivid image? And what impression does it give you of the speaker's heart? So pause the video here while you refer back to the poem and select which was your most vivid image and what impression does it give you of your speaker's heart.

Share your answer with someone nearby.

Okay, so many images, which one did you choose, I wonder? Maybe was it this one, the same as Lucas? "I felt the image of the gazelle was most vivid.

The speaker refers to it as troubling, which made me think of how gazelles might be wary of predators while they're eating.

It made me think of the heart as being nervous or anxious about something." Thank you for sharing your answer there, Lucas.

I love how you gave us your image of the gazelle and also how it made you think of the speaker's heart, maybe they're nervous or anxious.

Check for understanding.

Match the feeling with the metaphor it links to in the poem and refer to the poem for support.

So we have the feelings uncontrollable, free, and calm, and they're being linked to either a lovebird, a baby, or a cyclone.

Pause the video while you match up the feeling with the metaphor.

Okay, did you match up uncontrollable with a cyclone? Free and lovebird, calm and baby.

Well done if you made these connections.

And a cyclone is a powerful tropical storm containing strong winds and rain.

Very powerful, pretty uncontrollable.

Wonder if you've ever felt like that.

Through the use of metaphorical language, the poem conveys the speaker's emotional journey.

Let's explore the atmosphere created.

Atmosphere is one of our keywords, and atmosphere means the mood that is created by part of the text or the whole of the text.

So in verse one, the atmosphere is intense.

The heart is compared to powerful natural phenomena.

Natural phenomena is something that occurs, something that happens in nature.

Later in verse one, the atmosphere is energetic.

The heart is compared to objects that are incredibly fast.

Moving on, let's explore the atmosphere in verses two and three.

So in verse two, first of all, the atmosphere is something wild, the heart is compared to wild creatures.

And then free, the heart is compared to a once-restricted affectionate bird.

In verse three, the atmosphere is of vulnerability.

The heart is compared to a cautious and easily startled gazelle.

And finally, in verse three, comfortable.

The heart is compared to a baby who is fast asleep.

So we can see how much the atmosphere changes, what a range.

Just even from the start of verse two to the end of verse three, we go from wild to comfortable.

Check for understanding, true or false.

The speaker's emotional state stays the same throughout the poem.

Pause the 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.

The speaker's heart is described as an eagle flying high above the water.

The speaker's emotions shift from restless and urgent to free and tranquil.

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

Well done if you selected the second statement.

Yes, absolutely, the emotional state does not stay the same throughout the poem, but it shifts from restless and urgent to free and tranquil.

Well done for justifying your answer.

And now it's time for your first task.

The poem is able to tell its reader a narrative through its changing emotions, so it takes us through a story, a narrative.

I'd like you to discuss the following questions with your partner.

What effect does the father coming home have on the speaker? And how do you know? Where do you imagine the father has been? I'd like you to refer to the poem in your responses and you may also like to explore the accompanying illustration by Ken Wilson Max too.

So pause the video here, refer back to the poem, and refer to it in your responses and answer these questions.

Share your answers with someone nearby.

Okay, it's great to be back with you.

How did you get on with your discussion? So what effect do you feel the father coming home had on the speaker, how do you know, and where do you think the father has been? Let's hear from Sam.

"The father returning home has a positive effect on the speaker.

Their heart is described as peaceful and soothed like a baby fast asleep." Oh yes, gosh, I'm remembering that feeling that I had when I was reading that poem just hearing your answer there, Sam.

And how about Andeep? "I imagine a father was away for work.

Perhaps he was gone a while, which is why the speaker's emotions were so changeable." Yeah, I like how you're really referring back to the poem there, Andeep, and really recognising how there was so much going on for the speaker.

So yeah, it could well be linked to the father being away for work.

Great responses, thank you for sharing, and I hope you enjoyed sharing your responses too.

And were your responses similar or different to the ones above, I wonder? And now it's time to get into performing, performing "My Heart Is a Volcano." Reflecting on the structure and atmosphere in a poem will help communicate the meaning when we perform.

There are several other elements to consider and practise when getting ready to perform.

This includes exploring the rhythm and flow of the poem and our use of voice, gestures, and movement.

And gestures, one of our keywords, is the use of movement to convey an idea or some meaning.

Rhythm and flow refer to the natural musicality of the poem's language, and we know that Valerie Bloom has a real musicality to her language.

Some poems have a strict regular form and this can affect the flow of how we read it aloud.

The poem "My Heart Is a Volcano" is a fixed verse poem, so that means it has a specific rhyme, structure, and metre.

It has four lines in each verse and follows as ABCB rhyme scheme.

We need to find the right pace and timing when reading aloud to create a smooth and engaging performance.

Pace, another one of our keywords, is the speed at which a poem is read or performed.

Check for understanding.

The poem "My Heart Is a Volcano" has a strict regular form.

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

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

It is a fixed verse poem.

The verses are the same length and there is a rhyming structure.

Metaphors are used throughout the poem, conveying atmosphere.

Pause video while you decide which of these statements more directly justifies your answer.

Both statements are true, so indeed metaphors are used throughout the poem and they do convey atmosphere.

However, that doesn't relate so much to your earlier answer.

What justifies your answer is the fact that it's a fixed verse poem and the verses are the same length and there is a rhyming structure.

Well done if you selected this justification for your answer.

And now I'd like you to reread the poem aloud and focus on rhythm and flow.

Pay attention to any patterns such as repeated phrases.

Think about where the words flow and where you'll pause.

The line endings and punctuation can help you.

And here's Laura with some more advice.

"Often we need to read a poem more slowly and clearly than we think, as the audience might be hearing it for the first time." That's really helpful.

Thank you, Laura.

Okay, so over to you, I'd like you to pause the video here while you reread the poem aloud.

Focus on rhythm and flow, and enjoy it.

Our use of voice can really affect the performance of the poem.

We must enunciate clearly so that the audience can understand us.

So enunciate means we're pronouncing all of the sounds in our words.

We can also vary our tone and our volume to create different effects.

A loud volume could show excitement or intensity, while a softer volume could show mystery.

And now reread the poem.

Look out for sections that you think could be louder or quieter.

So pause the video now while you reread the poem and really paying attention to enunciating clearly, being aware of how you use your voice, and varying your tone and volume.

Okay, good to be back with you.

I wonder why did you make the choices that you made in the way that you read your poem.

Just pause for a moment and share with someone nearby, why did you choose to read your poem in the way that you did? Okay, thank you for sharing.

And now I am gonna have a go at reading aloud using the following tones of voice.

Intense and energetic.

Majestic and liberating.

Tender and peaceful.

Okay, over to you.

Now I'll let you to try reading "My Heart Is a Volcano" using the following tones of voice.

Have a go at reading it in an intense and energetic way, in a majestic and liberating way, and in a tender and peaceful way.

Pause the video while you have a go at this.

Thanks for reading aloud and trying out the different tones of voice.

And I wonder, which tone of voice do you think best suited each verse? Take a moment to reflect on this and share with someone nearby.

Our facial expressions and our body language can help to convey meaning as we perform.

We can show surprise, wonder, or mystery with our expressions, or with body movements, actions, and gestures.

Remember, gestures and movement helps us to convey meaning.

This time, I'd like you to reread the poem, and are there any moments in the poem that you think would benefit from a particular action or gesture? Pause video while you reread the poem and consider any moments that might require an action or a gesture.

Okay, and now I am gonna show you some gestures that could be used for the following imagery.

A volcano erupting.

Running swiftly as a cheetah.

A trembling gazelle.

And now it's your turn, I would like you to show me a gesture that you could use for the following imagery.

So first of all, can you show me a gesture for the swirling motion of the cyclone? Pause video while you show me that gesture.

Oh my goodness, I'm all in a spin.

Wow, that was fantastic.

Next one, pause the video here while you show me soaring gracefully as an eagle.

Oh wow, so graceful, so majestic, I love those eagles.

And finally, pause the video while you show me a gesture for a sleeping baby.

Oh my goodness, I feel so peaceful.

Look at your gestures for those lovely sleeping babies.

So gorgeous, thank you for sharing.

And will you use any of these in your final performance, I wonder? Performing with expression and emotion means showing the feelings and atmosphere of the poem through your performance.

It's about bringing the poem to life and connecting with the audience on an emotional level.

You can use all of the techniques we have practised to help you.

Pace and flow.

Tone and volume.

Facial expressions and body language, gestures.

And now I would like you to read "My Heart Is a Volcano" with expression and emotion.

Pause the video while you have a go at this.

Well done, that was beautiful.

Let's hear from Jacob.

"I emphasised some of the key imagery by including pauses and controlling the volume and tone of my voice.

I used my facial expressions and body language to help convey the changes in atmosphere." Really effective to do all of that, Jacob, well done.

I'm so glad you've really, really taken on board all of these suggestions.

And now it's time for your task.

I would like you to practise and then present your final performance of the poem.

You could perform the poem individually, in a pair or in a group.

It's really up to you.

Think about rhythm and flow, use of your voice, gestures and movement, showing expression and emotion.

So pause the video here, have a good practise, and then present your final performance of the poem.

Enjoy every moment and every word and every gesture.

It's great to be back with you.

How did you get on at practising and then presenting your final performance of the poem? I'd like you to pause and reflect.

Did you vary the rhythm and flow of the poem? Did you speak clearly and vary your volume? Did you use facial expressions or body movements? Did you enjoy performing? Pause the video while you reflect on your answers to these questions.

Poems can be interpreted in many different ways.

Therefore, each performance may convey different feelings and emotions to the audience.

In our lesson today, "Reading, responding to, and performing 'My Heart Is a Volcano'" we have covered the following.

"My Heart Is a Volcano" is split into three verses with four lines in each.

Each verse follows an ABCB rhyme scheme.

Through the use of metaphors, the poem conveys the atmosphere as it follows the speaker's emotional journey towards being reunited with their father.

Understanding a poem, its language, imagery, and impression it creates will help us to create an impactful performance.

We can improve our performances by considering the rhythm and flow of the poem, our own use of voice, gestures and movement, and by showing expression and emotion.

Well, I would like to express something to you, which is gratitude.

Thank you so much for joining in with this lesson.

I really loved your responses and I loved your performances, thank you for putting so much into it.

And I look forward to seeing you in the next lesson, bye for now.