Lesson video

Hello, everyone.

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

My name is Ms. Afzal and I'm feeling very good today because we're going to be exploring some poetry, which I love.

Today we're going to look at a poem that comes from the anthology, Hot Dog and Other Poems. So I'm going to pause here while you go off and get your copy of that book.

Okay, great.

You're back.

You've got your copy of the book in hand, Hot Dog and Other Poems. This is by Kit Wright, illustrated by Posy Simmonds, and we are gonna be exploring one poem in particular from this text.

I'm really looking forward to it.

I hope you are too.

Let's begin.

The outcome for today's lesson is I can compare and contrast two poems with similar themes.

We have some keywords in our lesson today.

Let's go through them one at a time.

My turn, your turn.

Theme, captivity, freedom, compare, contrast.

Great stuff.

I liked hearing those words.

Let's find out what these words mean.

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

Captivity is being confined or imprisoned.

Freedom is being unrestrained, independent, or liberated.

Compare involves identifying similarities between two or more things, ideas, themes, or texts.

Contrast involves identifying differences between two or more things, ideas, themes, or texts.

These are our key words.

Let's look out for them.

Let's listen out for them.

They will be coming up in our lesson today.

So here's our lesson, exploring human relationships with animals through poetry.

Has two parts to it.

First of all, exploring "The Song of The Whale" and then exploring "The Panther." Let's begin exploring "The Song of The Whale." "The Song of The Whale" was written by Kit Wright in 1982.

It is featured in a collection titled Hot Dog and Other Poems, intriguing title.

Kit Wright is a British poet, children's writer, and playwright who was born in 1944.

He is known for his playful and imaginative poetry, which often explores themes of childhood and nature.

And remember, a theme is a big idea topic which recurs in a text.

After studying at Oxford, Kit worked as a lecturer in Canada, then returned to England, and a position in the Poetry Society.

He is currently a full-time writer and writes poems for both children and adults.

Great job, Kit.

Before we read the poem, what does the title, "The Song of The Whale" make you think of? What words or images come to mind? Pause the video here while you share with someone nearby.

What does this title "The Song of The Whale" make you think of? What words or images come to mind? I hope you enjoyed sharing with each other.

Let's hear a response from Lucas.

The title makes me think of music and melodies.

I know that some whales communicate to each other via song over long distances.

I wonder if the poem will be about what the whales might say if they could talk to humans.

Interesting idea there, Lucas.

Yeah.

Who are these whales communicating with in the poem? Speaking of whale communication, I would like you to pause the video now while you have a go at listening to this example of whale song.

This might be the very first time you have ever heard the sound of a whale, so listen carefully.

(whale singing) Okay, I hope you enjoyed listening to that.

It's really something, isn't it? I'd like you to pause the video now and just share with someone nearby.

What was that like for you to hear that whale song? How did it feel? What did it make you think of? Okay, thank you so much for sharing.

For me, it felt like something really quite mysterious, magical, and really beautiful, quite moving.

And now thinking back to your responses to the title of the poem, was your response similar or different to what your partner shared and or to what Lucas shared? And also were these positive or negative images? Pause the video while you discuss this.

Thank you so much for sharing.

Before we explore the poem in more detail, it's useful to know a little about whales.

There are about 90 species of whales including toothed whales, baleen whales, orcas, and dolphins.

Some whale species like humpback whales are known for their beautiful songs.

They use their songs to communicate with other whales, possibly to find mates, or established territory.

And we can see an image there of a humpback whale breaching.

Breaching is when they leap out of the water and most of their body is out of the water.

Whales face a multitude of threats from humans including the following, hunting and wailing for their blubber, meat, and other valuable products.

Pollution, climate change, overfishing, which leads to a shortage of food for the whales and captivity in zoos and waterparks.

And we can see in the image there some whales are in captivity.

And captivity, one of our keywords, means being confined or imprisoned.

Conservation efforts including protected areas and laws on hunting, fishing, and captivity practises are crucial for the survival of whales and their ecosystems. Check for understanding, true or false.

Whales face several threats as a result of humans.

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

Well done if you selected true.

Very sadly, this is true.

Now I'd like you to justify your answer.

Conservation efforts contribute to the protection and preservation of whale species and their habitats.

Humans have had a negative impact on many species of whales, including pollution, leading to habitat destruction.

Pause the video while you decide which of these statements will directly justify your earlier answer.

Well, we can see that both of these statements are true.

However, it is the second statement that is the one that's more directly linked to your earlier answer.

"The Song of The Whale" contains some language which may be unfamiliar to us.

Let's have a look at the definitions before we encounter them in the poem.

Heaving.

This means moving or rising with great force.

Grieving is feeling deep sadness or sorrow.

Painted faces refers to humans wearing makeup.

Tumbling is falling or rolling in an uncontrolled manner.

Keening is a wailing or sorrowful sound.

So these are some of the words which we'll encounter in this poem.

And now it's time to read the poem.

I would like you to refer to pages 17 and 18.

To begin, read the poem silently in your head, then read out loud.

You might like to read it with a partner, one person reading the first verse, the second person reading the next and so on.

So pause the video here while you read the poem twice.

Once silently and the second time out loud.

Enjoy your reading the first encounter of the poem.

Okay, so you have read the poem.

I've got some questions for you.

What were your first impressions of the poem? What did you like about it? So pause the video here, turn to someone nearby and share with them your first impressions of the poem and what you liked about it.

Good to be back with you.

I wonder what you shared.

Let's hear from Sam.

The poem made me reflect on the impact that humans have had and are having on whales.

The repeated line that the poet used in the third and final verses is very powerful.

It made me feel like I should know more about these majestic creatures and the challenges they face.

Thanks for sharing that, Sam.

Yeah, there is something very powerful about that line.

I agree with you.

Thank you for sharing that.

It's a great point.

"The Song of The Whale" consists of nine verses also known as stanzas of varying length.

It has a repeated refrain.

This is the part that comes up again and again, which describes how whales have been exploited by humans.

I'd like you to refer to the poem and identify the repeated lines.

What does the refrain make you think about? Pause the video while you refer to the poem, identify those repeated lines and share with someone.

What does this refrain make you think of? Okay, thanks for sharing with each other.

Let's hear from Laura.

The refrain emphasises the harmful effect that humans are having on whales.

It makes me think about how sometimes we are more focused on ourselves than others.

I hear you there, Laura.

Sometimes it's just about us.

Like, it's just humans are the only important thing and we're not really considering other species as much as we could.

And here's Andeep.

The refrain makes me reflect on what ingredients go into the things I use every day.

I think there have been some positive changes since the poem was written.

Great point there, Andeep.

Yeah, that's really something we can do is really look at the ingredients in items that we're using and where do these ingredients come from? What impact are they having on the world, on the environment on other species? Thank you.

I hope you enjoyed sharing with each other.

And maybe gave each other some food for thought.

Imagery is vividly used in "The Song of The Whale" to convey an emotional message to the reader or listener.

Refer to the poem, which is your favourite example of imagery and why is it effective? So pause the video while you refer back to the poem.

Identify your favourite example of imagery, where language is used to create an image in the reader's mind, and why is it effective? All right, here is Jun.

Let's see what imagery Jun found effective.

Referring to whales as a mountain makes me think about their immense size as they swim.

Although they're very large, the poet makes the whales seem very gentle.

And then we can see an image of a blue whale.

Yes, incredibly immense.

But yeah, there was something quite magic and beautiful and gentle looking about this creature, this majestic creature.

Thank you for sharing, Jun.

I hope you all enjoyed sharing your favourite examples of imagery with each other too.

Check for understanding.

Match these words to their definitions.

Heaving, tumbling, keening, and the definitions falling or rolling in an uncontrolled manner, a wailing or sorrow horse sound, moving or rising with great force.

Pause the video while you match the words to their definitions.

Okay, did you match heaving to moving or rising with great force? Tumbling is falling or rolling in an uncontrolled manner and keening is a wailing or sorrowful sound.

Well done If you made these connections.

And now it's time for your task, "The Song of The Whale" conveys a powerful message to the reader about human relationships with animals.

A takeaway idea within a text may link to themes that are explored and developed in it.

It may include a key message, insight, or perspective that the poet has communicated to the reader or listener.

What are your takeaway ideas from reading and exploring the poem? Pause the video here while you share with someone nearby.

What are you taking away from this poem? It's great to be back with you and I am very curious.

What are your takeaway ideas from reading and exploring the poem? And I hope you enjoyed sharing them.

Let's hear Jacob's idea.

The poem makes me feel empathy for the whales through its use of emotive language.

It encourages people to consider the consequences of our actions on the natural world.

Hear, hear, Jacob.

What an amazing message to take away.

Thank you, Kit Wright, for writing this incredible poem and giving us this message and hopefully helping us to take action to help to preserve and protect this beautiful, precious, natural world.

And now we are onto the next part of our lesson where we'll be exploring "The Panther." We're now going to read and explore a poem with similar themes and ideas.

"The Panther" was written by Rainer Maria Rilke, one of my favourite poets, between 1902 and 1903.

It describes a captive panther behind bars.

That would be a panther that has been imprisoned.

The panther was exhibited in one of the oldest zoos in the world, the Menagerie of the Jardin des Plantes in Paris.

And we can see in the image there some animal artists at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris, 1902.

The poem is one of Rilke's most famous poems and has been translated many times.

The translation we are reading from today is by Stephen Mitchell.

So let's read and discuss the poem "The Panther." His vision, from the constantly passing bars, has grown so weary that it cannot hold anything else.

It seems to him there are a thousand bars and behind the bars, no world.

Okay, let's take a look at what these words, these lines mean.

So his vision from the constantly passing bars has grown so weary.

The panther's vision is tired from seeing only the bars of its cage.

It seems to him that there are a thousand bars and behind the bars, no world.

It feels like there's nothing beyond the bars, just endless confinement.

Oh, feels really heartbreaking to read that.

As he paces in cramped circles over and over, the movement of his powerful soft strides is like a ritual dance around the centre in which a mighty will stands paralysed.

So as he paces in cramped circles, so here the panther walks in circles repeatedly within its small space.

It's like a ritual dance around the centre in which a mighty will stands paralysed.

So its movements are described as a ritual.

They're almost hypnotic.

Only at times the curtain of the pupils lifts quietly.

An image enters in, rushes down through the tense, arrested muscles, plunges into the heart and is gone.

So sometimes the panther's eyes briefly open, allowing in a little light, a hope for a life outside the cage.

And then as soon as the image of freedom gets to the panther's heart, it disappears again.

What a poem.

"The Panther" consists of three verses which each contain four lines.

The poem uses endowment, which is when a line of poetry continues onto the next line without pause or punctuation.

I'd like to refer to the poem.

What were your first impressions? What did you like about it? So pause the video here, turn to someone nearby and share with them your first impressions.

What did you like about this poem? Here's Lucas.

The poem makes me feel sad for the panther.

It is kept in captivity, not able to be in its natural habitat.

I liked its steady rhythm when read aloud.

Okay, thanks for sharing that, Lucas.

Yeah, feeling sad.

I feel you.

Felt so sad too.

I wonder what your first impressions were.

Hope you enjoyed sharing them.

The themes of captivity and freedom can be shown in the imagery as well as the structure of the poem.

The poem's lines look like the bars of the cage.

I'll let you now to refer to the poem.

How do you think the panther might be feeling? Pause the video.

Share with someone nearby.

How's the panther feeling in this poem? Here's Izzy.

I think the panther is likely to be frustrated.

It is isolated from others.

Rilke described it as seeing no world.

It has almost lost all hope of being free.

It's pretty devastating to hear that.

Yeah, thanks for sharing, Izzy.

Check for understanding.

True or false.

The panther is content and happy about being in captivity.

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 panther is tired and weary.

It is trapped behind bars and sees no world.

The panther was exhibited in one of the oldest zoos in the world, the Menagerie of the Jardin des Plantes in Paris.

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

So both of the statements are true, however, it's the first statement that justifies your earlier answer about the panther not being content or happy in captivity.

When we compare and contrast, we are focusing on similarities and differences.

Similarities are things that are alike or the same in two or more things.

Differences are things that are not the same.

So by comparing, we can find things are alike, which helps us to see patterns and connections.

And when we contrast, we notice differences.

And this helps us see unique details or aspects that make each thing special.

Check for understanding.

Match the following keywords to their definitions.

Contrast and compare.

And here are the definitions, involves identifying similarities between two or more things, ideas, themes, or texts.

Involves identifying differences between two or more things, ideas, themes or texts.

Pause a video while we match these keywords to their definitions.

Well done if you match contrast to involves identifying differences between two or more things, ideas, themes, or texts.

And if you match compare to involves identifying similarities between two or more things, ideas, themes, or texts.

And now it's time for your task.

In this task, we're going to explore the similarities and differences between the two poems. How do the poets depict the two creatures in the poems? Are they described in a similar or a different way? I'd like you to compare and contrast the poems by filling in notes in the corresponding boxes.

Similarities go in between the titles and differences on the outer sides.

You may wish to refer to themes, descriptions of the creatures, the poem structure, and use of imagery.

Refer to both poems to support you.

"The Panther" is available in the additional materials.

So here's the template I would like you to use to help you to compare and contrast these two poems, "The Song of The Whale" and "The Panther." So complete this table writing in the similarities in the middle, seeing the depictions of these creatures and the differences on the outer edges.

Pause the video while you have a go at this task.

It's good to be back with you.

I hope you enjoyed comparing and contrasting the poems. Let's take a look at some similarities and differences.

So let's have a look at some differences.

The whale's grieving.

It is sad about the negative impact that humans have had on its kind.

It longs to be left alone.

Similarities, both poems explore the relationship between captivity and freedom.

Vivid imagery is used to convey emotion.

And the panther is described as weary and tired, fed up of pacing in cramped circles.

It longs for freedom.

Well done for completing this task.

In our lesson exploring human relationships with animals through poetry, we have covered the following.

"The Song of The Whale" was written by Kit Wright in 1982.

The poem consists of nine verses of varying length.

It has a refrain which describes how whales have been exploited by humans.

Whales face a multitude of threats from humans, which include hunting, pollution, and captivity in zoos and water parks.

"The Panther" was written by Rainer Maria Rilke between 1902 and 1903.

It describes a captive panther behind bars.

Themes of captivity and freedom can be found in both poems. We can compare and contrast poems with similar themes or messages noticing the impact that they have on us as readers.

Thank you everyone for joining in with this lesson today.

It was great to hear your impressions of these two poems, the similarities, the differences, the emotions, and so much more.

I especially enjoyed hearing your takeaway ideas and feel hopeful that we'll all be taking action to help preserve and protect this precious planet and all of its inhabitants.

I'll see you soon at another lesson.

Bye for now.