Lesson video

Hello, everyone.

How are you today? I hope you're feeling great.

My name is Ms. Afzal, and I'm feeling really great as well because we're going to be exploring some poetry, and I love poetry.

For today's lesson, you're going to need a particular poetry anthology, which is called "The Thought Fox: Collected Animal Poems Vol 4".

This is by Ted Hughes.

So I'm gonna pause here while you go off and collect your copy of that text.

Okay, you're back, text in hand.

Fantastic.

You have "The Thought Fox: Collected Animal Poems Vol 4" by Ted Hughes.

We're gonna explore some poetry from this text.

I hope you're interested in animals.

Hope you're interested in poetry.

Let's explore this together.

Are you ready? Let's begin.

The outcome for today's lesson is: I can engage with the poem and research the subject.

We have some keywords in our lesson today.

Let's go through them.

My turn, your turn.

Subject.

Imagery.

Research.

Great stuff.

I liked hearing those.

Let's find out what the words mean.

Subject is the main topic or idea that the poet is writing about.

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

And research is to find out more about a topic or idea using reliable sources.

These are our keywords.

Let's be on the lookout for them.

Let's listen out for them.

Let's think carefully about these words.

Our lesson today, reading and responding to "Pike" by Ted Hughes, has two parts to it.

There is exploring "Pike" and researching the subject of a poem.

Let's begin by exploring the poem "Pike".

"Pike" was written by Ted Hughes in 1960 and is found in the collection "The Thought Fox: Collected Animal Poems Vol 4".

Ted Hughes was a highly celebrated British poet who wrote many poems, children's books, and plays.

Hughes was born in a small village in Yorkshire, England, in 1930, and we can see where Yorkshire is marked on the map there in front of us.

He grew up in a rural environment, which later influenced much of his poetry.

He often used animals, landscapes, and elemental forces as symbols in his work.

In addition to poetry, Hughes wrote several acclaimed children's books, including "The Iron Man", which was later adapted into a popular animated film called "The Iron Giant".

Maybe you've seen this film.

Before we explore the poem, it's useful to know a little about the creature Hughes is writing about.

Pike are freshwater fish commonly found in lakes, rivers, and streams across North America, Europe, and Asia.

Pikes have a distinctive appearance, including a long, slender body, sharp teeth, and a flattened snout, and we can see that appearance of the pike in these images on the screen.

Pike are apex predators.

That means they are at the top of the food chain and they don't get eaten by other animals.

They're large and muscular and are known for their aggressive and voracious feeding habits.

Voracious means it eats a lot of food.

Pike have a green and gold colour, which provides effective camouflage in their aquatic environment.

We can see that green and gold in those images on the screen.

Having discovered a little about pikes, what do you think the poem might be about? And do you think Hughes will describe the pike in a positive or a negative way? Pause the video and share your responses to these questions with someone nearby.

Here's Alex.

"I think the poem will be about a pike hunting its prey.

I wonder if the poet will focus on the creature's predatory features, such as power and aggression.

I think negative imagery will be used to describe it." Okay, thanks for sharing that, Alex.

And also, here's our keyword imagery, and imagery is the use of language to create a mental picture or a sensory experience for the reader or listener.

I wonder, was this response similar or different to your own? Check for understanding.

Which of the following are true about pike? Pike are apex predators.

Pike have red and pink coloration on their scales.

Pike are saltwater fish.

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

Well done if you selected the first statement.

Yes indeed, pike are apex predators, and apex predators are animals at the top of the food chain that don't get eaten by other animals.

Powerful position to be in.

The poem "Pike" contains some language which may be unfamiliar to us.

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

Malevolent: having or showing a desire to do evil to others.

Grandeur: greatness or impressiveness.

Silhouette is the outline or shape of something, usually seen as a dark shape against a lighter background.

Subdued: controlled or restrained.

Gullet is the throat or oesophagus.

Vice: a tool or device used for gripping or holding something tightly.

These are just some of the unfamiliar words.

You may wish to explore the meaning of others using a dictionary.

And now it's time to read the poem.

I'd like you to refer to pages 38, 39.

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

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

So pause the video here while you have a go at reading the poem twice, firstly silently, and then the next time around out loud.

Okay, so you have read the poem.

What were your first impressions? What did you like about it? Pause the video and share with someone nearby your first impressions of the poem "Pike" and what you liked about it.

See you when you're finished.

Let's hear from Aisha.

"The poem describes the viciousness of the pike.

The poet compares the creatures to killers from the moment they hatch.

Hughes describes their strength, vice-like stare, and malevolent smile.

He gives the poem an atmosphere of danger and fear." Thanks for sharing that, Aisha.

Yeah, really quite a thorough description of your first impression of that poem, and I hope you enjoyed sharing your first impressions.

Were they something similar to Aisha's? Maybe something different? "Pike" consists of 11 verses, each with four lines.

These are known as quatrains.

I'd like you now to refer to the poem.

Was there anything you did not understand? Discuss with your partner.

So pause the video here while you refer back to the poem and share, was there anything you didn't understand, and talk this through with your partner.

Let's take a look at this response.

"I did not initially understand the reference to the submarine.

Through talking with my partner, we decided that it was used to describe the pike's shape, size, and how they hunt.

It describes them as feeling the biggest in their own world." Poems can have many interpretations.

Meaning can change based on the reader or listener's own experiences.

It's normal to not understand all the language in a poem, especially when we first read it.

So I hope it was helpful for you to discuss with your partner anything that you didn't understand and maybe you got to some kind of understanding through your discussion.

The poem can be split into four sections.

Verses one and two describe the pike from infancy.

Ted Hughes tells us about its colour and how it moves in the water.

Verses three and four describe the pike's natural habitat and how they are apex predators, top of the food chain.

Verses five and seven describe the speaker's own experience of keeping pike in a fish tank.

There were three initially, but they ended up eating one another.

Verses 8 to 11 describe a pond where the speaker used to fish.

The speaker was afraid to fish there at night due to the pike's immense size and eyes that watched them from the darkness.

And there we have an image of pike hunting at night.

So as we can see, a lot of ground is covered in this poem.

Descriptions of the pike and then the speaker's own experiences with pike.

Hughes uses vivid imagery in the poem to create a rich and sensory description of the pike and its environment.

I'd like you now to refer to the poem.

Which is your favourite example of imagery, and what senses does it appeal to? Pause the video here while you refer back to the poem and share with someone nearby your favourite example of imagery and the senses that it appeals to.

Okay, let's hear from Andeep.

"I liked how the poet used the word still to describe the splashes.

This appeals to the auditory and visual senses.

I like the contrast between the words." Hmm, great selection there, Andeep.

So much that we could have chosen from, but yeah, that's a really great one, the still splashes.

Check for understanding.

True or false? The speaker of the poem thinks of the pike as comforting creatures.

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.

Pike are a mixture of green and gold.

This helps them with camouflaging in the water.

The speaker was afraid of the pike due to their immense size and eyes that watched them while fishing.

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

Both statements are indeed true, but it's the second one that is a more direct justification of your earlier answer.

And now it's time for your task.

I would like you to practise reading the poem "Pike" aloud.

You could read one verse each with a partner.

So refer to pages 38 and 39 in your text.

Use your knowledge of the meaning of each verse to help you read with greater expression.

And remember to pause at the end of each verse.

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

Okay, great to be back with you.

How did you get on with reading the poem "Pike" aloud? Did you use an expressive voice? Did you pause at the end of each verse? Was it easier or harder to read after exploring the poem, I wonder? So pause the video while you reflect on these questions and share with someone nearby.

Thank you for sharing, and we'll now move on.

So next, we'll be researching the subject of a poem.

Researching the subject of a poem can greatly enhance readers' understanding.

So we've got two of our keywords here.

So we have researching, which is finding out more about the topic or idea using reliable sources.

And we have subject, which is the main idea or topic that the poet is writing about.

Learning about the physical characteristics, behaviour, and habitats of pike can provide context for the imagery and descriptions in the poem.

Understanding the real-life traits of pike can help us to visualise the scenes depicted in the poem more vividly.

By understanding the pike's role in the food chain, we can gain a deeper understanding of the poem's themes of nature, power, and survival.

The goal of research is to enrich and engage readers in a poem.

Check for understanding.

True or false? Research can support a reader's understanding of the poem.

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.

Researching can provide readers with a deeper understanding of a poem's themes.

The goal of research should be to enrich and engage readers with a poem.

Pause the video while you decide which of these is a more direct justification for your earlier answer.

Well done if you selected the first statement.

Indeed, researching can provide you with a deeper understanding of the poem's themes.

And now it's time for your next task.

For the first part of this task, you're going to have the opportunity to research more about the subject of the poem, the pike.

You might like to focus your research on the following areas: physical description, behaviour, habitat.

Think carefully about the sources you get your information from.

You may wish to check with an adult to check the accuracy of your research.

So pause the video here while you embark on researching the subject of the poem, the pike.

Enjoy your research.

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

How did you get on with researching the pike? Did you find out information about its physical description? Did you find out information about its typical behaviour? Did you find out information about its habitat? Whichever one you went for, I hope you enjoyed it and enjoyed knowing all this new information and knowledge about the pike.

Next, I would like you to refer to your research and the poem and answer the following question.

Do you think Ted Hughes accurately represented the pike? Yes, no, or maybe.

And then I'd like you to explain your answer using evidence from the poem and from your research.

So pause the video here while you answer this question and explain your answer.

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

So what do you think? Do you think Ted Hughes accurately represented the creature? Yes, no, or maybe.

And how did you get on with explaining your answer? Let's have a look at a response from Sam.

Hmm.

Sam thinks yes.

"I think Ted Hughes accurately represented the pike in his poem.

My research highlighted how they're quick in the water and can strike their prey with speed.

The poet describes them as dancing and moving like a deadly submarine.

The physical description of powerful jaws and fangs reflect the pike's reputation as an apex predator with sharp teeth." I love that answer there, Sam.

I love the way how you've really taken some of that language from the poem and backed it up through your research to give you the answer that, yeah, Ted Hughes has accurately represented the pike.

Thank you, Sam.

I wonder, was your response similar or different to Sam's? And I hope you enjoyed finding out about this powerful apex predator, the pike.

In our lesson, reading and responding to "Pike" by Ted Hughes, we have covered the following.

"Pike" was written by Ted Hughes in 1960.

The poem consists of 11 verses, each with four lines.

Hughes often used animals, landscapes, and elemental forces as symbols in his work.

Hughes uses vivid imagery in the poem to create a rich and sensory description of the pike and its environment.

Researching about the subject of a poem can greatly enhance readers' understanding.

The goal of research should be to enrich and engage readers in a poem.

Thank you so much, everyone, for engaging in this lesson in the way that you have and carrying out the research into this apex predator, the pike, what a powerful, incredible creature it is.

And we've really learned a lot about it through Ted Hughes's poem and through your research.

I hope you enjoyed the lesson.

I enjoyed spending time with you, and I look forward to seeing you again in another lesson soon.

Bye for now.