Hello everyone.

Welcome to this lesson on analysing Benjamin Zephaniah's poem, "We Refugees." My name's Dr.

Clayton.

I'm gonna be guiding you through learning journey today.

This lesson's all about analysing the poem.

So, you're going to finish this lesson with an idea of how Zephaniah has constructed the poem and how that purposeful construction of language and structure affects us as the reader.

Now, you'll need a copy of the Edexcel "Belonging Anthology" with you for this lesson, so make sure you have that at hand.

So, if you're ready, grab your pen, laptop, whatever you're using for this lesson, and let's get started.

So, by the end of the lesson, you'll be able to explain how Zephaniah uses language and structure to express his viewpoint.

So, we have five key words that we'll be using throughout this lesson.

These words are chosen to not only help you unlock the learning, but also to give you some vocabulary to discuss and write about the poem.

These words will be identified in bold throughout the learning material.

Now, try to pull 'em out to you as well so you can see them being used in context.

Now, our first key word is refugee, and this means someone's been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster.

We're going to consider how Zephaniah uses language not to present the struggle still that refugees face.

Our second keyword is oppression and this means prolonged cruel or unjust treatment or exercise of authority.

We're going to consider how Zephaniah uses language, not just the oppression that refugees face and how it might affect them.

Our third keyword is heritage, and this means the history, traditions, practises, et cetera, for a particular country or society.

One of the threads, I think, runs through the "Belonging Anthology" is the idea of heritage.

We're going to think about how Zephaniah uses language in order to suggest how the forceful displacement of people might affect their connections to their heritage.

Our fourth keyword is belonging, which means a feeling of being happy or comfortable as part of a particular group.

"We Refugees" is part of the Edexcel "Belonging Anthology." So, we always want to bring our analysis and ideas back to this idea of belonging and what Zephaniah might be saying about it.

Finally, our fifth key word is suppressed, which means to prevent something from being seen or expressed.

We're going to think about how Zephaniah uses language in order to suggest what might be being suppressed for refugees through their treatment and experiences.

So, I'll just give you a moment to write down those keywords and their definitions.

So, pause the video and write them down now.

Fantastic.

Let's get started with the lesson.

So, we have two learning cycles in our lesson today.

We're going to approach our analysis thematically.

I think this is a great way of showing our interpretation and analysis of methods can link to ideas.

For our first learning cycle, we're going to focus on how Zephaniah uses language not to present ideas of oppression in the poem.

So, we're gonna zoom in on individual words and consider their connotations and how that reflects their idea being treated in a cruel and unjust way.

In our second learning cycle, we're going to consider how places are represented in Zephaniah's "We Refugees." The idea of place is often essential to the idea of belonging.

We're going to think about how Zephaniah uses language and structure in order to represent ideas of place, belonging, and heritage.

Now, as I said, in this first learning cycle, it's all about exploring how Zephaniah uses language in order to represent ideas of oppression.

Arguably, when you read the poem, you come away with a negative impression of how refugees are treated.

We might see these ideas as ideas of oppression.

So, ideas of cruel and unjust treatment all the way through Zephaniah's "We Refugees." Now, we're going to start by considering how Zephaniah has used language to represent these ideas.

It's always useful to keep in mind a poem is a construction.

Everything's been carefully chosen in order to create an impression for the reader.

So, for our first discussion of the lesson, what I'd like to think about is which words in the poem create a sense of oppression for you? So, which words create a sense of a cruel and unjust treatment? Now, if you're working through this with someone else, you might talk about ideas with them.

If you're going through this by yourself, you might just think about your ideas.

So, pause the video, consider which words create a sense of oppression.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some great discussions there.

Always remember that the way we respond to words is going to be individual 'cause it depends on our memories and our emotions.

So, don't worry if you had a different idea to somebody else.

There's no right or wrong answer.

To give you an idea of what you might have said, I'm going to share what Oak pupils thought.

So, Laura said, "I think words such as ban and told create a sense of oppression." Well, Izzy thought that words such as torture and shoot show the brutality of oppression.

So, Laura's words seem to suggest more of a mental oppression and people not being able to act of their own free will.

In Izzy's words, just a physical oppression and people being physically forced to act a certain way.

Both of their ideas are valid because they both speak to people facing cruel and unjust treatment.

So, now we're gonna push our analysis further.

So, we have the idea that Zephaniah is suggesting that people face oppression in the poem, but we're going to zoom in further and think about what is being suppressed through that oppression.

So, what are governments trying to keep from being seen or expressed? To do that, I'd like to consider what the authorities object to in the poem.

So, what are people being told they can't do or what is being looked upon negatively? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some fantastic ideas there.

Now, here are some things you might have picked out.

You might have picked out the word song, poetry, believe, and beards.

Now, all of these words are depicted negatively in a way that suggests people are treated unjustly because of them.

What I'd like you to do now is think about what connection can you see between these concepts or ideas? So, what connection might there be between songs and music, poetry and literature, beliefs and beards or hairstyles? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

It was great to see people really trying to find those connections, and I think beard seemed to be the one that people struggled with to see the connection to the others.

So, let's talk it through together.

As the Oak pupil, Izzy, said, "I think they're all to do with self-expression and individualism.

Songs and poetry show our creativity, and our appearance can also be how we show our individuality and what we believe makes us individuals." So, these are ways we might express ourselves, how we feel and who we think we are.

So, now, we have those ideas about what is being suppressed by oppressive regimes.

I want us to think about what the overall idea might be here about what Zephaniah is saying about what oppressive governments or regimes are trying to do to people.

So, pause the video, take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some fantastic ideas there.

Now, I'm gonna share with you one of our Oak pupil's Laura's ideas.

So, Laura said, "I think he's trying to say that oppressive regimes take away people's freedom of expression and their individuality in order to make them less human." So, when we're thinking about people who are being displaced from their homes, let's try to keep in mind they might already have had some of their freedoms individuality taken away from them before they then forced to leave their home and flee somewhere new and alien to them.

Now, for a quick check for understanding.

What I'd like you to do is tell me whether the following statement is true or false.

So, is it true or false? We might read Zephaniah's "We Refugees" suggesting oppressive regimes trying to take away people's individuality.

Pause the video and make a selection now.

The correct answer is true.

So, very well done.

If you've got that right.

Now, I'd like you to tell me why it's true.

So, what is in the poem that makes us think that Zephaniah's suggesting that oppressive regimes try to take away people's individuality? Pause the video, take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now, we might say the use of words such as song and poetry relate to individual creativity while believe might relate to our individual values and ideas what makes as individuals.

So, very well done if you got that right.

So, now that we've considered what Zephaniah suggest happens to people in their countries that forces them to flee, now we're going to consider what happens to people after they've been displaced.

They found somewhere supposedly safe to go.

So, what I'd like to do is read stanza nine of the poem and just a quick reminder that stanza are groups of lines in the poem, sort of like poetic paragraphs.

So, when I say stanza nine, I mean the ninth group of lines in the poem.

So, I'd like you to read stanza nine and consider what the lack of the refugees country and name suggest to you.

So, pause the video, take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some fantastic discussions there.

Now, I'd just like to share with you one of our Oak pupil, Izzy's, ideas.

So, Izzy said, "It suggests in fleeing oppression, they have lost part of their identity and who they are." I think the loss of a name is particularly poignant here because we think of our name as the essence of who we are and our individual identity.

So, if we lose our name, who are we? And this is something that's happened throughout history where people have had their name taken from them or renamed in order to make them feel powerless and under the control of somebody else.

Now, as well as the loss of their name and country, the word told is repeated throughout stanza nine.

What I'd like to do now is think about what that repetition might imply.

So, what does that repetition suggest about how refugees are treated when they arrive somewhere safe and new? Pause the video, take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

Fantastic discussions there.

As before, I'm just gonna share with you what one of our Oak pupil, Izzy, said.

So, Izzy said, "It's just that someone else is dictating to them who they are and what they no longer have.

So, someone else is telling them they've lost their country and their name and therefore defining who they are now.

Now, for a quick check for understanding.

We've just discussed the loss of a refugee's name when they arrive in a new country.

I like to consider which Oak pupil's interpretation of the loss of their refugee's name is most appropriate for the poem.

So, Laura said, "I think the loss of their name implies that the process of becoming a refugee takes away part of who you are." And Izzy said, "I think the loss of a name might suggest they now have the freedom to be who they want to be." So, pause the video.

Consider whose interpretation do you think is the most appropriate? Welcome back, everyone.

Now, while the loss of a name might seem like it could be the shedding of an old identity in order to have the freedom to pursue a new identity, Zephaniah's "We Refugees" doesn't give the impression of freedom.

Therefore, Laura's idea that the loss of their name implies a process of becoming a refugee takes away part of who you are is the most appropriate for the poem.

So, very well done if you got that right.

Fantastic work everyone.

We're now at the first task of the lesson where I'd like you to take everything we've talked about in this learning cycle and use it to answer the question, what do you think Zephaniah is trying to say about how refugees are treated through the language of oppression? You might consider the use of told in both line 11 and stands nine and the connection between song, poetry, and name.

Now, if you're going through this with someone else, you might talk about this together.

If going through this by yourself, you might just think about it.

So, pause the video, take a few minutes to consider what you think Zephaniah is trying to say, about how refugees are treated through the language of oppression.

Welcome back, everyone.

Fantastic discussions there.

It was great to see people taking such an empathetic approach to the discussion because a really powerful poem about some really sensitive issues and ideas.

Now, I'm gonna share with your discussion of two of our Oak pupils, Laura and Izzy, and I'd like to think about how well it aligns with your discussions.

So, Laura said, "I think the repeated use of told implies that refugees have tried to escape someone dictating who they are only to find themselves in situation where other people are defining and controlling their lives." And Izzy said, "Yes.

I think the connection between song and name is that no one is treating refugees if they're individuals." So, pause the video, consider how well their discussions align with your discussion.

Did you have similar or different ideas? Welcome back, everyone.

It was great to see people reflecting on their discussions, whether they're similar or different ideas to Izzy and Laura.

Ultimately, our reactions to a poem particularly such a powerful poem are going to be individual personal responses.

But I think the importance of listening to other people's perspectives is because it helps us grow and evolve our own ideas.

You are doing amazingly well, everyone.

We'll now have our second learning cycle.

We're to consider how Zephaniah uses language and structure in order to present ideas of place, belonging, and heritage within the conversations around human displacement and refugees.

So, let's begin by thinking a physical place because refugees come from a physical location, a physical place.

So, what I like you to begin by thinking about is when you think of the word refugee, what sort of places do you think of? So, refugees, someone who's been forced to leave their country due to war, persecution, or natural disasters.

So, pause the video, consider what places you might connect to the word refugee.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some fantastic discussions there.

It was great to see people bring in real world examples of places they've seen on the news or in the media.

So, I'm just gonna share the ideas of two other Oak pupils.

So, Laura said, "I think of somewhere that's been destroyed, somewhere war torn and desolate." And Izzy said, "Yes, I think of a place where there are no houses left, there's rubble everywhere." So, they're thinking of different catalysts here.

Laura's thinking about war, while Izzy might be thinking about natural disasters, but they've both come up with the same very negative image of someone that's been destroyed.

So, we have this perception that refugees come from places that are war zones or places that have been destroyed.

What I'd like us to do now is look at how Zephaniah presented the places that refugees have come from in "We Refugees." So, I'd like you to say which words are attached to the places in the poem.

So, pause the video, consider which words are attached to where refugees come from.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now, you might have said musical, beautiful, and sunny, which I think we might agree are perhaps unexpected words when we think about where refugees come from.

So, what I'd like to think about now is what are the connotations of those words? So, what ideas or emotions do those words suggest to you? Pause a video, take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now, we typically think of music as being something that's incredibly creative, which is a calming, soothing sensation, or might be inspiring 'cause of how it makes us feel or what it challenges us to accomplish.

We might think of beautiful as suggesting ideas of something very pleasant and pleasing, something delightful, something satisfying that gives us positive ideas when we look at it.

Finally, we think of sunshine as bringing happiness.

So, to call a place sunny might imply ideas of happiness, brightness in life in general because sunlight allows things to survive and grow.

So, now we've thought about the connotations.

What I'd now like to think about is why Zephaniah might have chosen to include these words with their positive connotations.

What might he be trying to say about refugees? Pause the video, take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

Fantastic ideas there.

Now, as one of our Oak pupil, Izzy, says, "Perhaps the inclusion of these positive words such as ideas of creativity, beauty, and happiness might be there to remind us." The refugees are human beings who had lives before tragedy and oppression, and it serves to reminders of their humanity that life wasn't always like this.

Now, despite the positive words associated with places after each positive word associated with a place, there's an immediate negative juxtaposition in the following line.

Now, juxtaposition means placing contrasting ideas near to each other.

So, near musical we have the word shoot.

Near beautiful, we have the word floods.

And near sunny, we have the word darken.

So, what I'd like to do is consider why Zephaniah might have chosen to juxtapose the words in this way.

What purpose might it serve in terms of what Zephaniah is saying about refugees? Pause the video, take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some fantastic ideas there.

Now, I'm going to share one of the ideas of my Oak pupil, Laura.

So, she said, "Perhaps to show people how even the most beautiful places can turn into a disaster," which I think speaks the overall message of the poem.

The idea that anyone can become a refugee is applied to place and now any place can become someone negative and life-threatening.

So, now I'd like us to consider the placement of the juxtaposition where the words appear in relation to each other could be a really useful structural element to look at because it affects how we read and understand the poem.

In this case, the juxtaposing words appear very close together.

What might that suggest? Pause the video, take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some great ideas there.

Now, I'm going to share what Laura said.

So, Laura thought, "Perhaps to emphasise how quickly things can change." So, the structure of the poems reflecting how easily things can shift become a completely different situation, which again, I think speaks to this idea that anyone can become a refugee and it can happen incredibly quickly.

Now, as well as the placement of the positive and negative adjectives associated with place.

Zephaniah also seems to be describing different places.

What I'd like you to consider is what might this imply? So, why might it be significant that he's talking about different places changing quickly and becoming inhospitable? Pause the video, take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

Fantastic thoughts there around how the lack of specific names for places he implied a number of places reinforces this idea it can happen anywhere.

As Oak pupil, Izzy, said, "Perhaps it shows that all places can change quickly and easily.

Nowhere is actually safe." Now, for a quick check for understanding.

What I'd like you to do is tell me whether it's true or false.

That Zephaniah describes the place that refugees come from as war torn and destroyed.

So, pause the video, make a selection now.

The correct answer is false.

So, very well done if you got that right.

Now, I'd like to tell me why it's false.

So, think about what we said about the language that Zephaniah used to describe the places.

Pause the video, consider why it's false Zephaniah describes the place refugees come from as war torn and destroyed.

Now, you might have said it's false because Zephaniah uses words that is beautiful and musical to describe the places to show that refugees come from places full of life and humanity.

So, very well done if you got that right.

Now, we're going to think about place in a more metaphorical sense and think about the connection between place and heritage.

Now, heritage, one of our key words means the history, traditions, and practises of a particular country or society.

Now, also to think about how that sense of history and tradition is connected to a sense of place in "We Refugees." So, let's begin by thinking about how Zephaniah uses language to describe place.

He uses words old and ancient to describe the refugees home.

What might this suggest? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now, like our Oak pupil, Izzy, you might have thought these words suggest that places that refugees come from are full of history, tradition, and heritage.

So, we have the sense the Zephaniah is directing us to connect the idea of where refugees come from and their heritage.

Now, let's unpick what Zephaniah might be saying about refugees and heritage.

In stanza four, Zephaniah compares the refugees home to a forest.

What I'd like to begin by thinking about is how this image of a forest might link to heritage.

So, pause the video, take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some fantastic ideas there.

As that Oak pupil, Izzy, said, "We might imagine a forest to be a metaphor for people's family history and their heritage because of the longevity of trees and the nature of their connected branches." However, the forest then becomes a field.

It's always important to think about changing ideas and images within a poem because it's just a shift in the narrative and a shift in the idea.

So, what I'd like you to think about is how might this transition from a forest to a field link the idea of heritage.

Now, for forest as a metaphor, people's family history and their heritage, what might it mean that the forest has become a field? What might that suggest about the refugees family and the heritage? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

It was great to see people recognising that field implies grass rather than trees.

So, the trees are now gone.

Perhaps that'll suggest a refugees family has become disconnected from themselves and their heritage through the displacement and the fact they were forced to leave their homes.

So, let's return to the description of the ancient place.

The speaker of Zephaniah's poem states they would like to visit the place, but they'd choose to live instead.

What I'd like to think about is what might this suggest about the connection in refugees and their heritage? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some fantastic ideas there.

As Oak pupil, Laura, says, "Perhaps it suggests that often people have to choose between staying alive and being part of their heritage.

They have to disconnect from it in order to live." Now, for a quick check for understanding.

Which Oak pupil's interpretation of ancient seems to be the most appropriate for the poem? So, Laura says, "Maybe it shows how refugees homes are irrelevant now." And Izzy says, "Maybe it shows how much history and tradition the refugees homes had." So, pause the video, make your selection now.

Now, while some people might equate old and ancient with irrelevant, the concept of the speaker wants to visit there implies it's not irrelevant and therefore suggests that Izzy's idea that maybe it shows how much history and tradition the refugees homes had is the correct answer.

So, very well done if you got that right.

Amazing work so far, everyone.

And now, the final task of the lesson.

Now, what we're going to think about is the final word of the poem, which I think is always a really important part of the structure to consider.

Where does the poet want us to end our journey through the poem and why they want us to end it there? So, Zephaniah chooses to end the poem on the word somewhere.

Why do you think that might be? I'd like you to write a few sentences to explain your reasoning.

They might consider why Zephaniah chooses to end on a generic place and not name any specific places in the poem at all.

What this might suggest about the idea of belonging? Remember, the belonging is one of our keywords, means the feeling of being happy and comfortable as part of a particular group.

So, pause the video, take a few minutes to write your answer.

Welcome back, everyone.

What I'd like us to do is read through one of our Oak pupil, Izzy's, answers and consider how we might extend it.

So, Izzy's answer currently says, "Perhaps Zephaniah chose to end on somewhere rather than naming specific place or region to emphasise how conflict or natural disasters can happen anywhere." Now, Izzy has connected the final word to the meaning of the poem.

However, the poem sits within the Edexcel "Belonging Anthology." So, we always want to think about how we can connect our ideas back to the idea of belonging.

So, pause the video, consider how we might extend Izzy's answer by considering what it means for belonging.

Welcome back, everyone.

Fantastic ideas there.

Now, we might expand Izzy's answer to, "Perhaps Zephaniah chose to end on somewhere rather than naming specific place or region to emphasise how conflict or natural disasters can happen anywhere.

Alternatively, we might interpret the generic somewhere to suggest that refugees have lost their connection to their heritage through the process of becoming a refugee.

They don't feel as if they belong in their home anymore and, therefore, it's become somewhere." So, now that we've extended Izzy's answer, I'd like to check your own response to ensure you've connected your ideas to the concept of belonging.

So, pause the video, take a few moments to read back through your answer.

Welcome back.

Fantastic work, everyone.

It was great to see people using our extension of Izzy's answer to extend their own work because it'll always be looking to expand and develop our ideas.

You all did amazingly well today, everyone.

Here's a summary of what we covered.

Zephaniah's use of oppressive verbs throughout the poem might reflect the oppressive regimes people flee from.

Arguably, Zephaniah suggests the oppression continues once the refugees have arrived somewhere.

The juxtaposition surrounding ideas of place could reflect how easily somewhere can become a place of war or disaster.

The change from forest to field could suggest how people lose connections to their heritage through becoming a refugee.

I really hope you enjoyed the lesson everyone.

This is one of my favourite poems in the collection and I've really enjoyed talking it through with you.

Hopefully, I'll see you for another lesson soon.

Goodbye.