Hello and welcome to today's lesson.

My name is Ms. Watson and I'm delighted that you've decided to join me today.

We are going to carry on reading Maya Angelou's poetry.

We are going to be reading "Phenomenal Woman", and we are going to be looking, in particular, at her amazing use of figurative language.

So when you are ready, we'll get started.

So the outcome of today's learning is that you will have explored Maya Angelou's use of figurative language.

And not only that, you will have used figurative language inspired by Maya Angelou in your own writing.

So let's get started, it's gonna be a great lesson.

Let's start by looking at the four keywords that are gonna help unlock your learning today.

The first one is literal, and something that is literal is factual and exact.

And we sometimes talk about literal language, meaning words that mean exactly what they say, and we compare that with our next key word, figurative language, non-literal words and phrases, and they are used to develop a writer's meaning.

They are things like similes and metaphors and personification.

The word phenomenal, that means extraordinary or remarkable, often beyond usual expectations or understanding.

And the word enigmatic.

Now, an enigma is like a puzzle, and so if you are enigmatic, you are mysterious.

If you would like a little bit of time to familiarise yourself with the keywords, please feel free to pause the video and do that now and then rejoin us when you are ready.

So there are two learning cycles in today's lesson.

One is we are going to look at how Maya Angelou uses figurative language, and then you are going to have the opportunity to write about yourself using figurative language.

That's gonna be a great part of the lesson, I'm really looking forward to reading your writing, so let's go.

Now, much of the poem "Phenomenal Woman" is actually devoted to the speaker's description of herself.

For example, in stanza one she says that her arms have a long reach and her hips have a pleasing span and her legs stride along and her lips curl.

And these are physical descriptions, and I think you could say that for each of them, Angelou has selected words which really develop the idea of the speaker having high self-esteem and a really positive self-image.

So a long reach means she can stretch up and touch high up things.

And something that is her span is wide and kind of generous.

And she strides.

Stride is a really confident verb.

I think we can say from the description in stanza one that the speaker is proud of the way she looks and also proud of the effect she has on people.

And what is interesting is that as the poem develops, some of the descriptions of the speaker become figurative.

So remember, figurative language is not literal, it is often not realistic, and often it is used by writers in order to develop a complicated idea.

So here is an example from "Phenomenal Woman".

The speaker's eyes do not actually have fire in them, that's what she says in stanza two, but that's not literal, nothing is burning in her eyes.

So what we do as readers, we start to consider the qualities of a fire and what the figurative language use there suggests.

And we might say that the speaker perhaps is full of energy and passion because fire has a kind of energy to it, but we could also say that fire might suggest that she is dangerous or angry.

Fire is a really interesting, often quite ambiguous image, but one thing we can always say about it is that it suggests energy.

Let's move on.

We're going to look at another example, this time from stanza two when the speaker talks about being cool when she walks into a room.

And we might consider the qualities of what it means to be cool and what the figurative language could suggest about the speaker.

And I'm turning this discussion over to you.

I want you to think about what the figurative language here suggests about the speaker.

I'd like you to pause the video while you have that discussion.

And if you are working by yourself, then pause the video and just make some notes.

Off you go.

Welcome back.

What a fantastic discussion that was, very imaginative and thoughtful.

I'd like to share with you some ideas and I'd like you to think about whether yours was similar.

Because you might have said that the word, the use of the figurative language cool, suggests that she's calm, unstressed, and composed, and it could also suggest that she may be a little enigmatic and distant.

People don't always seem to understand her, even though she tries to explain herself to them.

Some ideas there for you to compare with yours.

Let's move on.

And now we're going to have a check for understanding.

So, which of these four descriptions of the speaker in "Phenomenal Woman" are figurative? Is it A, that her teeth flash, stanza two? Is it B, that her feet are filled with joy, stanza two? Is it C, her smile is like the sun, stanza four? Or is it D, she doesn't feel the need to talk loudly, in stanza five? Pause the video.

Have a think.

Make your choice.

A, B, and C.

D is very literal, and A, B, and C, all three of those are figurative.

So well done if you got those right.

Let's move on.

So now I want you to bring together what you have been learning about figurative language and how Maya Angelou uses figurative language.

You can see here in this grid there are two examples of figurative language from "Phenomenal Woman", her teeth flash and her smile being like the sun.

And what you are going to do is think about what it suggests about the speaker.

I just need you to bullet-point two or three ideas about what the figurative language is suggesting.

That's task number one.

And then I would like you to select one other example.

I'm not giving you the third example, you are going to choose that for yourself.

And again, you are going to bullet-point two to three ideas about what it suggests about the speaker.

You're going to need to pause the video while you do that, so please pause it now, and off you go.

Welcome back.

Well done.

I'd like to share with you some ideas that you might have had.

From the description flash, you might have suggested that it suggests that her smile is a burst of bright light.

And you might also have noticed that sometimes animals bare their teeth when they're angry, so perhaps the speaker is scary.

And this image in stanza four of her smile being like the sun.

That might suggest that her smile is beautiful, warm, and bright, and it gives life to people just like the sun does.

The sun is the source of all life and energy on earth, and that makes her smile seem very, very powerful.

And for the one you had to select, Aisha selected her feet are filled with joy and she said that she thought that it meant the speaker was full of energy and happiness and that she had places to be.

It's a very sort of almost like dancing, moving, running kind of image, a sense of a life that is full of opportunity and that she is going places.

Why don't you discuss what figurative language you selected and what it told you about the speaker? Pause the video while you have that discussion and then we'll move on to the writing part of the lesson.

So let's look again at the lesson outline.

We've looked at figurative language in Angelou's poem and now you are going to apply what you know about figurative language, about using figurative language to your own writing.

You are going to write a description of yourself inspired by the poem "Phenomenal Woman", and you are going to use figurative language in that.

Now let's listen in to Aisha and Andeep as they discuss their ideas.

Aisha says that "She would like to focus on the fact that I can be quite enigmatic.

It's a bit of a mystery to Aisha, she seems to be saying.

"But I'd also like to focus on the grace of my movements, especially when playing sport." That's a lovely idea, brilliant.

And Andeep said, "I'd like to focus on my eyes and my smile.

I want to convey my warmth and lively personality." Both of them have got some really, really good ideas there.

Now, what I would like you to do is discuss, what aspects of yourself would you like to focus on? Pause the video, turn to your discussion partner, have a discussion about what you would like to write about.

If you're working by yourself, just pause the video and make a few notes.

Off you go.

So Andeep draughts one of his sentences.

He writes, "My smile crashes over people, like a wave." Now, remember Andeep says that he wants to focus on his eyes and his smile and he wants to convey his warmth and lively personality.

And I think we could say that the figurative language he's chosen doesn't actually really suggest that Andeep is warm and lively.

Because the verb crash, it suggests power and might and destruction.

Plates crash, things are breaking, there isn't much warmth or liveliness there.

And the idea of a wave, although it's quite an exciting, lively image and it suggests power, but it also suggests coldness.

Particularly when you mix it with crash, you have this idea of someone being overwhelmed by the sea.

So I think Andeep needs to do a little bit of thinking about what his figurative language should be.

So he redrafts and this time he writes, "My smile bubbles like a hot spring." Much better, don't you think? Now the figurative language does suggest that Andeep is warm and lively, because the verb bubbles, well, that suggests lightness and parties, and people really enjoy swimming in hot springs.

So we have this lovely image of being relaxed and friendly and happy.

So well done, Andeep, the second draught was much better.

Now we're going to have a check for understanding.

A pupil writes, "My heart flutters when I inch into a room." I want you to think about, what does this piece of figurative language suggest about the speaker? Is it A, that they can't walk quickly? Is it B, that they can fly? Or is it C, that they are shy? Have a think.

Make your choice.

Did you say C, they are shy? Very good, that's the right answer.

Because they aren't walking into the room, they're not striding like the speaker of "Phenomenal Woman", they inch in, which suggests they go in very, very, very slowly.

And the heart fluttering like sort of wings beatings suggests nervousness as if this person is very shy and timid about entering into this room.

Very well done.

Let's move on.

And now it's over to you to do some writing about yourself using figurative language.

And I want you to write three sentences about yourself.

You might want to focus on describing your smile, your eyes, and how you walk into a room.

I'm not saying you have to do those three, but you might want to.

That would give you a very good structure for your writing.

And you could use "Phenomenal Woman" to inspire your response.

So before you start writing, you want to make sure you have the poem with you because it's such a good poem and you will find it really, really inspiring.

And then when you are ready, pause the video and write your three sentences.

Off you go, Welcome back and well done for your focus during that task.

It was really impressive to watch you really thinking about how you were going to use figurative language to describe yourself.

What I'd like to think is that you have realised how using figurative language really expands the range of what you can say.

I'd like to share with you what Aisha wrote.

She's going to share one of these sentences she wrote and then explore what it suggests about her.

So she wrote this, that "My eyes are deep wells." That's a metaphor where she's comparing eyes to wells, and she thinks it suggests that she sounds enigmatic and mysterious, which is what she intended, that was the effect she was aiming for.

She thought it also had an element of danger because, yes, people can fall down wells, and also people are drawn to wells because wells are where people get water.

It does have that kind of life source feeling that the sun did when we were reading Maya Angelou's poem.

So that's a really good sentence and a really thoughtful response from Aisha.

Well done.

Now what I'd like you to do is to select one of your sentences and explore what it suggests about you, just like Aisha did.

And what I would really like you to do is go deeply into that image or whatever you have chosen, whatever figurative language you have used, and think about all the possibilities that it could suggest about you because that way you will a complex image, just like Aisha was both a kind of life source because of the water 'cause people are drawn to it, but was also dangerous.

So do try and think of as many things that your figurative language suggests.

Please pause the video while you do that and then rejoin me for the end of the lesson.

Off you go.

So that brings us to the end of the lesson.

And I would like to thank you for your hard work and your focus and for your lovely creative writing.

Before we say goodbye, I would like to summarise what you have been learning in today's lesson.

You have been learning that figurative language sees writers use non-literal words and phrases to develop complex ideas about something or someone.

And you have also been learning that Maya Angelou uses figurative language in "Phenomenal Woman" to develop complex ideas about the speaker.

And you have been learning that when writing figuratively, you should consider the ideas you are trying to convey and then use words that will develop this idea.

I would just like to say I wish you the very good rest of the day and I look forward to seeing you very soon in another lesson about Maya Angelou.

So bye for now.