Lesson video

A big hello and welcome.

Thank you so much for joining me for today's lesson.

My name's Mrs. Butterworth and I will be your English teacher for today.

Now this lesson is all about analysing and emulating the use of sound in slam poetry.

Now for this lesson, you will need access to a copy of the poem "Where the Wild Things Are" by Harry Baker.

So you can find this in the 2014 Burning Eye edition of the book "The Sunshine Kit".

So make sure you've got access to that 'cause it is a fantastic poem and we are gonna be thinking about how Harry Baker uses sound and then using that to inspire our own slam poetry.

I can't wait for this lesson, so let's get started.

In this lesson, you will understand how a slam poet creates sound and use this understanding to create your own refrain and stanza.

Before we delve into the main part of this lesson, let's look at those all important keywords that will help with our understanding.

So these words are form, emulate, onomatopoeia, refrain, and dynamic.

Now, form refers to the specific type or category of a poem that determines its structure and style.

So you may have heard of a sonnet, so we could call that the form of a poem.

And in this case, we are looking at slam poetry.

That is our form.

So emulate means to imitate or match something or someone.

So we are going to emulate Harry Baker's poetry and his use of sound today.

So we are going to emulate that.

We're going to imitate it or use it to inspire us.

Onomatopoeia is a word that imitates or resembles the sound it describes.

So an example that everyone uses a lot is obviously cuckoo-cuckoo because the way that it sounds is also the word that it is describing.

And then we have refrain.

And a refrain is a repeated line or group of lines in a poem or song typically at the end of a stanza.

And a refrain is really important in slam poetry when we're considering the performance element of it.

So we'll be looking at refrains today and how they can be used effectively.

And then the word dynamic.

Now this is what we are aiming for with our slam poetry and the performance of our slam poetry.

And dynamic is a lively and engaging performance that is full of energy to keep the audience interested.

So we all want to be aiming for a dynamic poem and the performance of a dynamic slam poem.

So the outline of our lesson looks like this.

We're going to begin by deconstructing the use of sound in a slam poem before moving on to using sound to create your own slam poetry.

So I'd like you to discuss first, please, why is sound an important convention in slam poetry and how does it link to the form's aims? Okay, so why do you think sound is an important convention in slam poetry and how does it link to the form's aims? So pause the video so you've got time to discuss these questions or you may wish to think quietly to yourself or even jot some ideas down.

Pause the video and off you go.

Thank you very much for those suggestions.

I love how some of you are drawing on your own experiences of slam poetry that you have seen or watched.

So that's a really great thing as well.

So let's share some ideas.

So you may have considered the following.

So sound is an important convention in slam poetry because of this idea of engagement.

Okay, so if we think about the aim to entertain or engage or persuade an audience, sound really helps to grab the audience's attention.

And you'll notice when slam poets perform, they really emphasise the rhythm and musicality of the words because it really makes the performance lively and memorable.

And again, this aim of accessibility, by making something engaging, more people are likely to watch it, engage with it, which is exactly what slam poetry wants to do.

It wants poetry to be accessible to all.

Emotional impact, so, you know, the idea of like repetition, onomatopoeia, and alliteration really enhance the feelings that the poet wants to express, and it also connects with the audience.

So you may have noticed that a lot of slam poets really focus on maybe serious issues or emotional issues.

So using that sound can really emphasise key ideas, key emotions, and key themes.

And then finally, obviously, sound is really important for that performance element.

So the sound of the words and the way they are spoken and the rhythms, they create a really dynamic experience.

So again, you may have watched some performance poetry and you'll notice how the sounds really make it lively and interesting, and it makes it exciting and impactful.

So again, this aligns with the aim of sharing powerful messages and stories in a way that resonates with listeners.

Because by making this dynamic performance, you are more likely to engage with your listeners and they're gonna wanna listen, aren't they, if you've got those interesting sounds.

Okay, so you are now going to read "Where the Wild Things Are" by Harry Baker.

Now I think this is a really wonderful poem, and I really hope you enjoy reading it too.

I also would like you to try reading the poem aloud to really get a sense of the sounds in the poem.

So read the poem aloud and consider how the poem might be performed at a slam event.

And as you were reading, consider the following: How are words emphasised and why? How does Baker use sound in his poem? What do you notice about the rhythm of the poem? And how does this poem make you feel? So your own response to the poem, how does the poem make you feel? Okay, so when you are ready, pause the video so you can get reading and consider those questions.

Off you go.

Wow, love it.

I loved there was some really dynamic readings of that poem.

I loved it.

I loved hearing you shout some of those parts.

So that's really great, and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did when I read it.

And a lot of you picked up on that use of sound in the poem, which is really fantastic.

There's repetition.

There's onomatopoeia.

Some of you picked up on that use of refrain as well.

Like it almost makes you feel like you want to join in, doesn't it? It's really quite, it's almost quite uplifting, quite rousing.

So hopefully you picked up on that too.

But yeah, I found myself really wanting to chant and shout along, which is a really, it proves as a really effective poem, doesn't it? Okay, so true or false? Sound is not an important convention of slam poetry.

Is that true or false? Give me your answer now, please.

Okay, great.

Well done.

To everyone that said false, you are correct.

But now you need to say why the answer is false.

So come up with your answer now.

Okay, so hopefully, you have something similar to, slam poetry is not important convention of slam poetry, this is false because slam poetry is created to be performed and therefore how it sounds is important, right? It needs to engage the audience with a dynamic and energetic quality.

Well done to everyone that got that right.

So I'm now gonna focus on the structure of Baker's poem and it looks like this.

So you see there's that first stanza, then there's that refrain, second stanza, refrain, stanza three and four, and then a refrain.

So you can really see visually the structure of Baker's poem there.

Now as we said at the start in our keywords, well done to those of you that noticed, a refrain is a repeated line or group of lines in a poem.

So typically at the end of a stanza.

So you may have noticed in that initial reading that Baker uses a refrain and it starts with the word let and finishes with sing.

So if you haven't found that yet, have a little look and see if you can find that refrain, that repeated group of lines that starts with let and finishes with sing.

So I'd like you to look back at the poem and its structure and what I would like you to discuss please is why do you think Baker uses a refrain? What is the effect? So really think back to those initial readings and how that refrain made you feel.

That's a good way to think about it.

So look back at the poem and its structure and then I would like you to discuss why do you think Baker uses a refrain and what is the effect? Pause the video so you are ready to discuss or think about your ideas.

Pause video, and off you go.

Thank you so much for those brilliant suggestions.

So here are some things that you may have considered or you may have not, but it's a really good idea to share our answers.

So why do we think Baker used a refrain? What is the effect? So he may have used it for the reinforcement of key ideas.

So actually this refrain really emphasises the importance of embracing one's inner wildness and individuality.

And that repetition really strengthens that central message.

It's almost like if I keep repeating this, you will believe it.

So it really reinforces the key ideas.

And engagement with the audience, it almost acts like a call-to-action, doesn't it? So it really invites the audience to participate and connect emotionally with the poem.

Like I said earlier, when I read this poem out loud, I want to join in.

I want to stop shouting.

And that repetition really gets the audience on board with that.

And that musicality and rhythm of that refrain really adds to the rhythmic element of this poem, doesn't it? And we know that this is really important for slam poetry performance because again it's that chant-like quality, and it really makes the poem more memorable and impactful.

Now, I don't know about you, but if someone starts chanting, I just have to join in.

And I think that's what Baker's doing here with his refrain.

He wants that chant.

He wants to reinforce the messages that he also wants us to really feel it too and be a part of it.

So let's look a bit deeper into how the four line refrain is structured.

So we've looked at the poem, we've looked at the poem's structure as a whole.

Now we're going to look at the refrain's structure.

And it looks like this.

We've got line one, let, line two, repeats, so let, line three, let.

So you can see there's that repetition of those first three lines.

And then line four is I want.

So that's where that line four changes.

So he really just repeats those first three lines with a change on that fourth line.

So again, I would like you to look back at the poem and focus really closely on the refrain structure now.

And I'd like you to discuss how has Baker structured the refrain and most importantly, what is the effect? And do you notice any other features in the refrain? Okay, so when you are ready, pause the video to discuss those questions, or you may wish to think quietly to yourself.

Pause the video, and off go.

Okay, great, thank you for those brilliant suggestions.

Lots of you really picking up on some of those other features and their effects, but let's just share some of our answers.

Hopefully you've considered some similar things or you may even have some different ideas, but you may have considered the following.

So you may have noticed that the first three lines of the refrain use repetition, which makes it sound almost chant-like.

It encourages audience participation which conforms to the conventions of slam poetry.

And I think that's a really important point there that actually, slam poets almost want the audience to join in.

So there is this expectation that audiences will be allowed to join in in a respectful and appropriate way of course.

And again, the refrain creates a really interesting rhythm which is effective for performance.

So remember, one of the aims of slam poetry is that dynamic live performance.

So that structure of the refrain can really help with that.

And in terms of other features, you may have noticed the following.

So the use of exclamatives.

So it's almost like at times it feels like, is shouting, that exclaiming, and it really emphasises the feeling of wildness and freedom and creates a sense of urgency.

There isn't a sense that Baker would stand up and deliver this poem in a really quiet way.

That use of exclamatives really emphasises the energy and that wildness that's present in this poem.

And there's also direct address.

So well done to everyone that noticed this.

And that's really useful to create that rapport with the audience.

If you are directing, if you are addressing your audience directly, it's almost like you're saying, "Come on, I want you to join in with me.

I want you to be a part of this poem.

I want you to feel what this poem is talking about." And also you may have noticed within the refrain that the language is quite simplistic, isn't it? And it's accessible.

He isn't using overly complicated vocabulary.

And again, if we think about the aims of slam poetry, slam poets aim for poetry to be accessible.

They want everyone to enjoy it.

They want everyone to be part of it.

So again, that simplistic language really helps to further that aim.

Okay, so let's see how much you remember.

Which of the following does Baker not use in his refrain? You need to pick A, B, C, or D.

So come up with your answer now.

Okay, fantastic.

Well done to everyone that said alliteration.

He does not use alliteration in his refrain, but there is direct address, there is repetition, and there is the use of exclamatives.

So well done everyone.

Baker also uses onomatopoeia effectively in the poem.

So in the third stanza, he uses onomatopoeia for specific sound effects.

So I'd like you to go back to the poem and see if you can find any examples.

So really look at that third stanza.

So you may want to pause the video to give yourself time to do this and we'll share the answers in a moment.

Off you go.

Okay, so you may have found the following.

Did you find the use of gnash and roar? Okay, we've got those onomatopoeic words there.

Gnash and roar.

So onomatopoeia is one of the most used devices in writing.

So not just poetry, in descriptive writing and narrative writing, onomatopoeia is used a lot.

And it can be effective, but it needs to be used well, okay? So what I would like you to think about now is think about Baker's poem and can you identify how he has used onomatopoeia effectively.

So what has he done to ensure that his use of onomatopoeia is effective? So pause the video so you can discuss that question.

Think quietly to yourself or jot down some ideas.

I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

Pause the video, off you go.

Okay.

Great.

So you may have come up with the following answers.

So it is effective because it is used sparingly.

So actually Baker only uses onomatopoeia twice, but that makes it effective.

It is also relevant and links to the specific sound.

So sometimes onomatopoeia can just feel like an add-on, you might just add in a crash or a bang, and it's not really relevant to what you are writing about or the specific sounds you want to take, or the specific sounds you want to present.

And I think Baker does this really well.

You may also notice that he uses the words as verbs, that onomatopoeia as verbs, and not just added on as an afterthought.

So again, very often onomatopoeia is just kind of put on the end of a sentence or paragraph, but actually using moments to integrate it into sentences can be really effective.

And Baker does this brilliantly.

And the words chosen are interesting, aren't they? He's used gnash and roar, and we don't very often see the word gnash, but in this instance it's really effective.

Okay, so thinking about what we just looked at, which of the following is not, is not an effective way to use onomatopoeia.

So you need to pick A, B, C, D.

Come up with your answer now.

Who is feeling confident? Oh, okay, quite a few of you feel like you've got the right answer, so that's good, let's have a look.

So which of the following is not an effective way to use onomatopoeia? And the answer is D, added in after every stanza, would not be considered always an effective way to use onomatopoeia.

Okay, great.

Let's keep going.

So we have reached your first practise task.

So at the end of this lesson, you will be creating a refrain and a stanza in the style of Harry Baker.

But before this, we need to consider a success criteria.

So we're gonna use the poem, Harry Baker's poem, to help us do this.

So what I would like you to do, please, is to complete the checklist.

So the checklist for a refrain, how to make that effective, and the checklist for onomatopoeia.

So consider how Baker effectively uses these features in these poetry and what we have discussed, okay? So what does Baker use in his refrain will become the success criteria.

How he has used onomatopoeia, how he uses it effectively will become our success criteria.

Okay, excellent.

So pause the video to give yourself time to complete that grid and this will be so useful when we come to our second practise task at the end of this lesson.

So gather everything you need, pause the video, and off you go.

Great, good job everyone.

We're really starting to understand how the refrain or a refrain and onomatopoeia can really be used to make an effective slam poem.

So here is an example of a success criteria.

I want you to consider how does your compare, how does yours compare? So you may wish to add to yours right now or to change a few things, that's absolutely fine.

So definitely use this as an opportunity to do that.

So the feature of refrain, you might have thought about repetition, direct address, exclamatives, and simplistic and accessible language.

For onomatopoeia, you may have thought about using it sparingly, relevant choices and not just added on, could be used as verbs, and interesting word choices.

So as I say, now is a really good opportunity to look at your own success criteria and add to it or change some things where necessary.

So pause the video so you can get that done.

Okay, excellent work so far everyone.

So thank you so much for that.

We are now going to move on to the second part of our lesson.

So we've thought about how sound can be used effectively, and now we're going to use sound to create our own slam poetry.

So what you're going to focus on is creating a refrain and a stanza of slam poetry that emulates Baker's use of sound.

So remember we've got our keyword there, emulates, which means you're going to imitate and use Baker's poem as inspiration.

So first thing to think about is the themes that you're going to write about.

You could use similar themes to the poem or you could create your own.

So we wanna think about that first.

So I'd like you to discuss, please, your initial ideas.

What could you write about in a slam poem? Pause the video to discuss your initial ideas.

Off you go.

Wow, some really lovely thoughtful suggestions there.

Thank you so much.

So I'm gonna give you some ideas now as well, which may be useful when thinking about themes.

So maybe friendship.

So you could highlight the importance of connections and support between friends.

And I think again that would really mirror Baker's theme and use of sound.

So I think that could be a really good theme to consider.

Courage and resilience.

You see, you could write about overcoming fears and challenges.

Again, I think there's a really nice opportunity to mirror some of Baker's techniques there.

And dreams and aspirations, explore pursuing goals and following dreams. So again, any of these could be used in your own poems, or as I said, you can come up with your own.

So like I said, you are going to emulate Baker's refrains, emulate Baker's refrain structure and style.

So just a reminder, it looks like this.

So we've got three repeated lines and then that final line.

So here is an example.

Let me see your dreams take flight! Let me see your dreams take flight! Let me see your dreams take flight! I want to watch your hopes ignite.

So that refrain, I would say, meets the success criteria.

We've got the repetition in those lines, let me see your dreams take flight, direct address, your, watch your hopes, the use of exclamatives, so we've got three in a row there with that repetition.

And again, when you are reading it, you can't help but exclaim the line.

And then we've got simplistic and accessible language.

You know, let me see your dreams take flight, and I want to watch your hopes ignite.

There isn't overly complicated vocabulary there, and hopefully, again, it sounds almost chant-like, doesn't it, that you want to join in? So I think this is a really good example of a refrain in the style of Harry Baker.

So what is missing from this refrain success criteria? So we've got the question mark there.

So what is missing from the refrain success criteria? Come up with your answer now.

Okay, are we ready? Excellent.

Exclamatives, great.

So we've got that repetition, direct address, exclamatives, simplistic and accessible language.

So you are also going to create a short stanza that emulates Baker's use of onomatopoeia.

So we've got the refrain, then you're gonna think about a stanza.

So remember with our onomatopoeia, we want to use it sparingly.

We want relevant choices and not just added on.

So really think about the types of words you choose.

Try and have a go at using your onomatopoeia as verbs and think about those interesting word choices.

So again, I really want us to think about those interesting word choices.

So I'd like you to discuss, let's try and do some work on this first, discuss and list as many interesting onomatopoeic words as you can.

So a bit of a challenge for you.

So pause the video and discuss or jot down as many interesting onomatopoeic words as you can.

This will help you prepare.

Pause the video and off you go.

Great suggestions everyone.

Some really creative ideas for those onomatopoeic words.

Very difficult word to say, onomatopoeic.

So let's just share some ideas, so you can add to your own suggestions or just compare.

So did you get any of these? Clatter, gurgle, howl, fizz, whip, crackle, chirp, clang, squawk, growl, rumble.

So you can see like lots of really interesting onomatopoeic words to be found in our vocabulary.

So I'm gonna show you an example now of some onomatopoeia in a stanza.

So let's read through that stanza first.

So, let me hear you.

Boom! Let me hear you.

Crash! Let me hear you.

Bang! So thinking about our success criteria, I would like you to discuss, please, how could this be improved, okay? So pause the video, really think about a successful use of onomatopoeia and think about how that stanza could be improved.

So pause the video and off you go.

Okay, great job and really good to see some of you referring to the language of that success criteria.

So really great job, well done.

So you may have come up with the following.

So the onomatopoeia feels added on, doesn't it? Boom, crash, bang.

So it kind of feels like an afterthought.

Let me hear you.

Boom! And it doesn't really seem to be relevant to a theme, does it? Let me hear you.

Boom! Let me hear you.

Crash! It doesn't really seem to link to a wider theme.

The other thing they could try and do is use the onomatopoeia as verb, so to really emulate Baker's style.

And again, it stops it just being added on the end.

If you are using the onomatopoeia as a verb, it changes that sentence structure.

And again, the word choices could be more interesting.

We've just looked at an amazing list of loads of different interesting onomatopoeic words, whereas boom, crash, and bang, they're not the most interesting, are they? So here's another example of onomatopoeia in a stanza.

So think about everything we've discussed so far, and I want us to think about what this stanza has done well.

So let's read it through together first, and then you're going to discuss what this has done well.

"Flash those happy teeth! And clap those buoyant hands! Whoosh into the arms of the best friend you've ever had! Sing those lines of gratitude! Whoop with shouts of cheer! Crash into the greatest of your most adventurous years!" Okay, so over to you.

I would like you to discuss what has this stanza done well? Pause the video and off you go.

Okay, let's see if you have something similar to what I have.

So you've noticed perhaps that the onomatopoeia is integrated and adds to the energy of the poem.

So actually, you know, flash those happy teeth, clap those buoyant hands, it kind of fills much more part of the poem.

Clearly links to the theme, doesn't it? We can tell straight away that this poem is about friendship and about those connections.

The onomatopoeic verbs emulate Baker's style.

So it's not just been added onto the end.

You've got flash, clap, whoosh, sing, whoop, crash.

Like there's a whole load of onomatopoeic verbs there that really adds to that energy and the dynamic performance of the poem.

And the word choices are varied and interesting, aren't they? So you know, flash is a great one, whoosh is a great one too.

And it just really adds to that musicality and the rhythm of the poem.

True or false time.

Onomatopoeia can be used to create interesting verbs.

Is that true or false? Come up with your answer now.

I'm really hoping that lots of you said true, that onomatopoeia can be used to create interesting verbs.

But now the difficult bit, you need to explain why that is true.

So come up with your answer now and we'll compare in a moment.

Okay, let's compare.

Hopefully you have something like, "Using onomatopoeic verbs is an effective way to integrate the device and create a sense of energy in your poem." Well done everyone, let's keep going.

Because now we are on to your second writing task.

And I'm really excited about this because now you are going to write your own refrain and stanza using onomatopoeia exactly like we have just looked like and in the style of Harry Baker's poem, "Where the Wild Things Are".

So we've created that checklist in task A.

So use that to ensure you are including everything.

Think of the examples we've looked at.

You've got everything you need to make this a fantastic refrain and stanza, and I cannot wait to see what you come up with.

Okay, pause the video and get writing.

Excellent work.

I have really enjoyed seeing these come to life.

Excellent uses of onomatopoeia, that repetition, those refrains, loving the direct address and the refrains.

It makes me wanna join in.

And that chant-like quantity of the repetition, so well done.

But now what we need to do is perform them.

It's slam poetry after all.

So I would like you to perform your refrain and stanza out loud, okay? So really think about that performance and really use, let the sound help you, use it to emphasise those points.

So remember when you are performing or delivering your slam poem, just remember to speak clearly.

Try if you can to have some fun with the different sounds and rhythms, okay? We're not aiming for perfection, but just really think about that onomatopoeia, the repetition, the direct address, and how that can really help you to make an engaging poem.

If you can, stand to speak.

I promise, it will really help with that delivery.

So you know, use positive body language and try and use some gestures to engage your audience.

Maybe if you've got an interesting verb, you could use an action or a gesture with that.

And again, try and use some eye contact, okay? So eyes looking.

So eye contact and facial gestures to really bring your poem to life.

So really think about what that repetition is doing.

You may want to smile or look a bit energetic.

I don't know, there's lots of things you can do with your face to really bring your poem to life.

Okay, so here we go.

Pause the video and perform or read those poems aloud.

Off you go.

Okay, so now you have performed your poems. I would like you just to spend a few moments self-assessing your use of sound, and I've got some questions to help you.

So this is a really important time just to reflect on your work and to do that bit of self-assessment.

So did you engage and connect with your audience? Did you create a dynamic and energetic slam poem? So think about those questions and use them to give yourself a WWW, what went well, and an even better if.

So you'll need to pause your video to give yourself time to self-assess, reflect on those questions, and give yourself that what went well and even better if.

Well done, everyone.

Pause the video and get this final task done.

Well done, everyone.

Thank you so much for such an interesting and engaging lesson.

I loved seeing how you used that style of Harry Baker to create your own slam poetry.

It really was great to see.

So well done for giving a go.

So let's recap everything we have learned.

We know that sound is an important feature of slam poetry.

It adds to the dynamic and energetic performances.

We know that Harry Baker uses a refrain to emphasise key ideas and engage the audience.

And now you do that, too.

In his refrain, Baker uses repetition, direct address, and exclamatives, and hopefully so did you.

And Baker demonstrates that onomatopoeic can be effective in slam poems that needs to be used carefully.

So again, very well done everyone.

What a fantastic lesson.

I can't wait to do this all again with you soon.

But until then, I'm gonna say goodbye.

Goodbye.