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Year 10
Edexcel

Analysing the poem 'No Problem' by Benjamin Zephaniah

I can explain how Zephaniah uses language, form and structure to express his viewpoint.

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Year 10
Edexcel

Analysing the poem 'No Problem' by Benjamin Zephaniah

I can explain how Zephaniah uses language, form and structure to express his viewpoint.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The poem is a dub poem - a form of performance poetry of Jamaican origin.
  2. Dialect is used throughout to illustrate Zephaniah's pride in his identity.
  3. The repetition of the refrain highlights how racism is the problem in society.
  4. The alliteration of plosive sounds could illustrate Zephaniah's anger.
  5. Arguably, Zephaniah uses stereotypes to mock the prejudicial views of some in society.

Keywords

  • Dialect - regional variation in language or speech, often influenced by culture or geography

  • Conceptual - relating to abstract ideas, rather than tangible objects

  • Discrimination - unfair treatment based on differences of protected characteristics such as race, gender or age

  • Plosive sounds - sounds articulated with an abrupt release of air like 'p', 'b' or 't'

  • Dub poetry - a form of poetry, originating from Jamaica, traditionally performed to reggae music

Common misconception

Zephaniah's description of his "mother country" shows that his Jamaican cultural identity is more important to him that his British identity.

Prior to Jamaican independence in 1962, many Jamaicans referred to the UK as their "mother country". This suggests that Zephaniah's British identity is very important to him.

Encourage students to 'translate' a section of the poem into standard English and read it aloud to hear how Zephaniah uses phonetic spellings to represent his Jamaican patois.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You need a copy of the Edexcel Poetry Anthology for this lesson to read ‘No Problem’ by Benjamin Zephaniah. We will be using the ‘Conflict’ cluster.

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is a dub poet?
someone who writes poetry set in a foreign country
someone who writes only political poetry
Correct answer: someone who performs their poetry aloud to reggae music
someone who performs their poetry with a live orchestra
Q2.
What is a dialect?
vocabulary and speech patterns specific to an idividual
Correct answer: vocabulary and speech patterns specific to a certain region or area
vocabulary and speech patterns specific to a certain demographic or social class
vocabulary and speech patterns specific to a certain period of history
Q3.
What is a refrain?
Correct answer: a phrase or line recurring at intervals throughout the poem
a stanza with only four lines
when consecutive lines of a poem begin with the same words
a question that doesn't require an answer
Q4.
What is alliteration?
giving human traits to non-human entities
Correct answer: the repetition of sounds at the start of words found close together
words imitating sounds they represent
figure of speech equating two unlike things to emphasise their shared qualities
Q5.
What are stereotypes?
exaggerated representation of someone or something, often for satirical purposes
unjust treatment of people based on characteristics such as age, gender or race
Correct answer: widely held, oversimplified and often inaccurate beliefs about a group of people
an idea or a story that is circulated but not officially confirmed
Q6.
The tone of Zephaniah's 'No Problem' is ...
initially serious but shifts to a playful tone towards the end.
Correct answer: initially playful but shifts to a serious tone towards the end.
initially sad but shifts to a nostalgic tone towards the end.
initially nostalgic but shifts to a sad tone towards the end.

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following words contain plosive sounds?
Correct answer: dancing
Correct answer: terrible
airy
lyrical
roving
Q2.
Which of the following do we associate with dub poetry?
written phonetically
Correct answer: performed to music
focused on themes associated with racism and discrimination
Correct answer: it is performed read aloud
uses a refrain emphasises important ideas
Q3.
How does Zephaniah convey his cultural dialect in 'No Problem'?
he references it directly in the opening line of the poem
he writes in a particular rhythm that matches the rhythm of reggae songs
Correct answer: he writes phonetically to show how he would pronounce English words
he writes in three different languages throughout the poem
Q4.
How does the last line of the poem 'No Problem' convey Zephaniah's serious message in a playful, humorous way?
it shows that he has friends from all different cultures
Correct answer: it plays on a problematic statement often touted by people with racist views
it implies that he has stepped into the shoes of a racist person
it contrasts with his mention of "Black" earlier in the stanza
Q5.
Which answers below best fill the gaps in this sentence? 'Zephaniah's depictions of prejudice and discrimination __________ and __________'
Correct answer: use wordplay to explore racism in an abtract, conceptual way
are entirely fictional and show the extremes of racist behaviour
Correct answer: draw on his childhood and life experiences
draw on stories he was told of life in the Caribbean
Q6.
What is an imperative sentence?
Correct answer: a type of sentence that gives a command, instruction, or request
a type of sentence that encourages the reader to think about something
a type of sentence that describes what something looks like
a type of sentence that is written in rhyme