Transcript To His Coy Mistress

To His Coy Mistress
Listen to the poem together
 In pairs:
 Read the poem again.
 EACH write down – ONE STATEMENT that you think
is true about the poem
 ONE QUESTION you would like answering.
Listen to the poem together
 In pairs:
 Read the poem again.
 Write down – ONE STATEMENT that you think is true about
the poem
 ONE QUESTION you would like answering.
 Divide into A and B.
 B’s stand and move to a new partner, leaving A.
Listen to the poem together
 In pairs:
 Read the poem again.
 EACH write down – ONE STATEMENT that you think is true
about the poem
 ONE QUESTION you would like answering.
 Divide into A and B.
 B’s stand and move to a new partner, leaving A.
 In the new pair, read A’s question. See if they can
answer it and write down the answer.
 If you think you have answered to each other’s satisfaction,
then see if you can come up with another question.
Listen to the poem together
 In pairs:
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Read the poem again.
EACH write down – ONE STATEMENT that you think is true about
the poem
ONE QUESTION you would like answering.
Divide into A and B.
B’s stand and move to a new partner, leaving A.
In the new pair, read A’s question. See if they can answer it and write
down the answer.
If you think you have answered to each other’s satisfaction,
then see if you can come up with another question.
B’s now move to another partner
Return to your places
 Write down any statements that we can now agree
 Write down any unanswered questions… and see if
we can answer them
Stanza 1 – ‘If’
 Circle all the verbs which express a condition (I
would if I could, I should be able to, I might if) which
suggests that if the lover had time to wait, he would.
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Why do you think Marvell use this conditional tense?
 Identify examples of hyperbole or exaggeration.
What is the effect?
Stanza 2 – ‘But’
 Identify which verb (‘action word’) Marvell repeats in
this stanza to signal their possible future fate.
 Identify the extended metaphor used to describe the
terrifying future the persona predicts, if they delay.
 (An ‘extended metaphor’ is the development of a
metaphor over several lines or, in some instances,
over the course of an entire piece.)
Stanza 3 – ‘Sooo...’
 What words does the poet use to suggest that they
must take action immediately?
 Identify the pronouns (I, you, we, us, our) the poet
uses in this stanza.
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Why does he use different pronouns in this stanza?
Themes and Ideas
 What themes and ideas are central to this poem?
 Remember that on the exam, you want to be able to
discuss themes, ideas and issues through the ways
that they’re communicated (i.e. language, structure
and form)
Links with ‘To His Coy Mistress’
 To which poems might we link this one?
“Hour”
 Re-read the poem and think carefully about the following:
 presentation of time
 fairytale and myth
 use of contrast
 romantic symbols
 opulence
 literary heritage.
References - King Midas and Rumpelstiltskin
 Some people believe that myths and fairytales are
cautionary – they have a message or moral.
 Looking at the information you have been given in
“Hour,” what do you think the message of each story
is?
 Read the following statements that outline possible explanations for these references. These are only
suggestions, if you can think of any more, write them in the box at the bottom of the list.
True love is a myth – something that is presented as real but is not actually obtainable.
Duffy may be suggesting that we need to consider the implications of our choices before we commit
to them.
The references are included because the poem describes a ‘fairytale romance’.
The references to myth/fairytale give the poem an unpleasant tone as they suggest that not
everything in the relationship is as it seems.
Referring to a well known myth and fairytale means the poem is more accessible to readers.
Revealing a “Hour” line by line
 Open your folders to your A3 techniques sheet.
 As we go through the poem, have a look at which
poetic techniques are being used – what is their
effect in this poem?
Stanza 1
Love’s time’s beggar, but even a single hour,
Stanza 1
Love’s time’s beggar, but even a single hour,
bright as a dropped coin, makes love rich.
Stanza 1
Love’s time’s beggar, but even a single hour,
bright as a dropped coin, makes love rich.
We find an hour together, spend it not on flowers
Stanza 1
Love’s time’s beggar, but even a single hour,
bright as a dropped coin, makes love rich.
We find an hour together, spend it not on flowers
or wine, but the whole of the summer sky and a grass
ditch.
Stanza 2
For thousands of seconds we kiss; your hair
Stanza 2
For thousands of seconds we kiss; your hair
like treasure on the ground; the Midas light
Stanza 2
For thousands of seconds we kiss; your hair
like treasure on the ground; the Midas light
turning your limbs to gold. Time slows, for here
Stanza 2
For thousands of seconds we kiss; your hair
like treasure on the ground; the Midas light
turning your limbs to gold. Time slows, for here
we are millionaires, backhanding the night
Stanza 3
so nothing dark will end our shining hour,
Stanza 3
so nothing dark will end our shining hour,
no jewel hold a candle to the cuckoo spit
Stanza 3
so nothing dark will end our shining hour,
no jewel hold a candle to the cuckoo spit
hung from the blade of grass at your ear,
Stanza 3
so nothing dark will end our shining hour,
no jewel hold a candle to the cuckoo spit
hung from the blade of grass at your ear,
no chandelier or spotlight see you better lit
Stanza 4
than here. Now. Time hates love, wants love poor,
Stanza 4
than here. Now. Time hates love, wants love poor,
but love spins gold, gold, gold from straw.
“Hour”
Love’s time’s beggar, but even a single hour,
bright as a dropped coin, makes love rich.
We find an hour together, spend it not on flowers
or wine, but the whole of the summer sky and a grass ditch.
For thousands of seconds we kiss; your hair
like treasure on the ground; the Midas light
turning your limbs to gold. Time slows, for here
we are millionaires, backhanding the night
so nothing dark will end our shining hour,
no jewel hold a candle to the cuckoo spit
hung from the blade of grass at your ear,
no chandelier or spotlight see you better lit
than here. Now. Time hates love, wants love poor,
but love spins gold, gold, gold from straw.
Homework
 Compare the ways that writers present love in “To
His Coy Mistress” and “Hour.”
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Remember to link through themes/ideas
Analyse language/structure/form
Compare side-by-side
Spend no more than 45 minutes on this.
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Due Tues 24 April
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