F5 LITERATURE IN ENGLISH [2]

F5 LITERATURE

IN ENGLISH

5GN & 5AQ

07 DECEMBER 2020

POEM:

HALF-TERM by U A Fanthorpe

[ Part 2 ]



THEME(S) and PERSONALISED RESPONSE

Recite the poem again.

After reciting, do you sense the disjointedness of the description of the holidays and the description of the school in parenteses?

What feeling does it evoke from the disjointedness?

Now, let's take it apart, separate them and recite again. Note the difference.

Multiple Choice

1. Which stanza shows positiveness about the persona's holidays?

• Stanza 1

• Stanza 3

• Stanza 5

• Stanza 9

Multiple Choice

2. Which stanzas show awkwardness of the persona's holidays and school?

• Stanza 1 and 3

• Stanza 2 and 4

• Stanza 3 and 6

• Stanza 4 and 7

Multiple Choice

3. What is the difference in the awkwardness between the persona's holidays and school?

• The hoilidays were awkward.

• The holidays were spent in hotels.

• Back at school, the subjects were awkward.

• Back at school the awkwardness was reliable.

Theme or personalised response?

Read the passage and identify them.

Theme or personalised response?

There is a clear contrast in home and school life. This is evident between the ‘handmade’, ‘rich’ treats wrapped in ‘special smooth paper’ from Town and the ‘square tall piles of bread’ and ‘featureless red jam in basins’ at the school.

 

The long, unproductive afternoons of the holidays are compared with ‘clashing’ of duets even ‘solitary knitting’ at school. Schoolwork is ‘reliable’ while the new people she meets over the holidays are ‘temporary’. The ‘awkward’ inactive afternoons on holiday are somehow contrasted against the ‘awkwardness(es) of work’ at school.

  

Multiple Choice

5. This is evident between the ‘handmade’, ‘rich’ treats wrapped in ‘special smooth paper’ from Town and the ‘square tall piles of bread’ and ‘featureless red jam in basins’ at the school. ---This sentence is the ..................... .

• theme

• evidence

• personalised response

• supporting sub-theme

Multiple Select

6. Schoolwork is ‘reliable’ while the new people she meets over the holidays are ‘temporary’. --- This statement states the .............. aspect.

• physical

• emotional

Multiple Select

7. The speaker/persona feels ................ from the people she meets during her holidays.

• linked

• awkward

• isolated

para 3 - 4

While there are several mentions of ‘school’, “home” is not once mentioned. Perhaps the attraction of the half term break is not in the going home, rather in the comforts found in ‘Town’ even, spending time with the family and ‘temporary’ acquaintances is much more lacklustre. Even the buttered crumpets are descripted with images akin to that of school life such as ‘ringing’ and ‘drilled’.

This becomes clearer as the poem progresses, with the speaker plainly stating that she will miss the treats and comforts, but not the love which she ‘only senses’ at home. This also does not last, that it is described as ‘vague in the streetlamps of November’ (November is at the tail end of autumn). 

Poll

8. While there are several mentions of ‘school’, “home” is not once mentioned. --- This statement is another obvious __________ and it reveals a lot without any information.

• theme

• sub-theme

Multiple Select

10. Para 4, further shows the sub-theme of ........................... .

• comfort of holidays

• school versus home

• self isolation

para 5

In fact, one could argue that the only positive remarks about home have been about its comforts – in particular the crumpets and chocolates , which are mentioned in both opening and stanza 8. Perhaps being away at school is in some ways an escape from the solitude of home or the lack of ‘patterned’ of holiday life. She probably is more in favour of a more regimented but more crowded and hectic community at school in which the speaker is more comfortable with.

Poll

12. Which do you prefer, based on this poem?

• school days

• holidays

Well, it's not holiday yet.

Which ever notes that are relevant, please note them down for revision for your coming exam.

Good luck.