Programme 10 - Activities

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (1564–1616)
Sonnet 130: My Mistres eyes are nothing like the Sunne (1590s)

* If the first twelve lines make a strong case for Shakespeare's beloved being very ordinary really, how does the final couplet change the way we read the meaning of the poem?

* Make a note of all the words and expressions that are unfamiliar to you and in pairs discuss their possible meaning. You can also research on the web.

* Write a Valentine's Day sonnet for a greetings card company, which includes a description of the emotional, physical and personal qualities of the person receiving it.

RS THOMAS (1913–2000)
On the Farm (1963)

* Write the story of the Puw brothers, filling in the missing details of each of the brothers, how they got on with each other, why they were sinister, as well as the girl, who was she?

* How does 'On the Farm' relate to other poems in the series in terms of its style?

LORNA GOODISON (1947–present)
This Is a Hymn (1988)

* In groups of three or four, practice speaking the poem aloud. Take into account pace, timing, voice, rhythm and emphasis. Find ways of involving each person.

* How does the syntax of the sentence relate to the line-pattern of the poem? Does that affect how we read the poem?

JONATHAN SWIFT (1667–1745)
From Verses on the Death of Dr Swift (1739)

* Compare this edited version of the poem with the complete version (see the weblink). What has been omitted from the television version? Why do you think this is?

* Swift is celebrated in WB Yeats's poem 'The Seven Sages' and in 'Swift's Epitaph'. Search the web for details of this.

General

* Several of the poems have a common theme or subject or some shared feature of approach, style or structure - for example, poems spoken by a character as monologues or themes such as nature, love, family and relationships, past and present, interesting characters, growing up … Having considered all the poems in Programme 10, draw up and complete a grid like the one below.