Starter quiz
- A metaphor is...
- a word that describes or modifies a noun
- a poem or song that narrates a story in short stanzas
- a figure of speech that involves comparing two things using the verb "to be" ✓
- attribution of human emotions or characteristics to nature or inanimate objects
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- Which of the following is an accurate summary of Femi's 'Thirteen'?
- the boy hears an inspiring speech by police officers in his school
- the boy is wrongly accused of being involved in a robbery ✓
- the boy is rightfully accused of being involved in a robbery
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- What is a caesura?
- intentionally repeating words, lines, stanzas
- a pause or a break in a line of verse, often marked by punctuation ✓
- a word for a person, place or thing
- repetition of the hissing sound "s" in nearby words
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- Which piece of contextual information is accurate for Femi's poetry?
- Femi was a Romantic poet who believed in the power of social change.
- Femi's work often explores the experiences of young black men in London. ✓
- Femi's father was stopped by the police and falsely accused of a crime.
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- Which of the following is a connotation of "star"?
- hope ✓
- death
- love
- spirituality
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- Which of the following images suggests a lack of hope?
- star
- school
- black hole ✓
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Exit quiz
- Throughout 'Thirteen' there is an extended metaphor of a...
- star ✓
- school
- flower
- sun
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- To represent, express, or identify by a symbol is known as to...
- 'symbolise' ✓
- Throughout the poem 'Thirteen', the image of the "star" changes from a "star", to a "supernova" to "black holes" - what might this indicate?
- The boy is the hope of his generation.
- The police officers see a bright future for the boy.
- The progression of the boy's lack of hope, ✓
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- An unfair feeling of dislike for a person or group because of race, sex, religion, etc. is known as...
- 'prejudice' ✓
- Starting with the first, put these words from the poem 'Thirteen' in the order they appear.
- 1⇔"you"
- 2⇔"star"
- 3⇔"organs"
- 4⇔"don't"
- 5⇔"black holes"
- In the poem 'Thirteen', what is the significance of ending on the image of a black hole?
- it suggests that young boys from a similar background will avoid the same fate
- it symbolises a lack of hope and opportunity for boys from a similar background ✓
- it symbolises the lack of investment made in youth services to support young boy
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Worksheet
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Femi uses “star” imagery throughout the poem to perhaps symbolise the boy’s loss of hope and opportunities.
- The use of the extended metaphor could perhaps suggest that people often perceive the boy as different from who he is.
- The structural progression of the poem could represent the boy’s journey.
- The use of caesuras throughout could imply that Femi wants us to continually stop and consider the effects of prejudice.
Common misconception
That the order of words in a poem is random and unimportant.
The order of words creates a journey and progression through the poem which can influence the overall message.
Keywords
Prejudice - an unfair feeling of dislike for a person or group because of race, sex, religion, etc.
Caesura - a pause or a break in a line of verse, often marked by punctuation
Symbolise - to represent, express, or identify by a symbol
Extended metaphor - a metaphor that unfolds across multiple lines or stanzas of a poem
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