Starter quiz
- During which conflict is the poem 'Belfast Confetti' set?
- The Vietnam War
- WWI
- WWII
- The Falklands War
- The Troubles ✓
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- The title of this poem - 'Belfast Confetti' - refers to what?
- the nickname for fighters in the Irish Republican Army (IRA)
- a slang name for the homemade bombs used during the conflict ✓
- a reference to many weddings held during The Troubles despite the conflict
- the slang word used to describe the many paramilitary forces in/around Belfast
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- What does the word 'paramilitary' mean?
- the arm of military that work in the skies (aeroplanes, helicopters etc.)
- soldiers who have been injured during a war and can no longer fight
- group operating like military but not officially recognised by the government ✓
- when two opposing military forces are equally matched against other
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- What impact did the Troubles have on Northern Ireland's national identity?
- Both sides agreed to share out Northern Ireland's cultural history between them.
- Divisions increased and Northern Irish identity became very fractured. ✓
- Many nationalist supporters were chased out of Northern Ireland to the UK.
- It didn't impact Northern Ireland's identity at all.
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- What is a 'Saracen'?
- an armoured vehicle/tank ✓
- a type of heavy machine gun
- a military helicopter
- a military hospital near Belfast
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- What is a 'fusillade'?
- a division of the military who fight on horseback
- a type of military helmet
- a rapid burst of gun fire ✓
- something for a soldier to hide behind to avoid gunfire
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Exit quiz
- Which of the methods below means 'a pause or a break in a line of verse, often marked by punctuation'?
- chorus
- volta
- couplet
- enjambment
- caesura ✓
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- What do the following quotes from 'Belfast Confetti' all have in common: "suddenly", "explosion", "burst", "rapid", "stuttering"?
- They are all verbs.
- They all convey a sense of speed/urgency. ✓
- They are all used to describe the speaker.
- They are metaphorical.
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- How might civilians feel powerless in times of war?
- They are all taken prisoner by enemy soldiers.
- They have to follow orders without question.
- They feel like can do nothing to stop the violence happening on their doorstep. ✓
- They have to wait for the next election to give their views about the war.
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- Which two methods does Carson use in this quotation from 'Belfast Confetti': "What is my name? Where am I coming from? Where am I going?"?
- rhetorical questions and anaphora
- rhetorical questions and a triplet ✓
- anaphora and second-person pronouns
- second-person pronouns and a triplet
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- Why did some people believe that The Troubles wasn't a 'real' war?
- There was no official declaration of war. ✓
- There were no nuclear weapons used.
- It didn't occur between two different countries.
- Most of the fighting took place between 'unofficial' paramilitary forces. ✓
- There was no official end to the war.
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- "I know this labyrinth [...] Why can’t I escape?" What does this quote from 'Belfast Confetti' suggest about the speaker's feelings about Belfast?
- They feel like a prisoner of war.
- The chaos and fighting has turned their hometown into an unfamiliar place. ✓
- They want to leave Northern Ireland forever.
- They are familiar with the landscape and know all the shortcuts.
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Worksheet
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Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Enjambment and caesura are used to create a chaotic atmosphere.
- Rhetorical questions are used to represent the speaker's inner conflict.
- The speaker's struggle to speak may represent the lack of voice civilians have in conflict.
- The street names link to soldiers and battles from the Crimean War, illustrating that The Troubles were a 'war' too.
- Carson uses lots of words linked to speed and urgency to convey a sense of fear and chaos.
Common misconception
'Belfast Confetti' is a metaphor created by Carson in this poem.
The term 'Belfast Confetti' was used during The Troubles to refer to the homemade bombs used in the fighting. They were called this because they were filled with shrapnel which, when detonated, sprayed in the sky like confetti.
Keywords
Enjambment - the continuation of a sentence beyond the end of a line, stanza or couplet
Caesura - a pause or a break in a line of verse, often marked by punctuation
Civilians - non-military individuals, often not involved in armed conflict or combat situations
Volatile - unstable, liable to change rapidly, unpredictable or explosive in nature
Chaos - complete disorder or confusion, lack of organisation or control; a turbulent or disordered state
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