Starter quiz
- What is a dub poet?
- someone who writes poetry set in a foreign country
- someone who writes only political poetry
- someone who performs their poetry aloud to reggae music ✓
- someone who performs their poetry with a live orchestra
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- What is a dialect?
- vocabulary and speech patterns specific to an idividual
- vocabulary and speech patterns specific to a certain region or area ✓
- vocabulary and speech patterns specific to a certain demographic or social class
- vocabulary and speech patterns specific to a certain period of history
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- What is a refrain?
- a phrase or line recurring at intervals throughout the poem ✓
- a stanza with only four lines
- when consecutive lines of a poem begin with the same words
- a question that doesn't require an answer
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- What is alliteration?
- giving human traits to non-human entities
- the repetition of sounds at the start of words found close together ✓
- words imitating sounds they represent
- figure of speech equating two unlike things to emphasise their shared qualities
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- What are stereotypes?
- exaggerated representation of someone or something, often for satirical purposes
- unjust treatment of people based on characteristics such as age, gender or race
- widely held, oversimplified and often inaccurate beliefs about a group of people ✓
- an idea or a story that is circulated but not officially confirmed
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- The tone of Zephaniah's 'No Problem' is ...
- initially serious but shifts to a playful tone towards the end.
- initially playful but shifts to a serious tone towards the end. ✓
- initially sad but shifts to a nostalgic tone towards the end.
- initially nostalgic but shifts to a sad tone towards the end.
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Exit quiz
- Which of the following words contain plosive sounds?
- dancing ✓
- terrible ✓
- airy
- lyrical
- roving
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- Which of the following do we associate with dub poetry?
- written phonetically
- performed to music ✓
- focused on themes associated with racism and discrimination
- it is performed read aloud ✓
- uses a refrain emphasises important ideas
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- How does Zephaniah convey his cultural dialect in 'No Problem'?
- he references it directly in the opening line of the poem
- he writes in a particular rhythm that matches the rhythm of reggae songs
- he writes phonetically to show how he would pronounce English words ✓
- he writes in three different languages throughout the poem
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- How does the last line of the poem 'No Problem' convey Zephaniah's serious message in a playful, humorous way?
- it shows that he has friends from all different cultures
- it plays on a problematic statement often touted by people with racist views ✓
- it implies that he has stepped into the shoes of a racist person
- it contrasts with his mention of "Black" earlier in the stanza
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- Which answers below best fill the gaps in this sentence? 'Zephaniah's depictions of prejudice and discrimination __________ and __________'
- use wordplay to explore racism in an abtract, conceptual way ✓
- are entirely fictional and show the extremes of racist behaviour
- draw on his childhood and life experiences ✓
- draw on stories he was told of life in the Caribbean
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- What is an imperative sentence?
- a type of sentence that gives a command, instruction, or request ✓
- a type of sentence that encourages the reader to think about something
- a type of sentence that describes what something looks like
- a type of sentence that is written in rhyme
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Worksheet
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Presentation
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Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- The poem is a dub poem - a form of performance poetry of Jamaican origin.
- Dialect is used throughout to illustrate Zephaniah's pride in his identity.
- The repetition of the refrain highlights how racism is the problem in society.
- The alliteration of plosive sounds could illustrate Zephaniah's anger.
- Arguably, Zephaniah uses stereotypes to mock the prejudicial views of some in society.
Common misconception
Zephaniah's description of his "mother country" shows that his Jamaican cultural identity is more important to him that his British identity.
Prior to Jamaican independence in 1962, many Jamaicans referred to the UK as their "mother country". This suggests that Zephaniah's British identity is very important to him.
Keywords
Dialect - regional variation in language or speech, often influenced by culture or geography
Conceptual - relating to abstract ideas, rather than tangible objects
Discrimination - unfair treatment based on differences of protected characteristics such as race, gender or age
Plosive sounds - sounds articulated with an abrupt release of air like 'p', 'b' or 't'
Dub poetry - a form of poetry, originating from Jamaica, traditionally performed to reggae music
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