Lesson video

Hello, everyone.

It's lovely to see you here today.

My name is Dr.

Clayton and I'm going to guide you through your learning journey today.

So today's lesson is called how Simon Armitage talks about life and "About His Person" and "Poem".

So we're going to be listening to Armitage talk by his inspiration behind the poems and then think how we can respond creatively to them.

So if you're ready, grab your pen, laptop, whatever you're using for this lesson, and let's get started.

So by the end of the lesson you'll be able to listen and respond to Simon Armitage talking about "About His Person" and "Poem".

So we have three words today we're going to be using as our key words.

They'll be identified in bold throughout the learning material, and I'll try to pull them up as well so you can see them being used in context.

So our first keyword is biography, which means the life story of a person written by someone else.

And our second keyword is impression, which means an idea or opinion of what something or someone is like.

We're going to listen to Armitage talk about the idea that reading different biographies of people can create different impressions of what that person is like.

Our third keyword is authentic, which means the quality of being real or true.

When we talk about being authentic to ourselves, we mean being true to ourselves.

So, I'll just give you a moment to write down those keywords and their definitions.

So pause the video, write them down now.

Fantastic.

Let's get started with the lesson.

So we have two learning cycles in our lesson today.

For our first learning cycle, we're going to be listening to Simon Armitage talk about "About His Person" and think about how we respond to the poem.

For our second learning cycle, we're gonna be listening to Armitage talk about "Poem" and think about how we respond to the poem.

So what I'd like us to start off by doing is listening to Armitage introduce "About His Person".

Now we're going to watch the video through twice so we can take in all the information.

So in this first watch, I'd like you to answer the following questions.

So question one, what was Armitage thinking about when he wrote the poem? And question two, what did the about his or her person section refer to? So let's watch Armitage introduce "About His Person".

<v ->This is a poem called "About His Person".

</v> I was thinking about reading news reports about people who'd been found dead, and quite often there would be a line in the report which said about his person or about her person, meaning the items and objects that were on that person's body in their pockets, and so on and so forth, when they were found.

I was always really fascinated by this because it was as if you could try and build up an idea of their character or personality by what they carried with them at that time, as if they were symbols and emblems of their identity.

It's almost made me think you have to be very careful what you carry in your pockets.

You know, you don't want to be run over and then it says in the paper about his person was, I don't know, you know, a pencil sharpener and a small tin of mushy peas, you know, you don't want to be him.

<v ->Well, welcome back, everyone,</v> I really hope enjoyed the video.

So Armitage says he was thinking about reading news reports of people who have been found dead, and specifically the about their person sections, which detail the items they had on them when they were found.

So now we're going to watch Armitage introduce "About His Person" again.

This time I'd like to think about what Armitage found fascinating about the news reports and about the his or her person sections.

So let's watch introduce "About His Person" again.

<v ->This is a poem called "About His Person".

</v> I was thinking about reading news reports about people who'd been found dead, and quite often there would be a line in the report which said about his person or about her person, meaning the items and objects that were on that person's body in their pockets, and so on and so forth, when they were found.

I was always really fascinated by this, because it was as if you could try and build up an idea of their character or personality by what they carried with them at that time, as if they were symbols and emblems of their identity.

It's always made me think you have to be very careful what you carry in your pockets.

You know, you don't want to be run over and then it says in the paper about his person was, I don't know, you know, a pencil sharpener and a small tin of mushy peas, you know, you don't want to be him.

<v ->Welcome back, everyone.

</v> You might have said, Armitage found the idea you could build an idea of someone's character through the objects they had on them when they died fascinating.

And he thought about the idea of the objects being symbols for their identity.

So, now for a quick check for understanding, what I'd like you to do is tell me whether the following statement is true or false.

So is it true or false? Armitage was inspired to write the poem from reading news reports of people who had died? Pause the video and take a few moments to think about it.

Now the correct answer is true.

Now I'd like you to tell me why it's true? So pause the video and take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

You might have said, Armitage says he was fascinated by the about his or her person section and how you could build an idea of someone's character through their objects.

So very well done if you've got those right.

So now what I'd like you to do is read through Armitage "About His Person".

You'll find a copy of the poem in the additional materials.

And what I'd like you to do is answer the following questions about the poem.

So question one, which items were found on the person's body? Question two, what do you think these items tell you about the person's character? And question three, what do you think happened to the person? So pause the video and read the poem now.

Welcome back, everyone.

I really hope you enjoyed the poem.

Now, one of the things I think people really respond to in the poem is the detective aspect of it, and thinking about the items on the person and what they might tell us about their life and how they died.

So now what I'd like us to do is listen to Armitage read "About His Person".

As you're listening, what I'd like you to do is try to represent the words in the poem by drawing what images come to your mind.

So let's listen to Armitage read "About His Person" now.

<v ->"5.

50 pounds in change exactly,</v> a library card on its date of expiry, a postcard, stamped, unwritten, but franked.

A pocket sized diary slashed with a pencil from March 24th to the 1st of April.

Abrasive keys for a mortise lock, an analogue watch, self winding, stopped.

A final demand in his own hand, a rolled up note of explanation, planted there like a spray carnation, but beheaded.

In his fist, a shopping list.

A giveaway photograph stashed in his wallet.

A keepsake banked in the heart of a locket.

No gold or silver, but crowning one finger, a ring of white unweathered skin.

That was everything." <v ->Welcome back, everyone.

</v> I really hope you enjoyed listening to the poem.

So here are one of our Oak pupils Sofia's representations of the words in the poem.

She's drawn some money, a picture of Jane Eyre on a card to represent a library card, a picture of a boat and a sun shining to represent a postcard.

A diary, a set of keys, a watch, a list, a heart locket, and a hand.

So what I'd like to think about is do your images look similar to Sofia's? Why or why not? Pause the video and take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now I think that's a really valuable exercise, 'cause it helps you think about which images stand out to you as important and how the poem creates visuals for you.

So now what I'd like you to do is watch Armitage read the outro for "About His Person".

As you're watching, I'd like you to answer the following questions.

So question one, what does Armitage say about what he means by the final line, "That was everything." What does Armitage say about the situation in the man's life? So let's watch Armitage read the outro to "About His Person" now.

<v ->At the end of the poem,</v> what I mean by that last line is that's the end of the list, that was the final item, but also the item that I've just described meant everything.

It was highly significant.

And if you look back through all those couplets in the poem, you can work out that they are symbolic of his situation in life, which was not a happy one.

<v ->Welcome back, everyone.

</v> You might have said, Armitage says he meant that was everything as suggesting it was the end of a list, but also the final item was the most important.

And he says the man's situation was not a happy situation.

So now for a quick check for understanding.

So which of the following were items found on the person's body? It's A, a newspaper? B, a library card? C, 10 pounds in change? Or D, a photograph? So pause the video, take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now the correct answers are a library card and a photograph.

So very well done if you've got those right.

Amazing work everyone.

And now the first task of the lesson.

So what I'd like you to do is answer the following questions.

So question one, what are five objects you have on your person at the moment? Now those might be items of jewellery or items in your pockets.

Question two, what do you think these items would say about who you are to someone who doesn't know you? So pause the video and answer the questions now.

Welcome back, everyone, some great work there.

What I'd like you to do is reflect on the following questions.

So are you happy with the objects and what you think they say about your character? Is there a particular object you wish you had on you that you think is more representative of your life? So pause the video and reflect on the questions now.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now we're moving on to the second learning cycle.

We're going to listen to Armitage talk about "Poem" and think about how we respond to the poem.

Amazing work, everyone, we're now on the second learning cycle.

We're going to listen to Armitage talk about "Poem" and think about how we respond to the text.

So what I'd like us to start off by doing is watching Armitage introduce "Poem".

Now as we did earlier, we're going to watch the video through twice to make sure we take in all of the information.

Now as we're watching through this first time, I'd like you to answer the following questions.

So question one, when did Armitage say he wrote "Poem"? Question two, what was Armitage reading that inspired poem? So let's watch Armitage introduce "Poem" now.

<v ->This is a poem with the very astonishing title of "Poem".

</v> It's one of those pieces that sort of does what it says on the tin lid.

And it's from a book of mine called "Paper Aeroplane", which is a collection of poems from lots of different books and lots of different periods of writing.

It's sometimes difficult to remember why you wrote a poem.

You know, maybe you wrote this poem 20 or 30 years ago, but I guess it was something to do with reading lots of biographies and autobiographies about people, and how difficult it is to summarise somebody's life.

You could read different books about the same person and come away with completely different views about them.

<v ->Welcome back, everyone.

</v> I really hope enjoyed the video.

Now Armitage says he wrote "Poem" 20 or 30 years ago and he was inspired by reading biographies and autobiographies.

So let's watch Armitage introduce "Poem" again.

This time I'd like to think about what Armitage says about the impression of people we get from biographies and autobiographies.

So let's watch Armitage introduce "Poem" again.

<v ->This is a poem with the very astonishing title of "Poem".

</v> It's one of those pieces that sort of does what it says on the tin lid.

And it's from a book of mine called "Paper Aeroplane", which is a collection of poems from lots of different books and lots of different periods of writing.

It's sometimes difficult to remember why you wrote a poem.

You know, maybe you wrote this poem 20 or 30 years ago, but I guess it was something to do with reading lots of biographies and autobiographies about people, and how difficult it is to summarise somebody's life.

You could read different books about the same person and come away with completely different views about them.

<v ->Welcome back, everyone.

</v> You might have said, Armitage talks about how difficult it is to summarise someone's life.

You could read different books about the same person and come away with completely different views about them.

So what I'd like you to do now is read through Armitage's poem.

You'll find a copy in the additional materials.

As you're reading, I'd like to think about what your impression of the person in the poem is, do you think they're a good person or a bad person? Why? So pause the video and read "Poem" now.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now potentially, you might have had completely different perspectives and impressions of the person in the poem than the people around you.

And I think that's exactly what Armitage is saying.

We can all get different impressions of people based on what we read about them or hear about them from different people.

So now what I'd like you to do is listen to Armitage read "Poem".

And while you're listening, what I'd like you to do is try to write the poem down.

So watch Armitage read "Poem" now.

<v ->"And it you snowed and snow covered the drive,</v> he took a spade and tossed it to one side.

And always tucked his daughter up at night and slippered her the one time that she lied.

And every week he tipped up half his wage, and what he didn't spend each week, he saved.

And praised his wife for every meal she made, and once for laughing, punched her in the face.

And for his mom, he hired a private nurse and every Sunday taxied her to church.

And he blubbed when she went from bad to worse, and twice he lifted 10 quid from her purse.

Here's how they rated him when they looked back.

Sometimes he did this, sometimes he did that." <v ->Welcome back, everyone.

</v> Now what I'd like you to do is compare your version of the poem with the poem in the additional materials and think about similar she copies are.

So pause the video and compare your writing now.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now I think that's a useful exercise, 'cause it helps to see ideas of structure in a poem and that where we put line breaks and pauses is a conscious decision.

So now for a quick check for understanding.

What I'd like you to do is tell me whether the following statement is true or false.

So is it true or false? Armitage was inspired to write poem from reading biographies and autobiographies? Pause the video and take a few moments to think about it.

Correct answer is true.

Now I'd like you to tell me why it's true? So pause the video and take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

You might have said, Armitage says he was interested in how reading different biographies can give us a completely different impression of someone.

So very well done if you got those right.

Amazing work, everyone.

And now, the final task of the lesson.

So Armitage says that reading different biographies of someone would give you a different opinion of that person.

So what I'd like you to do is think about how different people might describe you.

So for example, your teacher, your parent, your best friend, your grandparent, your cousin, or your sports coach.

Then I'd like you to write down things you think each person would say to describe you as a quotation.

Then arrange your writing into a poem, with each quotation being a line of the poem, and tweaking the language to add in repetition or rhyme.

So here's an example of how Sofia took her initial quotations and turned them into a poem.

So her initial quotations were, she thought her teacher would say, "Sofia's a conscientious student who likes to get things right." Her parent would say, "Sofia's very independent and likes to do her own thing." Her best friend would say, "Sophia's a bit kooky and weird.

There's something otherworldly about her." And her grandparent would say, "Sofia is kindhearted, loving, and caring." Sofia then turned them into this poem.

"She's conscientious and always right, always right.

She's very independent and likes to do her own thing.

She's a bit weird and kooky, almost like a fairy sprite.

She's kindhearted, loving, and always feels like spring." So she's added in repetition of always right to emphasise the certainty of the statement.

She's changed other worldly to fairy sprite to add in a rhyme.

And she's also added the idea of feeling like spring to the final line to, again, add in a rhyme.

So pause the video, write your sentences and your poem now.

Welcome back, everyone, some great work there.

So what I'd like you to do is reflect on your poem.

So question one, are there similarities or differences in how you think different people would describe you? Question two, is there one description you feel is most authentic to how you feel about yourself? And question three, why do you think we might come across differently to different people? So pause the video and reflect on your poem now.

Welcome back, everyone.

I really hope you enjoyed the poems today and hearing Armitage talk about them.

You all did amazingly well today, everyone.

Here's a summary of what we covered.

Armitage was inspired to write "About His Person" by reading news reports of people who were found dead.

He says he was fascinated by the idea you could build a picture of someone's character from the objects they had on them.

Armitage was inspired to write "Poem" from reading different biographies and autobiographies.

He suggests that reading different biographies can give us a completely different impression of the same person.

I really hope you enjoyed the lesson, everyone.

I hope to see you for another lesson soon.

Goodbye.