Lesson video

Hello, welcome and thank you for joining me.

My name is Mrs. Butterworth and I will be your English teacher for this lesson.

Now, this lesson is all about the poem "Blackberry Picking", by the writer Seamus Heaney.

And in this poem, we will be making sure that we understand the themes of youth and nostalgia in relation to this poem.

So should we get started? So in this lesson, you will explore ideas of youth and nostalgia in Heaney's poem, "Blackberry Picking".

Now, before we delve into the lesson, let's look at those all important keywords.

And today, they are neo-Romanticism, transience, extended metaphor, nostalgia, and sublime.

Now, neo-Romanticism is a variety of artistic movements that exist after and incorporate elements from the era of Romanticism.

So you may have heard of Romanticism and have some knowledge of that.

So neo-Romanticism draws on those ideas.

Transience is the state or fact of lasting only for a short time.

So we'll look today at how this poem really explores ideas around transience and time and youth.

An extended metaphor is a version of a metaphor, but it extends over the course of multiple lines or stanzas in poetry or prose.

Nostalgia is a feeling of pleasure and also sadness when you think about things that happened in the past.

So it's sort of like a sense of longing, if you like.

And sublime, again, linking to those ideas of Romanticism and neo-Romanticism is impressive, beautiful or awe-inspiring, often creating a sense of wonder or admiration.

And we'll be thinking of that word in terms of nature, sublime nature.

So the outline of our lesson looks like this.

We're going to begin by reading and responding to "Blackberry Picking" before moving on to explore the neo-Romantic context.

So first, let's explore who Seamus Heaney was and a few key bits of information about him.

So he was born in 1939 and died in 2013, and was an Irish poet, playwright and translator.

Now, he is known for his exploration of rural life, personal history, and Irish identity.

So he often blends themes of nature, family, and conflict.

So these ideas can be found in a lot of his work.

Now the poem "Blackberry Picking" is actually taken from his poetry collection "Death of a Naturalist" which is an interesting title in itself, because the title reflects the themes of the poems which explore a shift from childhood innocence and fascination with nature to a more mature and sometimes unsettling understanding of the natural world.

So it's really about that contrast between youth, nature, innocence, and that shift towards experience and that mature understanding.

Now, "Blackberry Picking" is a really lovely poem.

I really like it.

And it depicts an nostalgic childhood memory of picking blackberries in the summer.

And Heaney explores themes of innocence, disappointment, and the inevitable loss of youth.

So it's quite a happy nostalgic poem, but it also has this feeling of disappointment and loss.

So there's two contrast there.

So drawing from his rural Irish upbringing, Heaney uses sensory imagery and natural settings to evoke nostalgia and explore universal experiences.

Okay, so a question for you.

Which of the following would not be considered a theme in the poem "Blackberry Picking"? Okay, which of the following would not be considered a theme in the poem "Blackberry Picking"? So think about everything we've just explored and pause the video and come up with your answer, please.

Okay, well done to everyone that said D, industrialization.

So the others, childhood, loss, and nostalgia, all are themes in this poem.

So what you are going to do now is you're going to read the poem "Blackberry Picking." So make sure you have a copy ready to go and pause the video and read that poem.

Okay, so now you have read the poem for the first time, I just want to get some initial ideas together.

So I'd like you please to discuss, considering the following phrases, who do you think the speaker is? So on line nine we get sent and pots.

So the line begins sent and ends in pots.

Line 15, we get the word like to the end peppered.

And line 22, I to fair.

So if you identify those lines and then I'd like you to discuss, please, who do you think the speaker is? So pause the video to give yourself time to discuss this question.

If you're working on your own, you may wish to think quietly to yourself or even write down some ideas.

Off you go.

Thank you for your suggestions, everyone.

So here is an answer.

Hopefully, you came up with something similar.

It could be argued that the speaker is the poet himself, drawing on his own childhood experiences.

Now, I'd like you please to discuss the following questions.

So think about your initial ideas and the reading of the poem.

So what does the speaker want the reader to understand about his feelings towards the experience of blackberry picking? Okay, so what does a speaker want the reader to understand about his feelings towards the experience of blackberry picking? Okay, so you'll need to pause the video to discuss your ideas or you might want to think about them or write down some ideas.

But pause the video and off you go.

Okay, thank you for your interesting ideas there.

We're gonna share some answers from our Oak pupils.

So Jacob says that the speaker feels nostalgic.

We've got our keyword there, nostalgic.

Remember that's that feeling of sadness, but also alongside joy.

Remembering the joy and sweetness of blackberry picking in childhood.

Laura has said that the speaker feels excited while picking the blackberries, enjoying the sweetness and the act of gathering them.

And then finally, Jun says, the speaker feels frustration and sadness when the blackberries spoil, as the experience doesn't last as long as he hoped.

So some really excellent answers from our Oak pupils there.

Now it's important to acknowledge that Heaney is using the memory of blackberry picking as an extended metaphor.

So yes, this does describe the experience of picking blackberries and the feelings that happen once the blackberries have spoiled, but it's important to understand that this is an extended metaphor, it represents something else.

So going back to your poem, please, I would like you to read the first two lines from "late" to "ripen" and the last couplet from line 23 "that" to the end of line 24 "not".

So you are reading the very start of the poem and you're reading the very end.

So pause a video so that you can do that now, please.

Okay.

And what I would like you to do now, please, is I would like you to discuss, what do you notice about the difference in tone between the start and the end of the poem? And considering the themes of childhood, nostalgia and loss, what do you think the memory might represent? Okay, so lots to think about and discuss there.

So make sure you pause the video to give yourself time to do that.

We'll feedback in a moment.

Off you go.

Okay, so let's just share some ideas.

So you may have discussed some of the following.

So the tone at the start is joyful and hopeful, capturing the excitement of picking blackberries.

And it's a really beautiful description at the start, isn't it? There's that hazy summer day, the description of the rain, it feels just really wonderful and evocative and lovely.

You can really sense it.

But by the end there's a really stark contrast as the tone shifts to sadness and frustration.

And it really highlights Heaney's awareness of the transience of youth, okay? So this shift from being young and innocent and free to being older, wise and experienced.

And I think that contrast, that stark contrast is what makes the ending so poignant and powerful.

And the memory serves as an extended metaphor for growing up and the inevitable loss of childhood innocence.

And Heaney uses nostalgia to reflect on the contrast between youthful excitement and the pain of losing that innocence.

So what Heaney does cleverly here is he taps into the reader's sense of nostalgia.

So even though we don't have that exact experience of blackberry picking, we can still tap into that feeling of nostalgia and what it means to grow up.

And the spoiling of the blackberries, which I think always feels so sad, represents the loss of youth and the harsh reality that this cannot last forever.

Okay, so you need to pick a statement now, A, B or C to answer the question, which of these statements best summarises the poem "Blackberry Picking"? So pause a video to choose your answer now.

Off you go.

Okay, are we ready? Brilliant.

Okay, the answer is B.

So well done everyone that answered B.

The poem explores the speaker's nostalgic memory of blackberry picking, highlighting the fleeting nature of childhood innocence and the disappointment of loss.

Now, something that is an interesting point is that it can be argued that this poem is autobiographical.

So it's drawn from Heaney's own experiences of growing up in rural Northern Ireland.

So it's actually one of his own, arguably one of his own experiences.

And Heaney draws on the natural landscape and seasonal activities that shaped his own youth.

As we said at the start of the lesson, you know, Heaney writes a lot about his rural and pastoral upbringings.

This is a common theme throughout his work.

Now thinking about this idea of it being autobiographical, so written from his own experience, how might this change a reader's feelings towards the poem? So I'd like you to discuss that question, please.

How might this change a reader's feelings towards the poem? So pause the video so you can discuss the answer to this question.

You may wish to think quietly to yourself or jot down some ideas, but pause the video and get going.

Okay, so we have Aisha and Sam here and how they answered.

So as we read these, start thinking about your own ideas as well.

So Aisha says that understanding the autobiographical link can really deepen the reader's sense of nostalgia, making the experience feel more intimate and emotionally powerful.

Lovely answer.

And Sam has also given a great answer here that the autobiographical nature of the poem heightens the theme of transience, making the feelings of loss and the passage of time more poignant and bittersweet.

It's almost as if we know that it's come directly for him so that personal and intimate touch makes it maybe more painful, more bittersweet, all of those sorts of things.

So I'd like you now to discuss, to what extent do you agree and why? So pause the video so you can answer that question.

Off you go.

Okay, true or false? So is this statement true or false, everyone? Heaney creates a detached and impersonal tone through the autobiographical nature of the poem.

Is that true or false? Pause the video and give me your answer now.

Okay, so well done to everyone that noticed that was actually false.

But you now need to tell me why that statement was false.

So pause the video to come up with your answer.

Okay, so I'm going to share an answer, hopefully you have something similar.

So arguably, Heaney creates a personal and intimate tone.

So in the statement it says a detached and impersonal tone, but actually it's the opposite of this, because he draws on vivid sensory details and emotional language to reflect his own childhood experiences.

Okay, so we are now on to our first practise task.

And what I would like you to do, please, is I would like you to identify which quotations from the poem "Blackberry Picking" best support the following statements.

And for each quotation, explain your choice.

So first quotation, Heaney depicts an nostalgic childhood memory of picking blackberries in the summer.

Heaney emphasises the shift from childhood innocence to a more unsettling understanding of the world.

And finally, the autobiographical nature of the poem heightens the feelings of nostalgia.

So you've got your three statements there.

Grab your copy of the poem so you can identify which quotations support those statements and explain your choice.

Okay, pause the video and get going.

Great, thank you, everyone.

You are really starting to get an understanding of this poem, which is great for an initial reading, so well done.

So we're now going to explore Jacob's answers.

So let's go through those question by question.

So the first statement, Heaney depicts a nostalgic childhood memory of picking blackberries in the summer.

Jacob has picked line one, "Late" to the end of line two "ripen", and he explains, it really sets the scene of late summer capturing the warmth and abundance of the season.

I totally agree.

And the ripening of the blackberries reflects a sense of nostalgia for the simple pleasures of childhood.

Okay, so now it's over to you to discuss.

To what extent do you agree to Jacob's answer and why? Off you go.

Okay, so let's look at Jacob's second statement.

So Heaney emphasises the shift from childhood innocence to a more unsettling understanding of the world.

And Jacob has picked line 20 to the end of line 21.

And his explanation is the language feels strong and harsh compared to the initial description of the warm hazy summer day.

The idea of decay links to the unsettling feeling of growing older and the realisation that joy and innocence are temporary.

So Jacob has really picked up on that contrast there between the very start of the poem and the end.

So I'd like you to discuss, please, to what extent do you agree with Jacob and why? Pause the video to give yourself time to do this.

Okay, and let's look at Jacob's final answer for statement three, which was the autobiographical nature of the poem heightens the feelings of nostalgia.

Now, Jacob has picked line 22 from the beginning "I" to the end of the line "fair".

And he states, the reason he chose this is because the first person perspective makes it feel more personal, and the emotional response Heaney is describing more poignant.

The phrasing seems to reflect a childlike frustration which makes the feelings of nostalgia even stronger.

A lovely answer there.

But I would like you now to discuss, thinking about your own answers, to what extent do you agree with Jacob and why? Pause the video and off you go.

Okay, so that is the first part of the lesson completed.

So we are now going to move on to the second part, which is all about exploring the neo-Romantic context in relation to the poem.

Now, Heaney is sometimes described as a neo-Romantic.

So one way to remember this word is that prefix neo- actually means new or revived.

So you could think of it as a revived romantic or a new romantic.

So neo-Romanticism refers to the 20th century revival of Romanticism.

So if you remember, Romanticism was prevalent in the 18th century, whereas Heaney, part of the 20th century, is considered a neo-Romantic.

So neo-Romanticism focuses on ideas of emotional expression, nature and imagination in response to modernity and war.

So you can see some similarities there with Romanticism.

Now the work of neo-Romantic writers adheres to the following conventions.

So the focus on nature and the sublime, emphasis on emotion and personal experience, interest in myth and fantasy, criticism of society being disconnected from nature, and an exploration of isolation and spiritual longing.

Now, it's important to acknowledge that this list isn't exhaustive, it's just an idea of some of the things that neo-Romantic writers may include and explore.

So I'd like you now to discuss, which conventions does blackberry picking align with? And can you refer to specific quotations? So pause the video to come up with your answers to those questions.

Off you go.

Okay, so arguably, let's share some ideas, so arguably blackberry picking aligns with the following neo-Romantic conventions.

So you may have picked up on nature and the sublime, the emphasis on emotion and personal experiences, and the criticism of society.

Now, nature and the sublime is presented through the use of powerful natural imagery, which reflects the overwhelming beauty and effects of nature.

So all of those wonderful descriptions of the summer and the rain and the black breeze really linked this idea of nature and the sublime and the feelings that create.

This emphasis on emotion or the first person voice and emotive language really adhere to this, don't they? And they emphasise those feelings of longing, disappointment and nostalgia.

And you really get a sense of how the poet is feeling in this instance.

And then the criticism of society is an interesting one because this could, the imagery of decay and change of tone could comment on how modern life corrupts natural beauty and the innocence of youth.

And if we think about the idea of society and its disconnect from nature, perhaps there's something in this too in terms of this poem.

It's definitely worth thinking about.

Okay, so how does the poem "Blackberry Picking" align with the conventions of neo-Romanticism? I'd like you to read those statements, please, and pick your answer.

So pause the video to give yourself time to do that.

Off you go.

Okay, has everyone got an answer? Okay, brilliant.

So, well done to everyone that picked B, the use of powerful natural imagery reflects nature's overwhelming beauty and emotional impact.

So we're on our second practise task.

So I have a statement here.

Heaney's depiction of youth and nostalgia reflects neo-Romantic values and conventions.

So I'd like you please to find three quotations that support this statement.

And for each quotation, I would like you please to identify which neo-Romantic convention or idea is being presented and explain how Heaney explores this convention in the quotation, okay? So make sure you are ready to complete this task, and I really look forward to seeing what you come up with.

So pause the video and off you go.

Thank you, everyone.

We are now going to look at one of Andeep's answers.

So as we read through this, be thinking about your own work and how this might align with this or just checking that you have done everything.

So Andeep has chosen a quotation to match the statement.

So the quotation he has chosen is line five from the beginning "You" to the middle of line six "wine".

He then goes on to identify the neo-Romantic conventions.

So he says that it's the emphasis on emotional and personal experience.

And then he goes on to explain how this adheres to that convention.

So he says, Heaney explores the intense personal experience of tasting the blackberry, capturing the emotional richness and indulgence of youth.

So you can see that Andeep has selected a quotation, he's identified the neo-Romantic convention and he has explained how that quotation has presented or explored that convention.

So I'd now like you to do the same with your work.

So you need to check that you have three quotations.

So check that you have three quotations.

Have you identified the neo-Romantic convention being presented in each quotation? And have you explained how Heaney explores the convention in the quotation? So, you'll need to pause the video to give yourself time to do that.

If you're missing anything or want to change anything, now is a really good opportunity to do that as well.

So do pause the video and off you go.

So this marks the end of the lesson.

And I really hope you've enjoyed your first reading of the poem "Blackberry Picking", and really starting to understand those themes and the context.

So let's just run through everything that we have looked at.

We know that blackberry picking depicts a nostalgic childhood memory.

We might interpret blackberry picking as an extended metaphor for growing up and losing childhood innocence.

Heaney emphasises the shift from childhood innocence to a more unsettling understanding of the world.

Arguably, the poem is autobiographical and drawn from Heaney's own experiences of growing up.

And the poem emphasises neo-Romantic themes such as personal experience, nature and the sublime.

So again, I'm going to say a very well done to you all and also a massive thank you for joining me for today's lesson.

Can't wait to do it all again soon, so goodbye!.