Lesson video

Hello and welcome.

It's Mrs. Butterworth here, and I will be your English teacher for today.

Now, in this lesson, we will be analysing ideas of love and relationships in the poem "Origin Story." So you will need to make sure you have a copy of this poem if you don't make sure you grab one before you begin the lesson.

So if we're ready to get going, let's get started.

In this lesson, you will analyse how Ewing's methods in "Origin Story" create ideas of love and relationships.

Before we delve into the lesson, let's look at those all important key words that today are fragility, tone, assertive and possessive.

Now, fragility is a very important word to this poem.

It's the quality of being easily broken or damaged.

And if you've already read the poem, then you know that that is a really important descriptive word in terms of how I wing describes the love.

She describes it in a fragile way.

Now, tone, if we're thinking about tone in reference to poetry, we may think of it as the poet's attitude or feeling toward the subject, the reader, or even the poem itself.

Now, assertive, we're going to be using this word when we're thinking about tone today.

Now, assertive means confident and firm in expressing your opinions or needs without being rude.

So you can be assertive and express your opinions, but you are not being rude.

And then possessive is about showing a desire to own or control something.

So it's all about control and ownership over something or someone, and often not wanting to share.

So a possessive, if you're being possessive, you are holding everything yourself and you do not want to share.

You are owning or controlling something or someone.

Now the outline of our lesson looks like this.

We're going to begin by analysing language in the poem before moving on to analysing structure and form in "Origin Story." So let's start Now I have some images for you here.

So I'd like you to consider these images with reference to the poem, and then I'd like you to discuss, please, how might you link these images to the poem, "Origin Story." If you are working on your own, you may just wish to sit quietly and think to yourself or jot some ideas down, but you'll need to pause the video to answer that question.

Off you go.

Okay, some great ideas.

Thank you so much.

We'll feed back some ideas here.

Now remember, this isn't an exhaustive list.

You may have come up with some different links to the images and between the images and the poem, and that's fine.

So hopefully these may spark some new ideas or they may be something you've already thought of.

So that first image is the idea of Afrofuturism.

So Ewing has said that her work fits in, can fit in to this genre of Afrofuturism.

And if you think about the themes in the poem or the ideas, there's this sense that it explores and celebrates ideas around black identity and heritage.

And this is something that is really important and prevalent in Ewing's works.

Now we have the comic book here.

So you may have linked to this idea that the comic book is used to represent the fragility of love, and the title links to the conventions of origin stories and comic books.

So throughout that poem, there are lots of links to this idea of comics and comic books, and comic book conventions.

So it's a really important image and idea in the poem.

And then finally, this one, I wonder what you came up with for this.

So you might have come up with the themes of ancestry and lineage in that tree, kind of that idea of a family tree or a family line.

And then you may have come up with the little hearts on the tree about different types of love.

So Ewing explores lots of different types of love in this poem.

So there's the romantic love between her parents, the familial love that she expresses between herself and her parents, and then obviously the idea of self-love and identity.

So lots to think about and lots to get from those images and the poet.

Okay, so let's see what you come up with here.

So you'll need to pick A, B, or C, and I want you to decide, please, which answer best summarises the poem "Origin Story." So which answer best summarises the poem "Origin Story?' You'll need to pause the video to give yourself time to read those answers and then come up with your answer, A, B, or C.

Pause the video and we'll feedback in a moment.

Off you go.

Okay, so there were some long answers there to read, but hopefully you have come up with your answer.

So if you've got answer B, then you are correct.

So the poem recounts the narrator's parents' unconventional meeting and tender, but fragile love comparing it to a warm comic book, treasured, imperfect, and ultimately ephemeral but meaningful.

So I want us just to think about the speaker in the poem.

So the speaker in the poem is likely Ewing herself.

We can kind of intelligently speculate that it is from the poet's perspective and it's about Ewing sharing her own "Origin Story." So I'd just like you to read the poem, "Origin Story." This would be a really good time to recap it if you've already read it, or a good time to read it if you haven't read it.

And I'd like you, as you read, I would like you to consider the following features.

In the first line of the poem, Ewing uses a declarative sentence.

So really focus in on that first line.

And also Ewing uses the possessive pronoun my, throughout the poem.

So I'd like you to read it, consider those features, and then discuss what tone is created by these features and how do they link to Ewing's identities about identity, ideas about identity, memory and ownership of narrative.

So just to recap, you'll need to read the poem, make sure you find those features, that first a declarative sentence and those possessive pronouns, particularly my, and then discuss that question.

Like I've already said, if you are working on your own, please feel free to jot down some ideas, or even think quietly to yourself.

Pause the video to get that done.

Off you go.

Okay, so we're gonna feed back some ideas.

So you may have discussed some of these ideas yourself.

So now it's just a really useful time to think about your own discussions and how this feedback aligns with your own thoughts.

So you may have discussed that declarative sentence creates a confident and assertive tone showing the the speaker's control over the story.

And it really is a powerful first sentence, isn't it? It's like the poet is saying, I'm here, this is my story, this is my "Origin Story," if you like.

And then that repeated use of my, those possessive pronouns as an adds an intimate and possessive tone highlighting personal connection and ownership.

There's no doubt who she's talking about when she's talking about my, those, it belongs to her, the story her parents belongs to her.

The memories if you like.

Together these features emphasise the speaker's strong sense of identity and the importance of telling their own history.

And I think that's a really important thing to acknowledge about this poem.

Yes, the themes of love and relationships are really clear here, but there's also these links to identity and self-love too.

And then finally, this reflects Ewing's idea of memory as personal and powerful reclaiming narrative authority.

Okay, so true or false time.

Ewing uses an imperative sentences in the first line of origin story.

Is that true or is that false? Come up with your answer now please.

Well done to everyone who said false, but you now need to say why that statement is false.

So pause a video to come up with your explanation.

Off you go.

Okay, so I'm gonna share an explanation with you now.

Hopefully you have something similar, but it's a good idea to share anyway, isn't it? So you'll notice that the statement said, an imperative sentence, and that is false because eing uses a declarative statement which establishes and emphasises a confident assertive tone.

So this shows the speaker's ownership of their personal history and reclamation of narratives.

So hopefully you spotted there that that statement was false because it's not an imperative sentence, it's a declarative statement.

I am sure you have picked up the comic book references in this poem, but I want to look at those in a little bit more depth.

And we know that Ewing uses this extended metaphor of a comic book.

So that metaphor extends across the poem.

So here is some of examples of how the comic book is described throughout the poem.

So we have fragile, protect, polyvinyl was never used, curled, worn, mishandled, and describing there's a description of the staples as being rusted.

So thinking about those key words and those idea of the comic book, I'd now like you to discuss how does Ewing use the extended metaphor of a comic book to explore ideas around love and relationships? Okay, so how does Ewing use the extended metaphor of a comic book to explore ideas around love and relationships? So you will need to pause the video to give yourself time to discuss those ideas.

And again, if you're working on your own, think quietly to yourself or jot down your ideas, pause the video, and off you go.

So Jacob and Sam have very kindly offered their answers here as to how they discussed the extended metaphor.

So let's read these answers together.

So Jacob has said that the comic book symbolises love as fragile and worn, shaped by everyday movements rather than perfection.

Ewing shows love as imperfect but meaningful, valued through shared experience and care, despite damage.

A really thoughtful example there from Jacob.

And then Sam says, the comic book also reflects identity and self-love, absolutely.

Ewing highlights, owning your story flaws and all as an important act of love and acceptance.

Now, I love how Jacob and Sam have looked at the comic book in different ways and interpreted it in different ways thinking about those themes.

But now I'd like you to consider their answers and discuss, who do you agree with most and why? So think about your own discussions and your own ideas, and perhaps who aligns with those most.

But you will need to pause the video to discuss your ideas.

Off you go.

Great stuff.

Some really good discussion happening in this lesson, so I'm really pleased with that.

But let's do a quick check for understanding.

So which of these words is not? So you're looking for a word that does not, is not used to describe the comic book in "Origin Story." So you're looking for the word that is not used to describe the comic book story in Origin, the comic book in "Origin Story." Is it A, faded.

B, fragile.

Or C worn? So you need to pick A, B, or C now.

Pause video to give yourself time to do that.

Okay, so the word that is not used to describe the comic book is faded.

Okay, even uses fragile and worn, but does not use faded in her descriptions.

The next thing I'd like us to consider with reference this poem is a vignette, okay? So you may not have heard of this term, so let's just look at what that means.

So a vignette is a brief scene or description that captures a moment or feeling without a full story.

It's also links to art and an idea of a picture.

So we can imagine a vignette being like a picture.

So something that captures a moment or feeling without a full story.

So it's just a snapshot of something.

Now, Ewing's "Origin Story" includes brief vivid moments like the parents meeting at the Greyhound station.

Again, there's not lots of detail around that meeting, but we get a glimpse, don't we? A snapshot of a, she uses a vignette to give us that brief image of the meeting.

These small scenes focus on specific details rather than a continuous narrative.

So I now like you to think about this idea of vignettes, okay? And I'd like you to discuss, please, can you find any other examples of vignettes in the poem? Why do you think eing uses these in her presentation of love and relationships? So again, think about that example of the parents meeting at the Greyhound station.

See, as you go through the poem, if you can find any other kind of brief snapshots, small descriptions that kind of give us a glimpse of the narrative.

Okay, pause the video and get discussing.

Okay, so now I'm going to give you some examples from of other vignettes in the poem.

So you may have some of these yourself, there may be some new ones to think about.

So we get this description or this vignette where the mother is described as being in a Chaka Khan band where she played tambourine.

So again, that kind of snapshot of the parent's lives.

The father running away from home at 17, Ewing doesn't give us a reason why, or any background on that.

So she's using that vignette just to kind of give us a snapshot of the story, the full story.

The father drawing comic books.

Again, small snapshot of a bigger narrative.

These scenes focus on small personal details that reveal the individuality of each parent.

So we get a knowledge and idea of each parent, don't we? Who they were, what they were like.

And Ewing uses vignettes to show that love and relationships aren't built on grand gestures, but on fragile ordinary moments, moments that may fade or wear over time.

And actually, if we think about this reference to the comic book, this poem made up of these tiny little vignettes are almost like little images from a comic book, aren't they? You can almost imagine them as a comic book if you like.

Okay, A, B, or C, which of these would be an example of a vignette from "Origin Story?" You need to pick A, B, or C.

So pause a video to give yourself time to do that now.

Are we ready to share our answers? Okay, so well done to everyone that noticed it was letter C.

A brief description of the father drawing comic books and sending, selling them for a dollar.

Again, that tiny image, that kind of snapshot into the bigger narrative.

So you've reached your first practise task, well done everyone, and what I would like you to do is the following.

So this is kind of a task broken up into three steps.

So your first step is to write a sentence that makes a claim about how Ewing presents love in "Origin Story." So for example, you could use this sentence starter Ewing presents love as.

Okay, so you are making a sentence that makes a claim about how Ewing presents love in the poem, okay? Then what I would like you to do is select a key word or phrase from the poem that supports your claim and uses one of the language features from this lesson so far.

So that's really important.

The word or phrase must use one of the language features from this lesson and also support your statement.

And then finally, explain how Ewing uses the specific language feature for effect.

Okay, so grab everything you need to complete this task, and when you are ready, you can pause the video and get it completed, off you go.

Well done everyone, some really hard work happening there.

So that is fantastic.

We need to keep that momentum up for sure.

So we have Lucas here, and Lucas has very kindly given us his answer.

So let's read it through together.

So we've got number one, his statement.

So Ewing shows that reclaiming personal and cultural stories is a form of love.

So Lucas has made a really clear statement there.

The first line makes a statement about the story being true.

So we can see that Lucas has picked a clear example from the poem and it uses a language feature because he goes on to say the declarative opening asserts ownership of narrative.

It signals that telling your family's truth, especially as a black woman, is powerful and loving.

Okay, so let's just think about Lucas's answer, and I'd like you to discuss, please, to what extent do you agree with Lucas's answer and how does it compare to your own response? So don't just think about what he's saying, think about how he's presented it as well.

So compare that to your own response.

So when you are ready, pause the video and get discussing.

Well done everyone.

We are now on the second part of our lesson.

So we've considered language in orange and story.

We are now going to move on to analyse structure and form in the poem.

So the first thing we're going to focus on in terms of structure is this idea of free verse.

Now, free verse kind of what it sounds like.

It means that a poem doesn't follow regular rhyme or rhythm.

It's free if you like, so it doesn't follow a regular rhyme scheme or rhythm.

Now, in "Origin Story," you may have noticed that the lines vary in length and there's no set pattern or rhyme scheme.

And this could be interpreted in a number of ways.

It could be interpreted as the loose flowing structure reflects how memories and stories about love and identity are often fragmented and personal, not neat or predictable.

So she's not trying to present this kind of neat version of love.

She's showing how it flows.

There's ebbs and flows, there's ups and downs if you like.

And in turn, that mirrors the complexity of relationships.

It shows how love isn't always smooth or perfect, but made up of many moments, some messy, some tender.

So this free verse really reflects that personal narrative, those personal experiences that Ewing is sharing with us as the reader.

Now thinking about free verse.

So I would like you to now think about Ewing's use of punctuation.

So I'd like you just to scan the poem quickly.

You don't have to read it in detail, just have a little look at the structure and the use of punctuation.

And as you are doing that, I want you to think about what you notice about Ewing's use of punctuation and how might this mirror the free verse form.

So pause the video to give yourself time to do that and just consider those questions as you are.

Off you go.

Thank you everyone from your really thoughtful comments on Ewing to use of punctuation.

So let's just share some ideas.

So you may have noticed that she uses minimal punctuation.

So there was very minimal punctuation in this poem.

And this create pauses that feel natural and flowing.

She's kind of depending on us as a reader to put in those natural pauses.

It's almost like she's reading it, if you like, and it mirrors the free verse forms sense of openness.

Now, considering the natural flow of free verse, how might the punctuation contribute to the poem's tone and meaning? So this is up to you to discuss first, okay? So you'll need to pause a video and discuss or think to yourself, if you're working on your own, considering the natural flow of free verse, how might the punctuation contribute to the poem's tone and meaning? So pause the video to give yourself time to complete that question.

Off you go.

Okay, so thank you very much for your ideas.

So it's A, B or C time now.

So think about your discussions from the previous slide.

Now, which answer offers the best interpretation of Ewing's use of free verse and minimal punctuation.

So which answer offers the best interpretation of Ewing's use of free verse and minimal punctuation? You need to pick A, B, or C now.

Pause a video to give yourself time to do that.

Are we ready for the answer? Well done To everyone that said the answer was C, which answer offers the best interpretation of Ewing's use of free verse and minimal punctuation.

It's C, they reflect the natural flowing nature of memory and personal storytelling.

Now, what I would like you to do is I'd like you to try reading the poem aloud, okay? So just give this a go.

Okay, I want you to read the poem aloud, and as you read that poem, I want to see if you can find any repeated phrases in the poem.

And then I want you to consider how do these help to build a rhythm or create emphasis.

So pause a video so you can read the poem aloud and consider those questions.

Off you go.

Great, thank you everyone.

It was so lovely to hear so many of you reading that poem aloud.

I think reading poetry aloud can really help us with the meaning and better understanding of what the poet is trying to achieve.

So well done for doing that.

Now let's consider the repeated phrases in the poem and this idea of rhythm and emphasis.

So you may have noticed that Ewing uses repetition in "Origin Story," and most significantly she does this at the start of lines.

Now this can also be referred to as anaphora, okay? So this is another kind of technique that we could think about that the repetition can also be referred specifically to specifically as anaphora.

Now, there are two possible interpretations of Ewing's use of anaphora, okay? I am sure there's more than two, but we are just gonna look at two for now.

So interpretation one is the repeated focus on both parents through anaphora emphasises their shared experiences showing how love and family ties shape personal identity, and it highlights the importance of relationships and inherited memories in forming who we are.

Now, the second interpretation is, by using anaphora earing draws his attention to the and fragile nature of love itself.

This repetition deepens the idea that love is complex, preserved through stories and connects past and future generations in a continuous narrative.

So I'd like now for you to discuss which interpretation do you prefer and why? And could you add any of your own thoughts to these? So give yourself time to reread these again and discuss that question.

Which interpretation do you prefer and why? And could you add your own thoughts to these? So pause a video and get going.

Well done everyone.

Lots of lovely suggestions there.

And I really liked how so many of you developed those interpretations with your own thoughts and ideas.

But it is now time for a true or false question.

So is this statement true or false? Anaphora is a specific type of repetition where words or phrases are repeated in the middle lines.

Is this true or is this false? Give me your answer now please.

And are very well done to everyone that noticed that that is false.

But you now need to explain why that statement is false.

So pause the video to give yourself time to come up with your explanation.

Off you go.

Okay, so I'm gonna share my explanation.

Hopefully you have something similar.

So while standard fora can be considered a type of repetition, it is defined by the deliberate repetition of words or phrases, specifically at the beginning of successive lines.

So the statement referred to the middle of lines, which is what made it false, which is what made it false.

We need to look for anaphora at the beginning of lines.

So we have reached the second practise task.

So let's keep going with that fantastic work.

We're nearly at the end of the lesson, but you just need to do this final practise task.

So what I would like you to do, please, is I would like you to write a response to the following question.

How does Ewing explore ideas around love and relationships in her poem, "Origin Story?" You should explain how Ewing presents love and relationships.

So you may even want to think back to your statement and your claim in task A to help you with this, don't forget you did lots of writing at in task A as well.

So you can use some of that here.

Include specific quotations from the poem.

Identify both language and structural features.

So again, remember that lovely work that you did in Task A, and see if you can weave some of that in when alongside those structural features.

And then once you've identified, we of course need to analyse both language and structural features, okay? So plenty for you to be getting on with, and I know you've got some hard work left in you.

So do gather what need to complete this task, pause a video, and I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

Off you go.

Well done everyone.

That was really excellent work and I really enjoyed seeing what you've come up with, particularly those people that managed to weave together the language and structural features to make some really interesting comments.

So well done.

So I just want you to spend a few moments with your own work and self-assessing it.

So use these questions to go through and check in your work.

So you may want to give yourself a tick or use a highlighter to identify where you have done the following.

So have you explained how Ewing presents love and relationships? Have you included specific quotations from the poem? Have you identified both language and structural features? And have you analysed both language and structural features? Okay, so you'll need to pause the video to get that final feedback and self-assessment task done.

Off you go.

And once you have done that, I need you to give yourself a what went well and an even better if.

Again, pause the video to give yourself time to do that.

And a very well done everyone, an excellent lesson and hopefully you have lots to say about that fantastic poem because you now know that Ewing uses a declarative tone and possessive pronouns to assert ownership and highlight personal identity and memory.

The comparisons of love to a comic book that gets extended metaphor could represent the fragility of love.

We've looked at those vignettes and how they are used to capture vivid personal moments and deepen emotional connection.

Also, that link to comic books, the use of free verse and minimal punctuation reflect the natural flowing nature of memory and stories.

And the use of anaphora emphasises the shared experiences of the poet's parents and the importance to her own identity.

Well done, we've done it, and I hope we can do this all again soon in another lesson.

I'll see you then.

Goodbye.