Lesson video

Hello everyone.

It's lovely to see you here today.

My name's Dr.

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

So today's lesson's called "Analysing ideas of uncertainty and intensity in Kay's 'Dusting the Phone'".

So we're going to be thinking about how Kay uses language and structure in order to convey these ideas of uncertainty and intensity to the reader.

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

So by the end of the lesson you'll be able to analyse how Kay presents ideas of uncertainty and intensity in "Dusting the Phone." So we have three words today we're going to be using as our keywords.

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

So our first keyword's "uncertainty," which means a situation in which something is not known or certain.

We're going to be thinking about how Kay creates ideas of uncertainty within "Dusting the Phone" through the language and structure.

So our second keyword is "intensity," which means the quality of being felt strongly.

We're going to be thinking about how Kay uses language to create these ideas intensity running through the poem.

Our third keyword is "irrational," which means not using reason or clear thinking.

We're going to be thinking about how the speaker's language and actions suggests that love makes people act in an irrational way.

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 three learning cycles in our lesson today.

For our first learning cycle we're going to be thinking about how Kay uses language and personification to create ideas of intensity running through the poem.

For our second learning cycle we're going to be thinking about the metaphorical language that Kay uses in the poem, and thinking about what the specific metaphors might suggest to us, but also what the act of using a metaphor in general might signify.

For our third learning cycle we're going to be thinking about how the irregularity, caesuras in the final line of the poem creates ideas of uncertainty.

So Kay's "Dusting the Phone" depicts a speaker desperately waiting for her beloved to call her.

We might see her actions and her feelings as showing us these intense emotions.

So what I'd like us to start off by thinking about is the image of the speaker saying they assault someone in the hope of getting a letter.

And what I'd like you to do is think about how the language conveys ideas of intensity.

Now, intensity is one of our keywords.

It means the quality of being felt strongly.

So how does this image create the idea of something you felt strongly? Pause the video, take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some great ideas there.

Let's talk through some of the things you might have said.

You might have thought the image of assaulting someone for news of their loved one is an extreme reaction, and that implies they're willing to risk a consequence of assault for contact with that loved one.

Now when thinking of the consequences of the phone either ringing or not ringing, the speaker simply repeats "sirens." Now, "sirens" is presented to us as a sentence fragment between two full stops.

What I'd like you to think about is how does this convey ideas of intensity? Think about the language, but also how the word's presented to us.

Pause the video, take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some great ideas there.

Now when we think of sirens, we think of ideas of alarm, of an emergency, and I think this is heightened by the fact is presented as a one word sentence.

The standalone aspect of it implies the alarm is the only thing the speaker is feeling.

We also might think about the fact it's repeated and how this represents that the alarm's a continuous feeling for the speaker.

Now throughout the poem the speaker personifies the phone by talking to it, pleading with it, and begging for it to ring.

Personification's where you give human emotions and actions to objects or ideas.

So what I'd like you to think about is how might this action of personifying the phone link to ideas of intensity? Pause the video, take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

Having some great ideas there.

Now we know the speaker's desperate to hear from their beloved.

So you might say the personification implies they're desperate for human contact, so they seek an object such as the phone.

We also might think it suggests they're being irrational in their desire for the phone call.

Now, "irrational" is one of our keywords.

Means not using reason or clear thinking.

Rationally we know that asking the phone to ring and pleading with it is not going to work, but the speaker tries it anyway.

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 that Kay implies the speaker's behaviour is mild and reasonable while waiting for the phone call from their beloved? Pause the video, take a few moments to think about it.

Now the correct answer is false.

Now tell me why it's false.

So pause the video, take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

They might have said, "The use of 'assaults' and 'sirens' implies sense of alarm and desperation.

Furthermore, the personification of the phone could also be seen as desperately seeking human contact." So very well done if you've got those right.

Amazing work, everyone.

We're now on the first task of the lesson.

So what I'd like you to do is create a single paragraph outline to answer the question, "How does Kay present ideas of intensity in 'Dusting the Phone'?" Now a single paragraph outline consists of a topic sentence that explains the focus of the paragraph.

It has supporting details that are analysis of methods to support the topic sentence and has a concluding sentence that summarise the paragraph with a focus on the writer's intentions.

So pause the video, create your single paragraph outline now.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some great work there.

What I'd like you to do is think about Andeep's ideas.

Do you agree? Why or why not? So Andeep's topic sentence was "Within 'Dusting the Phone' Kay presents the speaker as feeling an intense emotional reaction to waiting for their beloved to call them." So he's explaining the focus of this paragraph.

It's on the intense emotional reaction the speaker feels.

For his supporting details Andeep has the word "assault" and has an extreme action that implies there's of risk and danger.

He has the word "sirens" and how it conveys a continuous alarm the speaker's feeling, and the fact this sentence fragment also suggests the only thing on their mind.

He also has a personification of the phone, and it implied the speaker's desperation for human contact.

Finally Andeep's concluding sentences.

"Potentially Kay could be suggesting that love can cause people to act irrationally and provoke them taking risks because of the intense emotional reaction love elicits in us." So suggesting that Kay's intention could have been to reveal something of the nature of love, what it causes people to do.

So pause the video, and do whether or not you agree with Andeep.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now we're going to move on to the second learning cycle.

We're going to think about the metaphors that Kay uses and how we might interpret them.

Amazing work everyone.

Now the second learning cycle.

We're going to look at the metaphorical language and what it might suggest about the speaker's emotions and how they see their future with their beloved.

Now a metaphor is a word or phrase you describe something as if it was something else.

Kay uses several different metaphors to describe the speaker's view of their future with their beloved in "Dusting the Phone." And we're going to think of how we might interpret the meaning of those metaphors throughout this learning cycle.

So the speaker begins by comparing the future to a hand wearing a long glove.

And what I'd like you to think about is what would the significance of this be in terms of love and relationships? Think about perhaps where you might wear a long glove to, but also what it might mean for ideas of human contact.

Pause the video, take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some great ideas there.

Now one of our Oak pupils, Laura, said, "Initially I thought it could relate to ideas of a formal event like a wedding.

But perhaps the image of something preventing skin to skin contact and the singular hand could represent a lack of intimacy and human connection.

Perhaps it's what the speaker fears about their future." So what I'd like to think about is, do you agree with Laura? Why or why not? Pause the video, take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now I think the idea of it representing a lack of human intimacy is perhaps a less obvious interpretation, but it was great to see people thinking about it and how wearing gloves can represent not wanting to be touched by other people and have that skin to skin contact.

So maybe it does represent ideas of not wanting intimate connection.

So the speaker then compares the future to an empty drinking vessel.

What I'd like you to think about is what would the significance of this be in terms of love and relationships? Think about the idea of a cup half full or cup half empty.

How might that relate to this image? Pause the video, take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some great ideas there.

Now one of our Oak pupils, Sophia, said, "I think it's quite a bleak image.

It suggests ideas of being unfulfilled and dissatisfied to me.

It implies a future doesn't sustain or excite you.

Perhaps representing the speaker fears their relationship will not bring them happiness." So what I'd like you to do is think about whether or not you agree with Sophia.

Why or why not? Pause the video, take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

It was great to see people picking up on the idea of water being necessary for survival and how perhaps the image of an empty cup represents how the relationship has no chance of survival.

Now, in contrast to the empty drinking vessel, the speaker then compares the future to a full home.

So what I'd like you to think about is what will the significance be in terms of love and relationships? Pause the video, take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone, some great ideas there.

One of our Oak pupils, Lucas, said "To me, this just an image of happiness and satisfaction.

It's evocative of life that makes you feel full and complete.

It could relate to the hopes the speaker has for their relationship and their future together." So what I'd like to think about is do you agree with Lucas? Why or why not? Pause the video, take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

It was great to hear people also thinking about the idea that to them a full house represents a lot of people, perhaps even children.

So this is the idea of life within a full house.

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? The use of metaphors all create a cohesive image of a happy future together for the speaker and their beloved.

Pause the video, take a few moments to think about it.

Now the correct answer is false.

Now I'd like to tell me why it's false.

So pause the video, take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

You might have said, "While some of the metaphors could be interpreted as a happy image of the future, we might also interpret the comparisons as suggesting the future as one that doesn't sustain the speaker or make them happy." So, very well done if you got those right.

Fantastic work, everyone.

Now the second task of the lesson.

Now, Kay uses multiple metaphors throughout "Dusting the Phone." So what I'd like you to think about is how might using multiple metaphors to refer to their future create a sense of uncertainty about the future of the relationship? And what I'd like you to do is write a short answer using evidence from the text to support your ideas.

Now, you might think about use the conflicting "full" and "empty." The speaker saying "the" and "a" rather than "our." So pause the video, write your answer now.

Welcome back, everyone.

That's fantastic work there.

So what I'd like you to do is think about Jacob's ideas.

Do you agree? Why or why not? So Jacob said, "Firstly, I think the use of multiple metaphors, particularly conflicting ones, create sense of uncertainty because it implies the speaker doesn't know what their future looks like and therefore they don't know what to compare it to.

Secondly, the use of "the" and "a" rather than "our" future could suggest a sense of uncertainty 'cause just speaker doesn't feel confident they'll have a feature together." So pause the video, about whether or not you agree with Jacob.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now moving on to the third learning cycle where we're going to think about how Kay creates ideas of uncertainty through the structure of the poem.

Amazing work, everyone.

Now the third learning cycle where we're going to think about how Kay uses the structure of the poem in order to create ideas of uncertainty.

So throughout "Dusting the Phone" Kay utilises an irregular structure to the poem.

There's not a regular rhyme or a rhythm.

Now we might represent an irregular structure like this, with a line that has no pattern to its peaks or troughs.

So what I'd like you to think about is how might an irregular structure relate to ideas of uncertainty? Now "uncertainty" is one of our keywords.

It means situation in which something is not known or certain.

So how might the irregular structure relate to ideas of something not being known or certain? Pause the video, take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some great ideas there.

Let's think about what you might have said.

Now, an irregular structure means there's no pattern.

So you might have said it means you can't predict what's going to happen next.

And that evokes ideas of unpredictability and uncertainty because we don't know what's happening next within the pattern of the poem.

Now, as well as the irregular structure, Kay also utilises caesuras throughout "Dusting the Phone." A caesura's a pause occurs within a line of poetry, usually marked by some form of punctuation.

We might represent them in "Dusting the Phone" like this, with circles representing the stops continually happening throughout a line.

So what I'd like you to think about is how might the use of continuous caesuras relate to ideas of uncertainty.

Pause the video, take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some great ideas there.

Now one of Oak peoples, Izzy, said, "I think the continuous caesuras create a jarring stop-start effect that could indicate the speaker's unsure of what they're saying and what's happening.

They're uncertain, therefore, their speech has no pattern or flow to it." So what I'd like you to think about is do you agree with Izzy? Why or why not? Pause the video, take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now, I'd really encourage you to read a poem aloud or in your head when you're thinking about analysing it because then you can see how the rhythm of the poem feels and how that might help you think about the meaning of the poem.

So, now for quick check for understanding.

Which of the following is the most effective interpretation of Kay's use of irregular structure? Is it A, the irregularity could suggest how much freedom the speaker feels they have in their relationship.

Or B, the irregularity could suggest how uncertain the feels in their relationship.

So pause the video, take a few moments to think about it.

The correct answer is B.

The irregularity could suggest how uncertain the speaker feels in their relationship.

Now I'd like to tell me why it's B.

So pause the video, take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

You might've said, "The speaker suggests they feel trapped rather than free.

Furthermore, the speakers seemingly on edge waiting for the phone call.

They're uncertain rather than certain of their relationship." So very well done if you've got those right.

So what I'd like you to do is read the final line of the poem.

You can find a copy of the poem in the "Eduqas 2025 Anthology." So pause the video, read the final line now.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now what I'd like you to think about is what is the significance of the final line in relation to ideas of uncertainty? Pause the video, take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some great ideas there.

Let's talk through what you might have said.

So you might have thought the idea of not knowing relates to ideas of uncertainty because you don't know what's going to happen.

You also might have thought about the fact that because the final line creates uncertainty, there's no resolution for the speaker or the reader in the poem because we end without knowing what's happening or what's going to happen.

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, the final line of Kay's "Dusting the Phone" does not offer a sense of resolution.

Pause the video, take a few moments to think about it.

So the correct answer is true.

Now I'd like to tell me why it's true.

So pause the video, take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

You might have said, "The final line suggests a sense of uncertainty and of the unknown.

Neither speaker nor the reader have a sense of resolution." So very well done if you've got those right.

Fantastic work, everyone.

And now the final task of the lesson.

Now arguably Kay utilise the following to convey ideas of uncertainty through the structure.

The irregular rhyme and rhythm, the caesuras, and ending on a question.

So what I'd like you to think about is which of those do you think is the most effective in conveying ideas of uncertainty? Why? Pause the video, take a few minutes to discuss.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some amazing discussions there.

So what I'd like you to do is think about Sam and Alex's ideas, and whose ideas align most closely with your ideas.

So Sam said, "I think the final line the most evocative because it means that neither speaker nor the reader will know the outcome.

We're forever uncertain." And Alex said, "I think the irregular structure is the most evocative because it means a sense of uncertainty is infused into the entire poem.

Every image and connotation is surrounded by uncertainty." So pause the video, think about whose ideas align most closely with your ideas.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now there's no right answer to this question, but I always think it's useful to think about which method you respond to the most.

Then you can start really thinking about why that method speaks to you, and that'll help you guide your analysis of a poem.

You all did amazingly well today, everyone.

Here's the summary of what we covered.

Arguably the use of sentence fragments and language as "assault" create a sense of intensity in the poem.

We might interpret the personification of the phone as a speaker desperately seeking human contact.

Potentially we might see the use of multiple metaphors as suggesting a sense of uncertainty.

Furthermore, the structure of the poem might also be seen as creating a sense of uncertainty.

I really hope you enjoy the lesson, everyone.

I hope to see you for another lesson soon.

Goodbye.