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.

Today's lesson is called "Analysing ideas of war and inevitability in Hardy's 'Drummer Hodge.

' " We're going to be thinking about how Hardy presents ideas of brutality and inevitability in relation to war, but also how Hardy alludes to colonialism in the poem as well.

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 analyse how Hardy presents ideas of war and inevitability in "Drummer Hodge." So we have five 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 them out to you as well so you can see them being used in context.

So our first keyword is brutality, which means behaviour that is very cruel or violent, showing no feelings for others.

We're going to think about how Hardy's language reflects the brutality of war.

Our second keyword is dehumanise, which means regarding, representing, or treating a person or group as less than human.

We're going to be thinking about how Hardy's language represents how people are dehumanised by war.

Our third keyword is plosive.

A plosive consonant is an abrupt sound made by closing the mouth then releasing a burst of breath.

We're going to be thinking about how the plosive consonants in "Drummer Hodge" perhaps reflect the harshness of war.

Our fourth keyword is inevitable, which means certain to happen, unable to be avoided or prevented.

We're going to be thinking about how the imagery of stars and the structure of "Drummer Hodge" creates these ideas of inevitability in war.

And our final keyword is colonialism, which means a domination of people or an area by a foreign state or nation.

We're going to be thinking about how Hardy's language alludes to ideas of colonialism.

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 think about how Hardy's language reflects the brutality and the dehumanising effects of war.

For our second learning cycle, we're going to think about the imagery of stars and the structure of "Drummer Hodge" and how they create ideas of inevitability in relation to war.

For our third learning cycle, we're going to be thinking about Hardy's language alludes to ideas of colonialism and land being claimed.

So, let's begin by thinking about ideas of brutality in relation to war.

So the opening lines of Hardy's "Drummer Hodge" are, "They throw in Drummer Hodge." And what I'd like you to think about is how does this action immediately convey the brutality of war? So how does this action show behaviour that shows no feelings for others? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some great ideas there.

Now one of our Oak pupils, Aisha, said, "I think the image of them 'throwing' the body suggests that people are not afforded care or respect during war." And what I'd like you to think about is whether or not you agree with Aisha.

Why or why not? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now I think the word "throw" is so evocative here because to me, it really gives this idea of disposing of something carelessly.

They aren't placing the body carefully in the grave.

They're throwing it in, which really creates the idea of disrespect and lack of human decency.

Now, we're going to keep thinking about the opening words.

We're specifically going to focus on Hardy's use of the pronoun "they." "They throw in Drummer Hodge." And what I'd like you to think about is how might Hardy's use of the generic "they" link the brutality of war.

So we don't know the names of these people.

How is that linked to our ideas about war? 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.

Now, the use of the generic "they" could suggest that Drummer Hodge is surrounded by strangers, which I think adds to the brutality of war.

Drummer Hodge is not surrounded by people who know and care about him.

He is surrounded by strangers.

We may also suggest the lack of a name, or names, could indicate the dehumanisation of those around Drummer Hodge.

This idea that war strips all respect and humanity from everyone and that's why they're treating Drummer Hodge's body in this manner.

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 opening of Hardy's "Drummer Hodge" relates to ideas of brutality.

Pause the video.

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.

Take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

You might have said, the act of throwing Drummer Hodge's body into the ground suggests elements of brutality in his treatment.

So very well done if you got those right.

So, now let's think about the sounds in the poem.

Now this is my favourite things to look at because I think the way poets put language and words together to create sounds can be really evocative of the mood they're trying to create.

So, the opening line of Hardy's "Drummer Hodge" utilises plosive consonants.

Now, a plosive consonant is an abrupt sound made by closing the mouth then releasing a burst of breath.

So the plosive consonants in English are b, p, t, k, g, d.

And what I'd like you to do is read this line aloud.

"They throw in Drummer Hodge, to rest." And what I'd like you to think about is what effect do you think the plosive consonants have on the reader? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some fantastic ideas there.

Now, because a plosive consonant is an abrupt sound created by a burst of breath, we might interpret it as emphasising the abruptness and harshness of Hodge's death.

So, now for a quick check for understanding.

So arguably, the use of plosive consonants in "Drummer Hodge" creates which of the following effects? A, a calming atmosphere? B, a sense of harshness? Or C, a sense of balance? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now, a plosive consonant is an abrupt sound made by closing the mouth then releasing a burst of breath.

So we typically associate them with a sense of abruptness and harshness.

So very well done if you got that right.

Fantastic work, everyone.

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

Now though Hardy's poem alludes to the brutality of war, the poem does not give details of combat and it does not give details of what happened to Drummer Hodge.

Instead, the poem focuses on Drummer Hodge himself and how his body will be forever a part of an "unknown plain." So what I'd like you to think about is why do you think Hardy chose to focus on Drummer Hodge rather than giving more details about the war itself? Pause the video.

Take a few minutes to discuss.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some amazing discussions there.

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

Do you agree? Why or why not? So Laura said, "I think focusing on Drummer Hodge and what happens to him means that our focus is drawn to an individual and what happens to individuals during war.

I think it may actually emphasise the brutality of war because it shows there are real people fighting and dying for their country." So pause the video.

Think about whether or not you agree with Laura.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now I personally think there's something very powerful about focusing on the individual aftermath of war, rather than the fighting itself.

It's something I think we can connect to in greater detail because very few of us have experienced front-line combat.

We can all connect to the idea this is a real person who hasn't been allowed a proper burial and a family hasn't been allowed the chance to say a proper goodbye.

Amazing work, everyone.

We're now on to the second learning cycle.

We're going to think about how Hardy uses language and structure to create ideas of inevitability.

Now, throughout "Drummer Hodge," there are many images of stars, "foreign constellations," "Strange stars," "strange-eyed constellations," "His stars eternally." And what I'd like you to think about is what do we typically associate with images of stars? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

You might have said, we typically associate ideas of fate and destiny with the stars because people have historically used the stars to try and tell the future, and we still connect the idea of our star signs to be able to predict how our day, week, or year will be.

So, let's think about how we can connect images of stars to ideas of inevitability.

Now fate means the development of events outside a person's control, regarded as predetermined by a supernatural power.

So what I'd like you to think about is how might images of stars and ideas of a fate relate to ideas of inevitability? Now inevitable is one of our keywords.

Means certain to happen.

Unable to be avoided or prevented.

So how do images of stars and the idea of fate connect to the idea that something is certain to happen? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some great ideas there.

Now one of our Oak pupils, Alex, said, "If we believe in fate, we think our lives have already been mapped out for us.

There's nothing we can do to change the outcome.

The outcome is inevitable." So what I'd like you to do is think about whether or not you agree with Alex.

Pause the video.

Take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now I think the final line of "Drummer Hodge" is particularly evocative of this connection between fate and inevitability because the final line is, "His stars eternally," which to me creates a sense of something permanent and forever, and that connects the idea that we cannot change the outcome of what's to come.

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 star imagery relates to ideas of inevitability.

Pause the video.

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.

Take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

You might have said, typically, star imagery creates ideas of fate, and fate implies we cannot change the outcome of our lives.

It's inevitable.

So very well done if you got those right.

So, now let's think about how we might connect the structure of "Drummer Hodge" to ideas of inevitability.

Now there's a regular rhyme scheme throughout "Drummer Hodge." The rhyme scheme is AB, AB, AB because rest, crest, and west all rhyme, and found, around, and mound all rhyme.

So, what I'd like you to think about is how might the regularity of the rhyme relate to ideas of inevitability? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some fantastic ideas there.

Now one of our Oak pupils, Lucas, said, "I think a regular rhyme scheme adds a sense of predictability to the poem.

We know what pattern the poem is going to follow.

Therefore, it might relate to ideas of inevitability because we know what's going to happen next." So what I'd like you to do is think about whether or not you agree with Lucas.

Why or why not? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now I always think a regular rhyme scheme creates an idea of control that runs through the poem.

And I think that relates to inevitability and fate because it suggests that something else is controlling your life and the direction it takes.

So now for a quick check for understanding.

Which of the following could a regular rhyme scheme indicate? Is it A, the chaos of war? B, a sense of brutality? Or C, a sense of inevitability? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now, a regular rhyme scheme creates ideas of control and predictability.

So the correct answer is C, a sense of inevitability.

So very well done if you got that right.

Amazing work, everyone.

We're now on to the second task of the lesson.

Now, throughout "Drummer Hodge," we have images of stars, and a regular rhyme scheme.

Now arguably, both of these methods create ideas of inevitability.

So what I'd like you to think about is why do you think Hardy might have wanted to create ideas of inevitability? I'd like you to write a short answer to explain your ideas that uses evidence from the text.

So pause the video.

Write your answer now.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some fantastic work there.

Now what I'd like you to do is think about Sofia's ideas and whether or not you agree.

So Sofia said, "The poem focuses on Drummer Hodge and his body.

Hardy emphasises his youth and innocence through words such as 'young' and 'fresh' and depicts how his body will remain on an 'unknown plain.

' So perhaps Hardy connects this idea to inevitability to suggest the deaths of young men on foreign land were an inevitable outcome of sending them to war." So, pause the video.

Think about whether or not you agree with Sofia.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now I think this idea of Hardy representing the inevitability of death in war links to his criticism of sending young men into situations they were not prepared for.

Amazing work, everyone.

We're now on to the third learning cycle, where we're going to think about how Hardy alludes to colonialism in the poem.

So, what I'd like you to do is start off by thinking about the following imagery.

"Yet portion of that unknown plain Will Hodge for ever be.

His homely Northern breast and brain Grow up some Southern tree." And what I'd like you to think about is what does this imagery suggest about what's happened to Drummer Hodge's body? What might the significance be in terms of the land itself? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some great ideas there.

Now one of our Oak pupils, Jacob, said, "I think the imagery suggests that Drummer Hodge's body has now become part of the land.

The idea of it being 'for ever' there suggests the land has now been permanently changed by Drummer Hodge's body.

I also think the idea of his 'brain' becoming part of a tree could signify how his body is influencing the land.

It's becoming more like him." So, what I'd like you to do is think about whether or not you agree with Jacob.

Why or why not? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

Now I think this is a really interesting image that Hardy creates.

Some people interpret it as showing the power of nature and how nature can recover after a war.

But I think there's definitely something to be said about how the land is melding with Drummer Hodge's body.

It's becoming a part of him.

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? Hardy arguably depicts Drummer Hodge's body as becoming part of the foreign land.

Pause the video.

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.

Take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

You might have said, the image of Drummer Hodge's "brain" and "breast" growing up in a tree implies that Drummer Hodge's body has become part of the land.

So very well done if you got this right.

So, now let's think about the connections to colonialism.

Now the context of Hardy's "Drummer Hodge" is it was written just after the Second Boer War started.

The Second Boer War started because the British Empire wanted to unite its territories in South Africa and the Boers want their independence.

So what I'd like you to think about is how can we connect the Second Boer War to ideas of colonialism? Now colonialism means domination of a people or area by a foreign state or nation.

So how does the Second Boer War link to those ideas? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to think about it.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some great ideas there.

And you might have said, the idea of the British Empire trying to take land from the Boers shows the British Empire attempted to take control of a foreign nation of someone else's land.

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 Hardy's "Drummer Hodge" relates to ideas of colonialism.

Pause the video.

Take a few moments to think about it.

The correct answer is true.

Now I'd like you 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, Hardy's "Drummer Hodge" was written at the start of the Second Boer War where the British Empire desired to unite its territories in South Africa.

So very well done if you got this right.

Fantastic work, everyone.

We're now on to the final task of the lesson.

So what I'd like you to do is think about the following ideas.

So Hardy shows Drummer Hodge's body becoming part of the land and being part of it "for ever." Hardy's poem relates to the context of the British Empire attempting to gain control of Boer land.

So what I'd like you to do is think about what Hardy might have been suggesting about colonialism through "Drummer Hodge"? Pause the video.

Take a few minutes to discuss.

Welcome back, everyone.

Some amazing discussions there.

What I'd like you to do is think about Izzy's ideas and whether or not you agree.

So Izzy said, "By suggesting that Drummer Hodge's body is now part of the land, Hardy could be representing how foreign lands are being claimed by the British Empire.

They're becoming British.

Furthermore, Hardy could be depicting how this claiming of land comes at the cost of young men's lives." So, pause the video.

Think about whether or not you agree with Izzy.

Welcome back, everyone.

It was great to see people also connecting this idea to the image of Drummer Hodge being somewhere completely unknown to him, because of how it's the idea these are lands the British Empire has no claim over and no real knowledge about.

You all did amazingly well today, everyone.

Here's a summary of what we covered.

Potentially, Hardy's use of "they" could represent how war dehumanises people.

Arguably, the use of plosive consonants may depict the brutality of war.

The imagery of stars and regular rhyme may represent the inevitability of death in war.

Potentially, Hardy's depiction of Drummer Hodge's body becoming part of the land may relate to ideas of colonialism.

We might interpret "Drummer Hodge" as a criticism of how colonialism comes at the cost of young men's lives.

I really hope you enjoyed the lesson, everyone.

I hope to see you for another lesson soon.

Goodbye.