When I talk about poetry with any student whose only exposure to this genre has been the torture of having to sit for exams, I sometimes start with this observation: Poets don’t craft their poems so that they can torture you in an exam room; they write to convey something powerful, something that makes them […]
How do I start with preparing for the unseen poetry section?
Very occasionally I respond to posts on Reddit, and a few days ago someone asked for notes on unseen poetry. My response: I’ve found Edward Hirsch’s writing helpful in helping my students think about poetry more deeply – https://www.poetryfoundation.org/articles/69955/how-to-read-a-poem For unseen poetry, the band descriptors say that the best answers show a “Sensitive and informed […]
The joy of doing nothing.
Do nothing. Don’t look at your phone, drop the video games, deliver yourself from panicked overwork. Sit, and enjoy being alive. Stand, and enjoy breathing. No, not even that. Do nothing. Your mind is overworked, over-entertained, oversaturated with the pap of the online age. Stop. Turn off your devices. Turn off your cravings. Do nothing. […]