GRADE 9 ENGLISH WORK PACK WEEK 6

Work progress: Please email me to tell me how far you are with your work. I
am concerned that many of you are not contacting me and so I do not know if
you are coping with the work or not.

DATE WORK
Monday 4/5 Mark work:
Using the attached memos, mark the following:
- Leviathan
- This is just to say
Tuesday 5/5 Poetry: Phenomenal Woman
Follow the worksheet below.
Wednesday 6/5 Spelling and vocabulary:
Learn the spelling and definitions for words 41-50. (I have attached
those words below in case you don’t have your list with you.)
Thursday 7/5 Children of the Dust:
You need to consolidate what you read in Part 2 before starting Part 3
next week. When we last read in class we were on the section when
Dwight was fighting with everyone. Fill in the table below that
highlights the important action that follows.
Friday 8/5 Reading:
Read your own novel

Keep going!


GRADE 9 SPELLING LIST (words 41-50)

WORD MEANING
41 unconscious Sleep-like state
42 communal Shared
43 decimated Destroyed
44 vicious Brutal
45 environment 1. The surrounding area
2. Nature
46 archaic Old/ancient
47 telepathy Ability to read minds (thoughts of others)
48 subservient To act beneath/ less worthy than others/ to degrade yourself
49 supremacy Above others
50 coincidence Chance similarities
 POETRY: “Leviathan” by Douglas Livingstone MEMO
1. What does the title of the poem “Leviathan” refer to? Considering what the
poem is about, why is the title effective? (2)
It refers to a Biblical sea monster that has the shape of a snake. 
The title is effective because the poem describes a puff adder eating a lizard
and compares it to Jonah being swallowed by the whale. 
(In the poem, both the idea of a snake and a Biblical story are captured.)

2. What kind of feeling does the mention of “pus” (line 2) give the reader? (1)
Revulsion, disgust

3. Explain the contradiction in line 4. (2)

One would not expect something that is obese to move quickly.

4. What animal does the phrase “scaly little monster” (line 7) refer to? (1)
A lizard

5. Identify the sound device in line 9 and explain why it is effective. (2)
Alliteration of the “s”. 
It slows the line down 
Also, it gives the idea of the serpentine theme (the use of the “s” sound
throughout the poem echoes the hissing of a snake).
6. According to the poem, how do lizards normally breathe? (1)
Rapidly. They look like they are panting.
7. Line 12 is an incomplete sentence. Re-write it so that it is complete. (1)
“…as if their lives depended on it.”

8. (a) Why is the word “Gone” written in its own line? (1)
To highlight it. It is the main action of the poem.
(b) What has gone where and how? (3)
The lizard has been swallowed by the snake.
9. Explain why the word “enveloped” (line 14) is effective. (2)
The lizard that has been swallowed fits into the snake’s body snugly, like a
letter does in an envelope.
10. What is clever about the vowel and consonant that the poet has chosen to
repeat in line 15? (2)
A bowel is a part of the intestines. The letter “w” has the shape of a curved
intestine lying on its side. 
The “o” has the shape of a cross-section of a tubular intestine. 

11. Why is the lizard compared to Jonah? (1)

Both were swallowed by a large animal – in the lizard’s case, a snake and in
Jonah’s case, a whale.
12. Give a synonym for the word “implacably” and explain the meaning of the
word in your own words. (1)
“Insatiably”
It means to be ever-hungry or something that can’t be pacified.
Total: 20

This is Just to Say – William Carlos Williams MEMO Total: 8 marks

1. What is the setting of this poem? (1)

A kitchen

2. What is an “ice-box”? (1)

A fridge

3. How do you think the person he wrote to felt when she found this note? (2)
Irritated 
… because she had been wanting to eat the plums. 

4. How is the speaker feeling in stanzas one and two? (1)

A bit guilty

5. In the third stanza, there is a change of tone. Why do you think he

describes the taste of the plums? (1)
To make her jealous

6. What is the technique called when lines “run on” to each other without any
punctuation? (1)
Enjambment

7. How genuine is the apology? Explain your answer. (1)

It does not sound genuine because he would not have told her how good
they tasted if she couldn’t also taste them.
 “Phenomenal Woman” by Maya Angelou

1. Read the poem

2. Read through the analysis
3. Answer the questions

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies. Men themselves have wondered 30
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size What they see in me.
But when I start to tell them, They try so much
They think I’m telling lies. But they can’t touch
I say, 5 My inner mystery.
It’s in the reach of my arms, When I try to show them, 35
The span of my hips, They say they still can’t see.
The stride of my step, I say,
The curl of my lips. It’s in the arch of my back,
I’m a woman 10 The sun of my smile,
Phenomenally. The ride of my breasts, 40
Phenomenal woman, The grace of my style.
That’s me. I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
I walk into a room Phenomenal woman,
Just as cool as you please, 15 That’s me. 45
And to a man,
The fellows stand or Now you understand
Fall down on their knees. Just why my head’s not bowed.
Then they swarm around me, I don’t shout or jump about
A hive of honey bees. 20 Or have to talk real loud.
I say, When you see me passing, 50
It’s the fire in my eyes, It ought to make you proud.
And the flash of my teeth, I say,
The swing in my waist, It’s in the click of my heels,
And the joy in my feet. 25 The bend of my hair,
I’m a woman the palm of my hand, 55
Phenomenally. The need for my care.
’Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenal woman, Phenomenally.
That’s me. Phenomenal woman,
That’s me. 60

Analysis
Analysis adapted from Andrew Spacey (owlcation.com)
Sources:
www.poetryfoundation.org
www.youtube.com
www.poets.org
A Summary of Phenomenal Woman
Phenomenal Woman is a lyrical poem that sends out an important message to the
world of convention and stereotype: empowerment comes from being confident in
your own female skin, no matter if you are not seen as cute or fashionable by the
masses.

Maya Angelou published this poem in 1978 when it appeared in And Still I Rise, a
collection of powerful poems that set many an oppressed woman free. Since then, the
poem has been adapted and used by associations and groups world-wide involved in
protest and political issues around inequality.

'The idea is to write it so that people hear it and it slides through the brain and goes
straight to the heart.' Maya Angelou
It does convey the idea that no matter the pressures of society to conform and be
who others want you to be, inner self-belief is the phenomenal bit. Once this is
accepted, you will be a happier and more complete person, a phenomenon.

In short, this poem boasts that a woman is much more than the sum of her parts. She
is enigmatic, magnetic and is also capable of defining her own beauty.

Stanza By Stanza Analysis

Stanza 1
It's interesting to note that the people this phenomenal woman wants to address
initially are pretty women. The speaker is plain-looking herself; she's not cute or
slender or fashionable in shape, but inside she knows she has those pretty women
asking questions that are difficult to answer.

Already the speaker has a secret and although she can't reveal all, she can tell the
pretty ones about her own physical attributes. It's to do with the reach, span, stride
and curl – what is within her grasp, the full extent of her womanhood, the decisive
way she gets about, the allure of her smile.

Stanza 2
Next up are the men who are instinctively drawn to the phenomenal woman; some
even start to worship her. There's a sort of spell cast over these men who act as
honey bees around the hive. The reason the men are so attracted to her is because of
her confidence and the way she carries herself. It's the fire, flash, swing and joy that
she exudes. She is sensual and full of energy.

Stanza 3
Here the speaker perceives that even the men can't put their finger on just why
they're so attracted by this phenomenal woman. This woman’s secret is hidden
inside, but it’s also seen in the way she carries herself. It's in the arch, sun, ride and
grace – the way the spine is strong yet beautifully shaped, the power of a smile, life-
affirming, the way her bosom is carried, comfortably, the smooth ease with which she
manages life. Could it be the men are looking for something that cannot be
identified? Could this be the phenomenal woman's spirit, her essence, her inner
being?
Stanza 4
In a direct appeal to the reader, the speaker attempts to clarify all that has gone on in
the previous three stanzas. She can hold her head high because of what she is: proud
of being an individual without the need to kowtow to society and its false
stereotypes, its idea of what a beautiful female “should” be like.

The phenomenal woman's humility and respect for other's space, her dignity and
inner strength mean she doesn't have to advertise her qualities or be brash and
popular. Her essence goes far deeper.

Literary Devices
“Phenomenal Woman” is a loose rhyming lyrical poem which, strictly speaking,
means this is not a free verse poem.

Rhyme
If you read it carefully, the rhymes definitely make a difference to the overall sound
and feel of the poem, especially in the first six or seven lines of each stanza.

For example, just note the full end rhymes:

 lies/size/lies
 hips/lips
 please/knees/bees
 much/touch
 me/mystery/see
 smile/style
 bowed/loud/proud
 hair/care
In addition, each stanza has the perfect rhyme of woman/woman and the full rhyme
Phenomenally/That's me.

Rhythm and Metre

There is an underlying beat in some lines e.g.
 But when I start to tell them/They think I'm telling lies.
 When you see me passing,/It ought to make you proud.
 The bend of my hair,/the palm of my hand,/The need for my care.
This variable rhythm, together with contrasting short and long vowels, make this a
particularly interesting poem to read out loud and to listen to.

Repetition
Perhaps the most striking device Angelou uses is to repeat a pattern, found in each
stanza, which helps reinforce the message and brings familiarity for the reader, much
like with the lyrics of a song.

Metaphor
In the second stanza, the men who fall on their knees then swarm in the manner of
honey bees at the hive. So the woman is seen as a sort of Queen Bee, or she is the
sweetness the bees need, the men busy seeking her attention.
Questions

1. What does line 2 suggest about how the poet may be identified? Choose the
correct answer: (1)
(A) The poet is not what people see as conventional beauty.
(B) The poet is old and has wrinkles.
(C) The poet sees herself being more beautiful than models.

2. Why has repetition been used in lines 11 to 13? (1)

3. Identify and discuss the function of the exaggeration found in lines 15 to 19. (3)

4.1 Name the figure of speech used in lines 19-20. (1)

4.2 Explain the figure of speech in lines 19-20. (2)

5. What is the effect of her saying, ‘it’s in the fire in my eyes.’? (2)
[10]

Children of the Dust: complete the table (the first one has been done for you.)
The point of this is to make sure you have understood what you have read.

1 What is Dwight angry about? Being told what to do all the time by
General MacAllister (who is in charge of
the bunker)
2 Why is Ophelia so upset that he calls
her stupid?
3 Who tries to make her feel better?
4 Later Dwight is punished by having to
spread sewerage on the fields outside.
What did he do to earn this
punishment?
5 General MacAllister then went to the schoolroom to lecture to the children. He said
that “There was no such thing as freedom without order … just degeneration into
lawless anarchy and social chaos.”
6 “Dwight was banished from the schoolrooms. And gone from Ophelia’s life.”
7 Bill and Erica fight about what the children should be taught. Bill feels that they
need a broad education to become creative thinkers and only then will they be able
to solve problems. Erica feels that they should concentrate on scientific endeavours.
8 Ophelia found a photograph and
realised she looked like the person in it.
Who was in the photo?
9 A convoy of army trucks had gone out
 to see what people had survived, what
they had and analyse the landscape.
What animals do they discover that
they are intending on taking from the
outsiders?
10 Why do they want them?
11 Who in Ophelia’s family agrees with the
decision and who does not?
12 Who has to lead the convoy that goes
out?
13 Dwight decides to go after them to stop
them stealing the animals.
Why does Bill go with him?

14 Why does Ophelia go too?

15 Ophelia is overwhelmed with being outside. Remember it is the first time in her life
that she has been outside the bunker. She gets carsick (even IN the car), but also
sees insects, flowers and a river which she finds really beautiful.
16 They see a village ahead and Bill
recognises it as whose place?
17 A pregnant woman meets them at the
gate. She is physically in a terrible
condition with very little hair and sores
all over her body. Who is this woman?
18 She tells them that her husband is sick and that they can’t help them. Dwight and
Bill try to explain that people from the bunker are coming to steal from them.
19 She then looks at Ophelia and cries out
in surprise. Why does she do this?
20 She tells them all about how the community has survived and about her husband,
who Bill says sounds like a remarkable man.
21 How many pregnancies has the woman
had? How many children does she have
so far?
22 Ophelia goes to lie down because she is still sick. She is also horrified by the
mutation of some of the children (which is the effect of the radiation). Lilith comes
to help her. It seems like she is blind (but we discover later she is not) and she can’t
speak. She has healing qualities.
23 The baby is then born and it seems to be healthy. Ophelia is horrified that it has
white eyes (which are a mutation to protect them from the harsh sun.)
24 What do they name the child?
25 There is a problem because they can’t
get the animals away before the convoy
arrives. After they arrive what does
Dwight do to prevent them from taking
anything?