POEM 1

THE SEA
The sea is a hungry dog.
Giant and grey.
He rolls on the beach all day.
With his clashing teeth and shaggy jaws
Hour upon hour he gnaws
The rumbling, tumbling stones,
And ‘Bones, bones, bones, bones!’
The giant sea-dog moans,
Licking his greasy paws.

And when the night wind roars

And the moon rocks in the stormy cloud,
He bounds to his feet and snuffs and sniffs,
Shaking his wet sides over the cliffs,
And howls and hollos long and loud.

But on quiet days in May and June,

When even the grasses on the dune
Play no more their reedy tune,
With his head between his paws
He lies on the sandy shores,
So quiet, so quiet, he scarcely snores.

James Reeves
Read the poem ‘The Sea’ by James Reeves and answer the
following questions

1. What is the sea being compared to throughout the poem?

(1 mark)

2. What is this comparison called? (1 mark)

3. What is a dune? Choose from the list below.

A. a very big mountain

B. an enormous wave.
C. an area behind the beach where grasses grow amid the
sand.
(1 mark)

4. Write a sentence about why you like this poem.

………………………………………………………………………… (1 mark)

5. a) Read Verse 1 and 2. Write down 2 words that create a

violent atmosphere.
b) Read Verse 3. Write down 2 words that create a
peaceful atmosphere.

(4 marks)

6. The poem is split into 3 verses. Match up the verse with

the correct description:
Verse 1

The poet compares the sea to a

dog. He creates an image of a nice
calm sea and the beach and dunes
are still.

Verse 2

The poet compares the sea to a

dog. The sea is turbulent and the
poet describes the sounds of the
waves hitting the beach.

Verse 3
The poet compares the sea to a
dog. He describes the sea at night,
the wind howling and the waves
crashing off of the cliffs.

(3 marks)

7. Read each of the following lines carefully. Underline the

technique that is in the line. (Hint: sometimes there is
more than one.)

A) ‘When even the grasses on the dune

Play no more their reedy tune’
 Metaphor
Alliteration
Personification

B) ‘He rolls on the beech all day

With his clashing teeth and shaggy jaws.’

Onomatopoeia
Simile
Metaphor

C) ‘The rumbling, tumbling stones,

And ‘Bones, bones, bones, bones!’

Repetition
Alliteration
Rhythm

D) ‘And when the night wind roars

And the moon rocks in the stormy cloud’

Personification
Alliteration
Metaphor

(4 marks)

8. Identify an example in the poem of onomatopoeia and

explain how the poet’s use of onomatopoeia help us to
imagine what is happening in the poem. (2 marks)

9. What atmosphere is being created in the third verse?

Use an example from the poem to explain your answer. (2
marks)
 10. Explain the effect of the last line:
‘So quiet, so quiet, he scarcely snores.’ (1 mark).

TOTAL MARKS: /20

 Critical Essay

Write an essay about a poem you have

enjoyed.

Explain how the poet made this poem

enjoyable.

Introduction
Your introduction should include the title of the poem, the name of the

author, the genre of the text and you should link to the question.

• This is called TAGL.

T – title - “The Sea”

A – author – the poet James Reeves

G – genre – poem

L – Link to task – what techniques has the poet used to make the poem

enjoyable?

“______” is a ____ written by ________. The poet uses a variety of

techniques to make the poem ________.

 Summary
A summary is a short description of what the poem is about.

In the poem the poet compares ____ to a ____. In verse 1 the

sea is___. Then in verse 2 the poet describes___. Finally in

verse 3 ____.

Section one:

Each section begins with a topic sentence: Copy this sentence.

The poet uses an interesting description of the sea to make

this poem enjoyable.

Paragraph 1

P- What picture is created of the sea in verse 1?

In verse 1 the poet describes the sea as ______

E – Quote a line from the poem which supports this point.

Remember to use quotation marks ( “ ” )

E – Explain how the poet creates this picture of the sea.

1. First identify the technique that is used in the line you have

quoted.

2. Now analyse the technique. Look at your help sheet for advice.

R – Explain how this helps to make the poem enjoyable.

 This description helped me to imagine ______

Paragraph 2

P- In verse 1, what does the poet tell the the reader about the waves?

Look at help sheet 1 to give you a sentence start.

E – Quote a line from the poem which supports this point.

Remember to use quotation marks ( “ ” )

E – Explain how the poet creates this picture of the waves.

1. First identify the technique that is used in the line you have

quoted.

2. Now analyse the technique. Look at help sheet 2 for advice.

R – Explain how this helps to make the poem enjoyable.

This description helped me to imagine ______

Section two: Start with a new topic sentence:

The poet creates the atmosphere of a storm to make this

poem enjoyable.
Paragraph 3

P- What does the poet tell the reader about the weather?

Look at the help sheet 1 to give you a sentence start.

E – Quote a line from the poem which supports this point.

Remember to use quotation marks ( “ ” )

E – Explain how the poet creates this picture of the weather.

1. First identify the technique that is used in the line you have

quoted.
 2. Now analyse the technique. Look at help sheet 2 for advice.

R – Explain how this helps to make the poem enjoyable.

This description helped me to imagine ______

Paragraph 4

P- How does the weather affect the sea?

E – Quote a line from the poem which supports this point.

E – Explain how the poet creates this picture of the sea.

1. First identify the technique that is used in the line you have

quoted.

2. Now analyse the technique. Look at help sheet 2 for advice.

R – Explain how this helps to make the poem enjoyable e.g. what it helps

you imagine.

Section three: Start with a new topic sentence:

The poet creates a change in atmosphere in the last verse

of the poem.

Paragraph 5

P- Describe the atmosphere in verse 3.

E – Quote a line from the poem which supports this point.

E – Explain how the poet creates this calm atmosphere.

1. First identify the technique that is used in the line you

have quoted.

2. Now analyse the technique. Look at help sheet 2 for

advice.

R – Explain how this helps to make the poem enjoyable e.g. what it

helps you imagine.

Paragraph 6

P- How is the sea described in Verse 3?

E – Quote a line from the poem which supports this point.

E – Explain how the poet creates this picture.

1. First identify the technique that is used in the line you

have quoted.

2. Now analyse the technique. Look at help sheet 2 for

advice.

R – Explain how this helps to make the poem enjoyable e.g. what it

helps you imagine.

Conclusion
The purpose of a conclusion is to sum up your main points and answer the

question.

In conclusion, Reeves has used a variety of interesting techniques to

describe _____. His different descriptions of the sea made this poem

___. My favourite description was __________

because__________________.
 HELP SHEET

An example of a PEER paragraph

(Topic sentence)The poet uses an interesting description of the sea to

make this poem enjoyable. (Point)I liked the poet’s description of the

waves.

(Evidence) “Giant and Grey”

(Explain)The poet uses alliteration to draw attention to the description of

the waves. The word “Giant” tells me that the waves are large and

powerful. It also tells me that it is stormy because the waves are grey

and dull. (Response)This made the poem enjoyable because made me

imagine large waves crashing down on each other and that a storm was

coming.

Help Sheet 1

Sentence starts/linking: When starting a new PEER paragraph you

should use a linking word or phrase.

The poet also describes the sea as being_____

The poet uses interesting description to show that the weather is

____

The poet shows a change in the weather/the sea through a variety of

techniques.

Personally, I think the most interesting description is ______

My favourite description is __________

Another interesting technique that the poet uses______

The poet also uses a ________ to describe the _______.

The poet goes onto describe the ___________

In my opinion the best description of the sea is _________

The poet continues to describe the _______

Furthermore,

In addition,

Techniques:

Metaphor Simile Onomatopoeia

Alliteration Interesting word choice

Help Sheet 2
How to analyse techniques:

Remember you have lots of examples in your jotter!

How to analyse word choice:

The word “___” means to____ (explain denotation). This suggests

that (the sea/the weather) is ____ (explain connotation).

How to analyse imagery (metaphor/simile):

Here the poet uses a _____ to compare ____ to a _____. A ____

makes the reader think about _____. This is effective because it

suggests (the sea/the weather) is _____

How to analyse alliteration:

The poet uses alliteration to draw the reader’s attention to the words

_____.These words tell the reader that (the sea/the weather) is

____.

How to analyse onomatopoeia:

The word _______ is being used to describe _____. The writer uses

a ______ sound to suggest that (the sea/the weather) is______.

 POEM 2

UNLUCKY BOAT

That boat has killed three people. Building her

Sib drove a nail through his thumb, and died up by

Bunged to the eyes with rust and penicillin.

One evening when the Bring was a bar of silver

Under the moon, and Mansie and Tom with wands

Were putting a spell on cuithes, she dipped a bow

And invited Mansie, his pipe still in his teeth,

To meet the cold green angels. They hauled her up

Among the rocks, right in the path of Angus,

Whose neck, rigid with pints rom the Doundy market,

Snapped like a barley stalk...There she lies.

A leprous unlucky bitch, in the quarry of Moan.

Tinkers, going past, make the sign of the cross.

George Mackay Brown

Part 1 – Understanding the poem

Read the poem ‘Unlucky Boat’ by George Mackay Brown and

answer the following questions about the poem.

11. What is the poem about and how do you know? (2 marks)

12. What are the names of the three people who died?
(1 mark)

13. In your own words, say -

A) who the first person to die was, and how he died …

B) do the same for the second person …
C) do the same for the third person.

(3 marks)

14. Where do you think the story in the poem takes

place. Give reasons for your answer. (2 marks)

15. What is the boat referred to as? (1 mark)

16. What happened to the boat? (1 mark)

17. Why do you think the tinkers make the sign of the
cross as they go past? (1 mark)

18. How many lines does the poem have? What is

significant about this number? (2 marks)

19. What do you think about this poem? Give reasons

for your answer. (2 marks)
 TOTAL MARKS: /15

Part 2 - Language

• Now that you understand the poem, we are going to look

at how the poet uses different language features to give
the reader a clear picture of the story.

• Work through the Poetry Analysis Powerpoint in

preparation for your next task.

• Now you have revised how to analyse poetry you are going
to annotate ‘Unlucky Boat’. To annotate means to add
notes – you are going to make notes of all the techniques
you can find in the poem.

Go through the poem carefully and find at least two examples

of …
1. Simile
1. Metaphor
2. Onomatopoeia
3. Personification

Fill your examples in the table below. Remember to use

‘quotation marks’ to show this is a quotation from the poem.

Simile Metaphor Onomatopoeia Personification

Part 3 – Poetry Review

Now that you have finished studying the poem, you are going to
write a review of it. Whoever reads your review may not have
read the poem, therefore it should be informative and easy to
understand.

Introduction

In the opening paragraph you will introduce the poem.

This paragraph should include:
• The title of the poem
• The name of the poet
• A very brief opinion of the poem

Second paragraph

In the second paragraph you are going to summarise the poem.

This paragraph should include:
• Where the poem gets its name from
• The setting
• What the poem is about and what happens.

Third paragraph

In this paragraph you are going to talk about the language

techniques that the poet has used e.g. imagery, personification
etc.
This paragraph should include:
• At least two examples of language techniques from the
poem.
• Use an example for each technique you choose and explain
why it is effective e.g. The poet uses onomatopoeia when
he says ‘______’ this is effective because _____.

Conclusion

In this paragraph you are going to give your opinion of the

poem.
This paragraph should include:
• What you do or do not like about the poem.
• Reasons for your opinion