Poetic Techniques in the Poem

Subject: 

LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

Term:

FIRST TERM

Week:

WEEK 2

Class:

SS 2

Topic:

Poetic Techniques in the Poem

Previous lesson: 

The pupils have previous knowledge of

READING AND CONTENT ANALYSIS OF NON-AFRICAN POETRY: “THE PULLEY” BY GEORGE HERBERT

that was taught as a topic in the previous lesson

Behavioural objectives:

At the end of the lesson, the learners will be able to

• Say something about the poet
• analyze the poem

Instructional Materials:

• Wall charts
• Pictures
• Related Online Video
• Flash Cards

Methods of Teaching:

• Class Discussion
• Group Discussion
• Asking Questions
• Explanation
• Role Modelling
• Role Delegation

Reference Materials:

• Scheme of Work
• Online Information
• Textbooks
• Workbooks

Content:

WEEK TWO

THEMES

The superiority of God, the all-knowing God, over man

The main theme of the poem is God’s supremacy over man. “The Pulley” establishes the fact that God is in all ramifications superior to man. It is a fact that every human being must accept, that God, as Supreme Being, controls the destiny of each individual and that without Him, nothing that exists can subsist. Thus, the poem is a symbolic portrayal of the fact that man’s efforts are dependent on God, his creator. The poem asserts that God, in His infinite wisdom, knows that making man independent would lead to the abuse of that independence. Therefore, the tone of this poem shows God’s superiority over man. There is that master-subordinate relationship depicted in the poem where God, the master, has full authority over His creation. God requires respect from manhence, He withdraws one special gift which is that of emotional fulfilment and contentment. According to God, the lack of this gift will definitely draw man back to him to draw him under His feet. This tempo is made prominent in the last stanza of the poem: “Let him be rich and weary, that at least/if goodness lead him not, yet weariness/may toss him back to my breast”.

The frailty of the human mind

Another major theme depicted in the poem is the frailty of the human mind. God as Sovereign and the creator of mankind understands the nature of man. He knows that the mind of man is frail, that man is weak and easily susceptible to a myriad of negative, ungodly influences. God knows that man can easily be manipulated and that he could easily forget his maker if he has all he needs in life. This is why God decided to take rest from man to constantly remember man of his need to depend on God.

God desires that man should look up to Him

This poem reveals the facts that God desires to draw men unto Him because He created man for a purpose, to serve and worship Him. God desires that men depend on Him and seek His face at all times for everything. God also desires that men should worship and adore Him alone and not idolize the things he made. He, therefore, creates a way to make this possible by not giving man rest, which is synonymous with peace of mind.

The reason for man’s restlessness

The poem provides an answer for the restlessness of man. People often ask the question: why is man restless? Why is the need of man insatiable? This poem provides an answer to this philosophical question. God bestowed restlessness and weariness upon man so that man would always run to Him.

Poetic Techniques in the Poem

The following figures of speech and sound devices are apparent in the poem.

1. Alliteration: This is found in expressions like “so strength” (l. 6), which alliterates the /s/ sound and “repining restlessness” (l. 17), which alliterates the /r/ sound.
2. Assonance: This is found in line 8: “when almost all was out…”
3. Contrast: One also notices the use of contrast in the poem. This is evident in the last stanza of the poem. There is a contrast between “rich” and “weary” in line 18.
4. Dramatic Monologue: this is one prominent technique that runs through the poem. This technique encourages the dramatic mood of the poem by unfolding the relationship between the addresser and addressee. Thus, there is that position of an audience. This is exemplified by use of dialogues in the poem. The phrase, “let us” unconsciously signifies the presence of an unseen audience. All these attest to the effectiveness of the dramatic monologue in the poem.
5. Imagery: The presentation of mental images to express a central idea is seen in the poem. From the title of the poem, readers are prone to create mental picture as they analyze the poem. The pulley is an image that embodies the idea the poem seeks to express.
6. Inversion: In line 4, the normal order of words reversed towards the end of the line: “let the world’s riches, which dispersed lie” the normal order should be: “which lie dispersed” However, if this arrangement of words was the one used, “dispersed” would not rhyme with “by” in line 2
7. Personification: Two things, goodness and weariness, are endowed with human attributes in lines 19-20: “if goodness lead him not, yet weariness/may toss him to my breast”.
8. Synecdoche: There is an example of the use of synecdoche in line 20, the last line of the poem where the word “breast” is used as a metaphor for God. Synecdoche is a form of metaphor where a part is used to represent the whole of what is referred to.
9. Biblical Allusion: the poem is an example of biblical allusion as all its contents allude to the creation of the world and man in Genesis 1-2

Presentation

The topic is presented step by step

Step 1:

The class teacher revises the previous topics

Step 2.

He introduces the new topic

Step 3:

The class teacher allows the pupils to give their own examples and he corrects them when the needs arise

EVALUATION

1. Analyze four poetic device in the poem.
2. What is the main theme of the work and why?

GENERAL EVALUATION/REVISION QUESTIONS

1. Analyze the content of “The Pulley.”
2. Discuss any two themes in the poem.
3. Examine five poetic devices in the poem.

WEEKEND ASSIGNMENT

1. The struggle between two opposing forces in the plot of a story which can either be internal or external is ____ (a) Conflict (b) Struggle (c) Pathos
2. ____ is the conversation between characters in a literary work. (a) Dialogue (b) Connotation (c) Canto
3. ____ is the greatest point of interest or entertainment intensity in a literary work. (a) Climax (b) Anti-Climax (c) Denouement
4. ____ is the quotation that occurs at the beginning of a literary work that highlights a theme. (a) Epigraph (b) Epigram (c) Epithet
5. ____ is an exaggeration for the purpose of emphasis. (a) Exaggeration (b) Litotes (c) Pun

THEORY

1. How does Herbert explore religion in “The Pulley”?

Conclusion

The class teacher wraps up or concludes the lesson by giving out short notes to summarize the topic that he or she has just taught.

The class teacher also goes round to make sure that the notes are well copied or well written by the pupils.

He or she makes the necessary corrections when and where the needs arise.