We came into class and got started on our posters immediately. We were given 30 minutes to complete the posters; most students were able to complete the task on time, but others needed an extension.

Once the posters were complete, groups paired up to share their ideas with each other. After around 5 minutes, the paired groups had to swap posters and find another pair to teach the new theme to. We used our ability to listen and memorise ideas taught by our peers, as well as our ability to speak and share ideas with each other.

Miss Ryan was very happy with our work and commented on the quality of our presentation of ideas. The posters will go up on our classroom wall tomorrow.

Identity – Mitesh and Ashneil

Checking Out Mi History: “Blind me to me own identity”. John Agard feels as though black history has been undermined in our culture, he wants to reclaim his culture and affirm his own identity.

Dialogue – Nishita

Chatty and conversational in Singh Song! “Hey Singh, ver yoo bin?”

Lively and rhythmic in The Ruined Maid “You left us in tatters, without shoes or socks,/Tired of digging potatoes, and spudding up docks:”

Men’s Voices – Boaz and Adam

The River God: “If she wishes to go I will not forgive her” Powerful and controlling, sees women as inferior so doesn’t have good relationships with them as a result.

Singh Song!: “cos up di stairs is my newly bride/vee share in chapatti/vee share/in di chutney/after vee hav made luv/like vee rowing through Putney –” Loving and sharing, a respect for women’s identities and a good relationship with his wife.

Metaphors – Gregg and Josh

Hunchback in the Park: “Hunchbacked in Mockery” – negative.

Checking Out Me History: “a healing star/among the wounded/a yellow sunrise/to the dying” – positive depiction of Mary Seacole.

Narratives – Savena and Shruti

The Clown Punk: “every pixel of the man’s skin is shot through with indelible ink“.

Hunchback in the park “solitary mister“.

Both are characterised as outcasts because no one  knows them well, they can only be written about in the third person and are never given their own voice.

Women’s Voices – Radhika and Tanisha

The Ruined Maid: “‘O didn’t you know I’d been ruined?’ said she.” Melia is proud of her career as a prostitute, Thomas Hardy is mocking the Victorian idea that it is better to be moral and poor.

Decay – Jack and Roshani

The state, or process, of rotten decomposition:

Medusa: “I stared at a singing bird, and a handful of dusty gravel splattered!”

The Clown Punk: “The deflated face and shrunken scalp”

Contrasts – Vishal and Shivani

The Ruined Maid – the difference between “tatters” and “gay bracelets“, contrasts poverty with wealth.

Ozymandias – the difference between “shatter’d visage” and “king of kings“, contrasts power with loss of power.

Negative Emotions – Abbie and Bhavu

Hunchback in the Park: “his kennel in the dark“.

Clown Punk: “wince and scream“.

Pride – Asma and Chandni

The Ruined Maid: “Some Polish” – a strange thing to be proud of (prostitution).

Singh Song!: “De worst Indian shop” – a playful joke, reveals a carefree lack of pride.

Checking Out Me History: “a healing star” – pride in culture and history.

Monologues – Dixita

River God: “I can drown fools” an egotistical monologue contrasted with sinister  immaturity “hi yih yippety yap“.

Checking out me History: “Dem tell me bout Dick Whittington and he cat” a mocking monologue that critiques our preference of teaching white history over black history.

Power – Jerome and Karum

Medusa: “Are you terrified?” – a rhetorical question followed by a pause for dramatic tension. Female voice

My Last Duchess: “I gave commands” – powerful and controlling. Male Voice.