Page 34 - Knowledge Organiser Yr9 24-25

Knowledge Base: English Poetry from Around the World Year 9 | Autumn Term 1
Model example
Compare the ways poets suggest that belonging to a particular culture or cultures is important in ‘Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan’ and ‘Hurricane hits England’.
Both poems explore the importance of identity and belonging; they address a variety of viewpoints and they all have what it means to ‘belong’ at their core.
In ‘Presents from my Aunts’, Alvi is writing about her lack of belonging and her feeling that she has no real identity. The reason for this she gives is that she came to England as a child and despite spending most of her life in this country, she does not feel at home here. Whatever she does, she still feels “alien” and far removed from British culture. Similarly, as she has has no real recollection of living in Pakistan, she has no feeling of being part of that country either. She still feels that she has “no fixed nationality”. However, whilst in ‘Hurricane hits England’, Grace Nichols feels the importance of belonging and culture as acutely as Moniza Alvi, whereas Alvi mourns the loss of her identity, Nichols has very much kept hold of hers, and feels desperately sad because she misses it. She explains that the fact that she was without it for ten years only made her longing and homesickness worse.
To Nichols, identity is your reason for being and when she left Guyana to come to England she felt that she had totally lost it, and that without it she did not exist. She spent ten years feeling desperately homesick. Nichols begins the poem addressing herself as “she”. The use of the impersonal pronoun reveals her lack of belonging, it is as if she does not exist. Furthermore, this reiterates sentiments presented in Alvi’s poem; without knowing what your identity is, you are nothing.
The topic sentence uses words from the question to begin the answer.
Accurate and correct use of literary terminology.
The pupil includes references to the poets’ backgrounds which enhances their understanding and analysis of the poems.
Quotations are intentionally short and are deliberately selected to answer the question.
Use of comparative connectives indicates where the pupil is comparing how the theme within the question is presented in both poems.
The end sentence refers back to the topic sentence. It begins with a connective to explain the writer’s intentions and concludes the pupil’s point.
Critical Writing: Some useful sentence starters
Writing a topic sentence Use words and phrases from the question or task to write your topic sentence. Remember to write using full sentences.
Introducing evidence
This can be seen...
We learn this when... This is demonstrated by...
Embedding quotations: Put the quotation inside your own analysis or point rather than putting it separately and then commenting on it. The idea is that the quotation will “flow” within your sentence and you won’t “hear” the quotation marks.
Making inferences
implies suggests shows
conveys illustrates demonstrates
symbolises evokes reiterates
Extending and justifying points
because but
so
furthermore consequently in addition
The writer’s intention:
criticises, challenges, undermines, satirises, condemns, exaggerates
Making comparisons both, also, similarly, equally, likewise, however, alternatively, whereas
Writing an end sentence
The end sentence should refer back to the topic sentence of your answer. You should include similar vocabulary to ensure that you conclude your point.
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