1stday at Schools

zati/zihah*firstdayatschool*sept11

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First Day at School

by : Roger McGough (1937-present)


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Wan Nur Syafiqah Izzati bt Wan Ibrahim

Nurul Nazihah bt Mohd Zubir

Presented by :


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•

Name : Roger McGough

Date of Birth : 9th November 1937

Place of Birth : Litherland, Lancashire, Liverpool, England

Education : University of Hull

Career :

- Teacher

- Responsible for much of the humorous dialogue

in The Beatles’ animated film, Yellow Submarine

1973 – 1975 - He was Fellow of Poetry at Loughborough

University

Author’s Background


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He was not interested in poems when he was schooling.

He only studied them because it was part of the curriculum.

However, he had a Physics teacher who recited poetry during Physic’s class. He started enjoying poetry.

When he became a teacher in Liverpool, he himself recited the poems to his students.

He realised that he was interested in poetry because his pupils enjoyed them very much.

That carved out his career as a poet and he tried out the poems he had written in class

Roger McGough Development Towards Poetry


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Now, he has written over 50 poetry books for both adults and children. He has also written fiction books for children, some of which introduce the children to poetry.


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1965 : Underdog : New Poems/edited by Brian Patten / Underdog Publication

1967 : The Liverpool Scene , Donold Carrol 1976 : Portfolio no. 3 , Steam Press 1999 : The Big Book of Little Poems , André Deutsch 2002 : Everyday Eclipses ,Viking 2003 : Collected Poem , Viking 2004 : Wicked Poem , Bloomsbury 2005 : Said and Done : The Autobiography ,Century 2007 : Poem for Bootle , Drifwood 2008 : You Have Been Warned! A Collection of

Cautionary Verse, Oxford University Press 2009 : That Awkward , Age , Viking

Masterpieces


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1999 : Signal Poetry Award, Bad, Bad Cats 1997 : OBE 1993 : Royal Television Society Award, The Elements : Honorary Professor at Thames Valley

University 1985 : BAFTA (Best Children’s Programe Documentary

/ Educational) , Kurt , Mungo, BP and Me 1984 : Signal Poetry Award , Sky in the Pie 1998 : Cholmondeley Award 2004 : CBE 2006 : He holds an honorary MA from Nene College of

Further Education;[citation needed] was awarded an honorary degree from

Roehampton University

Awards


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"First Day at School" represent the innocent ignorance, misunderstandings and insecurities of a child on his or her first day in school, while simultaneously capturing the spirit of childhood innocence and curiosity.

General Overview


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Doesn't fit in Mishears words Three traditional stanzas No rhymes or regular rhythm Irregular line breaks


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* The spelling errors in the poem and his misinterpretations of the words show his innocent mind and his limited vocabulary, giving readers as an impression that this was written by a young child who has yet to have any school ( his ignorance towards school).

Analysis


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The poem itself is written in a traditional format, lacking any poetic sophistication or clever techniques.

It is almost certainly written this way purposefully, as a child would have no use for such sophistication. There is almost nothing in the poem that cold be interpreted as a rhyme either.

Rather, it mimics the kind of disjointed observations as a child may make when presented with new setting.

The numerous misspelled words in the poem also serve to contribute to the feeling that this poem is written by a child, who lacks the literacy training to know how to spell certain words correctly.


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Sentence Meaning

A millionbillionwillion miles from homeWaiting for the bell to go. (To go where?)

The child feels he is far away from his house and he wants to get out from his school. But he does not know where to go.

Why are they all so big, other children?

The child notes the appearance of the other children and he compares his small body with other children.

So noisy? So much at home theyMust have been born in uniformLived all their lives in playgroundsSpent the years inventing gamesThat don't let me in.

The child observes that the other children must have had confined lives, or “must have been born in uniform” and are now realising pent up energy.He feels the isolation of being left out of games maybe because he is either shy or starting late as a “new kid”.

Analysis Sentence by Sentence


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GamesThat are rough, that swallow you up.

The child says that the other children’s games are too rough and therefore isolating.

And the railings.All around, the railings.

The seperation from the other children,coupled with the nervousness at a new place with foreign things builds into a feeling of insecurity that dominates much of the poem.

Are they to keep out wolves and monsters?Things that carry off and eat children?Things you don't take sweets from?

Shows that his mind has been exposed to fairy tale, which shows that he is really young. The child impresses the school itself is also frightening, as he imagines the railings may serve to keep out monsters.


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Perhaps they're to stop us getting outRunning away from the lessins. Lessin.What does a lessin look like?Sounds small and slimy.They keep them in the glassrooms.Whole rooms made out of glass. Imagine.

Lessons, or “ lessins” are also give course for concern, as the child believes they may be some sort of slimy creature, with classrooms, or “glassrooms” sewing as their holding tank.

I wish I could remember my nameMummy said it would come in useful.Like wellies. When there's puddles.Yellowwellies. I wish she was here.

The child yearns for his mother, alluding to an understandable fear of independence.

I think my name is sewn on somewherePerhaps the teacher will read it for me.Tea-cher. The one who makes the tea.

He thinks that the teacher will be able to read the child’s name tag, and perhaps make tea.


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The innocent ignorance and misunderstandings of a child on his or her first day in school.

The child notes the appearance of the other children and the new environment in the school.

For example, the railings around the school, and his nervousness at being addressed by the teacher. The child's impression of the school itself is also frightening, as he imagines that the railings may serve to keep out monsters.

Theme


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A fanciful poem The poem shows the imagination and

misunderstandings of a child on his first day in school. For examples 'to keep out wolves and monsters', 'things that carry off and eat children' shows that his mind that has been exposed to fairy tales. The final revelation that the teacher will be able to read the child's name tag, and perhaps make tea adds a sense of comic relief.

Tone


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No rhymes or regular rhythm There is almost nothing in the poem that

could be interpreted as a rhyme either. The poem itself is written in a traditional format, lacking any poetic sophistication or clever techniques.

It is almost certainly written this way purposefully, giving readers an impression that this was written by a young child who has yet to have any school.

The Rhyme Scheme


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Literary Devices

Ryhme

Examples:

i. stanza 1 (line 1) - A millionbillionwillion miles

from home


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Repetition

Examples:

i. stanza 2 (line 1-2) -And the railings.

All around, the railings.


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Virtual imagery

Examples:

i. stanza 2 (line 3) -Are they to keep out wolves and

monsters?- The symbol of danger


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Alliteration

Examples:

i. stanza 2 (line 9) -Sounds small and slimy. ( repetition of consonants “s” )


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First point of view. It is possible that McGough made up a character to speak the lines of this poem. In these notes, we imagine that character is himself.

You can imagine that the voice of McGough, the poet, speaks directly to us from his own experience.

Point of View


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We have to adapt with new environment.

We should not depends on others so much.

Be independent.

Moral value

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1stday at Schools