http://ag.arizona.edu/oals/ALN/aln50/hayward.html

Come into the room quietly

Quickly find your seat

Smile Then…Write down a list of poetic techniques:

e.g. 1) Metaphor2)

Then, in the front of your book (on a new page), write today’s date and the title: ‘Desert Poems’

Then stick in the poem in the centre of the page.

Take out your hwk

-------------Turn to the back of your book

We are now going to read/listen to a poem called :

‘To The Desert’

“To The Desert” BY BENJAMIN ALIRE SÁENZ

I came to you one rainless August night. You taught me how to live without the rain.

You are thirst and thirst is all I know. You are sand, wind, sun, and burning sky,

The hottest blue. You blow a breeze and brand Your breath into my mouth. You reach—then bend Your force, to break, blow, burn, and make me new.

You wrap your name tight around my ribs And keep me warm. I was born for you.

Above, below, by you, by you surrounded. I wake to you at dawn. Never break your

Knot. Reach, rise, blow, Sálvame, mi dios, Trágame, mi tierra. Salva, traga, Break me, I am bread. I will be the water for your thirst.

“To The Desert” BY BENJAMIN ALIRE SÁENZ

I came to you one rainless August night. You taught me how to live without the rain.

You are thirst and thirst is all I know. You are sand, wind, sun, and burning sky,

The hottest blue. You blow a breeze and brand Your breath into my mouth. You reach—then bend Your force, to break, blow, burn, and make me new.

You wrap your name tight around my ribs And keep me warm. I was born for you.

Above, below, by you, by you surrounded. I wake to you at dawn. Never break your

Knot. Reach, rise, blow, Sálvame, mi dios, Trágame, mi tierra. Salva, traga, Break me, I am bread. I will be the water for your thirst.

In your teams, you will read the poem.

Decide who will say which words/lines

Think about varying your volume

Think about your tone

Think about the intonation you use

Think about emphasis

And keep me warm. I was born for you. Above, below, by you, by you surrounded. I wake to you at dawn. Never break your

Knot. Reach, rise, blow, (Sálvame, mi dios, [Trágame, mi tierra]. Salva, traga), Break me,

I am bread. I will be the water for your thirst

[A saying in Chile when something terrible happens and you want to disappear from the face of the earth. ]

(Save me, my God and remove me from the earth, Save, Swallow)

Just for information…….What does the ‘Spanish Section’ mean?

Just for information…….On the left are branding irons

On the right is a ‘branded’ horse.

What is branding & why is it used?

We are now going to annotate the poem

Annotation

Think about the following:•What is happening in the poem?•Who is speaking/being spoken to?•What is the author feeling? •What relationship does the author have with the desert?•How does the author depict the desert?•Why use another language at the end?•Which poetic techniques are used?Write a 60 word summary to describe the poem. (Use the points above & annotations to help you)

Exam Question:

Poem A 1) How does the author depicts the desert environment? [2 Marks]

2) Describe how the author may be feeling in the poem [2]

Poem B 3)Give 2 pieces of evidence that suggest that the desert is extreme [2]

4) Identify one poetic technique that is used [2]

Comparison 5) Which poem better describes the hot desert as an extreme environment. Explain your answer [4 Marks]

1) How does the author depict the desert environment? [2 Marks]- 1 Mark – refers to 1 key point or example- 2nd Mark – gives second point or significant explanation about the first point

2) Describe how the author may be feeling in the poem [2]- 1 Mark – suggests a feeling (beyond ‘Sad’, ‘excited’)- 2nd Mark – Gives evidence from poem to support the pt 1

3)Give 2 pieces of evidence that suggest that the desert is extreme [2]- 1 Mark – gives one piece of evidence from the poem- 2nd Mark – Gives a second piece of evidence from poem

4) Identify one poetic technique that is used [2]- 1 Mark – correctly identifies 1 technique- 2nd Mark – refers to the example where it occurs

5) Which poem better describes the hot desert as an extreme environment. Explain your answer [4 Marks] Poem B-best describes

- 4 Separate point @ 1 mark per point. Points to be explained/have supporting quotes from the poem.Key ideas include: Isolation, lost/navigation, hearses – death etc, where is the well = water, arid, thirst.ack of water, arid,