What do you think the poet is saying about some teachers of English and the way they mark a students book in the poem English Book by Jane Weir? How does the poet present her opinions?

Authors Avatar
What do you think the poet is saying about some teachers of English and the way they mark a student’s book in the poem “English Book” by Jane Weir? How does the poet present her opinions? (18 marks) Jane Weir seems very unimpressed by the way her son’s English teacher marks his book. She is describing her visit to a Parents’ Evening and starts by plunging straight in with the pronoun ‘they’ to begin the poem in the middle of the consultation. The first two lines express her surprise that they seem unaffected by their years ‘in a classroom’, all
Join now!
sitting ‘upright’ and correctly to meet the mother. She lists the procedures that teachers have to go through and the words ‘or so they say’ suggest she has little respect for ‘the latest thinking’ or belief in the criminal checks that are made to protect children.One particular teacher, probably the boy’s English teacher, shows the mother his English book, her eyes showing ‘a length of pity’ that the boy’s spelling, punctuation and general presentation are so weak. The mother is appalled that his writing has been ‘butchered’ by the teacher’s red pen. The teacher has very little understanding that (according ...

This is a preview of the whole essay