Half Past Two and Dear Mr.Lee
Rikesh Patel June 2001 English Literature coursework assignment (Also relating to the 'Tracks' exam) 20th Century Poetry. From the study of the 'tracks' anthology, I will be reviewing six poems by U A Fanthorpe. Fanthorpe is a modern poet. She does not use the traditional approach when writing her poems. Most of them do not rhyme, nor are they arranged in any particular way. They are mainly free form, and some of them are written in a colloquial manner. As you might expect with poems, all her poems are personal to her. They are memories or recollections from her past. She has captured them in text, and have given them the 'Fanthorpe treatment' to make them unusual, gimmicky, and in some cases, humorous. 'Half Past Two' is a typical example of the quirky style of Fanthorpe's poems. This poem seems like a recollection of an event that happened during Fanthorpe's teaching career. She had given a small boy, around 6 years of age, an after school detention until half past two, hence the title. However she forgot all about this detention, and had let the boy go at a later time, than what was arranged. This problem occurred because the little could not yet tell time, therefore did not know when to leave. The gimmick 'kicks in' when the boy describes the phrases of time that he was familiar with: "Gettinguptime, timeyouwereofftime, timetogohometime, Tvtime, timeforemykisstime
By Reference to three poems in the 'Tracks' anthology, discuss how Fanthorpe explores the theme of authority.
By Reference to three poems in the 'Tracks' anthology, discuss how Fanthorpe explores the theme of authority In the poems 'Not My Best Side', 'Reports', and 'You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly', U.A Fanthorpe explores the theme of authority through the often satirical analysis of her observations and experiences within society. Fanthorpe uses her poetry as a way of expressing her feelings and opinions, and we can learn a great deal about her attitudes towards authority by reading and analysing the three poems chosen. Each poem shows a different aspect of the way authority affects people, and it becomes clear when reading the poems Fanthorpe's belief in the ability of power and authority to corrupt people who possess it, and suppress people under it. In the first poem, "Not My Best Side', Fanthorpe uses parody to look at the way people are stereotyped by authority according to their gender or status, and challenges their conventional representation within society. She succeeds in doing so by taking three separate characters (each represented by a different stanza), and giving them very different personalities and characteristics to what typical society would expect, and, indeed, what authority has forced upon them. Fanthorpe used Uccello's painting of St George and the Dragon as a source of inspiration: "I thought it might be interesting to find voices for characters
"Telephone conversation" by Wole Soyinka and "You will be hearing from us shortly" by U A Fanthropeboth deal with discrimination. Compare and contrast the ways each poem deals with this issue.
"Telephone conversation" by Wole Soyinka and "You will be hearing from us shortly" by U A Fanthrope both deal with discrimination. Compare and contrast the ways each poem deals with this issue. In this essay, the two poems that will be discussed are "You will be hearing from us shortly" and "Telephone conversation". "You will be hearing from us shortly" is by U A Fanthrope and "Telephone conversation" is by Wole Soyinka. Wole Soyinka was educated at the University if Ibadan and at the University of Leeds in Great Britain. He became the first African and the first black writer to win a Nobel in literature. U A Fanthrope was born in London and educated at Oxford and became Head of English at the Cheltenham Ladies College for some years. Both poems are based on the theme discrimination but they discuss different types of this issue. "You will be hearing from us shortly" is based on various types of discrimination, including age, appearance, accent, education, background and marital status whereas" Telephone conversation" is about racism, in terms of colour. Discrimination is when you judge a person before you know them. Someone who judges another human being is seen as prejudiced. The categories that will be discussed for each poem are the subject matter, the impression given of each of the characters, the tone, the use of language and the form of the poem. The poem "You
Compare and contrast ‘Hide and Seek’ by Vernon Scannell and ‘Half-past Two’ by U. A. Fanthorpe
Compare and contrast 'Hide and Seek' by Vernon Scannell and 'Half-past Two' by U. A. Fanthorpe 'Hide and Seek' concerns a boy hiding cautiously whilst playing hide and seek with his peers. Gradually, he realises he has been abandoned, and fear overcomes him due to being isolated in the dark surroundings. The tone is incredibly certain and positive at the beginning. However, his confidence gradually fades away as the realisation of his abandonment occurs. The mood is analogous to the tone. At first, we can sense the excitement. This modifies to anxiety and nervousness towards the end. The poet uses language methods to portray the tone. On the first line, exclamation marks are used to show the enthusiasm of the boy. Scannell uses personification and the senses to describe the surrounding atmosphere in a vivid way. Therefore, the reader gets a clearer image. Occasional rhyme is used to add a sense of rhythm to the poem. The poem is one continuous stanza. The dramatic monologue emphasises the unbearable length of waiting time. The child's character speaks directly to you, explaining feeling and thoughts. There are short sentences to build up tension and create stillness. The themes explored in 'Hide and Seek' are childhood experiences, reflection, isolation and abandonment. These themes are also explored in 'Half- past Two'. This poem also explores various other themes such as
How does U.A. Fanthorpe create different personalities within the poems 'Not My Best side' and 'Old Man, Old Man'?
How does U.A.Fanthorpe create different personalities within the poems 'Not My Best side' and 'Old Man, Old Man'? 'Not My Best Side' and 'Old Man, Old Man', both by U.A.Fanthorpe, create different personalities and changes within these throughout the poems. Fanthorpe uses humour, different styles of language, imagery and stereotypes to put her point across. 'Not My Best Side' is based on Uccello's painting from the Renaissance period, of St. George and the Dragon. Fanthorpe has in many ways reversed the personalities portrayed in the picture, and used modern stereotypes to show how hard it is to break out of stereotypes created by society. 'Old Man, Old Man' focuses more on change. It uses the stereotypes of an old man and a successful businessman. A narrator, who can be taken to be the old man's daughter, tells the poem 'Old Man, Old Man'. The poem uses imagery and different poetic techniques to strengthen the imagery and personalities. One of the main techniques used in both poems is enjambment. In 'Not My Best Side' it involves the reader and encourages them to guess what is about to happen. Alternatively, in 'Old Man, Old Man' it creates an element of confusion, giving the reader an in-sight into the old man's feelings. 'Now you ramble / In your talk around London districts, fretting / At how to find your way from Holborn to Soho.' This highlights the confusion an
Look again at the poems "Half-past Two", "Reports" and "Dear Mr. Lee". How does UA Fanthorpe create a sense of character in each poem and what does the reader learn about her view of the education system as presented in these three poems?
Ann-Marie Ahola Look again at the poems "Half-past Two", "Reports" and "Dear Mr. Lee". How does UA Fanthorpe create a sense of character in each poem and what does the reader learn about her view of the education system as presented in these three poems? The three poems analysed in this essay are "Half-past Two", "Dear Mr Lee" and "Reports" all of which are written by UA Fanthorpe. The poems are linked to each other as they refer to the education system. The order of the poems are the least critical of the education system to the most critical. In the first poem I have selected to compare is "Half-past Two". The poem follows the thoughts of a small boy, waiting in a classroom for his teacher to arrive at half-past two. The only problem is that he is unable to tell the time and so is unable to judge at what time he must leave the classroom. The minutes he waits in the classroom for his teacher to arrive, feel like eternity to the boy as he's lost in time. The poem shows the young pupil's routine being broken, as he dreams of being lost in a world of confusion. The beginning of "Half-past Two" begins like a fairytale: "Once upon..." in a child-like tone. The main character in the poem is the little boy. The boy is left to stay behind in the classroom as he'd done "Something Very Wrong". The capitilisation and repetition of the line two lines later, indicates to the reader
How does U.A Fanthorpe express her attitude to our Education system in her poems Half past two, Reports and Dear Mr. Lee?
Amie Bevan 10JB How does U.A Fanthorpe express her attitude to our Education system in her poems Half past two, Reports and Dear Mr. Lee? Ursula Askham Fanthorpe is a modern British poet. She was born in London in 1929 and studied at St Anne's college in Oxford from 1949 to 1953. She then went onto the University Of London Institute Of Education from 1953 to 1954 where she obtained a teaching diploma. Ursula then used this diploma to become an assistant English teacher, and then later 'Head of English' at an all girls' school called 'Independent girls' school' in Gloucestershire. However, this job did not appeal to her all that much. It put her under too much pressure and stress, so she decided to leave in 1972 to go on to work as an admissions clerk. This job was in a hospital in Bristol. She did this job until 1983. In her spare time she started to write poems. By this time she was almost 50 years old and in 1978 she compiled her first collection of poems called Side Effects. From 1983 to 1988 she was involved with St Martin's college, Lancaster and the universities of Newcastle and Durham in the literary field. U.A.Fanthorpe was the first woman ever to be nominated for the post of Oxford Professor of Poetry. In newspaper reviews she has been referred to as 'a national treasure' and as 'a poet of real importance'. Her poetry is 'rooted in the real world and in
W far do you agree with the view that Fanthorpe "offers us new perspectives on the things we take for granted"?
How far do you agree with the view that Fanthorpe "offers us new perspectives on the things we take for granted"? I agree to a great extent with the view that UA Fanthorpe presents the reader a new perception into the things that are so important in our lives but we are seen to be taking advantage of these things. These views are illustrated by Fanthorpe in her collection of poems "Safe as Houses" and two of these poems that tie in with this theory are "The Unprofessionals" and "Water Everywhere". The first poem looks at the event of bereavement after the death of a close person and the time of consoling and supporting the individual through their mourning phase. The poem indicates that the people surrounding you who have come to support you during your bereavement don't have their presence appreciated, as it is expected from them to be there during this time and situation. In the opening stanza of the poem the Fanthorpe describes the moment as "The worst thing" and the use of the superlative adjective demonstrates that the person is going through the worst crisis of their life, in this circumstance the death of a close one and that this tragedy would have a knock on affect through the life of the grief stricken person. "That uproots the future, That you must live for every hour of your future," The author implies that the only way through this situation is letting time
Compare And Contrast "Telephone Conversation" And "You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly"
Compare And Contrast "Telephone Conversation" And "You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly" The two poems "Telephone Conversion" by Wole Soyinka and the poem "You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly" by U A Fanthorpe are both about people being interviewed. In the poem, "You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly" there is a candidate edgily sitting in the interviewing room being humiliated and slowly being pushed into the ground and gradually rejected by the interviewer. The candidate is being humiliated in a private room whilst, in the poem, "Telephone Conversation" there is a student, who has come from Africa and he wants to rent a flat from a landlady. He is talking on a public telephone to the landlady; the landlady is humiliating him even on the phone because of his colour. The student does not like to waste his time so he confesses he is African. He thinks the public are watching his degradation in the street so he is getting embarrassed; all he could see is red, "Red booth. Red pillar - box. Red double tiered Omnibus squelching tar." The poet also uses a metaphor to show he wants to hide in the public phone box although it is in the full view of the public. "Public hide and speak" In the poem, "Telephone Conversation" we can also hear the student's point of view as well as the landlady's but we sympathise with the student. Most times we take the narrators side and we feel
A reviewer of ''Safe as Houses'' claimed that Fanthorpe's poetry is ''rotted in the real world and in ordinary language
April 11 2005 . Anna Carlisle A reviewer of ''Safe as Houses'' claimed that Fanthorpe's poetry is ''rotted in the real world and in ordinary language.'' How far do you agree with this view? Although it would be simplistic to say that all Fanthorpe's poetry is related to the ''real world'', connections certainly can be made in terms of language style and theme that convey everyday life. One of her principal focuses seems to be that of war but never concerning the actual combat: she instead concentrates on the destruction caused on the home front; to the ''ordinary'' people, particularly exploring the influence of war on children. Indeed, her own experience of childhood, one in which she felt she did not ''fit in'' also shapes her poetry, arguably appealing to all her readers who have, most likely, felt out of place at one time or another in their every-day lives. The language used to communicate these ideas is fairly common, rarely in ''traditional'' rhyming couplets and even when taking on the persona of some of the most famous characters in literature, the language she ''gives'' them would not look out of place in our contemporary world. Of course, Fanthorpe is a modern poet, discussing issues that matter to her so it would not be unreasonable to take the view that her poems are ''rotted in the real world.'' Though it is difficult to make a general judgement