DESCRIPTION ANALYSIS

Here are two paragraphs. Which one is descriptive and which one is description? Which of these two paragraphs is better than the other one?

1

Heaney creates strong vivid pictures in his poetry. One way he creates strong visual images is by using the senses. In the poem Blackberry-Picking Heaney describes the blackberries, their
'...flesh was sweet
Like thickened wine: summer's blood was in it'
In this quote Heaney says the blackberries were very tasty and compares them to drinking wine. He makes the blackberries seem nice and attractive and alive.

2

Heaney creates strong vivid pictures in his poetry. One way he creates strong visual images is by using the senses. In the poem Blackberry-Picking Heaney describes the blackberries, their
'...flesh was sweet
Like thickened wine: summer's blood was in it'
The noun 'sweet' makes the blackberries pleasing to taste. And references to 'flesh', and 'blood' gives us the impression of the blackberries being a living body or organism. 'Blood' is associated with the colour red with connotations of passion and lust. The metaphorical 'summer's blood' has connotations of vitality and energy.

AS LL- PRODUCTION TASK BASICS

THE BASICS

·         ELLA 1: 1 hour 30 minutes

·         You are advised to spend 50 minutes on the production task.

·         There are 45 marks for the production task

·         Only clean copies of the text can be used in the exam 

TIMING

TIME	ACTIVITY
10-15	Plan
25-30	Write
10-15	Edit

AUIDENCE AND PURPOSE

Read the question carefully. You will need to consider audience[s], purpose[s] and genre in your answer.

SOME FORMATS

FORMAT

Diary

Letter

Report

Script

NARRATIVE VOICE

	FEATURE
Spoken / Written	Stanley / Mitch - Use of abbreviations, elision and ellipsis, poor grammar structure, restricted lexis, use of Americanisms – Mitch uses a forced register – lexis and syntax   Stella – highly articulate/ calm, rational, plain, down to earth, simple, formal   Blanche – extreme/highly emotive/exaggerated language, rhetorical devises, highly articulate   Doctor / nurse – Professional, middle class, formal, factual, detached
Register	Formal / Informal
Lexis	God damn, honey lamb, honey – dear, I guess, Sure,

CONTEXT AND EMBEDDED FEATURES

PLACE NAMES		·         SYMBOLS
Four Deuces Bourbon The Quarter Elysian Fields	Cathedral The French Quarter	Moth Dark Light The trunk	bowling shirt The blue piano The Polka

ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVES

AO 4 You will need to show creativity in using language appropriately for a variety of purposes and audiences, and show an understanding of different types of writing. (30 marks)

AO 1 You will need to show accuracy and coherence in your written expression. (15 marks)

AS LL - STREETCAR EXAMPLE PRODUCTION TEXT & COMMENTARY

Text and Commentary

[In Eunice’s apartment]

Blanche: I can’t go in there right now. He’s all over her. [1]It’s disgusting. That animal!

Eunice: That’s alright honey! Can I get you anything, [2]water? A glass of milk? Or something?

Blanche: Thank you. [3]I’m so rattled, my nerves are all shot right now. I don’t suppose you have any liquor around the place do you? [4]I hardly touch the stuff.

Eunice: Yes of course I’ve got some of Steve’s whisky. That should calm you.[Blanche reaches out for the bottle [5]with both hands – slightly shaking]

Blanche: Thank you for your[6] kindness. [7]I’ll just take one little nip for medicinal purposes, nothing else. I had a drink [8]earlier in the evening but that’s worn off now. And besides this has been such a shock. [9]I’ve never seen such behaviour in a man before…drunk and violent and so passionate. [10]I don’t know how she can bare to spend a moment with him. There must be something I can for her, especially in her condition. Did you know Stella was pregnant?

Commentary Notes
[1]Blanche articulates her feelings about Stanley. She will use this attitude and this lexis to Stella in the next scene.

[2]Eunice considers Blanche of a higher refined class. She suggests drinks that she imagines a woman of that class might drink.

[3]Blanche’s nerves are a recurrent motif through the play. She uses alcohol and bathing as a way of soothing her nerves. Refer to Sc 1, 2, 3, 5, 7.

[4]Echoes Stanley’s comment in Sc 1. But also supports what Blanche says to Stella in Sc 1 about alcohol. It also shows Blanche to be a liar.

[5]The stage direction shows Blanche’s eagerness or desperation for the bottle. It also highlights her nervousness. It may link to Blanche’s clumsiness – almost dropping a bottle in Sc 5 where Stella has to help Blanche.

[6]Kindness is a key word in the play. She uses it to describe Mitch’s behaviour to her in Sc 3 and Blanche uses it again in the final words at the end of the play.

[7]See the note on [4]

[8] Refers to the opening of Sc 3 the conversation between Stella and Blanche.

[9]She has seen men like this before at the hotel Flamingo referred to in Sc 5 and Sc 10
[10] Blanche is beginning to rehearse with Eunice the speech she is going to make to Stella in Sc 4

AS LL - STREETCAR - EXAMPLE EXTRACT PRODUCTION TASK

Imagine a brief dialogue between Eunice and Blanche at the end of Scene Three where Blanche returns to Eunice’s after her conversation with Mitch. Stella has returned to the apartment with Stanley.

[In Eunice’s apartment]
Blanche: I can’t go in there right now. He’s all over her. It’s disgusting. That animal!

Eunice: That’s alright honey! Can I get you anything, water? A glass of milk? Or something?

Blanche: Thank you. I’m so rattled, my nerves are all shot right now. I don’t suppose you have any liquor around the place do you? I hardly touch the stuff.

Eunice: Yes of course I’ve got some of Steve’s whisky. That should calm you.

[Blanche reaches out for the bottle with both hands – slightly shaking]
Blanche: Thank you for your kindness. I’ll just take one little nip for medicinal purposes, nothing else. I had a drink earlier in the evening but that’s worn off now. And besides this has been such a shock. I’ve never seen such behaviour in a man before…drunk and violent and so passionate. I don’t know how she can bare to spend a moment with him. There must be something I can do to her, especially in her condition. Did you know Stella was pregnant?

AS LITERATURE COURSEWORK EXAMPLE ESSAYS AND COMMENTARIES

Click here for a link to read examples of coursework essays and moderated comments.

But be aware that I will remove this post before the Christmas holidays and I do not advise you to read all this material. Instead be selective, read extracts, read the moderators comments on essays.

For students writing the 2000 word coursework essay there is one essay that uses Equus. It is therefore absolutely vital that you do not plagiarise any aspect of this essay. Make absolutely sure you do not quote or adapt any quotations from the essay. And make sure any ideas you use in your essay are completely thought through by you independently before you use them.

Click here for a link to a post about plagiarism.

I'll use selected essays and extracts from this website in class. This will be a guided reading of the material that will prove more helpful I think.

AS LL- PRODUCTION QUESTION FORMATS

Here are some general formats and key features for the production task question. These are quite popular formats so it will be good getting into the habbit ofm reading examples of different kinds of writing.

Click here for a link to the Guardian online. This website is full of different kinds of writing formats.

FORMAT	KEY FEATURES	AUDIENCE PURPOSE REGISTER
Letter	Salutation - greeting Main body – declaratives, may use interrogatives as a way of presenting a relationship Concluding comment	Could be personal /formal Could be persuasive / informative/entertaining / instructional Could be general / specific group / named
Diary	·         Personal writing / extended diary may be journal Probably simple lexis, may contain non standard grammar Will use descriptive, reflective, declaratives ·         May use imperatives and exclamatives	·         Usually private and confidential ·         Informal register – may use short hand ·         Audience is personal Probably to inform / entertain / advise /instruct / reflection on past experience or episode. Maybe used to express anger and feel better
Script	·         Include two contrasting speakers – duologue – one main speaker and one minor speaker – minor speaker function to trigger the main speaker’s discourse. Offer questions. Short exclamatives that needs a response. could be just one speaker – monologue. ·         The duologue should contain a thesis and a counter idea. ·         Use appropriate layout. Name of speaker, followed by spoken text. Should use minimal stage directions – maximum of two.	·         Will be informative / entertaining / could be persuasive, exclamative or imperative

 

 

A2 LITERATURE - AN EXHIBITION - THE RIVALS & THE SONGS

 Georgians Revealed

Life, Style and the Making of Modern Britain

8 November 2013 - 11 March 2014

Click here for a link to this interesting  and relevant exhibition at the British Library on the social and historical context of The Rivals and Songs of Innocence and Experience.

A2 LITERATURE - SOME KING LEAR ESSAY QUESTIONS

Some questions on King Lear

1‘King Lear is “a very foolish, fond old man” who deserves everything he gets.’

How far do you agree with this statement.


2 ‘Things fall apart the centre cannot hold’

In the light of this statement consider how does order break down in Britain during the course of the play? Who is to blame?

3‘Tigers not daughters’

Explore the role and presentation of women in the play King Lear.


4 ‘Loyalty is the state or quality of being faithful to one’s commitments or obligations.’

Examine the role of Kent in the light of this assertion.

5 ‘King Lear is a play in which two worlds fight and a new world is created.’

Discuss this statement in the light of the play.

6 King Lear is a play concerned with the making of heroes. Consider this statement by exploring the dramatic effects of the play.

AS LL - STREETCAR - ANALYSIS EXAMPLE QUESTIONS

There are 30 marks available for this task. You have 40 minutes to plan, answer and edit your essay style answer. this question in the exam

These are the two assessment objectives you will be marked on for this task.

AO1 (Marks out of 15)

Select and apply relevant concepts and approaches from integrated linguistic & literary study, using appropriate terminology and accurate, coherent written expression

AO2 (Marks out of 15)

Demonstrate detailed critical understanding in analysing ways in which structure, form and language shape meanings in a range of spoken and written texts

1 Explore how Williams portrays the relationship between Stella and Stanley.

In your answer you should consider:

• Williams’s language choices
• dramatic techniques.

2 How does Williams present the relationship between Blanche and Mitch?

In your answer you should consider

• Williams’s language choices
• dramatic techniques.

3 How does Williams portray Stanley in Scenes 10 and 11?

In your answer you should consider:

• Williams’s language choices
• dramatic techniques.

4 How does Williams present Blanche’s fantasy and delusion?

Choose two or three extracts to explore in detail.

In your answer you should consider:

• Williams’s language choices
• dramatic techniques

5 How does Williams present Blanche’s desire?

Choose two or three extracts to explore in detail.

• Williams’s language choices
• dramatic techniques.

6 How does Williams present male characters?

Choose two or three extracts to explore in detail.

• Williams’s language choices
• dramatic techniques

AS LL - STREETCAR - PRODUCTION EXAMPLE QUESTIONS

There are 45 marks available for this task. You will have 50 minutes to read, plan, write and edit this question in the exam.

You will be assessed under the following AO’s.

AO4 (Marks out of 30)

Demonstrate expertise and creativity in using language appropriately for a variety of purposes and audiences, drawing on insights from linguistic and literary studies

AO1 (Marks out of 15)

Select and apply relevant concepts and approaches from integrated linguistic and literary study, using appropriate terminology and accurate, coherent written expression


1 Imagine that the Doctor in scene 11 has written a report after his first consultation with Blanche. Write an extract from this report in which the doctor writes about Blanche’s state of mind and the events that have lead to this meeting.

Give careful consideration to the language choices, form and style in order to convey a sense of the doctor’s voice and Blanche’s situation.


2 Imagine the meeting between Shep Huntley and Blanche that she describes in scene 4. Write an extract of the dialogue between them where Blanche reveals her situation in Laurel.

Give careful consideration to the language choices, form and style in order to convey a sense of the doctor’s voice and Blanche’s situation.


3 Imagine that Stella has written a diary during the time Blanche has stayed with her and Stanley. Write an extract from her diary describing key events during Blanche’s stay.

Give careful consideration to the language choices, form and style in order to convey a sense of Stella’s voice and her point of view.


4 Imagine that Mitch returns home and talks with his mother before the events of Scene 6, (where he and Blanche reveal their feelings to one another). Write the dialogue between Mitch and his mother, in which Mitch tells his mother about Blanche.

Give careful consideration to your language choices, form and style, in order to convey a sense of Mitch’s voice. You should use dramatic dialogue form.

5 Imagine a conversation between Steve and Eunice after their night out with Stanley and Stella at the end of scene 5. Their dialogue should discuss the relationship between Stanley and Stella and Blanche’s impact on them.

You should write up the dialogue as an extra scene in the play.

Give careful consideration to your language choices, form and style, in order to convey a sense of Mitch’s voice. You should use dramatic dialogue form.

6 Imagine that Blanche writes to Shep Huntleigh after Mitch has left at the end of Scene 9 and before she has had too much to drink. Write this letter, in which she explains her problems and asks Shep to help her.

You should give careful consideration to your language choices and style, which should achieve a sense of Blanche’s voice.

Click here for a link to writing a formal letter

Here are some basic tips for writing a diary - this comes from a website for young people starting out on writing a diary so it may seem a bit odd but it has some good points.

Diaries are great ways to keep track of your past and think about your future. You can make predictions about what will happen and see if they come true, and you can see how you changed over time, and read over memories, having a few laughs. Anyone can write a diary.

Write about how you feel and why you feel that way. You can write about any celebration or disaster that happened that day. Or you can write freely. Put your pen to the page and write whatever is on your mind. Write cool facts, important information, advice, tips, ideas, crafts, recipes, anything you want to keep secret...the list goes on and on.

Describe how it went and do not leave out any detail. If you wanted the day to go better, write how and why. If you have a special grudge against somebody, have no fear in expressing it. Move on to the afternoon, then the evening and finally the night. Always say good night in the end and promise to tell more later.

Click here for a link to writing a script. There is far too much on this site so you should read it selecting relevant information to your purpose.

AS LL- SPIES - SOME BACKGROUND

Here are a few video clips to help with background to Spies by Michael Frayn

Click here for a link to a brief video clip of the London Blitz

Click here for a link to a brief news reel article about the Battle of Britain 

Click here for a link to a brief news reel bradcast about Dunkirk

Click here for a short film depicting the dunkirk beach in 1941

Here are some front covers of novels by Enid Blighton. She wrote childhood adventure stories in the 1940's.

AS LITERATURE -JANE EYRE - PRESENTATIONS - HISTORICAL CONTEXT

We are about to start studying Jane Eyre in class. In preparation for this you need to re-read chapters 1 - 4. We will be discussing the plot, narrative voice, the character of Jane as a child, the presentation of the Reed family, the significance of setting and identifying key themes and writing style.

We will also be studying the historical context of the novel. In preparation for this you will all be giving short 3 - 5 minute presentations in pairs over the next few weeks - after the first draft deadline for the 1000 word essay.

Below is a list of topics and when we meet on either - Thursday [the group I share with Stephen] or Friday [the group I share with Jamie] I'll put you into groups and give dates for the presentations.

Jane Eyre was first published in 1847.

Biography of Charlotte Bronte - her life, her family, where she lived and her work

The Victorian Era

• Wealth and Poverty
• National Politics
• International Politics
• Role of Women
• Education
• Religion

A2 LITERATURE - SOME LINKS FOR BLAKE & THE RIVALS

Click here for a link to a BBC website that has some introductory analysis and some readings from Songs of Innocence and Experience.

Click here for a really good BBC documentary by Simon Scharma about the Romantic period and the ideas and attitudes that underpinned this volatile period of Britain's history.

Click here for a link to the exam board with helpful articles on Songs of Innocence and Experience. This is material published by the exam board and is therefore essential reading for the course. The exam board will expect you to know this material and use it where relevant.

Click here for a link to the exam board with helpful articles on The Rivals. This is material published by the exam board and is therefore essential reading for the course. The exam board will expect you to know this material and use it where relevant.

AS LITERATURE - 1000 WORD ESSAY - AN ANALYTICAL PARAGRAPH

Here is an example analytical paragraph based on a Hughes poem written in the 1950's. Click here for a link to the poem.

1 Make a point
Write one simple and straightforward point relevant to your overall topic
Hughes describes nature as a powerful force.

2 Expand on point
Write a more complex sentence that engages with the specific poem / extract in relation to the essay title.

In the poem The Horses Hughes writes about the dramatic scene at sunrise

3 Introduce quote
Introduce the quotation you are just about to use. One way to do this is by referring to the immediate context of the quote. This is your opportunity to summerise or describe the poem.

where he stumbles across a group of horses on Dartmoor he sees the sun

3 Evidence
Quote no more than a word or phrase. Be very selective. Choose quotations that you can write a lot about.

‘Then the sun
Orange, red, red erupted’
4 General point
Show how the quotation addresses the point made at the opening of the paragraph

The dawn is presented as an act of apocalyptic violence that appears to affect the whole earth.
5 Literary points
Comment on a literary feature or features expressed through the quotation.

Hughes uses colours associated with the element of fire. Connotations of the colour ‘red’ include blood, danger and destruction. The noun is repeated to help give emphasis. The verb ‘erupted’ is associated with volcanoes, one of the most violent and destructive forces of nature on the planet.
6 Effect on reader
Comment on the effect the poetic techniques used in the quotation have on you / us as readers of the poem.

We are drawn to the bright colours, they are dynamic and interesting. And this contrasts strongly with the ‘black’ and ‘grey’ earlier in the poem.
7 Further literary points
It’s clear from the quotation that Hughes is describing a dramatic event and he is awed by this experience. His description of the sunrise supports these feelings.
The syntax in the quotation is also fragmented and broken that suggests something explosive.
The Paragraph

Hughes describes nature as a powerful force. An example of this power can be seen In the poem The Horses where he describe the sun rising.
‘Then the sun
Orange, red, red erupted’
The dawn is presented as an act of apocalyptic violence that appears to affect the whole earth. Hughes uses colours associated with the element of fire. Connotations of the colour ‘red’ include blood, danger and destruction. The noun is repeated to help give emphasis. The verb ‘erupted’ is associated with volcanoes, one of the most violent and destructive forces of nature on the planet. We are drawn to the bright colours, they are dynamic and interesting. And this contrasts strongly with the ‘black’ and ‘grey’ earlier in the poem. It’s clear from the quotation that Hughes is describing a dramatic event and he is awed by this experience. His description of the sunrise supports these feelings. The syntax in the quotation is also fragmented and broken that suggests something explosive.

AS LITERATURE - 1000 WORD ESSAY - SOME NOTES ON PLANNING AND WRITING THE ESSAY

Once you have chosen your essay title and the poem you are going to write about you should read the essay title over several times and consider what it is asking you to do. You should pay special attention to key words and phrases in the essay title and define these words and phrases for yourself. You should also jot down words associated or linked to these words. Consider such words as ‘relationships’, ‘setting’, ‘presentation’, ‘character and ‘conflict’ – or whatever words are used in your title.

Secondly you should be reading and re-reading the poem and the extract you have chosen. Read it slowly with a pencil in your hand and note down any observations, thoughts ideas that you consider relevant to your understanding of the poem / extract. Read it aloud. Whisper it! Read it to friends, parents, siblings. Each time you read the poem / extract imagine it is the first time you have read it. Each time you read it imagine it is the one hundredth time you have read it. What meanings does it offer you? Note them down.

To help you do this work, refer back to the questions and the handout attached to the anthology. And all the annotations and notes you have already made.

Try and do this work in one or two extended sittings when you are comfortable, have plenty of time, are not tired, not hungry and not stressed – especially about time or deadlines. You should do this now rather than later.

Thirdly as you read the poem / extract you should allow the essay title and all your ideas connected to it fill your mind. Think about how the different parts of the poem can be used to link to the different parts of the essay title. Annotate a clean copy of the poem; underlining words and phrases and jot down notes identifying a literary feature and the effect on you as a reader. Also consider other poems we have studied and note how they are similar or different to the poem you have chosen.

Fourthly - the plan this is an opportunity for you to write all the ideas you are going to include in your essay in a logical and coherent text. By doing this you will be able to concentrate on the craft of writing rather than having to think of new things to include. On a separate sheet of paper draw up a list of bullet points. Each bullet point will eventually become a paragraph. Each bullet point should include a main point, a brief quotation – no more than a word or a phrase – and a series of comments specifically about the quotation and how it links to the essay title. Most comments should include a language/literary feature* and its effect on a reader. Comment on the attitudes toward the subject of the poem, definitions and connotations, links to other similar poems studied and the context of the quotation.

"Craft of writing" means - focus on your choice of lexis, sentence structure and general writing style.

Write the bullet points in the order of how they appear in the poem. Do not think about word limits. Be as open as you can to the poem.

Try and do this work in one or two extended sittings when you are comfortable, have plenty of time, are not tired, not hungry and not stressed – especially about time or deadlines.

Fifthly when you have gone through the whole poem and made perhaps fifteen or twenty bullet points you will have a unique overview of the poem. You can see at a glance the whole poem and all your thoughts about it. Now is the time to write an introduction. This will include a short statement about the poem and how it relates to the essay title you are writing on.  You could briefly list some of the main poetic techniques Hughes uses to present the topic of your essay. You could refer to one or two other poems by Hughes that we have studied to show how similar of different these poems are to your essay poem.

There should be no quotations in your introduction.

Sixthly you are now ready to write the main body of the essay. One way to structure the essay is to write up a paragraph in the order you have written them in your notes. Another way is by writing the paragraphs in the order you think is most important. Put the most important point first and the second most important point last. As you write each paragraph cross out the bullet point linked to it. Another way could be to divide the title up into sections and structure your essay around each section of the title.

Remember you are not saying anything new. You have written everything you want to write in your bullet point plan.

Make a real effort to express your ideas as simply, concisely and as clearly as you can.

If you write a paragraph for every bullet point you have made the chances are your essay will be over 2000 words long. Therefore you should be selective. Choose the most important bullet points to write about.

Write a brief concluding statement. It could be an interesting insight about the poem that might not be strictly relevant to the essay title but you find interesting, or a summary of what Hughes has tried to do in the poem.  Or link it back to the essay title.

Therefore you should select only the most important bullet points to write up. But have one or two paragraphs spared in case you need them later.

Seventh - you must write your essay using a formal academic register. That means write words out in full - no contractions or abbreviations, write full sentences and complete all paragraphs. These should be blocked paragraphs. Like this post.Use technical terms - use the table of literary / poetic features elsewhere on this blog. Don't write cliches, don't use slang or colloquial expressions, don't use metaphorical language, don't write hackneyed expressions. Don't refer to "me" or "I" instead refer to "the reader", "we" or "our".

Finally you must edit the essay. Try and make each paragraph link to the one before it and the one after it. I expect your essay will be far too long. So read it over again and again. Make it concise, cut out secondary points, avoid repetitions and make sure sentences and paragraphs are accurate. Do they make sense and are they grammatical, spelt correctly, use relevant and appropriate terminology? Do they use a formal academic register?

Try and do this work in one or two extended sittings when you are comfortable, not tired, not hungry and not stressed – especially about time or deadlines.

When you have done all that then you are ready to hand in your first draft. Remember I will be arranging one to one interviews with each of you. You can arrange a meeting with me after college and you can email paragraphs for me to check before you hand in the first draft.

All the best with it

David [david[dot]loffman[at]rutc[dot]ac[dot]uk]

Make sure your draft includes your name, title of the essay, list any books or Internet resources you have used to write your essay, the word count including quotations and the word count excluding quotations.

AS LITERATURE - 1000 WORDS - NEXT WEEK LESSONS

On Monday 11 November at 10.15 - the lesson I share with Stephen and 1.50 - the lesson I share with Jamie I will conduct 1:1 interviews with each of you.

Between now and Monday's lesson you must identify one essay title from the list published to write your essay on, choose a poem and extract you are going to write your essay on and finally make and show me some brief notes in preparation for your essay.

In the week beginning 18 November I will want to see a detailed plan for the 1000 word essay.

AS LITERATURE - AN EXAMPLE 1000 WORD ESSAY

With close reference to up to 40 lines of verse, analyse how Hughes presents animal life.

Click here for a link to the poem this essay is written about

The poem Otter is a good example of the way Hughes depicts animal life. His motivation is to present the natural world as powerful and vivid. He does this by writing unromantic and unsentimental poems which present animals as raw and natural. Hughes is a conservationist. He values the natural world especially at a time of growing urbanisation after the Second World War.

Otherness is one of the ways Hughes presents the otter. This is established in the first stanza where the otter is described as ‘neither fish nor beast’. It is being described by what it is not. The use of assonance helps create emphasis and is pleasing to the ear.

The otter is presented as exiled, yearning for a home that no longer exists. The simile ‘like a king in hiding’ expresses this strongly. There are biblical connotations in this image. The connotations of ‘king’ bring up many thoughts of the otter as heroic and powerful. But these are undermined by the verb ‘hiding’ that links the king and to ideas of weakness and defeat. The Otter is presented as an ancient creature that once inhabited England but has become exiled and deposed by humans.

One important way Hughes presents animal life is to identify the animals with one of the four elements. For example the horses and the jaguar are linked to the earth. However the Otter is connected to water. In the opening phrase of the poem Hughes writes of the otter’s ‘Underwater eyes,…’ . This shows how the animal’s eyes are adapted to water and therefore emphasises the otter’s oneness and connectedness to this element. It seems perfectly at home here. [This is similar to the presentation of the pike. Both creatures belong to water. The pond Hughes fishes in is as ‘deep as England’ and Hughes sees the otter as a ‘legend of himself’. There is something elemental and eternal in these creatures.]

The next phrase of the poem develops this connection with water by comparing the otter to

‘an eel’s

oil of water body’.

This is a strong sensuous image that appeals to the sense of touch. Here Hughes focuses on the texture and the colour of the otter. The noun ‘oil’ is a dense fluid and may appear part solid in its gluppiness. The senses are another very important way in which Hughes presents animals. The otter is presented as elusive and hard to identify. This is also emphasised with the use of the colour black and also the reference to the otter’s metaphorically ‘melting’ back into the water in the second stanza. But the comparison to an eel makes the otter strange. Like otters, eels are mysterious creatures. For example they look like snakes but live in the sea.

Perhaps the line that most identifies the otter as linked to water comes in the first stanza where it is described with ‘webbed feet and long ruddering tail’. The premodifying adjective ‘webbed’ and verb ‘ruddering’ clearly link the otter to a water environment. Webbed feet are useful on land and in water. ‘Ruddering’ is a strong and powerful verb that Hughes has made up himself. He has turned a noun into a verb and this makes it stand out and interesting to readers. The strong and repeated consonants ‘r’ and plosive‘d’ help create this strength. The verb is also part of the lexical field of boats and boating. Hughes is using adjectives to really give detail to the portrait he is creating.

The otter is also presented as a victim in relation to the world of humans. In the second stanza Hughes presents the otter surviving ‘hounds and vermin-poles’. This is probably a reference to game keeping. A game keeper is usually a man that manages areas of land for breeding deer or fowl for hunting. Dogs are used to hunt unwanted animals described here as ‘vermin’. The word ‘vermin’ is often associated with pests who are animals that carry disease. By using the word ‘vermin’, readers can associate the otter to the way society generally perceives them – as pests to be destroyed.

The otter also appears out of place in the human world. Although it can ‘gallop’ over fields which presents the otter as well adapted to living on land. It’s described as ‘Walloping up roads’, the verb ‘walloping’ suggests clumsiness and awkwardness on the flat tarmac of a road. The word also reminds us of the word ‘gallops’ used earlier in the poem. It rhymes with the latter word but this is juxtaposed here. The word is now a rather old fashioned word that means hit or strike. It has connotations of violence and therefore perhaps reflects the power and strength of the otter.

Physical strength is another way Hughes presents the otter. At the end of the poem Hughes describes the otter having a ‘Big trout muscle’ and a heart ‘beat thick’ the trout is a British fresh water fish able to withstand the problems of surviving an English winter. The penultimate image of the otter is of an animal that can
‘take stolen hold
On a bitch otter in a field full
Of nervous horses,’
The image here is of a ruthless, instinct driven creature. It’s an unattractive and aggressive picture full of life and strength and fertility. And it takes risks. What helps create this strong picture is the assonance of ‘stolen hold’, ‘otter’ and ‘horse'. This phonetic technique creates a strong harmony and this helps reinforce the image. Secondly the use of alliteration in ‘field full’ also helps generate a powerful picture of the otter.

However these vivid images of life are strongly contrasted with the final two line image of ‘reverts to nothing at all,/ To this long pelt over the back of a chair.’ This image presents the otter as dead and transformed into a thing used by humans. The word ‘pelt’ means the fur of the otter. The context has also changed from the wild outdoor setting to a domestic one. In this final image the otter is identified and reduced to its human value. This reminds us of the poem View of a Pig by Hughes. As in this poem Hughes contrasts the living pig full of movement and sound, reducing it to its constituent parts tallow and lard.

But even in this final image of death the otter remains hidden, strange and unknown.

About 988 words excluding quotations