What do you predict that the poem is going to be about?

Conscientious ObjectorConscientious Objector

Learning Objective: To evaluate the effect of personification in the poem on the reader

What is the meaning of this poster?

Who is it aimed towards?

Why is it effective?

Imagine...Imagine...

To whom it may concern,

Her Majesty’s Government has stated

that all able-bodied men and women,

below the age of forty-five, must join

the armed forces.

You will be sent to fight in our current

conflicts.

Unless you have an outstanding reason,

you must report for battle training

within the next week.

Yours faithfully,

Minister of Defence

How would you react to receiving this letter?

What reasons could you give that would mean you

wouldn’t have to fight?

Why might people disagree strongly with being forced

to fight in a war?

Congratulations! Congratulations!

You are now a You are now a conscientious conscientious

objector!objector!

Conscientious ObjectorConscientious Objector• Conscientious objectors are people who object to participating in wars for either moral or religious reasons

• During the two world war’s, many men were imprisoned and some even sentenced to death for refusing to fight in the British Army.

• The poem we are going to lookat today is written from the point of view of a conscientiousobjector.

PersonificationPersonification

• One of the key devices used in this poem is personification.

• What is personification?

• Which of these sentences are examples of personification?

The sea raced up the beach.The sea raced up the beach.

The angry shoulders of the The angry shoulders of the mountain raged.mountain raged.

He was swallowed by the He was swallowed by the enormous armchair.enormous armchair.

The plants grew like wildfire.The plants grew like wildfire.

The gate creaked in the wind.The gate creaked in the wind.

Reading the poemReading the poem

• As we read through the poem, annotate any examples of personification that you hear.

• What is being personified?

I shall die, but that is all that I shall do for death.

I hear him leading his horse out of the stall; I hear the clatter on the barn-floor.He is in haste; he has business in Cuba, business in the Balkans, many calls to make in the morning. But I will not hold the bridle while he cinches the girth.And he may mount by himself; I will not give him a leg up.

Though he flick my shoulders with his whip, I will not tell him which way the fox ran.With his hoof on my breast, I will not tell him where the black boy hides in the swamp.I shall die, but that is all that I shall do for death; I am not on his pay-roll.

I will not tell him the whereabouts of my friends nor of my enemies either.Though he promises me much, I will not map him the route to any man’s door.

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What is

personified?

Paired WorkPaired Work• Look at lines 4-7.

• In your pairs, try to deduce how the port uses the personification of Death to show the role of the conscientious objector.

• What does death do in the poem which is intimidating? What might these images represent?

• Be ready to feedback your ideas to the class.

Themes and IdeasThemes and Ideas

• Look at lines 3, 6 and 7.

• Where does death ‘Have business’?The Cuban war of independence and the Balkan War were both major conflicts during

the poet’s life.

Themes and IdeasThemes and Ideas• The poet also references two other ideas in the

poem.

• Why did she include these? What message is she trying to send?

• Ext: What is the effect of repeating the first line of the poem in line eight?

Independent WritingIndependent Writing

• Write a paragraph in response to the following question.

How does the poet create a voice and persona to convey the idea of conscience in the poem?

• You should refer to...– The personification of death– The use of first-person narration– The image of death as a horseman

Finally...Finally...

• Is it right that people should be allowed to refuse to fight for their country?

• Vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on your post-it, along with a reason for your vote.