• Quick note - the problem with Youtube videos not embedding on the forum appears to have been fixed, thanks to ZiprHead. If you do still see problems let me know.

Knife crime poetry censorship

Professor Yaffle

Butterbeans and Breadcrumbs
Professor Yaffle
Joined
Jan 31, 2007
Messages
17,746
Location
Emily's shop
Do you think this poem is suitable for study in school (age 15-16)? Why or why not?

Education For Leisure by Carol Ann Duffy
Today I am going to kill something. Anything.
I have had enough of being ignored and today
I am going to play God. It is an ordinary day,
a sort of grey with boredom stirring in the streets.
I squash a fly against the window with my thumb.
We did that at school. Shakespeare. It was in
another language and now the fly is in another language.
I breathe out talent on the glass to write my name.
I am a genius. I could be anything at all, with half
the chance. But today I am going to change the world.
Something’s world. The cat avoids me. The cat
knows I am a genius, and has hidden itself.
I pour the goldfish down the bog. I pull the chain.
I see that it is good. The budgie is panicking.
Once a fortnight, I walk the two miles into town
for signing on. They don’t appreciate my autograph.
There is nothing left to kill. I dial the radio
and tell the man he’s talking to a superstar.
He cuts me off. I get our bread-knife and go out.
The pavements glitter suddenly. I touch your arm.
​
Click to expand...

For background, see the following pages:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7594566.stm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/sep/04/gcses.english

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/sep/06/gcses.poetry.carol.ann.duffy

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/sep/06/poetry.gcses
​
 
Last edited:
Its an okay poem. Unnecessarily provocative and an attempt at looking into the mind of a sociopath to be but I'm not into such poetry. I don't think its all that profound except to make the reader uncomfortable.

Why should it be studied?...don't know. It's not that good a poem but it could lead to discussion into homicidal and sociopathic tendencies.
Why shouldn't it be studied? Because its not that good a poem.

But then its all a matter of taste isn't it?
 
I think it should be removed as Carol Anne Duffy is one of the worst poets known to mankind.
I had to do My Love is Like an Onion for GCSE. Pure unadulterated drivel.
 
It's good enough, I think, and the age group you mentioned has seen far worse on TV.

It's accessible enough for kids, and maybe that's the reason it's studied. To me, it doesn't go any deeper than the corners of the page, but maybe I'm missing the point. Got an ending that tries to engage the reader.

So, it's a teaching poem like "The Red Wheelbarrow" instead of a great poem.

so much depends
upon

a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens.
 
Last edited:
I see that it is good. The budgie is panicking.
Click to expand...

:eek:


Seriously, I don't think it would actually incite anyone to violence who wasn't already on the edge and looking for an excuse, but I think they could find better poems to teach.

ETA: This springs to mind.
 
Last edited:
It's similar to so much that is on TV. Somewhat violent and mediocre. But as LL says, there is no evidence that any of it would incite anyone to violent acts that weren't already looking to do so.

It IS a pretty dreadfull poem and that alone might cause someone to commit violence!
 
I've never "got" most poetry myself, so I can't really judge it's artistic merits. Someone must like her poetry though as she keeps being touted as the next Poet Laureate. But I was really more interested in the fact that it has been removed from an exam syllabus because of complaints about the subject matter. Why aren't they complaining about a whole host of Shakespeare plays which contain violence? Is it because the poem is more contemporary, so they think the kids will be more influenced?

Perhaps I should have put this in the Education forum, or the Social Issues and Current Affairs one?

This is one of a few blog posts which highlights my concerns:

http://digitalcuttlefish.blogspot.com/2008/09/eeew-you-got-real-life-in-my-poetry.html
 
Last edited:
Professor Yaffle said:
I've never "got" most poetry myself, so I can't really judge it's artistic merits. Someone must like her poetry though as she keeps being touted as the next Poet Laureate. But I was really more interested in the fact that it has been removed from an exam syllabus because of complaints about the subject matter. Why aren't they complaining about a whole host of Shakespeare plays which contain violence? Is it because the poem is more contemporary, so they think the kids will be more influenced?
Click to expand...

More that there is only one Shakespeare but an unreasonably large number of poems in english.

But then I would argue that Shakespeare should be acted not analyised.
 
It's for an English examination not one in social studies or something similar so given the vast number of poems available for study I can't see that it matters which ones they are asked to study.
 
Darat said:
It's for an English examination not one in social studies or something similar so given the vast number of poems available for study I can't see that it matters which ones they are asked to study.
Click to expand...

I disagree. I think it is preferable for students to look at superior poetry rather than mediocre.
 
LibraryLady said:
I disagree. I think it is preferable for students to look at superior poetry rather than mediocre.
Click to expand...

Are you suggesting that there is nothing to learn from "how not to do it" examples?
 
Darat said:
Does not compute! "Superior poetry" Isn't that an oxymoron?
Click to expand...

Okay, you're not a poetry person, I get that. But I am very much a poetry person and yes, it makes a difference. It is not an oxymoron.

Example of oxymoron: Kindly forum administrator.

:boxedin:

geni said:
Are you suggesting that there is nothing to learn from "how not to do it" examples?
Click to expand...

If they are taking a poetry writing class, then maybe. But if they are learning to read and appreciate poetry, no.
 
LibraryLady said:
If they are taking a poetry writing class, then maybe. But if they are learning to read and appreciate poetry, no.
Click to expand...

If you don't know what bad poety is how can appreciate good poetry.
 
I don't believe the average teenager is mature enough to read this poem dispassionately without allowing emotion to overtake critical analysis. It's also just an awful, awful poem.
 
Loss Leader said:
I don't believe the average teenager is mature enough to read this poem dispassionately without allowing emotion to overtake critical analysis. It's also just an awful, awful poem.
Click to expand...


Show me a 15 year old who's capable of critical analyiss of any poem.

At that tender age, they can't interpret Edgar "It takes a heap of livin' to make a house a home" Guest. The best you can hope for is to give them something where the emotions are ou there for them to react to. Maybe ten years later they'll be able to analyze it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom