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Introduction

Radical Poetry: Speak up! Speak Out!

The Radical Poetry anthology has been designed for a high ability year 11 Advanced class. The theme of the poetry is ‘Radical Poetry’ which, in this anthology, refers to poems where the author portrays a view that is different from or, in conflict with the view of the majority. A high ability year 11 Advanced class will be better able to analyse context, themes, imagery and language in all these poems but especially in the pre 20th Century poems. The poems included in the anthology are radical for a variety of reasons and in a variety of contexts. The focus of the poems include: questioning God, Women’s Rights, Civil Rights, Anti-War and, the destruction of nature.

The purpose of this poetry anthology is to learn about language forms and features but also, explain how context can effect the meaning of the text and as a result how the reader responds to it. Further, students will also be required to find connection between texts based on context, experience and style. The following outcomes in the Preliminary English Advanced syllabus are relevant to the anthology: P1 A students describes and explains the relationship between composer, responder, text and context in particular texts. P2 A student describes and explains relationships among texts P4 A student describes and explains the ways in which language forms and features, and structures of particular texts shape meaning and influence responses. P10 A student analyses and synthesizes information and ideas from a range of texts for a variety of purposes, audiences and contexts.

There are five pre-20th Century poems included in the anthology: //The Slave’s Dream, On the Massacre of Christians in Bulgaria, Women’s Rights, Beat!Beat! Drums!// and, //Lines Written in Early Spring.// The remaining poems were written in various stages throughout the 20th Century. Four out of the five pre 20th Century poems have been matched with a 20th Century poem to show how a theme has changed/ not changed over time. 'On the Massacre of the Christians in Bulgaria' is the only poem that stands alone in its questioning of religion and an almighty God. This poem, is powerful with a definite context and therefore did not need to be paired. There are many connections that can be made between the poems. //The Slave’s Dream, Still I Rise, Blues for Woomera//, and, //Last of his Tribe// are all poems that focus on the mistreatment of a racial minority. //Still I Rise// is different from the other three in its mood. While the other poems are perpetuate a dark, depressed, despondent mood, //Still I Rise// is uplifting and powerful the portrayal of someone who refuses to be trodden down.

//Women’s Rights// and //Caged Bird// are both about women’s rights and demonstrate that women’s rights were still a concern in the 1980’s. While //Women’s Rights// fights for equality, //Caged Bird// focuses on the reality of women’s lives metaphorically as silenced birds. Hence while these poems have a similar theme they portray a different view and mood. As poems about the plight of the minority, these poems could also be compared to the poems about civil rights especially //Still I Rise//.

//Beat! Beat! Drums!// and //Aftermath// are anti-war poems written about the American Civil War and WW1 respectively. They have a similar focus - to question the war and war effort however, the horrors of war are made much more explicit in //Aftermath// which may be related to the context.

Finally, //Lines Written in Spring// and //Life from the Lifeless// are poems that focus on the destruction of nature. the context here is interesting as //Lines Written in Spring// was written in the Romantic period while //Life from the Lifeless// is a 20th Century look at how man is destructing nature.

The connecting theme in this anthology is 'radical poetry' and, as a result, students will be expected to examine the context in which the poem was written to determine why its theme is radical. Further, students will also be required to examine how themes change over time and, provide connections between a variety of poems.

Contents:
 * On the Massacre of Christians in Bulgaria, Oscar Wilde, 1881
 * The Slave’s Dream, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1842
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">Still I Rise, Maya Angelou, 1978
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">Last of His Tribe, Oodgeroo Noonuccal, 1992
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">Blues for Woomera #2, Nick Allen, 2002
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">Women’s Rights, Annie Louise Walker, 1862
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">Caged Bird, Maya Angelou, 1983
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">Beat! Beat! Drums!, Walt Whitman, 1861
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">Aftermath, Siegfried Sassoon, 1919
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">Lines Written in Early Spring, William Wordsworth, 1798
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">Life from the Lifeless, Robinson Jeffers, 1963