Starter.

2. Starter. • Throughout the poem, Betjeman is contrasting what the deaf man used to be like with what is happening to his body now that he is dead. The tense changes to reflect this: He liked old City dining-rooms… …now his mouth is wide to let The London clay come in. • Find another example of a contrast between what the man used to be like and what is happening to his body now that he is dead. • The deaf man… • But now…

3. Annotations. He liked old City dining-rooms, Potatoes in their skin, But now his mouth is wide to let The London clay come in.

4. How does the poet feel about... • His father? • Religion? • The prospect of death?

5. There are eight stanzas in the poem. Each of them follows a ABCB rhyme scheme. What do you think this says about the relationship between father and son? • It symbolises how his father’s presence and support was continuous in the poets life. • It indicates the repetitive nature of his father’s life and their relationship – it was solid and predictable. • How does the rhyme scheme emphasize the fond memory and bitter grief. Look at the words which are rhymed. What is the significance?

6. How is the last stanza different from the previous seven stanzas? Consider: • the change of focus (is this stanza still about the deaf man or something else?) • who is being addressed in the final stanza (look at the first line of the last stanza) • tense (is it in the past or present?). • Can you explain these changes? • Why have Betjeman’s reflections on the decaying of the deaf man’s dead body led to the change of focus and address at the end of the poem? • Is the poet now struggling to believe that there is any sort of afterlife?

7. Annotations. You, God, who treat him thus and thus, Say ‘Save his soul and pray.’ You ask me to believe You and I only see decay • Is the final line: • Sarcastic • Nervous • Angry • Mournful • aggressive

8. Find quotes for each of the mind maps. Lighthearted and warm Harsh and gruesome Now, what effect do each of these have? The effect of lighthearted and warm phrases such as.... affect the reader by.... The effect of harsh and gruesome phrases such as.... affect the reader by....

9. Annotations. And when he could not hear me speak He smiled and looked so wise That now I do not like to think Of maggots in his eye. He would have liked to say good-bye, Shake hands with many friends, In Highgate now his finger-bones Stick through his finger-ends.

10. Betjeman refers to the deaf man’s dislike of ‘that place/Which hangs on Highgate Hill’. This is Highgate Cemetery but why do you think he calls it ‘that place’? (Tick which out of a, b or c applies best.) • Betjeman can’t bring himself to write ‘cemetery’ because he can’t bear to think of the deaf man being there. • The description ‘that place/Which hangs on Highgate Hill’ sounds more frightening. • Some other reason. (Explain what this reason is.)

11. Annotations. But least of all he liked that place Which hangs on Highgate Hill Of soaked Carrara-covered earth For Londoners to fill

12. The deaf man in the poem is described as wearing a tie that was ‘discreetly loud’. This is an example of an oxymoron (a figure of speech that combines two usually contradictory ideas). What do you think is the effect of this?

13. Annotations. The kind old face, the egg-shaped head, The tie, discreetly loud, The loosely fitting shooting clothes, A closely fitting shroud.

14. Plenary • Now write a PEE paragraph about the effect of Betjeman’s use of language in this poem. It has been started for you below: P = Betjeman uses language to contrast what the deaf man was like when he was alive with what is happening to his body now he is dead. E= E=