Settler:
Someone has been taken into Police
Date: custody for having stolen the below items.
Wednesday, 01
November
2023
Title: Stealing
Learning
Intention: To
be able to infer
information
from a poem
Stealing- by Carol Ann
Duffy
The most unusual thing I ever stole? A snowman.
Midnight. He looked magnificent; a tall, white mute
beneath the winter moon. I wanted him, a mate
with a mind as cold as the slice of ice
within my own brain. I started with the head.
What does the simile tell us
about the character's state of
mind?
Stealing
Better off dead than giving in, not taking
what you want. He weighed a ton; his torso,
frozen stiff, hugged to my chest, a fierce chill
piercing my gut. Part of the thrill was knowing
that children would cry in the morning. Life's tough.
‘hugged to my chest, a fierce chill piercing my gut’-
where is the juxtaposition? Why might it have been
used?
He seems to get enjoyment knowing that someone
would miss the snowman. What line tells us that and
why might this be?
The final two words after the caesura tell us
something about his mood, what?
Stealing
Sometimes I steal things I don't need. I joy-ride cars
to nowhere, break into houses just to have a look.
I'm a mucky ghost, leave a mess, maybe pinch a camera.
I watch my gloved hand twisting the doorknob.
A stranger's bedroom. Mirrors. I sigh like this - Aah.
What is the significance of stealing things
you don’t need. Does it make it ok if you
do need them?
Why might he use the word ‘ghost?’
Why does he sigh when he sees himself in
the mirror?
Stealing
It took some time. Reassembled in the yard,
he didn't look the same. I took a run
and booted him. Again. Again. My breath ripped
out in rags. It seems daft now. Then I was
standing
alone among lumps of snow, sick of the world.
Why might he want to re-erect the snowman in his own
garden? And then he kicks it down, why might this be?
The repetition of the word ‘again’ tells us what about this
narrator? His breath is described as ‘ripped’- what does this
tell us?
The final line changes the tone of the poem- this is called a
volta. Why has it changed?
Stealing
Boredom. Mostly I'm so bored I could eat myself.
One time, I stole a guitar and thought I might
learn to play. I nicked a bust of Shakespeare once,
flogged it, but the snowman was the strangest.
You don't understand a word I'm saying, do you?
What do we learn about the narrator from the first line?
What technique is used to make it seem as though the poet
is talking to someone?
There are examples of informal language used like ‘flogged’
why might this be?
The poet uses a cyclical structure to the poem, why? And
what is the effect?
Inference
Can you describe what you think this criminal
would be like.
Once you have done, you can draw a picture of
them.
E.g. He/ She has short, brown hair and
wears a hat. On his/her arm there is
a scar from where they got into a
fight with a dog. They never smile….
Inference
Write 3 questions you would like to ask the
narrator. Think about what their answers may be.
Make sure that they are open ended questions (so
you cannot just answer them with yes or no.
We will then have a volunteer and do some hot-
seating.
Inference
In groups:
How does Duffy create the idea that the character in the
poem is having a conversation with someone?
Look at the-
Sentence length
Punctuation
Structure
language
Plenary
Let’s watch this animation of the poem.
Does the character in this match the representation you
created through the hot seating/ your explanation or
drawing?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuP8BINVckQ
On the following two slides are two other
activities from other lessons that you could do
with your class.
Chose one of the items that this thief has
stolen and write the diary entry of the
day they stole it.
Thinkabout how you can show how the
character feels through the words that
you use.
Finish for homework.
In pairs…
You are going to rehearse and perform a
dramatic reading of part of the poem.
Note: You can choose up to 6 lines to
read.
DRAMATIC means you need to PERFORM your
lines!
Five minutes to finish your answer
from last lesson…
Model
Point: In Stealing, Carol Ann Duffy presents the
speaker as ….
Evidence: (Suitable embedded quote)
Technique: (Insert poetic device)
Analysis: Discuss effect of quote and technique,
how was Duffy trying to present the speaker? What
meaning can the reader take from this and how
does the speaker make you feel? Any context?
Link: Link your analysis back to your point with a
strong conclusion
PETAL x 2
Q: How does Duffy present the theme of loneliness in
Stealing?
Provide peer feedback to someone (WWW and EBI)
You used a clear point to address the question
You used a relevant and embedded quote
You identified the technique correctly within your poem
You gave deep analysis which even considers context and some of the
ideas Duffy is trying to communicate.
You explained the effect on the reader
You used subject terminology correctly throughout the poem
You made a clear and concise link back to the point
