Remind yourself of the

poem ‘Blessing’.

What is it about?
 Objectives:
• I understand what TSL

the poem is about

• I know the context Describe language
and structure

of where it is set
• I can pick out
Pick out
details/quotes

evidence to Kno w what the context

is, empathise with the
people

support my ideas
First thoughts, general
idea of what is going on
 E grade = answer in your own words
D grade = add a quote to back it up
C grade = write about what a particular word
makes you think

1. What is the water situation like before the

blessing arrives and how does this affect the
people?
2. What happens when the pipe bursts?
3. How do people react to the water?
 Do you agree?

The structure of “Blessing” uses

“Blessing” is positive
organised and language
controlled.

The poet wants

us to feel really
sorry for the
Why? What’s people in
your Dharavi.
EVIDENCE?
 Objectives:
• I can describe the TS
structure and L

language of Describe
language and
“Blessing” structure

• I can make links Pick out details/quotes

between the
THEME, LANGUAGE Know what the context is,
empathise with the people
and STRUCTURE of
the poem First thoughts, general idea of what is going on
 “Blessing”

Theme

Structure Language
 What ideas is Does the mood
the poem “Blessing” change or stay the
about? What same? What does
mood does it the poet want us to
have? feel for the people?
Theme
Where are
Structure Language all the
How could
positive
we split
Where does words and
the poem How many
the poet use a negative
up? SOUNDS can
list? Why? words?
you find? Why Why?
Why do the stanzas get are there so
longer and with less many? What
punctuation? effect do they
create?
THEME: The theme of the poem is about how
precious water is to the people in the village.
They see it as ...

BLESSING

A gift Something you are

fortunate to receive
 When there is little water the stanza is short.
The skin cracks like a pod. Child for streets around
There never is enough water. Butts in, with pots,
  Brass, copper, aluminium,
Imagine the drip of it, Plastic buckets, When
The small splash, echo Frantic hands, there is
plenty of
In a tin mug,  
water the
The voice of a kindly god. And naked children stanzas
  Screaming in the liquid sun,are longer.
Sometimes, the sudden rush Their highlights polished to
Of fortune. The municipal pipe perfection,
bursts, Flashing light,
Silver crashes to the ground As the blessing sings,
And the flow has found Over their small bones.
A roar of tongues. From the huts,
STRUCTURE: The
A congregation: every man poem represents the
woman
flow of the water
 Think & Share
1. Why is the simile ‘The skin cracks like a pod’ important? What
image does it create in your mind?
2. Why does the poet say the water is ‘the voice of a kindly god’?
3. Why is the water described as a ‘sudden rush of fortune’?
4. Why does the poet say ‘silver crashes to the ground’? Why is
the water compared to silver?
5. What does the word ‘roar’ make you think about? What could
it symbolise?
6. Why does the poet list all the pots the people collect the
water in ‘Brass, copper, aluminium, Plastic buckets, Frantic
hands’? What does this tell us about the water?
The skin cracks like a pod.
There never is enough water.
 
Imagine the drip of it,
The small splash, echo
In a tin mug,
The voice of a kindly god.
 
Sometimes, the sudden rush
Of fortune. The municipal pipe
bursts,
Silver crashes to the ground
And the flow has found
A roar of tongues. From the huts,
A congregation: every man
woman
Child for streets around
Butts in, with pots,
Brass, copper, aluminium,
Plastic buckets,
Frantic hands,
 
And naked children
Screaming in the liquid sun,
Their highlights polished to
perfection,
Flashing light,
As the blessing sings,
Over their small bones.
 What ideas is Does the mood
the poem “Blessing” change or stay the
about? What same? What does
mood does it the poet want us to
have? feel for the people?
Theme
Where are
Structure Language all the
How could
positive
we split
Where does words and
the poem How many
the poet use a negative
up? SOUNDS can
list? Why? words?
you find? Why Why?
Why do the stanzas get are there so
longer and with less many? What
punctuation? effect do they
create?
 T.S.L
Theme Structure Language
1. What is the theme of the poem ‘Blessing’?
– The poem ‘Blessing’ is about ...
– ‘Blessing’ is about ... The mood of the poem is ...
2. What is interesting about the structure used in the poem
‘Blessing’?
– The structure of ‘Blessing’ is interesting because ...
– ‘Blessing’ has an effective structure because ...
– Two things that I think are effective about the structure of
‘Blessing’ are ... because. Also ... because ...
3. How does the poet use language in the poem ‘Blessing’?
– The language used in ‘Blessing’ is negative because .... However
it becomes positive because ...
– The poet uses language to show the reader ...
 Objectives:
• I can describe the TSL

structure and
language of Describe language
and structure

“Blessing”
• I can make links Pick out
details/quotes

between the
THEME, LANGUAGE
Kno w what the context
is, empathise with the
people

and STRUCTURE of
the poem
First thoughts, general
idea of what is going on