Enclosed within this document, contains a full mark response example for AQA English Literature unseen poetry (24 marks) included is an annotated poem.
GIVE Due to this being the title, we can infer that this is Armitage’s complete candid message.
Simon Armitage
Of all the public places, dear rhyming couplet within “dear” and “here” suggests that the narrators soliloquy is articulate and sharp,
perhaps inferring that the narrator does not fit the societal image of a homeless person
to make a scene, I’ve chosen here.
Of all the doorways in the world
to choose to sleep, I’ve chosen yours. In this stanza we detect sarcasm, inferring that the narrator is mocking the person’s ignorance.
I’m on the street, under the stars.
For coppers I can dance or sing. “Coppers” could be a reference to police, inferring he “dances” or does what police demands him,
For silver-swallow swords, eat fire.
For gold-escape from locks and chains. “Locks and chains” infers that the homeless feel locked up and deserted by the public.
It’s not as if I’m holding out
for frankincense or myrrh, just change. The word “Change” Infers the poet is calling for social change that supports the homeless.
You give me tea. That’s big of you.
I’m on my knees. I beg of you. Repetition of the “you” infers that it is “you” that can make change, and it is “you” who must take
responsibility.
Paragraph 1 (opening) Within the poem “give” by Simon Armitage, we see time and time again how
Armitage uses his platform to be able to write in a compassionate manner in order to create
discussion on some of the country’s largest social problems, such as PTSD in “remains” but more
importantly, homelessness in “give”.
At the beginning of the poem, we can see from the quote “give” that from the very beginning,
Armitage makes it his ambition to have us “give” our sympathy, compassion, but more importantly
comforts and food for those more in need, its also important to recognise that due to this being the
title, this is the largest word on the page, meaning that even if one was to just glance at the poem
and not read it, they would see the message “give” which truly shows Armitage’s motives for this
poem are absolutely candid. We also see from the title “give” that Armitage is using simplistic
language in order to allow readers of any age to be able to grasp the surface level message that all
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