AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.ppt

8/20/2019 AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.ppt

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Stephen Spender Stephen Spender February 28, 1909–July 16, 1995


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Stephen SpenderStephen Spender (1909-1995)

• English poe , essayis an! "ri er • #rie$ly augh in a s%hool in &e'on

• ro$essor a ni'ersi y *ollege, +on!on• ro$essor E eri us• Fo%us on so%ial in us i%e an! %lass s ruggle in "or.• /ension be "een poe i% lyri%is , ro an i% i!ealis an! a

s rong poli i%al %ons%iousness


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An Elementary SchoolAn Elementary SchoolClassroom in a SlumClassroom in a Slum

ublishe! in ele% e! oe s (196 )


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Background of the poem• ublishe! in 196 - ou s an!ing e a ple o$ poli i%al 'oi%e• E presses his i!eology on go'ern en , e%ono i%s an!

e!u%a ion• 3ri en !uring he *i'il 4igh s o'e en in he • *o en ary on ra%is issues• o%ialis ro%la a ion agains *api alis an! o%ial

in us i%e• /hough #ri ish, his e re e le$ - leaning poli i%al

i!eologies "ere in response o he global ues ion%on%erning so%ial in us i%e

• 7en%e, he poe has a uni'ersal signi$i%an%e


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ThemeThe opening stanza

pro'i!es a %lear, bu !reary !epi% ion o$ he s u!en s in he %lassroo/he $irs %hil! is a all girl "i h :a; "eighe!-!o"n hea! <

is physi%ally an! e o ionally e haus e!,li$e see s o ha'e !re!ge! $ro her bo!y an! sappe! $ro her in!

7er %lass a es are in no be er %on!i ion /he paper- = see ing boy, "i h ra >seyes is paper- hin an! "ea.

eyes are !e$ensi'e an! s%are!, li.e a s%a'enger, a raprospe% $or sur'i'al, le alone su%%ess, is blea.

?no her s u!en , he s un e!, unlu%.y heir = @$ "is e! bones, is he 'i% i o$a gene i% !isor!er - $a her>s gnarle! !isease A

le$ !is$igure!, rappe! in a physi%ally %hallenge! bo!y


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The opening stanza (cont’d)

pen!er hen !es%ribes he boy a ba%. o$ he !i %lass, s a ing, 7is eyesli'e in a !rea

a gli er o$ "ary hope , a shi'er o$ en al !a na ion he is !rea ing o$ a li$e he ay a%hie'e or has los his in! o he s uirrel>sga e

/his 'ague !is in% ion be "een hese "o %on$li% ing in erpre a ionse poses all he s u!en s> $u ures - here is li le or no e pe% a ion ha

hey "ill su%%ee!, an! he bes hey %an hope $or is o .eep heir sani yan! no $all 'i% i o a he reali y

?l erna ely, he boy>s !rea ing eyes ay harbor an hones !esire $or ruesu%%ess /his las boy, unno e!, s"ee an! young, ay un!ers an! hisposi ion in so%ie y an! see he sa!ness o$ his $ello" s u!en s 3i h hisun!ers an!ing, he ay represen hope $or so%ial %hange, ins ea! o$

erely being an in!i'i!ual "ho has los his in!


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The second stanza/he %hil!ren are $ro he lowest class A hey are he %hil!ren o$ he poor

pen!er !es%ribes he %lassroo an! i s %on en s - B is $ull o$ donations < - o$ o hers>%api al /he aps, boo.s, an! ha.espeare>s hea! /hey are ools o hol! he inpla%e , hope $or a be er e is en%e an! also help he es%ape pen!er "ri es,

$or hese*hil!ren, hese "in!o"s, no his ap, heir "orl!,3here all heir $u ure>s pain e! "i h a $og, ? narro" s ree seale! in "i h a lea! s.yFar $ar $ro ri'ers, %apes, an! s ars o$ "or!s

/he !ona ions ay gi'e a gli pse o$ so e "orl! o he s u!en s, bu no o$ heir "orl!/heir "orl! is no pleasan – i is unpleasan Their future is !leak" unknown" anddreary#/he %hil!ren in ?n Ele en ary %hool *lassroo in a lu are rappe! by heir so%ialan! e%ono i% s a us as %hil!ren o$ he ha'e-no s


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The third stanza

pen!er>s %yni%is is a %o en ary on he upper %lass an! heir%ir%u 'en ing a% i%s in he e$$or o hol! a $ir grip on lo"er-%lass %i iCens D

hope $or a be er $u ure ini ia ion in o a "orl! o$ %ri e

/he rue 'i% i s o$ he in us i%e o$ he %lass s ruggleD he %hil!ren

pen!er is a.ing a resoun!ing hu anis s a e en abou he rea en o$%hil!ren in his poe B appears ha he is ore si%.ene! by hu ani y>s!isregar! $or he %hil!ren han by he so%ial an! e%ono i% $ra e"or. ha has!oo e! hese %hil!ren o he slu s


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The fourth stanza

pen!er %o es $ull %ir%le - repla%es %yni%is "i h hope, a plea $or a ne"ani$es o $or he %hil!ren

e i ions he po"ers ha be#egs $or a %hangeFree he %hil!ren

ho" he he "orl! !ire% ly

pen!er $ur her hopes ha he %hil!ren "ill be able o le heir ongues = 4unna.e! in o boo.s he "hi e an! green lea'es open <

pen!er %lai s ha i$ s u!en s are ruly allo"e! $ree e plora ion--na.e!ongues running $reely hrough !ona e! boo.s-- hen heir e!u%a ion an! heirlanguage "ill be%o e he sun burning a"ay he $og ha has seale! heir

$a es an! !oo e! he o ?n Ele en ary %hool *lassroo in a lu


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$istory theirs whose language is the sun

%onsi!ere! in he %on e o$ all ha has gone be$oreD

pen!er has been pi% uring he !rab, !ull !reary li'es o$ he %hil!ren inheir %lassroo - >"here all heir $u ure>s pain e! "i h a $og>

#y "ay o$ %on ras , here is he >es%ape> in o i agina ion, in o ne" >"orl!s>Dhe 'is a o$ >ri'ers> an! >%apes> (pro e% ing asses o$ lan!) in he pos erpi% ures on he "alls > ars o$ "or!s> %on ures up he role o$ li era ureas so e hing > agi%al> li.e he s ars a nigh

/hese s ars are so e i es seen as >bea%ons> or >poin s o$ re$eren%e> "hi%hser'e o sho" us he "ay, bo h li erally e aphori%ally - he >sprin.ling>o$ "or!s on a page "i h ha o$ s ars in he s.y is no e"or hy

pen!er en!s "i h a hope $or a brigh $u ure $or hese %hil!ren


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%oetic Techni&ue

• 7o eri% beginning- lo$ y na ure• Ga ural !es%rip ions- he "a'es in he pi% ure are $as%ina ing bu

also re inis%en o$ he s irrings o$ Ga ionalis in Europe• ?n i he i%al i agery-%on ras be "een he %on!i ion o$ he %hil!ren

an! he sub e% s o$ heir learning• e aphori% erger o$ he %hil!ren "i h he en'iron en in "hi%h

hey li'e• B plie! ues ions

– Bs ha.espeare "i%.e! as "ell as libera ingH – ?re he aps a e p a ion or hope $or a ne" $u ureH

• Es%apis - a su!!en !esire in he las s anCa ha hese %hil!ren "ill be agi%allyrelease! $or bon!age in o $ree!o


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%oetic Techni&ue (cont’d)

Fo%uses on he rigi! %lass !is in% ions in %i'il so%ie yho"s he i pa% o$ %api alis i% !o ina ion

7en%e, heir %lassroo is por raye! e aphori%ally< ? narro" s ree seale! in "i h a lea! s.yI

ho"s he $ailure o$ e!u%a ion o i pro'e he li'es o$ he %hil!ren7ighligh s he pa hos in he poe

En!s on a no e o$ prophe i% hope


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'ur assessment

Bn his poe , pen!er spea.s abou he po'er y an! la%. o$$a%ili ies $or he poor in a anner so as o a"a.en he%ons%ien%e o$ he *api alis rulers in his %oun ry

Bn%i!en ally, he also rea%hes ou o he illions o$ o herrea!ers in "hose %oun ries si ilar si ua ions e is


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Thank you

AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.ppt

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