Learning to be Graphic Through a Poem

My Feathered Friend

There is a perception among many students that there is little or no connection between the learning of Literature and English. On the contrary, however, there is much in Literature that can aid us in learning to communicate better, be it spoken or written. I had developed a curriculum that combined the teaching of English with Literature and conducted research to discover if the combination leads to effective acquisition of language skills. The findings showed marked improvement in students even within a short span of time. It is not surprising since literature gives us an opportunity to learn from the experts, namely the authors and poets who have excelled in the craft.

Let me demonstrate, through the use of poetry, how the selection of appropriate vocabulary can lead to one writing more graphically and expressing one's thoughts more effectively.

My Feathered Friend

By Delfin Pereira

I spied thee, my feathered friend,

Pecking furiously at thy perceived foe,

Thy hard beak pounding at thy reflected self;

It too had its head thrust to the mirrored pane

With its chocolate-hued wings spread from its dark body

And red-rimmed eyes staring, unblinking, unyielding;

Aye, thy foe, postured much like thyself, was ready for battle,

Returning peck for peck with like ferocity, like enmity.

Guiding Questions:

My `feathered friend', with references to being `feathered', and with a `beak' and `wings' would naturally be a bird. 

• Adjectives are used to describe the bird. What are these adjectives and how do they paint a picture of the bird in your mind?

Example: `chocolate-hued (wings)' - one can visualise a bird with wings that are brown (of course, whether the brown is of a dark or light hue depends on how you interpret the `chocolate'.)

• What are the effects of using strong verbs, or action words, such as: 

  
  

  `spied' instead of `saw';

  `pounding' instead of `hitting';

  `thrust' instead of `bent forward';

  `postured' instead of `standing'?

  
  

  Using alternative words that are close in meaning but have subtle differences from some often used words can have a profound effect on the impression that the writer eventually makes on the reader. (You may want to consider expanding your vocabulary in a notebook set aside specifically for this purpose so that you can have these words handy the next time you write to get across a particular impression that you want to make.)

Additional Questions to Guide Your Writing

• What is the feeling that the bird is experiencing? Why is it feeling that way?

  When you answer this question, do keep in mind how the poet conveys this feeling? It is not expressed explicitly. So how does the manner of writing help to convey this feeling?

  
  

• Is the feeling justified?

  Two words gives away whether this feeling is justified or not. What are these words? Again, read the poem and note down how the poet leads the reader to answer that question.

Bonus Questions

• Can the bird's reaction be extended to the human experience? Would some people react in a similar fashion?

• What lesson may we, as humans, derive from the bird's reaction?

Use the above questions as starting points to write your own narrative on the topic,

`What a Folly It Was!'.

Use the following guidelines when you write:

• `Show' what is happening, through use of descriptive words, verbs and adverbs that paint a graphic picture,

• Describe the characters using adjectives and other literary devices such as similes, metaphors and personifications,

• Use strong action words, or verbs, to create impressions of the plot and theme as well as convey the feelings of the characters without actually being explicit about them.

Suggested Answers to some of the questions above will be given in the next post. If you want to learn in greater detail how to write creatively, join either our regular classes with the option to have the classes, online, blended or in-person. You may also consider joining our 3-day workshop on `Creative Writing' during the June holidays.