Service Description

Phase 1: 1-to-6. Phase 1 The words of Shakespeare were written to be performed. TS Eliot’s verse was written to be spoken. Auden’s poetry was penned to be presented aloud. So much great literature does not come alive until it moves away from the page. In our 3 week course (Phase 1,2,3), ‘Shakespeare and English Poetry,’ we will explore some of the classics of the English canon as spoken word works. Students often complain that the language of Shakespeare is inaccessible, made obscure by the passage of time. Learning to speak verse helps with the understanding and the enjoyment of his great plays. And it’s not as hard as it sounds! As a former actor and Shakespeare expert, Mark has developed an active approach to teaching Shakespeare and other great writers which focuses on the relationships between the form and meaning. Discover how the rhythm of verse expresses mood or echoes the subject matter; find out how rhyme makes Edward Lear’s nonsense verse funnier, and understand why blank verse enhances ideas and emotions at work in Shakespeare’s plays. Lesson 1: Topic: I know a bank Text:A Midsummer Night's Dream Related concept: Shakespearian comedy Lesson 2: Topic: Animal poems Text: Ted Hughes (collected) Related concept: modern poetry Lesson 3: Topic: Introduction of the Knight and General Prologue Text: Gawain and the Green Knight & The Canterbury Tales Related concept: Mediaeval verse Lesson 4: Topic: Jumblies, Owl and the Pussycat Text: Edward Lear Related concept: comic verse Lesson 5: Topic: Is this a dagger Text: Macbeth Related concept: Shakespearian tragedy

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