ACTIVITY 1 Poetic license and Zephaniah's use of language Seldom is students experience with poetry positive.

At school, poetry classes often entail deciphering what the great poets have said in concise, elliptic and often archaic language. Therefore, it is not surprising that students often turn to prose. However, young people are immersed in a poetic environment nowadays. Rock lyrics, folk songs, childrens rhymes, jingles and football chants are good proof of how alive poetry is, though few teachers or students would be willing to include them within the field of poetry. Shouldnt poems be written in appropriate language? Shouldnt they be the expression of beautiful and elevated thought? In view of the type of poetry hes written, a definite no would be Benjamin Zephaniahs answer. According to my mood is a good example of this. According to my mood I have poetic license, i WriTe thE way i waNt. i drop my full stops where i like.. MY CAPITAL LetteRs go where i liKE, i order from MY PEN, i verse the way i like (i do my spelling write) According to My Mood. i Have poetic license, i put my commers where i like,,((())). (((my brackets are write(( I REPEAT WHen i likE. i cant go rong. i look and i. c. Its rite. i Repeat when i liKE. I have poetic license! dont question me???? from City Psalms The poems layout isnt what we equate with conventional poetry. Zephaniah is evidently aiming at surprising his readers by showing them something different from what they expected. He has resorted to defamiliarising the text by modifying our habitual perceptions and expectations of what a poem should look like. Procedure After asking students to read According to my mood silently and then aloud in class you may wish to discuss the points below with them: 1 Though its true that poets have traditionally taken greater liberties than prose writers in the handling of language, Zephaniah here seems to have run the gamut of poetic licenses1. Which liberties has he taken regarding spelling, capital letters and punctuation? Whats the effect of these instances of poetic irreverence on the reader? The tone of the poem is evidently humorous, however, its purpose isnt banal. In it, Zephaniah is making a provocative statement on his aim as a poet. Pick out the many repetitions of words and sentences in the poem and discuss what the poet wishes to emphasise by means of this device.

British Council Argentina - Words on Words

Zephaniah not only plays with typeface and punctuation in this poem; he also seems to have a relish for wordplay, as can be seen in his use of write and rite for right. Why is the punning1 (the play on words) so apt?

British Council Argentina - Words on Words