1. Poetry – Follower, Seamus Heaney Date:
Objectives
Introduce the poem.
Reinforce the poet the class is already familiar with.
Understand the themes of ‘Nature’ and ‘Celebrating a person’.
Warm –up – picture on next page
Point – reference – explain - 3 sentences on:
‘What do you think of the word follower. Do you follow anyone?’

2. What do you think of the word ‘Follower’. 3 sentences
Warm-up
What do you think of the word ‘Follower’. 3 sentences
Good?
Bad?
Are you a
follower of
anyone?

3. Follower by Seamus Heaney
My father worked with a horse plough, His shoulders globed like a full sail strung Between the shafts and the furrow. The horses strained at his clicking tongue. An expert. He would set the wing And fit the bright-pointed sock. The sod rolled over without breaking. At the headrig, with a single pluck Of reins, the sweating team turned round And back into the land. His eye Narrowed and angled at the ground, Mapping the furrow exactly.
I stumbled in his hobnailed wake, Fell sometimes on the polished sod; Sometimes he rode me on his back Dipping and rising to his plod. I wanted to grow up and plough, To close one eye, stiffen my arm. All I ever did was follow In his broad shadow around the farm. I was a nuisance, tripping, falling, Yapping always. But today It is my father who keeps stumbling Behind me, and will not go away.

4. Follower by Seamus Heaney
My father worked with a horse plough, His shoulders globed like a full sail strung Between the shafts and the furrow. The horses strained at his clicking tongue. An expert. He would set the wing And fit the bright-pointed sock. The sod rolled over without breaking. At the headrig, with a single pluck Of reins, the sweating team turned round And back into the land. His eye Narrowed and angled at the ground, Mapping the furrow exactly.
I stumbled in his hobnailed wake, Fell sometimes on the polished sod; Sometimes he rode me on his back Dipping and rising to his plod. I wanted to grow up and plough, To close one eye, stiffen my arm. All I ever did was follow In his broad shadow around the farm. I was a nuisance, tripping, falling, Yapping always. But today It is my father who keeps stumbling Behind me, and will not go away.
Exercise 1: First Impressions
Having read the poem once, write down one sentence in response and share it.
Try using: I think, I know, I don’t know, I want to know.

5. Follower by Seamus Heaney
My father worked with a horse plough, His shoulders globed like a full sail strung Between the shafts and the furrow. The horses strained at his clicking tongue. An expert. He would set the wing And fit the bright-pointed sock. The sod rolled over without breaking. At the headrig, with a single pluck Of reins, the sweating team turned round And back into the land. His eye Narrowed and angled at the ground, Mapping the furrow exactly.
I stumbled in his hobnailed wake, Fell sometimes on the polished sod; Sometimes he rode me on his back Dipping and rising to his plod. I wanted to grow up and plough, To close one eye, stiffen my arm. All I ever did was follow In his broad shadow around the farm. I was a nuisance, tripping, falling, Yapping always. But today It is my father who keeps stumbling Behind me, and will not go away.
As we write notes of the poem
Underline what is underlined
At the bottom of the slides.
These are the important bits/“quotes”.

6. Notes– stanza one
The poet remembers watching his father work when he was young. This massive man, in the boy’s eyes, is like a boat facing the ocean with the wind blowing at his shirt. He can also command nature with ease.
Question: What compliments are here? He is
Globed: like a globe...
My father worked with a horse plough, His shoulders globed like a full sail strung Between the shafts and the furrow. The horses strained at his clicking tongue.

7. Notes – stanza 2 and 3 these technical terms? Why does the boy know
The boy idolizes and admires his father. He lovingly portrays the skill and ease with which the farmer works. The technical language shows the poet knows the details of this profession.
Why does the boy know
these technical terms?
An expert. He would set the wing And fit the bright-pointed sock. The sod rolled over without breaking. At the headrig, with a single pluck
Of reins, the sweating team turned round And back into the land. His eye Narrowed and angled at the ground, Mapping the furrow exactly.

8. Notes – Stanza 4 and 5
The second half of the poem is different from the first. The focus is on the boy (the poet), and how different he is to his father. He wanted to be a farmer but was a nuisance; often having to be carried home.
Question: What is your image of the boy? Describe him?
I stumbled in his hobnailed wake, Fell sometimes on the polished sod; Sometimes he rode me on his back Dipping and rising to his plod.
I wanted to grow up and plough, To close one eye, stiffen my arm. All I ever did was follow In his broad shadow around the farm.

9. Notes – Stanza 6
The ‘I’ voice of the poet is an adult at the end. He grew up, found his own passion and left his father’s shadow. He became a writer and now has switched positions with his father.
Question: There are two ways to see this
switch: old age and admiration.
Explain?
I was a nuisance, tripping, falling, Yapping always. But today It is my father who keeps stumbling Behind me, and will not go away.

10. Questions: Remember “quotes”.
How was the poet’s father “An expert” farmer? Give two examples.
How was the poet “a nuisance”?
Do you think the poet is happy at the end? Explain.

11. Write it down from memory.
Homework part 2
Learn the first 3 stanzas
My father worked with a horse plough, His shoulders globed like a full sail strung Between the shafts and the furrow. The horses strained at his clicking tongue. An expert. He would set the wing And fit the bright-pointed sock. The sod rolled over without breaking. At the headrig, with a single pluck Of reins, the sweating team turned round And back into the land. His eye Narrowed and angled at the ground, Mapping the furrow exactly.
Read it aloud
Get someone to quiz you.
Write it down from memory.

12. Part 2

13. Will be writing the rhyming scheme on the page abba etc
Poetry – Follower part 2 Date:
Objectives
Examine the poetical techniques of the poem: Rhyme, sound, metaphor, enjambment
Warm –up –on next page
Will be writing the rhyming scheme on the page abba etc

14. Follower by Seamus Heaney Leave homework on table
Warm-up exercise – on sheet
My father worked with a horse plough, His shoulders globed like a full sail strung Between the shafts and the furrow. The horses strained at his clicking tongue. An expert. He would set the wing And fit the bright-pointed sock. The sod rolled over without breaking. At the headrig, with a single pluck Of reins, the sweating team turned round And back into the land. His eye Narrowed and angled at the ground, Mapping the furrow exactly. A
I stumbled in his hobnailed wake, Fell sometimes on the polished sod; Sometimes he rode me on his back Dipping and rising to his plod. I wanted to grow up and plough, To close one eye, stiffen my arm. All I ever did was follow In his broad shadow around the farm. I was a nuisance, tripping, falling, Yapping always. But today It is my father who keeps stumbling Behind me, and will not go away.
Label the rhyming scheme of the poem. Put he letter ‘A’ at the end of the first line. If the word at the end of the following line does not rhyme, put the next letter in the alphabet beside it. B A B C
Leave homework on table

15. Follower Warm-up exercise
My father worked with a horse plough, His shoulders globed like a full sail strung Between the shafts and the furrow. The horses strained at his clicking tongue. An expert. He would set the wing And fit the bright-pointed sock. The sod rolled over without breaking. At the headrig, with a single pluck Of reins, the sweating team turned round And back into the land. His eye Narrowed and angled at the ground, Mapping the furrow exactly.
I stumbled in his hobnailed wake, Fell sometimes on the polished sod; Sometimes he rode me on his back Dipping and rising to his plod. I wanted to grow up and plough, To close one eye, stiffen my arm. All I ever did was follow In his broad shadow around the farm. I was a nuisance, tripping, falling, Yapping always. But today It is my father who keeps stumbling Behind me, and will not go away.

16. Notes – Rhyme
Every stanza is a neat four lines long with a nice rhythm and one full rhyme in it. There is then one half or slant rhyme as well which you trip or ‘stumble’ over. This mirrors the professional farmer and his clumsy son.
Question: How many metaphors could we come up with here if we say the full rhymes are the father and the half rhymes are the son?
Think about the boy’s feelings, his actions, what will or will never be.
My father worked with a horse plough, His shoulders globed like a full sail strung Between the shafts and the furrow. The horses strained at his clicking tongue.

17. Notes – Sounds
‘S’ sound alliteration is called ‘Sibilance’ and mirrors the smoothness and swiftness of the farmer’s work. ‘C’ and ‘K’ sounds are harsh and try to convey the difficult or hard work he does.
Question: Have you heard of the phrase ‘rolls of the tongue’? Can you think of other letters that are smooth or harsh?
My father worked with a horse plough, His shoulders globed like a full sail strung Between the shafts and the furrow. The horses strained at his clicking tongue.

18. Follower by Seamus Heaney Why do poet’s use stanzas do you think?
Quick questions
My father worked with a horse plough, His shoulders globed like a full sail strung Between the shafts and the furrow. The horses strained at his clicking tongue. An expert. He would set the wing And fit the bright-pointed sock. The sod rolled over without breaking. At the headrig, with a single pluck Of reins, the sweating team turned round And back into the land. His eye Narrowed and angled at the ground, Mapping the furrow exactly.
I stumbled in his hobnailed wake, Fell sometimes on the polished sod; Sometimes he rode me on his back Dipping and rising to his plod. I wanted to grow up and plough, To close one eye, stiffen my arm. All I ever did was follow In his broad shadow around the farm. I was a nuisance, tripping, falling, Yapping always. But today It is my father who keeps stumbling Behind me, and will not go away.
Why do poet’s use stanzas do you think?

19. Follower by Seamus Heaney
Quick questions
My father worked with a horse plough, His shoulders globed like a full sail strung Between the shafts and the furrow. The horses strained at his clicking tongue. An expert. He would set the wing And fit the bright-pointed sock. The sod rolled over without breaking. At the headrig, with a single pluck Of reins, the sweating team turned round And back into the land. His eye Narrowed and angled at the ground, Mapping the furrow exactly.
I stumbled in his hobnailed wake, Fell sometimes on the polished sod; Sometimes he rode me on his back Dipping and rising to his plod. I wanted to grow up and plough, To close one eye, stiffen my arm. All I ever did was follow In his broad shadow around the farm. I was a nuisance, tripping, falling, Yapping always. But today It is my father who keeps stumbling Behind me, and will not go away.
There is one example of one stanza running into the other. A sentence continues from one stanza to the other. Where?

20. Notes – Enjambment
Enjambment: the continuation of a sentence into the next stanza. It treats the poem like a memory or conversation. The poet can’t stop telling us how great his father was and so keeps going.
(Small example here – much more in other Heaney poems)
Silly Question: Have you ever had a conversation with exactly four lines each time you speak? Is that possible?
At the headrig, with a single pluck Of reins, the sweating team turned round And back into the land.

21. Notes – Metaphor and Simile
Does anyone know the myth of Atlas?
My father worked with a horse plough, His shoulders globed like a full sail strung Between the shafts and the furrow. The horses strained at his clicking tongue.

22. Notes – Metaphor and Simile
The simile of the boat shows the father’s connection to nature and his strength as
well. The word ‘globed’ could be a reference to the Myth of Atlas, who held up the world on his shoulders or back......
My father worked with a horse plough, His shoulders globed like a full sail strung Between the shafts and the furrow. The horses strained at his clicking tongue.

23. Homework
Copy the poem onto a page. Learn the first three stanzas.
Using two Point –Quote – Explanations (P.Q.E.), talk about two images you found interesting .
(Saying you don’t like it is not an option)

24. Follower by Seamus Heaney
My father worked with a horse plough, His shoulders globed like a full sail strung Between the shafts and the furrow. The horses strained at his clicking tongue. An expert. He would set the wing And fit the bright-pointed sock. The sod rolled over without breaking. At the headrig, with a single pluck Of reins, the sweating team turned round And back into the land. His eye Narrowed and angled at the ground, Mapping the furrow exactly.
I stumbled in his hobnailed wake, Fell sometimes on the polished sod; Sometimes he rode me on his back Dipping and rising to his plod. I wanted to grow up and plough, To close one eye, stiffen my arm. All I ever did was follow In his broad shadow around the farm. I was a nuisance, tripping, falling, Yapping always. But today It is my father who keeps stumbling Behind me, and will not go away.