Glenn+Colquhoun

=Glenn Colquhoun= Find out more about Glenn Colquhoun on Wikipedia. You can read some more of his poems at @http://www.beyond-the-pale.co.uk/backwards.htm.

Bred in South Auckland
"Bred in South Auckland" is about being subjected to negative stereotypes. Colquhoun wants us to accept other people for who they are rather than judging them on cultural stereotypes.

A Dinner Invitation
"A Dinner Invitation" is about a man who wants to ask a woman out, but doesn't have the confidence. Colquhoun wants us to understand how gender stereotypes can be limiting and hold us back.

Writing a poetry essay
You will need to show that you understand the poem - what is it about? However, a poetry essay is more than this - you will also need to show you understand why the poet wrote it. What were they trying to say? What is the theme/message/idea behind it? Finally, you should also show that you understand how the poet conveyed these ideas (through the structure, word choice, and language technqiues in the poem).

Remember the **SEXIST** structure - it is a good checklist to make sure you have covered the important points:
 * Statement** (a clear topic sentence saying what the paragraph will be about - should include key words from the essay topic)
 * Explanation** (explain your ideas in detail, include specific langauge technqiues where relevant)
 * eXample** (quotes from the poem to support your ideas)
 * Intentions** of the author (why he wrote the poem - what he wanted us to learn)
 * Societal** links (what does this poem teach us about New Zealand society? why is it relevant?)
 * Theme** (the message or main idea behind the poem)

Example essay
"Describe an important idea in each poem. Explain why each idea is important."

//**Introduction**// Your introduction must include the **titles** of the poems, the **author**'s name, and the **topic** you are answering. You could also include a brief summary of the poems. For example: //"The poems "Bred in South Auckland" and "A Dinner Invitation", written by Glenn Colquhoun, both contain important ideas about stereotypes. The idea of stereotypes is important because it can affect how people live their lives."//

In the first body paragraph write about the first poem. Begin with a statement that uses key words from the question, for example: //"An __important idea__ in "Bred in South Auckland" is negative stereotypes...".// Remember to answer __both__ parts of the question - explain the idea of stereotypes, and __why it is important__ to learn about this. Support your ideas with quotes from the poem.
 * //First body paragraph//**

//**Second body paragraph**// In the second body paragraph write about the second poem. Follow the same steps you did with the first body paragraph.

Compare and contrast the poems. Although they are both about the same general idea - stereotypes - they are about different kinds of stereotypes, and written in different ways.
 * //Third body paragraph//**

Briefly sum up the main points you have covered in your essay, link them back to the topic.
 * //Conclusion//**