Simon Armitage - About His Person

1. Simon Armitage - About His Person

2. Lesson Objective: We are going to explore Simon Armitage’s poem About His Person, discover the poem’s hidden meaning and imagine ourselves in the life of this ‘Person’.

3. Simon Armitage - About His Person Five pounds fifty in change, exactly. A library card on its date of expiry. A postcard, stamped, unwritten, but franked. A pocket-size diary slashed with a pencil from March twenty-fourth to the first of April. A brace of keys for a mortise lock. An analogue watch, self-winding, stopped. A final demand in his own hand. A rolled up note of explanation planted there like a spray carnation, but beheaded. In his fist a shopping list. A giveaway photograph stashed in his wallet, a keepsake banked in the heart of a locket. No gold or silver. But crowning one finger a ring of white unweathered skin. That was everything.

4. About His Person – Simon Armitage Mini Task 1: Write down what you think the poem is about.

5. About His Person – Simon Armitage Mini Task 1: What the poem is about • The poem lists the objects found on the body of a man who has killed himself because his wife has left him. • The poem seems very formal, objective and unemotional; almost like the sort of report a police officer might read at an inquest. • But this list does not tell the whole truth, Simon Armitage leaves that for you to work out.

6. About His Person – Simon Armitage Mini Task 2: What the poem is aboutThe Clues. Write down a list of 10 ‘clues’ from the poem, one from each stanza, that help tell you what it is about.

7. About His Person – Simon Armitage Mini Task 2: What the poem is about - The Clues Five pounds fifty in change, exactly. He has money on him so he has not been mugged. A library card Would have his name so his identity is known. Expired – finished – over . on its date of expiry. A postcard, The picture shows a place where someone (his wife) is staying . unwritten No note on the postcard. Stamped … but franked But it has been sent through the post. diary slashed … from 24th March - 1st April. Nine days crossed out. The days since she left brace of keys Two Keys for the same lock. She has returned her house keys to him. watch, self-winding A watch that is wound by movement. stopped. There has been no movement for at least 12 hours.

8. About His Person – Simon Armitage Mini Task 2: What the poem is about - The Clues A final demand. You must do something (like pay a bill) or else! In his own hand The demand is written by him – it may read ‘come back or……’ note of explanation. A suicide note! Carnation….beheaded A flower worn by men at weddings…..has he cut his throat? In his fist a shopping list  A list of things he must do before he kills himself. giveaway photograph A small photo of his wife. heart of a locket His wife’s heart shaped locket. A love token she has returned. No gold or silver No jewellery. a ring of white unweathered skin A patch of white skin where his wedding ring used to be. That was everything • No it isn’t. There is more to this story than a list of items • found on a body.

9. About His Person – Simon Armitage Mini Task 3 : Key Feature • Write down what you think the Key Feature of the poem is

10. About His Person – Simon Armitage Mini Task 3 : Key Feature • The key technical feature in this poem is imagery. • In the poem, Simon Armitage creates a series of ‘snapshots’ that describe the objects found on this body. • From these objects we are able to piece together the final few days of this tragic life. • Even though Simon Armitage does not describe the man at all, after reading the poem a few times you begin to feel that you do know him. • And all of this is just from a list!

11. About His Person – Simon Armitage How it is written – Form & Structure • The Form of the poem is a list and/or a report.(Form=what type of poem it is.) • The poem is composed of ten rhyming couplets with irregular line lengths, eg. Five pounds fifty in change, exactly. A library card on its date of expiry. A postcard, stamped, unwritten, but franked. • However the last couplet chimes rather than rhymes: a ring of white unweathered skin. That was everything.

12. About His Person – Simon Armitage How it is written – Poetic Devices • The poem also has some alliteration, eg. Five pounds fifty from March twenty-fourth to the first but beheaded • There are also several examples of enjambment, eg. A pocket-size diary slashed with a pencil  from March twenty-fourth to the first of April. A rolled up note of explanation planted there like a spray carnation,  but beheaded. In his fist a shopping list. Because of the rhyme scheme, alliteration and enjambment, this poem has a strong rhythm .

13. About His Person – Simon Armitage Mini Task 4 : Interesting words and phrases Write down two or three examples of words and phrases in the poem you find interesting. Then try to explain what you find interesting about them

14. About His Person – Simon Armitage Mini Task 4 : Interesting words and phrases For me these would be: A postcard, stamped, unwritten, but franked. A pocket-size diary slashedwith a pencil A brace of keys for a mortise lock. An analogue watch, self-winding, stopped. A final demand in his own hand. A rolled up note of explanation a keepsake banked in the heart of a locket. a ringof white unweatheredskin. That was everything. Note : ‘Brace’ means two

15. About His Person – Simon Armitage Your response to the poem – The task. • Write the diary entries for this man for Wednesday March 24th to Thursday 1st April. • Remember to use the clues to help you write your entries and try to show how the emotional pressure has built up on this man so that he feels his only way out is to take his own life. • Some crisis points to consider are: • The postcard • The keys • His demand • The Locket • The shopping list • The ring