Sixty poems of Pain and Beauty

The holiday season is a great time to read poems on a variety of topics, from nature poems to social commentary. You’ll find thoughts to ponder in ‘Sixty Poems of Pain and Beauty’. It will probably make the best Christmas gift but you might just prefer to keep it.
After purchasing the anthology, feel free to drop me a line letting me know why you appreciate a particular poem. I will be happy to provide you with a free pdf copy of any of my other books, including the original pictorial version of ‘In Assembly and other Poems’ should you choose. Or how about ‘Terror in Bruges’ if you go for the thriller genre? It’s your choice. Enjoy!

My other books include ‘An Assortment of Poetry Genres’ (co-edited with Kehinde Badiru).

Textbooks:
One Beat (TEFL pictorial)
Swan: Pen and Cob (TEFL pictorial)
Le Paysages des Mots (French FLE pictorial)
A Glimpse of Aveyron (French FLE pictorial)
See https://www.languagechoices.com/store/

What kind of poems might you read in ‘Sixty poems of Pain and Beauty’?

Here ‘s one: Prague: winter beggars 

Eclectic shops, river banks,

promenades. 

You stop; you shop. 

One shiny leather bag 

calls your attention.    

It glitters, entices.   

You pause and see

it’s not unlike the city

you’re in.

On the outside, it gleams   

but then wears thin

for those who never made it,

lost within the lining,

who might not be found 

until it’s too late.                  

Yes, look inside your own bag.

Has it been neglected,

gathered all sorts,

suffering in silence

in the bottom of the heap?   

Stained skin in the recess-

a tear in the deep? 

Try turning it

inside out.

Look inside or if you have      

been wise, wear it on your shoulder.

Patent leather, shining bright,

oblivious to the weather

marvellous to the touch,

it can do so much   

to your spirit.

Upset? Take to the square.

Watch the world go by.

Smiles all around;

couples in wait        

beside the gate.

Beside the coats, snug hats, warm hands,

who is it that I see?

One man on his knees.

Could he be begging?      

His eyes plead

towards the sea of faces

flowing, glowing past,

wondering 

how they will spend the     

last few hours in a city made to last.

City of wonders- turn it inside out,

speak of Prague and wonder.

Angie Andrews ©2010

Thank you so much for your custom.

Angele Ann Andrews

Welcome to my Instagram as well as to my website which is being refurbished.

  Please accept my apologies for my absence. Not that I haven’t been productive, but I have been tutoring as well as writing around the clock. Talented author Kenny Badiru and I recently collaborated on an intriguing poetry textbook:

‘An Assortment of Poetry Genres which was taken up by Infinity press. You can order a copy from:

https://www.languagechoices.com/store/An-Assortment-of-Poetry-Genres-Poems-and-Essays-Book-Softcover-p427393619

If you prefer to read psychological thrillers, you might want to pick up a copy of ‘Terror in Bruges’:

https://www.languagechoices.com/store/Terror-in-Bruges-novella-PDF-p435434387

It is also available on Kindle.

The website http://www.languagechoices.com will eventually showcase my photo-story projects. In terms of beauty, photo-poetry books can be stunning as backgrounds such as nature and landscape can be so compelling.

It is a fact, however, that quality coffee table books like ‘In Assembly and Other Poems’ as displayed below can be expensive:

https://www.blurb.co.uk/b/7690891-in-assembly-and-other-poems

That’s why my earlier creations are enabled in full preview. As my primary aim is educational, I am happy to share as much as I can, which is why my books have been freely available in digital form in many schools. Many have asked whether I would put the social poems in ‘In Assembly and Other Poems’ into a chapbook. Why not pick up SIXTY, which is also available on Kindle?

Here’s where you can get Sixty:

https://www.languagechoices.com/store/60-poems-of-pain-and-beauty-PDF-p439025638

You might know that many of my poems are already in distribution in different format (comprehension) within practice papers by educational publishers for 11+/13+.

In the meantime, I invite you to enjoy some of my nature photos on Instagram which I have only recently joined:

https://www.instagram.com/angiephotopoetry/

  The website http://www.languagechoices.com is being redesigned to provide you with the latest resources in French and English. The best news is that my tutees have made it into their chosen schools with flying colours!  

The ‘Villanelle’ lives on by Angèle Ann Andrews

Deliberating on the ‘Villanelle’

The French form of poetry offered in six stanzas known as a ‘villanelle’ is a real challenge when it comes to composing verse. Those who enjoy puzzles and coding will cope beautifully with the mental workout. The whole point of the villanelle is that it has a tight and defined structure whereby repetitions of whole lines are embedded in a poem made up of five tercets and a quatrain. This form would suit a narrative or informative type of poem. A student studying both Poetry and History might enjoy composing a historical narrative to help memorise the facts, so that a villanelle on Henry the Eighth, for example, would suit a double purpose if factual statements are going to be repeated. I have proposed an informative poem on the ‘Black Death’ for the purpose of instruction. 

The villanelle contains 19 lines within a fixed form of 5 tercets and a quatrain.

 It is circulatory in concept, in that the first and third lines of the first stanza will be met again by the reader in the last stanza, in lines 18 and 19. This is not the only repetition:

Line one is repeated in lines 6, 12 and 18.

Line three is repeated in lines 9, 15 and 19. 

Thus, so far so good, the reader will have recognized a pattern. An aspiring poet might choose to plot out a map of how lines 1 and 3 are going to be repeated. The trick is to come up with two strong lines that will have an impact on the rest of the poem. They will also need to rhyme. 

So perhaps one can start with working out the main topic or message in the poem, especially if it is informative. At this point, it might be useful to bullet point key points. For a historical narrative, this will require research, as one needs to put succinctly into poetic form what one will have understood in the broader picture. Take such a topic as the plague for example. One would have to decide which particular plague, era and location one is referring to, for the plague came in waves, has several names and might need to be defined. 

So preliminary notes would summarize the findings of such info, even if most of it is not going to be used in the poem. If the plague itself is the protagonist, then different names for it might turn out to be useful where choices on defined syllables are being made. For example: ‘The plague’ contains two syllables, whilst ‘pestilence’ contains three syllables, as does ‘The Black Death’. Indeed ‘The bubonic plague’ contains five syllables. Referring to it as ‘The Great Mortality’ would allow for six syllables and so on. 

So much consideration needs to go into the flavour of every part of the Villanelle. One must choose an apt adjective from a forest of synonyms. This holds true even for strong verbs calling for impact. In line 8, my poem called for a simile with a ‘banshee’. Will the banshee have ‘keened’ as in howled in a grieving way? Will ‘keened’ throw off the reader who might not be familiar with its meaning or will it enhance the image? Connotations are usually effective as they expand the reader’s experience.

What will your syllable count be like? Will 13 syllables do the trick as with my narrative below? The syllabic verse can be challenging and rather restrictive but equally intriguing.

Decisions, decisions…

This is the craft of the poet.

In any case, regarding the Villanelle, this was my end result after much deliberation:

Black Death

In the fourteenth century, the Black Death dealt a blow.                        A1    

On Asian shores, it boarded trips bound for the Black Sea.                      b

Betraying trade routes, it spread through Europe in full flow.                A2

The Plague killed the lowly, the cultured, those in the know –                  a

quarantined when affected, despite many a plea.                                      b

In the fourteenth century, the Black Death dealt a blow.                         A1

Victims became impoverished; no work meant no dough.                       a

Despair everywhere shrieked through the air like a banshee.                   b

Betraying trade routes, it spread through Europe in full flow.                A2

Holy pilgrimages would later flourish and grow.                                       a

Pilgrims prayed on knees for God to spare their family.                            b

In the fourteenth century, the Black Death dealt a blow.                          A1

Good doers thought they’d go to Heaven; sinners below.                          a

Some saw the plague as God’s mercy, others held a punishment theory.  b

Betraying trade routes, it spread through Europe in full flow.                  A2

Thousands of Londoners would pass away in sorrow                                 a

as the backstabbing Bubonic Plague soared brutally.                                 b

In the fourteenth century, the Black Death dealt a blow.                           A1

Betraying trade routes, it spread through Europe in full flow.                  A2

Angèle Ann Andrews © 2020

Why not have a go at composing your own Villanelle?

Angèle Ann Andrews

http://www.languagechoices.com

Further Reading:

‘Form’ in: ‘The Art of Writing Poetry’ Course: https://www.writersbureau.com/

https://comenr.com/35687-comment-ecrire-une-villanelle/

Chisholm A. 1992, 1997: The Craft of Writing Poetry, Allison & Busby

Peter Sansom 1997: Writing Poems, Bloodaxe

Improve your French; get that 9-1 English grade fast too! New Year Offer code.

Language Choices is in the throes of building a new website which will allow international students to communicate in different languages.

There will be a vast range of resources and links for both French and English studies for children as well as for adults.

In the meantime, French and English KS2,  KS3 and KS4 private tuition can still be enjoyed in  Greater London. This holds good for ‘French for adults’ and ‘English as a foreign language’ too.  However, the geographical location is irrelevant as Skype lessons are proving effective and popular at £280 for 10 lessons with a free half-hour introduction.

Why not book a free half-hour lesson via Skype to see how intensive these lessons actually are?

Email Angèle Andrews: angieannandrews@gmail.com to claim your free lesson quoting WORDPRESSLC2020 (One free half-hour per new student).

The focus this year has been English 11+ up to GCSE with resources outsourced to other educational groups for exam practice papers.

This link will give you an idea about what else we do: https://spark.adobe.com/page/K3bvUypWkhCj1/

So before booking a free Skype lesson you might want to explore Angie’s Poetry books and bookshelf: https://www.blurb.co.uk/b/7690891-in-assembly-and-other-poems
Educational resources are constantly being updated as are original gifts:
http://thackeray.redbubble.com
http://AngieAnnAndrews.redbubble.com

 

http://www.languagechoices.com is under construction. A new and exciting website will soon see students on the path to success in French and English GCSEs.

Are your children preparing English for 11+? Contact us today!

Are you an adult wishing to refresh your French for a new post or for travelling purposes? Contact: angieannandrews@gmail.com

This link will update you in the meantime: https://spark.adobe.com/page/K3bvUypWkhCj1/

‘Guess the location’ by Angèle Ann Andrews www.languagechoices.com angieannandrews@gmail.com (for English 11+ as well as GCSE English and English Literature)

Lotus with creamed rice, dates and syrup. Happy Chinese New Year!

Lady Macbeth Villanelle by Angie Andrews

Quiz on Bordeaux by Angèle Ann Andrews www.languagechoices.com

via Quiz on Bordeaux by Angèle Ann Andrews http://www.languagechoices.com

 

1.Bordeaux is in the South-West of France and administers the Gironde region (department). Which ocean lies to the West of the Gironde?

 

1 a)  Pacific Ocean

1 b)  The English Channel

1 c)  North Sea

1 d)  Atlantic Ocean

 

 2  The GIRONDE county (Le département de Gironde):

 

2 a) The Gironde is the smallest region in France.

2 b) The Gironde covers 10,000 km² and is the largest county in mainland France.

2 c) The Gironde offers free accommodation to returning tourists.

2 d) The Gironde has active volcanoes.

 

3 Landscape: On a coach trip passing through the Bordeaux countryside, what can you expect to see for miles around?

 

3 a) Windmills

3 b) Casinos

3 c) Vineyards

3 d) Castles

 

4 Bordeaux is a UNESCO World Heritage site. What is the name of the port which is renowned for its architectural beauty?

 

4 a) Port of the Sun

4 b) Port of the Stars

4 c) Port of the Sea

4 d) Port of the Moon

 

5 Which river is Bordeaux on?

 

5 a) Danube

5 b) Seine

5 c) Garonne

5 d) Somme

 

6 What is Bordeaux’s most famous Art Museum called?

 

6 a) Musée du Beau Bordeaux

6 b) Musée de la Peinture de Bordeaux

6 c) Musée de l’Art et de la Peinture

6 d) Musée des Beaux Arts

 

7 What does ‘Bordeaux’ rhyme with?

 

7 a)  It rhymes with ‘Bored Ox’.

7 b)  It rhymes with ‘Bored Oaks’

7 c ) It rhymes with ‘Chapeau’

7 d ) It rhymes with ‘Poor dose’

 

8. One of Bordeaux’s attractions is an extensive body of water covering 3,450 square meters. Although only 2 cms deep, it captivates visitors with its beautiful reflections.

What is it called?

 

8 a) Reflections et méditations

8 b) Piscine d’or or Piscine pour enfants.

8 c) Miroir d’eau or Mirroir des Quais.

8 d) La mer de Bordeaux

 

9 Which of the following statements applies to Bordeaux?:

 

9 a)  Bordeaux has been traditionally famous for its beer.

9 b ) Most Bordeaux wines are blended from different grape varieties.

9 c ) Wine tasting is forbidden in Bordeaux.

9 d)  There are no vineyards in Bordeaux.

 

10  Eléonor of Aquitaine, ex-wife of King Louis the VII of France, married Henry Plantagenet in 1152 and would later become Queen of England. Bordeaux had been part of her wedding dowry.

Which King would her English husband become?:

10 a) Henry 11

10 b) Henry 111

10 c) Henry  IV

10  d) Henri VI

 

—————————————————————————————

Answers to Quiz on Bordeaux                                   www.languagechoices.com

1. Bordeaux is in the South-West of France and administers the Gironde region (department). Which ocean lies to the West of the Gironde?

 

 

1 a)  Pacific Ocean

1 b)  The English Channel

1 c)  North Sea

1 d)  Atlantic Ocean   XXXXX

 

 

2 The GIRONDE county (Le départment de Gironde):

 

2 a) The Gironde is the smallest region in France.

2 b) The Gironde covers 10,000 km² and is the largest county in mainland France.   XXXXX

2 c) The Gironde offers free accommodation to returning tourists.

2 d) The Gironde has active volcanoes.

 

 

3 Landscape: On a coach trip passing through the Bordeaux countryside, what can you expect to see for miles around?

 

3 a) Windmills

3 b) Casinos

3 c) Vineyards   XXXXX

3 d) Castles

 

4 Bordeaux is a UNESCO World Heritage site. What is the name of the port which is renowned for its architectural beauty?

 

4 a) Port of the Sun

4 b) Port of the Stars

4 c) Port of the Sea

4 d) Port of the Moon XXXXX

 

 

5 Which river is Bordeaux on?

 

5 a) Danube

5 b) Seine

5 c) Garonne   XXXXX

5 d) Somme

 

6) What is Bordeaux’s most famous Art Museum called?

 

6 a) Musée du Beau Bordeaux

6 b) Musée de la Peinture de Bordeaux

6 c) Musée de l’Art et de la Peinture

6 d) Musée des Beaux Arts     XXXXX

 

 

7 What does ‘Bordeaux’ rhyme with? 

 

7 a)  It rhymes with ‘Bored Ox’.

7 b)  It rhymes with ‘Bored Oaks’

7 c ) It rhymes with ‘Chapeau’   XXXXX

7 d ) It rhymes with ‘Poor dose’

 

8. One of Bordeaux’s attractions is an extensive body of water covering 3,450 square meters. Although only 2 cms deep, it captivates visitors with its beautiful reflections. 

         What is it called?

 

8 a) Reflections et méditations

8 b) Piscine d’or or Piscine pour enfants.

8 c) Miroir d’eau or Mirroir des Quais.    XXXXX

8 d) La mer de Bordeaux

 

 

9 Which of the following statements applies to Bordeaux:

 

9 a)  Bordeaux has been traditionally famous for its beer.

9 b ) Most Bordeaux wines are blended from different grape varieties.  XXXXX

9 c ) Wine tasting is forbidden in Bordeaux.

9 d)  There are no vineyards in Bordeaux.

 

10  Eléonor of Aquitaine, married Henry Plantagenet in 1152 and would later become Queen of England. Bordeaux was part of her wedding dowry. 

Which King would her English husband become?: 

 

10 a) Henry 11   XXXXX

10 b)Henry 111

10 c) Henry  IV

10 d) Henry VI                                                         www.languagechoices.com

 

Reading material:

https://www.bordeaux-tourism.co.uk/Discover-Bordeaux

https://www.encyclopedia.com/places/britain-ireland-france-and-low-countries/french-political-geography/bordeaux

https://www.worldatlas.com/eu/fr/b/where-is-bordeaux.html

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1256

https://www.britannica.com/place/Garonne-River

http://www.musba-bordeaux.fr

http://www.musba-bordeaux.fr/fr/article/expositions-du-musee-des-beaux-arts-de-bordeaux

https://www.33-bordeaux.com

 

 

 

Cantar and Comer in the Past Tense (Spanish Preterite)