The writer ciaran carson is trying to tell us as readers about his horrfic expericence in which he went through in the conflict of the northern troubles. Three page analyses on imagery the use of imagery is one of the most commonly used techniques in poetry. Context belfast confetti ccea gcse english literature. Ciaran carson drew belfast better than anyone i ever read. He is a strong presence in his sons literary output. Ciaran carson, poet, novelist and musician, was born in belfast, northern ireland in 1948. Belfast confetti ciaran carson power and conflict poetry. We looked at the poems the behaviour of dogs and flying to belfast, we looked at the poems the behaviour of dogs and flying to belfast we looked at the poems the behaviour of dogs and flying to belfast, 1977 by craig raine. William carson, a postman and irishlanguage aficionado. In belfast confetti, the city is continually dissected, revised and reworked, not the static and enclosed place it may appear on the surface. The book club click to join in the discussion about this months book, harvesting by lisa harding most read in culture 1 why radioheads the bends is the worst great album of all time. Once serving as peacekeeping measures, they are now, in a postgood friday agreement northern ireland, popular tourist locations. He is an accomplished musician as well as a poet and novelist.
He was bestowed with the alice hunt bartlett award for the irish for no 1987, and has also won the irish times irish literature prize for poetry for belfast confetti. Sample question belfast confetti ccea gcse english. This is effective because exclamation marks suggest surprise or fear. Cousin kate is a narrative poem about two cousins who both fall in love with the same man. His collection belfast confetti was an analysis of the troubles in belfast but already, even in that book, the way that he wrote about the dislocations in both geography and language as a result of the troubles had much wider resonances. The following entry presents an overview of carsons works through 2003. Ciaran carsons belfast confetti raining exclamation marks. The poems in this selection are turn again and belfast confetti. Suddenly as the riot squad moved in, it was raining exclamation marks, nuts, bolts, nails, carkeys. This teaching resource is made up of a powerpoint analysis of the poem belfast confetti by ciaran carson and an accompanying booklet of 5 worksheets. Belfast confetti read by ciaran carson aqa conflict. Gail mcconnell publishes poetry and literary criticism and is senior.
Belfast confetti is a poem about the aftermath of a sectarian riot in belfast, by northern irish poet and translator. With ciaran carson reading in boston and athens, ga this week, we thought it might be fun to share one of our carson favorites, belfast confetti. A native disoriented by home is a theme that echoes throughout the book and is represented by. What is the summary of the story the bicycle be dash benhur. The name of the poem derives from the nickname for the large shipbuilding rivets and other scrap metal that were used as missiles by protestant shipyard workers during anticatholic riots in belfast. This poem is like watching the livescene after the riot between the shipyard workers, who were the protestants, and the catholics. In much of his poetry he has a project of sociological scope. Discovering jesus why four gospels to portray one person. I was trying to complete a sentence in my head, but it kept stuttering all. Belfast confetti poem summary and analysis litcharts. Analysis of belfast confetti by ciaran carson j brierley. This gcse resource is great for both revision and teaching.
A revision video analysing belfast confetti by ciaran carson using flirts for the aqa gcse literature exam. Part two of the irish for no was called belfast confetti and this idea expanded to become his next book. Here is an analysis and summary of ciaran carsons poem belfast confetti, looking at the historical context, poetic form and structure. Belfast is a small city, but its demarcated by almost 100 peace walls that separate catholic and protestant areas. Gcse poetry belfast confetti annotations by ellen booth. Look again at this poem, and at one other poem from the identity anthology which also deals with the theme of identity.
In the essay intelligence, which ends the middle section of his fourth book of poems, belfast confetti 1989, ciaran carson identifies the city of belfast with the utilitarian philosopher jeremy benthams panopticon, a model reform prison composed of individual cells equally visible from a central tower, which bentham described in a 1791 work of the same name. Belfast confetti suddenly as the riot squad moved in, it was raining exclamation marks, nuts, bolts, nails, carkeys. The highpressure contents of this book are compressed into an enigmatic and exhilarating pattern of reflections and events. Belfast confetti teaching resource for ks4, gcse lessons. A copy is mounted above the desk where we work at the press and i glance up at it while typing, editing, and occasionally gazing off into space.
In many ways, the poems in this volume are most directly in dialogue with carsons two collections from the 1980s, the irish for no and belfast confetti. This is clearly signaled in the second poem in the book, home, which depicts the poet returning to belfast from the airport. Complete analysis of belfast confetti by ciaran carson. Belfast confetti suddenly as the riot squad moved in it was raining exclamation marks, nuts, bolts, nails, carkeys. The title of the poem represents conflict as the simple objects falling such as the nuts and the bolts which are the aftermath of the explosion. Belfast confetti a poem by ciaran carson the road to. His subjects include the permeable boundaries of belfast neighborhoods, of memory, of public and private fear, and, indeed, of the forms of language and art. For though the lines are long, as they were in belfast confetti, first language and many other books, they are broken anew broken with intention. These represent confetti, but the irony is that confetti is used at a time of celebration and not war. Ciaran carsons belfast confetti is one of my favorite poems.
Analysis of the right word by imtiaz dharker youtube. It includes an indepth analysis of the poem as well as the basic context, themes and language. Those who have perfected this art let us see exactly what they see in their minds. Little reference is made to the content or themes of the text. It helps, but is not entirely necessary, to know that belfast confetti was metal detritus from the shipyards. Analysis of belfast confetti the most striking element of belfast confetti is the way carson uses the idea of punctuation within this scene of violence and confusion.
Belfast confetti by ciaran carson analysis using smile. Eliot prize and the forward prize for best poetry collection for breaking news in 2003. From here you may follow many paths, all of which we hope will offer you some stimulus. Belfast confetti by ciaran carson deals with the theme of identity as story. He has authored and edited several books, including discovering jesus, from paradise to the promised land, new dictionary of biblical theology, and dictionary of the old testament. This piece begins with an answer and ends with a question. Analysis of belfast confetti by ciaran carson duration. Nuts, bolts, nails, carkeys depict the scrap metals used as weapons by the protestants.
Born and brought up in belfast, northern ireland, he writes both poetry and prose, which is often heavily influenced by his irish roots. Representations of belfast in poetry a city build upon mud, a culture built upon profit belfast poetry. The narrator describes herself as an innocent young woman, who didnt know she was beautiful until a lord told her so and took her to his palace. Aqa english literature gcse poetry anthology contemporary conflict poetry posted on november 24, 2011 by emma lee ive finally finished my second e book which you can get on kindle you can buy it to read on your pc, so you dont need a kindle to read it or any kind of ereader. The two books are much the same, presenting a fable of community, of west belfast. You have reached the edutronic, a sprawling online community dedicated to the enlivenment of secondary education. He is a musician and has published last nights fun, a book about irish traditional music. Whether you be a fellow teacher, a student, a parent. Representations of belfast in poetry culture northern. I am reminded, now, of leonardos advice to painters. He graduated from queens university, belfast, and worked for the arts council of northern ireland until 1998. Analysis of belfast confetti by ciaran carson youtube. Alexander phd, the queens university of belfast is senior lecturer in biblical studies and director of postgraduate studies at union theological college in belfast.
Suddenly as the riot squad moved in it was raining exclamation marksnuts bolts nails carkeys. Belfast confetti poem by ciaran carson poem hunter. Ive got a couple of essays to stick in to show you how they might look and i need to finish my analysis of belfast confetti before moving on to poppies and the simon armitage extract about 911. Belfast confetti is set in northern ireland during the troubles of the 1960s. The poem won the irish times irish literature prize for poetry. Fully differentiated lesson to support the teaching of belfast confetti. Suddenly as the riot squad moved in it was raining exclamation marks, nuts, bolts, nails, car keys. Dealing, like many belfast poems, with the subject of the troubles, belfast confetti captures the futility of language in the face of such absolute chaos. For example, after an explosion, it begins raining exclamation marks. Their words flow off the page to appeal to our senses. Belfast confetti gcse english language and english. Belfast confetti ciaran carson ciaran carson was born in belfast, the capital city of northern ireland, in 1948. Carsons very name may embody a crosscultural project ciaran is catholic, carson is protestant. Ciaran carsons belfast confetti raining exclamation marks ciaran carsons belfast confetti is one of my favorite poems.
He held the position of traditional arts officer of the arts council of northern ireland from 1975 to 1998 and was appointed director of the seamus heaney centre for poetry at queens university in 2003. Poets create an image in ones mind through descriptive language, similes, and rhythm. Head over to our website to gain access to over revision videos and over 200 model exam answer responses for gcse and alevel. Belfast confetti, ciaran carsons third book of poetry, weaves together in a carefully sequenced volume prose pieces, long poems, lyrics, and haiku. Exclamation marks depict the screaming voices of people, who were being ruthlessly killed during the riot. I was trying to complete a sentence in my head, but it kept stuttering. Belfast confetti by ciaran carson poem analysis, gcse. You should fix your eyes, he says, on certain walls stained with damp. You will see in these the likenesses of divine landscapes, adorned with mountains, ruins, rocks, extensive plains. The bloodweary souls in belfast whose fate it is to cover the. As the city was turned upsidedown by the political unrest, so, too, was the poem. Belfast confetti a poem by ciaran carson suddenly as the riot squad moved in, it was raining exclamation marks, nuts, bolts, nails, car keys.