1. What do you predict that the poem
is going to be about?
2. Conscientious Objector
Learning Objective: To evaluate the
effect of personification in the
poem on the reader
What is the meaning of this poster?
Who is it aimed towards?
Why is it effective?
3. Imagine...
oncern,
T o w ho m it may c
rnment ha
s stated How would you react to
ty’s Gove men,
Her Majes en and wo in
that all ab
le-bodied
m
, must jo receiving this letter?
age o f forty-five
below the
forces.
t he armed
r current What reasons could you
e sent to fight in ou
You will b
conflicts. give that would mean you
reason,
o utstanding wouldn’t have to fight?
u have an training
Unless yo for battle
report
you must
ext week.
w ithin the n
fully,
Why might people disagree
Yours faith
strongly with being forced
f Defence
Minister o to fight in a war?
4. C o n g r a t u la t io n s !
Yo u a r e n o w a
c o n s c ie n t io u s
o b je c t o r !
5. Conscientious Objector
• Conscientious objectors are people who object to participating
in wars for either moral or religious reasons
• During the two world war’s, many men were imprisoned and
some even sentenced to death for refusing to fight in the British
Army.
• The poem we are going to look
at today is written from the
point of view of a conscientious
objector.
6. Personification
• One of the key devices
used in this poem is
personification.
• What is personification?
• Which of these
sentences are examples
of personification?
12. Reading the poem
• As we read through the poem, annotate any
examples of personification that you hear.
• What is being personified?
13. I shall die, but that is all that I shall do for death.
I hear him leading his horse out of the stall; I hear
the clatter on the barn-floor.
He is in haste; he has business in Cuba, business in the
Balkans, many calls to make in the morning.
But I will not hold the bridle while he cinches the girth.
5
is ?
And he may mount by himself; I will not give him a leg
up.
h ifat ied
W n
Though he flick my shoulders with his whip, I will not
so
tell him which way the fox ran.
er that I shall do for death; I am
With his hoof on my breast, I will not tell him where the
p
black boy hides in the swamp.
I shall die, but that is all
not on his pay-roll.
I will not tell him the whereabouts of my friends nor of
10 my enemies either.
Though he promises me much, I will not map him the
route to any man’s door.
14. Paired Work
• Look at lines 4-7.
• In your pairs, try to deduce how
the port uses the personification of
Death to show the role of the
conscientious objector.
• What does death do in the poem
which is intimidating? What might
these images represent?
• Be ready to feedback your ideas to
the class.
15. Themes and Ideas
• Look at lines 3, 6 and 7.
• Where does death Cuban war of
The ‘Have business’?
independence and the
Balkan War were both
major conflicts during
the poet’s life.
16. Themes and Ideas
• The poet also references two other ideas in the
poem.
• Why did she include these? What message is
she trying to send?
• Ext: What is the effect of repeating the first line
of the poem in line eight?
17. Independent Writing
• Write a paragraph in response to the following
question.
How does the poet create a voice and persona to
convey the idea of conscience in the poem?
• You should refer to...
– The personification of death
– The use of first-person narration
– The image of death as a horseman
18. Finally...
• Is it right that people should be allowed to
refuse to fight for their country?
• Vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on your post-it, along with
a reason for your vote.
