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Think

Think. What do you feel when you walk down the street and see a homeless person? Do you give them money? Do you ignore them? Do you apologise and say that you have no change? Why?. A command/imperative. Give. Read the poem. Stanza One.

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Think

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  1. Think • What do you feel when you walk down the street and see a homeless person? • Do you give them money? • Do you ignore them? • Do you apologise and say that you have no change? • Why?

  2. A command/imperative Give

  3. Read the poem

  4. Stanza One The narrator is a homeless person – we are not given any details about the narrator Of all the public places, dear to make a scene, I've chosen here. ‘to make a scene’ is a pun – it can mean to create a disturbance but it also means to put on a show The poem opens with a couplet

  5. Stanza Two Of all the doorways in the world to choose to sleep, I’ve chosen yours. I'm on the street, under the stars. ‘under the stars’ makes the situation seem romantic

  6. Stanza Three In this stanza the narrator says all the things they are prepared to do for money For coppers I can dance or sing. For silver-swallow swords, eat fire. For gold-escape from locks and chains. The stanza is given a structure through the repetition of the same first word

  7. Stanza Four In Christian belief the son of God was also homeless when he was born The word ‘change’ is a pun – the speaker might want change (as in money) or change (as in a new start in life or a change in people’s attitudes towards him) Frankincense = a sweet smelling resin from Arabia Myrrh = an aromatic gum extracted from plants It's not as if I'm holding out for frankincense or myrrh, just change. The speaker doesn’t want these – he wants the ‘gold’ instead This stanza mentions the gifts that Jesus was given by the Wise Men Up to and including this section there is a ‘jaunty’ tone which is helped by a regular rhythm and occasional rhyme

  8. Stanza Five There are pauses midline (caesuras) – these full stops mean that these pauses are heavy and disrupt the rhythm of the poem You give me tea. That's big of you. I'm on my knees. I beg of you. The half-rhyme of ‘beg’ and ‘big’ create a sense of sadness or ‘pathos’ This final couplet changes the tone

  9. Think • How do you feel about the homeless? • Has this poem changed your opinion? If so, why? • Does it make you feel annoyed? Sympathetic? Compassionate?

  10. Why was this poem written? • To highlight the plight of all homeless people • To remind us of Jesus and the gifts that were given at his birth • To suggest that something about our attitude to the homeless must change

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