No Ordinary Sun

1. No Ordinary Sun By Hone Tuwhare

2. Hone Tuwhare • Born in Kaipara in 1922. Died in Otago 2008. • Tribal affiliations; Ngapuhi, Ngati Korokoro, Ngati Tautahi, Te Popoto, Uri-O-Hau. • Apprenticed and worked as a boilermaker. • Played a very active role in the Trade Union Movement – eventually kicked out for being a troublemaker. • Began writing poetry seriously at the age of 34. • Published many poems in magazines and a number of poetry collections. • "No Ordinary Sun" was published in 1964 and is still considered one of his most powerful poems.

3. No Ordinary Sun Unfamiliar Words Supplication a humble and sincere appeal to somebody who has the power to grant a request Resilience the ability to recover quickly from setbacks

4. No Ordinary Sun Unfamiliar Words Deferential Showing or expressing polite respect or courtesy Ardour Great passion, enthusiasm, or eagerness

5. No Ordinary Sun Unfamiliar Words Unheeding Paying little attention Vain entreaties Hopeless appeal, ineffective request

6. No Ordinary Sun Unfamiliar Words Gallant monsoon Grand and majestic ‘wave’/’wind’ Trade wind A wind that blows towards the equator - a major component of the global weather system

7. No Ordinary Sun Unfamiliar Words enhaloed A circle/ring of light (in this instance around the cloud)

8. No Ordinary Sun Personification

9. No Ordinary Sun Personification Let your arms lack toughness Who is the poet addressing?

10. No Ordinary Sun Personification Let your arms lack toughness Who is the poet addressing? The tree

11. No Ordinary Sun Let your arms lack toughness What other instances of personification can you find in the poem?

12. No Ordinary Sun Personification Let your arms lack toughness What other instances of personification can you find in the poem? O tree/…a deferential head/…your naked arms fall/…More?

13. No Ordinary Sun – In pairs Highlight and count the number of times the words no, not, nor are used in the first four verses. What does their use suggest?

14. No Ordinary Sun – In pairs What kind of associations do the words supplication and enhaloed have?

15. No Ordinary Sun – In pairs What relationship does an axe and fire usually have to a tree? How is the use of this in line five, verse one connected to the bright enhaloed cloud?

16. No Ordinary Sun – In pairs What picture of the tree is suggested in verse two with the words rising sap, inclining head, stirring to the tickle of the rain?

17. No Ordinary Sun – In pairs What three activities does verse 3 suggest that the tree used to be involved in before?

18. No Ordinary Sun – In pairs What three activities does verse 3 suggest that the tree used to be involved in before? Wreathed with birds, shield and cool the lovers Before what?

19. No Ordinary Sun – In pairs What is the connection between.. CLOUD MONSTROUS SUN RADIANT BALL FLASH BLAST What image do you have in your mind when reading these words?

20. No Ordinary Sun – In pairs

21. No Ordinary Sun – In pairs Poetic Devices Alliteration Personification Assonance Rhyme Rhythm Find at least three examples for each in the poem.