Walnut Tree Forge" - A Poem by John Tripp

1. Walnut Tree Forge– by John Tripp – Welsh writing in English Choose a task Choose a task based on the poem. Activity A Activity B Activity C Activity D Activity E Activity F Glossary

2. Activity A Walnut Tree Forge– by John Tripp – Welsh writing in English Menu From whose point of view is the poem written? What impression is created of the speaker? My father shod horses in the sun while I threw old shoes at an iron pin. From the bank of the canal I saw a kingfisher dive like a blue-green streak clean through the water and out again with lunch in its beak, then glide to its fish-boned hole in the bank. My father would look up from his work and lean against the door to rest from the bending, the weight on his back of a shire, big and restless in the heat, that tested all his muscles and skill. He would wipe his brow with a rag. ‘Did you see a kingfisher, then?’ I nodded. He never welcomed the big horses made for show, all rump and heavy with the spoilt pride of their runners, shone to a tantrum and cockade gloss for anything but work. These gave him a rough hour of shifting and fret, too pampered by the hands of others. It was labour to him, one more task for a pound, the ponies coming in a string on a good day. To me it was freedom from arithmetic, as golden time used up so easily. There were just the two of us, the ring of the shoes hitting the pin, and a kingfisher, and a shire, in the long-ago sun. About how old do you think the boy is at the time? What is your evidence? Click to show shading.

3. Activity B Walnut Tree Forge– by John Tripp – Welsh writing in English Menu How is the father presented in the poem? Justify your answer by close reference to the text. My father shod horses in the sun while I threw old shoes at an iron pin. From the bank of the canal I saw a kingfisher dive like a blue-green streak clean through the water and out again with lunch in its beak, then glide to its fish-boned hole in the bank. My father would look up from his work and lean against the door to rest from the bending, the weight on his back of a shire, big and restless in the heat, that tested all his muscles and skill. He would wipe his brow with a rag. ‘Did you see a kingfisher, then?’ I nodded. He never welcomed the big horses made for show, all rump and heavy with the spoilt pride of their runners, shone to a tantrum and cockade gloss for anything but work. These gave him a rough hour of shifting and fret, too pampered by the hands of others. It was labour to him, one more task for a pound, the ponies coming in a string on a good day. To me it was freedom from arithmetic, as golden time used up so easily. There were just the two of us, the ring of the shoes hitting the pin, and a kingfisher, and a shire, in the long-ago sun. What are his skills, his likes and dislikes? What are his reasons for disliking the ‘big horses’? Click to show shading.

4. Activity C Walnut Tree Forge– by John Tripp – Welsh writing in English Menu Select a specific aspect of the description of the kingfisher which you think is powerful. Explain why you think the choice of words and/or imagery is effective. My father shod horses in the sun while I threw old shoes at an iron pin. From the bank of the canal I saw a kingfisher dive like a blue-green streak clean through the water and out again with lunch in its beak, then glide to its fish-boned hole in the bank. My father would look up from his work and lean against the door to rest from the bending, the weight on his back of a shire, big and restless in the heat, that tested all his muscles and skill. He would wipe his brow with a rag. ‘Did you see a kingfisher, then?’ I nodded. He never welcomed the big horses made for show, all rump and heavy with the spoilt pride of their runners, shone to a tantrum and cockade gloss for anything but work. These gave him a rough hour of shifting and fret, too pampered by the hands of others. It was labour to him, one more task for a pound, the ponies coming in a string on a good day. To me it was freedom from arithmetic, as golden time used up so easily. There were just the two of us, the ring of the shoes hitting the pin, and a kingfisher, and a shire, in the long-ago sun. If others suggest different parts of the text, explain why you have chosen your selection in preference to theirs. Click to show shading.

5. Activity D Walnut Tree Forge– by John Tripp – Welsh writing in English Menu How does the poet present the ‘big horses’ and the people who usually look after them? My father shod horses in the sun while I threw old shoes at an iron pin. From the bank of the canal I saw a kingfisher dive like a blue-green streak clean through the water and out again with lunch in its beak, then glide to its fish-boned hole in the bank. My father would look up from his work and lean against the door to rest from the bending, the weight on his back of a shire, big and restless in the heat, that tested all his muscles and skill. He would wipe his brow with a rag. ‘Did you see a kingfisher, then?’ I nodded. He never welcomed the big horses made for show, all rump and heavy with the spoilt pride of their runners, shone to a tantrum and cockade gloss for anything but work. These gave him a rough hour of shifting and fret, too pampered by the hands of others. It was labour to him, one more task for a pound, the ponies coming in a string on a good day. To me it was freedom from arithmetic, as golden time used up so easily. There were just the two of us, the ring of the shoes hitting the pin, and a kingfisher, and a shire, in the long-ago sun. What does ‘shone to a tantrum’ suggest? What does ‘anything but work’ suggest? Click to show shading. Do you sympathise more with the father shoeing the horses or the usual handlers of these animals? Why?

6. Activity E Walnut Tree Forge– by John Tripp – Welsh writing in English Menu Do you think this poem is mainly about the son, the father, their relationship, or something else? My father shod horses in the sun while I threw old shoes at an iron pin. From the bank of the canal I saw a kingfisher dive like a blue-green streak clean through the water and out again with lunch in its beak, then glide to its fish-boned hole in the bank. My father would look up from his work and lean against the door to rest from the bending, the weight on his back of a shire, big and restless in the heat, that tested all his muscles and skill. He would wipe his brow with a rag. ‘Did you see a kingfisher, then?’ I nodded. He never welcomed the big horses made for show, all rump and heavy with the spoilt pride of their runners, shone to a tantrum and cockade gloss for anything but work. These gave him a rough hour of shifting and fret, too pampered by the hands of others. It was labour to him, one more task for a pound, the ponies coming in a string on a good day. To me it was freedom from arithmetic, as golden time used up so easily. There were just the two of us, the ring of the shoes hitting the pin, and a kingfisher, and a shire, in the long-ago sun. Justify your choice by close reference to the text.

7. Activity F Walnut Tree Forge– by John Tripp – Welsh writing in English Menu What made it a ‘golden time’ for the boy? My father shod horses in the sun while I threw old shoes at an iron pin. From the bank of the canal I saw a kingfisher dive like a blue-green streak clean through the water and out again with lunch in its beak, then glide to its fish-boned hole in the bank. My father would look up from his work and lean against the door to rest from the bending, the weight on his back of a shire, big and restless in the heat, that tested all his muscles and skill. He would wipe his brow with a rag. ‘Did you see a kingfisher, then?’ I nodded. He never welcomed the big horses made for show, all rump and heavy with the spoilt pride of their runners, shone to a tantrum and cockade gloss for anything but work. These gave him a rough hour of shifting and fret, too pampered by the hands of others. It was labour to him, one more task for a pound, the ponies coming in a string on a good day. To me it was freedom from arithmetic, as golden time used up so easily. There were just the two of us, the ring of the shoes hitting the pin, and a kingfisher, and a shire, in the long-ago sun. What does the adjective ‘golden’ suggest? What senses are used to describe the events in the poem? Click to show shading. Which description do you find most evocative in creating a sense of the ‘golden time’?

8. Glossary Walnut Tree Forge– by John Tripp – Welsh writing in English Click on the highlighted words to show their meaning Menu Walnut Tree Forge fitted shoes on My father shod horses in the sun while I threw old shoes at an iron pin. From the bank of the canal I saw a kingfisher dive like a blue-green streak clean through the water and out again with lunch in its beak, then glide to its fish-boned hole in the bank. My father would look up from his work and lean against the door to rest from the bending, the weight on his back of a shire, big and restless in the heat, that tested all his muscles and skill. He would wipe his brow with a rag. ‘Did you see a kingfisher, then?’ I nodded. He never welcomed the big horses made for show, all rump and heavy with the spoilt pride of their runners, shone to a tantrum and cockade gloss for anything but work. These gave him a rough hour of shifting and fret, too pampered by the hands of others. It was labour to him, one more task for a pound, the ponies coming in a string on a good day. To me it was freedom from arithmetic, as golden time used up so easily. There were just the two of us, the ring of the shoes hitting the pin, and a kingfisher, and a shire, in the long-ago sun. brightly-coloured bird living by water and skilful at diving for fish the largest kind of horse, used for pulling loads rear part of animal people leading the shire horses feather or rosette or ribbon outburst of temper shiny brightness/superficial attractiveness spoilt, over-indulged