sTrUcTuRe WiTh ThRiCe, AgAiNsT ThE CuRReNt & MoRe | Sound of Pen

Special thanks to my Year 8 class for providing the musical inspiration for this class!

Check out their favourite songs here.

You may wish to download the activity 1 sheet.

STRUCTURE

ACTIVITY 1

Read the ‘poem’ below. Look at the circular structure – how the poem ends where it begins. The use of repetition emphasises the poet’s key message and highlights the truth of that message. It was true at the beginning of the poem and it remains true at the end.

Against The Current & Alan Walker & Mako: Legends Never Die

Legends never die
When the world is callin’ you
Can you hear them screaming out your name?
Legends never die
They become a part of you
Every time you bleed for reaching greatness
Relentless, you survive
They never lose hope when everything’s cold and the fighting’s near
It’s deep in their bones, they’ll ride into smoke when the fire is fierce
No, pick yourself up, ’cause

Legends never die
When the world is calling you
Can you hear them screamin’ out your name?
Legends never die
They become a part of you
Every time you bleed for reaching greatness
Legends never die

They’re written down in eternity
But you’ll never see the price it costs
The scars collected all their lives
When everything’s lost, they pick up their hearts and avenge defeat
Before it all starts, they suffer through harm just to touch a dream
Oh, pick yourself up, ’cause

Legends never die
When the world is calling you
Can you hear them screamin’ out your name?
Legends never die
They become a part of you
Every time you bleed for reaching greatness
Legends never dieWhen the world is callin’ out your name
Beggin’ you to fight
Pick yourself up once more
Pick yourself up, ’cause

Legends never die
When the world is calling you
Can you hear them screamin’ out your name?
Legends never die
They become a part of you
Every time you bleed for reaching greatness
Legends never die

ACTIVITY 2

Read the ‘poem’ below. Look at the circular structure – how the poem ends where it begins. The use of repetition emphasises the poet’s key message and highlights the the poet’s conviction. Her mind is made up and the fact that she doesn’t change her opinion throughout the song underlines her feeling of certainty.

Amy Winehouse: Rehab

They tried to make me go to Rehab
But I said no, no, no
Yes I’ve been black, but when I come back
You’ll know, know, know
I ain’t got the time
And if my daddy thinks I’m fine
They tried to make me go to Rehab
But I won’t go, go, go

I’d rather be at home with Ray
I ain’t got seventy days
‘Cause there’s nothing
There’s nothing you can teach me
That I can’t learn from Mr. Hathaway

I didn’t get a lot in class
But I know it don’t come in a shot glass

The man said, “Why you think you here?”
I said, “I got no idea”
“I’m gonna, I’m gonna lose my baby”
“So I always keep a bottle near”

He said, “I just think you’re depressed”
“This me, yeah baby, and the rest”

They tried to make me go to Rehab
But I said no, no, no
Yes I’ve been black, but when I come back
You’ll know, know, know

I don’t ever want to drink again
I just, ooh, I just need a friend
I’m not gonna spend ten weeks
And have everyone think I’m on the mend

And it’s not just my pride
It’s just ’til these tears have dried

They tried to make me go to Rehab
But I said no, no, no
Yes I’ve been black, but when I come back
You’ll know, know, know
I ain’t got the time
And if my daddy thinks I’m fine
They try to make me go to Rehab
But I won’t go, go, go!

ACTIVITY 3

Read the ‘poem’ below. Look at the heavy alliteration in those opening two lines. The use of alliteration here foreshadows the trouble described in the closing lines. This ship will sink and the alliteration hints at the disaster to come – at the weight of the water and the force of the problems facing the boat.

Thrice, Dead Wake

We’re dancing on the deck
A floating discotheque of disbelief
Our eyes glaze over
The writing’s on the wall
In blood and filth and oil, but we won’t see
So far from sober

We keep spinning
It doesn’t matter to us
It doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter
We just keep spinning and spinning and spinning
And where we’re going
It doesn’t matter
We keep spinning
It doesn’t matter to us
It doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter
We just keep spinning and spinning and spinning
And where we’re going
It doesn’t matter

We sing and celebrate
Fingers coming through the grates beneath our feet
We just keep pretending
We’re playing truth or dare
We’re rearranging chairs we won’t believe
The party’s ending

I feel an awful shudder
Come ripping through the hull
I hear the rush of water
Crashing in a crushing, callous cold
I feel an awful shudder
Come ripping through the hull
I hear the rush of water
Crashing in a crushing, callous cold

ACTIVITY 4

Now, write your own poem.

In class, we’ve been writing poems that revolve around a message we want to give a family member or friend. Or we’ve been writing a poem about an important message or piece of advice that a family member or friend has shared with us! We took inspiration for our poem from Avicii.

Whatever poem you write, work on connecting the end to the beginning. Build a relationship between your opening line and your last line. The poem does not need to be complete. Just make sure you have an idea as to how you will connect the opening and the ending. This poem will then be revisited and redrafted throughout the upcoming series of classes.

Once you’re done with your final poem, you can send your ideas (or questions) in. We want to publish the most exciting writing and offer advice.

Or have a go at writing about your experiences as a teenager with a little help from the inspirational Taylor Swift!