Literature III-poetry (deadline: 11/06)

Poem to be studied: Carpet Weavers, Morocco, by Carol Rumens- Songs of Ourselves (SOS)- poem 78, page 120

a. As usual, I shall first invite you to predict. Take one or two minutes to read the title again and think what this poem may be about, and draw a spidergraph with your associations.

b. I´ll ask you to read the poem once or twice and jot down whatever may call your attention, an image, a special combination of words, do not use the dictionary yet. Allow the message of the poem to sink in your heart.

c Read this background info. Also feel free to google anything about Morocco that might arouse your interest. It does help to see what the country or city or the inhabitants of this country might look like.

Background:
Carol Rumens was born in 1944 in London, England. Much of her poetry has been
inspired by the places she has visited, about which she has said: 'Whatever I wrap
my imagination around that’s my home.' What did she see in Morocco? Tourists can
see carpet-weavers working in the crowded maze of alleyways, probably occupying
the same space as countless generations of their forebears did. This is the attractive
surface of the trade. But in some parts of the world, there is much poverty and single
mothers are often forced to send their children from the age of five to be apprentices
to carpet-weavers, where they know that at least they will be fed.


d. These notes might help you in your first reading:

Line 1: loom most obviously refers to the machine by which the carpet is woven.
However, though used as a noun, it has the secondary meaning of the verb, loom,
referring to another world coming into view.

another world: there are several possible meanings here and students may
have to be counselled to keep an open mind on them until they have explored the
poem further. Does the phrase refer to a world of the future? Or to another world
before them on the loom, the idyllic garden of Islam?

Line 3: the image is of a chime of bells of different sizes for different pitches.

Line 5: garden of Islam: i.e. the carpet’s abstract pattern. One of the familiar motifs
of Islamic carpets was the garden, representative of paradise with its fragrant flowers
and flowing fountains.
As the carpet nears completion, the bench they are sitting on has to be raised to
allow the small children to reach the top of the design.

Line 9: give: one meaning is that the carpet will yield to the pressure of the weight of
the worshippers; another may be that the prayers of the worshippers will give
generously to the welfare of the children.

Line 10: the school of days: the phrase sadly echoes or parodies the familiar word,
"schooldays".

Lines 11 and 12 should be the subject of much discussion on subsequent readings.

On a first reading, the literal meaning might be clarified – i.e. that the wool making up
the patterns of the carpet is quickly put into place in the long-established frame.
Reference might also be usefully made to the contrast between the alliterative words,
fly and freeze.

e. Re-read the first stanza to yourselves, and note down what
the poet sees. (If you are artists, you might attempt to sketch or paint the
scene.)

• Think of the possible meanings of the first line. What is the
children’s own world like at the present? What is the other world (‘another
world’)? There may be more than one answer to this question. Consider the word ‘loom’ – does it have any connotations beyond its literal meaning?

Re-read the second stanza.
• What thoughts does the simile of the television provoke? Why might it seem
strange or unexpected? Try to register your reactions – it might work at different levels. Jot down any thoughts that you have.
• What thoughts does the image in lines 5 and 6 inspire in you?

• Look at what happens to the carpet in the third stanza after
the children in the poem have completed their work. As with all the lines so
far, they are end-stopped; the sentence, in each case, is equivalent to the
line of verse. What is the effect of this when it is read it out loud? Why is the
merchant’s truck mentioned? Does it contribute to the way you feel
about the children and their work?

• Rumens does not say ‘worshippers’; she says ‘prayer’. Do you think that
is significant?

• The final stanza picks out themes from the rest of the poem and places a new
emphasis on them. You should think about the meaning of line 10: "The
children are hard at work in the school of days." How is this different from
the school you are attending? What are the implications of this difference?

• You should spend some time considering the two phrases all-that-will be
and all-that-was; and the contrasting words: fly and freeze. How do they
relate to the rest of the poem? The letters that begin the word, fly, are the
same as those beginning the word, flickering: do you think this is
intentional, and what is its effect? What features of the world of all-that-was
are implied in the rest of the poem? What other references in the poem can
be found to colours, the future, and speed of movement?

• You should try not to look for too simplistic or moralistic a
response. You should be prepared to accept a partial, but growing,
understanding of what the poet communicates to you.

Thematic links with set poems(though we have not read them yet, you should bear in mind that the poems in this section can be related thematically:

Social injustice/poverty: Caged Bird; Song to the Men of England; Spectator ab
Extra; Muliebrity; Monologue
Childhood: Rising Five; Little Boy Crying; Plenty; Before the Sun
Work: Monologue; Muliebrity

I acknowledge that many of the previous questions and commentaries have been suggested by CIE, in their Notes for Teachers.

I hope the previous has helped you understand and appreciate this poem. I´d like you to create a power point presentation of 4 lines of the poem, showing me that you´ve understood the message and that you want to highlight 4 lines. Use photographs or drawings or paintings to illustrate those lines from the poem and add if possible either music or recitation to the presentation. I´m looking forward to enjoying this experience!! E-mail the presentation to: gabymasson@gmail.com by next Thursday June 11.(midday)

N.B. Hopefully, you will NOT choose the same lines as your friends!!!