A

1. The other side of a river
Glenn Colquhoun

2. Glenn Colquhoun
Gathering
Dr. Glenn Colquhoun, born
in Papakura, Auckland in
1964, is a New Zealand poet
and general practitioner.
He practices medicine on
the Kapiti Coast. He lives in
Waikawa Beach with his
young daughter Olive.

3. THE OTHER SIDE OF A RIVER Gathering
We live on either side of a river. Repetition
When I try to talk there is so much to say
She sits in the day beneath the sun. it sticks in one long sentence which catches
It seems to orbit her. in the wind and blows away.
Her feet are grass soft.
She shades her eyes from the sky as if she
At night I lie on the ground. is looking.
I am shivered by the stars.
Rhyme
My eyes are moon round.
Simile When she swims I place my feet in the
water.
Some days she spins in long grass. My arms float like small branches.
Her hands stretch outwards.
Her hair is blown. She is a small storm. Metaphor Sometimes I think she will come to me.
At night the moon makes a bridge on the
Some days I stand very still. Alliteration water.
The world breaks open.
The sky shakes her hips in front of me. Personificatio Sometimes I think I will go to her.
All the shades of green dance and I am
flattered.
n When the wind blows I lean
on the edge of the shore like a bird
with my arms out.
Sometimes I think she speaks to me.
Before I have heard the words fall into the Assonance We live on either side of a river.
water
and curl away in small pools.

4. Imagine...
Create a picture or series of images of what
you imagine is happening in this poem.
There is no right or wrong, that is the beauty
of poetry, we can imagine what we want.
Use an app that suits you.
You may import photos or
Processing draw your own to create your image.

5. Themes in the poem
The author has a deep
admiration for his love on
the other side of the river. It
This poem seems as though they are
has 2 main destined to be apart.
themes: love
and nature. Gathering
Record a
Nature is spoken of all
quote from the way through this
the poem poem suggesting that it is
for each the recipient of the
theme. author's love and
admiration. He even
compares his arms to
"small branches" as if he
would like to be part of
nature.

6. Types of techniques
Simile, metaphor and personification help the
reader to visualise the poem.
Gathering

7. Simile: comparing 2 things by using the
The purpose of a
simile is to create
a word picture in'like' or 'as'.
words
the reader's mind
to help them Gathering
imagine what the Processing
subject/object
being described
looks like.
"My arms float like small branches."
1. Identify the 2
things being
compared.
2. Record another
simile from the
poem and identify
what 2 things are
being compared.
3. Which theme/s

8. Metaphor: compares 2 things by
saying 1 thing is another.
The purpose of a
metaphor is to
create a word Processing
picture in the
reader's mind to
help them imagine
what something
looks like.
"She is a small storm."
1. Who or what do
you think 'she'
might be?
2. Describe what
'she' looks like.
3. Explain what is
happening in the
poem at this time.

9. Personification: gives a non- human
The purpose of
object human characteristics.
personification is to
help the reader
visualise and
understand the Processing
characteristics of a
subject/object.
"the sky shakes her hips in front of me."
1. Explain what you
think the sky would
be doing by shaking
her hips.
2. Describe what
this line helps you
to imagine.
3. Which theme is
this technique
linked to? Explain

10. Write a
visual poem
Using at least 1 simile, 1
metaphor and 1
personification, write a 4
line poem using one of
the pictures to give you
an idea.
Use Educreations.
Processing
Applying

11. Types of techniques
Alliteration, assonance
and rhyme are sound
effects that help the
reader hear the
sounds in a poem.

12. Alliteration is a
sound effect that
sounds pleasing
Alliteration: the repetition of the consonant at
to the ear. It can
helpthe beginning of consecutive words.
the reader
hear the sounds
in the setting of
the poem.
"Some days I stand very still"
1. Describe the
setting of the
poem. What do you
think it looks
like? How do you
know this?
Include a quote.
2. What sort of
sounds might you
hear? Describe
them. Does the
alliteration in

13. Write your own alliteration poem.
Choose a letter of the
alphabet and write a 4
line poem about one of
the pictures.
At least 3 words in each
line must start with the
same letter.
Use Educreations.

14. The purpose of
assonance is to
Assonance: the repetition of vowel
create a rhyming sounds in
sound in a line of
consecutive words.
poetry. This helps
the language
flow well and
sounds pleasing
to the ear.
"Sometimes I think she speaks to me."
1. Record 2 other
examples of
assonance from
the poem.
2. Read these
lines out loud to
the people next
to you. Can you
hear the rhyme
and the flow?
3. Explain which
theme this

15. The purpose of
Rhyme: words that have similar sounds.
rhyme is to help
the language flow
and to add rhythm
to a poem. It
sounds pleasing to
the listener.
"At night I lie on the ground.
I am shivered by the stars.
My eyes are moon round."
1. Underline the
words that rhyme
in this stanza
(verse).
2. Explain what you
think the author
means by 'I am
shivered by the
stars'.
3. Identify and
record another
example of rhyme.

16. Write a
Rhyme!
Write a poem of 6-8
lines where every
second line rhymes.
Use the pictures as
inspiration.
Use the 'mystical'
category on the
Poetry Magnets app

17. Repetition: to repeat a word or
The purpose of
repetition is to phrase.
emphasise or make
something clear.
"We live on either side of a river."
This line is repeated at
the end of the poem.
1. Identify what the
author wants the
reader to know in this
poem by using
repetition.
2. Explain who 'we' might
be. Why do you think
this? Include a quote
from the poem.
3. Record any other
examples of repetition
that you can find in the
poem.

18. Essay
Explain how the author of a poem that you have
studied helped you to enjoy their poem.
Write at least 250 words.

19. Introduction
The author...helped me to enjoy his poem...by
using poetic techniques such as...
The themes in this poem include...

20. Body paragraphs
1, 2 & 3
The first technique used was ...
An example from the poem is...
This technique helped me to enjoy the poem
because...
This technique is linked to the theme
of...because…

21. Conclusion
The poem...by...was made enjoyable through
the use of...
I learnt that these techniques are useful
because...
The themes in this poem were interesting
because...