Feb 16, 2015 last week i saw a bbc interview with a british war veteran. Julia copus an easy passage your english literature. It could be described as a comingofage poem, an extended metaphor for the passage to womanhood. What follows is the poem that came out after my tears. Julia copus s collection of poems is warm, human and readable, without the wilful opacity of so much modern poetry. Julia copus is an awardwinning poet and childrens writer. I found i could travel anywhere i wanted to with a pen, she explains. Nov 02, 2002 julia copus s the back seat of my mothers car at first appears a creature of its times.
However, the word palindrome comes from the greek, meaning running back again and palindrome or mirror poems have been found in sanskrit language and way back in. Copus is said to have invented the specular mirror poem form. Displays consistent analysis of different interpreta. Where to start i have spent most of my life returning and returning to the brothers. Julia copus was born in london and grew up with three brothers, two of which went on to become musicians. The mirror form poem meets in the middle in a stunning centrepiece image as the two children in the story twins, one in an air balloon, the other a sailing boat meet in the clouds. My bed is an air balloon julia copus, illustrated by. A sheffield hallam university thesis shura sheffield hallam. The worlds two smallest humans, by julia copus the.
So why, when we refuse to be drawn or even to listen but choose instead to sit alone, by ourselves, in the. Julia copus was born in london and now lives in somerset. Nov 16, 2018 told in poem form that may be read front to back, or back to front, the format of the book will engage readers as much as the text, and prompt many requests for rereads. Her debut collection the shuttered eye appeared from bloodaxe in 1995. When it comes to the bestiary, a daunting precedent was set by male poets. Mathematical forms in poetry 3 reflection symmetry marian. Ironic since the situation the girl is in stuck on the ladder trying to get into the house is a difficult passage to get to her destination.
Aug 04, 2018 a poet friend gave me the collection the worlds two smallest humans by julia copus as a birthday present. My poem also mirrors brownings in its temporal shift. She was born in london in 1969, and studied latin at durham university, winning an eric gregory award for her poetry in 1994. It is arguably about julia copus herself, but the poem is written in third person narration so that the reader is disconnected from the story, but has an open perspective of the story. The poem explores the delicate, liminal moment between girlhood and womanhood. What writers influenced you and which poets do you continually go back to if any. This is explained in the poem atrophy written by julia copus.
A critical essay by ruth padel 6 student essays 51 example 1 example 2 example 3. She went on to study latin at durham university copus books of poetry include the shuttered eye bloodaxe, 1995, which won her an eric gregory award and was shortlisted. We discussed two hinge poems a looser form of diptych, and a specular or mirror poem by julia copus, who is credited with inventing this strange. Consider how the exuberance of youth is presented in these two poems. Participants poems poem as diptych writing workshop our theme was poems consisting of two halves that might work in both partnership and opposition, thereby generating a dynamic whole. Website of forward prize winning poet and childrens writer julia copus.
Poet and childrens author julia copus is a ukbased writer. Poetry answer one question and write your answer in the space provided. This poem portrays an event in a young girls life, where she is desperate to be older than she is. Unseen poetry preparation anthology gems firstpoint school. We left before i had time to comfort you, to tell you that we nerly touched hands in that vacuous halfdark.
Writing advice, and advice for students on reading a poem. On a wider reading, it may be ironic because adulthood is nothing but easy, but it may be referring to the relatively. Julia copus, raymond, at 60 simon armitage, birthday 5 unseen responses. She calls it a specular poem from speculum, the latin word for mirror. One of the poems shortlisted for the best single poem prize, is julia copus an easy passage first published in magma 45. The poetic voices in in defence of adultery, the second collection of poems from londonborn julia copus, vary between a shoulderhugging familiarity and an austere distance, and the poems. Mathematical forms in poetry 3 reflection symmetry. The form is called specular, after the latin for a mirror, because the second half of the poem uses the same lines as the first, but in reverse order, as if the whole thing is looking back at itself in a mirror. Great poems, one a day via twitter during the school yearseptember the fish by elizabeth bishop.
I first came across this form in julia copus poem, the back seat of my mothers car, which is in the bloodaxe anthology, staying alive. She came to poetry via sylvia plath while in her early twenties. The back seat of my mothers car poem comments poem hunter. Told in poem form that may be read front to back, or back to front, the format of the book will engage readers as much as the text, and prompt many requests for rereads. Copus is happy leaving us to do the work of interpretation in such poems, but. Its curious and at the same time lulling reading through it twice in different directions. My bed is an air balloon julia copus, illustrated by alison. A short but informative analysis of a copus poem can be found here. All three of her poetry collections are recommendations of the poetry book society, an organisation set up by t. Jul 30, 2014 this weeks meeting of the portsmouth poetry society was the last of the current programme before we reconvene in september with a booklet of new poems to promote and a reading on national poetry day to promote it at. Lisa roberts talks to julia copus, winner of the national poetry competition 2002. However, this changes after stanza 5 which mirrors the outburst of her emotions and the unravelling. Do you think that the form a poem takes can add to the readers pleasure and is there sometimes a danger that the form can actually take the focus away from what is.
Compare how the reality of the adult world is explored in each poem. No one has quite figured out a single solution in how to accomplish this, however we are all seeking a way. The first three of her poetry collections are recommendations of the poetry. Many factors contribute to a meaningful life, and influence our state of mind. Julia expresses throughout the poem that realistic thoughts may overpower the optimistic thoughts creating an intrastate conflict, this is being shown in the quote. The poem takes the form of a verbal mirror in that the lines of the second verse repeat those in the first but in reverse order. The poem is inspired by many hundreds of poems written by westminster primary school children who go to school near trafalgar square. A place to research new forms to use or learn about search again here. Julia copus poem employs wideranging vocabulary, invents new words for makebelieve creatures, and charms with its lyricism and rhythm. Julia copus was born in london, near to the young vic theatre, and now lives in somerset. This year julia copus, is writing a new poem for the tree.
Forward poetry prizes shortlist congratulations to julia. Form is obviously something you enjoy playing with. An easy passage by julia copus on page 47 and one other poem of your choice, from the poems of. Prescribed texts, the following poems have been removed from the post2000 specified poetry table, as these are no longer prescribed texts for study, for assessment from summer 2018. It contained the first of several specular poems, a form in which the second half of the poem is an exact mirror of the first. The british poet julia copus has devised a poetic form in which the second half of a poem is, line by line, a mirror image of the first. Her debut poetry collection, the shuttered eye, appeared from bloodaxe in 1995. Her two previous collections, the shuttered eye and in defence of adultery, were both poetry book society recommendations. Poet and biographer julia copus is a ukbased writer and a fellow of the royal society of literature.
Compare the ways in which poets present memorable characters in out of the bag by seamus heaney and one other poem of your choice from poems of the decade. Julia copus frsl born 1969 is a british poet, biographer and childrens writer. Here the car window acts as a reflecting device in the middle of the poem. However, the word palindrome comes from the greek, meaning running back again and palindrome or mirror poems have been found in sanskrit language and way back in antiquity. The first three of her poetry collections are recommendations of the poetry book society, an organisation set up by t. Poetry with julia copus quay words at exeter custom house. Contemporary poets have used reflection symmetry in rich and innovative ways. I put on my favourite underwear and cried in the mirror. Julia copus an easy passage the significance of the word halfway in the first line. Julia copus reading from her poems, cd the poetry archive 2010. The fact that the prize is, for the first time, in memory of michael donaghy, a poet known and loved by many of us on the magma team, makes it particularly special.
Analysis of the poem atrophy by julia copus living a life with meaning is a goal shared amongst many individuals. Feb 02, 2018 countries or cultures in the deliverer by tishani doshi and one other poem of your choice from poems of the decade. To my nine year old self the blue coat school sixth form. An easy passage julia copus 36 37 the deliverer tishani doshi 41 43 the map woman carol ann duffy 46 47 the lammas hireling ian duhig 53 51 to my nineyearold self helen dunmore 58 52 a minor role u a fanthorpe 62 57 the gun vicki feaver 66 62 the furthest distances ive travelled leontia flynn 70 64.
In 2003, julia copus whose work takes a strong interest in fairy tale, myth and. Finally, a reading of julia copus poem the particella of franz xaver. A poet friend gave me the collection the worlds two smallest humans by julia copus as a birthday present. She attended mountbatten school, a large comprehensive in romsey, and peter symonds sixth form college. Mathematical forms in poetry 3 reflection symmetry marian christie. Copus rightfully received the award for best single poem in 2010 for this coming of age poem which explores that fragility of childhood and femininity. Apr 30, 2017 annotations of an easy passage by julia copus. Follow julia copus and explore their bibliography from s julia copus author page.
In august, we are offering four talented promising poets onetoone writers surgeries with poet julia copus during the week of 3rd 9th august 2020 to apply for one of these sessions, please submit 2 poems with a maximum combined line count of 30 lines alongside a 200 word statement preferably in word document or pdf format. She has won first prize in the national poetry competition and the forward prize for best single poem 2010. A beautifully presented picture book with two front covers, the text can be read from front to back and vice versa. Julia copus poem employs wideranging vocabulary, invents new words for makebelieve creatures, and charms with its.
Its apt that julia copus who invented the specular poem where the second stanza of a poem reverses the lines of the first becoming a mirror image should spot something compellingly reflective of her concerns in the life and work of jacques lacan, the psychoanalyst and. In this poem, copus explores the fleeting moment between girlhood and womanhood. Raymond, at 60 the 185 from catford bridge, the 68 from euston those same buses climbing the hill long into the evening this is what stays with him best now, this and watching, in the ward where. Latin for a mirror, because the second half of the poem uses the same lines as the first. Extension a when this poem was awarded the forward prize, the judges commended its unsettling strangeness, the shifts of perspective and confident line. An anthology of the forward books of poetry 20022011. It mirrors his exactly, ending with when night falls my bed is an air balloon.
The uplifting tone of this poem as well as its universality serve to make it one which i can read tirelessly. Essay on gandhi ji pdf usf essay word limit for common julia copus mirror poem essay uva engineering essay writing essay on father is more loving than mother soogan lalla essaydi psychological theory essay abigail solomon godeau essays about education xanthommatin synthesis essay dr shrinker wedding the grotesque essay. Ghost lines, a sequence of poems for radio, bbc radio 3, december 2011. The theme this week was mirror poems, which more or less meant that form widely attributed to julia copus. Copus had read the bell jar and a biography, but when she later read plaths poetry they seemed, she says, so much more powerful and moved me a lot more. This poem is from a book shortlisted for the forward prizes for poetry 2020. My bed is an air balloon julia copus poet children. The mysql extension is deprecated and will be removed in the future. It contained the first of several specular poems, a form she devised in which the second half of the poem is an exact mirror of the first. Reviewing your answers 41 supporting notes on the unseen poems. Is there an embedded allusion to john ashberys selfportrait in a convex mirror here. In the same year a pamphlet, walking in the shadows, was published, this collection having been a winner in the poetry business competition. She has provided worksheets for your class and an outline for her christmas tree poem which you can follow to produce your very own poems in celebration.
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