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1. Teacher-of-English.com Two Scavengers in a Truck, Two beautiful People in a Mercedes Poems from Different Cultures

2. Slide Contents Author Social & Historical Context What is it About? Structure Language Examination Preparation Links

3. The Author

4. Lawrence Ferlinghetti Lawrence Ferlinghetti was born in New York in 1919 however his father died six months before he was born, and his mother was committed to an asylum shortly after his birth. Lawrence was raised by his French aunt Emily and lived in France until he was five. As an adult Ferlinghetti made San Francisco his home. He writes about how different cultures and races mix and the gap between America’s rich and poor.

5. Social & Historical Context

6. San Francisco Two Scavengers in a Truck, Two Beautiful People in a Mercedes is set in the American West Coast city of San Francisco. San Francisco is home to a mix of cultures and people. For decades musicians, artists and free spirits have been attracted to San Francisco making it a unique American city.

7. The gap between the rich and poor Ferlinghetti is especially concerned about the growing gap between the rich and poor in his adopted home town: “San Francisco has always been a poetic centre, a frontier for free poetic life, with perhaps more poets and more poetry readers than any city in the world.But we are in danger of losing it. All that made this City so unique in the first place seems to be going down the tube at an alarming rate. The gap between the rich and the poor in San Francisco increased more than forty percent in just two years recently. Now it's becoming almost impossible for a lot of the people who have made this such a world-class city -- people who have been the heart and soul of the city for decades -- from the fishers and pasta makers and blue-collar workers to the jazz musicians to the beat poets to the hippies to the punks and so many others -- to exist here anymore. And when you've lost that part of the city, you've lost San Francisco."

8. What is it About?

9. Two Scavengers in a Truck, Two Beautiful People in a Mercedes Click the link below for a reading of the poem: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english/poemscult/ferlinghettirev2.shtml

10. The poem describes a moment in time at a traffic light in San Francisco. Two very different pairs of people come together and the poet reflects on the gap between the rich and poor. There are three main parts to this poem. Do you know what they are? What Happens?

11. The poem describes a moment in time at a traffic light in San Francisco. Two very different pairs of people come together and the poet reflects on the gap between the rich and poor. There are three main parts to this poem. Do you know what they are? What Happens?

12. Structure

13. Structure The poem's structure is very free. Ferlinghetti does not use any punctuation but begins a new line when he wants the reader to pause. This slows the poem down and allows us the opportunity to think about the ideas expressed. The poem looks very disjointed and broken up on the page. How could this be a comment on American society?

14. Language&Imagery

15. Language The title conveys immediately what the poem is about. 'Scavengers' is a offensive term for the dustbin men as it implies that they survive off other people’s rubbish, whereas 'Beautiful' is a compliment. However, the garbage men are 'looking down' (line 7) into the Mercedes. This is because the truck is taller than the car, but is there an ironic meaning too? We might have thought of the rich couple 'looking down on' the garbage men, not the other way round. The four people are described very vividly, allowing us to clearly picture the scene. The rich couple appear stylish: he wears a costly 'hip three-piece linen suit' (line 11), while her blond hair is 'casually coifed' (line 13). In contrast, the garbage men are 'grungy' (line 17). The younger man has 'sunglasses & long hair' (line 24) just like the 'Mercedes driver', which prompts us to compare the two. The poem is written in the present tense which gives a sense of immediacy - we feel that the poem is happening now. This is done to suggest that the divide in society between the rich and the poor is a present day concern.

16. Imagery The dustbin men are stood on the back of 'a bright yellow garbage truck' (line 3) wearing 'red plastic blazers' (line 4); and the older man has 'grey iron hair' (line 19). These are strong colours. In contrast the couple in the Mercedes are almost colourless: his 'linen suit' (line 11) – (cream coloured) and her blond hair lack the striking brightness of the colours used to describe the dustbin men. What is the poet suggesting about the garbage men? Who appear to have more colour in their lives?

17. Imagery The older garbage man is described as 'like some gargoyle Quasimodo' (line 22). Quasimodo is the Hunchback of Notre Dame in Victor Hugo's novel, a kind-hearted but hideously ugly man who dies of a broken heart. Quasimodo means almost finished or half made. Why do you think the poet compares the dustman to Quasimodo? Is it just to help us imagine him, or for other reasons?

18. Imagery Although the two pairs of people are close together, at the traffic lights the poet describes the dustbin men as looking at the young couple 'as from a great distance' . How does this image suggest the 'distance' between the lives each pair lead? For the dustmen, the couple appear as if they were in ‘some odourless TV ad' - the couple’s ‘perfect’ appearance seems almost unreal and beyond the reach of the garbage men.

19. Imagery The poem ends with a metaphor about the sea. America is described as the high seas and the distance between the two vehicles is a 'small gulf’ The word gulf conjures up images of a deep chasm or abyss which is impossible to bridge. The lives of the two pairs may come together 'for an instant' (line 31), but they remain world’s apart.

20. Imagery Look at the following images from the poem. What effect do the images create?

21. Poetic Techniques TechniqueDefinition Metaphora comparison between two different things, especially a phrase containing the word 'like' or 'as Simile A figure of speech not meant literally Repetition the act or process of saying or writing something again Match the technique with the correct definition.

22. Poetic Techniques TechniqueDefinition Metaphora comparison between two different things, especially a phrase containing the word 'like' or 'as’ Simile A figure of speech not meant literally Repetition the act or process of saying or writing something again Match the technique with the correct definition.

23. Poetic Techniques Think about the poetic techniques discussed on the last slide. Copy down the chart below. Find examples in the poem and write down the effect created.

24. Feelings and Attitudes The poet is interested in the extremes of wealth that exist in modern society. He criticises society for allowing such differences between the lives of the rich and the poor. The bin men gazing down on the ‘elegant couple’ longing for a life they will never have whilst the rich couple are oblivious or indifferent to the contrast between their lives and the lives of the poor.

25. ExaminationPreparation

26. The Examination Paper • You will have 45 minutes to answer the question. • You will be asked to compare two poems. • You should begin by annotating the question for the key words. This will help you to understand what you are being asked to do. E.g. Compare ‘Two Scavengers in a Truck...’ with one other poem which demonstrates strong attitudes and feelings about inequality in society.

27. Planning • Spend between 5 and 10 minutes making a plan. This will help you to order your essay logically. • Make a note of any key ideas you are going to include. • Leave at least 5 minutes at the end to read through your work and check for any basic errors.

28. Structure Remember: • Write in paragraphs. • Don’t forget to P.E.E! Using a range of quotes that are properly embedded within your answer. • Begin with an introduction and end with a conclusion. The main body of the essay should follow these five steps to make a good answer: • Write about the theme • Compare the structures of each poem • Compare the use of language in each poem • Compare the feelings of the poets • Write about how the poems make you feel.

29. Similarity Connectives Equally In the same way Similarly Likewise Just as…also Contrast Connectives In contrast However Whereas (best used in the middle of a sentence) On the other hand Making Connections Use a series of comparisons, using connectives to link ideas, both within paragraphs and between paragraphs. Refer back to the question repeating the key words from it.

30. Analysis Use the following words to link your Point -> Evidence -> Explain sentences. The use of these words will also help to ensure that your response is analytical. suggests implies gives the impression that shows highlights indicates To make the same point using a different example, try one of these: furthers emphasises reinforces

31. Recap • When you are comparing poems you will be asked to look for the similarities and the differences. • You should comment on the language they use. What poetic devices are present? Imagery, similes, metaphors, alliteration, onomatopoeia, personification, rhyme etc. What effect do they have on the reader? • You will need to comment on the structure of the poems. How are they set out? Does this add to their overall effect/meaning? • Consider the tone of the poems. What mood has the author created?

32. Links

33. Useful Stuff ‘Two Scavengers…’ short films: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMIbZeP5kpg&feature=fvwhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2HIzRxcCqk&feature=related BBC Bitesize Poems From Other Cultures: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english/poemscult/ferlinghettirev1.shtml

34. More Useful Stuff Annotated PPT version of Two Scavengers: http://www.sprowstonhigh.org/resources/english/KS4/Poetry/Poetry%20From%20Other%20Cultures/aqa%20poetry.ppt Two Scavengers Podcast: http://www.podcastrevision.co.uk/Language/Two_Scavengers_Podcast.mp3