Storyteller

1. Liz Lochhead Storyteller

2. Scottish born in 1947 in Motherwell, Lanarkshire She studied at the Glasgow School of Art Her first collection of poems, Memo for Spring, was published in 1972 and won a Scottish Arts Council Book Award. A performer as well as a poet, she was selected for a Scottish Writers Exchange Fellowship, she became a full-time writer, performance poet and broadcaster. Liz Lochhead lives in Glasgow. She was awarded an honorary degree by the University of Edinburgh in 2000. Biography

3. she sat downat the scoured tablein the swept kitchenbeside the dresser with its cracked delft.And every last crumb of daylight was salted away. No one could say the stories were uselessfor as the tongue clackedfive or forty fingers stitchedcorn was grated from the huskpatchwork was pieced or the darning done. Never the one to slander her shiftless.Daily sloven or spotless no matter whetherdishwater or tasty was her soup.To tell the stories was her work. It was like spinning,gathering thin air to the singlest strongestthread. Night inshe’d have us waiting, heldbreath, for the ending we knew by heart. And at first lightas the women stirred themselves to build the fireas the peasant’s feet felt for clogsas thin grey washed over flat fieldsthe stories dissolved in the whorl of the ear but theyhung themselves upside downin the sleeping heads of the childrentill they flew againin the storytellers night.

4. Storyteller Immediately suggests a narrative To make stories-needs imagination and creativity. The name already gives connotations of small villages, working class etc i.e. personas wouldn’t need storytellers if they can afford books to read Storytelling is a form of education to an extent. This is all that they have, i.e. they are not very educated.

5. It is about herself, expressed through the third person persona. The poem is written from a female point of view Liz was a poet, storyteller, a playwright, and a performer Back in those days, the duties described in the poem are the common tasks a woman was expected to do every single day. She metaphorically weaves her everyday duties and her storytelling together as her "work". Storytelling was her one sense of joy and fulfillment throughout the day's work. When all the day's duties (work) was done, her "real work" (storytelling) was brought to light. The storytelling was her real work and the duties were everyday expected things that she just "robotically" got done as a woman in that era. Relationship to author

6. The poem is set in two major time frames; morning and night The main focus of attention, time seems to linger at nighttime. The real world and the dream world, they contrast the places occupied by the adult and child. Interpretation of the story carries the listener to a fantasy land setting

7. Annotation “she” has no capital, this displays her unimportance and poverty. Clean and scrubbed vigorously, this shows she has dignity and respect. She is diligent and fulfills all her duties. she sat downat the scoured tablein the swept kitchenbeside the dresser with its cracked delft.And every last crumb of daylight was salted away. Lines short to long, builds picture in readers minds of surroundings depressing. Broken and old items, not fit for display are kept and not thrown away, poverty..fix things up as cannot afford to buy new ones. Metaphor-Preserved, again links to idea of poverty and saving things till later, i.e. making it last so persona may live and survive another day. Show the value of daylight…as precious as the measly amount of food they have…saved till later. Every last crumb…nothing wasted, anything not eaten is saved till later. THE PURPOSE OF THE FIRST STANZA IS TO CONVEY THE THEME OF THE EXTENT OF HER POVERTY.

8. Annotation Onomatopoeia for when the women chattered and gossiped. At a fast pace and never stopping…TYPICAL  Men might get suspicious of the content they were discussing as it’s a female telling stories to other women while they knitted. Means the size of audience, can range from a few to a large crowd No one could say the stories were uselessfor as the tongue clackedfive or forty fingers stitchedcorn was grated from the huskpatchwork was pieced or the darning done. Five fingers look like forty…speed of the knitting…stories aren’t waste of time as things get done. The other women literary knitted while listening. Pun, also meaning fingers stitched as they are frozen in place from listening intensely to the story All used up, none left over, no waste, again idea of scarceness. Mending and patch work is finished off, shows how frequent they need to mend clothes etc and do not have new ones so have to fix up old ones. the individual patches have been placed in position and ready to be sewn together.

9. The unusual syntax here contributes to an antiquated effect. This is thus effective as it is a comparison of their poor belongings. It also adds emphasis to the words, never and daily suggesting her day- time hardships. The main sense of the three lines is that not one person would think of being judgmental about her housework as her real job is storytelling. Annotation meaning an untidy, dirty person “never” very definite, no second guessing. Her laziness… Never the one to slander her shiftless.Daily sloven or spotless no matter whetherdishwater or tasty was her soup.To tell the stories was her work. It was like spinning,gathering thin air to the singlest strongestthread. Night inshe’d have us waiting, heldbreath, for the ending we knew by heart. Literal meaning of her soup compared to dishwater, disgusting. This means she cannot afford decent meals all the timecompared to the quality of her stories Gives impression she doesn’t actually enjoy telling stories, viewed as her duty. Metaphor for telling the stories telling stories with the use of a spinning-wheel, the spinner draws out the fibres of wool and twists them to form a single strong thread. Her stories start from nothing and build to an anticipated and colorful tale. This parallels with her ability to make ends meet with few resources at hand. Metaphor, gives the image of poverty. Soup refers to the quality of her stories, “dishwater” means it is not always good. Juxtaposed, people are not usually held by something they know the ending to. This infers the allure and the storytellers ability to captivate. Able to make people anxious to hear the ending they already know.

10. Sentence unfinished, create curiosity, thinks back to previous nights stories instead of welcoming a brand new day. Annotation This stresses the amount of tasks the women have to do, the stress and pressure put on them, have to bear so much as well as look after children. Gives impression that women are doing everything instead of men. Again the theme of poverty publicized, peasants, farmers and they wear clogs…uncomfortable but cannot afford any better And at first lightas the women stirred themselves to build the fireas the peasant’s feet felt for clogsas thin grey washed over flat fieldsthe stories dissolved in the whorl of the ear but theyhung themselves upside downin the sleeping heads of the childrentill they flew againin the storytellers night. Early morning mist, shows they get up real early to do their chores and care for their crops. As they are occupied by their jobs the stories are forgotten as they settle into the rhythm of work. The image is of bats and also children hanging from trees bears relevance. They are still thinking, dreaming and fantasizing of the stories while they are playing and being carefree. curled form, referring to the outside of the ear. Linked to the delicate spiral shape of shells or plants. (The image here also suggests the words of the storyteller whirling and spiraling down into the ear.) They “dissolve” there…i.e. slowly forgotten Gives the storyteller possession important for first time in poem. Not portrayed as poor but powerful, centered, focus of attention from everyone and everything. Metaphor- implies that the stories “fly” the listeners off to a distant world without hardships and full of luxury…i.e. to the storytellers night. Imaginations and fantasy created and spurred on be poverty and hardship.

11. Female obligations and duties - emphasizes the amount of work done by the persona, but still she views storytelling as her real work and not what she does in the day-time. • Imagination inspired by poverty. • Her stories provide a escape from reality, much like drinking, smoking and narcotics. Listeners get involved and sucked into the story, they temporarily forget their sorrows and hardships. • The stories are a dream of a better life, perhaps a goal for the storyteller and her audience to aim for. • The differences between adults and children, children being naïve, blissfully ignorant, without a worry in the world and free to dream and imagine while adults deal with the hardships and try to survive, sheltering their children from it all. This is linked to the other poems such as plenty, little boy crying, and rising five. Themes

12. Women: Muliebrity -amount of responsibilities and what brings them joy. Plenty - burden beared by women She dwelt among untrodden ways -women not thanked and appreciated as much as they should Characters in work: Monologue Farmhand Stories and the imagination: Little Boy Crying -difference in adult/child behaviour and thoughts Before the Sun Theme links to other poems

13. Sound devices Frequent alliteration /sibilance throughout entire poem, Sibilance present to get the rhythm and flow going she sat downat the scoured tablein the swept kitchenbeside the dresser with its cracked delft.And every last crumb of daylight was salted away. No one could say the stories were uselessfor as the tongue clackedfive or forty fingers stitchedcorn was grated from the huskpatchwork was pieced or the darning done. Never the one to slander her shiftless.Daily sloven or spotless no matter whetherdishwater or tasty was her soup.To tell the stories was her work. It was like spinning,gathering thin air to the singleststrongestthread. Night inshe’d have us waiting, heldbreath, for the ending we knew by heart. And at first lightas the women stirred themselves to build the fireas the peasant’s feet felt for clogsas thin grey washed over flat fieldsthe stories dissolved in the whorl of the ear but theyhung themselves upside downin the sleeping heads of the childrentill they flew againin the storytellers night. Held and breath on different lines, emphasises a pause for effect evoked by holding breath Frequent descriptions to give imagery of weaving and sewing/knitting. Ease and flow from night to morning, smooth transition. Use of alliteration, the night lingers in the day, peasants will think about the story while working. Frequent alliteration makes it repetitive, just like their jobs and grating corn… and knitting…etc… Slander…sloven…spotless; Sibilance-repitition, talk of how she always fulfills her duties as a mother. These jobs are usually repetitave. Narrative poem, naturally this suits the theme and content displayed.

14. Storytelling was an important feature of more primitive societies, using the poem explain why storytelling may be so significant? In storyteller, discuss how poverty is related to imagination. What's the significance of the storyteller being a woman? How has the poet make us sympathize with the persona? How does the references to spinning, knitting link to the idea of inspiration? Are the stories “useless” and a waste of time? Explain your answer Possible exam questions

15. Any Enquires? Did we miss anything???