Nettles edexcel 4-The-Poetry-Anthology

Nettles

In the exam, the exam paper will include one complete poem (printed), and you will be asked to compare it with another of the 15 poems in your poetry anthology. 

As the examination is “closed book”, you will not be able to access or see the other poem. Of course, you won’t be able to remember every line from comparison poem, but you do need to understand and be able to recall some of the key elements of the poem. 

Here are some of the elements you need to remember to write a top-grade exam response:

• The meaning of the poem

• The ideas and messages of the poet 

• How the poet conveys these ideas through their methods

• How these ideas compare and contrast with the ideas of other poets in the anthology

Below is a guide to Vernon Scannell’s poem ‘Nettles’, from the Edexcel GCSE English Literature Relationships anthology. It includes:

• Overview: a breakdown of the poem, including its possible meanings and interpretations

• Writer’s methods: an exploration of the poet’s techniques and methods

• Context: an exploration of the context of the poem, relevant to its themes

• What to compare it to: ideas about which poems to compare it to in the exam

Overview

In order to answer an essay question on any poem you need to understand what it is about. This section includes:

• The poem in a nutshell

• A “translation” of the poem, section-by-section

• A commentary of each of these sections, outlining Vernon Scannell’s intention and message

‘Nettles’ in a nutshell

‘Nettles’, written by the poet Vernon Scannell, explores family relationships by illustrating a parent’s strong emotions towards their son. The poem examines feelings of powerlessness as a parent realises their limitations. 

‘Nettles’ breakdown 

Line 1

“My son aged three fell in the nettle bed.”

Translation

• The poem begins with narration from the perspective of a parent

• Their young son fell in a bed of nettles, a wild plant with leaves that sting

Scannell’s intention

• Scannell begins with an emphatic and matter-of-fact statement to portray the parent as controlled and calm

Lines 2–3

“‘Bed’ seemed a curious name for those green spears,

 That regiment of spite behind the shed:”

Translation

• The speaker thinks it is strange to use the word “‘Bed’” for a patch of nettles

• The nettles are described metaphorically as weapons (“spears”) and a “regiment” (a military unit)

• The speaker personifies the nettles, describing them as spiteful or cruel

Scannell’s intention

• Scannell’s speaker shows controlled emotion as they reflect on the plant

• Metaphorical imagery relating to the military conveys the impression of the plant as an army that attacks with force

Lines 4–5

“It was no place for rest. With sobs and tears

The boy came seeking comfort and I saw”

Translation

• These lines remind the reader that the plant is not a bed as it does not offer rest

• Instead the boy has been hurt and needs his parent’s comfort 

Scannell’s intention

• The short sentence in the first line indicates the speaker’s grim conclusion about nettles

• The speaker emphasises the son’s pain and alludes to the parental role of care-giver

Lines 6–8

“White blisters beaded on his tender skin.

 We soothed him till his pain was not so raw.

 At last he offered us a watery grin,”

Translation

• The extent of the boy’s injuries (“blisters”) is emphasised by comparing the boy’s “tender” young skin and the “raw” pain he feels

• These lines describe, too, how the parents comforted him until he was able to offer a weak and “watery” smile

Scannell’s intention

• Scannell uses diction that connotes the boy’s vulnerability and fragility

• He also presents the parents as keen to help the child with the phrase “At last”

Lines 9–10

“And then I took my billhook, honed the blade

And went outside and slashed in fury with it”

Translation

• These lines describe the actions the parent takes in retaliation

• They sharpened (“honed”) a “billhook” (pruning knife) and furiously cut down the nettles

Scannell’s intention

• Here, the parent’s anger implies their intense love for their son, as they “slashed” with “fury”:

  • To fix the problem and protect their son in future they take immediate action 

Lines 11–13

“Till not a nettle in that fierce parade

 Stood upright any more. And then I lit

 A funeral pyre to burn the fallen dead”

Translation

• The speaker is determined that the nettles are all destroyed

• The plant is a “fierce parade”, implying it is a vicious and disciplined enemy:

  • The parent makes sure the nettles are burned in a fire (a “funeral pyre”) to make sure they cannot sting their son again

• The phrase “fallen dead” continues the extended military metaphor and alludes to soldiers who have died in battle 

Scannell’s intention

• Scannell shows the parent’s desperation to protect their son

• The dark imagery suggests their powerful emotional response to their child’s pain 

Lines 14–15

“But in two weeks the busy sun and rain

Had called up tall recruits behind the shed:”

Translation

• The speaker says that despite their attempts to kill the nettles, they grew back again

• The sun and rain are “busy”, suggesting nature’s power 

• In two weeks the nettles are “tall recruits”, strong and fresh soldiers

Scannell’s intention

• This is the volta of the poem as the speaker realises they are powerless against nature

• Personifying the sun, the rain and the nettles implies nature is stronger than the parent

Line 16

“My son would often feel sharp wounds again.”

Translation

• The poem concludes that the parent cannot protect their son from pain in the future

• Although the speaker refers to nettles, the implication is that the world will naturally bring more “sharp wounds”

Scannell’s intention

• Scannell’s vivid extended metaphor conveys a parent’s sad acknowledgment that their desire to protect their child from the world (nature) is futile 

Writer’s methods

Although you will explore three different elements of this poem – form, structure and language – it is important to take an integrated approach, focusing on the main themes and ideas of the poem and then evaluating how Scannell’s choices of language, structure and form contribute to these ideas. In essence, you should explore how and why the poet has made the choices they have, in relation to their intentions and message. 

Focusing on the poet’s main ideas, rather than individual poetic techniques, will gain you far more marks. In the below sections, all analysis is arranged by theme, and includes Scannell’s intentions behind his choices in terms of:

• Form

• Structure

• Language

Form

The form of ‘Nettles’ conveys ideas about strong parental love by reflecting a parent’s sense of discipline and desire for control. 

Structure

The structure of the poem appears much like a sonnet but Scannell deviates from convention, perhaps to convey the feeling that intense love also brings unease or pain.

Language

Scannell conveys ideas about family love with metaphorical language to present a parent’s battle against nature. The poem also illustrates a parent’s inevitable loss of control. 

Context

Examiners repeatedly state that context should not be considered as additional factual information: in this case, you should not include random biographical information about Vernon Scannell or facts unrelated to the ideas in ‘Nettles’. The best way to understand context is as the ideas and perspectives explored by Scannell that relate to complex love and family relationships. 

This section has therefore been divided into two relevant themes that Scannell explores:

• Complex love

• Family relationships

Complex love 

• Vernon Scannell’s work is likely to have been influenced by his time in the military:

  • Scannell joined the army aged 18 and was sent to fight in World War II

  • His book, Walking Wounded, published in 1965, tells the story of a wounded veteran

• Scannell’s use of military metaphors in his poetry may reflect his attitude to war: 

  • His reaction to what he witnessed led him to desert the army

  • He was subsequently sent to military prison, after which he spent time in an institution as a result of mental illness

  • In the poem ‘Nettles’ he describes a strong military force that he must attack

• While Nettles simply describes a parent’s anger at a stinging plant, it symbolises the complexities of deep love and the conflicting emotions it brings:

  • The parent sees the nettles as the enemy: they can inflict pain on the young boy

  • The poem says new “recruits” will simply replace the “fallen dead”

  • This is a poignant reflection, perhaps, of Scannell’s response to war

• Scannell illustrates a parent’s sense of powerlessness to protect their loved one in the poem ‘Nettles’:

  • The parent’s furious actions illustrate the impact of external forces on a relationship

  • Its melancholic conclusion shows how love brings frustration

  • The parent’s desperate attempt to protect their child may reflect Scannell’s ideas about the futility of conflict

  • The parent says they cannot stop their loved one feeling “sharp wounds” 

Family relationships 

• English poet Vernon Scannell (1922–2007) wrote over 30 poetry collections and a large number of novels, and the poem ‘Nettles’ appears in his collection New & Collected Poems: 1950–1980

• Scannell often describes significant moments in everyday life to convey powerful ideas:

  • In the poem ‘Nettles’ Scannell describes a boy being comforted by his parents having been stung by these plants 

• Scannell’s poetry is known for its simple expression of deep ideas:

  • The first line is an example of this: “My son aged three fell in the nettle bed”

  • The speaker’s pragmatic tone, though, hides strong emotions to convey a parent’s sense of duty

• Scannell’s poetry often uses conventional styles, particularly the form and structure of traditional poetry:

  • The form of ‘Nettles’ is almost a sonnet, which may allude to traditional expressions of intense emotions, which often used a sonnet form 

  • ‘Nettles’ deviates from typical romantic sonnets as it portrays a parent’s deep love for their son

  • It breaks from convention to imply limitations in achieving an ideal – the parent realises their limited power in preventing their son from harm 

• Although the poem is universal and relates to all parents, the poem may be inspired by the poet’s experiences in his own childhood:

  • Scannell left home aged 14 to escape an abusive relationship with his father

  • The poem portrays a strong family: both parents comfort the small boy (“We soothed him”)

  • Yet despite the temporary relief the parents can give, they are unable to protect him from future pain

What to compare it to

The essay you are required to write in your exam is a comparison of the ideas and themes explored in two of you