Explore the poem

Chants usually use lots of repetition and have a sing song tone. If you read this poem again you will see what we mean.

This is a great poem for turning into a dramatic performance with one or two friends. Think about how you can bring the river in the poem to life and how you can create an atmosphere that reflects the feelings of the fisherman.

Look at the lines beginning with O – these are lines full of feeling! Try out different tones of voice to find what works best. Think about how to give weight to the lines you really want your listeners to remember. Could you use changes in pace to help with this?

When you are happy with what you have created perhaps you can show it to other people.

About John Agard

Born in Guyana, John Agard emigrated to England in 1977. A poet, playwright and short‑story writer who has written many books for both adults and children, he is an exuberant, flamboyant performer of his poetry, known for his interest in social justice and his humorous, compassionate poems.

Agard writes about issues of identity, language, colonialism and history, often employing a language that fuses English with Caribbean Creole; in tjis way he makes himself a champion of multiculturalism.

In 2012 he was awarded the Queen’s Gold Medal for poetry.