Rationale

This anthology has been compiled with a very specific learner in mind. For the purposes of this task, let’s call him //Ryan//…

Every teacher knows a Ryan.

He could be the quiet, acne faced boy at the back of the room, the boisterous jock, swinging on his chair, or the future doctor that desperately wishes he could drop two units of English. He will vary in size and stature, but all Ryan’s are defined by two things (1) potential

and

(2) a refusal to engage with the English Syllabus.

Over the past four weeks I have been spending time with Ryans (I am related to quite a few). I inquired about their opinions and experiences of high school English, and asked for suggestions on poems to include in my anthology. The quotes below are responses to the simple question… //what did you think of English in High School?//

**“I just found it was not useful … for anything”** Declan (Economics Student 19 yrs)

**“The Syllabus is shaped by fringe literary theories! Nothing about it is objective, orthodox or demonstrable”** John (Ancient History Honours Student 25 yrs)

**“I thought English at school had some useful area's and you learnt some useful skills, but most of it was a complete waste of time after about year 9”** Mike (Photographer 20 yrs)

**“I didn’t see the need for English at school… I didnt need a whole subject to teach me how to communicate my opinions"** Andrew (Chiropractor 25 yrs)

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**“It’s Bullsh#*t”** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Harry (School Student 16 yrs)

<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ryan is not stupid. Nor is Declan, John, Mike, Andrew and Harry. In fact, they all excel in other subjects (those traditionally ascribed to males such as Maths and Science). However, I firmly believe that Ryan (and his friends), have never been taught English in a way that communicates its relevance and worth. Pedagogy that develops and makes explicit to students the significance of their work is fundamental to quality teaching.

<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This anthology is therefore designed to do just that - captivate students like Ryan. My target class is a year 11 Standard English class at a prestigious all boys private school. The poems chosen all revolve around the concept of masculinity. As a collection, they communicate the many and varied ways masculinity can be performed and perceived. While Banjo Patterson’s //The Man from Snowy River// presents the iconic Australian Hero; brave and reckless, the poem //Nude// by contemporary Irish poet, Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill, describes a male object using stereotypically feminie imagery in order to destabilise traditional notions of the masculine. In addition to representing the various shades of masculinity, the anthology also explores variations of the masculine identity including the father (Sylvia Plath) The husband (Ken Taylor) the son (Robert Haydon) and the soldier (Laurance Linyon).

<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Purely because the subject matter is men and boys, male students will identify with at least one of poems in this anthology. However, the merit of this unit extends far beyond superficial such connections. When studied in combination, these texts provide entry points into discussions about the constructedness of gender, and the fallibility of hegemonic masculinities. Recognising literature not only reflects, but also shapes the way the male subject is perceived by the world, students will hopefully be moved to consider their own identity as men. In an all-boys private school, where the pressure to conform to a particular masculinity is very real, an anthology such as this will hopefully provide postive affirmation. Similarly (if not ironically), the themes and issues raised in this unit of work will covertly challenge the assumption that English, (particularly poetry), is somehow feminine and therefore other.

<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The exploration of masculinity posited above begins on the next page with Adam...the first man.