Mimi Khalvati, filmed in a park and cafe setting, talks about her poem 'Ghazal'.
She explores how the poem reflects her interest in poetry from her cultural background and her approach to writing poetry.
She reads extracts from the poem.
This is from the series: Poets in Person
Teacher Notes
Khalvati defines a Ghazal as a 'little song' or Eastern sonnet.
Students could compare the poem to one of Shakespeare's sonnets.
How do structured forms help us to convey complex emotions?
Khalvati draws comparisons with modern love songs which are also simple, but nonetheless powerful expressions of emotion.
Can students write their own modern love poem using the correct Ghazal structure and tone?
Curriculum Notes
This clip will be relevant for teaching English Literature at KS3 and KS4/GCSE in England and Northern Ireland. Also English language at KS3 and English Literature at GCSE in Wales.
This topic appears in OCR, Edexcel, AQA, WJEC in England and Wales and CCEA GCSE in Northern Ireland.
More from the series: Poets in Person
English Literature KS3 / GCSE: 'Ghazal' by Mimi Khalvati (poem only) video
A reading of 'Ghazal' by the author, Mimi Khalvati.
English Literature KS3 / GCSE: 'Flag' by John Agard (poem only) video
A performance of the poem 'Flag' by the poet, John Agard.
English Literature KS3 / GCSE: 'The Right Word' by Imtiaz Dharker (poem only) video
A performance of the poem 'The Right Word' by the poet, Imtiaz Dharker.
English Literature KS3 / GCSE: 'Praise Song for My Mother' by Grace Nichols (analysis) video
Grace Nichols reads and explores the writing of her poem, 'Praise Song For My Mother'.
English Literature KS3 / GCSE: 'The Right Word' by Imtiaz Dharker (analysis) video
Imtiaz Dharker reads and explores the background to her poem, 'The Right Word'.
English Literature KS3 / GCSE: 'Singh Song' by Daljit Nagra (analysis) video
Daljit Nagra explores and performs his poem 'Singh Song'.
English Literature KS3 / GCSE: 'Singh Song' by Daljit Nagra (poem only) video
Daljit Nagra performs his poem 'Singh Song'.
English Literature KS3 / GCSE: 'Flag' by John Agard (analysis) video
John Agard discusses his poem 'Flag', the symbolism of flags and poetry writing.
English Literature KS3 / GCSE: 'Checking Out Me History' by John Agard (analysis) video
Poet John Agard describes the process of writing his poem 'Checking Out Me History'.
English Literature KS3 / GCSE: 'Checking Out Me History' by John Agard (poem only) video
John Agard performs his poem 'Checking Out Me History'.
English Literature KS3 / GCSE: 'Praise Song for My Mother' by Grace Nichols (poem only) video
Grace Nichols performs her poem 'Praise Song for My Mother'.
