The Patriot Game

Check whether you have the answers to these questions

What kind of document is this?
Who was it written by? Who was it performed by?
What is a ballad?
What is the tone?
What is the main idea?
(When/where is the scene set? Who is it about? What happened to him and why)
What was happening at the time?

Structure

How many stanzas are there? How many verses?
Is there a rhyming scheme? What is the rhyming scheme?
Give the main idea of each stanza.

What do these lines refer to?

Explain the context using the information you have collected in class and on the Internet. Be as complete as possible.

a) With the local battalion of the bold IRA –

b) This Ireland of mine has for long been half free -

c) Six counties are under John Bull’s tyranny –

d) But still De Valera is greatly to blame for shirking his part in the Patriot game.

f) They told me how Connolly was shot in his chair

g) To those Quislings who sold out the patriot game.

Instructions for document analysis

Introduce source

explain nature of document/give info about author and background of the song/where the scene is set and who the voice is/type of song/voice and tone.

Description/analysis

Explain the structure, rhyming scheme and give a very short description or title to each stanza. Explain the story in the light of what you have learnt about the Irish struggle in class and on the net. What is the effect of the use of pronouns I/We/They. Does "they" always refer to the same people? What is the message that is being transmitted?

Personnal Comment (branch out)

Patriotism.
Would you risk your life to defend your country?