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WJEC
Drama Pre-1770 and Linked
Material (Elit6)
Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson, you will:
 Analyse and discuss the poem “Here” by
R.S.Thomas.
 Identify thematic links between the poem
“Here” and “Dr Faustus”.
These learning objectives will be achieved
through group discussion.
“Here”
R.S. Thomas
Here
I am a man now.
Pass your hand over my brow.
You can feel the place where the brains grow.
I am like a tree,
From my top boughs I can see
The footprints that led up to me.
There is blood in my veins
That has run clear of the stain
Contracted in so many loins.
Why are my hands this way
That they will not do as I say?
Does no God hear when I pray?
I have no where to go
The swift satellites show
The clock of my whole being is slow,
It is too late to start
For destinations not of the heart.
I must stay here with my hurt.
R.S. Thomas
Why, then, are my hands red
With the blood of so many dead?
Is this where I was misled?
After reading the poem, make a list of seven adjectives that
describe the persona in the poem. Justify your choice.
“the brains grow”
“The footprints that
led up to me.”
“clear of the
stain”
“my hands red /
With the blood”
“they will not do
as I say?”
“It is too late to
start”
“The clock of my
whole being is
slow,”
Organise the statements in order of
importance.
The use of half-rhyme corroborates
the persona’s state of confusion,
which is reinforced by the contrast
between stanzas three and four.
The rhetorical questions
reinforce the feeling of
helplessness and despair.
The persona does not want to
go on holidays anymore.
The use of first person
suggests a moment of
introspection or self-awareness
The persona clearly
needs a new watch.
The various references to time,
such as “clock”, “slow” and “too
late” suggest a defeatist attitude.
Here
I am a man now.
Pass your hand over my brow.
You can feel the place where the brains grow.
I am like a tree,
From my top boughs I can see
The footprints that led up to me.
There is blood in my veins
That has run clear of the stain
Contracted in so many loins.
Why are my hands this way
That they will not do as I say?
Does no God hear when I pray?
I have no where to go
The swift satellites show
The clock of my whole being is slow,
It is too late to start
For destinations not of the heart.
I must stay here with my hurt.
R.S. Thomas
Why, then, are my hands red
With the blood of so many dead?
Is this where I was misled?
Here
First person and
present tense.
I am a man now.
Pass your hand over my brow.
You can feel the place where the brains grow.
I am like a tree,
From my top boughs I can see
The footprints that led up to me.
There is blood in my veins
That has run clear of the stain
Contracted in so many loins.
Faustus refers to
himself in second
person.
Organ
associated with
intelligence
Self-awareness.
Persona considers his
own actions.
The persona is
different from
everyone else.
Why, then, are my hands red
With the blood of so many dead?
The persona feels
Is this where I was misled?
deceived.
This is not
my fault!
Faustus is
a Doctor.
Faustus does not
consider his actions
and does not repent.
Faustus thinks he is
the most
knowledgeable man.
This is his hubris.
Faustus is also “misled” by
Mephistopheles. Marlowe
seems to follow the
Calvinist view here.
Why are my hands this way
That they will not do as I say?
Does no God hear when I pray?
The idea of
abandonment
and
helplessness.
I have no where to go
The swift satellites show
The clock of my whole being is slow,
It is too late to start
For destinations not of the heart.
I must stay here with my hurt.
R.S. Thomas
Ageing
process.
Inevitability of
death.
There is no
time to think of
superficial or
futile things
Faustus also seems
helpless. He is given
many opportunities to
repent, but does not do it
until it is too late.
Time is one of the
main themes in “Dr
Faustus”.
Faustus denies the
love of God and
faces eternal
damnation.
How many of these adjectives can
be used to describe Dr Faustus?