Bright Lights of Sarajevo

BRIGHT LIGHTS OF
SARAJEVO: EDEXCEL
IGCSE ANTHOLOGY B
MONDAY, 20 JANUARY 2020
Jonathan Peel JLS 2016

After the hours that Sarajevans pass beyond the tone of voice and match-lit flare test
Queuing with empty canisters of gas and he’s about, I think, to take her hand
to get the refills they wheel home in prams, and lead her away from where they stand
or queuing for the precious meagre grams on two shells scars, where, in 1992
of bread they’re rationed to each day, Serb mortars massacred the breadshop queue
and often dodging snipers on the way, and blood-dunked crusts of shredded bread
or struggling up sometimes eleven flights lay on this pavement with the broken dead.
of stairs with water, then you’d think the nights And at their feet in holes made by the mortar
of Sarajevo would be totally devoid that caused the massacre, now full of water
of people walking streets Serb shells destroyed, from the rain that’s poured down half the day,
but tonight in Sarajevo that’s just not the case– though now even the smallest clouds have cleared away,
The young go walking at a strollers pace, leaving the Sarajevo star-filled evening sky
black shapes impossible to mark ideally bright and clear for the bombers eye,
as Muslim, Serb or Croat in such dark, in those two rain-full shell-holes the boy sees
in unlit streets you can’t distinguish who fragments of the splintered Pleiades,
calls bread hjleb or hleb or calls it kruh, sprinkled on those death-deep, death-dark wells
All takes the evening air with a strollers stride, splashed on the pavement by Serb mortar shells.
no torches guide them, but they don’t collide The dark boy-shape leads dark-girl shape away
except as one of the flirtatious ploys to share one coffee in a candlelit café
when a girl’s dark shape is fancied by a boy’s. until the curfew, and he holds her hand
Then the tender radar of the tone of voice behind AID flour-sacks refilled with sand.
shows by its signals she approves his choice.
Then match or lighter to a cigarette Tony Harrison
to check in her eyes if he’s made progress yet.
And I see a pair who’ve certainly progressed

PHASE 1
Read the poem silently. Do not talk and do not be distracted by
anything.
As you read, remember to feel the text in your mouth. You can
still “speak” the words without talking.
With a pencil underline or ring anything you find interesting.
Pause
Read it again, and this time let yourself dwell on points of

interest. Annotate the poem in front of you.
What stands out? Let’s talk.

PHASE 2
In simple terms, what is this poem about?
During the Bosnian civil war in 1992 Sarajevo was besieged.

This poem is written by an observer who notices a young
couple among the detritus of war. One night, in the most
unlikely circumstances, love is triumphant.

PHASE 3: SCASI -
SETTING
Answer these questions:
Where is the poem set?

What time of day is it?
When is it?
What is the prevailing atmosphere?
For each, find An example and explain the choice of

language.

IDEAS – AND FIND MORE OF
YOUR OWN.
Where, when. what Comment Key language choice
Bright lights of Sarajevo Establishes location- the name of the Bright Lights – PF suggests hope and
town has historical resonance beauty. Poem’s setting contrasts until
the end
often dodging snipers on the way,/ or Dodging snipers, struggling up

struggling up sometimes eleven flights of
stairs with water
All takes the evening air with a strollers Relaxed scene in night time - used
stride,/no torches guide them, but they don’t to it.
collide
, in 1992/Serb mortars massacred the Horror intrudes setting is scene in

breadshop queue/and blood-dunked crusts harsh reality
of shredded bread
lay on this pavement with the broken dead.
though now even the smallest clouds have Though now

cleared away, Even the smallest
leaving the Sarajevo star-filled evening sky Star-filled evening sky
in a candlelit café A note of romance – ironic because

the candles will be due to the lack of
electricity

CHARACTER: FIND TEXT TO
ILLUSTRATE THESE IDEAS
Observer Townsfolk Boy and Girl Dead in bread
queue
Speaking to the Difficult life Love is Massacred
reader unspoken and
unexplained
Affirms presence Many races in Romantic Broken dead
a the scene harmony
Direct Walking Equated to the
description – peacefully – beauty of the
little overt seem untroubled stars
“poetry”
Adapting all
materials to their
life

ACTION
Look at the verbs of action in the opening of Stanza 1:
queuing, queuing, rationed, wheel home, dodging,
struggling. What sort of action is suggested by this lexis?
Then look at these words from a little later in the poem:

strolling, stroller’s stride, don’t collide, flirtatious, tender
radar. What do you notice about this set of words and how
does it affect the “feel” of the poem?
TASK: In stanza 2, find similar examples of the juxtaposition

of ideas of war and ideas of love shown by the choice of
language.

STYLE
You have read 3 poems thus far – Disabled, -Out, out and
Unknown Girl. What do you notice about the language
chosen here?
Harrison was working as a war correspondent poet in
Sarajevo in 1992. How might his language reflect that he is
writing news in poetic form?
Look at the sentence length. Why do you think Harrison is
telling his story ion such long sentences?
Each couplet rhymes. How might this reflect the message of
the poem?
There is much enjambment which allows the poem to feel
almost like natural speech. Why might this be?

IDEAS
Questions need to be asked?
Who or what are the bright lights of Sarajevo?
Civil war sets people against themselves and family against

family. How does Harrison gently show the reader that this
behaviour is not being seen in Sarajevo?
What might be the significance of the water in the mortar

holes in ll 33ff? What is Harrison suggesting here?
What is Harrison’s final message in this poem concerning the

war?

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Who or what are the bright lights of Sarajevo?

Who or what are the bright lights of Sarajevo?

How does Harrison gently show that different ethnic groups are living harmoniously in Sarajevo?

How does Harrison gently show that different ethnic groups are living harmoniously in Sarajevo?

BRIGHT LIGHTS OF

MONDAY, 20 JANUARY 2020

Jonathan Peel JLS 2016

Jonathan Peel JLS 2016

With a pencil underline or ring anything you find interesting.

Read it again, and this time let yourself dwell on points of

Jonathan Peel JLS 2016

During the Bosnian civil war in 1992 Sarajevo was besieged.

Jonathan Peel JLS 2016

Where is the poem set?

For each, find An example and explain the choice of

Jonathan Peel JLS 2016

often dodging snipers on the way,/ or Dodging snipers, struggling up

, in 1992/Serb mortars massacred the Horror intrudes setting is scene in

though now even the smallest clouds have Though now

in a candlelit café A note of romance – ironic because

Jonathan Peel JLS 2016

Jonathan Peel JLS 2016

Then look at these words from a little later in the poem:

TASK: In stanza 2, find similar examples of the juxtaposition

Jonathan Peel JLS 2016

Jonathan Peel JLS 2016

Civil war sets people against themselves and family against

What might be the significance of the water in the mortar

What is Harrison’s final message in this poem concerning the

Jonathan Peel JLS 2016

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