GUIDE BOOK

The Dark

THE
Co-AUTHORS

TABLE OF CONTENT

I don’t like the dark coming to my head
It feels like a blanket thrown over my bed

I don’t like the dark coming to my head





I don’t like the dark coming over me
It feels like room’s full of things I can’t see

I don’t like the dark coming over me





There isn’t enough light from under the door
It only just reaches the edge of the floor

There isn’t enough light from under the door





I wish that my dad hadn’t put out the light
It feels like there’s someone that’s just out of sight

I wish that my dad hadn’t put out the light





But under the bedclothes it’s warm and secure
You can’t see the ceiling, you can’t see the floor
Yes, under the bedclothes it’s warm and secure
So I think I’ll stay here till it’s daylight once more

GENERAL

OVERVIEW

As we all know, a guidebook is a book that provides important knowledge on a
specific topic. This "VISUAL POETRY GUIDEBOOK" was designed with the
intention of assisting pupils in learning English as a second language in Malaysian
schools. It simply provides YEAR 5 students with additional drill materials on
essential aspects from the poem "The Dark” by Adrian Henri. All of the poem's
stanzas are clearly interpreted, and the poem's discussion that students need to
understand is provided in plain language, with clear explanations and pictures.
The connection between the title and the ideas, as well as the entire poem, is also
highlighted in this book. A variety of visual pictures have been included to
enhance students in their comprehension of this poetry. Aside from that, this
visual poetry guidebook covers a study of the poem's style and writing tactics, as
well as a comparison to other poems in the same genre. This visual poetry
guidebook is also created and arranged in a step-by-step method, using Bloom's
Taxonomy to progress from basic to more difficult and complex aspects. This
guidebook includes a glossary section for those who are unfamiliar with some of
the vocabulary used in the poem or the guidebook. As a result, this book is a
must-have for YEAR 5 students who want to expand their literary expertise.

ABOUT THE POEM

The poem is about a young child who is afraid of the dark.
It's also about his/her frustration with his/her father's
decision to turn off the lights. Most of us have probably
experienced a power outage. What were our emotions like
when it happened? Many of us dislike being in the dark.
There could be a variety of reasons for this. The poet too
doesn’t like the dark and he is saying this both to himself
and to us. At the end of the poem, he is no longer terrified;
he feels comfortable beneath "the bedclothes" and knows
that "daylight will return."

About the poet

Adrian Henri was a British poet and painter who is
most known for establishing the poetry-rock band
The Liverpool Scene and for being one of the three
poets featured in the top-selling anthology The
Mersey Sound, along with Brian Patten and Roger
McGough. He worked as an artist, poet, teacher,
rock-and-roll performer, dramatist, and librettist,
among many other professions.
~"If you think you can do it and you want to do it —
then do it." ~

TARGETED READERS

PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

Children can improve their voice, pitch, loudness, and inflection by
reading poetry. While these are primarily speaking functions, they are
also important for children learning to read. Young readers can learn
about speech patterns from poetry, which can help them understand the
words on the page. Poetry, like any other style of reading, can help
children learn new words. Poetry is distinct in that it usually has a
rhythm. Children are introduced to new words in new situations when
they read sentences and phrases with a rhythm.
As a result, poetry is distinctive in that it is frequently read aloud,
repeated, and shared in groups. Children's listening abilities are improved
when they listen to poems verbally. They learn to pay attention to what
they hear and to consider what those words imply in context. Children
start to pay attention to the rhythms and rhymes of poems. As verses are
practiced and read several times, reading fluency improves.

THEME AND TITLE

~Literal Meaning~

The title, 'The dark' brings a deep meaning of
darkness in something which is dark lacks, or has
very little light. Darkness is defined as the lack of
light. Anything malevolent or dismal can be
described as dark. The absence of light or the
presence of only a little amount of light is referred
to as darkness. The poet, Adrian Henri explains
the variety of dark environment situations handled
by the child alone during the night. The way the
poet describes the dark in the night was scary
which includes various hallucinations created by
the child itself. The child was too scared to spend
his/her night in the darkroom and was hoping
his/her father didn't have off the lights. The poet
beautifully conveyed the life of a child sleeping in a
dark room and the child's perception of the
darkroom.

METAPHORICAL
MEANING

A metaphor is a common phrase that draws an
apparent, inferred, or concealed parallel among
unrelated things that have some qualities. The poet
emphasizes the metaphorical meaning of ‘The Dark”
which are:
Night: The period when the sun is well below the
earth's horizon, save for the brief period that
precedes and accompanies its rise and setting, and
in which the countenance of a man may be
distinguished by its light. The persona, which is the
child, was being afraid of the night's darkness as
the surroundings are pitch black.
Trauma: Loneliness is defined as the sense of being
alone and unhappy about it. The child felt
traumatic being in the dark and doesn't like the
dark coming over him/her as mentioned in stanza 2.
Evil and purity: We use the term "dark" to describe
negative behavior or attributes.

CONNECTION BETWEEN THE TITLE
AND THEMES

The title of the poem, 'The Dark' explains in all the stanzas how
the persona is afraid and has scary thoughts about the dark
atmosphere or the surroundings in his or her room. Each stanza
shows that the persona conveyed many possibilities that might
happen to the persona in his or her mind while the persona is in
the darkroom fighting with the dark. It also reflects many
reactions that the persona felt towards the scary settings that
occurred. Adrian Henri, the poet of this poem, seems interested in
exploring the theme of darkness. While the poet evokes the
theme of emotions and imaginations involved with a child's fear
of the dark. , it also suggests the theme of frustration with the
action of his or her father putting out the lights. Each stanza
particularly highlights the child's fear of the darkness and what
the child feels every moment. The whole poem talks about the
child's fear of the dark which is portrayed well in a few stanzas.
The child's fear is related to the dark in all of the stanzas and
could easily convince the audience that the child, which is the
persona is struggling to stay in the dark. Furthermore, the
persona lets out her or his frustration on the action of his or her
father putting off the light which leads the child to this kind of
situation. As mentioned in stanza 4, the persona lets out the
frustration about it.

MEANING OF THE
STANZA

STANZA 1

I don’t like the dark coming down on my head
It feels like a blanket thrown over the bed
I don’t like the dark coming down on my head

MEANING:

The persona seeks to show his or her fear of the
dark. When moving in the dark, the shadow or
moonlight casts a shadow over his or her head.
The persona envisions the shadow as a blanket
draped over the bed.

STANZA 2

I don’t like the dark coming down over me
It feels like the room’s full of things I can’t see
I don’t like the dark coming down over me

MEANING:

The persona is trying to demonstrate that the
shadow is expanding around the room until he
or she is unable to see the objects in the close
surroundings.

STANZA 3

There isn’t enough light from under the door
It only just reaches the edge of the door
There isn’t enough light from under the door

MEANING:

The persona thinks the shadow moving towards the
room's edge, which is the moon moving from one
direction to the other. The character also feels as
though there isn't enough light from beneath the
door to overcome the darkness.

STANZA 4

I wish that my dad hadn’t put out the light
It feels like there’s something that’s just out of sight
I wish that my dad hadn’t put out the light

MEANING:

The persona is expressing his or her feeling
which is hoping for his or her dad to switch
on the lights.

STANZA 5

But under the bedclothes it’s warm and secure
You can’t see the ceiling, you can’t see the floor
Yes, under the bedclothes it’s warm and secure
So I think I’ll stay here till it’s daylight once more.

MEANING:

The persona feels that if he or she could cover
himself or herself under the blanket, it feels warm
and secure. Furthermore, he or she can avoid
looking at the shadows which have surrounded the
room. He or she wants to stay under the blanket till
morning.

STANZA 1-4

I don’t like the dark coming There isn’t enough light
down on my head from under the door

It feels like a blanket thrown It only just reaches the
over the bed edge of the door

I don’t like the dark coming There isn’t enough light
down on my head from under the door

ALL THE STANZAS CONTAINS 3

LINES
I don’t like the dark coming
down over me I wish that my dad hadn’t put
out the light

It feels like the room’s full It feels like there’s something
of things I can’t see that’s just out of sight

I don’t like the dark coming I wish that my dad hadn’t put
down over me out the light

THIS STANZA CONSISTS OF 4
LINES

STANZA 5

But under the bedclothes it’s warm
and secure



You can’t see the ceiling, you can’t
see the floor



Yes, under the bedclothes it’s warm
and secure



So I think I’ll stay here till it’s
daylight once more.

SYLLABLE

In poetry, counting syllables entails identifying Vowels
(A,E,I,O,U).
For example, you would count the two vowels "a" and "e" in
the word "made." If, the "e" in this word is silent, you would
remove 1 from 2.

STANZA 1 STANZA 2

LINE 1 = 10 SYLLABLE LINE 1 = 12 SYLLABLE
LINE 2 = 12 SYLLABLE LINE 2 = 11 SYLLABLE
LINE 3 = 10 SYLLABLE LINE 3 = 11 SYLLABLE

STANZA 3

LINE 1 = 10 SYLLABLE
LINE 2 = 11 SYLLABLE
LINE 3 = 10 SYLLABLE

STANZA 4

LINE 1 = 9 SYLLABLE
LINE 2 = 13 SYLLABLE
LINE 3 = 9 SYLLABLE

STANZA 5

LINE 1 = 13 SYLLABLE
LINE 2 = 11 SYLLABLE
LINE 3 = 13 SYLLABLE
LINE 4 = 15 SYLLABLE

All the highlighted word are
stressed rhythm





All the highlighted word
are stressed rhythm

Trochaic Foot: But un der th e bed

clothes it's warm and se cure

RHYME SCHEME ( Stanza 1 - 3 )

This poem presents a perfect example of monorhyme, in
which you will notice that every line ends in a similar
rhyme.

I don’t like the dark coming down on my head (A)
It feels like a blanket thrown over the bed (A)
I don’t like the dark coming down on my head (A)

I don’t like the dark coming down over me (A)
It feels like the room’s full of things I can’t see (A)
I don’t like the dark coming down over me (A)

There isn’t enough light from under the door (A)
It only just reaches the edge of the door (A)
There isn’t enough light from under the door (A)

RHYME SCHEME NOTE: Stanza 5 is
( Stanza 4 - 5 ) Villanelle because
the stanza pattern
is ABAA. Villanelle
is a rhyme scheme
that follows ABA.

I wish that my dad hadn’t put out the light(A)
It feels like there’s something that’s just out of sight(A)
I wish that my dad hadn’t put out the light(A)

But under the bedclothes it’s warm and secure(A)
You can’t see the ceiling, you can’t see the floor(B)
Yes, under the bedclothes it’s warm and secure(A)
So I think I’ll stay here till it’s daylight once more(A)

ALLITERATION
( Stanza 1 - 5 )

I don’t like the dark coming down on my head =3
It feels like a blanket thrown over the bed =2
I don’t like the dark coming down on my head =3

I don’t like the dark coming down over me =3
It feels like the room’s full of things I can’t see =2
I don’t like the dark coming down over me =3

There isn’t enough light from under the door =2
It only just reaches the edge of the door =2
There isn’t enough light from under the door =2

I wish that my dad hadn’t put out the light =2
It feels like there’s something that’s just out of sight =2
=2
I wish that my dad hadn’t put out the light


But under the bedclothes it’s warm and secure

You can’t see the ceiling, you can’t see the floor

=2
Yes, under the bedclothes it’s warm and secure =3
So I think I’ll stay here till it’s daylight once more. =0
=3

I don’t like the dark coming down on my head
It feels like a blanket thrown over the bed

●I don’t like the dark coming down on my head
Stanza 1, 2 lines have been repeated

I don’t like the dark coming down over me
It feels like the room’s full of things I can’t see
I don’t like the dark coming down over me

● Stanza 2, 2 lines have been repeated

There isn’t enough light from under the door
It only just reaches the edge of the door
There isn’t enough light from under the door

● Stanza 2, 2 lines have been repeated

I wish that my dad hadn’t put out the light
It feels like there’s something that’s just out of sight
I wish that my dad hadn’t put out the Light

● Stanza 4, 2 lines have been repeated

But under the bedclothes it’s warm and secure
You can’t see the ceiling, you can’t see the floor
Yes, under the bedclothes it’s warm and secure
So I think I’ll stay here till it’s daylight once more

● Stanza 4, 2 lines have been repeated

Refrain

A refrain in poetry is a word, line, or phrase that is
repeated throughout the poem's lines or stanzas.
I don’t like the dark coming down on my head
It feels like a blanket thrown over the bed
I don’t like the dark coming down on my head

I don’t like the dark coming down over me
It feels like the room’s full of things I can’t see
I don’t like the dark coming down over me

There isn’t enough light from under the door
It only just reaches the edge of the door
There isn’t enough light from under the door

I wish that my dad hadn’t put out the light
It feels like there’s something that’s just out of sight
I wish that my dad hadn’t put out the light

But under the bedclothes it’s warm and secure
You can’t see the ceiling, you can’t see the floor
Yes, under the bedclothes it’s warm and secure
So I think I’ll stay here till it’s daylight once more

~ All the highlighted words are repeated in this Poem

Assonance ( Stanza 4 )

I wish that my dad hadn’t put out the light
= Line 1 - The vowel sound of a

It feels like there’s something that’s just out of sight
= Line 2 - The vowel sound of i

I wish that my dad hadn’t put out the light
= Line 3 - The vowel sound of a

Assonance ( Stanza 5 )

But under the bedclothes it’s warm and secure
= Line 1 - The vowel sound of u

You can’t see the ceiling, you can’t see the floor
= Line 2 - The vowel sound of e

Yes, under the bedclothes it’s warm and secure
= Line 3 - The vowel sound of e

So I think I’ll stay here till it’s daylight once more.
= Line 4 - The vowel sound of i

ONOMATOPOEIA

Onomatopoeia is a literary device in which
words are used to imitate genuine sounds.
Bark, for example, was created to resemble
the sound a dog makes. In the night, a bell
clangs, simulating the true sound.

Metaphor

Metaphor is a major literary method in which
one item in a poem is described as being the
same as another item that is otherwise
unconnected.

EXAMPLE: IT FEELS LIKE A BLANKET THROWN OVER
THE BED

Personification

Personification is a literary method in which
inanimate objects, such as animals or plants,
are given human attributes, resulting in a poem
full of imagery and description.

EXAMPLE: IT ONLY JUST REACHES THE
EDGE OF THE FLOOR

Oxymoron

The use of an oxymoron as a
literary device to encourage the
reader to think more deeply
about the meaning of a sentence
is common.



STANZA 4 LINE 2

EXAMPLE= It feels like there’s
something that’s just out of sight

IMAGERY

The sensory and figurative language applied
in poetry is known as poetic imagery.The item
or experience that a poet is pondering is
almost experienced in connection to another
object, event, person, or thing.

EXAMPLE: SIGHT

TONE AND MOOD

The poem is about the dark and how the character
feels about it, the poem's mood could be described as
frightened.

The tone of the character could be described as
shivering, since the lines "dark coming down over my head,
out of the light, under the door" are used. All of the
words the poet writes are shivering, as we can sense the
character traits of terror.

Physical context

Physical context can be defined as a setting that shows how
the event was unfold. It also connects with the surrounding the
persona was in and how that influences the choices they make.
For an example, the persona was afraid of the dark but instead
of switching on the lights and sleep, the persona decided to
sleep under the blanket and wait till morning

HYPERBOLE



It always portrays the
word or phrase in the more
exaggerating way. For
example, he is so angry
that the volcano is no

match for him.











Stanza 1 line 2=
It feels like a




blanket thrown over the bed.

Situational Irony

The person was stating
his or her feelings
seriously without being
sarcastic or ironic.

Allusion

The author is telling the meaning indirectly through a phrase
or words.

Stanza 3-line 2

There isn’t enough light from under the door
It only just reaches the edge of the door

There isn’t enough light from under the door

The meaning of this phrase is about the shadow
was moving towards the persona in his or her
imagination but the truth is the shadow was
created by the moon where it was moving from one
direction to another.

The Strengths

☆This poem has various nice phrases that students will love, there are many

advantages in this poem for year 5 students, such as the poem is extremely
straightforward as it does not contain any double meaning or even confusion,
particularly in terms of the sentences, as it is highly engaging reading
material for the students.

☆ Moreover, improving vocabulary and linguistic skills are the immediate

benefits of reading poetry. Poetry introduces the reader to new words and
fosters linguistic examination. Most poetry should not be read in the same
way that prose is. The students got a place for their emphasis on keywords
and interpreting grammar in the absence of clear organization.

☆Furthermore, it demonstrates to kids how to compose their own stories.

Poetry opens a world of possibilities for storytellers. Our tales are
important, whether we rely on their own experiences for inspiration or want
to build a whole other universe with their words.

☆Besides, the poem encourages the expression of emotions. Reading about

individuals being terrified in the dark might motivate the reader to be bold with their
emotions, as I know it does for me. The same rules apply to this year five pupils. They
may learn to identify and interpret their sensations better if they read poems about
processing complicated emotions. Poetry about hope, love, friendship, fear, and
overcoming despair might motivate students to speak about the significant issues in
their lives more openly.

☆Lastly, it piques the imagination and stimulates abstract thought. Imagery,

Similes, and Metaphors. Drawing word pictures to illustrate a scenario in this day
and age, it is more crucial than ever to discover opportunities for our children to
use their imaginations. Poetry may provide a framework for learners to think
outside the box and perceive the world from a new perspective.

STYLE & TECHNIQUES OF
WRITING

A writing method is a style used by an author to express their message in an
effective and meaningful way to their audience. Understanding the many sorts of
writing styles is essential for professionals since you will need to adapt your
writing style to connect with your audience. For example, the most successful
writing approach for selling things to consumers differs from the most effective
writing method for offering employee feedback and coaching.

Descriptive poetry draws the reader into the poem by establishing a realistic
mental image of the characters, places, and events. Descriptive writers, like
Adrian Henri, frequently employ literary devices such as similes and metaphors in
their writings. The goal of informative writing is to make the student feel as if
they are experiencing the circumstances firsthand. Poems, personal journals, and
lyrics are all instances of short descriptive writing.

The most noticeable literary technique utilized in this poem is rhyming.
It aids in the flow of poetry. Poems do not have to rhyme; many poems
are free verse style, which lets poets convey their thoughts and
ideas without being constrained by a specific rhyming pattern, such as
floor and door. There are several rhyming patterns and systems. The
one used by Adrian Henri is ‘’ I don’t like the dark coming down on my
head’ and ‘’There isn’t enough light from under the door’’

Adrian Henri employs symbolism, which is when a poet utilizes objects,
colors, sounds, or places to represent something else. The dark, for
example, are frequently connected with fear while light are
identified with peace. These are only a handful of the approaches
employed by poets both past and present. They offer a wide range of
opportunities for a poet to develop a distinct style while
communicating his or her thoughts and ideas to readers.

Weakness of The Dark Poem

The Poem Dark by Adrian Henri poem has a few weaknesses for
year 5 students and reasons why this poem is not suitable for
them to acquire this poem. Even though there are a few
weaknesses but still has more strengths to compare. So, I believe
that learning this poem in year 5 will not affect the children
much

In this poem is a lack of thinking skills. Since all the lines are
straight to the point and it does not contain any tricky lines, the
student will not be able to improve their thinking skill as well. If
this kind of poem is repeated, students will only be used to easy
poems and they will not learn how to understand tricky poems.
Other than that, this kind of poem will also make students lose
interest in poems. I started this because some students expect
learning to be exciting and challenging. So, if they studied this type
of poem continuously, they will lose interest easily.

There are two repeated sentences in each stanza. Repeating
words, sentences, or even meaning in a poem might make the
students feel boring. Even there are chances that students will
stop reading the poem once they start noticing that there are
repeated sentences and assume that the whole poem conveys the
same meaning

Learners will not learn any new words from the poem. This is
because all the words that used in the whole poem are very
common and easy. The children do not have the opportunity
to learn new words and they could not enhance their writing
skills.

Poems with repeated words have a higher chance to make
students follow this in their writing as well. For example,
students might use repeated sentences or words during their
essay writing and assume that is not wrong to use the same
words or sentence. Students always take their teachers as
their role models and will try to follow in the teacher’s
footsteps. So, when we teach the students poems which have
repeated words, students will also try to apply this method
to their writing without acknowledging it is wrong.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the poem is suitable for starters since it is fantastic
poetry with easy phrases. The character throughout this poem
communicates his or her phobia of darkness. The persona feels that a
shade of himself or herself is following him or her and wishes for light
should come into the room. This sensation is shared by the majority of
kids and young people since so many kids are frightened of the
darkness. Furthermore, this poetry allows individuals to share their
anxiety and allows anyone else to understand how they feel. Even
though there are a few weaknesses in this poetry, still it is suitable
for year 4 students since it is conveying something that most of these
age kids going through. At the end of the lesson students also get to
know that dark is not something to be afraid of all the time and even
there is a chance for them to be brave once they start understanding
it. In my point of view, there won’t be any harm in students’ behaviour
but students will be braver.

Glossary of the “The Dark” Poem

Words Meaning
Blanket
a large piece of woolen or
Edge similar material used as a
Sight covering on a bed or elsewhere
Ceiling
Warm for warmth.
Secure
the outside limit of an object,
area, or surface.

the faculty or power of seeing.

the upper interior surface of a room
or other similar compartment.

fairly or comfortably high
temperature.

certain to remain safe and
unthreatened.

REFRENCE

-The dark. (2021, October 3). The Star.
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/education/2021/10/03/the-dark

-Faieyz M. (2019, February 19). .:The dark:. Stories Of My Life.
. https://xaxamunawir.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-dark.html

-Peter Betjemann. (2021, May 18). What is figurative language? || Oregon state guide to literary
terms. College of Liberal Arts
. https://liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/wlf/what-figurative-
language#:~:text=Figurative%20language%20makes%20meaning%20by,by%20reference%20to%20
something%20else

-Sasha Blakeley. (2021, June 15). Poem Structures
. https://study.com/learn/lesson/what-is-the-structure-of-a-
poem.html#:~:text=The%20structure%20of%20a%20poem%20or%20a%20play%20is%20the,rhymi
ng%20words%20to%20create%20emphasis

-SuperSummary. (April 11). SuperSummary.
https://www.supersummary.com/context/