Poetry Approaches, Exams of Poetry

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Poetry Approaches

I Don’t Like Mondays-Bob Geldof

Cicely Babb

The Novelistic/Dramatic

Approach

Brenda Ann Spencer wakes

up in the morning.

She doesn’t like

Mondays.

She decides to shoot

at some kids and

teachers standing

outside of an

elementary school in

front of her house.

She shoots at them.

The Realistic Approach

Bob Geldof wrote this poem telling the story of the

first high profile school shooting in the US, the

’79 Cleveland Elementary School shooting. This

relates to my life in that I go to school every day.

No one likes Mondays, but hopefully no one at my

school will try anything like that. Since 1979 there

have been more school shootings, each as terrible.

It is upsetting for anyone to hear about, and I hope

I am never faced with anything like it.

The Thematic Approach

Bob Geldof, in writing “I Don’t Like

Mondays”, is making a statement. In talking

about an incident in which a troubled

teenager shot several people, he is saying

that it is wrong to kill. “What reason do you

need to die?” is the question raised. “I don’t

like Mondays” is the answer.

The Musical Approach

The sound produces a completely different feel than

the meaning of the song does. The tune sounds

almost happy, which is why it is such a big hit.

Bob Geldof used a more peppy tune in his poem “I

Don’t Like Mondays” to illustrate how light

hearted Brenda Ann Spencer was when she told

police and reporters exactly why she decided to

open fire on an elementary school. The song has a

serious meaning, but the tune makes it more

versitile.

The English Teacher Approach

The silicon chip inside her head Gets switched to overload And nobody's gonna go to school today She's going to make them stay at home And daddy doesn't understand it He always said she was good as gold And he can see no reason ‘Cause there are no reasons What reason do you need to be shown?

Tell me why I don't like Mondays

Tell me why

I don’t like Mondays

Tell me why

I don’t like Mondays I want to shoot The whole day down

The telex machine is kept so clean As it types to a waiting world And mother feels so shocked Father's world is rocked And their thoughts turn to Their own little girl Sweet 16 ain't that peachy keen No, it ain't so neat to admit defeat They can see no reasons ‘Cause there are no reasons What reason do you need? Oh

Tell me why I don't like Mondays Tell me why I don’t like Mondays Tell me why I don’t like Mondays I want to shoot The whole day down All the playing’s stopped in the playground now She wants to play with her toys a while And school's out early and soon we'll be learning And the lesson today is how to die And then the bullhorn crackles And the captain cackles With the problems and the how's and why's And he can see no reasons ‘cause there are no reasons What reason do you need to die

The silicon chip ...

Tell me why I don't like Mondays I want to shoot The whole day down

The Significant Event Approach

This poem was written when author Bob Geldof was in the

US for an interview in 1979. He heard from the telex

machine that 16 year old Brenda Ann Spencer had opened

fire on an elementary school in San Diego. She killed the

principal and head custodian and wounded eight children

and one police officer. For hours police negotiated with her

until she surrendered. When authorities asked her why she

did it she replied, “I don’t like Mondays, this livens up the

day.” Geldof, hearing this, was shocked. That day, within

hours, he wrote the song “I Don’t Like Mondays”.

The Art History Approach

Images: Technological, family, newsroom, schoolyard

Symbolism: The technological image is symbolic, comparing

a 16 year old girl to a machine. The schoolyard symbolizes

innocence.

Effects: The image of technology affects the main character

in the poem, making her seem machine-like, and creepy.

The family scene shows a different side of her, referring to

“daddy”. This makes her seem more human. The

newsroom image just shows the reader how Geldof came

to hear of this incident. The schoolyard is a very important

image. The reader pictures children laughing and playing,

only to be shot at.