Evaluation

Craftsmanship techniques within Judith Wright’s ‘The Surfer’ have been utilised to great

literary effect, enabling a profound impact on the experience of the reader. The text enables

students to examine the purposefully complex nature of the language, notably to describe the

world within the poem, evoke emotion and shape the perspective of readers (NESA, 2017a, p.

74). The form in itself as poetry enables an analysis and experimentation with language

features to elicit an emotional response and connection from the reader. Wright enables

engagement with the text through interrelating stylistic features of point of view and imagery

to feed a visceral perspective within the poem, thus enabling students not only to appreciate

but to critically assess and appraise the language.

A particularly strong stylistic feature within poem manifests in terms of point of view, with

strong imagery filtered through third-person narration providing the audience a compelling

perspective and position from which to judge events. Point of view stands as a complex, yet

essential literary concept for the craft of writing as it enables an understanding of the vantage

point to which the reader is positioned, and understanding “the voice of the teller, the

intended listener, and the distance or closeness of both the action and the diction” (Burroway,

2011, p. 55). Within this, as the poem stands as a “closely observed portrait of a body surfer

in the ocean waves”, the readers are made privy to the emotion and attitudes within the text

through the point of view of the narrator (NESA, 2017b, p. 11). This closely observed point

of view stands beneficial in evoking emotion and shaping perspectives, as the narrator is able

to control what the reader sees, how they relate to the experience and the figure in the text.

The text is prime in enabling an understanding of perspective, as it makes the reader privy to

values that the responder and composer bring to a text, however also enables an analysis on

the narrators deliberate shaping of perspectives of the reader and manipulation of emotion.

Whilst the text enables an imaginative engagement through language devices such as third-

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person narration, it also enables an understanding of the power behind deliberate language

choice to control or manipulate readers through point of view. In taking analysis from

language device to the stylistic feature, students can understand the ability to craft writing for

a “range of authentic audiences and purposes” in which “to convey ideas with power and

increasing precision”(NESA, 2017, p. 74). Furthermore, in understanding this feature of the

text, students can then move on to developing an understanding of purpose and audience used

to carefully shape meaning (NESA, 2017, p. 74). As such, this text enables students to

understand point of view as a critical reading practice, as it is often an inferential, rather than

explicit feature within texts to achieve a certain perspective. Therefore, this standout feature

within this text is necessitated to explore and analyse meaning and craft behind the text, to

develop an appreciation of it’s constructed nature. In experimenting with this feature,

students are enabled to participate in resistant and dominant readings of a text through

experimenting with varying perspectives and thus deliberately positioning their audiences to

“clarify, magnify, distort or blur what we see” and “provide a dynamic basis for the

relationship between composer, text and responder” (NESA, 2010b). It is within this aspect

of utilising a critical lens in analysing point of view that stands crucial for student knowledge

in crafting writing. As such, as this text enables a thorough engagement, both imaginatively

and creatively with perspective, students are then able to experiment with a range of language

forms and features. This experimentation thus enables students to strengthen their own skills

in regard to producing “crafted, imaginative, discursive, persuasive and informative texts”

(NESA, 2017, p. 74).

Another particularly strong stylistic feature of Wright’s ‘The Surfer’ manifests in terms of

imagery and rhythm, in which both lend themselves to understanding the point of view of the

narrator. An examination of Wright’s use of imagery to creatively and imaginatively utilise

language is paramount, notably in terms of describing the world within the text, evoking

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emotion and shaping perspectives (NESA, 2017, p. 74). Wright’s extension beyond literal

everyday meanings is evidential within affective imagery techniques such as metaphor and

simile. This manifests in terms of metaphorical reference of the “Last leaf of gold vanishes

from the sea-curve”, enforcing the notion of the sun as a leaf of gold, or something precious

and sought after as disappearing from sight, being engulfed by the sea (Wright, n.d.). Thus, in

portraying the disappearance of something of great value, and potentially treasured by the

narrator, Wright evokes associated feelings of concern and unease. Furthermore, utilising

sensory imagery through metaphorical reference of the sea as a “grey-wolf […] snarling”

with “wolf-teeth”, Wright creates a vivid depiction of an aggressive and voracious sea

(Wright, n.d.). Within this sensory imagery, the imagination is ignited so the reader is

influenced to see the world created by the author. As such, Wright deliberately utilises

language creatively and imaginatively to describe the world within the poem, evoke emotion

and portraying a sentient perspective. Therefore, this text enables students to participate in a

considered appraisal of, and imaginative engagement with the poem, and examine how

language, notably imagery is used to evoke emotion and share a perspective with the reader.

Imagery as a feature within this text is potent as it enables experimentation with inferential

language for students, whereby it enables students to understand subtle manipulation of

emotional response within the reader to suit a specific purpose. Students can strengthen and

refine their held understanding of connotation, denotation and imagery within this text to an

increasing precision, as well as understand purposes and audience in influencing and

carefully shaping meaning (NESA, 2017, p. 74). Rhythm also lends itself to understanding

the influence of audiences and purpose in shaping meaning, through the manipulation of

rhythm to achieve the aforementioned panicked and worried mood. The last stanza

compromising itself of only two sentences quickens the pace, thus affects the readers or

audiences response to the tense situation within the text. Imagery and rhythm both enable

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students to “adopt different perspectives” to appreciate and assess “underlying values in the

text and construct meanings which may challenge, confirm or modify the original reading of

a text” (NESA, 2017b). As such, this enables students to assess the importance of imagery

and rhythm in the capacity or ability to direct or influence the reader and thus use the feature

to exert a linguistic power themselves in their craft.

As such, Judith Wright’s poem ‘The Surfer’ stands as an enduring, quality text for students to

appreciate, analyse and assess the importance and power of language (NESA, 2017, p. 74).

The text enables students to examine and analyse language features used by Wright to

creatively and imaginatively engage the reader, notably through point of view and imagery in

evoking emotion, enabling a visceral and sentient experience for the reader, and to shaping a

certain perspective (NESA, 2017, p. 74). However, the text also enables higher order analysis

through a consideration of the influence of purpose and audience in language choice by the

author. Therefore, in understanding the complexities in the literariness of the text, students

are enabled to “independently and collaboratively to reflect, refine and strengthen their own

skills in producing crafted, imaginative, discursive, persuasive and informative texts” (NESA,

2017, p. 74).

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 The Surfer by Judith Wright Lesson 1
Class: HSC (Year 12) Stage 6 Time: 60 Minutes
Teacher: Objectives for self
To… invite students to consider imagery and descriptions as fundamental to creative and
critical thought.
To… enable students to utilise language forms such as imagery and appreciate how it has
underlying power to shape meaning and point of view within texts.
To… help students imaginatively recreate stylistic choices to enable students to develop their
knowledge of language features to shape and influence response

Syllabus Outcomes for students

HSC:
Outcome 3: analyses and uses language forms, features and structures of texts and justifies
their appropriateness for purpose, audience and context and explains effects on meaning
EN12-3
Students:
Engage personally with texts
● engage with complex texts through their language forms, features and structures to
understand and appreciate the power of language to shape meaning

Respond to and compose texts

● control language features, text structures and stylistic choices of texts to shape meaning and
influence response

Outcome 4: adapts and applies knowledge, skills and understanding of language concepts and
literary devices into new and different contexts EN12-4
Students:
Engage personally with texts
● assess how their knowledge of language features, text structures and stylistic choices helps
them to engage with unfamiliar texts or textual form

Materials
Resource One: PowerPoint copy of Judith Wright’s The Surfer for projection on board
Resource Two: Visual stimuli for imagery of surfing

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Procedures
Time Organisation Teaching/Learning Activities
5 Whole Class Introduce Learning Intention on the board:
Minutes To understand the effect of imagery in shaping point of view
in terms of what we see and how we relate to the situation,
characters or ideas in the text.

Students take out iPad’s and load up copy of Judith Wright’s

The Surfer for analysis.

10 Whole Class Mini lesson on the appeal of imagery to the senses/sensory

Minutes imagery to build upon and refresh prior knowledge learnt in
Stage 4/5. Mini-lessons stand beneficial in creating a
communal frame of reference for students.

 Teacher draws a chart on the board with five rows,

each titled with different senses.
 Students are to go up to the board and contribute their
understanding of words in which appeal to differing
senses within creative writing.

Teacher explains to class that providing a vivid experience

through appealing to the readers senses, students may develop
their craft and realise the power within language to shape
meaning. As such, appealing to multiple senses can provide

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 shape experience and perspectives and evoke emotion within
writing.

15 Whole Teacher touches on students prior knowledge that

Minutes Class/Groups connotation, imagery and symbol enrich a text through
inferential meaning behind words and descriptions. Explain
the potential for social consequences of imagery, connotation
and symbol as it influences individuals in their
conceptualisation of characters, information and ideas.

 Teacher models a passage from Judith Wright’s The

Surfer to analyse imagery within the poem [Resource
One]. Asks students to contribute as a class in
highlighting words in which evoke emotion and appeal
to senses:

 Students participate in Think, Pair, Share activity in

answering what they believe the connotations and
feelings behind these words are individually then
sharing in pairs.
 Teacher then asks students what they believe the
connotations and meaning behind the first stanza of
the poem is, allowing for a variety of interpretations.
 Discussion on how they believe the composer
manifested this meaning and association, focusing on
language devices of metaphor, modality, simile, etc.
 Focus on how the stanza represents the perspective
and values and the representation of the joy of surfing
initially.

10 Whole Students to individually analyse and identify sensory imagery

Minutes Class/Individual in second and third stanza of Judith Wright’s The Surfer.

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 .

 Ask students what the change in mood and perspective

is within the text.
o Note how the imagery within the last stanza is
changed from being in a state of awe of the
surfer, toward a fear and panic in the ocean.
Note that this is through aggressive and vicious
imagery of the sea, ‘grey-wolf sea lies,
snarling’, ‘drops there and snatches again’.
 Students move from understanding the extract to
understanding how the author manipulates what we
see and how we relate to the situation, characters or
ideas in the text.

Students individually answer the following questions in

regard to the second and third stanzas to understand how
control over language features and stylistic choices shape
meaning (NESA, 2017, p. 57):

1. Which objects are you visualising? What do you

believe their size and shape is? What language
enables this?
2. Are certain colours dominating your visualisation?
Does that affect your emotion?
3. What movements do you notice in the scene you
are imagining? Does it affect your perception of
the surfer?
4. What sounds can you hear? How do you think the
author achieved this?
5. Describe your mood in visualising the landscape.

 Teacher conveys these choices are deliberate and for

specific purpose to influence reader response.
 Encourage students to attempt to manipulate a readers
conceptualisations to achieve a certain position to
judge events.
 Teacher to make connection between utilising imagery
to achieve a certain perspective.

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 20 Whole  Teacher to project different visual depictions of
Minutes Class/Individual surfing on board for visual comprehension of imagery
[Resource Two]. Reinforce that the use of imagery
within a story provides a much more vivid, emotional
experience for the reader.

 Students take a stanza of their choice and are to

participate in an imaginative recreation task [formative
assessment of student knowledge of language features
and form].
o Students are asked to utilise the form however
to alter the tone and connotation through
differing imagery. Students may utilise the
visual depictions as stimuli to alter the tone in
the story, however students must change the
joyful, powerful and confident imagery within
the poem to a different tone of their choice.

Prospective answers in first stanza:

From confidence to fear
“thrust his joy against the weight of the sea” to “his
enjoyment hammered by the burden of the sea”.

o This is to engage with The Surfer through the language

forms, features and structures of imagery to
understand and appreciate the power of language to
shape the point of view and meaning (NESA, 2017, p.
57).

Within the last 5 minutes, students are then asked to share

how they have utilised imagery to achieve a different position,
or to enable the reader to adopt a different perspective.

Homework Students may participate in a second imaginative recreation

activity of their choice of stanza in manipulating imagery to
change point of view. Students must answer what point of
view they were trying to achieve and how they did this.

Evaluation/Extension:
The lesson is evaluated through the use of collaborative and student-centred discussion on
student knowledge and understanding. This collaboration fosters the development of
academic confidence and emotional intelligence within students from the varying viewpoints
and analysis of differing interpretations of texts (Sultan, Knwal & Khurram, 2011). It also
enables the students to utilise critical literacy in understanding inferential and connotative
language from texts, as well as valuing knowledge different from that promoted by dominant
literary and cultural establishments (Morgan, 2010). There is formative assessment permeated

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throughout the lesson through the use of a mini-lesson utilising a collaborative chart as a
communal frame of reference for students with certain writing techniques, and enabling
students to develop their own writing craft naturalistically (Atwell, 1998). There is also
formative assessment and collaboration through Think, Pair, Share activities in which allows
for a student-centred approach in understanding a variety of viewpoints, enabling students to
tangibly experience learning and course objectives (Sion, 1999). Furthermore, imaginative
recreation is utilised as formative assessment in assessing student knowledge language
features and form, and their ability to control textual form and features. Extension is included
in terms of student having the opportunity to participate in a second imaginative recreation
activity of their choice of stanza in manipulating imagery to change point of view. Students
must answer what point of view they were trying to achieve and how they did this.

In Retrospect:
The learning is beneficial in utilising Wright’s ‘The Surfer’ in analysing language forms,
features and structures through engaging with the complexity of imagery in creating a point
of view. Within this, students were given tasks such as imaginative recreation activities to
assess their engagement, and further than imaginative recreation being used simplistically “in
the initial stages of their acquaintance of a text”, it allowed students to “explore, express and
represent their responses to a text … and the issues, themes and ideas with which it was
concerned” (Adams, 2010). This also assesses students ability to control language features to
shape meaning and influence response and their knowledge of these features and stylistic
choices to experiment with form.

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 The Surfer by Judith Wright Lesson 2
Class: HSC (Year 12) Stage 6 Time: 60 Minutes
Teacher: Objectives for self
To… invite students to consider the effect of point of view to determine the position from
which readers judge events.
To… enable students to use specific language and literary devices such as imagery within
point of view to communicate ideas for specific purposes.
To… help students imaginatively engage and recreate texts through point of view and
utilising imagery in deriving from differing perspectives and values.
Syllabus Outcomes for students
HSC:
Outcome 4: adapts and applies knowledge, skills and understanding of language concepts and
literary devices into new and different contexts EN12-4
Students:
Understand and apply knowledge of language forms and features
● use specific language and literary devices, for example rhetoric, to communicate broad
ideas for different purposes

Respond to and compose texts

● re-create texts by changing context, perspective or point of view and assess the
effectiveness of these changes

Outcome 7: explains and evaluates the diverse ways texts can represent personal and public worlds
EN12-7
Students:
Respond to and compose texts
● compose imaginative, interpretive and critical texts that reflect particular values and
perspectives, including their own
● analyse, explain and evaluate the ways ideas, voices and points of view are represented for
particular purposes and effects (ACEEN029)

Materials
Resource One: Copy of Judith Wright’s The Surfer for projection on board
Resource Two: PowerPoint with modelled depiction of The Surfer, and rules for Writers
Workshop

Procedures
Time Organisation Teaching/Learning Activities
5 Whole Class Introduce Learning Intention on the board:
Minutes To understand the ability of point of view to dictate the
distance between the responder and the events, values and

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 ideas in the texts and manipulate the perspective and position
from which to judge events.

Students load up their the modelled analysis of The Surfer

completed for homework from previous lesson.

15 Whole Teacher explains that point of view is critical in

Minutes Class/Individual/ understanding a text, as it is inferred rather than explicitly
Groups expressed and its exploration leads to an appreciation of the
constructed nature and perspective of the text (NSW
Department of Education, 2010a).

 Teacher projects modelled imagery analysis of The

Surfer on the board for point of view analysis asking
students to answer about narrative viewpoint.
Students also participate in authorial hide and seek
(Mitchell, 2010).

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 Within this, students are asked to highlight any words that the
author says directly and answer:

1. How intrusive are these words?

2. Whose eyes/mind are we viewing the events of the
text? Is it omniscient or limited?
3. How have the perceptions of the narrator made
meaning and influenced response?
4. How could the meaning change if the vents were
viewed from the perspective of another
character?(Mitchell, 2010).

 Students are to participate in a Think, Pair, Share

DART prediction activity individually, whereby they
continue on the text’s last stanza for a few lines,
focalising on how to developing and continuing the
point of view enabled by vicious and panicked
imagery [formative assessment on student
understanding of language devices and perspectives].
o This activity enables students to reconstruct
the text, applying understandings of language
features and text types.
 Students are then to share their prediction activity of
the text with a pair next to them and then share with
the class if they feel comfortable.

15 Whole Teacher regains class attention to ask students to consider the

Minutes Class/Groups point of view they continued and built upon in the text, and
what influences their understanding of the narrator.

 Teacher asks students what they believe the effect of

being placed in a third-person narrative viewpoint,
focusing on it’s potential to causes subjectivity and an
unreliability within the narrator and differing
perspectives.
 Further discussion relaying back to previous lesson
about how the imagery presented affects the point of
view to align ourselves with the worried viewpoint of
the narrator.
 Ask students to consider and discuss their own
experiences as a class in the water and going to the
beach, and discuss different perspectives and
interpretations of the texts, whether if they wrote the
text, would it align with the perspectives presented or
differ?
 Students are then asked to take on a differing
perspective within the text, whether it be informed by
personal perspectives and values or differing.

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 o Students are encouraged to explore any
differing perspective they identify and feel
comfortable with, however to focus the
stylistic feature of vivid imagery within these
differing narrative viewpoints (third/first
person) to enable imaginative engagement and
reconstruction of the text.

Differentiation:
Teacher can give character prompts for struggling
students:
- The Surfer himself
- A fellow surfer in the water
- A person strolling down the beach noticing the
narrators fear or the surfers confidence
- Someone living by the beach seeing this surfer
everyday

 Within this, students recognise, evaluate and assess

the effectiveness of differing interpretations of texts
that are influenced by particular values and
perspectives, and for particular purposes and effects.

15 Whole Allotted creative writing time to allow students to create draft

Minutes Class/Individual beginnings of their piece utilising Atwell’s (1987) Writers
Workshop format, projecting the following rules on the
board.

WRITERS WORKSHOP:
- No erasing, save record of what you’re thinking
- One side of the paper only, so you can re-
sequence
- Save everything, history is kept
- Date and label everything, such as draft 1, draft 2
(Atwell, 2010).
 Teacher to circulate around room and offer help to
students who seem stuck.
o This enables time for students to compose
imaginative, interpretive and critical texts that
reflect particular values and perspectives,
including their own (NESA, 2017, p. 65).
o Focus on strong points in students writing for
positive feedback.

Points of focus for teacher to provide feedback:

- Emotion in writing
- Altering perspectives and point of view
- Effectiveness of differing view

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 10 Whole Ask students to sort their work into:
Minutes Class/Individual 1. Pieces that have been written
2. Skills that have been learnt
3. Ideas for future pieces (Atwell, 1987)

 Students then form a circle on the floor and prepare

for a group sharing activity to contribute what they
have been working on if they are comfortable.
o This enables students to assess the
effectiveness of their alterations, share
techniques that have worked, listen to
alternative ways of approaching potential
writing issues, hearing a range of perspectives
and how other students have utilised language
features such as imagery and point of view.

Whilst students are in collaborative discussion, teacher

prompts discussion to convey composers can privilege
certain points of view by choosing a particular narrative
stance including omniscient, limited, 1st, 2nd or 3rd person
narrator (NSW Department of Education, 2010).

 Ask students their particular purpose and effect they

were aiming for within their piece?

Have students share their piece with the person next to them
and revisit earlier questions on authorial hide and seek to
assess the effectiveness of their own constructed work.

1. How intrusive are these words?

2. Whose eyes/mind are we viewing the events of the
text? Is it omniscient or limited?
3. How have the perceptions of the narrator made
meaning and influenced response?
4. How could the meaning change if the vents were
viewed from the perspective of another
character?(Mitchell, 2010).

 Recap concept of reliability within a narrator, and

convey every writer utilises language features such as
imagery to convey points of view for particular
purposes and effects. In texts purporting to be
objective and reliable, shaping of perspectives by
point of view may be difficult to discern.

Homework Students may analyse other students piece of work with other
students to develop their understanding of the construction
and effectiveness of a variety of work.

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Evaluation/Extension:
Students are evaluated through their ability to adapt and apply their understanding of
language concepts and literary devices such as point of view. This is evident within their
DART prediction activity in which enables assessment of students understanding with their
ability to continue the point of view and particular language features to match the narrators
perspective of worry and panic. Furthermore, activities such as Think, Pair, Share and the
group discussions also stand as formative and peer assessment, in students sharing techniques
that have worked, listen to alternative ways of approaching potential writing issues, hearing a
range of perspectives and how other students have utilised language features. This further
enables a student-centred approach in understanding a variety of viewpoints, enabling
students to tangibly experience learning and course objectives (Sion, 1999).

In Retrospect:
In retrospect, the learning adequately addresses the outcomes through adapting their
understanding of point of view and literary devices that shape point of view into a new
writing piece. Within this, students can apply their understanding of concepts and literary
devices during the Writers Workshop (Atwell, 1989) whereby students have the ability to
experiment and explore with different contexts and different purposes, but also revisit their
work in assessing the effectiveness of these changes. Furthermore, students are able to
participate in composing imaginative and interpretive texts through this workshop, however
further move onto critically analysing and assessing their work and values through the
Authorial Hide and Seek activity (Mitchell, 2010). However, within this workshop, it would
be beneficial if this is carried throughout the entire process, as only one lesson in utilising it
will not prove successful. This is an activity in which permeates the entire development of
students writing, rather than a singular lesson.

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 Bibliography

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Wayne Sawyer (eds.), Charged With Meaning: Reviewing English (3rd ed.) (pp. 53-

62). Putney, Australia: Phoenix Education.

Burroway, J. (2011). Imaginative writing: The elements of craft (3rd ed.). New York, NY:

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Mitchell, D. (2010). Fiction: Ways into novels and short stories. In Susanne Gannon, Mark

Howie & Wayne Sawyer (eds.), Charged With Meaning: Reviewing English (3rd ed.)

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classroom. English Leadership Quarterly, 22(1), 8. Retrieved from https://search-

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