Question

directions: carefully read and annotate the lyrics for \beasts of england\ use the guiding questions and colors to help you.
passion for community (red)
look for:

• nationalism
• sacrifice
• communal identity or action

optimism for the future (yellow)
look for:

• hope
• beauty
• future
• idealism

fear and oppression (gray)
look for

• pain
• suffering
• harm
• threats
• enemies

identify examples of repellion. why is this line repeated? what is the benefit of placing emphasis here?
identify examples of imagery. how does the song leverage imagery to inspire the audience?
which colors are the most prominent from your highlighting? make an inference as to why this is.
select 1 stanza to connect to old major’s speech & the communist manifesto. explain your connection.
consider leadership. how might this song be successful in helping old major inspire the animals to pursue revolution against the farmers?
beasts of england
beasts of england, beasts of ireland
beasts of every land and clime
harkin to my joyful tidings
of the golden future time
soon or late the dawn is coming
tyrant man shall be overthrown
and the fruitful fields of england
shall be by beasts alone
rings shall vanish from our noses
and our harness from our back
bit and spur shall rust forever
cruel whips no more shall crack
riches more than mind can picture
wheat and barley, oats and hay
clover beans and mangel-wurzels
shall be ours upon that day
bright will shine the fields of england
purer shall its waters be
sweeter yet shall blow its breezes
on the day that sets us free
for that day we must all labor
though we die before it break
cows and horses, geese and turkeys
all must toil for freedom sake
beasts of england, beasts of ireland
beasts of every land and clime
harkin well and spread my tidings
of the golden future time

Explanation:

1. Repetition: The line "Beasts of England, beasts of Ireland / Beasts of every land and clime" opens and closes the song. Repetition reinforces communal identity, unites all oppressed animals across regions, and makes the message memorable for collective action.
2. Imagery: Imagery like "fruitful fields of England shall be by beasts alone," "Rings shall vanish from our noses," and "Riches more than mind can picture" paints a vivid contrast between the current suffering under humans and a prosperous, free future. This inspires hope by giving animals a clear, desirable goal to fight for.
3. Highlighting Inference: Yellow (Optimism for the Future) would be the most prominent. The song focuses overwhelmingly on the positive, golden future of freedom and abundance, which is its core persuasive tool to drive revolution.
4. *Connection to Old Major's Speech & The Communist Manifesto**: The stanza "Soon or late the dawn is coming / Tyrant man shall be overthrown / And the fruitful fields of England shall be by beasts alone" connects directly to Old Major's speech calling for the overthrow of human oppressors, and mirrors The Communist Manifesto*'s core idea of the working class (here, the animals) overthrowing the ruling class (humans) to seize the means of production (the farm/fields) for collective benefit.
5. Leadership & Revolution: The song unites animals under a shared identity, offers a clear, hopeful vision of liberation from suffering, and frames the revolution as a collective, necessary effort. It simplifies the cause into an emotional, memorable anthem that makes the idea of overthrowing farmers feel achievable and righteous, motivating animals to act together.

Answer:

1. Repetition: Repeated opening/closing lines unify all animals, reinforce communal identity, and make the message memorable.
2. Imagery: Uses vivid contrasts between current oppression and future prosperity to inspire hope for liberation.
3. Highlighting Inference: Yellow (Optimism for the Future) is most prominent, as the song's core focus is the hopeful, free future for animals.
4. Connection: The stanza about overthrowing the "tyrant man" links to Old Major's call for rebellion and The Communist Manifesto's theme of the oppressed seizing control of resources.
5. Leadership Impact: The song unites animals under a shared cause, provides an emotional, hopeful vision, and frames revolution as a collective, achievable goal to inspire action against farmers.