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Simple Gift   -  Stephen Herrick #

“The Simple Gift ”, Stephen Herrick’s narrative poem demonstrates elements of belonging and acceptance through the ‘pain and suffering’ of rejection, ‘homelessness’ and ‘dealing with death’ by the characters Billy, Caitlin and Old Bill.

The protagonist Billy Luckett sixteen years of age ventures into the world; leaving home on his own decision. Billy reveals himself as a reject, a thief;  and a troubled character who rejected a restrictive regimented irrelevant education system.  The cause of his alienation appears to be physical and psychological abuse from his father, lack of caring from  his school and his run down neglected neighbourhood with its “ truck still on blocks ”  “ unmown grass ”,  “ broken windows ” and which he derisively refers to as “ each deadbeat no hoper sh-thole lonely downtrodden house in Longlands Rd, Nowheresville” . All the symbols pointing to a decaying, decrepit, depressing environment. 

The school also receives a blast from Billy’s poisonous pen.  Why 4:30?  Most schools would have emptied two hours earlier, however the rest of the stanza rings true as Billy sets the scene on a windy rainy day with the Principal’s run down car blowing smoke, the rubbish strewn oval, Mr Cheetam (Cheater?) notes on Japan to 26 bored students and Billy self described as “ one lucky bastard ” admitting to have ‘stolen’ the lipstick used for his graffiti.  He leaves an elliptical epithet:  “Billy Luckett rhymes with. ..” revealing his frustration through a loss of words

Another evocative portrait is reminiscences in the poem “sport” in chapter one. The ‘ pain and suffering’ of ‘soulless tyranny ’ endured by him from ‘ the old bastard’ his father. This technique of expletive language is used to depict the poor relationship he shared with his father “ he gave me one backhander… I felt the blood ” and his attitude toward the world he’s living in.

Whilst catching a train, uncertain where the train will take him, bad weather, wind and rain recalls the violent significant memory of his father “ with the forces of a father’s punch ”. The metaphoric terms further reveal Billy’s harsh living environment he is seeking to escape.

Herrick induces us to feel empathy rather than antagonism to the protagonist. This is accomplished through the intimate use of language, changing perspectives and personal anecdotes.   

Ernie’s train whistle symbolises the beginning of Billy’s new life contrasted favourably by Ernie’s ‘ not bossing you around’ .  His next positive role model is Irene, Bendarat’s Librarian, who welcomes him and encourages him to borrow books.   Billy faces many obstacles or challenges in his new environment, such as lack of accommodation and food, because he has no income. An old train carriage becomes the protagonist’s new accommodation while he feeds off scraps of leftover food at McDonalds where he catches the attention of Caitlin.

Another self imposed exile is, Old Bill, who suffers trauma due to the loss of his daughter Jessie, after an incident of Jessie falling out of a tree. This led Old Bill to ‘homelessness’ as his home reminds him too much of his daughter, which eventually brings him to the streets turning to alcohol to relieve the pain.

After this loss, Old Bill’s ‘pain and suffering’ that he endured means he doesn’t care much about life. Billy and Old Bill developed ‘a friendship and sense of camaraderie’ as he treats Old Bill as his ‘father figure’ .  “ I like the kid…I like his company ” contrasts the lack of love and relationship between Billy and his real father. Old Bill’s emotive language as he explained to Billy “and I fell with her, and I’ve been falling ever since ” emphasizes he’s still not over it. The bond of friendship is important, it emphasizes the strength in one’s relationship, yet it doesn’t grieve nor boast but helps one another through rough tough times, which is portrayed as Old Bill becomes less alcoholic, and slowly recovers from the loss of his daughter as “ he experiences life that we planned ”.

Growth in maturity is shown as both of the two protagonists show signs of growth as they help each other. Billy’s growth is demonstrated as he becomes a ‘different’ individual from the beginning of the narrative poem showing positive thinking “ sure there’s hope in the world…even for hobos like us ”. Whilst Old Bill’s relationship with Billy and Caitlin, Old Bill’s view of the world slowly starts to change, as the protagonist reduces his consumption of alcohol and ventures to achieve plans that were made with Jessie. While Old Bill demonstrates the symbolism of ‘A Simple Gift’ when he gave his keys to his old home to Caitlin and Billy.

Caitlin also feels as a misfit in her affluent society.  She feels discomfort in her uniform, her school, and her luxurious home due to a whispering in her heart that it is all false, superficial, affected and pretentious, so she escapes by slumming it, looking for real values to replace the artificial ones in her world.  She is attracted to Billy because of his self assurance and his genuine intelligence.  It is the interaction between these three characters and the sharing of gifts, coffee and food, that unites them against a cold, callous and uncaring society.  As St Francis of Assisi says “ For it is in giving that we receive”.

This narrative novel/poem/drama (?) is very successful and appeals to young people.  In a recent poll it was voted the best drama in Australia despite the fact that is generally categorised as a narrative poem.  It is fairly realistic and credible though there are parts that stretch the imagination.   Caitlin comes across a bit contrived but her portrayal is plausible.

There are many reasons for individuals to venture into the world as the text “The Simple Gift” shows to achieve self-reliance and independence, even so, many individual’s personality in life may change as they experience parts of life first hand. Many would like to experience their own mistakes, which is dealt with in texts like “Ten Things I Hate about You,” “Looking for Alibrandi” and “the Simple Gift” yet to find eventually that their perspective was completely opposite. Like most clichés “don’t judge a book by its cover”.  The Simple Gift illustrates that  gain acceptance from others by uncritically accepting them.

“Simple Gift”

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The simple gift

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Uploaded by station21.cebu on November 23, 2021

SIMILAR ITEMS (based on metadata)

• First Nations texts
• Books by Australian Children’s Laureates
• Books for Anzac Day
• Books for Refugee Week
• Books with AustLit trails
• Wide reading

The Simple Gift

Add notes to the the simple gift bookmark, introductory activities, pre-reading activity: connecting with the world of teenagers.

Provide students with the following provocations:

• Good habits formed at youth make all the difference.   (Aristotle)
• Young people are in a condition like permanent intoxication, because youth is sweet and they are growing. (Aristotle)
• In the time it takes you to understand a 14-year-old, he turns 15. (Robert Brault)
• Live your life like you are 80 years old looking back on your teenage years.   (Taylor Swift)
• The young always have the same problem – how to rebel and conform at the same time. They have now solved this by defying their parents and copying one another. (Quentin Crisp)
• I want people to know that it’s OK to have feelings; it’s OK to be vulnerable. That no matter where they live around the world, teenagers all go through the same things. (Khalid)

Ask students to select a statement that best aligns with their views of being a teenager. They should provide an explanation of their position, using examples from their own world as part of their response.

Analysing assumptions

Ask students to swap their responses with one of their peers. Provide the following questions to guide each student’s written analysis of the underlying assumptions evident in the provocation and their peer’s response:

• What beliefs about being a teenager are evident in the quote, and in the student response to the quotation?
• What assumptions are there about being young (and old)?
• In what ways might an adult interpret the quote and student response differently? Account for the similarities and differences in these views.

Once these written analyses are completed, ask students to discuss their response with their partner before returning their work. This provides each student with an opportunity to challenge and/or build on their original thinking.

Alternative perspectives

The above quotations and student responses demonstrate how personal experiences and values shape positions about what it is like to be a teenager. As personal responses, they may be characterised as emotive and biased.

The next activity asks students to compare these responses to a nonfiction text that presents what might be considered an objective, fact-based perspective of teenager life.

Since 2010, the Australian Government has provided a report regarding the status of children and young people in Australia. The report covers key issues and challenges facing children and young people and provides statistical information on the physical, emotional, educational and financial aspects of their lives. Provide students with a copy of the key findings (or a section of the key findings) from the latest Australian government annual report of  The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children . Students should locate the following textual features in the text and write the page number on which they are found:

• tabular information
• use of references
• use of graphs
• infographics
• numerical information

Use the following tasks to check for understanding:

• What is the proportion of text to graphics? How do the text and graphics interact with each other?
• an authoritative voice (consider the use of statistics, use of technical language)
• an objective point of view (consider the absence of personal pronouns or a clear subject)
• an accessible text (consider the bullet points, headings, images to support key messages)
• In what ways does the text challenge and/or confirm their experience of being a teenager?

Ask students to return to their response from the previous activity. Amend the response to reflect their expanded view of the teenage experience as generated by the nonfiction report from the Australian Government.

• If you were using this report as research for writing a novel about a teenager, what issues do you think you would focus on?
• What other ideas do you get from this report on what to write about?

(ACEEN021)     (ACEEN024)     (ACELT1639)

Comparing book covers

There is a range of book covers that have been used for The Simple Gift . Divide the students into four groups and assign each group a particular cover. Students will work together in their group to analyse their book cover using the analysis matrix in the book cover table (PDF, 285KB).

The teacher then creates new groups made up of representatives from each of the previous groups, and the representatives share their analysis. As students listen to the different analyses, they take notes in their table so that once each person has presented their interpretations, everyone has a detailed analysis of each of the covers.

Individually, students then respond to the following questions:

• In determining the similarities across all the book covers, what can be predicted about the contents of the text?
• Based on the prediction above, what might the ‘simple gift’ be?
• What issues about teenagers might the book centre on? You might consider other reports you have read or heard.
• Which cover is most likely to make you want to read the text? Explain your choice by comparing and contrasting your preferred text with the alternatives.

(ACEEN021)     (ACELA1572)  

Personal response on reading the text

Introduce The Simple Gift by reading the first poem ‘Champagne’ aloud to the students. Before completing a second reading, ask students the following questions:

• What can you infer about the relationship between Billy and his father?
• In what ways does Billy’s relationship with his father seem typical or different to that of most teenagers?
• What title would you give this poem?
• What can you predict about the future of Billy’s journey from this moment?

Synthesising task

Reflecting on Billy’s experience in the opening poem, the quotations used in the provocations, the key findings from The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children  report, their own experiences and those of their friends, students compose a blog post exploring the question:

• What are the challenges facing teenagers in Australia today?

Provide opportunities to post this blog on a class website or other learning platform accompanied by relevant images and/or multimedia elements. (ACEEN029)     (ACEEN038)     (ACEEN040)    (ACELY1756)

Understanding the text in depth

Verse novels.

The aim of this section is to show students how important the decision of dividing a line can be. They need to be aware that:

• Prose is the use of complete sentences to form a continuous text that may be broken into paragraphs.
• Poetry is a compressed form, characterised by short lines made up of incomplete sentences, fragments, images, often single-word lines that are concise and convey a strong mood.
• The verse novel sits in between the two, dividing prose into poetry.

The following (using the last sentence in the verse novel) shows how Herrick has divided his prose into poetry.

The sentence could have been divided elsewhere – perhaps:

I watched until he was out of sight.

Each decision to divide a line emphasises a different idea. In the last example, the pronouns ‘I’ and ‘he’ are emphasised and contrasted: one character watches till the other is ‘out of sight’. At the end of this novel the characters separate and take different pathways in their lives, so this line division confirms the story, but Herrick’s divided lines above suggest a greater closeness between the characters rather than a loss of contact.

What students realise from this is that verse novel lines are not arbitrarily determined: every decision makes an impact.

Line break activity

Give students a prose version of some poetry (either a few lines or a whole poem) from the book. They can work in pairs or separately to divide the prose into poetry. They need to justify their decisions on line breaks. They can then go back to the book to see what Herrick decided and to determine why he did this. (ACEEN024)    (ACELT1641)

Reading and engaging with the text

Select an appropriate method for students to engage with the poems. This may include taking turns to read each poem, reading the poems to themselves, or listening to the poems being read to them.

After each chapter, ask students to respond to the questions about reading and engaging with the text (PDF, 149KB). The questions are organised into two categories: questions that focus on understanding the ideas in the text, and questions/activities that focus on understanding the language choices in the text. Provide feedback on the responses through peer sharing, group discussion and/or teacher marking.

Chapter debate

Each of the chapters in the text has a name and features a quote from one of the poems in the chapter. The quotes draw attention to a key idea or moment within the chapter. Using the images and quotes worksheet (PDF, 116KB), ask students to assess whether the quote for each chapter is the most appropriate choice. If they disagree, they must provide an alternative quote and justify their choice.

For each chapter, pair students with someone who made the opposite assessment to them. Have the students present their opposing positions in front of the class. Based on the justifications put forward, the rest of the class votes whether the chapter quote changes or stays the same. (ACEEN021)     (ACEEN024)     (ACEEN027)     (ACEEN038)     (ACELA1566)     (ACELA1569)     (ACELT1641)     (ACELT1642)

Dramatic poetry readings

Reading poems aloud involves close reading and interpretation of both the written language and the structural elements of each poem. This act of translating written texts to spoken language for the purpose of performance provides a rich environment for the exploration of language forms and features.

Model annotating one of the poems from the text using this example from the poem ‘Please’ (PDF, 98KB), focusing on elements in the language and structure that will influence the way the poem could be read aloud. Through discussion during the annotation process, ask students to explain the reasons why particular ways of speaking might be used to reflect the written words. Refer to the additional notes on the worksheet as a further extension of the modelling example.

Randomly allocate, or have students select, a poem or series of poems from the text. Encourage them to annotate their poem(s) based on the modelling described above. Depending on the size of the class, students could present their dramatic readings to either small groups or the whole class.

Ask students to select one of the poems presented by another student. Provide students with the following questions to support them in evaluating the dramatic reading of the chosen poem(s):

• Did the dramatic reading of the poem match your interpretation of the poem? Identify and account for similarities and differences.
• What techniques did the student use to create a particular tone and mood?
• How successfully were they able to capture the voice of the character?

(ACEEN024)     (ACEEN028)     (ACEEN032)     (ACEEN034)    (ACELA1569)     (ACELT1643)     (ACELY1751)

Understanding character 

In this section students will look at how the text reveals character through language. Students need to know that we learn about characters from what they look like, their possessions, what they say, what they do and how they interact with others.

You can divide the class into groups to go through different chapters and select the quotations that show elements of Billy’s character, using the model below. The second column refers to whether we are learning about the character from what they say, their actions or their interactions with others.

Students complete the sheet and use these notes on character to answer the question in a paragraph:

• What kind of person is Billy? What motivates him?
• Is the view he has of himself the same or different to the ways others see him? Consider how Ernie (in ‘Keep Warm’), Old Bill and Caitlin talk about him.

Complete the same activity for Caitlin and Old Bill.

•  What kind of person is Caitlin? What motivates her? What is Billy’s view of her?
•  What kind of person is Old Bill? What motivates him? What is Billy’s view of him?

(ACEEN024)     (ACEEN028)     (ACEEN035)     (ACEEN039)    (ACELT1641)     (ACELT1642)     (ACELY1749)     (ACELY1752)

Point of view and narrators 

An important feature of this verse novel is the use of different voices/narrators who offer different points of view. Explain to students that texts written in first person will offer a clear and specific point of view.

The main narrator is Billy, with Caitlin entering the text in Chapter 3 (entitled ‘Caitlin’), and Old Bill entering in Chapter 4 (‘The hobo hour’). The poem called ‘Keep warm’ is from the point of view of Ernie, the train driver, who speaks with concern to Billy. Given that there is more than one voice, we can test the idea of the narrator’s reliability. Is Billy an unreliable narrator or can we trust his assessment of others?

Students can discuss:

• What is an unreliable narrator?
• What statements or attitudes does Billy express that suggest we question his reliability? Is he always correct in his judgements about people? For example: is his father that bad?
• How does a text allow us to test the narrator’s reliability?

A close reading of Chapter 3, which starts with Caitlin witnessing Billy stealing food, can be compared to Billy’s memory of the incident using the poem called ‘Billy’. The same exploration of point of view through narration can be applied to Chapter 4, which reveals Old Bill’s sensitivity to Billy’s generosity.

These close comparative readings of interactions and thought processes give students more information on the characters and what motivates them. (ACEEN024)     (ACEEN028)    (ACELT1641)     (ACELT1642)

In  The Simple Gift  the physical environment functions in a variety of ways that contributes to how we interpret the characters and their experiences.

• Libraries are safe havens and a place of learning for Billy
• McDonalds is a fast-food outlet that is the setting for a blossoming romance
• The river provides Billy with solace and catharsis
• The abandoned train carriages symbolise the irony of something abandoned providing a sense of home
• School is a place of conformity and restriction for both Billy and Caitlin
• the contrast between Wentworthville and Bendarat symbolises the stark change in Billy’s life circumstances

Students can compile evidence from the text on the impact of different settings on different characters. (ACEEN035)     (ACEEN039)    (ACELY1749)     (ACELY1752)

More on textual form and its features

Divide students into four groups. Allocate each group a focus area in relation to the text’s form and features. Provide students with some guiding information and a question that they must respond to through the development and delivery of a presentation to the class.

As each group presents, the rest of the class prepares notes based on the content. Students are also able to ask clarifying questions to each of the presenting groups.

The poems that comprise The Simple Gift are written in free verse, meaning that the text has no strict metre or rhyme scheme. How does this contribute to the way in which we engage with the personas and their experiences?

The verse novel/narrative poetry

The poems in The Simple Gift are organised in a sequence that reads like a fictional novel with chapters. How does this choice influence the reader’s experience of the text? Consider the value of the individual poems as opposed to reading the poems in a chapter as a whole.

The motif of food

Food and meals are frequently featured in this text. Map the references to food and meals against the development of relationships in the text. What patterns and/or observations can be derived from this mapping? How does the motif of food contribute to the thematic concerns of the text?

The language in The Simple Gift is simple and the content unfolds in easy-to-follow sentence structures divided across a few lines of poetry; however, the text communicates complex aspects of the human condition. Draw on some examples from the text that demonstrate the complexity that can be achieved through simplicity of language.

Poetic features

When engaging with poetry, most students would expect to look for similes, metaphors, personification and onomatopoeia. Whilst some of these language devices are evident in the poems, there are also some more unexpected features such as direct quotes and notes. Explore the ways in which Herrick uses various poetic devices to contribute to the unique voices of the three main personas. (ACEEN022)     (ACEEN024)     ( ACEEN040)    (ACELT1641)     (ACELT1774 )

An imaginative recreation

Provide students with a list of the poems that capture significant moments in Billy, Caitlin and Old Bill’s journeys. Ask students to imagine one of those moments being recounted from another character’s point of view. Using Herrick’s poetic style, compose the poem, capturing the character’s persona and projecting how they would react to the situation.

Examples include:

• Billy’s experience of leaving the freight train in ‘Another crossing’ from Ernie’s perspective.
• Caitlin’s experience of connecting with Billy at McDonald’s in ‘Manners’ and ‘Business’ from Billy’s perspective.
• Caitlin’s experience of dinner in ‘Stories’ from Old Bill’s perspective.

(ACEEN024)     (ACEEN028)     (ACEEN033)     (ACEEN034)    (ACELA1569)     (ACELT1812)     (ACELT1643)     (ACELT1644)

Ways of reading the text

The Simple Gift is a pastiche of literary archetypes and narrative structures. There is evidence of elements of:

• Bildungsroman and the coming of age narrative
• everyman and mentor character archetypes
• linear narrative structure .

Have students assess The Simple Gift by examining the ways in which the text adheres to and diverges from these character archetypes and narrative structures. (ACEEN022)     (ACEEN038)    (ACELT1639)     (ACELT1641)     (ACELT1774 )

Thematic concerns

By entering the world of texts, we are provided with opportunities to empathise with characters and their struggles. It is often the universal relevance of the characters’ experiences that have resonance with us as readers, and provide insight into the human experience.

As a class, brainstorm some of the key ideas dealt with in the text such as:

• relationships
• place and belonging

Ask students to select three of the ideas that they feel most strongly about to construct a theme related to their chosen ideas.

Discuss the following terms to clarify their meaning:

A broad, big picture concept that can be easily recognised from reading the text. These are typically expressed as one or two words.

Provides more detail in relation to the idea by expressing a specific thought about it or by highlighting a particular aspect. These are typically expressed as fragments and generally do not include any textual detail.

Message (thematic statement):

A statement that expresses the text’s perspective about the theme. This can often be understood by asking: ‘What do I learn about the theme from reading the text?’

Model the process of moving from an idea to a theme to a thematic statement using the examples in the table below as a guide.

Of the three statements developed, ask students to select the message that they believe is the most powerful. Have them write this on a slip of paper and put it in a box. Each student selects a slip from the box and uses its message as the starting point for a paragraph unpacking the statement in relation to their reading of The Simple Gift, drawing on evidence from the text to support their claims. (ACEEN035)     (ACEEN038)     (ACEEN040)    (ACELT1641)     (ACELT1812)     (ACELT1774 )

Comparisons with other works of literature

Comparing two verse novels.

A very different verse novel, written from the perspective of a young Aboriginal girl (and a member of the Stolen Generations), is Sister Heart by Sally Morgan . Students can explore the way the two verse novels present the experiences of young people.

Comparing two texts about teenagers

Another text that can be used for a comparison is  The Incredible Here and Now  by Felicity Castagna . Set in Western Sydney, this book tells the story of a teenager who is trying to cope with the death of his brother. Students can read the novel and then, working in pairs, compose a visual representation comparing Castagna’s representation of a teenager with that of Herrick in The Simple Gift, focusing on:

• typical teenage experiences
• the relationship between teenagers, family and authority figures

Using the visual representations as a stimulus, students discuss the following question:

• the stereotypes that may be prevalent in the texts
• the limitations of the composers in their representation of the teenage experience
• the ways in which the form positions the reader.

Comparing texts about homelessness

Homelessness is an important issue in our society and this verse novel could be part of an independent study on homelessness.

Woolvs in the Sittee , a picture book written by Margaret Wild and illustrated by Anne Spudvilas , captures a very bleak picture of a homeless boy and can be compared to the verse novel.

The Oasis is a feature documentary about homelessness and has an accompanying teacher resource: Youth Homelessness Matters . (ACEEN021)     (ACEEN022)     (ACEEN024)     (ACEEN028)     (ACEEN029)     (ACEEN035)     (ACEEN036)     (ACEEN038)    (ACELT1639)     (ACELT1641)     (ACELT1812)     (ACELT1643)     (ACELT1774)     (ACELT1644)     (ACELY1752)

Reflecting on initial responses  

Having read and engaged with the entire text, have students return to their chosen quote/provocation and their responses from the Initial Response section of this resource. Place students into groups according to their chosen quote. Ask each group to discuss the following question:

• How does your reading of The Simple Gift challenge, transform or build on your understanding of the teenage experience as captured in your chosen quote?

Rich assessment task (receptive mode):

Steven Herrick’s notes on The Simple Gift contain answers to questions the author typically receives in relation to his text. Show students his answer to the first question on the webpage (‘Why did you write The Simple Gift? ‘).

Then, pose the following question to students: Do you believe that Herrick effectively achieves his purpose in writing The Simple Gift as outlined in his response?

Have students compose an extended critical response in which they:

• establish and maintain a clear position in relation to the question
• provide examples from the text that support their position
• draw on their understanding of language forms and features to explain their chosen examples

As a class, determine a rubric for evaluating the effectiveness of the composition based on the three dot points above. Students swap their work with a peer who provides feedback using the rubric.

Students use this feedback to improve the quality of their first draft. (ACEEN021)     (ACEEN024)     (ACEEN028)     (ACEEN029)     (ACEEN032)     (ACEEN034)     (ACEEN035)     (ACEEN036)     (ACEEN038)     (ACEEN039)     ( ACEEN040)    (ACELA1569)     (ACELT1641)     (ACELT1812)     (ACELT1642)     (ACELT1643)     (ACELT1774)     (ACELY1749)     (ACELY1752)     (ACELY1756)

Rich assessment task (productive mode):

Provide students with the following scenario: Imagine that The Simple Gift is going to be made into a telemovie. You have been asked to pitch your team’s vision for the telemovie. Prepare for the pitch by completing the following activities:

• Provide a rationale for why the text should be made into a telemovie.
• The target audience includes both teenagers and adults. Indicate the intended outcomes of each audience’s engagement with this telemovie. Highlight the values and attitudes you wish to promote in the audience.
• Propose a soundtrack for the telemovie. Make sure to include a song for the opening sequence, the closing credits and two key scenes of your choosing. Justify the selections.
• Determine a cast for the telemovie, providing reasons why certain actors have been chosen to fulfil the roles.

(ACEEN022)     (ACEEN024)     (ACEEN028)     (ACEEN032)     (ACEEN035)     (ACEEN036)     (ACEEN038)     (ACEEN039)    (ACELA1566)     (ACELA1572)     (ACELT1641)    (ACELT1812)     (ACELT1642)     (ACELY1749)     (ACELY1751)     (ACELY1756)

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Subscriber resources.

• AustLit – Steven Herrick
• AusLit – The Simple Gift

Please note that AustLit is a rich resource for any study of Australian literature or Australian writers. To access this online resource, you need to do so via your school library or through your own personal membership of your state or Territory library service. Talk to your school or local librarian for more information.

About the book and author

• Copyright Agency: Reading Australia – The Simple Gift
• Copyright Agency: Reading Australia – Profile: Steven Herrick
• Steven Herrick author website
• Wikipedia – Steven Herrick
• National Library of Australia: Trove – The Simple Gift
• University of Queensland Press – The Simple Gift
• Twitter – Steven Herrick
• Brief Biographies – Steven Herrick
• Kids’ Book Review
• Children’s Books Daily
• Buzzwords Magazine

Discussions, interviews and related links

• Sydney Morning Herald – Finding the poetry in gobstoppers, football and facial hair, 1 Sep 2010
• The Guardian : Teacher’s blog – The perfect poetry lesson: how my teacher brought poems to life, 3 Oct 2012
• Words and Nerds Podcast – Steven Herrick: The Simple Gift, engaging boys and cycling around the world
• ilbKJL – Poetry Voices | Steven Herrick | Versfest Berlin 2017, posted 19 Sep 2017
• Mr Kolber’s Teaching – The Simple Gift  – Annotation Guide – Overview (Part 1), posted 3 Mar 2017
• Mr Kolber’s Teaching – The Simple Gift  – Annotation Guide – Teacher Guided (Part 2), posted 3 Mar 2017
• Mr Kolber’s Teaching – Passage Analysis, The Simple Gift Exemplar, posted 6 Dec 2016

Papers, critical commentary, essays and journal articles

• Mallan, K. and McGillis, R. 2003, ‘Textual aporias: Exploring the perplexities of form and absence in Australian verse novels’, The Looking Glass: new perspectives on children’s literature, Vol 7, Issue 2. Available from Latrobe University
• Arena Magazine – ‘The battleground of contemporary Australian Poetry’ by Ali Alizadeh
• Cordite Poetry Review – Is Contemporary Australian Poetry Contemporary Australian Poetry? 1 Mar 2017
• The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (UK) – Poetryline: Key Teaching Approaches
• The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (UK) – Poetry in Primary Schools: What We Know Works
• The Poetry Society (UK) – Top tips for teaching poetry

Teaching approach and resources

• Steven Herrick’s The Simple Gift teaching notes
• University of Queensland Press – The Simple Gift Teachers’ Notes
• Nebo Literature – The Simple Gift – Steven Herrick
• eNotes – The Simple Gift synopsis
• Sacred Heart College LibGuides – The Simple Gift (various resources and ideas for student analysis)
• iStudy Australia: Bored of Studies – Notes on ‘ The Simple Gift’ from Steven Herrick!
• Ben-A-Ball – The Simple Gift – Cover Analysis
• Nisrene Karouche (on Prezi) – The Simple Gift – Exploring Transitions HSC
• FreeBook Summary – The Simple Gift by Steven Herrick
• Quizlet – The Simple Gift – Steven Herrick (flashcards for learning)
• Thinkswap – The Simple Gift essay (sample)

Online bookstore synopses and shopping portals

• Google Books
• Book Depository
• Angus and Robertson

Literary blogs and other links

• ANZ Litlovers
• Lisa Hill School Stuff
• 1 Girl 2 Many Books

Unit Suitable For AC: Senior Secondary English (Unit 2)

Duration Six weeks

Curriculum Summary

Find a summary table for Australian Curriculum: English content descriptions and NSW Syllabus outcomes for this unit.

General Capabilities

Further Details

Publisher UQP

Date of Publication 2000

ISBN 9780702231339

Category Poetry

SCIS number

Unit writers.

ANDREW PAVLOU currently works as an English teacher and Head Teacher, Teaching and Learning, in a comprehensive south-western Sydney high school. Andrew has delivered professional development in the areas of differentiated learning, feedback to improve writing and quality teaching practice. His pedagogical approach focuses on playing with language patterns and literary conventions in order to empower students to create new meaning and to forge their own unique experiences of the world.

STEFANIE LIA is a passionate secondary English educator and has worked for a number of years as the assistant editor to the English Teachers Association NSW journal mETApho r. She has delivered professional development for secondary teachers in the areas of whole-school literacy, writing pedagogy, engagement and formative assessment. She is driven by a belief in the transformative nature of reading and engaging in fiction, and seeks to connect young people with literary experiences that transform, challenge and uplift.

© ETA NSW 2020

Permissions

From The Simple Gift by Steven Herrick Text © 2000 Reproduced by permission of UQP

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Essay on My Best Gift

Students are often asked to write an essay on My Best Gift in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on My Best Gift

Introduction.

The joy of receiving gifts is immeasurable. Among all the gifts I have received, one stands out as the best.

The Best Gift

My best gift was a book, gifted by my grandmother on my 10th birthday. It wasn’t just any book, but a collection of inspiring stories.

Why It’s Special

This book is special because it ignited my love for reading. Each story taught me valuable lessons about life.

The best gifts aren’t always the most expensive ones. They are those that leave a lasting impact on our lives, just like my book.

250 Words Essay on My Best Gift

The gift’s significance.

The notebook, filled with my grandmother’s handwritten recipes, is more than just a collection of dishes. It is a testament to her love for cooking and a symbol of her desire to pass on the family’s culinary heritage. She had spent years perfecting those recipes, and her gift was a way of entrusting me with a piece of our family’s history.

Impact of the Gift

The notebook has significantly influenced my life. It sparked a passion for cooking that I was previously unaware of. I found joy in replicating the recipes, each dish bringing me closer to my roots and instilling a sense of connection to my family. The notebook also taught me the value of preserving traditions and the importance of sharing them with future generations.

In conclusion, the best gift I’ve ever received is not valuable in monetary terms, but it is priceless in its emotional significance. It represents a tangible link to my family’s past and a guide for preserving our traditions. It is a gift that has shaped my interests, values, and identity. The notebook from my grandmother is not just a collection of recipes; it is a cherished keepsake, a source of inspiration, and undoubtedly, my best gift.

500 Words Essay on My Best Gift

Gifts are a universal way to express emotions such as love, appreciation, and gratitude. Throughout our lives, we receive various gifts, but some hold a special place in our hearts. The best gift I ever received was not wrapped in shiny paper or tied with a colorful ribbon, but was a profound life experience that forever changed my perspective.

The Unexpected Gift

The best gift I ever received was a two-week trip to a remote village in Africa, a gift from my parents on my eighteenth birthday. Initially, I was perplexed, even disappointed. I had expected a car, a gadget, or a lavish party, but instead, I was given an experience that seemed unexciting. Little did I know, this trip would be the most valuable gift I’d ever receive.

Experiencing a Different World

Lessons from simplicity.

The villagers taught me the beauty of simplicity. They found joy in the simplest things – a good harvest, a community gathering, a starlit sky. They were content with what they had, and they shared generously. Their sense of community was profound; they worked together, celebrated together, and supported each other in times of need. The happiness and contentment they derived from their simple lives were eye-opening.

Valuing What Matters

This experience taught me to value relationships and experiences over material possessions. I realized that the relentless pursuit of material wealth often leads to stress and discontentment. On the other hand, the villagers, with their simple lives and strong community bonds, seemed happier and more content. This realization was a paradigm shift for me, making me reconsider what I truly valued in life.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

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40 Small Gifts That'll Make a Big Impact

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Our list of the best small gifts are perfect for the minimalist in your life who doesn’t want anything large or bulky crowding their space. These options are also great for when you need an inexpensive last-minute gift , a just-because surprise to say "thank you" to someone special or you've got stockings that need stuffing . If, perhaps, when you think "small" you mean a gift that actually mini or tiny in size, we've got you covered there too.

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World's Smallest Scrabble

How adorable is this mini Scrabble game? Whether they keep it as decor or attempt to play with the tiny letters, it'll always get a conversation going.

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Frigidaire Portable Fridge

There are mini fridges , and then there are mini fridges that are so mini, you can literally take them on-the-go. This version from Frigidaire is the latter, and it can hold about six cans, according to the brand. It's not only small, but reviewers say it's also lightweight.

Mini Electric Guitar Model Building Kit

No glue is required with this kit, which is a huge bonus, especially if they are just getting into model building. Reviewers have gifted it to everyone, from their husbands to their teenagers.

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Manicure Set

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Cameron (she/her) is a staff writer for Good Housekeeping , where she covers everything from holidays to food. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, where she received a B.A. in magazine journalism. In her spare-time she can be found scrolling TikTok for the latest cleaning hacks and restaurant openings, binge-watching seasons of Project Runway or online shopping.

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The Simple Gift

Steven herrick.

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I love this place. I love the flow of cold clear water over the rocks and the wattles on the bank and the lizards sunbaking, heads up, listening, and the birds, hundreds of them, silver-eyes and currawongs, kookaburras laughing at us kids swinging on the rope and dropping into the bracing flow. I spent half my school days here reading books I’d stolen from Megalong Bookshop with old Tom Whitton thinking I’m his best customer buying one book with three others shoved up my jumper. I failed every Year 10 subject except English. I can read. I can dream. I know about the world. I learnt all I need to know in books on the banks of Westfield Creek, my favourite classroom.

‘Hey kid, get outta there. You’ll freeze to death. That’ll teach you to hitch a ride with National Rail. No free rides with this government, son. Just kidding. I hate the bloody government. Get your bag and come back to the guard’s van. There’s a heater that works, and some coffee.[’]

[…] I settle down with a book about these kids stranded on a deserted island and some try to live right but the others go feral and it’s a good book and I’m there, on the island gorging on tropical fruit, trying to decide whose side I’m on. And then it hits me. I’m on neither. I’d go off alone, because you can’t trust those who want to break the rules and you certainly can’t trust those who make the rules, so you do the only thing possible, you avoid the rules. That’s me, on the deserted island of a soft lounge in Bendarat Library.

I finished the book nodded goodbye to Irene and walked out into the late afternoon cloud and a slight drizzle. No sleeping in the park tonight. Two options: a church or a railway station. Churches are too spooky and cold. I walk to the station. Men in suits, like tired penguins, wait for the bus and throw furtive glances at the woman on the seat reading a magazine. She ignores them.

I don’t need to work at McDonald’s. Dad would rather I didn’t. He buys me anything I want. But Mum and I have a deal. Whatever I earn, she doubles and banks for me, for university in two years. Dad says why bother. Dad is too rich for his own good. It was his idea I go to Bendarat Grammar School instead of Bendarat High School where all my old friends went. […] And I can’t wait for university so I can leave home and that’s why I work at McDonald’s and mop floors.

And yes I’ve been out with boys ‘on dates’ but mostly with Petra and Kate and a whole gang together, not alone. And I’ve done some things, you know, at parties with boys, just mild stuff really. So I’m normal, a normal seventeen year old. I think about boys but only in a general way like not a boy I know or anything but just some good-looking guy and me and what we’d do if we had the chance. Pure fantasy really. Nothing wrong with that, but nothing real about it either.

His grey beard was stained with smoke, his hair long and swept back, his face lined but when you looked closer he wasn’t that old, forty-five, maybe fifty. He got up to go to bed to sleep off his sorrow or so he said. As he left he turned and said, ‘Welcome to the Bendarat Hilton, I’ve been here since March 2nd, 1994. May your stay be as long, if you wish it.’ Then he stumbled off, an old man before his time, sleeping in a carriage, and I shivered as the sun came up.

I slept badly. I dreamt of myself as an old man in a pub, at the bar, watching the races on TV with my smokes and my plans for winning $5 on the grey horse running second last. All night I could hear Old Bill snoring, coughing, swearing in his sleep. He made more noise than the wind whistling through the freight yard. I lay in bed listening afraid to fall asleep and dream again of myself getting old long before my time.

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by anything anymore. The kid must be fifteen, or sixteen at the most, and here he is, living in the Bendarat Hilton with a bag of clothes and some smokes to give away to a bum like me. And when he gave me those smokes I almost cried, a kid like that with nothing giving stuff away. But I took them and I sat in my carriage smoking and trying to place the past five years and my memory flickered and grew dim like the cigarette and I stopped remembering […]

I stuffed the notes into my jacket pocket and walked into town. I thought of what to do with all this money— a big meal at a restaurant, some clothes, a new sleeping bag, a radio for the long nights, and then I realized how Old Bill felt— with nothing you’re rich. You’ve got no decisions, no choice, and no worry. Here I am walking in the sunshine of another day buying the world and worrying over choices I didn’t have to make a week ago. I wanted to spend the money quickly so I could go back to nothing, go back to being rich and penniless again.

Because when I was twelve years old and my dad chased me out of the house with a strap, I’d hidden in the neighbor’s chook shed, waiting for night when I could climb through my bedroom window and sleep, hoping Dad wouldn’t wake angry. After an hour, our neighbor came out and placed a bowl of soup and some bread on a tin outside the chook shed door. She left me dinner and walked away. I ate my fill and waited till late. A few weeks later that neighbor moved away and I never thanked her, and that’s why I help Old Bill, for no reason other than he needs it.

It’s simple, really. I have more clothes than I’ll ever wear. I have a TV and a CD player in my room which has its own bathroom which is always a mess full of make-up and lip gloss and moisturizer and special soaps. I have a large desk with a computer and next month, when I turn eighteen, my own bloody car. And I’m not a spoilt brat OK, but I am spoilt, spoilt to boredom, and I’m smart enough to realise that none of this means anything except my parents are rich and think I want this stuff or need this stuff and I know what I really need and it’s not in my bedroom. And it’s not able to be bought in any damn store.

But look at me. Kids fall out of trees all the time. They sprain their ankle, or get the wind knocked out of them, but my Jessie, my sweet lovely Jessie, fell and I fell with her and I’ve been falling ever since.

And this pub, this beer, these clothes, this is where I landed.

He gives me advice on how to live cheap, and how to jump trains late at night, and how to find out which trains are going where, and which trains have friendly guards. He encourages me to travel, to leave here and ride the freights. He makes it seem so special, so romantic, and I ask him why he doesn’t do it, you know, if it’s so special, and he tells me about his Jessie and his wife and the house he visits when too much drink has made him forget because without his ghosts he’s afraid he’ll have nothing to live for. And at that moment I know I am listening to the saddest man in the world.

I’ve got the weekend off. No McDonald’s, no schoolwork, and thankfully no parents— Mum has a conference interstate, with Dad going along ‘for the golf’. It only took three days of arguing to convince Mum and Dad that, at seventeen, I can be trusted on my own, even though I can’t. And what is trust, anyway? No, I won’t burn the house down. No, I won’t drink all the wine. No, I won’t have a huge drug party. But yes, I will invite Billy over and yes, I will enjoy myself in this house, this big, ugly, five-bedroom million dollar brick box that we live in.

I sat through Maths and Science and English trying to understand why I ran and all I can think is that seeing Billy with that old hobo made me think of Billy as a hobo and I was ashamed, ashamed of myself for thinking that. Hadn’t I known how Billy lived? Hadn’t I seen him stealing food, and hadn’t I seen where he sleeps? By lunchtime I decided I was a complete fool and maybe I was more spoilt than I thought, maybe there was something of my parents in me, whether I liked it or not. And I walked through the school gates, and I walked slowly and deliberately back to the railway tracks, determined not to run away again.

I almost laughed when they arrived. The two neatest hobos I’d ever seen, with their hair combed, slicked back, and their faces rubbed shiny clean. Old Bill called me ‘Miss’ and offered me a box of chocolates he’d brought and he looked around the house as though he were visiting the moon. Billy saw the wine, already open, and he poured three glasses passed them around and as we raised our glasses Billy said, ‘To the richest house in Bendarat’ and we laughed. My cooking even smelt good […]

Billy returned an hour later and came to my carriage. We sat opposite, talking. I heard the bottles clink in his bag and said, ‘Come on, then, let’s have them.’ But when he brought out the ginger beer I swore and laughed and swore some more, but really you’ve got to admire the kid. So I drank the stuff and we sat up late talking and I slept better than I had in a long time so maybe just maybe I’ll work on less beer for a while. For the kid’s sake.

I go to the river with Billy and we swim and wash, or sometimes I walk the streets looking at the houses and the corner shops and the parks with trees and fountains, and young couples kissing, and old men reading newspapers, and ladies walking dogs, and sometimes these people nod and say hello as though I’m one of them and not an old drunk. I nod back, even talk about the weather on occasions, and I walk back to my carriage planning where I’ll go tomorrow, where I’ll walk in my town where I’ll go to stop thinking about the drink.

Jessie and I stood on the verandah, Jessie holding the bird gently. She opened her hands and it sat on her palms looking at her then it turned and flew high into the wattle where it perched. Jessie waved and the bird flew away.

I thought of Jessie helping that bird and how, after it left, Jessie turned to me and said that when she grew up she wanted to be a vet, she wanted to heal animals and to help people.

I wasn’t always a hobo. I worked in town. I dressed neatly in suit and tie. I understood the law. I earned a lot of money knowing stupid rules and regulations and I’d studied for years to make sure those rules were enforced when someone came to me for help. But all that knowledge and all that training couldn’t stop a young beautiful child from falling out of a tree, or a wife from driving a car too drunk to care. All that knowledge couldn’t stop a man from drinking to forget to forget the life with the suit and tie in his office in town. But today the knowledge that hasn’t been used in five years could come up with a solution to where a sixteen-year-old boy could live, and what his legal rights were, so all that knowledge is finally worth something, finally.

I arrive at Billy’s and he’s in the kitchen scrubbing the floor. He’s already done the bathroom. I vacuum the lounge and the main bedroom— it’s only dust that’s gathered lonely in the corners and on the curtains. Billy and I work all morning. We eat lunch under the fir trees and look at the house. We don’t say much. We lie on the blanket and hold each other. Billy has his arms around me and his eyes turned towards the white timber house.

Caitlin and I lay in the huge bed with the moon a perfect light and the trees long fingers scratching at the window. I reached under the bed and found what I’d hidden earlier in the night. I lifted the small case and I opened the lid to show Caitlin the beautiful green emerald ring I’d bought months earlier because of the colour of her eyes because I’d worked all week in the cannery with my hands stained red and because I couldn’t spend all that money on food, or beer, or myself.

Last night, unable to sleep […] I got dressed, closed the door gently, and walked the streets, and as the Town Hall clock tolled midnight I stood on the railway platform looking across at the carriages, my home for these past months. I knew Old Bill was asleep like most of Bendarat. I made a silent vow to visit my carriage, once a week, to sit and read, alone, on the leather seat, with the sounds and smells of the hobo life close by, to never forget this home by the railroad tracks.

Today he ate three helpings and drank the thermos and on his last cup he told me of his plan to head north, taking his time. And he said, ‘Don’t worry about the house and its ghosts, I’m taking them with me, they need a holiday, and so do I.’ I didn’t know what to say, so I sat there looking at the freight train shunting carriages in the distance across the tracks where months ago an old man dropped his beer and sat down to cry. I said to Old Bill, ‘I love the house,’ and I left it at that.

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