Special Focus

Scots soundbytes - Answermachine

Alexander Graham Bell making the first telephone call from New York to Chicago. A SCRAN licence is required to click through to view the bigger picture.
Alexander Graham Bell
© Hulton Getty / SCRAN

W N Herbert attended Grove Academy, Dundee. This poem came into being after the poet was requested to write a poem for an answering machine.

W N Herbert writes in both English and Scots.

Dundee dialect features strongly in this poem in the 'Eh' for the 'I' sound.

Further information on W N Herbert and some more audio files of his poetry are available on the British Council's Contemporary Writers website.

Audio file iconAudio file: Answermachine by W N Herbert (913KB)

To download this MP3 on a PC right-click on the link and select 'Save Target As'. To download this MP3 on a Mac hold down Ctrl and click on the link and select 'Save target As' You'll then get a box which you can use to save the MP3 where you want.

Suggested activities

Word file iconWord file: Suggested activity on 'Answermachine'

The Kist

  • Photo of the front cover of the Kist anthology
    The text of 'Answermachine' can be found in The Kist anthology, published by Learning and Teaching Scotland.