commands or requests that begin with a verb, giving direct instructions

restoring energy, vitality, or youthfulness; refreshing and invigorating

descriptions that use elements from nature, like landscapes, weather, or living things

substituting a mild or indirect expression for something that is considered rude or taboo

Analysing the poem 'Sonnet 29' by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

English

Understanding 'Winter Swans' by Owen Sheers

Analysing 'Winter Swans' by Owen Sheers

Understanding the poem ‘Neutral Tones’ by Thomas Hardy

Analysing the poem ‘Neutral Tones’ by Thomas Hardy

Understanding the poem 'When We Two Parted' by Lord Byron

Analysing the poem  ‘When We Two Parted’ by Lord Byron

Identifying how poets convey heartbreak in natural settings

Analysing how poets convey heartbreak in natural settings

Understanding the poem ‘Sonnet 29’ by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Understanding the poem ‘Love’s Philosophy’ by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Analysing the poem 'Love's Philosophy' by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Understanding the poem ‘Letters from Yorkshire’ by Maura Dooley

Analysing the poem ‘Letters from Yorkshire’ by Maura Dooley

Identifying how poets reflect desire in natural settings

Analysing how poets reflect desire in natural settings

Understanding the poem ‘Eden Rock’ by Charles Causley

Analysing the poem 'Eden Rock' by Charles Causley

Understanding the poem 'Climbing My Grandfather' by Andrew Waterhouse

Analysing the poem 'Climbing My Grandfather' by Andrew Waterhouse

Understanding the poem 'Before You Were Mine' by Carol Ann Duffy

Analysing the poem 'Before You Were Mine' by Carol Ann Duffy

Identifying how poets reminisce and remember loved ones

Analysing how poets reminisce and remember loved ones

Understanding the poem ‘Mother, any distance’ by Simon Armitage

Analysing the poem 'Mother, any distance' by Simon Armitage

Developing interpretations of ‘Mother, any distance’ with Simon Armitage

Understanding the poem ‘Walking Away’ by Cecil Day-Lewis

Analysing the poem ‘Walking Away’ by Cecil Day-Lewis

Understanding the poem 'Follower' by Seamus Heaney

Analysing the poem 'Follower' by Seamus Heaney

Identifying how poets present relationships that change over time

Analysing how poets present relationships that change over time

In 'AQA Love and Relationships Poetry', pupils compared the language, form and structure of a variety of poems connected by the themes of love and relationships. In 'AQA Love and Relationships Poetry continued', pupils work on making more nuanced comparisons between poems.

In 'Single Poet Study: Maya Angelou', pupils explore how Angelou uses her poetry to present strong relationships to people and place. In 'AQA Love and Relationships Poetry', pupils analyse how a variety of different relationships have been presented across time.

In this unit, pupis explore 12 of the 15 poems from the 'Love and Relationships' anthology. Pupils complete two lessons about each poem: one on understanding and one on analysis. Pupils study the poems in four groups, and they pause after each group to compare how those poems present common themes.

Poetry anthology: first study

Depiction or discussion of sex or sexual body parts, including sex education.

Depiction or discussion of sexual content

the sadness felt by the speaker when her lover is away from her.

the speaker's thoughts of her love when he is absent.

the joy felt by the speaker when her lover returns.

In 'Sonnet 29', the extended metaphor of vines is used to symbolise...

In 'Sonnet 29', the speaker describes how her lover's return allows her to "breathe [...] a new air" which presents the lover as a {{}} presence.

substituting a mild, indirect expression for something that is taboo

descriptions including elements from nature, like weather or animals

commands or requests that begin with a verb

Match these methods to the correct definition.

"I do not think of thee - I am too near thee"

Match each of these methods to the correct quotation from 'Sonnet 29'.

"let these bands of greenery which insphere thee / Drop heavily down"

"wild vines [...] Put out broad leaves, and soon there's nought to see"

"Rustle thy boughs and set thy trunk bare"

"I will not have my thoughts instead of thee / Who are dearer, better!"

Which of these quotations from 'Sonnet 29' best supports this topic sentence? 'The speaker’s thoughts of her love spread quickly, obscuring what he is really like.'

The speaker views her lover as weak and wishes he'd stop avoiding her/

The speaker feels that her thoughts of her lover are overwhelming.

The speaker longs to be reunited with her lover and feel the power of his love.

The speaker prefers the thoughts of her lover to the real thing.

When the speaker is with her lover, she does not need her fantasy thoughts.

Which of the topic sentences below best links to this quotation from 'Sonnet 29'? "Renew thy presence; as a strong tree should"

it is influenced by her own relationship with her husband.

it is written about her best friend's relationship with her husband.

it is entirely fictional and based on characters from the Bible.

it is written about characters from a famous Greek myth.

it was translated from a Portuguese folk tale.

It is rumoured that Barrett Browning's poem 'Sonnet 29' is autobiographical. This means...

In 'Sonnet 29', Barrett Browning presents a __________ view of love.

Her lover has died and will never return so she avoids thinking about him.

She refuses to think about him as he has left her and broken her heart.

When the couple are reunited and she no longer relies on her fantasy thoughts.

Her obsessive thoughts have driven her insane.

In the final line of 'Sonnet 29', the speaker says "I do not think of thee - I am too near thee". Why does she say this?

During which century did Elizabeth Barrett Browning live and write?

Sonnets were typically written about which topic?

Read this quotation from 'Sonnet 29': "my thoughts do twine and bud". Which word class are the words "twine' and "bud"?

Analysing the poem 'Sonnet 29' by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Lesson outcome

Content guidance