recalls past events or experiences,  often with nostalgia or sentimentality

feelings of doubt, uncertainty, or inadequacy about oneself or one's abilities

using descriptions of natural elements to emphasise a particular mood or emotion

contains a subject and verb, expressing a complete thought that can stand alone as a sentence

contains a subject and verb but cannot stand alone as a sentence

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

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

Analysing 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

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

Subjects which particular individuals may be sensitive to, eg, adoption, migration, bereavement or death, divorce, poverty, deprivation.

Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

'Walking Away' is thought to be semi-autobiographical. Who did Cecil Day-Lewis write the poem for?

the speaker watches their son play football

the speaker describes their son walking away to go to school

the speaker suggests their son is not quite ready to be independent

the speaker says this is their most painful parting

the speaker knows that letting their child go shows their love

Starting with the first, put these key ideas from 'Walking Away' into the order they appear in the poem.

How is the day in the memory described at the start of the poem 'Walking Away'?

Which word from 'Walking Away' best suggests the speaker doesn't think his son is quite ready to be fully independent?

Which themes are explored in the poem 'Walking Away'?

What is being described here: 'the place or type of surroundings where something is positioned or where an event takes place.'?

a group of words that does not express a complete thought

a group of words that does express a complete thought

a group of words containing a two subjects

What is being described here: 'the projection of human emotions onto non-human objects found in nature'?

A group of words that are related in meaning are known as a...

A {{}} is a direct comparison between two things using the verb 'to be'.

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

Lesson outcome

Content guidance