subtly different aspects or details, often with underlying complexity

uncertain or provisional, subject to change or adjustment

comprehensive, thorough, including many specifics or particulars

part of a sentence that begins with a verb, used to add extra detail or description

strong feeling of longing or wanting, often for something or someone specific

Analysing how poets reflect desire in natural settings

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

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

uses a range of sentence types to engage the reader

zoom in on key words/phrases in your supporting evidence

make sure your concluding sentences links back to your initial argument

To ensure your analysis is detailed, you should...

"Writing in the Georgian, era which was known to be patriarchal,"

"Barrett Browning's writing often uses a strong, powerful female voice"

Identify the sentence fragment which is a participle phrase. 'Writing in the Georgian era, which was known to be patriarchal, Barrett Browning's writing often uses a strong, powerful female voice.'

Because we haven't read enough poetry to be sure.

It's the way we traditionally structure analysis writing.

Because we cannot ever be certain about why a writer made certain choices.

It means we can get away with being a bit wrong.

Because a writer may change their mind about why they did something.

Believed to be one of the first Romantic poets,

Exploring the theme of communication often in her poetry,

Choose the best participle phrase to add to the beginning of this sentence. __________ Dooley uses 'Letters from Yorkshire' to consider the complexities of long-distance relationships.

It means that your initial inferences are more specific and less general.

It creates the impression that this will be an intelligent analysis.

It demonstrates that you can spell difficult words.

It allows you to explore different aspects of the same idea.

Why is using advanced vocabulary important to ensuring your analysis writing is nuanced?

a sentence at the beginning of an analysis paragraph, introducing your argument

a sentence in the middle of an analysis paragraph, justifying your argument

a sentence at the end of an analysis paragraph, summarising your argument

a sentence used to explore the wider context of a poem

From the cuts on his knee, we can infer that the boy may have fallen over.

Which of these sentences contains tentative language?

'Sonnet 29' focuses on which types of desire?

In 'Letters from Yorkshire', we could argue that the speaker's relationship with the man is...

Dooley ends with a rhetorical question to show the speaker's confusion.

Dooley ends on a bleak final image, emphasising the distance between them.

Dooley's use of rhyme scheme leaves the last stanza unfinished.

Dooley's use of verbs implies the speaker's desires haven't been satisfied.

Dooley emphasises the spiritual connection she has with the man.

By the end of 'Sonnet 29', the speaker's desire is fulfilled because her lover returns to her whereas in 'Letters from Yorkshire' the speaker's desire is left unfulfilled because...

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

"my thoughts do twine and bud [...] and soon there's nought to see"

"Drop heavily down, - burst, shattered, everywhere!"

"Rustle thy boughs and set thy trunk all bare"

Which of these quotations from 'Sonnet 29' best implies that the speaker's desire is intense and corruptive?

Starter Quiz

What is a topic sentence?