a vivid, often detailed, description of or response to a visual work of art

circumstances influencing the meaning or interpretation of an event, statement, or idea

theoretical or conceptual; existing in thought or as an idea but not having a physical or concrete existence

central argument or claim supported by evidence

expressing ownership; showing a desire to control or dominate

Analysing how poets reminisce and remember loved ones

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

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

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

Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

A poem that describes or responds to a piece of visual art is known as an {{   }} poem.

the first sentence of an analysis paragraph where you outline your main point

a paragraph where you link to wider contextual knowledge

a central argument or claim supported by evidence

the final paragraph of an essay where you summarise your main arguments

In this poem, the speaker describes a memory of a childhood picnic.

"Tweed" suggests the father is a traditional man.

The poem can also be interpreted as a symbolic representation of the afterlife.

It is said that Causley based 'Eden Rock' on the Cornish landscape.

Which of these is an example of contextual knowledge for 'Eden Rock'?

Which of the following is an example of an abstract noun?

to help us plan our single paragraph outlines

to explore the writer's intentions and why they made certain creative choices

to evaluate personal interpretations of the poem(s)

Why is it useful to use contextual knowledge in your written analysis?

link specifically to the focus of the question

be supported by ideas linked to the entire text 

introduce both poems and summarise their key ideas

another text that is useful to compare with a text

the range of methods used a by a writer in a particular text

information about the rhyme scheme and structure of a poem

the background information linked to a text and its origins

Which of these poems has the poet confirmed is semi-autobiographical?

using a concrete object to symbolise an abstract concept

a brief, descriptive scene or sketch that focuses on a moment or character

a type of ballroom or dancehall, popular in the 1950s

family relationships since he used to be a social worker.

birds because his father used to be a professional bird-watcher.

the environment; he was an environmental campaigner and wrote walking books.

mountaineering and was the first person to climb Mount Everest.

his relationship with his grandfather who was a WWII war hero.

Andrew Waterhouse was passionate about...

a place in the South of France that he visited on holiday.

another fictional location from a book he loved as a child.

Charles Causley has confirmed that 'Eden Rock' is a fictional place, however has also implied that it was influenced by...

key quotations, supported by contextual knowledge.

contextual knowledge, supported by key quotations.

key ideas in the text, supported by analysis of methods.

analysis of methods, supported by key ideas in the text.

When writing analysis paragraphs, it is important to lead with...

Starter Quiz

What is context?