intense longing or craving for something or someone

unclear or open to interpretation; having more than one possible meaning

deep longing, often associated with emotional desire

characterised by rational thinking and knowledge

desires, goals, or expectations not met; lacking satisfaction

Identifying 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

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

feel sadness over a loss of someone or something

relating to beliefs or principles of existence

Which poem is said to be autobiographical, rumoured to be based on the poet's own courtship with their spouse?

In the final line of 'Letters from Yorkshire', Dooley describes how their "souls" communicate across the distance between the speaker and the man from Yorkshire. Which type of desire does this link to

Both poems end with the speakers' desires left unfulfilled.

Both poems begin with an fragmented relationship.

Both poems include refrences to sexual desire.

Both poems directly address someone else.

Which of the following statements below is true about the relationship between 'Letters from Yorkshire' and 'Love's Philosophy'?

Both poems depict a long-distance relationship.

Both poems end with the speaker's desire left unfulfilled.

Both poems have a wholly positive view of love.

Both poems use natural imagery to depict sexual and physical desire.

Which of the following statements below is true about the relationship between 'Sonnet 29' and 'Love's Philosophy'? 

In 'Sonnet 29', Barrett-Browning describes her intense thoughts of her absent lover using an extended metaphor to compare her thoughts to...

In 'Love's Philosophy', Shelley uses natural imagery and __________ imagery to imply that there is a moral good associated with togetherness and natural symmetry.

In 'Letters from Yorkshire', the speaker's relationship with her friend could be interpreted in multiple ways so the definite meaning is uncertain. We would describe this as...

Match up each of these quotations to the correct image 

If two people have a close, affectionate relationship but there is no sexual attraction between them, we could describe this relationship as ... or ...

copied exactly as it appears in the original text

quickly; the first relevant quote that could be located

as short as necessary to effectively support the inference/analysis

wisely; judged to be the best evidence for the point being made

full of language and structural techniques that you can analyse

When selecting supporting evidence, you should make sure quotations are precise, accurate and judiciously chosen. What does 'judiciously' mean here?

Identifying how poets reflect desire in natural settings

Lesson outcome

Content guidance