advocating for the social, political, and economic rights of women

partially based on the author's own life experiences, events, or perspectives

attractive in a mysterious or tempting way; captivating and seductive

an object surviving from a past era, often with historical, cultural, or sentimental significance

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

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

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

Discriminatory behaviour or images, whether on the grounds of race, gender, disability, religion or belief or sexual orientation, or otherwise.

Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour

a female writer who writes about female characters

a male writer who writes about female characters

advocating for the social and political rights of women

someone who believes that women are superior to men

Which word in the title 'Before You Were Mine' is a possessive pronoun?

Duffy has admitted that 'Before You Were Mine' is partly based on her mother and her own childhood memories, so it is an example of {{}} writing.

Which of these words from 'Before You Were Mine' suggest Duffy's mother's glamorous lifestyle is a thing of the past now she has children?

Which word from the last stanza of 'Before You Were Mine' emphasises how mundane Duffy's mother's life is now she has children?

Which of these words could you use to describe the relationship between a mother and their child?

it gives the impression that you know a lot more about the poem

it allows you to use lots of advanced vocabulary

it can give important insights into the writer's intentions/attitudes

it means you don't have to include as many quotations from the text

it indicates you which other poems you could compare it to

Why is it important to consider the wider context of a poem in your analysis of it?

Which of these words is an example of a possessive pronoun?

Which of these words means 'associated with a caring, nurturing significant mother'?

You should think carefully about your next steps

They were never too tired to play video games

Which of these sentences is in the second person?

Which of these is a synonym for 'not afraid to break the rules'?

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

Lesson outcome

Content guidance