short-lived, fleeting, lasting for a brief time

part of a sentence that adds detail but cannot stand alone

enclosed successfully within another structure

a traditional form of love poetry, famous for its strict rhythmic rules

Understanding the poem ‘Mother, any distance’ by Simon Armitage

English

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

Which type of distance found in 'Mother, any distance' is missing from this list? '__________, emotional, generational and temporal.

a mother and son sorting through old photo albums

a mother helping her son to move into his own home

a son, remembering how he used to help his mother with DIY tasks

a young mother, reflecting on whether or not she was ready for motherhood

The coffee from that shop tastes delicious.

 The sun was setting, and the stars began to appear in the night sky.

The cat meowed loudly, waiting by the door for its owner to return.

The cat, who always sleeps on the windowsill, enjoys the warmth of the sun.

The tree with green leaves swayed gently in the breeze.

Which of these sentences uses an embedded subordinate clause?

Which of these words from the final stanza of 'Mother, any distance' symbolises the man's independence?

a book of matches Armitage found in a hotel as a child

a game where players tell anecdotes in the time it takes for a match to burn

the speaker's yearning to set things on fire

a book of matches given to him by his mother

'Mother, any distance' is found in a collection of poems called 'Books of Matches'. The title of the collections links to...

Heidi went home to rest her aching muscles

Read this sentence: 'After the match, Heidi went home to rest her aching muscles'. Which fragment below is the dependent clause?

'Mother, any distance' focuses on the relationship between a mother and her son. We could describe this relationship as...

inferences and interpretations of the text

When writing analysis paragraphs, you should be led by...

usually consist of three quatrains (4-line stanzas) and a couplet (2 lines)

traditionally written about death and loss

Which of these 'rules' can you apply to the sonnet form?

A bird sings a melody, filling the air with its sweet song.

The wind whispers secrets through the rustling leaves of the trees.

The stars twinkle brightly in the dark sky above us.

The moon's soft glow upon the ocean's crest.

The mountains stand tall, watching over the valley below.

Which of these sentences is written in iambic pentameter?

include links to contextual knowledge in every paragraph

consider multiple interpretations of the text

include contextual knowledge only where it is relevant to the main argument

use tentative language to indicate personal interpretations

Content guidance

Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Adult supervision recommended

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Understanding the poem ‘Mother, any distance’ by Simon Armitage

Lesson outcome

Content guidance

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.