to undermine or weaken the power of something, especially an established system

to secretly run away and get married, often without the consent of parents or family

conformity to accepted standards of behaviour or morals; correctness in social conduct

willing to conform to the authority or will of others; behaving in a way that follows accepted standards

the historical period in the United Kingdom during Queen Victoria’s reign (1837–1901

The poetry of Robert and Elizabeth Browning and Victorian values

English

In 'AQA Love and Relationships Poetry' continued, pupils used a range of reading skills to aid the supported decoding of challenging poems. In 'Unseen Poetry', pupils use these reading skills to decode texts with independence.

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, focusing on the final three poems: *Singh Song*, *The Farmer's Bride* and *Porphyria's Lover*.

In this unit, pupis read and analyse three poems from the 'Love and Relationships' anthology. Pupils complete two lessons about each poem: one on understanding and one on analysis. At the end of the unit, pupils analyse themes from the anthology and analyse the modern and Victorian poems as groups.

Poetry anthology: continued study

Depiction or discussion of sexual or domestic abuse or violence, including  threats of or the aftermath of.

Depiction or discussion of sexual violence

What verb is being described here: 'to undermine or weaken the power of something, especially an established system'?

If you run away in secret to get married then you have ...

strong emphasis on morality and propriety

Which of the following were typical of the Victorian era?

Elizabeth was six years older than Robert

their marriage was one of artistic and intellectual equality

Elizabeth's prolific writing challenged the notion of women as submissive

Why was the marriage between the Brownings unconventional by Victorian standards?

'Sonnet 29' challenges Victorian attitudes by openly expressing a woman's emotional and romantic longing, demonstrating intellectual {{}} in a relationship.

It portrays love as unrestrained - challenging Victorian propriety.

A vine is a weed - it suggests women's love should be removed.

'Wild vines' don't grow in gardens - only men should demonstrate physical love.

In 'Sonnet 29' Browning uses the metaphor of a 'wild vine' to describe her love. Why would this have challenged typical Victorian attitudes towards women and love?

Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Browning were ...

Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Browning wrote most of their poetry in the __________ era.

She was forced to return after her father died.

The language barrier made it difficult for her to write poetry.

Following Barrett Browning's courtship with poet Robert Browning, the couple married and eloped to Italy. What were the consequences of this for Barrett Browning?

'Sonnet 29 - I think of thee!' was taken from a collection of poems entitled 'Sonnets from the __________'.

Which of the below are major themes in the poem 'Porphyria's Lover'?

In 'Porphyria's Lover', what could be seen as a symbol of Porphyria's sexuality?

Content guidance

Depiction or discussion of sexual violence

Adult supervision required

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

The poetry of Robert and Elizabeth Browning and Victorian values

Lesson outcome

Content guidance

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