Exploring themes of love in 'You Are' and 'Mum Says She Loves Me'
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Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can read and reflect on poetry about love.
Key learning points
- ‘You Are’ and ‘Mum Says She Loves Me’ are both poems written by Valerie Bloom.
- Metaphors are used in the poem ‘You Are’; they are a way of comparing something by saying that it is something else.
- ‘Mum Says She Loves Me’ is a poem that offers a different perspective on the theme of love.
- One way we can reflect on a poem and its themes is to think about our own personal response to it.
Keywords
Theme - a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a text
Imagery - the use of language to create a mental picture or sensory experience for the reader or listener
Metaphor - a way of describing and comparing something by saying that it is something else
Common misconception
Pupils may initially think that 'Mum Says She Loves Me' is a poem which conveys a negative emotion.
'Mum Says She Loves Me' depicts love in a different family structure. This does not mean that the love is any less than the love depicted in 'You Are'.
Teacher tip
You may wish to have some visuals for pupils to annotate to support them during their metaphor creation in Task A.
Equipment
You need a copy of the 2021 Otter Barry edition of ‘Stars with Flaming Tails’ written by Valerie Bloom, illustrated by Ken Wilson Max for this lesson.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
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