Introduction to 'The Tyger' by William Blake
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I understand the poem and the context in which the poem was written.
Key learning points
- William Blake was an English poet, painter and printmaker, who was born in 1757 and died in 1827.
- ‘The Tyger’ consists of six verses, each with four lines; each verse has a rhyme scheme of AABB.
- The poem 'The Tyger' describes the creation of a powerful and fearsome tiger.
- The speaker questions who or what could create such a fearsome and awe-inspiring creature.
Keywords
Context - the setting or background that helps us to understand something better
Impression - initial feelings about a person, place or thing, gained from reading a text
Common misconception
The poem contains some examples of antiquated / archaic language.
A definition sheet could be provided to support pupils in understanding what happens in each verse.
Teacher tip
Following the lesson, pupils could research the tiger to enrich learning in subsequent lessons.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Who is the poet of the poem 'The Panther'?
Q2.True or false? A poem always has to be written in third-person perspective.
Q3.Which of the following are examples of similes?
Q4.Which of the following are examples of metaphors?
Q5.True or false? The speaker in a poem is always the poet.
Q6.What is the most appropriate definition of an impression?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match these key terms to their definitions.
the setting or background that helps us to understand something better
initial feelings about a person, place or thing, gained from reading
a period when machines and factories changed the way people lived
Q2.In what year was 'The Tyger' first published?
Q3.True or false? William Blake was influenced by historical events that happened during his lifetime.
Q4.Match the following events in William Blake’s life to the years in which they occurred.
born near Soho, London
worked with an engraver
married Catherine Boucher
Q5.What rhyme scheme does the poem 'The Tyger' follow?
Q6.The poem 'The Tyger' describes ...
To help you plan your 5 English lesson on: Introduction to 'The Tyger' by William Blake, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 5 English lesson on: Introduction to 'The Tyger' by William Blake, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 English lessons from the Poetry inspired by animals unit, dive into the full primary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.