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Lesson 2 of 12
  • Year 6

Comparing two poems on similar themes, 'Richmond Park' & 'The Old Farmer's Song'

I can compare and contrast two poems depicting a rural setting.

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Lesson 2 of 12
New
New
  • Year 6

Comparing two poems on similar themes, 'Richmond Park' & 'The Old Farmer's Song'

I can compare and contrast two poems depicting a rural setting.

Copyrighted materials: to view and download resources from this lesson, you’ll need to be in the UK and

Copyrights help

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. ‘Richmond Park’ is a free verse poem; the poem offers contrasting views of the setting it describes.
  2. 'Richmond Park' is based on a place which is near to where the poet grew up.
  3. ‘The Old Farmer’s Song’ can be described as a fixed verse poem; it has a consistent rhyme scheme.
  4. Both poems describe the harshness and beauty of rural life.
  5. We can compare and contrast poems with similar themes or messages, noticing the impact that they have on us as readers.

Keywords

  • Theme - a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a text

  • Imagery - the use of vivid and sensory language that appeals to the reader's senses, creating vivid mental pictures and enhancing the emotional impact of the poem

  • Compare - involves identifying similarities between two or more things, ideas, themes or texts

  • Contrast - involves identifying differences between two or more things, ideas, themes or texts

Common misconception

Pupils may find it challenging to visualise the two settings being described by the poets.

Additional photographs could be provided to develop understanding of the two locations.


To help you plan your year 6 English lesson on: Comparing two poems on similar themes, 'Richmond Park' & 'The Old Farmer's Song', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

It would be useful to build up a bank of phrases or words that are used to describe places from these poems and other reading. This will better support pupils in the final lesson of the unit.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You need a copy of the poems ‘Richmond Park’ by Joseph Coelho and ‘The Old Farmer’s Song’ by Matt Goodfellow, which are available in the additional materials.

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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