Exploring form in 'London' by William Blake
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe the structure the poem.
Key learning points
- The poem is a dramatic monologue; this is when one person speaks in a poem or story, sharing their perspective.
- The poem has a structured form with a consistent rhyme scheme.
- The poem has an ABAB rhyme scheme.
- Blake uses repetition to emphasise certain words or phrases or to create a particular effect.
- Reader's viewpoints about the impact of the poem may differ as we are all unique.
Keywords
Form - the way that a text can be presented
Perspective - the point of view or position from which the poet writes, influencing the way events or ideas are portrayed and understood
Rhyme scheme - the pattern of rhyming words or sounds at the end of each line in a poem, often represented using letters to indicate the rhyme pattern (e.g., AABB, ABAB)
Repetition - the repeated use of sounds, words, phrases or structural elements that are repeated for emphasis or for a particular effect
Common misconception
Pupils may find clapping the beat of the poem challenging.
A metronome could be used to support the reading. This would work best in 4/4 - four beats per measure.
Teacher tip
Model lots of examples of discussing the impact that the structure has on the poem (e.g. quatrain structure, rhyme scheme, regular beat, use of repetition, end of lines).
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of the following are written in first person perspective?
Q2.Which of the following are written in second person perspective?
Q3.Which of the following are written in third person perspective?
Q4.Which of the following words from the poem rhyme?
Q5.The poem 'London' is from which collection of poetry?
Q6.True or false? All poems must have a strong beat and rhythm.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the keywords to their definitions.
Q2.What is the rhyme scheme of the poem 'London'?
Q3.Which line from the poem is written in first person perspective?
Q4.Which of the following words are repeated throughout the poem?
Q5.Which of the following are true?
Q6.Match each example of repetition to the impact that it has on the reader or listener.
To help you plan your 6 English lesson on: Exploring form in 'London' by William Blake, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 6 English lesson on: Exploring form in 'London' 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 of place unit, dive into the full primary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.