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Year 10
AQA

Analysing ideas of time, identity and place in Seneviratne’s 'A Wider View'

I can understand how Seneviratne uses structure and language to express ideas of time, identity and place in 'A Wider View'.

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New
New
Year 10
AQA

Analysing ideas of time, identity and place in Seneviratne’s 'A Wider View'

I can understand how Seneviratne uses structure and language to express ideas of time, identity and place in 'A Wider View'.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The structure of a poem arguably represents the journey of a concept or idea through the poem.
  2. The structure of the poem could represent the connection between the speaker’s identity and their ancestor’s life.
  3. Seneviratne uses metaphysical language to consider the nature of time
  4. Arguably, Seneviratne represents time as existing in a constant cyclical motion.

Keywords

  • Metaphysical - relating to the part of philosophy that is about understanding existence and knowledge

  • Axis - a real or imaginary straight line going through the centre of an object that is spinning

  • Cyclical - occurring in cycles; recurrent

  • Flux - the action or process of flowing or flowing out

Common misconception

That we all have the same metaphysical understanding of time.

While some people consider time to be linear, Seneviratne arguably considers time to be cyclical.


To help you plan your year 10 english lesson on: Analysing ideas of time, identity and place in Seneviratne’s 'A Wider View', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

This is a complex poem, so you may want to ask the students to share their discussions with the whole class to ensure they can consider different ideas and interpretations.
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Teacher tip
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Equipment

You will need access to a copy of the AQA World and Lives anthology for this lesson.

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Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
supervision-level

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

copyright

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).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
When looking at 'structure' in poetry this means looking at...
the figurative language a poet uses.
Correct answer: the way a poet has organised the poem on the page.
the impact the poet wanted to have on the reader.
Q2.
is the continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, couplet, or stanza.
Correct Answer: enjambment
Q3.
What is 'A Wider View' by Seni Seneviratne about?
a speaker considers the impacts of the Industrial Revolution
Correct answer: a speaker considers the perspective of a great-great-grandparent
a speaker considers how much Leeds has changed over the decades
Q4.
How is the sky described on line 3 of 'A Wider View'?
Correct Answer: smoke-filled, smoke filled, "smoke-filled", "smoke filled"
Q5.
'A Wider View' shifts from the __________ to the __________ as the poem progresses.
Correct answer: past, present
present, past
present, future
future, past
Q6.
The word 'cyclical' means...
when a set of events only occur once
when a set of events reverses
Correct answer: when a set of events repeat themselves regularly

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the keyword to their definitions.
Correct Answer:axis,a straight line going through the centre of a spinning object
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a straight line going through the centre of a spinning object

Correct Answer:cyclical,occurring in cycles; recurrent
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occurring in cycles; recurrent

Correct Answer:flux,the action or process of flowing or flowing out
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the action or process of flowing or flowing out

Q2.
The structure of 'A Wider View' might suggest Senevaritne wants the reader to go on a .
Correct Answer: journey
Q3.
The use of enjambment in 'A Wider View' may have been used to...
Correct answer: mimic time.
Correct answer: suggest overlaps between the speaker and her great-great-grandfather.
represent the ongoing impact of the Industrial Revolution.
Q4.
Seneviratne uses __________ language to consider the nature of time in 'A Wider View'.
figurative
emotive
Correct answer: metaphysical
Q5.
Arguably, in 'A Wider View' Seneviratne represents time as existing in a constant motion.
Correct Answer: cyclical, circular
Q6.
Complete the quotation from 'A Wider View': "while the curve of past and future arcs between us".
Correct Answer: generations