Understanding mankind and nature in Wordsworth's 'Lines Written in Early Spring'
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how Wordsworth presents the relationship between man and nature in 'Lines Written in Early Spring'.
Key learning points
- Wordsworth expresses the idea of harmony in nature through ‘Lines Written in Early Spring’.
- The speaker’s appreciation of nature is pierced by his lament for the actions of mankind.
- Arguably, the poem expresses a disconnect and lack of understanding between mankind and nature.
- Wordsworth was a Romantic poet.
- The poem could also be lamenting the move away from agriculture that came with the Industrial Revolution.
Keywords
Harmony - the combination of separate but related parts in a way that uses their similarities to bring unity
Romanticism - a poetry movement from the late 18th and early 19th century, focused on emotions and nature
Disquieted - to be worried or uneasy
Lament - a passionate expression of grief or sorrow
Agricultural - used for farming or relating to farming
Common misconception
That a poem must have one singular tone.
Often poems express complex emotions. For example, the speaker of 'Lines Written in Early Spring' feels both peace and disquiet at the same time.
Teacher tip
You might like to spend some time talking through some of the vocabulary in the poem to ensure that the students can access the text.
Equipment
You will need access to a copy of the AQA World and Lives anthology for this lesson.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Words such as "pleasure" and "enjoys" suggest...
Q2.Romanticism is an artistic movement that largely focused on...
Q3.Romantic poets often wrote of their feelings of __________ towards nature.
Q4.Sitting 'reclined' generally indicates you are feeling...
Q5.To compare something to 'heaven' suggests...
Q6.To be in 'harmony' means to be...
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Context is...
Q2.A 'lament' means a passionate expression of...
Q3.The process of change from farming and handicraft to machines and factories is known as the...
Q4.To be worried or uneasy means to feel...
Q5.Something used for farming or relating to farming is known as...
Q6.In Wordsworth's 'Lines Written in Early Spring', the speaker likely feels sadness for which reasons?
To help you plan your 10 English lesson on: Understanding mankind and nature in Wordsworth's 'Lines Written in Early Spring', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 English lesson on: Understanding mankind and nature in Wordsworth's 'Lines Written in Early Spring', 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 4 English lessons from the 'World and Lives' unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.