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      Analysing how poets reflect desire in natural settings

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      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can produce a detailed, nuanced and tentative comparative analysis of 'Sonnet 29' and 'Letters from Yorkshire'.

      Key learning points

      1. Participle phrases can make topic sentences more specific and precise.
      2. Comparative conjunctions should be used to show the relationship between the two texts.
      3. Analysis should be detailed, tentative and nuanced, referencing poetic methods.

      Keywords

      • Nuanced - subtly different aspects or details, often with underlying complexity

      • Tentative - uncertain or provisional, subject to change or adjustment

      • Detailed - comprehensive, thorough, including many specifics or particulars

      • Participle phrase - part of a sentence that begins with a verb, used to add extra detail or description

      • Desire - strong feeling of longing or wanting, often for something or someone specific

      Common misconception

      Analysis should be led by identification of the writer's methods.

      Effective comparative analysis should be led by key ideas and then supported by textual evidence and identification of the writer's methods and intentions.

      Teacher tip

      For Task B, use three different colours to highlight where Andeep's response is detailed, nuanced and tentative so students can easily see the proportions of his response that meet these criteria.

      Equipment

      You will need access to 'Sonnet 29' (Barrett Browning) and 'Letters from Yorkshire' (Dooley). They can be found in the AQA Love and Relationships Poetry Anthology.

      Content guidance

      Depiction or discussion of sexual content

      Supervision

      Adult supervision required

      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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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      Download starter quiz questions (PDF)

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      What is a topic sentence?

      Correct answer: a sentence at the beginning of an analysis paragraph, introducing your argument
      a sentence in the middle of an analysis paragraph, justifying your argument
      a sentence at the end of an analysis paragraph, summarising your argument
      a sentence use to embed a quotation
      a sentence used to explore the wider context of a poem

      Q2.
      Which of these sentences contains tentative language?

      The boy fell over.
      Unfortunately, the boy fell over.
      Falling over, the boy scraped his knee.
      Correct answer: From the cuts on his knee, we can infer that the boy may have fallen over.
      Correct answer: The boy may have fallen over.

      Q3.
      'Sonnet 29' focuses on which types of desire?

      Correct answer: emotional
      Correct answer: physical/sexual
      materialistic
      spiritual
      philosophical

      Q4.
      In 'Letters from Yorkshire', we could argue that the speaker's relationship with the man is...

      ending
      toxic
      Correct answer: platonic
      Correct answer: ambiguous
      Correct answer: unrequited

      Q5.
      By the end of 'Sonnet 29', the speaker's desire is fulfilled because her lover returns to her whereas in 'Letters from Yorkshire' the speaker's desire is left unfulfilled because...

      Dooley ends with a rhetorical question to show the speaker's confusion.
      Correct answer: Dooley ends on a bleak final image, emphasising the distance between them.
      Dooley's use of rhyme scheme leaves the last stanza unfinished.
      Dooley's use of verbs implies the speaker's desires haven't been satisfied.
      Dooley emphasises the spiritual connection she has with the man.

      Q6.
      Which of these quotations from 'Sonnet 29' best implies that the speaker's desire is intense and corruptive?

      "O my palm tree"
      "I do not think of thee - I am too near thee."
      Correct answer: "my thoughts do twine and bud [...] and soon there's nought to see"
      "Drop heavily down, - burst, shattered, everywhere!"
      "Rustle thy boughs and set thy trunk all bare"

      Assessment exit quiz

      Download exit quiz questions (PDF)

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      What does the word 'nuanced' mean?

      uncertain or provisional, subject to change or adjustment
      Correct answer: subtly different aspects or details, often with underlying complexity
      comprehensive, thorough, including many specifics or particulars
      uses a range of sentence types to engage the reader

      Q2.
      To ensure your analysis is detailed, you should...

      use tentative language
      Correct answer: zoom in on key words/phrases in your supporting evidence
      make sure your concluding sentences links back to your initial argument
      Correct answer: identify the writer's use of methods
      Correct answer: consider the writer's intentions

      Q3.
      Identify the sentence fragment which is a participle phrase. 'Writing in the Georgian era, which was known to be patriarchal, Barrett Browning's writing often uses a strong, powerful female voice.'

      "strong, powerful"
      Correct answer: "Writing in the Georgian, era which was known to be patriarchal,"
      "Barrett Browning's writing often uses a strong, powerful female voice"
      "Writing"
      "which was known to be patriarchal"

      Q4.
      Why do we use tentative language?

      Because we haven't read enough poetry to be sure.
      It's the way we traditionally structure analysis writing.
      Correct answer: Because we cannot ever be certain about why a writer made certain choices.
      It means we can get away with being a bit wrong.
      Because a writer may change their mind about why they did something.

      Q5.
      Choose the best participle phrase to add to the beginning of this sentence. __________ Dooley uses 'Letters from Yorkshire' to consider the complexities of long-distance relationships.

      Written in the twenty-first century,
      Believed to be one of the first Romantic poets,
      Arguably a poem about unrequited romance
      Correct answer: Exploring the theme of communication often in her poetry,

      Q6.
      Why is using advanced vocabulary important to ensuring your analysis writing is nuanced?

      Correct answer: It means that your initial inferences are more specific and less general.
      It shows you know a lot about the poem.
      It creates the impression that this will be an intelligent analysis.
      It demonstrates that you can spell difficult words.
      Correct answer: It allows you to explore different aspects of the same idea.

      To help you plan your 10 English lesson on: Analysing how poets reflect desire in natural settings, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...