Identifying how poets present relationships that change over time
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can identify similarities and differences between ‘Mother, any distance’, ‘Walking Away’ and ‘Follower’.
Key learning points
- All three poets reflect on the fluid and changing dynamics of parental relationships.
- All three poems explore the lasting effect ephemeral moments can have on a person.
- Armitage and Heaney use the child's perspective whereas Day-Lewis uses the parent's perspective.
- Armitage and Day-Lewis focus on a moment of separation whereas Heaney incorporates a reversal of roles.
- ‘Walking Away’ and ‘Follower’ reminisce on an important moment from the speaker’s past.
Keywords
Perspective - a particular interpretation or outlook on situations and events
Reversal - transition to an opposite direction or outcome
Ephemeral - brief or transitory in nature; fleeting
Stifle - suppress or suffocate; inhibit the development or expression of something
Separation - act of isolating or setting apart distinct entities
Common misconception
In 'Mother, any distance', the 'child' figure yearns for independence while the parent isn't ready to let them go.
It is possible to interpret the poem in this way but it is also possible to infer that the speaker feels nervous about the prospect of their independence, worrying whether they will succeed or "fall".
Teacher tip
You could summarise the similarities and differences between all three poems using a Venn diagram with 3 circles.
Equipment
You will need access to 'Mother, any distance' (Armitage), 'Walking Away' (Day-Lewis) and 'Follower' (Heaney). They can be found in the AQA Love and Relationships Poetry Anthology.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.When we look for similarities and differences between two or more things we are ...
Q2.The poem 'Mother, any distance' by Simon Armitage is about ...
Q3.The poem 'Follower' by Seamus Henaey is written from the perspective of...
Q4.'Walking Away' explores...
Q5.Define the word 'ephemeral'.
Q6.A particular interpretation or outlook on situations and events is known as a .
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Comparison involves looking at similarities and .
Q2.Match the keywords with their definitions.
a particular interpretation or outlook on a situation
transition to an opposite direction or outcome
brief or transitory in nature; fleeting
suppress or suffocate
act of isolating or setting apart distinct entities
Q3.Which poems from the 'Love and Relationships' anthology are written from the perspective of a child thinking about their parent?
Q4.Which of these poems from the 'Love and Relationships' anthology depict a moment of separation?
Q5.Match the quotation with the poem it's from.
"anchor"
"half-fledged"
"stumbled"
Q6.What do the speakers of 'Mother, any distance', 'waking Away' and 'Follower' all have in common?
To help you plan your 10 English lesson on: Identifying how poets present relationships that change over time, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 English lesson on: Identifying how poets present relationships that change over time, 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 'Love and Relationships' unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.