Understanding the poem ‘Love’s Philosophy’ by Percy Bysshe Shelley
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how ‘Love’s Philosophy’ reflects on the emotional power of love.
Key learning points
- Romantic literature often deals with powerful, spiritual ideas and dramatic themes.
- Shelley was a Romantic poet who was known for his controversial views about societal issues.
- ‘Love’s Philosophy’ focuses on the links between love, nature and the connectedness of all things in the natural world.
- The poem could be read as a passionate argument of the power of love and the importance of human connectedness.
- The poem could also be read as the speaker’s expression of their overwhelming desire for another.
Keywords
Romantic - linked to love, desire or passion
Romantic - linked to the cultural movement in the 18th century that emphasised individualism, emotion and nature
Philosophy - the study of fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, ethics, and reality
Controversial - generating disagreement or dispute, often due to conflicting opinions or sensitive topics
Unrequited - not reciprocated or returned, typically referring to love or affection
Common misconception
Shelley was a Romantic poet which meant all of his poems were love poems.
Romantic poetry did sometimes focus on themes associated with love, but not exclusively. Romantic poetry is instead characterised by its dramatic approach to exploring abstract and emotional concepts such as a love, nature or the supernatural.
Teacher tip
Write the two statements about the poem (from Task B) on the board at the beginning of the lesson and give students a mini whiteboard/sticky note. Have them vote at the beginning of the lesson which statement is most compelling and keep returning to vote at various points in the lesson.
Equipment
You will need access to the poem 'Love's Philosophy' by Percy Bysshe Shelley. This 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 did the Romantic period occur?
Q2.When a writer makes repeated references to landscapes, wildlife and plants, they are using...
Q3.A question asked for dramatic effect (and not to elicit a response) is known as...
Q4.What is an atheist?
Q5.Georgian society was a which means that it was male-dominated and women did not have equal rights with men.
Q6.A verb is ...
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Romantic poetry focused on exploring...
Q2.Which of these statements best sums up our interpretation of who Percy Shelley was?
Q3.What does the word 'philosophy' mean?
Q4.Arguably, Shelley's use of ________ at the end of each stanza in 'Love's Philosophy' suggests the poem is not only about the abstract concept of love but also the speaker's love for someone else.
Q5.Match each of these methods to the correct piece of supporting evidence from 'Love's Philosophy'.
Q6.Arguably, 'Love's Philosophy' can be read as a passionate argument about what the speaker thinks about love itself and/or it can be read as...
To help you plan your 10 English lesson on: Understanding the poem ‘Love’s Philosophy’ by Percy Bysshe Shelley, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 English lesson on: Understanding the poem ‘Love’s Philosophy’ by Percy Bysshe Shelley, 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.