Understanding the poem ‘Mother, any distance’ by Simon Armitage
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how Armitage presents the distance that emerges within the parental relationship over time.
Key learning points
- Armitage describes a mother helping her son move into his own home as he reaches adulthood.
- The speaker’s new home seems huge and expansive, emphasising the growing distance between mother and child.
- The speaker builds on the emotional distance between the mother and son as their physical distance increases.
- Both speaker and subject seem apprehensive about the son's upcoming independence.
- The poem comes from ‘Books of Matches’, reflecting on ephemeral moments that make a deep impression.
Keywords
Ephemeral - short-lived, fleeting, lasting for a brief time
Subordinate clause - part of a sentence that adds detail but cannot stand alone
Embedded - enclosed successfully within another structure
Temporal - relating to the passing of time
Sonnet - a traditional form of love poetry, famous for its strict rhythmic rules
Common misconception
This poem is written in the form of a sonnet: it has 14 lines and a regular rhyme scheme.
This poem does not strictly follow the sonnet form but does use many of its conventions. It contains 15, not 14 lines and doesn't use a regular rhyme scheme. It does however end with a rhyming couplet and uses iambic pentameter in places.
Teacher tip
Explore Armitage's use of sonnet form by comparing this poem to another famous sonnet (perhaps Shakespeare's famous Sonnet 18). Read both poems aloud and clap out the syllable rhythms so students can begin to hear the difference in rhythm.
Equipment
You will need access to the poem 'Mother, any distance' by Simon Armitage. 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.Read this sentence: 'After the match, Heidi went home to rest her aching muscles'. Which fragment below is the dependent clause?
Q2.'Mother, any distance' focuses on the relationship between a mother and her son. We could describe this relationship as...
Q3.When writing analysis paragraphs, you should be led by...
Q4.Which of these 'rules' can you apply to the sonnet form?
Q5.Which of these sentences is written in iambic pentameter?
Q6.Effective analysis will...
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What does the word 'ephemeral' mean?
Q2.Which type of distance found in 'Mother, any distance' is missing from this list? '__________, emotional, generational and temporal.
Q3. 'Mother, any distance' is about...
Q4.Which of these sentences uses an embedded subordinate clause?
Q5.Which of these words from the final stanza of 'Mother, any distance' symbolises the man's independence?
Q6.'Mother, any distance' is found in a collection of poems called 'Books of Matches'. The title of the collections links to...
To help you plan your 10 English lesson on: Understanding the poem ‘Mother, any distance’ by Simon Armitage, 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 ‘Mother, any distance’ by Simon Armitage, 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.