Comparing attitudes to identity and longing in the Edexcel Belonging anthology
Copyrighted materials: to view and download resources from this lesson, you’ll need to be in the UK and
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain similarities and differences between poets' viewpoints.
Key learning points
- Chingonyi, Dharker and Kunial's poetry all appear to show a yearning for a sense of belonging.
- They also explore the links between belonging, dislocation and individual identity.
- Dharker's speaker yearns to escape her current life by becoming someone else who is more confident and 'cool'.
- Chingonyi's poem feels more reflective, considering how different life may have been if the speaker had not left Zambia.
- Kunial takes a philosophical approach to thinking about identity and belonging, exploring the fine line between them.
Keywords
Tenuous - weak, slight, not strong or substantial
Intercultural identity - identity influenced by multiple cultures or ethnic backgrounds
Thematically - relating to the central ideas or messages in a poem
Yearning - deep longing or desire, often with an emotional intensity
Attitudes - beliefs or opinions towards something, typically influencing behaviour or decisions
Common misconception
All three poems explore conflict and belonging related to cultural identity because all three poets have an intercultural identity.
All three poets have an intercultural identity and this is reflected in many of their poems. However here, only 'Kumukanda' explores these ideas directly. Dharker focuses on identity and growing up; Kunial explores belonging in a more abstract way.
Teacher tip
You could print out some random lines from each poem and have students sort them for a starter activity. This will encourage them to associate each poem with its big ideas/messages and help them to engage with key quotes.
Equipment
You will need a copy of 'Us' (Kunial), 'Kumukanda' (Chingonyi) and 'In Wales, wanting to be Italian' (Dharker) - all of which can be found in the Edexcel GCSE Poetry Anthology (Belonging cluster).
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of peer pressure or bullying
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Sign in to continue
Our content remains 100% free, but to access certain copyrighted materials, you'll need to sign in. This ensures we’re both staying within the rules.
P.S. Signing in also gives you more ways to make the most of Oak like unit downloads!
