New
New
Year 10
Edexcel

Understanding the poem 'To My Sister'

I can explain how Wordsworth presents nature.

New
New
Year 10
Edexcel

Understanding the poem 'To My Sister'

I can explain how Wordsworth presents nature.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The poem is set in spring and depicts nature as calm and peaceful.
  2. Wordsworth implies that nature can offer an escape from life and a chance to simply relax.
  3. The poem was written during a time of violent, political upheaval.
  4. Arguably, Wordsworth may have depicted nature as calm as a contrast to the divisions in humanity.

Common misconception

That 'temper' means anger.

While we might associate 'temper' with a 'temper tantrum', 'temper' can refer to any emotional frame of mind.

Keywords

  • Romanticism - an artistic movement from the late 18th and early 19th century, focused on emotions and nature

  • Sublime - the mixed feelings of awe and terror in response to a phenomenon

  • Idleness - the enjoyment of leisure time, rest and tranquillity

  • Spiritual - relating to or affecting the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things

  • Temper - a frame of mind; mood or humour

It would be useful for students to share their ideas of how the poem relates to belonging so they can conceptualise where it sits within the anthology.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You will need a copy of the Edexcel 'Belonging' anthology.

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following words is a synonym for 'mild'?
Correct answer: gentle
harsh
heavy
Q2.
'An artistic movement from the late 18th and early 19th century, focused on emotions and nature' is the definition of ...
Correct Answer: Romanticism, Romantic
Q3.
The poet Wordsworth is typically known for writing about ...
animals.
Correct answer: nature.
space.
Q4.
References to "joy" and "sing[ing]" imply a atmosphere.
negative
Correct answer: positive
neutral
Q5.
Which revolution happened in 1790?
The Glorious Revolution
The American Revolution
Correct answer: The French Revolution
Q6.
'Relating to or affecting the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things' is the definition of ...
Correct Answer: spiritual

6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following is an accurate summary of Wordsworth's 'To My Sister'?
The sister is trying to get the speaker to come outside for a walk.
Correct answer: The speaker is trying to get their sister to come outside for a walk.
The speaker is trying to get their sister to allow her son to come outside.
Q2.
Which season is the poem 'To My Sister' set in?
summer
winter
Correct answer: spring
autumn
Q3.
'The enjoyment of leisure time, rest and tranquillity' is the definition of ...
Correct Answer: idleness, being idle, idle
Q4.
'The mixed feelings of awe and terror in response to a phenomenon' is the definition of the ...
Correct Answer: sublime
Q5.
Which of the following words might connect Wordsworth's 'To My Sister' to ideas of the sublime?
"mild"
Correct answer: "soul"
"idleness"
"heart"
Q6.
'A frame of mind; mood or humour' is the definition of ...
Correct Answer: temper