New
New
Year 11
Edexcel

Writing and developing a response to an unseen poem

I can write and then build on a response to an unseen poem.

New
New
Year 11
Edexcel

Writing and developing a response to an unseen poem

I can write and then build on a response to an unseen poem.

warning

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. When approaching an unseen poem, you might ask questions about the voice, perspective, structure and imagery.
  2. In order to build on that initial response, you might use discussions in order to build on your ideas.
  3. Dunmore's 'Next Door' may be interpreted as the speaker being judgemental of their neighbours.
  4. On the other hand, it may be interpreted as an exploration of how we are all reflections of each other.

Keywords

  • Ambiguous - open to or having several possible meanings or interpretations

  • Reflection - casting back a light or heat, mirroring or giving back or showing an image

  • Merge - combine or cause to combine to form a single entity

  • Perspective - the position from which something is viewed

  • Judgemental - to express a bad opinion of someone's behaviour, often because you think you are better than them

Common misconception

Analysing a text is an individual exercise.

Having discussions around a text can help us build on our ideas and reconsider different ways of interpreting the text.

It would be useful for pupils to share their discussions with the rest of the class so that there is a large pool of ideas to consider when building on their response.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You will need a copy of Helen Dunmore’s ‘Next Door’ which is available in the additional materials.

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

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).

Lesson video

Loading...

6 Questions

Q1.
'Casting back a light or heat, mirroring, or giving back or showing an image' is the definition of a ...
Correct Answer: reflection
Q2.
Calling someone's garden a "scab" implies which of the following?
you admire their garden
Correct answer: you find their garden unsightly
you are jealous of their garden
Q3.
To consider the structure of an unseen poem you might ask questions about which of the following?
Correct answer: the opening and closing line
the imagery in the poem
Correct answer: the number of stanzas
Q4.
'Open to or having several possible meanings or interpretations' is the definition of .
Correct Answer: ambiguous, ambiguity
Q5.
Which pair of pronouns suggest connection and unity?
"we" and "their"
Correct answer: "us" and "we"
"us" and "them"
Q6.
Ending a poem on a question implies ...
Correct answer: ambiguity.
Correct answer: uncertainty.
certainty.
security.

6 Questions

Q1.
In Dunmore's 'Next Door', we hear which of the following voices?
the neighbour's voice
Correct answer: the speaker's voice
the speaker's and the neighbour's voices
Q2.
'The position from which something is viewed' is the definition of ...
Correct Answer: perspective
Q3.
Dunmore structures her poem 'Next Door' in which of the following ways?
Correct answer: three separate stanzas
one single stanza
two separate stanzas
Q4.
'Combine or cause to combine to form a single entity' is the definition of ...
Correct Answer: merge, to merge, merging
Q5.
'To express a bad opinion of someone's behaviour, often because you think you are better than them' is the definition of ...
Correct Answer: judgemental, judgement
Q6.
The title of Dunmore's 'Next Door' __________ the opening line of the poem.
is the same as
Correct answer: merges into
is distinctive to

Additional material

Download additional material
We're sorry, but preview is not currently available. Download to see additional material.