Analysing ideas of belonging and heritage in McKay’s ‘I shall return’
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can analyse how McKay presents ideas of belonging and heritage in ‘I Shall Return’.
Key learning points
- Arguably, the use of the sonnet form associates the speaker’s home with ideas of love.
- Specifically, the use of a regular rhyme could point to ideas of peace and contentment.
- Furthermore, the use of euphony associates ideas of peace and harmony with the speaker’s home.
- The word “delicious” might suggest that the speaker’s home and hertiage sustain them.
- However, the references to discontent might represent how the speaker is not physically where they feel at home.
Keywords
Belonging - a feeling of being happy or comfortable as part of a particular group or in a particular place
Contentment - happiness and satisfaction, often because you have everything you need
Sustain - to support something or keep it going; to nourish
Heritage - the history, traditions, practices, etc. of a particular country or society
Discontent - a feeling of not being satisfied with your situation or with the way you are being treated
Common misconception
You should ignore any parts of the poem that don't fit with your overall interpretation.
To create a nuanced argument, you want to think about why the poet may have chosen not to present a cohesive whole to the poem.
Teacher tip
It might be useful to have the pupils read the poem aloud when thinking of ideas about rhythm.
Equipment
You may wish to have a copy of McKay's 'I Shall Return' for this lesson. You can find a copy in the Eduqas 2025 anthology.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of the following is an accurate summary of McKay's 'I Shall Return'?
Q2.'A feeling of being happy or comfortable as part of a particular group or in a particular place' is the definition of which word beginning with 'b'?
Q3.Which of the following is true of the sonnet form?
Q4.Which of the following is the definition of contentment?
Q5.Feeling hopeful and confident about the future is the definition of which of the following?
Q6.Which of the following is true of McKay's writing?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of the following is the final word of McKay's 'I Shall Return'?
Q2.Is the following statement true or false: 'McKay's use of a regular rhyme in 'I Shall Return' could indicate how the speaker feels contented in their home.'
Q3.The use of the sonnet form in McKay's 'I Shall Return' might reflect which of the following?
Q4.'A feeling of not being satisfied with your situation or with the way you are being treated' is the definition of which of the following?
Q5.Is the following statement true or false: 'McKay's use of euphony in 'I Shall Return' creates ideas of discontentment.'
Q6.Complete the following quotation from McKay's 'I Shall Return': “dear tunes / That stir the hidden depths of native life”
To help you plan your 11 English lesson on: Analysing ideas of belonging and heritage in McKay’s ‘I shall return’, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 English lesson on: Analysing ideas of belonging and heritage in McKay’s ‘I shall return’, 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 Poetry anthology (Assessment from summer 2027) unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.