Analysing ideas of belonging and heritage in McKay’s ‘I shall return’
I can analyse how McKay presents ideas of belonging and heritage in ‘I Shall Return’.
Analysing ideas of belonging and heritage in McKay’s ‘I shall return’
I can analyse how McKay presents ideas of belonging and heritage in ‘I Shall Return’.
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Lesson details
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.
To help you plan your year 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 year 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.
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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.
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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