New
New
Year 10
Eduqas

Analysing 'Mametz Wood'

I can analyse how Sheers presents the legacy of war in the poem.

New
New
Year 10
Eduqas

Analysing 'Mametz Wood'

I can analyse how Sheers presents the legacy of war in the poem.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Sheers uses a semantic field of fragility to demonstrate how delicate the soldiers were versus the brutality of war.
  2. The poet compares the soldiers’ bodies to beautiful, but very fragile objects.
  3. Sheers uses imagery to illustrate what a senseless waste of life war is; he illustrates the devastating legacy of war.
  4. The poet uses the poem to show us how war affects not only people, but nature too.
  5. Arguably, the poem itself is a memorial to commemorate the Welsh soldiers of the 38th division.

Common misconception

Students fail to recognise that the poem itself is a kind of memorial for the 38th division in the Battle of Mametz Wood.

The poem immortalises the Welsh soldiers in the 38th division, who lay undiscovered for decades, their stories untold. In this sense, the poem itself has become these soldiers' legacy.

Keywords

  • Legacy - the long-lasting impact of a set of events/ what is left behind

  • Brutality - extremely violent and destructive

  • Imagery - words that create a vivid picture in the reader’s mind

  • Testimony - when something is evidence or proof of something

  • To commemorate - to remember something or someone and pay respect to it/them

If students have studied 'Ozymandias' it would generate interesting discussion to compare this poem with Ozymandias, thinking about how both poems can be considered their subjects' legacies.
Teacher tip

Equipment

A copy of the Eduqas poetry anthology is required for this lesson.

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

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).

Loading...

6 Questions

Q1.
A a group of words or expressions that are related in meaning.
Correct Answer: semantic field
Q2.
Imagery is...
giving human characteristic to non-human objects
Correct answer: words that create a vivid picture in the reader’s mind
to remember something
Q3.
In 'Mametz Wood', Sheers shows that war not only impacts people but also...
Correct Answer: nature
Q4.
What is the definition of 'legacy'?
to pay your respects to someone
when something is evidence or proof of something
Correct answer: the long-lasting impact of a set of events/ what is left behind
Q5.
In 'Mametz Wood' how many bodies were found according to the speaker?
Correct answer: 20
38
18
Q6.
If something is fragile it is....
Correct answer: easily broken
tough and hardy
valuable

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the keywords to their definition.
Correct Answer:legacy,the long-lasting impact of a set of events/ what is left behind

the long-lasting impact of a set of events/ what is left behind

Correct Answer:brutality,extremely violent and destructive

extremely violent and destructive

Correct Answer:imagery,words that create a vivid picture in the reader’s mind

words that create a vivid picture in the reader’s mind

Correct Answer:testimony ,when something is evidence or proof of something

when something is evidence or proof of something

Correct Answer:commemorate,to remember something or someone and pay respect to it/them

to remember something or someone and pay respect to it/them

Q2.
What does Sheers' use of imagery in 'Mametz Wood' show?
Correct answer: what a senseless waste of life war is
how brave and heroic the soldiers were
the soldiers gaining the upper hand was worth the loss
Q3.
In what way could the soldiers in 'Mametz Wood' be said to be valuable?
The land that the soldiers were found on is now very valuable.
Correct answer: The soldiers had a lot of potential they they never got to realise.
The soldiers were very wealthy and owned a lot of land.
Q4.
In 'Mametz Wood' Sheers compares the soldiers’ bodies to beautiful, but very objects.
Correct Answer: fragile
Q5.
Why might Sheers have wanted to write 'Mametz Wood'?
to criticise the soldiers who died
Correct answer: to commemorate the soldiers who died
to identify the soldiers who died
Q6.
Sheers uses a of fragility in 'Mametz Wood' to demonstrate how delicate the soldiers were versus the brutality of war.
Correct Answer: semantic field