Understanding how Hardy presents the consequences of war in 'A Wife in London'
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how Thomas Hardy presents the devastating consequences of war.
Key learning points
- Hardy wrote 'A Wife in London' two months after the start of the Second Boer War.
- Hardy was strongly opposed to war - he viewed it as a monumental waste of life.
- The poem sees a wife receive a telegram informing her of the death of her husband.
- The wife then receives a letter from her husband before he died, detailing his hopes for their future together.
- The poem contrasts the hope of a returning soldier with the devastating loss of the wife who has been left behind.
Keywords
Foreboding - when we get the feeling something awful is about to happen
Telegram - a piece of paper with a message on sent by a telegraph
Futile - pointless
Devastating - highly-destructive or damaging
Tragedy - an event that causes great distress or suffering
Common misconception
Pupils often think that the wife receives two letters.
The wife receives a telegram and a letter. Both the irony and the tragedy are in the fact that, due to the quick nature of telegrams, the wife receives news of her husband's death before she receives his letter.
Teacher tip
You could get students to revisit the questions about the title in learning cycle 1, to test their understanding of the poem and consider the title in more depth later in the lesson.
Equipment
You will need access to a copy of the Eduqas poetry anthology for this lesson.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What does the word futile mean?
Q2.What is a telegram?
Q3.What method is being described here: 'when the weather reflects the mood.'?
Q4.What do we mean if we say something is ironic?
Q5.If something is tragic it means...
Q6.If you do not agree with war you could be said to be...
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the keywords to their definitions.
when we get the feeling something awful is about to happen
when something feels pointless
highly-destructive or damaging
Q2.What were Hardy's opinions on war?
Q3.In 'A Wife in London' Hardy best shows the devastating impact of war on...
Q4.Starting with the first, order the events in 'A Wife in London' in to chronolgical order.
Q5.How many sections is the poem 'A Wife in London' split into?
Q6.'A Wife in London' contrasts the __________ of a returning soldier with the devastating __________ of the wife who has been left behind.
To help you plan your 10 English lesson on: Understanding how Hardy presents the consequences of war in 'A Wife in London', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 English lesson on: Understanding how Hardy presents the consequences of war in 'A Wife in London', 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 until summer 2026) unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.