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Lesson 29 of 33
  • Year 10
  • Eduqas

Comparing ideas of love and identity in ‘Catrin’ and ‘Origin Story’

I can compare ideas of love and identity in Clarke’s ‘Catrin’ and Ewing’s ‘Origin Story’.

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Lesson 29 of 33
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  • Year 10
  • Eduqas

Comparing ideas of love and identity in ‘Catrin’ and ‘Origin Story’

I can compare ideas of love and identity in Clarke’s ‘Catrin’ and Ewing’s ‘Origin Story’.

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Share activities with pupils

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

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Both 'Catrin' and 'Origin Story' explore the complexities of relationships and the impact of different types of love.
  2. Clarke presents love as intense and restrictive, whereas Ewing suggests that love is fragile but enduring.
  3. Both Clarke and Ewing write using a first-person perspective which shapes how their experiences are presented.
  4. Both poems use metaphor and symbolism to represent different aspects of love and perspective.
  5. The poets use structure to emphasise the different sides or stages of love and identity.

Keywords

  • Conflict - an active disagreement between people with opposing opinions or principles

  • Maternal - relating to a mother or motherhood

  • Nostalgia - a sentimental longing or affection for the past, often idealised

  • Symbol - a word, object, or image that represents a bigger idea or meaning beyond itself

Common misconception

Both poems use a first-person persepctive and therefore express similar attitudes towards love and identity.

While both use first-person perspective, ‘Catrin’ shows intense, ongoing maternal love, and ‘Origin Story’ reflects on a past, fragile romantic love. The attitudes differ because one is direct and personal, the other reflective and shaped by memory.


To help you plan your year 10 English lesson on: Comparing ideas of love and identity in ‘Catrin’ and ‘Origin Story’, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

It might be useful to recap the poems before beginning this lesson. Reading the poems aloud can be a great way to engage with the different tone and attitudes expressed in the poems.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You will need a copy of the Eduqas 2025 Anthology for this lesson.

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following is an accurate summary of the poem 'Catrin' by Gillian Clarke?

Correct answer: A mother recalls her child’s birth and an ongoing emotional struggle.
A daughter describes her carefree childhood with her mother.
A mother writes about losing her child in a crowded city.
A mother describes her longing for her lost daughter.

Q2.
Which of the following is an accurate summary of the poem 'Origin Story' by Eve L. Ewing?

A mother describes the challenges of raising a child alone.
A child writes about their first love and heartbreak.
Correct answer: A poet reflects on how her parents met and what their love meant.
A poet imagines what her future relationship might be like.

Q3.
What does the form free verse mean in poetry?

Correct answer: A poem written without regular rhyme or rhythm.
A poem that always rhymes and follows a strict structure.
A poem that tells a story with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
A poem that is always written in the past tense.

Q4.
Is this piece of biographical context true or false? Eve L. Ewing, the writer of the poem 'Origin Story', is also know for writing Marvel comics.

Correct Answer: true, t, truth, True, T

Q5.
Which of the following words would you use to describe a mother-daughter relationship?

paternal
Correct answer: maternal
neo-natal
Correct answer: parental

Q6.
What does a first-person perspective mean in a poem?

The poem is told by an outside narrator watching the events.
The poem is told using "he," "she," or "they" to describe others.
Correct answer: The speaker tells the poem from their own point of view, using "I.
The poem gives different people's views at the same time.

Assessment exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What type of love is primarily explored in the poem 'Catrin'?

romantic love
unrequited love
Correct answer: maternal love
self-love

Q2.
Which best describes the structure of the poems 'Origin Story' and 'Catrin'?

a single stanza with regular rhyme
rhymed couplets with a regular rhythm
Correct answer: two stanzas in free verse
four stanzas with a chorus

Q3.
Which answer best describes how the metaphors in 'Catrin' and 'Origin Story' reflect different experiences of love?

Both show romantic love as easy and lasting.
Correct answer: 'Catrin' shows love as binding and hard; 'Origin Story' as fragile and lasting.
'Catrin' celebrates freedom; 'Origin Story' rejects the past.
Both describe self-love and independence.

Q4.
How does free verse enhance the emotional tone in 'Catrin' and 'Origin Story'?

creates a predictable rhythm
Correct answer: reflects the complexity and evolving nature of love
enforces strict control over emotions
makes the poems easier to memorise

Q5.
Which word beginning with 'n' can be described as: a sentimental longing or affection for the past, often idealised?

Correct Answer: nostalgia, nostalgic, Nostalgia

Q6.
Which answer best describes how 'Catrin' and 'Origin Story' challenge traditional ideas about love and family relationships?

Both poems show love as purely joyful and harmonious.
They suggest family love is unchanging and unconditional without conflict.
Both portray love as detached and indifferent.
Correct answer: They highlight complexity, including conflict, pain, and identity struggles.