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Comparing ideas of youth and nature in ‘The Schoolboy’ and ‘Blackberry Picking’

I can compare the ideas of youth and nature in Heaney’s ‘Blackberry Picking’ and Blake’s ‘The Schoolboy’.

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Year 10
Eduqas

Comparing ideas of youth and nature in ‘The Schoolboy’ and ‘Blackberry Picking’

I can compare the ideas of youth and nature in Heaney’s ‘Blackberry Picking’ and Blake’s ‘The Schoolboy’.

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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 poems explore childhood innocence and the inevitable loss of joy.
  2. Blake's rhyme scheme reflects societal constraints, whilst Heaney's rhyme scheme captures nostalgia
  3. The first-person perspective shapes how youth and nature are portrayed.
  4. Comparative thesis statements should highlight both similarities and differences.
  5. Comparative conjunctions help compare ideas, likewise correlative conjunctions can create balanced comparisons.

Keywords

  • Transience - the state or fact of lasting only for a short time

  • Abundance - a large quantity or more than enough of something

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

  • Thesis - a statement or argument that is developed and supported in an essay, often in response to a question

  • Conjunction - words that connect clauses, sentences, or words, like "and," "but," "or," and "because"

Common misconception

The thesis statement is just a summary of the poems.

An effective comparative thesis will highlight a key comparison and difference between the texts, showing how they deepen an understanding of the key themes and ideas.


To help you plan your year 10 english lesson on: Comparing ideas of youth and nature in ‘The Schoolboy’ and ‘Blackberry Picking’, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

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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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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which theme is most prevalent in both 'The Schoolboy' and 'Blackberry Picking'?
The inevitability of death.
Correct answer: The conflict between youth and adulthood.
The power of knowledge.
The love of nature.
Q2.
Is the statement true of false? Both Seamus Heaney and William Blake can be considered Romantic poets.
Correct Answer: false, f, F, False
Q3.
Match the poetic technique to its correct definition.
Correct Answer:enjambment,a continuous thought extending past one line

a continuous thought extending past one line

Correct Answer:caesura,a pause within a line of poetry

a pause within a line of poetry

Correct Answer:simile,a direct comparison without "like" or "as"

a direct comparison without "like" or "as"

Correct Answer:imagery,creating vivid pictures with words

creating vivid pictures with words

Correct Answer:rhyme scheme,Tthe pattern of rhymes in a poem

Tthe pattern of rhymes in a poem

Correct Answer:symbolism,objects or ideas representing something deeper

objects or ideas representing something deeper

Q4.
Which of the following best describes the speaker in 'The Schoolboy'?
Correct answer: A frustrated child longing for freedom.
An enthusiastic student eager to learn.
A teacher reflecting on childhood.
An adult recalling their school days.
Q5.
What is the main difference between the speakers in 'The Schoolboy' and 'Blackberry Picking'?
One speaker is nostalgic about nature, while the other is critical of it.
Correct answer: One speaker is an adult looking back, while the other is a child in the moment.
One speaker is focused on the joy of school, while the other is about rebellion.
One speaker is indifferent to the passage of time, while the other is emotional.
Q6.
Is the statement true or false? In both 'The Schoolboy' and 'Blackberry Picking', nature plays a central role in shaping the speaker’s feelings about life and growth.
Correct Answer: true, t, True, T

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which comparative conjunction would you use to show similarities between ideas?
contrastingly
Correct answer: likewise
Correct answer: similarly
whereras
Q2.
Which word from the poem 'Blackberry Picking' reflects the inevitable decay of youth?
"sweet"
"sticky"
Correct answer: "fermented"
"glossy"
Q3.
Arguably, what is the function of the irregular rhyme scheme in the poem 'Blackberry Picking'?
It highlights the structured nature of memory.
Correct answer: It reinforces the fleeting nature of childhood and memory.
It creates a sense of tension.
It mirrors the simplicity of childhood.
Q4.
What is the main difference in how Blake and Heaney depict the loss of innocence in the poems 'Blackberry Picking' and 'The Schoolboy'.
Correct answer: Blake blames external forces, while Heaney sees it as natural.
Heaney focuses on societal structures, while Blake emphasises natural decay.
Blake views innocence as permanent, while Heaney sees it as temporary.
Heaney’s loss is sudden, while Blake’s is gradual.
Q5.
Which of the following best explains why Blake’s first person voice is important in 'The Schoolboy'?
It allows the speaker to reflect nostalgically on childhood.
It provides a detached, objective view of the school system.
Correct answer: It creates a direct expression of youthful frustration with education.
It evokes a sense of loss through memory.
Q6.
How does the use of first person perspective in 'Blackberry Picking' contribute to its theme of nostalgia?
It gives an immediate sense of joy.
Correct answer: It allows the reader to feel the speaker’s current sense of loss.
It makes the joy of childhood seem eternal.
It focuses on the innocence of the child.