Writing a written response on the Eduqas poetry anthology
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can write a successful answer comparing two poems from the Eduqas anthology.
Key learning points
- Before writing, you should consider why you have picked your chosen poem for comparison.
- A planning grid with single paragraph outlines can be a useful planning tool.
- Considering the success criteria before writing helps you remember what to include for a successful essay.
Keywords
Discourse marker - a word or phrase used to link ideas and signpost the direction of the writing
Comparative - measured or judged by estimating the similarity or dissimilarity between one thing and another
Thesis - a statement that presents your overarching argument in an essay
Topic sentence - explains the focus or main idea of an analytical paragraph
Common misconception
Planning takes too much time and isn’t worth it when writing an essay.
Planning saves time overall. It helps you organise your ideas, stay focused, and write more clearly and effectively, making your essay stronger and easier to complete.
Teacher tip
You might like to give the pupils sentence starters or a writing frame to help them start and structure their writing.
Equipment
You will need access to a copy of the Eduqas poetry anthology for this lesson.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Who wrote the poem 'Sonnet 29'?
Q2.How can you make your introduction in an analytical piece clear and engaging?
Q3.Match the key terms to their definitions.
a word or phrase whose job is to organise writing
showing similarities or differences
a conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning
explains the focus or main idea of an analytical paragraph
Q4.Which of these are examples of comparative discourse markers?
Q5.Match the poem, taken from the Eduqas poetry anthology, to the figurative language used within the poem.
a rope represents the bond and conflict between mother and daughter
uses the simile of wine to describe the experience of youth
uses a metaphor of a caged bird to crituqe the insitution of school
a comic book is used to explore the fragility of love
Q6.How should context be included in an analytical response?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is the purpose of a thesis in a comparative poetry essay?
Q2.Put the sections from an essay plan in the correct order.
Q3.Which of the following is not essential in a comparative poetry response?
Q4.What does a strong conclusion in a comparative essay do?
Q5.Match the sections of the planning grid to the correct description.
Overarching argument, supported by the whole text.
The first sentence of a paragraph. It states the main idea.
References to the text which support your topic sentence.
The final sentence of a paragraph. It concludes the main idea.
Sums up your essay’s overall thesis.
Q6.Which of these answers could be considered the most appropriate for an effective conclusion?
To help you plan your 10 English lesson on: Writing a written response on the Eduqas poetry anthology, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 English lesson on: Writing a written response on the Eduqas poetry anthology, 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 from summer 2027) unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.