Year 10 - English
Comparing the presentation of power in 'My Last Duchess' and 'Ozymandias'
'Power and Conflict'
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Study Guides
This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupis explore 12 of the 15 poems from the 'Power and Conflict' anthology. Pupils complete two lessons about each poem: one on understanding and one on analysis. Pupils study the poems in three groups, and they pause after each group to compare how those poems present common themes.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to evaluate sample responses to an essay question and use them to help you write your own comparative response.
Key Notes
- Comparative introductions should give equal weighting to both poems and explore the big ideas in both poems.
- Introductions should use correlative and comparative conjunctions to actively compare poems.
- Introductions need not focus heavily on biographical details of poets or language devices.
- An effective essay compares two poems on big ideas in question, weaving in comparison throughout paragraphs.
- An effective comparative essay explores language, form and structure to support comparisons.
Vocabulary To Learn
- Undermine: lessen the effectiveness or power of something or someone
- Defiance: behaviour in which you refuse to obey someone or something
- Despotic: typical of a despot - a ruler who holds absolute power and exercises it in a cruel way
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Essay introductions should focus heavily on the poets and/or literary devices.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.
Comparative introductions should give equal weighting to both poems and explore the big ideas in both poems. Introductions should use correlative and comparative conjunctions to actively compare poems.
2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'Undermine'
lessen the effectiveness or power of something or someone.
3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.
Mistake: Essay introductions should focus heavily on the poets and/or literary devices. Correction: Essay introductions should focus heavily on big ideas relevant to both poems and related to the question.
More Lessons In This Unit
- An introduction to themes in the Power and Conflict poetry anthology Study Guide
- Analysing ideas of power and conflict in Blake's 'London' Study Guide
- Analysing the concept of power in Shelley's 'Ozymandias' Study Guide
- Analysing the poem 'Bayonet Charge' Study Guide
- Analysing the poem 'Charge of the Light Brigade' Study Guide
- Analysing the poem 'Exposure' Study Guide
- Analysing the poem 'Extract from The Prelude' Study Guide
- Analysing the Poem 'Kamikaze' Study Guide
- Analysing the poem 'My Last Duchess' Study Guide
- Analysing the poem 'Poppies' Study Guide
- Analysing the Poem 'Remains' Study Guide
- Analysing the poem 'Storm on the Island' Study Guide
- Analysing the poem 'War Photographer' Study Guide
- Comparing 'Poppies' and Duffy's 'War Photographer' Study Guide
- Comparing 'Power and Conflict' war poems Study Guide
- Comparing conflict in war poems from the Power and Conflict anthology Study Guide
- Comparing Romantic poets' attitudes to nature Study Guide
- Developing interpretations of 'Remains' with Simon Armitage Study Guide
- Power and Conflict poetry: developing comparative essay writing skills Study Guide
- Understanding the connections between Romanticism and Shelley's 'Ozymandias' Study Guide
- Understanding the poem 'Bayonet Charge' Study Guide
- Understanding the poem 'Charge of the Light Brigade' Study Guide
- Understanding the poem 'Exposure' Study Guide
- Understanding the poem 'Extract from the Prelude' Study Guide
- Understanding the Poem 'Kamikaze' Study Guide
- Understanding the poem 'London' Study Guide
- Understanding the poem 'My Last Duchess' Study Guide
- Understanding the poem 'Poppies' Study Guide
- Understanding the poem 'Remains' Study Guide
- Understanding the poem 'Storm on the Island' Study Guide
- Understanding the poem 'War Photographer' Study Guide
- Writing introductions and topic sentences for poetry comparison Study Guide
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