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Year 10 - English

Understanding how Eliot presents London in 'In a London Drawingroom'

'World and Lives'

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupis explore 12 of the 15 poems from the 'World and Lives' anthology. Pupils complete two lessons about each poem: one on understanding and one on analysis. Pupils study the poems in a thematically linked order so they can complete comparative lessons at key points in the unit.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain how Eliot presents the industrialisation of London in 'In a London Drawingroom'.

Key Notes

  • Arguably, Eliot wrote under a pseudonym because she wanted to be seen as saying something important about society.
  • Eliot often wrote about rural life and the disparity between the poor and the rich.
  • Eliot would likely have critiqued the Industrial Revolution for the shift away from nature and the working conditions.
  • The perspective of the poem could be a critique of the upper classes during the Industrial Revolution.
  • The poem suggests that the Industrial Revolution harmed nature and lead to oppression.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • industrialisation: the process of transforming the economy from a focus on agriculture to a reliance on manufacturing.
  • trivial: of little value or importance.
  • obscured: unclear and difficult to understand or see.
  • perspective: refers to the position from which something is viewed.
  • oppressive: a situation in which people are governed in an unfair and cruel way.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • That we should consider imagery at literal, face value.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.

Arguably, Eliot wrote under a pseudonym because she wanted to be seen as saying something important about society. Eliot often wrote about rural life and the disparity between the poor and the rich.

2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'industrialisation'

the process of transforming the economy from a focus on agriculture to a reliance on manufacturing.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: That we should consider imagery at literal, face value. Correction: While considering the literal meaning is good for our understanding, we want to move beyond that to consider what a quotation or image symbolises and what it is saying about the wider ideas in the poem.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 10 English guide library.