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Year 10 - English

Identifying how poets reminisce and remember loved ones

'Love and Relationships'

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupis explore 12 of the 15 poems from the 'Love and Relationships' anthology. Pupils complete two lessons about each poem: one on understanding and one on analysis. Pupils study the poems in four groups, and they pause after each group to compare how those poems present common themes.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to identify similarities and differences between 'Eden Rock', 'Climbing your Grandfather' and 'Before You Were yours'.

Key Notes

  • The poets reminisce on memories of familial relations.
  • The poets convey the admiration they felt towards their loved ones.
  • The poets present the process of reminiscing on a loved one as complicated and multifaceted.
  • Duffy and Waterhouse reflect on childhood memories, but Causley creates ambiguity, possibly symbolising the afterlife.
  • Exploring differences within similarities can result in a nuanced analysis.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • familial: related to to familial bonds and relationships
  • reminisce: recall past experiences or events with fondness or nostalgia
  • ambiguous: unclear or having multiple interpretations
  • multifaceted: having many different aspects or facets
  • tentative language: words or expressions used to convey uncertainty

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • All three poems reflect on memories of a loved one who is now dead.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

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

The poets reminisce on memories of familial relations. The poets convey the admiration they felt towards their loved ones.

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

related to to familial bonds and relationships.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: All three poems reflect on memories of a loved one who is now dead. Correction: Causley's use of an uncanny setting implies that the two parents are now in the afterlife, guiding the speaker's "[c]rossing", however Duffy and Waterhouse use language linked to death/loss ("ghost", "pulse") but do not imply the relative has died.

More Lessons In This Unit

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