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Year 10 - English

Comparing experiences of war in poetry

'Conflict'

Unit Summary

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

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explore reasons why poets write about war and begin to make connections between the poems in the Edexcel 'Conflict' anthology.

Key Notes

  • Poets have been writing about wars for hundreds of years.
  • Sometimes poets sensationalise dying for your country as a form of propaganda.
  • Poets who have first hand experience of combat often depict the brutal reality of war.
  • Some of the poems in the Edexcel 'Conflict' anthology reflect on experiences of particular wars in history.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • honour: behaving with integrity, and moral dignity; show respect or admiration for someone
  • propaganda: manipulative information disseminated to influence opinions, often biased or misleading
  • brutal: extremely cruel, harsh, or violent in action or manner
  • sensationalise: present information in an exaggerated or attention-grabbing way to evoke shock or excitement
  • cynicism: sceptical or distrustful attitude towards motives, sincerity, or the goodness of human nature

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • All of the poems in this anthology focus on a particular war from history.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

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

Poets have been writing about wars for hundreds of years. Sometimes poets sensationalise dying for your country as a form of propaganda.

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

behaving with integrity, and moral dignity; show respect or admiration for someone.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: All of the poems in this anthology focus on a particular war from history. Correction: There are some war poems in the anthology which focus on particular conflicts (e.g. 'Destruction of Sennacherib' and 'Charge of the Light Brigade') but others which focus more on societal conflicts (e.g. racism, social class).

More Lessons In This Unit

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