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Year 3 - English

Reading and responding to 'Ozymandias' by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Poetry inspired by big and small objects: understanding form

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils read and respond to the classic sonnet, 'Ozymandias' by Percy Bysshe Shelley. They will learn to write a variety of different forms of poetry, including a haiku, kenning and free verse poem. Finally, they will perform their own free verse poems inspired by big and small objects.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to read a classic poem and can share your personal response.

Key Notes

  • 'Ozymandias' is a sonnet by Percy Bysshe Shelley that describes a ruined statue of a once-powerful king.
  • This poem explores the themes of life and death and the passing of time.
  • A sonnet is a form of poetry with fourteen lines, which usually follows a rhyme scheme.
  • Percy Bysshe Shelley is one of Britain's most famous poets.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • poem: a piece of writing that uses creative and rhythmic language to express thoughts, feelings or ideas, often with a specific structure or pattern
  • theme: the theme of a poem is the underlying message or central idea that the poet wants to convey, exploring topics or universal concepts that can be found throughout the poem
  • sonnet: a specific form of poetry that consists of 14 lines and follows a strict rhyme scheme, often expressing deep emotions or ideas

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Pupils may think that this poem is inaccessible because the language is difficult to understand.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

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

'Ozymandias' is a sonnet by Percy Bysshe Shelley that describes a ruined statue of a once-powerful king. This poem explores the themes of life and death and the passing of time.

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

a piece of writing that uses creative and rhythmic language to express thoughts, feelings or ideas, often with a specific structure or pattern.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: Pupils may think that this poem is inaccessible because the language is difficult to understand. Correction: Teach pupils that poems can be easier to understand once we work out the meaning of each line and explore the vocabulary used. This is modelled in LC1.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 3 English guide library.