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Year 6 - English

Developing background knowledge about 'London' by William Blake

Poetry of place

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils read, respond to and perform classic and contemporary poetry about a range of settings. They explore imagery and form, whilst developing personal responses and comparing poems. Finally, pupils write their own poem about a place of significance.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to understand the poem and the context in which the poem was written.

Key Notes

  • 'London' was published in 1794.
  • William Blake was an English poet and artist who believed in social and racial equality.
  • In the poem, the narrator is describing a walk around the city of London.
  • Romanticism was a movement in art and literature.
  • Romantic poets were often critical of industrialisation and valued the simplicity and purity of rural life.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • the Industrial Revolution: a period when machines and factories changed the way people lived and worked in cities
  • context: the setting or background that helps us to understand something better
  • society: a group of people living together, sharing customs and ways of living
  • Romanticism: a movement in art and literature in the 18th and 19th century, which focused more on feelings, imagination and nature

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • There is archaic and unfamiliar language that pupils will not recognise or understand in the poem.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

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

'London' was published in 1794. William Blake was an English poet and artist who believed in social and racial equality.

2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'the Industrial Revolution'

a period when machines and factories changed the way people lived and worked in cities.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: There is archaic and unfamiliar language that pupils will not recognise or understand in the poem. Correction: Explain to pupils that it is normal to not understand all the language in an archaic text, especially when we first read it. That is OK. There will be lots of opportunities to build our understanding.

More Lessons In This Unit

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