Study Hub

Study Guides

This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.

Back to Study Hub Browse Year 8 English Guides

Year 8 - English

Madeline Miller's 'The Song of Achilles': understanding the extract

Myths, legends and stories that inspire

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils read and explore a range of text types in connection to classical myths and legends. They first look at poetry before doing some descriptive writing inspired by poetry and paintings. They then explore Chaucer and modern retellings of myths to inspire their narrative writing.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to show understanding of 'Song of Achilles' through comprehension and annotation.

Key Notes

Achilles is a renowned warrior from Greek mythology.
Patroclus is another character from Greek mythology; he is the closest friend of Achilles.
Madeline Miller wrote 'The Song of Achilles' from the first person perspective of Patroclus.
To start, Miller focuses on the relationship between Patroclus and his father, and when Patroclus first sees Achilles.
When annotating a text, you can use a range of symbols and notes to help develop an understanding of the text's ideas.

Vocabulary To Learn

first person: the narrator of the story is a character in the story, using pronouns like 'I' and 'me'
perspective: point of view
renowned: famous
captivate: to hold the attention of someone
annotate: to make short notes on, and about, a text

Common Mistakes To Avoid

Annotating means highlighting everything you think is important in a text.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

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

Achilles is a renowned warrior from Greek mythology. Patroclus is another character from Greek mythology; he is the closest friend of Achilles.

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

the narrator of the story is a character in the story, using pronouns like 'I' and 'me'.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: Annotating means highlighting everything you think is important in a text. Correction: Annotating is a skill that requires time and thought. Using symbols and short notes makes your annotations helpful and understandable, even if you come back to them at a much later date.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 8 English guide library.