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Year 8 - English

Writing a poem inspired by Maya Angelou's 'Life Doesn't Frighten Me'

Single poet study: Maya Angelou

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils read and discover the work of Maya Angelou. They explore some of Angelou's most famous poems, such as 'Caged Bird' and 'Still I Rise', and practise writing and performing poems inspired by her work. As the unit develops, pupils find their own distinctive poetic voice.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to write a poem inspired by Maya Angelou's 'Life Doesn't Frighten you'.

Key Notes

  • Maya Angelou uses stanzas and a refrain to structure her poem, 'Life Doesn't Frighten Me'.
  • 'Life Doesn't Frighten Me' uses monosyllables at points for effect.
  • You can use a poet's work to inspire your own creativity.
  • You can plan each stanza of a poem by considering its focus and the details, including the methods, you want to include.
  • Reading your poem aloud can help you identify areas you would like to improve.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • methods: the tools a writer uses to create their work; use of refrain and figurative language are just two examples
  • monosyllable: words that have one syllable (one beat) e.g. bad, big, run, fun
  • figurative language: non-literal phrases and words which develop a writer's meaning
  • refrain: repeated line or group of lines in a poem
  • intangible: something that can't be touched e.g. a noise

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Angelou's poem is unstructured - the stanzas are uneven and she talks about lots of different things.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

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

Maya Angelou uses stanzas and a refrain to structure her poem, 'Life Doesn't Frighten Me'. 'Life Doesn't Frighten Me' uses monosyllables at points for effect.

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

the tools a writer uses to create their work; use of refrain and figurative language are just two examples.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: Angelou's poem is unstructured - the stanzas are uneven and she talks about lots of different things. Correction: Every piece of writing has a structure - even a shopping list. Structure is about the how a text is put together - at its most simple, beginning, middle and end. But we can also look for other structural features. In this case, stanzas and a refrain.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 8 English guide library.