Hello, everyone.

My name's Ms. Keller and welcome to today's lesson.

In this session, we are going to be comparing three poems and we're going to be identifying how the writers convey a sense of heartbreak in natural settings.

Okay, so by the end of today's lesson, we will be able to identify similarities and differences between the poems "Winter Swans," "Neutral Tones," and "When We Two Parted." So let's explore today's keywords: bleak, inhospitable, ill-fated, fragmented, and unified.

So what do these words mean? Well, if something is bleak, it is desolate, harsh, and without hope or cheer.

Likewise, if something is inhospitable, it is unwelcoming and unfavourable, providing little or no comfort.

That third word, then, ill-fated, means that something is destined to end in failure, tragedy, or misfortune.

Fragmented, then, means broken into parts or pieces, lacking unity, cohesion, or continuity.

And finally, unified, which means joined or integrated, creating a cohesive and harmonious whole.

So how is today's lesson going to look, then? We are going to start by recapping all three poems, and then in the later parts of the lesson, we are going to start comparing them.

But first, it is important for us to see what we can remember about each of them.

So I'd like you to just take a moment to discuss what happens in each of these three poems. So pause this while you have a chance to recap those poems and when you are ready to feedback your responses, click play and we'll continue.

Okay, welcome back.

So here's what some of our Oak students said about these poems. So Lucas said, "'Winter Swans' describes the moment a couple realise their fragmented relationship is salvageable while watching some swans at a lake." And Andeep said, "In 'Neutral Tones,' the speaker remembers walking around a pond with his partner and realising that their relationship is ill-fated." And Laura said, "'When We Two Parted' focuses on an illicit affair they had and how the speaker's feelings of grief and heartbreak have turned to shame and regret." So well done if you were also picking up on some similar ideas to our three Oak students.

So let's just pause here and check our understanding of these poems. So which poems does the following statement apply to? And you can choose more than one.

So this poem is a reflection on the end of a relationship.

So pause the video while you make your mind up and then click play and I'll reveal the answer.

Okay, well done to those of you who said "Neutral Tones" and "When We Two Parted." Next one, then.

the poet uses the natural landscape to symbolise the speaker's feelings.

Pause the video while you have a think and click play when you are ready for me to reveal the answer.

Okay, so well done to those of you who said "Winter Swans" and "Neutral Tones." Okay, last one, then.

This poem focuses on a fragmented relationship.

So again, pause the video while you have a think and then click play when you're ready for me to reveal the answers.

Okay, welcome back.

Bit of a trick one there, because all three poems focus on a fragmented relationship in some way or other.

So, now we've thought about what happens in each poem, it's time for us to think about the main idea in each poem, and the main idea is a little bit like the poet's message.

What is the poet saying about love and/or relationships in each poem? So let's have a look at some opinions from our Oak students again.

So Lucas said, "Arguably, 'Winter Swans' is a poem about what it means to be a couple.

Each participant has an active role to play, like the swans, and remembering this gives the couple hope." So over to you.

I would like you to summarise the main idea of "Neutral Tones" and "When We Two Parted." So pause the video here while you discuss this with the people around you or make a few notes, and then when you're ready to feedback responses, click play and we'll continue.

Welcome back.

Some fantastic discussions taking place there.

So let's have a look at some more responses from our Oak students.

So Andeep said, "Arguably, 'Neutral Tones' is a poem about what it feels like to lose love; the emptiness felt when love has left you; and the changing perceptions towards someone you no longer love." And Laura said, "'When We Two Parted' focuses on how your perception of love can change and progress, from excitement, to grief and pain, and then finally to shame and regret." So now it's time for us to practise our knowledge of these three poems, and the way that I'd like to do that is by completing this grid summarising the key ideas in each poem.

Now, remember that the key ideas links more to that message of the poem and not simply just summarising what happens.

So what I'd like you to do is to list those key ideas or messages, find some relevant supporting evidence from each poem, and then I would like you to make a list of the mood or the emotions that come across when you read each poem.

I'd like you to take as much time as you need to give this a really good go and fill in this grid in as much detail as you can.

So pause the video here and when you're ready to feedback your answers, click play and we'll go through it.

Okay, welcome back.

Fantastic effort from people there.

So let's have a look at what you could have written, and we'll start with "When We Two Parted." So for ideas about love or relationships, then, we could have said something like, perceptions of love can be conflicting and may sour over time.

And for evidence we have got, "I hear thy name and share in its shame." And if we look over there for the mood and emotions, we've got these mixed feelings coming through.

So we've got feelings that are relating to sadness, such as grief and anguish, and then we've got that shift towards feelings of shame, so regret, shame, and bitterness.

So let's have a look then at "Neutral Tones." We're getting this idea that love can affect how you perceive yourself and others.

So some great pieces of evidence that we could use to support this idea.

"Love deceives." So this idea that at the end he feels he's been betrayed by love itself.

And also the speaker's observation that "her smile was the deadest thing," suggesting that perhaps what once made her happy and smile is now something that makes her feel empty.

So for mood and emotions, then, we could have had resignation, bitterness, hopelessness, and loneliness.

And last of all, then, "Winter Swans." So this main idea, there is hope for love if both partners are willing participants.

And for evidence, then, "Our hands folded, one over the other, like a pair of wings." And then mood and emotions, we could have had despair, resignation, loneliness, and hope.

So take a minute, then.

Can you spot any similarities and differences between the responses that we've got here in this grid? So pause the video while you have a look at these answers.

Click play when you are ready to discuss it.

Well done if you are picking up on this idea of similar emotions.

We can see that we've got the word bitterness appearing in "When We Two Parted" and "Neutral Tones." We've also got the idea of loneliness appearing there in "Neutral Tones" and "Winter Swans." We've also got some similar natural settings; "Neutral Tones" and "Winter Swans" both take place in the natural landscape.

And as we said earlier, in all three poems, we have got this similar idea of a fragmented relationship.

So let's think about the differences, then.

Well, we do see different views on love.

We see perhaps that love is conflicting and can change your perceptions over time in "When We Two Parted" and "Neutral Tones," whereas in "Winter Swans" we see love as something that's hopeful and worthwhile and worth commitment and loyalty.

We also see some differences in the types of relationship.

In "Winter Swans" and "Neutral Tones," we are introduced to a couple who are in a romantic relationship with each other, whereas in "When We Two Parted," we do see a couple who engage in a romantic relationship, but is an illicit extramarital affair, which means that both people involved in that relationship are actually already in relationships themself.

So now we've had a chance to recap all three poems, let's begin to compare them.

We're going to start by comparing "Winter Swans" and "Neutral Tones." So before we do that, I would like to have a look at what a comparison question looks like.

Compare the ways that romantic relationships are presented in "Winter Swans" and one other poem.

So I'd like to pick up first on that word compare, which means to consider the similarities and differences.

So how do we do that? We need to think about what the key focus of the question is, and here that is romantic relationships.

And then, and only then, we begin to think about the methods.

It's really important that when we do a comparative analysis that it is led by these key ideas or attitudes or messages and that our exploration of key quotations and methods used by the writer is something we use to support that initial argument.

So last of all, then, "Winter Swans" and one other poem.

In this type of question, you will always be given one poem, so here we've been given "Winter Swans," and it's up to you to choose which other poem you want to compare it to.

So let's pause here, then, and check our understanding of how that comparison question looks.

So true or false, you will always be told which two poems to compare.

Pause the video while you have a think and when you are ready for me to reveal the answer, click play.

Okay, welcome back.

Well done to those of you who said it was false.

I'd like you to have a look at these two justifications and decide which one you think best supports that statement.

So pause the video again and click play when you're ready to continue.

Well done to those of you who said A.

With these comparison questions, you will always be given one poem and it's up to you to choose another to compare it with.

So we're going to start, then, by comparing "Winter Swans" with "Neutral Tones." And following what we just discussed when we were looking at that question, we are going to lead each time with a key idea and then we're going to explore how the writer uses methods to convey these ideas.

So our first key idea, then, is that both poems focus on fragmented relationships.

So how do they do that? Well, both poems use descriptions of the natural imagery to symbolise the fragmented nature of the relationship.

So the key idea is similar, and actually in this case the way in which the writers do it is similar as well, but this might not always be the case.

So let's look at this in a bit more detail.

"The clouds had given their all, two days of rain and then a break," and "a few leaves lay on the starving sod, they were grey." So let's explore in detail, then, how each poet is using methods.

In "Winter Swans," Sheers is using pathetic fallacy, and this is when a writer uses the weather or the natural landscape to symbolise the mood or the emotive tone of a text.

So the pathetic fallacy here suggests that the couple have reached a breaking point after a period of conflict, 'cause we've got this idea that the clouds have given their all, they have run out of energy after the two days of rain, which could symbolise that the couple have ran out of energy to keep on arguing after two days perhaps of tears and sadness.

And then over with "Neutral Tones," then.

So Hardy uses colour imagery, which creates a depressing, dead landscape that could symbolise the couple's dying relationship.

So we've got this idea of the grey, the dull, grey, bleak colour scheme, and also the idea of the starving sod, that the earth is starving and perhaps dying.

And in these examples, both poems paint a vivid picture of an inhospitable setting.

So this is actually quite a nice comparison because it is similar throughout, but as I said earlier, this is not necessarily always the case, so let's have a look at another comparison.

So our key idea then is "Winter Swans" ends with the couple unified and hoping to salvage their relationship.

However, "Neutral Tones" ends with more despair and frustration for the speaker.

So that key comparative word there, however, shows us that this time we are dealing with a difference, not a similarity.

So how do the writers do this, then? So the end of "Winter Swans" focuses on unity, whereas the speaker of "Neutral Tones" feels betrayed.

So we've got this quote then from "Winter Swans," "our hands folded one over the other, like a pair of wings." And here Sheers uses a simile and language linked to pairs to signify the couple's unity like the pair of swans.

So our couple that were fragmented at the beginning are now unified like the pair of swans that they see swimming across the lake.

And then this quote from "Neutral Tones," "keen lessons that love deceives have shaped me." So here, Hardy is using an oxymoron, love deceives, we've got those two contrasting words, which links to the speaker's inner conflict.

They have these conflicted, contrasting feelings.

And we've also got the verb here, deceives, another word for betrays.

So we say in here that perhaps the speaker feels that love itself has betrayed them.

And our last key idea, then.

In "Winter Swans," the experience is a hopeful one, whereas in "Neutral Tones," the speaker's experience is negative and emphasises the inevitability of the breakup.

So having a look at this key idea, then.

Do we have a similarity or a difference? We have a difference, because we have got that word whereas.

So let's explore this in more detail.

So the "Winter Swans" in this poem symbolise hope, whereas in "Neutral Tones," the partner's smile merges with the dying landscape.

So let's view our supporting evidence.

So in "Winter Swans," we have chosen the quotation "halved themselves in the dark water, icebergs of white feather." And here, then, Sheers' use of a metaphor implies the swans are a light in the darkness, which links to the volta of the poem, "porcelain over the still water." We are getting this idea that they are light, they are symbolic of hope and truth.

And then this quotation from "Neutral Tones," "The smile on your mouth was the deadest thing." So Hardy's use of a metaphor here and a superlative, deadest, suggest that the speaker's partner's love has died.

She no longer feels any positive feelings towards our speaker.

And this quotation actually links to line 11 and the description of her "grin of bitterness." Let's pause again and check our understanding.

True or false, both poems emphasise the fragmented nature of the couple's relationship through descriptions of the natural landscape.

Pause a video here while you make your mind up and then click play when you're ready to continue.

Well done to those of you who said it was true.

So how will we justify this answer? Pause the video again while you read through these justifications and decide which one you think is most convincing.

When you think you've made your mind up, click play and I'll reveal the answer.

Well done to those of you who said A.

Onto our second task of today's lesson, then.

And what I would like you to do is to create a single paragraph outline, to plan a paragraph comparing how romantic relationships are presented in "Winter Swans" and "Neutral Tones." So if we have a look here, we have got a grid that shows us the layout of a single paragraph outline, which is a fantastic way to plan an analysis paragraph and to ensure that you are including enough detail to fully analyse the text and make your initial point.

So what you need to do, then, is begin with a topic sentence which explains the specific focus of the paragraph, and here you need to write in a full sentence.

And then in the middle box you need to find your supporting detail.

And in the second box you can write in note form.

And then last of all, you need to summarise the paragraph in a concluding sentence with a clear focus on the writer's purpose or intention.

And you need, again, at the bottom to write in full sentences here.

So pause the video while you take as much time as you need to to give this single paragraph outline a really good go.

And when you think you've planned your response, click play and we'll go through it.

Okay, welcome back.

A fantastic effort from everybody there.

It's really great to see people getting to grips with this single paragraph outline.

So here's what you could have written.

In "Winter Swans," the couple's relationship is presented as hopeful and strong through their eventual unity.

However, in "Neutral Tones," the relationship is weak and fragmented, something that increases throughout the poem.

And let's have a look at the the supporting detail that we could have used.

Well, from "Winter Swans," we could have said "they mate for life," as this shows that the couple are inspired by the swans' commitment.

And also that quotation from the end of the poem, "our hands, folded, one over the other." We've got this idea of plural, such as hands, and one over the other, words linked to pairs, which suggests that the couple are unified by the end.

And then from "Neutral Tones" we could have chosen "tedious riddles," because that adjective there, tedious, suggests that what was once fun and exciting for the speaker's partner is now repetitive and boring.

And also the quote we were discussing earlier, "your smile was the deadest thing," because that implies that her love for him is dying.

And then for this concluding sentence, Sheers' poem emphasises the closeness of the couple who have realised their commitment to each other, whereas the speaker in Hardy's poem appears more alone than ever now his partner's love for him has soured and died.

And if you notice, what we're doing here is summarising everything we've discussed in that supporting detail section, but we are also linking back up to our initial point.

So compare this response with yours, then.

Take a few moments to read through what you have written.

Have you included comparative language? And I've highlighted some examples of comparative language there in green.

If you have, then well done.

If not, don't worry.

Now is your chance to redraft and include some.

So pause the video for a few moments while you reread your answer and redraft if necessary, and click play when you're ready to continue.

Okay, we are on to the final part of today's lesson.

So well done for all your hard work so far.

In this section, we are going to be comparing "Winter Swans" with "When We Two Parted." So let's start by focusing on the differences between them.

I'd like you to take a few moments to discuss this.

So what differences are there between the subject and the key ideas of these two poems? Pause the video while you discuss it or make some notes and then click play when you're ready to continue.

Welcome back.

Some fantastic discussions taking place there.

Let's just pick up on a few ideas that I overheard.

In "Winter Swans," we see a loving, committed relationship that grows stronger throughout the poem, whereas in "When We Two Parted," we see an illicit extramarital affair, which arguably shows a lack of commitment to other partners.

So we have "Winter Swans" focusing on commitment, whereas "When We Two Parted" almost focuses on the opposite of commitment.

And then if we look at these emotions, then.

In "Winter Swans" we have hope, healing, love, we have these positive emotions, whereas in "When We Two Parted" we have negative emotions, such as sadness, shame, and regret.

And lastly, "Winter Swans" shows the rebirth.

If we think about the journey of the poem, it has this rebirth, a couple leave ready to heal their relationship.

Whereas in "When We Two Parted," it shows the grieving process after the death of the relationship.

There is no going back for the couple in Byron's poem.

It's over and our speaker is now forced to grieve for what he has lost.

So just as we did before, then, let's compare these poems in a bit more detail.

So our first key idea, then, both poems begin with a fragmented relationship.

And this continues in Byron's poem, whereas Sheers' couple are united by the end.

And both poems use language to emphasise estrangement, so separation.

However, their endings show a different progression to both relationships.

So they start in a similar place, but by the end they have gone on different journeys.

We have our two quotations, then.

So from "Winter Swans," "silent and apart," and "hands like a pair of wings." So the adjectives at the beginning of the poem, "silent and apart," actually emphasise the couple's detachment.

However, the use of plurals at the end of the poem implies their unification.

So that subtle shift in Sheers' use of language gives us that impression that they have now united.

And then if we look at the beginning and end of "When We Two Parted," the opening line and the title sets the tone of fragmentation.

It's all framed around two people parting.

However, we've got this idea of a cyclical structure, because this quotation "silence and tears" appears at the beginning to show the speaker's heartbreak after the relationship ends, but then at the end, the speaker uses this line again to show how they would respond if they saw this person again.

So this repetition and the cyclical structure implies that the silence and the tears will continue.

This grieving will continue and there is no hope for this couple to unite again.

So onto our second idea, then.

Both poems convey mixed emotions.

In Sheers' poem, the couple shift from despair to hope, whereas in Byron's the speaker shifts between grief and regret.

Both poems use extended metaphors to convey their emotive tone.

Sheers uses nature and swans, whereas Byron uses death.

So we do have both poets here using the same method.

So in "Winter Swans," then, "rain," "waterlogged earth," "hands had swum the distance." Here Sheers uses pathetic fallacy, which links to the bleak landscape, yet by the end of the poem they are linked to the swan.

So the couple's relationship begins by being linked to this bleak natural setting.

However, by the end, they are linked to the tranquil, hopeful symbol of the swans.

And then over here in "When We Two Parted," "Colder thy kiss," "knell in mine ear," and "I grieve." The progression of this extended metaphor of death symbolises the stages of grief after the loss of a loved one: the initial shock, then the idea of a funeral or remembrance, and then the grief that follows.

Finally, then, Sheers' poem symbolises the rebirth of the couple's relationship.

Conversely, Byron's symbolises the death of it and the grief the speaker feels afterwards, so another difference here.

Both poems do use symbolism to emphasise each relationship's journey.

Sheers uses colour imagery, whereas Byron uses emotive language.

So they both use symbolism, but they do it in different ways.

So let's have a look first at "Winter Swans." "Dark water, white feather," "porcelain over the stilling water." So here, Sheers' use of colour imagery presents the swans as a light in the darkness, and its link to the volta there signifies a shift toward peace.

Whereas "shame," "shudder," and "I rue thee too deeply to tell," here Byron is using emotive language which could link to feelings of regret.

And also the verb shudder gives us that visceral image of the speaker's shame.

We can imagine them shuddering every time they hear their partner's name.

So let's pause and check our understanding.

True or false, there are only differences and no similarities between "Winter Swans" and "When We Two Parted." Pause the video here while you make your mind up and then click play when you are ready for me to reveal the answer.

Well done to those of you who said false.

So now have a look at these two explanations and think about which one best justifies your answer to the previous section.

Pause the video while you make your mind up and then click play when you'd like me to reveal the answer.

Okay, congratulations if you said A.

The poems are very different in terms of their subject matter, but there are many similarities in the methods that the poets use.

So onto our final task of the lesson, and what I would like you to do here is to complete the single paragraph outline below by adding in a topic sentence and a concluding statement.

Then I would like you to write a comparative paragraph using this plan to help you.

So pause the video while you give this a really good go, complete your plan and write up your paragraph.

And when you'd like to go through your response, click play and we'll continue.

Okay, welcome back.

So here's how you could have completed the single paragraph outline.

For your topic sentence, you could have said both poems begin by emphasising the fragmented nature of each relationship.

In "When We Two Parted," this separation only increases, whereas in "Winter Swans," the end of the poem signifies unified hope for the couple.

And for your concluding sentence, you could have said, thus, although both poets begin with the image of a fragmented romantic relationship, only Sheers resolves this to convey a sense of hope for his character.

So how could we turn this into an analysis paragraph? Well we could have said, both poets begin by emphasising the fragmented nature of each couple's relationship.

In "When We Two Parted," this separation only increases, whereas in "Winter Swans," the end of the poem signifies unified hope for the couple.

Byron repeats the title in the opening line, "When we two parted," indicating that the characters are no longer a couple from the very beginning.

In fact, the speaker does not refer positively to their relationship at all throughout, suggesting that they no longer hold any happy memories of their time together.

Similarly, in "Winter Swans," the speaker's initial description of himself and his partner notes how they are silent and apart.

Again, this highlights the estrangement they are experiencing and presents their relationship as fragmented.

However, the poems progress in different ways.

"When We Two Parted" continues to amplify this fragmented nature, whereas in "Winter Swans" the couple are unified and hopeful for their relationship by the end.

Byron draws on a similar idea to Sheers' opening description when his character describes the loneliness they feel following the end the relationship: "silence and tears." He uses a cyclical structure in "When We Two Parted," repeating this line in the first and last stanza, emphasising how these feelings have not lessened over time for the speaker and further highlighting how the distance between the couple has grown since they initially parted.

On the other hand, at the end of "Winter Swans," Sheers indicates that the couple are unified and realise the importance of their commitment to each other.

They hold hands "folded, one over the other, like a pair of wings." By using many plural words here, Sheers amplifies the togetherness of the couple who are once more a pair and are no longer separate and alone.

Thus, although both poets begin with the image of a fragmented romantic relationship, only Sheers resolves this to convey a sense of hope for his characters.

So let's have a look, then, at how this answer followed the structure of that single paragraph outline.

So let's explore how this response links to a single paragraph outline.

So it begins with the topic sentence, and then it includes our first two pieces of supporting evidence, one from each poem.

And then it directly compares the use of language in both of these quotations.

So it starts by finding a similarity.

We see that using the word both, similarly, again.

And then finds a difference.

And then we move on to our second two pieces of evidence.

So we have that comparative language there that shows difference in our concluding sentence.

So compare your answer to this response.

Have you followed the structure of your single paragraph outline? Hopefully you have and well done.

But if not, don't worry.

There's now some time for you to redraft your answer and include anything you have missed out.

So pause the video for as long as you need to, reread your answer, and redraft if necessary, and then click play when you're ready to continue.

Okay, so we've made it to the end of today's lesson, and I hope you're really proud of all the effort that you have put in today.

So today we have covered quite a bit.

We explored how the poets initially used bleak and inhospitable settings to reflect despairing and hopeless emotions, and also how the poets initially show fragmented relationships, but these progress in different ways throughout each poem.

Sheers is the only poet to shift to a more hopeful tone when the couple are eventually unified.

Comparison questions require you to focus firstly on key ideas and then explore how the writers convey these ideas.

And finally, a single paragraph outline is an effective way to structure a comparative analysis paragraph.

So thank you very much for joining me and I hope you've enjoyed today's lesson.