Lesson video

Hello everyone.

How are you doing today? I hope you're really, really good.

My name is Ms. Afzal and I'm very excited to be with you because we're going to be exploring some poetry today.

We are going to be looking at the poetry of Joseph Coelho and also a poem by Matt Goodfellow.

For this lesson, you'll need to go and get two collections of poetry.

By Joseph Coelho, you'll need "Overheard in a Tower Block." And by Matt Goodfellow, you'll need "Let's Chase Stars Together." That sounds fun, isn't it? So pause here while you go get your two collections of poetry.

So you've got your poetry in hand, fantastic.

What else have you got? Lots of ideas, enthusiasm, what else? Creativity.

I hope you got that and more.

Let's begin our lesson.

The outcome for today's lesson is I can compare and contrast two poems depicting a rural setting.

We have some keywords in our lesson today.

Let's go through them.

My turn, your turn.

Theme.

Imagery.

Compare.

Contrast.

Like hearing those words, let's find out what they mean.

Theme is a big idea, a topic or message that recurs within a text.

Imagery is the use of vivid and sensory language that appeals to the reader's senses, creating vivid mental patterns and enhancing the emotional impact of the poem.

Compare involves identifying similarities between two or more things, ideas, themes, or texts.

Contrast involves identifying differences between two or more things, ideas, themes, or texts.

These are our key words, so let's be on the lookout for them.

Let's think carefully about them.

They will be coming up in our lesson today.

Today's lesson comparing two poems on similar themes, "Richmond Park" and "The Old Farmer's Song" has two parts to it.

Guess what they are? They are exploring "Richmond Park" and exploring "The Old Farmer's Song." We will begin by exploring "Richmond Park." "Richmond Park" was written by Joseph Coelho and released in 2017 as part of his poetry collection "Overheard in a Tower Block." The accompanying illustration is by Kate Milner.

And we can see an image of Joseph Coelho on our screen there looking very happy.

He should be, he's the Children's Laureate.

Joseph is an award-winning performance poet, playwright, and children's author.

He grew up in a tower block in Roehampton, Southwest London, with his mother and sister.

He wrote his first poem in year eight and kept writing from then on.

Joseph's poetry is known for using engaging and emotive themes such as identity, family, and friendship.

In 2022, he was appointed Children's Laureate.

So this appoint goes to someone that is really outstanding in their of writing or illustration.

Richmond Park is the largest of London's royal parks and it's a site of special scientific interest and a national nature reserve.

And we can see London on the map in front of us.

It's known for its 25 permanent ponds, range of wildlife including wild red and fallow deer, and open space for many sports and leisure activities.

We can see one of the ponds there and we can see some deer in Richmond Park.

What a beautiful place.

The poem "Richmond Park" contains some language which may be unfamiliar to us.

Veiled means to obscure or cover up.

Arcing is taking a curved shape or sweeping in an arch-like manner.

Irises are the coloured part of the eye.

Wonder what colour your irises are.

Take a look at the person next to you and have a look at what colour each of your irises are.

Fronds, the large divided leaves of ferns or other plants.

You can see an image of a beautiful fern there on our screen.

These are just some of the unfamiliar words.

You may wish to explore the meaning of others using a dictionary.

Always a good idea to do that and fun to learn new words.

Check for understanding.

Match the new words to their definitions, veiled, arcing, and fronds.

And the definitions, the large divided leaves of a plant, to obscure or cover up, taking a curved shape.

Pause the video while you match these new words to their definitions.

Veiled is to obscure or cover up.

Wonder if you got that one.

Arcing is taking a curved shape.

And fronds are the large divided leaves of a plant.

Well done if you match the words in their definitions in this way.

And now it's time to read the poem on pages 40 and 41.

To begin, I would like you to read the poem silently in your head.

Then read out loud.

You might like to read it with a partner, one person reading the first verse, the second person reading the next, and so on.

So pause the video here while you have a go at reading this poem twice.

First time silently and a second time out loud.

Enjoy your first encounter with "Richmond Park," the poem.

Okay, so you have read this poem.

Now I'm very curious, what were your first impressions of the poem? What did you like about it? So pause the video here, turn to someone nearby and share with them your impressions.

What did you like? Let's hear it from Izzy.

I liked how the poet described the landscape.

They used lots of vivid imagery, appealing to the senses.

I like the way they used the homophone of conkers and conquers.

Yeah, that was very good, wasn't it? It made it sound like the trees were wanting to start a fight.

I love it.

Thanks for sharing that, Izzy.

It's really great impressions that you shared with us.

I hope you enjoyed sharing your first impressions.

Maybe they were similar to Izzy's or to each other's or maybe they were different.

"Richmond Park" is a free verse poem.

It contains six verses, also known as stanzas.

Each verse has a different number of lines.

The poem offers contrasting views of the setting it describes.

I'd like you to refer to the poem.

How does the first verse compare or contrast the speaker's view of the park and its surroundings? Compare is one of our keywords and it involves identifying similarities between two or more things, ideas, or themes within a text.

And contrast, another one of our keywords, involves identifying differences between two or more things, ideas, or themes within a text or a poem.

So I'd like you to discuss how does the first verse compare and contrast the speaker's view of the park and its surroundings? Pause the video while you do this.

Okay, so what similarities and differences did you notice? Let's hear from Andeep.

The first verse contrasts positive and negative imagery such as the scent of the berries with the stench from the bins.

Great spot there, Andeep.

And we can see a beautiful image of Richmond Park on our screen there.

Actually, we can see quite a contrast there as well, can't we? With all of those trees and then there's a busy skyline beyond.

The poem is written from the speaker's perspective as they run to the park.

The speaker could be the poet as they grew up nearby.

How do you think the speaker or poet feels about the park? Can you find any evidence to support your response in the poem? So pause the video while you share with someone nearby.

How do you think the speaker or the poet feels about the park? And where is your evidence for this in the poem? Let's hear from Jun.

The speaker/poet might have mixed feelings about the park.

They refer to it as full of danger and adventure.

Again, contrast.

Contrast everywhere.

And here is Sam.

I think Joseph Coelho is fascinated by the park.

He describes how wild it is, the blackberries with their thorns and deer with their eyes shining like diamonds.

Really fascinating.

Thank you for sharing those responses.

I hope you enjoyed sharing your answers as well.

Check for understanding.

True or false? Nature is one of the themes present in the poem.

Pause the video while you decide if this is true or false.

Well done if you selected true.

And now I'd like you to justify your answer from one of these two statements.

The poet uses vivid imagery to describe the trees, plants, and animals in Richmond Park.

The poet describes the park using positive and negative imagery.

Pause the video while you decide which of these statements more directly relates to your earlier answer.

Both of these statements are true.

However, it's the first one, the poet uses vivid imagery to describe the trees, plants, and animals in Richmond Park, which justifies your earlier answer.

Well done if you selected this statement.

And now it's time for your task.

Do you have a green space which you enjoy exploring near you? I'd like you to discuss a green space near you with your partner.

Together, come up with two lines of poetry based on a place near you or wherever is the place nearest to you, even if it's not very near.

You might like to create a simile, so comparing something to something else, using the words like or as.

A metaphor, comparing something by saying something is something else.

Personification, a way of describing a non-living thing as if it acts or feels like a human.

Everyone's ideas, experiences, and places they have chosen are unique to them, so each will be described in different ways.

Pause video here while you discuss a green space somewhere near to you with your partner and come up with two lines of poetry based on this green space.

Okay, it's great to be back with you.

What did you come up with? I'm wondering.

And did you enjoy thinking about, sharing about your green space? And did you create a simile, a metaphor, or an example of personification? Here are some examples.

Trees stand like guardians, their branches wide and strong.

So we're using the word like to compare trees to guardians, that's a great simile.

The pond is a mirror, reflecting sky's endless height.

Oh, so we're saying the pond is a mirror.

We've got a metaphor there.

And, flowers dance with joy in the midday sun.

The lovely example of personification.

Oh, I could just imagine those flowers dancing with joy.

I want to be there.

Were these similar or different to your responses, I wonder.

And I hope you enjoyed coming up with your two lines of poetry.

And now let's move on to exploring "The Old Farmer's Song." "The Old Farmer's Song" is poem written by Matt Goodfellow.

It can be found in his collection.

"Let's Chase Stars Together." Matt Goodfellow was born in Withington, Manchester and grew up in Cheadle, Stockport.

And we can see Manchester on the map there.

Matt has won several awards and been shortlisted three times for the prestigious CLiPPA poetry award.

Matt's poetry is known for expressing a wide range of emotions and experiences which readers can connect and empathise with.

Before we read the poem, what does the title "The Old Farmer's Song" make you think of? What words or images come to mind? Pause the video while you reflect on this and share with someone nearby.

Here's Lucas.

The title makes me imagine a farmer looking back on their life.

Perhaps thinking about the changes that have happened in farming since they began working on the land.

And on our screen we can see two images of farmers working on land, perhaps taken in different time periods.

And was your response similar or negative to what we've heard from Lucas? And are these positive or negative images that have come into your mind? Pause the video while you share your responses to these questions to someone nearby.

Thank you for sharing.

The poem "The Old Farmer's Song" contains some language which may be unfamiliar to us.

Calloused is developing thick and toughened areas on the skin, typically due to repeated friction or pressure.

And we can see an image of a calloused hand on the screen.

Shears, a cutting tool typically used for trimming or pruning, especially in relation to sheep farming.

Flanks, the side area of an animal's body between the ribs and the hip.

Heave, a strong and vigorous lifting or pulling movement.

These words will appear in the poem today, so it's worth knowing a little about them.

Check for understanding.

Which of the following statements are true? Matt Goodfellow was born in Liverpool.

Matt Goodfellow's poetry does not contain emotions.

Matt Goodfellow grew up in Cheadle, Stockport.

Pause the video while you decide which of these statements are true.

Well done if you selected the last statement.

Indeed, Matt Goodfellow grew up in Cheadle, Stockport.

And now I would like you to read the poem on pages 63 and 64.

To begin, read the poem silently in your head.

Then read out loud with a partner.

Pause the video here while you read this poem twice.

The first time silently and the second time out loud with a partner.

Enjoy your first reading of "The Old Farmer's Song." Okay, you've read the poem.

So what were your first impressions of the poem? What did you like about it? I'm curious to know.

Pause the video and tell someone nearby your first impressions.

What did you like? Let's hear it from Aisha.

I really liked the rhythm of the poem as I read it out loud.

I notice the rhyme from mud was different depending on the accent of who was reading.

Oh, good spot there, Aisha.

That's really interesting.

Matt Goodfellow's poetry references both places and locations as well as the northern dialect.

Some of Matt's poems reflect this in terms of how they're written and the rhymes that they use.

I love that.

It's so great to hear different dialects.

"The Old Farmer's Song" can be described as a fixed verse poem.

It contains seven verses of two lines each.

The end of each line rhymes with the one that follows.

Similarly to "Richmond Park," "The Old Farmer's Song" describes a rural countryside setting.

Imagery is used to depict scenes from the farmer's life.

Imagery is the way that words are used to create mental pictures and sensory experiences for the reader.

Refer to the poem.

Which example of imagery do you think is most effective and why? So pause the video here while you refer to the poem and share with someone nearby which imagery is most effective for you and why? Okay, I wonder which image you came up with.

Might it be the same one as Andeep? Let's find out.

I think the image conveyed in the final verse is most effective.

It makes it seem as though the farmer has a deep connection to the land.

Yeah, it really is something very special, isn't it? And imagine that, 50 years working on that land.

I could imagine a farmer would feel a really deep connection.

How beautiful.

And speaking of beautiful, look at that image of a farmland at South Yorkshire on the screen.

In "The Old Farmer's Song," perseverance is central to the farmer's life.

And perseverance is when we keep going, we keep going with an action.

The poem highlights his 50 years of toil on the land.

The perseverance is not just physical but emotional.

I'd like you to refer to the poem.

How is the theme of perseverance depicted in the poem? And remember, themes are big idea or topic that recurs within this, a text.

So pause the video here while you refer to the poem and share with someone nearby how is the theme of perseverance depicted in the poem? Let's hear from Alex.

The farmer's hands are calloused, which means they have endured many years of hard work.

They also describe how they did the best that they could when raising cattle.

Thanks for sharing that, Alex.

Really great example of how perseverance is shown in the poem.

I wonder if you found this example or something else.

Check for understanding.

Which of the following themes are present in the poem? Urban life, connection to nature, technology, perseverance, Pause a video while you decide which of these themes are present in the poem.

Well done if you selected connection to nature and perseverance.

When we compare and contrast, we are focusing on similarities and differences.

Similarities are things that are alike or the same in two or more things.

Differences are things that are not the same.

By comparing, we can find out how things are alike, which helps us see patterns and connections.

When we contrast, we notice differences and this helps us see unique details or aspects that make each thing special.

Check for understanding.

Match the following keywords to their definitions.

So we have the keywords compare and contrast.

And here are the definitions.

Involves identifying differences between two or more things, ideas, themes, or texts.

Involves identifying similarities between two or more things, ideas, themes or texts.

Pause the video while match these keywords to their definitions.

Did you match the keywords in this way? Compare involves identifying similarities between two or more things, ideas, themes, or texts.

And contrast involves identifying differences between two or more things, ideas, themes, or texts.

Well done if you match the keywords and definitions in this way.

And now it's time for our task.

In this task, we are going to explore the similarities and differences between the two poems. How do the poets depict the rural settings? Are they described in a similar or different way? I'd like you to compare and contrast the poems by filling in notes in the corresponding boxes.

You may wish to refer to the themes, descriptions of the settings, each poem's structure and use of imagery.

Refer to both poems to support you.

So here is the table I would like you to use as you compare and contrast the poems "Richmond Park" and "The Old Farmer's Song." So in the middle, you place similarities between the two poems and then you'll put the differences in the outer boxes.

Pause the video while you have a go at this task.

Okay, how did you get on? I hope you found some similarities and differences.

Let's have a look at some.

So some differences.

"Richmond Park" is written in free verse.

The poem has a tone of wonder and discovery.

Some similarities.

Both poems describe the harshness and beauty of rural life.

The speaker/poet both have connections to the place they're describing.

And differences.

"The Old Farmer's Song" has a consistent rhyme scheme.

It has a tone of reflection, the farmer looks back on their life.

Well done for completing this table and exploring similarities and differences between these two fantastic poems. In our lesson today, comparing two poems on similar themes, "Richmond Park" and "The Old Farmer's Song," we have covered the following.

"Richmond Park" is a free verse poem.

The poem offers contrasting views of the setting it describes.

The poem is based on a place which is near to where the poet grew up.

"The Old Farmer's Song" can be described as a fixed verse poem, it has a consistent rhyme scheme.

Imagery is used to depict scenes from the farmer's life.

Both poems describe the harshness and beauty of rural life.

We can compare and contrast poems with similar themes or messages, noticing the impact that they have on us as readers.

Well done everyone for joining in with this lesson, comparing these two poems. I really enjoyed exploring each of them and I really enjoyed your engagement, so thank you for that.

Let's carry on exploring more poetry soon.

Bye for now.