Hello, everyone, it's lovely to see you here today.

My name's Dr.

Clayton, and I'm here to guide you through a learning journey today.

So our lesson today is about analysing George Eliot's "In a London Drawingroom." Now, poetry analysis is one of my favourite things to do, but I know sometimes, it can feel a little bit like you're feature spotting, you're method spotting.

So today, we're gonna specifically think about how you can tie your analysis to a specific idea about the poem.

So if you're ready, grab your pen, laptop, whatever you're using for this lesson, and let's get started.

So by the end of the lesson, you'll be able to explain how Eliot uses language and structure to express her viewpoint.

So we have five words today we're going to focus on as our keywords.

They're identified in bold throughout the learning material, and I'll try to point 'em out to you too so you can see them being used in context.

So our first key word is pessimistic, and that means an attitude of hopelessness towards life and towards existence.

This is gonna be one of our key concepts today.

And we're going to consider how Eliot's language and structure convey this pessimistic attitude.

Our second key word is punitive, which means something intended to punish someone in a severely high or unfair way.

Our third key word is oppression, and that means prolonged cruel or unjust treatment.

This is another one of our key concepts today, and as with pessimistic, we're going to see how Eliot's use of language and structure represents oppression.

Our fourth key word is monotony, which means a lack of variety and interest, tedious repetition and routine.

We're going to consider why something monotonous might be associated with pessimism.

Finally, our fifth keyword is dreary, which means depressingly dull, or bleak, or repetitive.

So I'll just give you a moment to write down those keywords and their definitions.

So pause the video and write them down now.

Fantastic.

Let's get started with the lesson.

So we have two learning cycles in our lesson today.

For our first learning cycle, we're going to examine how Eliot uses imagery and the regularity of the structure to create a pessimistic tone in the poem.

For our second learning cycle then, we're going to consider how Eliot uses imagery of a prison as well as the shape of the poem to create an oppressive tone.

So this learning cycle is all about connecting ideas of language and structure to the concept of pessimism.

So, what I'd like you to do first is read through the poem again and think about which words stand out to you as pessimistic.

So which words suggest a negative and hopeless attitude towards life and existence.

Now, if you're working with someone else, you might discuss your ideas with them.

If you're working by yourself, you might just read through the poem and think about your ideas.

So pause the video and find which words stand out to you as pessimistic.

Fantastic work, everyone.

It was great to see people trying to see beyond the literal meaning of the words to think about which words create hopeless image of the city.

Now, like Izzy, you might have thought that words shadow and cloudy are pessimistic.

This suggest little or no natural light in the city.

And we often associate light with a symbol of hope because it gives the ability to see, to feel more secure and stable.

Therefore, with this absence of light, Eliot may be implying there's little hope left in the city.

Now, always keep in mind there's no right answer in literature.

So you might pick different words to Izzy because we all get different connotations from words.

Because connotations are based on our own individual memories and experiences.

Now we're going to spend a little bit of time thinking about one image in particular, in association with this lack of light.

We're going to consider the idea that all is shadow in the poem.

So, in order to understand the meaning here, let's first think about what is a shadow? What does it literally mean? And you might look at the image to help you with this.

Then, you might think about how we can take that literal meaning and apply it in a metaphorical sense to reflect a pessimistic view of humanity and society in general.

So, pause the video, take a few moments to consider.

Some great ideas there about the different connotations that come from the word shadow.

Now, a shadow is a distorted reflection.

We might look at a shadow and see an outline of something, but there are no features to a shadow.

To call someone a shadow of their former selves, mean they are somehow less than they are.

So perhaps Eliot suggesting the societal shift industry has caused humanity to become a shadow of itself.

So humanity is losing its distinct, unique features and becoming less than it was.

Now let's think about the concept of monotony.

This might have been one of the words you found in the poem that creates a pessimistic tone.

Now, monotony is one of our key words.

It means a lack of a variety and interest, tedious repetition and routine.

Perhaps we might represent monotony like this.

The idea of the same white chair being repeated over and over again.

Now, what I'd like to think about is how can we connect ideas of monotony with pessimism? So how can we connect ideas of something being repeated over and over again with a sense of hopelessness? So pause the video, take a few moments to consider.

Some great ideas there around having the same ideas over and over again would become very tedious, and that would dim people's energy and enthusiasm.

Now, like Laura, perhaps you might have connected it to ideas of a lack of progress and change.

And so that monotony suggests that everything will stay the same and nothing will ever improve.

Or like Izzy, you might have thought that perhaps it means society can't move forward artistically or intellectually, because everything stays the same and there's nothing to spark inspiration.

Now, for quick check for understanding.

What I'd like you to do is match the quotation with the interpretation.

So quotations are, "The sky is cloudy," "Monotony of surface," "All is shadow." And the interpretations are, "Everything is the same and nothing ever changes or improves." "The city has little natural light, which symbolises the lack of hope." "And the people are merely reflections of their former selves." So pause the video and match the quotations with the interpretation now.

So we might interpret "The sky is cloudy" as meaning "The city has little natural light, which symbolise the lack of hope." We might interpret "Monotony of surface" to mean, "Everything's the same and nothing ever changes or improves." And finally, we might interpret "All is shadow" as meaning, "That people are merely reflections of their former selves." So very well done if you got those right.

Now we're going to think about the structure of a poem.

Now this is one of my favourite things to analyse.

Because to me, the structure represents the life force or the beat running through the poem.

And the way it's presented can have such a dramatic impact on the tone and emotions of the poem.

Now this poem is written in iambic pentameter, and there's a regular rhythm throughout which might represent like this.

You might notice that all the lines the same length, and the peaks happen at the same place throughout the lines.

Because in iambic pentameter, you have the same amount of syllables in each line and it follows the same unstressed and then stressed syllable beat.

So, I'd now like to think about this regularity of the rhythm, and how the image seems to you.

And think about how we could connect this rhythm to ideas of pessimism.

So pause the video, take a few moments to consider.

Some great thoughts there.

And it was great to see people reading a line or two of the poem again to see how it feels to say the poem out loud.

They might have thought that the unchanging rhythm could connect to ideas of monotony.

The concept that nothing ever changes or improves, that people's lives are unrelentingly dreary and dull, and therefore it creates a pessimistic tone.

Now for a quick check for understanding.

So what I'd like you to do, is tell me whether the following statement is true or false.

So is it true or false, that Eliot arguably creates an irregular rhythm to reflect the chaos of urban living? So pause the video and make a selection now.

Correct answer is false.

Now I'd like you to justify that answer.

So instead, is it A, that Eliot arguably creates an irregular rhythm to reflect the misery of those living in the city? Or is it B, that Eliot arguably creates a regular rhythm to reflect the monotony of those living in the city? So pause the video and make a selection now.

The correct answer is B, Eliot arguably creates a regular rhythm to reflect the monotony of those living in the city.

So very well done if you got that right.

Now as well as a regular rhythm, Eliot also uses enjambment throughout the poem, which is the continuation of a sentence beyond the end of the line.

We might represent it like this.

Now, how can we connect the enjambment to our interpretation of the rhythm of the poem? So look at the way the arrows are moving.

How might that connect the feeling of hopelessness that we've talked about? So pause the video, take a few moments to consider.

Some lovely ideas there, everyone.

You might have thought that the continuation of the enjambment throughout the poem could further indicate this unrelenting pace of life in London.

Now the people's lives just continue on and on in the same pattern of dreariness, that fits in with this idea of monotony we've talked about, and creates this pessimistic tone running through the poem.

Now for a quick check of understanding around the enjambment in the poem.

So, which Oak pupil interpretation of the enjambment is most relevant "In a London Drawingroom"? Is it Laura's interpretation? That "The enjambment could represent progress and therefore represent optimistic view that people's lives will improve in the future." Or is Izzy's the most appropriate? That "Enjambment could represent the unrelenting pace of the lives of people living in London, and show how their lives just continue in the same pattern of misery." So pause the video and make a selection now.

Now, while we could interpret enjambment as suggesting progress, Izzy's answer that "The enjambment could represent the unrelenting pace of the lives of people living in London, and show how their lives just continue in the same pattern of misery," is most appropriate for the poem.

So very well done if you got that right.

Great work so far, everyone.

We're now at the first task of the lesson.

So I'd like us to take what we've said about the pessimistic tone of the poem, and consider why Eliot's creating that tone.

What is she saying about society through the pessimism? Now, we might interpret Eliot's poem as a critique of the Industrial Revolution.

It says, Eliot generally writes about the importance of rural living, and the Industrial Revolution took people away from the countryside into the cities.

So, if we assume that Eliot's critiquing the Industrial Revolution, what do you think she's specifically saying about the impact the Industrial Revolution has had on society? And I'd like you to write a short answer.

You might consider, the impact it's had on nature, the shift from handcrafted items to mass production, and the shift from rural to urban living.

So pause the video and write a short answer about what you think Eliot is saying about the impact of the Industrial Revolution on society.

Fantastic work, everyone.

It was great to see people looking back at their notes to see how we can connect these ideas together.

Now, I'd like you to consider Sofia's ideas.

How might an analysis of the structure extend her answer? So Sofia wrote, "By creating the image of a yellowed sky that's being cut by the houses, Eliot is arguably critiquing the damaging effect the Industrial Revolution has had on the environment.

Moreover, by suggesting that all is shadow, Eliot may be implying that people have been just as damaged and are now merely reflections of themselves." So, pause the video, and think about how an analysis of the structure would extend Sofia's argument.

Now, Sofia's extended her answer and she's added that "Eliot may have been reflecting the relentless dreary nature of urban life through the rhythm and enjambment in the poem.

Furthermore, we might attribute this monotony of structure to the shift away from individual handcrafted products to mass production that lacks individuality." So now she's considered the implications of the rhythm and the enjambment.

Now, I'd like you to check your own answer to ensure you've considered the structure of the poem.

So pause the video and check your answer now.

Great work, everyone.

I think the structure is often something that students leave out of their answers.

But hopefully you can see how an analysis of the structure can really enhance your ideas and your argument.

Lovely work, everyone.

We're now the second learning cycle.

We're going to consider how Eliot creates an oppressive tone.

Now, as well as the pessimistic tone we've talked about, "In a London Drawingroom" shifts the tone in the latter part of the poem to show the oppressive nature of London.

Now, oppressive is one of our key words.

It means harsh or unjust treatment.

So Eliot has shifted the tone away from the hopelessness of the first part of the poem to consider harsh or unjust treatment in the final part of the poem.

So, I'd like you to start by considering the words, closed, punished, and prison-house.

Now, while those words all have negative connotations, how do they specifically create an oppressive tone? Now as ever, if you're working with someone else, you might talk about these ideas together.

If you're working by yourself, you might just think about your ideas.

So pause the video, take a few moments to consider, how do these words create an oppressive tone? Some great ideas there.

And you might have said that "The notion of being punished and the image of a prison-house creates a punitive tone, which coupled with the idea of everything being closed, implies there's a barrier that leaves people trapped in this punitive system." Now, punitive is one of our key words, and it relates to idea of being punished.

So the combination of these words, suggest that people are trapped within a system that's punishing them.

Now we're going to read the final three lines of the poem and think about how they show Eliot leaving us with a final image of oppression.

So the final three lines are, "The world seems one huge prison-house and court, where men are punished at the slightest cost with lowest rate of colour, warmth, and joy." So, what I'd like you to think about is how do these lines link the concept of oppression? So how do these lines create the idea of an unjust and harsh system? Pause the video, take a few moments to consider.

Fantastic work, everyone.

It was great to see people zooming in on the word court, and thinking about how that suggests an idea of judgement.

But because the image of the prison-house comes before the court, perhaps it could imply there's no justice, because people are punished before a fair trial.

You also might have thought about how they suggest everyone is being punished and confined, since the whole world is a prison-house, and there's no escape.

By suggesting this is punishment due to the slightest cost, Eliot implies that the city is an unjust place.

Furthermore, the final three words remind the reader of the bleakness and emptiness of the city.

Now for a quick check for understanding.

So what I'd like you to do, is tell me which of the following words creates a punitive tone.

So which creates the idea of being punished, is it A, prison-house, B, shadow, or C closed? So pause the video and make a selection now.

The correct answer is A, prison-house.

So very well done if you got that right.

Now let's return to looking at the structure of the poem.

Now there are so many ways you can analyse the structure of a poem, and one of them is to look at the shape.

Now I know some of you may be thinking it might purely be an accident that a poem looks a certain way.

But when you're writing poetry, you really have to think about the rhythm and where the line breaks are.

So you're consciously creating a shape to the poem through this.

Now we might represent the shape of Eliot's "In a London Drawingroom" as this.

There's one stanza, and all the lines have the same amount of syllables, so they're all roughly the same length.

Now, what I'd like to think about, is look at the shape and think about how you might see it as representing oppression.

So pause the video, take a few moments to consider.

Some great ideas there.

You might have thought that the one stanza nature of the poem could imply there are no breaks or mental relief for the people living in the city.

Furthermore, the shape of the poem creates a sense of heaviness and weight that could represent the prolonged pain that the people are being subjected to, and therefore adds to the suppressive tone.

Now for a quick check for understanding.

So what I'd like you to do is tell me which interpretation of the single stanza structure by Oak pupils do you think is more relevant to the poem.

So Sam said, "I think the single stanza structure creates an oppressive atmosphere because there's no relief or breaks for the people." And Sofia said, "I think the single standard structure creates a sense of unity and completeness, as if the people have become united in their purpose." So pause the video, and select which one do you think is the most appropriate for the poem.

Now, while both interpretations are valid interpretations of the single stanza structure of the poem, Sam's interpretation that the single stanza structure creates an oppressive atmosphere because there are no relief or breaks for the people, is more appropriate for the tone and imagery of the poem as a whole.

So very well done if you got that right.

So now I'd like you to take everything we've talked about in this learning cycle, and create a single paragraph outline to answer the question, "How does Eliot represent the oppressive nature of the city?" And you might consider, the language that Eliot used.

So think about the references to a prison and being punished.

The structure of choice that Eliot made.

So think about the one stanza structure and the regularity of the poem.

The imagery that she used.

So you might think about the imagery of things being closed and the barriers between people.

And the final three words of the poem, and they show Eliot suggesting there's no colour, warmth, and joy left in the city.

Now, remember that for a single paragraph outline, you want to include a topic sentence that explains the focus of the paragraph, supporting detail that shows your analysis of language and structure, and a concluding sentence that summarises your ideas and links them to the writer's intention.

So pause the video and create your single paragraph outline now.

Fantastic work, everyone.

Now let's read this example of an Oak student single paragraph outline, and consider which part of the single paragraph outline doesn't fit with the rest.

So the topic sentence, they said that Eliot represents the oppressive nature of the city through the depiction of the mental and physical pain that the people endure while being confined in the city.

For their supporting detail, they use the quotation "prison-house" to suggest that the city is a punitive system that everyone is confined within.

They then use the quotation "slightest cost" to suggest a specifically unjust punitive system.

And they said the single stanza structure could represent the confined nature of the city as well as the heaviness that the people have to endure.

Then for their concluding sentence, they wrote that by representing the city is a space where nature struggles to exist, Eliot is arguably critiquing the shift from rural to urban living that the Industrial Revolution caused.

So, pause the video, take a few moments to consider which part of the single paragraph outline doesn't fit with the rest.

Amazing work, everyone.

Now, you'll notice that the topic sentence and the supporting details refer to the oppressive nature of the city.

But the concluding sentence refers to the damage that industrialization's done to nature, so it doesn't match.

Now, I'd like you to pause the video and think about how we might change the concluding sentence to match the rest.

So pause the video, take a few moments to consider.

Fantastic work.

We might have said, that we could change the concluding sentence to "By representing the city as an oppressive and punitive space, Eliot is arguably critiquing the impact the Industrial Revolution has had on people's working conditions and lives in general." So now the concluding sentence references ideas of oppression and links it to Eliot's intentions, so it creates a cohesive plan overall.

Now, I'd like you to check your own work to ensure it creates a cohesive argument.

So pause the video and check back through your plan now.

Lovely work, everyone.

Always remember that you're creating an argument about the text.

You're trying to convince people that your ideas about the text are valid interpretations.

So you want to make sure that you present a cohesive argument to make your ideas as convincing as possible.

Amazing work today, everyone.

Here's a summary of what we covered.

So Eliot arguably creates a pessimistic tone through bleak and dreary imagery.

We might interpret the rhythm and the enjambment in the poem as enhancing this unrelenting sense of hopelessness.

Eliot arguably creates an oppressive atmosphere through the punitive imagery, and the single stanza structure could be interpreted as showing how confined the people are.

And finally, arguably, Eliot is attributing this pessimism and oppression to the Industrial Revolution.

I really hope you enjoyed the lesson, everyone, and hope that by connecting our analysis of the poem to ideas within the poem, that was a useful way for you to see how the language and structure that poet uses contributes to our understanding and interpretation of the poem.

I hope to see you for another lesson soon.

Goodbye.