Analysing how poets present unconventional relationships.

Hello and welcome to today's lesson.

My name is Mr. Young and I'm so glad that you could join me on another lesson in this "Love and Relationships" poetry sequence.

So today's lesson is all about analysing unconventional relationships in the anthology.

So let's get started.

So today's lesson has a very clear learning outcome.

So by the end of today's lesson, we should all be able to write about similarities and differences between "The Farmer's Bride and "Porphyria's Lover." And today's lesson has some very important words, our keywords.

So as always, I do encourage you just to pause the video and jot these words down and their definitions, particularly if they're new to you because we're gonna be using them quite a bit.

So let's take a look at what they are.

Correlative conjunctions: words used to link similar or contrasting ideas in analysis, such as both and and or neither or nor.

And you are going to get a really good opportunity to use these in today's lesson.

Dramatic monologue: a form of poetry written as an extended speech from an individual character.

And both of our poems today are dramatic monologues.

Symbolism: the use of symbols to represent ideas, emotions, or themes beyond their literal meaning.

And finally, nuanced: subtle distinctions or variations within a broader concept or idea.

So super excited about today's lesson.

We have three very clear learning cycles, which are really gonna push our analysis on in terms of analysing these fantastic poems in the anthology.

Our first learning cycle is going to be all about writing effective introductions, all those little kind of tips and tricks we can do to make our introductions as successful as possible.

Then we're gonna move into learning cycle two, which is all about expressing our ideas.

So I'm gonna give you the tools to really express your ideas in the most effective way possible.

And then in learning cycle three, I'm gonna hand it over to you and you are gonna produce a really fantastic piece of writing for me.

So without further ado, let's get started with the learning cycle one.

So today we are going to be writing an answer to this question.

So this question is gonna guide everything that we do today.

And that question is compare the ways that unconventional relationships are presented in "Porphyria's Lover" and one other poem.

And we're going to begin by exploring how to write an effective introduction.

So my question for you then, my first question for you is why is having an effective introduction important? So hit that pause button, have a quick discussion, or jot down some ideas if you're working independently.

And then do push play when you'd like to proceed.

Okay, my goodness, what a fantastic start to this lesson.

I'm hearing some wonderful ideas across the class today, and you're absolutely right because it kind of sets up our entire argument, doesn't it? Having a really effective introduction really kind of sets the way for the rest of our writing.

So Izzy has got a similar comment here, which is that our introduction introduces our argument to the reader, so it needs to be clear.

And I heard lots of you say very, very similar things.

Really well done.

So another discussion question for me then please.

So let's start thinking about specific introductions.

So Lucas has an introduction here and he says, "The poem "Porphyria's Lover" presents an abusive and dysfunctional relationship.

So does the poem, "The Farmer's Bride." Look at Lucas's opening here, responding to the question, what would you say could be improved about it? And we could definitely improve this, couldn't we? So hit that pause button, have a quick discussion, and then push play when you'd like to proceed.

Again, some really fantastic conversations taking place.

And I agree there are a couple of different things we could say about this introduction, isn't there? Things that really stood out to me are as follows.

We could say that Lucas could use comparative or correlative conjunctions to make the opening sentence stronger and link his ideas, really link them together.

And also, this idea that Lucas has identified quite a generic similarity, hasn't he? He could identify a smaller variation in a wider similarity to make his point much stronger.

So that would be what we'd call nuanced comparison.

Okay, so let's have a look at those first kind of tips and tricks that we can use to really enhance our introductions.

So firstly, using correlative conjunctions alongside comparatives allows your topic sentences to become more nuanced and to link ideas.

So what have we got then? We've got this idea here, which is that both poems explore the implications on women of obsessive and domineering control.

So a really, really nice high-level point, and we can use correlative conjunctions to make that really effectively.

So we can add the following words, we can add both and and, and then taken together, we've got a really nice opening sentence that can form part of our introduction and it can read, "Both Browning and Mew explore the implications on women of obsessive and domineering control." So in this context, both and and are our correlative conjunctions.

Again, we've got other ones at our disposal.

We can use neither or nor as well.

So our key idea here is that the poets do not shy away from describing dysfunctional relationships defined by abusive and controlling male behaviour.

And taken together, we've got a really nice sentence, which is neither Browning nor Mew shy away from describing dysfunctional relationships defined by abusive and controlling male behaviour.

And we're using those correlative conjunctions really effectively there to enhance our point.

So in order to express the similarities or differences between ideas, you can use comparison and contrasting conjunctions.

So comparison conjunctions are used to show similarities and contrasting conjunctions are used to show differences.

Let's take a look at an example.

So before we do that, are there any conjunctions that you yourselves are aware of? So which comparison and contrasting conjunctions could you potentially think of? So what could we populate that table with? Hit that pause button, jot down some ideas, or have a quick discussion in your class.

And then do push play when you'd like to see what you could have said.

Again, really fantastic conversations, really well done for recapping your knowledge of these things and really well done to kind of speak about.

I'm hearing lots of people speaking about the idea of actually incorporating these into our essay.

So some of the things we could have said are as follows.

So comparison conjunctions include things like similarly, likewise, equally, or also.

These would all form part of any analysis where we're kind of developing a similar point.

And then for contrasting conjunctions, we have words like whereas, in contrast, alternatively and however, and these are all really, really effective in kind of showing that nuanced comparison and comparing different ideas.

Well done if you picked up on anything similar in your own work.

So when we are analysing poetry, it's also good practise to explore smaller variations or connections within a wider similarity in the poet's ideas, messages, or use of methods.

And we spoke about this earlier in the lesson.

So let's look at an example.

So Andeep has said the following, he said, "Both "Porphyria's Lover" and "The Farmer's Bride explore toxic forms of male control." Absolutely correct.

Nothing wrong with what Andeep has said there, a really, really intelligent comment.

However, Andeep has identified this similarity between the poems, but how could he add more nuance to the connection between the poems? So how could he identify potentially a smaller difference within that similarity to make his point even stronger? It's a really challenging question this one, but you can absolutely do it.

So pause the video, complete the task, and then do push play when you'd like to continue.

Okay, once again, some really superb work taking place today, and I'm really enjoying the idea that, you know, you've taken a really strong comment and you are making it even stronger, which is fantastic to see.

So we could reflect on how male control is exerted differently across the two poems. So we can take that original opening and we can bring out that nuanced difference.

So it now reads, "Both "Porphyria's Lover" and "The Farmer's Bride" explore toxic forms of male control.

However, "Porphyria's Lover" explores this through the actions of a deranged individual, whereas "The Farmer's Bride" does so through a community's response to the bride's escape." So really picking up that different way that male control is exerted will be a really fantastic way of doing this.

Okay, check for understanding time for me then, please.

Which statement does not include correlative conjunctions or comparatives? Is it A, Browning shows the deranged act of an individual? Mew highlights a whole community's response.

Is it B, both Browning and Mew reflect on the implications on women of abusive and controlling relationships? Or is it C, neither Browning nor Mew consider the relationships they described to be aspirational or contented? So remember what kind of words we were using for those conjunctions and see if you can spot them in these answers.

So hit that pause button, complete the task, and then do push play when you'd like to see the correct answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who identified A.

We would say that A does not include correlative conjunctions or comparatives.

Both of the other answers do and well done for spotting them.

So we've got both and and in B and we've got neither and nor in C.

These are correlative conjunctions that really enhance our point.

So it's only A that does not have them.

Great job for spotting that.

Okay, we've reached our first practise task of today's lesson.

So let's take a look at what it is.

So we have Sofia's introduction to the question compare the ways that unconventional relationships are presented in "Porphyria's Lover" and one other poem.

And Sofia has said, "Both Browning and Mew explore the impact of dysfunctional relationships in their poems." A really nice opening there, nothing wrong with that.

However, I would like you to use the skills that we have developed in our lesson two, make that even stronger to extend Sofia's introduction to show a nuanced difference between the poems. So we're saying that they are both dysfunctional, but what nuanced difference could we pick between them? So hit that pause button, complete the task, and then do push play when you'd like to see some feedback.

Okay, fantastic work on that task.

Picking out nuanced differences is firstly, really challenging, but it's also a really, really important skill in English that can really, really elevate our writing, particularly comparison pieces of this kind.

So let's read Alex's extension of Sofia's introduction and see how well it aligns with your extension.

So Alex has said, "Both Browning and Mew explore the impact of dysfunctional relationships in their poems, yet while Browning's "Porphyria's Lover" delves into the depths of possessive and destructive love, Mew's "The Farmer's Bride portrays a more subdued but equally tragic alienation and emotional distance within a marriage." So a really fantastic example here from Alex that is showing how the dysfunction itself is different within those two poems. Okay, we have reached learning cycle two where we are now going to really develop that introduction into a full essay by expressing some really first rate and fantastic ideas.

So let's get started.

So now we're going to consider how you might express your ideas within the body of your response.

That means the main essay itself.

So imagine you're looking at Browning's "Porphyria's Lover" and Mew's "The Farmer's Bride," and you notice that they both use dramatic monologue.

That's absolutely correct, isn't it? They both use dramatic monologue, they are both written as extended speeches from an individual character.

So you think it enhances the nature of each narrator's mistreatment of their partners.

So discussion question for me then, please.

How would you express that idea in your writing? How could you express the idea that the dramatic monologue really enhances the presentation of the mistreatment of the female characters? So hit that pause button, complete the task, and then do push play when you'd like to continue.

Okay, again, fantastic work on that task.

I'm hearing some really, really interesting interpretations of that task and some really, really high-level examples.

Let's take a look at two Oak pupil examples.

So we've got the first one on the left, which says, "Arguably, both Browning and Mew use the form of a dramatic monologue to amplify the male speaker's control and dominance over their partner." And we've got student B, "Dramatic monologue is used in both poems and it is used to highlight male dominance." So my question for you is, which sentence do you think is the most effective? Which is the most effective of these two? Hit that pause button, complete the task, push play when you'd like to proceed.

Okay, yes, you are absolutely correct.

It is the example on the left, isn't it? The student example on the left is far more effective than the one on the right, but let's explore why.

So let's break down Lucas's sentence.

Let's remind ourselves what his sentence was.

It is, "Arguably, both Browning and Mew use the form of a dramatic monologue to amplify the male speaker's control and dominance over their partner." So let's see what Lucas does that makes this so effective.

Well, firstly, he uses tentative language.

Lucas isn't saying he knows 100%, he is saying tentatively, which kind of shows a really high-level interpretation of his analysis.

Again, he uses that correlative conjunction that we looked at before, both and and, which again, is a really nice way for him to word this introduction.

He uses the active voice, so he uses the active verb of use to make his writing seem more direct.

And finally, he explains the effect of that choice.

So he clearly explains why a dramatic monologue is effective in the terms of the question.

So a really nice example here from Lucas and really nice examples of all the things that he's doing incredibly well.

However, let's compare that with Sofia's sentence.

So Sofia has said, "Dramatic monologue is used in both poems and it is used to highlight male dominance." So again, the passive voice is used.

So this makes her writing seem less urgent, less direct.

Again, she does not mention the poet's names.

It just says in both poems, that sounds a bit kind of vague.

We don't necessarily know what poem Sofia is referring to.

Again, she uses repetition, which makes her writing seem a bit tired.

She uses the "is used, is used" several times, which just makes it seem very boring and repetitive, particularly in a short sentence like this.

And finally, she does not explain why.

She's just technique spotting here.

She's just saying there is dramatic monologue, but it doesn't really elaborate in the essay why this is particularly effective.

So a complete contrast to Lucas's piece.

So Lucas's sentence used the following, the active voice, correlative conjunctions, references to poets' names, explanation, and tentative language.

And why do you think those are part of an effective sentence? So why do you think these things really elevate our writing? So hit that pause button, have a quick discussion or jot down some ideas.

Push play when you'd like to see a little bit of feedback.

Okay, some superb conversations taking place.

They're really discussing the effectiveness of these things.

So we could say the following, we could say, well, the active voice helps create clarity in the sentence.

Correlative conjunctions, they link the poems together, we're not just talking about them in isolation if we're using correlative conjunctions.

Reference the poets' names, it alludes to the poet's construction and intention.

We are acknowledging that these poems are created by a writer.

They're not just real people, for example.

Explanation.

Well, that makes our argument clear to the reader.

We communicate exactly what it is we are trying to say.

And finally, tentative language.

We are exploring possible interpretations, which again is a real feature of high-level writing.

Okay, check for understanding for me then, please.

Which of the following statements are true? Is it A? Using tentative language in your writing makes your argument seem less convincing? Is it B? Using tentative language acknowledges that we are exploring the possible intentions of the writer.

Or is it C? We should use repetitive language in our analytical writing to make it seem more memorable.

Which one is it? Hit that pause button, complete the task and then do push play when you'd like to see the right answer.

Okay, very well done to everybody who identified B, using tentative language acknowledges that we are exploring the possible intentions of the writer.

Using tentative language doesn't mean we don't know or unsure, it just invites the reader to acknowledge that we are about to potentially explore multiple interpretations of a poem, which is a really high-level skill in writing.

Okay, we have reached our practise task from learning cycle two.

So we are going to continue that fantastic response that we started in learning cycle one.

So here is a snippet from Sofia's answer for the question.

A snippet is a small piece.

And remember, we are answering the question, compare the ways that unconventional relationships are presented in "Porphyria's Lover" and one other poem.

So Sofia has said, "Dramatic monologue is used in the poems to show male power.

Natural imagery is also used regularly to highlight the vulnerability of the partners.

Similes are also used in both poems to show the powerlessness of the women." So your task is as follows.

I would like you to rewrite Sofia's paragraph to include all of those tips and tricks that we have spoken about in learning cycle two.

And those things are tentative language, correlative and comparative conjunctions, including the active voice, using the poets' names and avoiding repetition.

I'm super excited to see you put all of this together and really elevate Sofia's paragraph.

So hit that pause button, complete the task, and then do push play when you'd like to see how you could have approached this.

Okay, fantastic work on that.

So let's take a look at how we could have approached this task.

So we've got an example here from Alex.

Let's read what Alex has put.

Alex says, "In both poems, Browning and Mew use dramatic monologue to suggest male power.

For instance, in "Porphyria's Lover," Browning's use of the dramatic monologue allows the male speaker to control the narrative entirely, evident when he declares, "That moment she was mine, mine, fair." This line implies a possessive and dominating attitude towards Porphyria.

And similarly, in "The Farmer's Bride," Mew's use of dramatic monologue gives the farmer authority over the story, as seen in his reflection, "I chose a maid." This underscores his dominance and control over his wife." So this is a really, really good example here from Alex, but he has definitely forgotten to use one of those things.

What is it? Hit that pause button, have a quick discussion, and then do push play when you'd like to see what it is.

Yes, you're absolutely correct.

He has forgotten to use tentative language.

There is not any tentative language in Alex's piece.

So we might rewrite it in the following ways by adding these examples of tentative language, which show that Alex is exploring multiple interpretations.

So words like might, could, seems, possibly, appears.

All of these add to the tentative language of Alex's piece and really elevate it just that little bit more.

Okay, my goodness, we have reached the third and final learning cycle already.

We have worked incredibly hard so far in today's lesson, so let's keep that into our final learning cycle as we really complete this brilliant comparative response that we have started.

So when writing a comparative response, remember to do the following things, and those are create an introduction that introduces the reader to your argument by showing the similarities, but also the nuanced differences within those similarities and express your ideas in a way that is coherent and convincing to the reader.

Two really, really important skills in these comparisons.

So which Oak pupil's introduction is more effective? We've got an introduction from Sam and one from Izzy.

Sam says, "Both Browning and Mew consider the powerlessness and vulnerability of women in controlling and abusive relationships." Whereas Izzy says, "Mew considers the impact of controlling and coercive behaviour on women.

Browning does something different." Hit that pause button and tell me which is more effective.

Okay, of course, it is the one from Sam, isn't it? Sam's introduction is really good because it talks about the explanation and the effect of that, whereas Izzy's does not.

She just says something quite vague, which is Browning does something different.

We don't know what that different thing is.

Okay, we have reached our final practise task where we're gonna bring all of this together and produce a really first rate, a really excellent piece of writing.

So you will now need a copy of your "Love and Relationships" anthology to complete the question.

And remember, that question is compare the ways that unconventional relationships are presented in "Porphyria's Lover" and one other poem.

You may want to use "The Farmer's Bride" for this comparison, or you can use any poem that you wish to do so.

So you might consider the use of dramatic monologue, the use of symbolism, the use of natural imagery, the use of simile, and the use of tone.

So I'm super excited to see you bring this all together.

So hit that pause button, complete the task, and then do push play when you'd like to move on to some feedback.

Okay, fantastic work on that.

It is lovely as a teacher to see you work and work and work throughout this lesson and now have something really tangible and really excellent in front of you, a work that I'm sure you can be proud of.

So read through your answer and see if you have considered the following ideas.

Did you consider the use of dramatic monologue in each poem and the different effects that it has? Did you consider the symbolism of the yellow hair in "Porphyria's Lover" and how it links to the narrators obsession? Did you consider the use of natural imagery in both poems and how it shows the narrator's emotional turmoil in "Porphyria's "Lover" but the bride's vulnerability in "The Farmer's Bride?" And that's if applicable, you may have chosen a different poem.

Did you consider the use of similes and how they are used in both poems to highlight female vulnerability, if applicable? And finally, did you compare the use of tone across both poems? So if you did all of those things, then I'm sure that is a fantastic piece of work.

But if you have forgotten to do one, please don't worry at all because that can be a really nice target for next time.

Okay, we have reached the end of today's lesson and it has been an absolute pleasure to teach you today, as always.

So before we finish for today, let's just take a look at all of those things that we've learned in today's lesson.

So firstly, using correlative conjunctions allows for nuanced topic sentences that link ideas.

Effective introductions explore a smaller variation in a wider similarity.

Tentative language should be used to explore multiple interpretations.

And finally, using the active voice helps create clarity in our sentences.

As always, it's been an absolute pleasure to teach you today, and I really look forward to teaching you in another lesson in this sequence.

So thank you very much and goodbye.