Hello, my name is Ms. Keller and I'm so glad that you could join me for today's lesson.

In this session, we are going to be working with some of the poems from the Edexcel Belonging Anthology, and we're going to be comparing how the poets present ideas of identity and longing.

So grab your copy of the anthology and let's get started.

So by the end of today's lesson, we will be able to explain the similarities and differences between each of the poets' viewpoints.

So here are today's keywords.

We have tenuous, intercultural identity, thematically, yearning, and attitudes.

And I just want to draw your attention to that first word there, tenuous.

So it means weak or slight, not strong or substantial.

And this is a word that's really important to bear in mind when you are doing analysis writing because when we're comparing two texts, we want to avoid tenuous connections.

We want to avoid these weak or not substantial connections.

And usually tenuous connections arise out of ways that we've compared poems that we've chosen to compare that perhaps we don't have a lot to say.

We maybe have one main idea, but we aren't able to provide a range of points.

We aren't able to use a range of different examples from each of those texts to support our ideas.

So when we're thinking about which two poems we'd like to compare or how we're gonna structure that comparison, it's really important for us always to be thinking about providing a range of examples in order to avoid that tenuous analysis, the tenuous comparisons.

So before we move on, do pause the video here for a few moments and make sure that you're really familiar with the meanings of each of these words, because we are going to be encountering them quite a lot in today's lesson.

So how is the lesson going to look? Well, in order to compare attitudes to identity and longing, we're going to choose one poem as our central poem today.

And we're gonna select the poem "Us" by Zaffar Kunial.

And in the first half of the lesson, we're going to be thinking about which of the poems we might be able to select that we could compare to "Us".

And then in the second half of the lesson, we're going to be comparing the poet's attitudes to key ideas, so we're gonna be working with multiple poems in that second half of the lesson.

So I would like to start off by recalling the key ideas in the poem "Us" so we get a secure understanding of the central poem.

Then we're gonna be able to select others to compare to it.

So take a look at these ideas below them and I'd like you to think about how exactly does "Us" present each of these ideas.

So grab your copy of the poem and make sure you have a good read through because you need to be familiar with the poem if you aren't already.

And then perhaps make a few notes or if you're working with the other people around you perhaps discuss this with your neighbours.

How are these ideas presented in the poem? So pause the video here where you take some time to do that, and then click play when you're ready for us to be back together.

Okay, welcome back.

Some really, really interesting interpretations of the poem that I overheard there.

So as we go through, well done if you also picked up on any of these ideas.

So starting there in the top left with this divisions and togetherness.

So how does "Us" present these ideas? Well, I overheard lots of people discussing this idea that there's a fine line between division and togetherness in this poem because throughout, Kunial is exploring the different ways that people are individuals, but also how these individuals can be part of communities or part of groupings.

Couples have relationships perhaps with other people.

So let's move over then to the top right and this idea of certainty and uncertainty.

So arguably in this poem, the speaker is very certain about their ideals, which we tend to see in the beginning of the poem.

And they're giving us lots of examples perhaps about the ways that we see togetherness in society.

But arguably as the poem progresses, we see that they are less certain in their own reality, especially when it comes to their personal relationship with that you figure, where they say "colour me unsure" is when they start talking about this personal relationship.

And this leads us quite nicely on to that third one, that personal relationships down at the bottom.

So arguably, we get the impression in this poem that togetherness can be challenging in personal relationships because it involves a lot of compromise.

And we definitely see this idea coming through in the speaker's concerns that togetherness might be challenging for them personally because it involves sacrificing some of their individual identity.

And perhaps that is where the compromise comes in because in order for two individuals to become united and together as an us, this does necessarily involve a compromise of these two individual identities perhaps moving towards each other in order for this shared identity to exist.

So then thinking about that last one then, identity, is linking on quite nicely from what we were just saying there.

So togetherness links to a desire to belong.

So whether that is to belong to a community or with another person in a relationship.

And as we were just discussing, it necessarily involves sacrificing a bit of your individuality.

Now, you do necessarily gain things from this because we see this addition of the shared identity that perhaps didn't exist before in people that are quite individual, but it doesn't necessarily involve a shift or a change to an individual's identity in order to unite with somebody else.

So let's just focus on that last idea then, this link between togetherness, belonging, and individual identity.

So if we take this idea and we run with it, I'd like to use it to explore how we can compare "Us" to other poems in the Belonging Anthology.

So if we're just thinking about this idea then of identity and belonging, which other anthology poems also explore these similar ideas? So take a moment to have a think.

A really good idea at this point would be to turn to the contents page of your poetry anthology because you've got a really nice list of all the different titles of the different poems in the collection.

So pause the video here while you have a think about which poems you might choose to compare to "Us" and perhaps share your ideas with the people around you or make some notes on your paper.

And when you're ready for us to feedback together, click play and we'll continue.

Okay, welcome back.

Lots of great suggestions there.

So before we do go on to have a look at the two poems perhaps I would recommend comparing to "Us", it's really important to remember that the beauty of a literary analysis is that it is open to personal interpretation.

So if you chose a different poem to this, then there's every chance that your connections would also be valid as long as you can back them up with evidence from the poem and by thoroughly analysing how the writers convey their key ideas.

So the two suggestions that I would use to compare to "Us" are "Kumukanda" because we've got this idea that belonging to a community and a feeling, a sense of dislocation from it when you are physically apart from that community.

So we've definitely got ideas of belonging and how that affects a person's identity.

And I would also choose "In Wales, Wanting to be Italian" because again, we've got the speaker's desire to belong and be accepted by other groups of people and perhaps how that contrasts to their perception of their own individual identity.

So as I was saying, this anthology is entitled "Belonging".

So most of the poems in this anthology do explore ideas of belongings and they do this in many different ways and from a variety of perspectives.

But when choosing poems to compare, it's best to choose one that also has other ideas in common above belonging, so for example here, identity as well, in order to avoid a tenuous comparison because theoretically, we should be able to compare all of the poems with each other if we're thinking about ideas of belonging because they've all been featured in this Belonging Anthology.

But it's really important to think about those other ideas that accompany those ideas of belonging to avoid that tenuous comparison.

So let's pause here and check our understanding so far.

So "Us" and "In Wales, Wanting to be Italian" could be compared when exploring which ideas? So take a look at the options, have a think, and when you think you've decided which one completes the sentence, click play and I'll reveal the correct answer.

Okay, welcome back and well done to those of you who said C, identity and that desire to belong.

So now it's time for the first practise task of today's lesson.

So when Alex was thinking about which poems he might want to compare with "Us", he said, "I think 'Us' is most similar to 'Kumukanda' because both poems explore the speaker's desire to belong with other people and the sense of dislocation or division that this causes within them." So what I would like you to do for this task is to think really carefully about how far you agree with his opinion.

So things that you might mention, whether you think that "Us" also includes feelings of dislocation and perhaps how it might do that; how similar you believe "Us" is to "Kumukanda" and what makes you think that, so perhaps what do these poems have in common; and/or whether you think "Us" is more similar to another poem and why.

So take some time if you're working with other people to discuss this in detail, thinking really carefully about the opinions that you're hearing from other people and trying to directly respond to these opinions in order to have a really engaged debate and draw out some of the more subtle ideas perhaps from your peers.

However, if you're working on your own, that's okay as well.

Make some notes on your paper or in your exercise book and we're going to feed back together in a moment anyway, so press pause while you take some time to do this task, and when you're ready for us to move on, click play.

Okay, welcome back.

Can I just say a really big well done to everyone for giving that task such a good go? I could hear some really spirited debates taking place and it's always a really good sign for me when we don't all necessarily agree because that means that we are forced to make our arguments as convincing as we can by backing up our ideas with evidence and analysis of the text.

And that is exactly what I like to see.

So well done if you were doing that in your discussions as well.

So here is how some of the other Oak pupils responded to Alex's opinions here.

So Laura said, "I agree with Alex to some extent.

I think 'Us' and 'Kumukanda' are most similar.

However, I don't quite agree that 'Us' explores feelings of dislocation since it seems as though the speaker is reluctant to sacrifice his individuality for togetherness with 'you'." So that's interesting there, Laura agrees to a point.

And "to some extent or somewhat" are really good words that you can use to show that perhaps you agree somewhat, but you don't necessarily fully agree.

And that gives you great opportunity to talk about both similarities and differences.

And Sofia said, "I disagree with Alex.

In my opinion, 'In Wales, Wanting to be Italian' has more in common with 'Us' since both consider the effect of togetherness or fitting in in relation to individuality and how much control someone has over their own identity." So interestingly there, Sofia didn't agree at all and actually thought that "In Wales, Wanting to be Italian" had far more in common with "Us".

So I wonder which of those two opinions you perhaps agreed with more.

Which of those poems did you think best compared to "Us"? So now we've made it to the halfway point of the lesson.

So well done for all your hard work so far.

In this half of the lesson, we are going to be using those two poems that we identified as great choices to compare with "Us", so "Kumukanda" and "In Wales, Wanting to be Italian".

And we're going to compare how all three poets convey their attitudes towards key ideas linked to identity and longing.

So two more of our Oak pupils, Izzy and Sofia, discuss how they might go about comparing these poems. So Izzy says, "All three poems focus on cultural identity since all three poets have an intercultural identity." So that identity that is comprised of more than one different culture.

"Each poem seems to be calling for greater tolerance in society so that all people can feel a sense of belonging." And Sofia says, "Although all three poets have an intercultural identity, it's unclear whether they all focus on belonging linked to cultural identity.

Dharker explores growing up, and Kunial takes a philosophical look at division and unity." So my first question to you is, who is most convincing here and why? So whose opinion do you think most aligns with your views about how you might compare these poems and why do you think that is? So pause the video here while you take some time to have a think and discuss it with the people around you.

And when you're ready for us to discuss it together, click play and we'll continue.

Okay, welcome back.

So let's discuss these two opinions about the text in more detail.

So we'll start with Izzy.

So actually, when we're thinking about comparing poems, it's really effective to compare them thematically.

So that means to find connections between the key ideas or emotions or the attitudes that the poets convey.

And a great way to do that is to ask ourselves, do the poets have similar attitudes to whatever our question focuses, so in this case, belonging and identity, and why and why not? So if we now think about Izzy's view based on that, we can see first of all, Izzy does have a good knowledge of the wider context of the poems. She knows that all three of these poets have an intercultural identity and that is actually a really useful thing for her to know, that useful piece of contextual information for her to include.

However, she has fallen into the trap of a misconception here because she has used this contextual knowledge that she has about all three poets to make an interpretation that isn't quite accurate about all of the poets.

She's used this knowledge almost to override what she knows about the poems because she has said that they all focus on cultural identity, that all three of these poems focus on that because cultural identity is important to the poet.

Now, she's right that cultural identity is important to Dharker, Kunial, and Chingonyi.

However, it doesn't necessarily appear in every one of their poems. It does appear in lots of their poems, but not all of them.

And arguably in this case, only "Kumukanda" deals with cultural conflict directly and the other poems perhaps focus on different types of identity.

So now let's have a think about Sofia's idea.

So Sofia also acknowledges these contextual differences that she expects to see, so she says, "Although all three poets have an intercultural identity," however, her interpretation then isn't led by that contextual knowledge.

She still remembers what the focus of each poem is about.

They do not all focus on belonging linked to cultural identity.

"Dharker explorers growing up and Kunial takes a philosophical look at division and unity." So that's really important to remember that contextual knowledge is really useful, but it shouldn't shape our interpretation of the text in such a way that it overrides what we are able to read out of that poem directly.

Our interpretations of the poem should always be led by the text itself and supported by other things we happen to know about it.

So what she does here is actually instead leads with these key ideas.

So this allows her to identify these subtle differences in each poet's attitude towards identity and belonging.

So let's explore then how the poets' attitudes are similar and different.

So we've got this initial similarity.

All three poems explore ideas of identity and belonging.

So now I'd like to focus on summarising how each poem does this differently.

Yes, they all explore these ideas, but how do they do it differently? So pause the video here while you take a look at all three of these poems. Do read them again if you are not familiar with the text and have a go at trying to complete each of these sentences.

"The speaker views belonging as.

." in each case.

So pause the video here while you take some time to have a think and discuss it with the people around you.

And when you're ready for us to discuss it together, click play.

Okay, welcome back.

Some really fantastic responses that I overheard there.

So let's see how we could go about summarising these poems and how they explore ideas of identity and belonging.

So "Us" then.

We could have said the speaker views belonging as an ideal.

We all want to belong, but must sacrifice our individuality to do so.

So something perhaps that people strive to have, but maybe in reality is more challenging than it seems when we think about it in an idealistic way.

"Kumukanda" then.

The speaker views belonging as something that makes him anxious.

He worries he has lost his Zambian identity.

So already we're seeing a really clear difference here between "Us" and "Kumukanda".

"Us" seems to be exploring these ideas on a much more abstract level, thinking about perhaps how more than one person might think about this, how we all might think about belonging and identity.

Whereas "Kumukanda" is very rooted in the speaker's own personal views about belonging and identity.

So over to "In Wales, Wanting to be Italian" then.

The speaker views belonging as a means of validation.

Growing up, she desperately wants to be liked and accepted.

So for the speaker here, we are getting a bit more of an abstract view in perhaps how they're conceptualising this idea of belonging as validating their own identity, but we're still getting that personal view of it as well because this perhaps more abstract view of it, this idealistic view of it is definitely linked to the speaker's need to be liked and accepted.

So let's try another similarity then.

So all three poems explore ideas about division and dislocation.

So dislocation is this idea that you aren't separate, you're outside of perhaps a community that you want to belong to.

So over to you again then.

Let's summarise how each poem does this differently.

They all explore these ideas, but how do they do it in different ways? So pause the video here while you make some notes and take some time to discuss it and click play when you're ready for us to discuss it together.

Okay, welcome back.

Again, some really interesting discussions there.

So let's just explore some of our views on how these poems are thinking about division in different ways.

So over to "Us" first then.

So we could have said the speaker views division as linked to individuality.

They perhaps view unity with others as sacrificing their own identity.

So they definitely view this idea of division and togetherness as being perhaps a sacrifice and a compromise to go from this individual identity into a state of togetherness or unity with somebody else.

In "Kumukanda" then, the speaker views division as affecting their identity.

And again, we're getting that very personal approach here in "Kumukanda" in comparison to perhaps the more abstract views that we get in "Us".

So in "Kumukanda", the speaker is forcibly divided from their culture identity.

They feel this sense of dislocation that affects their identity.

And finally then "In Wales, Wanting to be Italian", the speaker views division as glamorous or exciting.

She perhaps admires certain cultures precisely because they're different.

So we've definitely got perhaps a very different attitude there that the speaker in this poem is maybe viewing division in a more positive light, let's say, than in "Us" or in "Kumukanda".

So let's try another similarity then.

So this time, all three poems explore feelings of yearning and desire.

So yearning is a want, a real deep down want for something.

So over to you one more time then.

So summarise how each poem explores these feelings of yearning and desire differently.

So pause the video here while you have a think and discuss it.

And when you're ready for us to go through it together, click play and we'll carry on.

Okay, welcome back.

So discussing these ideas of yearning then.

So "Us", we could argue that the speaker yearns for unity with this "you" figure, but they're uncertain about whether or not they'll be able to achieve it.

So arguably, these feelings are definitely something that they want, they yearn for this idea of unity, but in reality perhaps it's not as achievable.

"Kumukanda" then.

The speaker yearns to know what might have happened had he stayed in Zambia and grew up in that culture.

So we've got a very much a yearning for what if, what if my life had been different? And then finally, "In Wales, Wanting to be Italian", the speaker yearns to escape their current life and become someone who is confident and admired by others.

And actually, this is a really great example of how you could show subtle similarities and differences in a comparative point because we do have this quite obvious similarity.

All three poems do clearly explore feelings of union and desire.

However, they do it in different ways, vastly different ways as we can see here.

So let's pause and check our understanding again.

So can you complete this sentence, "The most effective comparisons lead by" what? So take a moment to have a read through these options and select the one you think best completes this sentence.

Click pause and then press play when you're ready for me to reveal the correct answer.

Okay, welcome back and well on to those of you who said C, the most effective comparisons lead by considering the poets' attitudes towards key ideas and messages.

And remember that always thinking about these key ideas and messages means that we are most directly answering that question that we've been given because that question will usually be asking us to explore a key idea or an attitude or a message.

So over to the final task of today's lesson then, and I would like you to use a single paragraph outline to plan a comparative paragraph answering the following question.

How is belonging and identity presented in "In Wales, Wanting to be Italian" and either "Kumukanda" or "Us"? So this time, you're going to use "In Wales, Wanting to be Italian" as our core poem and you can choose which of the other two you would like to compare it to.

So take some time to give this a really good go.

Think really carefully about selecting the best evidence and about going in with that really clear comparative topic sentence and ideally trying to identify both similarities and then those subtle differences as we have been doing in this part of the lesson.

So let's just recap what we need to be seeing in each of these sections.

So in our topic sentence box, this is where we're introducing that thematic comparison, so remember we're focusing on those big ideas.

And then in the supporting detail, this is where we copy and annotate up to four pieces of evidence, two pieces from each poem.

And it's a really good idea in this section to circle or highlight some keywords and phrases that when you come to write up your paragraph, you will zoom in on.

And then in your concluding sentence, this is where you summarise your argument in a full sentence, linking to the writers' intentions.

So why you think they made the creative choices that they did and any relevant wider context.

But crucially, this wider context needs to be relevant to your topic sentence and the evidence that you've used.

It's best to avoid just bolting on context for the sake of it 'cause there is usually a relevant place for it in your response.

And it doesn't have to be in every paragraph, but it is a great idea to practise using it where you can.

So pause the video here and take as much time as you need to give this a really good go.

And when you're ready for us to go through it together, click play and we'll continue.

Okay, welcome back.

I hope you found that a really useful exercise to help you begin planning how you might compare these two poems. So here's an example of how you could have completed the single paragraph outline.

There is no one right way to compare any two poems, so chances are you may have some similar ideas to what you see here and you may also have some different ideas.

But as we're going through it, if you do see anything that you like the sound of it, feel free to magpie it and add it to your own response.

So for your topic sentence then, you could have said, "Both 'Kumukanda' and 'In Wales, Wanting to be Italian' explore belonging and identity differently.

Dharker associates belonging with a yearning to be accepted and admired while growing up.

Whereas Chingonyi's speaker associates it with anxiety and dislocation since he was forcibly removed from his cultural homeland." So supporting detail then.

From "Kumukanda", we could have added this reference to the tongue that doesn't belong to the speaker because he doesn't speak the right language.

And he actually doesn't know whether he would be accepted by the tribe and he doubts it.

And we see that in that final stanza where he's really thinking carefully about what that other version of himself might think of him.

And then "In Wales, Wanting to be Italian, we've got this dying to shrug and make your.

Sorry, dying to shrug and pout and make yourself understood.

We've got this description there of the French people from the speaker's perspective, which arguably suggests that the speaker yearns for confidence and acceptance because what they really want from that French culture is that confidence to shrug and pout and be understood.

And also we've got this reference all the way through, make yourself understood.

We've got lots of references to this second person pronoun in the poem, which actually implies that she's hoping that readers might relate to this idea that perhaps we all want to feel like we're accepted and feel confident in making ourselves understood.

And in that concluding sentence then, both speakers feel a sense of dislocation from their chosen communities and believe a different identity would change this.

Dharker's speaker implies that she feels she can control her identity, while Chingonyi's speaker feels anxiety about his identity precisely because it's something that has been out of his control because he was forced to leave Zambia and grow up quickly upon his arrival in the UK.

Really interestingly there in that last little bit, we've managed to draw out yet another point of comparison because we're thinking about this idea of how much control each of the speakers has over their identity, which gave us an insight into another really important difference between the attitudes in these poems. So now it's time for you to review your own single paragraph outline, asking yourself the following questions.

Does your initial comparison lead with themes or key ideas instead of comparing literary methods? Remember we are trying to avoid feature spotting.

We're leading with these key thematic connections.

Supporting detail then, is your evidence copied accurately? So have you copied it as it appears in the poem? Is it relevant to your topic sentence above? And is it chosen judiciously? And what I mean by that, is it the best piece of evidence from the poem to support your point? Or is it just simply the first quotation that you found? So be really quite picky.

I've got high standards for yourself there.

Did I choose the best quote that I could have chosen? And finally, does your concluding sentence link to the writers' intentions and/or the wider context? But remember what we were saying earlier, that wider context really needs to be relevant to your main point.

We're avoiding just bolting it on for the sake of it.

So once you've asked yourself these questions, take this opportunity to redraft.

So anything that you think you might have missed, add it in at this point.

And feel free to go back and look over our Oak pupils answer if that is helpful.

So pause the video here while you review and redraft if you need to, and 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, really pleased with all your hard work today because you should be, what we've been doing in this lesson is not an easy thing to do.

So let's just summarise what we have covered in today's lesson.

Chingonyi, Dharker, and Kunial's poetry all appear to show a yearning for a sense of belonging.

They also explore the links between belonging, dislocation, and individual identity.

Dharker's speaker yearns to escape her current life by becoming someone else who is more confident and cool.

Chingonyi's poem feels more reflective, considering how different life may have been if the speaker had not left Zambia.

And finally, Kunial takes a philosophical approach to thinking about identity and belonging, exploring the fine line between them.

So thanks for joining me in today's lesson and I hope that you've enjoyed it as much as I have.

Have a fantastic day, and I look forward to seeing you again soon.