New
New
Year 5

Exploring themes of hate and anger in 'The Wall'

I can reflect on poetry with themes of hate and anger, writing a personal response to a poem.

New
New
Year 5

Exploring themes of hate and anger in 'The Wall'

I can reflect on poetry with themes of hate and anger, writing a personal response to a poem.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. 'The Wall' uses symbolism - the use of objects, images, or actions that represent ideas beyond their literal meaning.
  2. The wall in the poem can represent a physical isolation as well as an emotional one.
  3. A poem can have multiple meanings and interpretations; each person’s response can be different and unique to them.
  4. We can respond to a poem by writing a personal response to it.

Common misconception

Not all pupils may be familiar with symbolism, especially common symbols.

To support pupils, adults could model the associations that could be made about the objects out loud.

Keywords

  • Symbolism - the use of objects, actions or ideas to represent deeper meanings or concepts

  • Interpretation - the process of understanding and assigning meaning to a poem

  • Personal response - reflections that we make about a poem after reading or listening to it

Personal responses will be unique to the individual. Model referring back to the poem to support pupils when writing.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You need a copy of the 2021 Otter Barry edition of ‘Stars with Flaming Tails’, written by Valerie Bloom and illustrated by Ken Wilson Max for this lesson.

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is the title of Valerie Bloom's poetry collection which contain the poems 'I Opened the Door' and 'My Heart is a Volcano'?
Correct answer: Stars with Flaming Tails
Planets with Sparkling Tales
Shooting Stars
Q2.
Which of the following describe a fixed verse poem?
Correct answer: a form of poetry that has a specific structure, rhyme and meter.
a form of poetry consisting of three lines with a specific syllable pattern
a form of poetry that expresses admiration for a specific person, object or idea
Q3.
Select the rhyming words from the following words.
delight
Correct answer: rage
joy
Correct answer: cage
bliss
Q4.
True or False? A summary tells the reader the most important parts of a text.
Correct Answer: True, true
Q5.
What is a suitable definition of a theme?
having the ability to create vivid mental images of things that may not exist
Correct answer: a big idea, topic or message that recurs within a text
phrases of two words that replace a noun and are often used in poetry
Q6.
Which words below can be associated with anger and hate?
Correct answer: rage
delighted
Correct answer: bitter
Correct answer: hostile
contented

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the following keywords to their definitions.
Correct Answer:symbolism,the use of objects, actions or ideas to represent deeper meaning

the use of objects, actions or ideas to represent deeper meaning

Correct Answer:interpretation,the process of understanding and assigning meaning to a poem

the process of understanding and assigning meaning to a poem

Correct Answer:personal response,reflections that we make about a poem after reading or listening to it

reflections that we make about a poem after reading or listening to it

Q2.
Match the following common symbols to their meaning.
Correct Answer:rainbow,hope

hope

Correct Answer:rose,love

love

Correct Answer:tree,growth, strength

growth, strength

Correct Answer:star,wishes

wishes

Q3.
True or False? The speaker in the poem is angry at someone.
Correct Answer: True, true
Q4.
What themes are present in the poem, 'The Wall'?
Correct answer: isolation
joy
Correct answer: anger
happiness
Q5.
In the poem 'The Wall', which action gives the impression that the speaker may eventually want to speak to the subject again?
The speaker builds the wall in silence.
The speaker does not make any physical or eye contact with the subject.
Correct answer: The speaker leaves space for a gate.
Q6.
Sequence the following parts of a personal response to a poem.
1 - Introduce the poem and poet
2 - Personal reflection
3 - Aspect of the poem you liked
4 - Interpretation (themes, take-away ideas)
5 - Summary (final reflection)