Reading and responding to 'Pike' by Ted Hughes
I can engage with a poem and research the subject.
Reading and responding to 'Pike' by Ted Hughes
I can engage with a poem and research the subject.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- ‘Pike’ was written by Ted Hughes in 1960; the poem consists of eleven verses, each with four lines.
- Hughes often used animals, landscapes and elemental forces as symbols in his work.
- Hughes uses vivid imagery in the poem to create a rich and sensory description of the pike and its environment.
- Researching about the subject of a poem can greatly enhance readers' understanding.
- The goal of research is to enrich and engage readers in a poem.
Keywords
Subject - the main topic or idea that the poet is writing about
Imagery - the use of language to create a mental picture or sensory experience for the reader or listener
Research - to find out more about a topic or idea, using reliable sources
Common misconception
Pupils may find some of the language new or unfamiliar to them.
An extended definition list could be created to support pupils in understanding. Explain that it is normal to not understand all the language in a poem, especially when we first read it.
Equipment
You need a copy of the poem ‘Pike’ which is featured on pages 38-39 in the 2019 Faber & Faber edition of ‘The Thought Fox: Collected Animal Poems Vol 4’ written by Ted Hughes for this lesson.
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
Exit quiz
6 Questions
the main topic or idea that the poet is writing about
the use of language to create a mental picture or sensory experience
to find out more about a topic or idea, using reliable sources
describes the pike from infancy
describes the pike’s natural habitat and how they are apex predators
describes the speaker’s own experience of keeping pike in a fish tank
describes a pond where the speaker used to fish