New
New
Year 6

Exploring form in 'London' by William Blake

I can describe the structure the poem.

New
New
Year 6

Exploring form in 'London' by William Blake

I can describe the structure the poem.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The poem is a dramatic monologue; this is when one person speaks in a poem or story, sharing their perspective.
  2. The poem has a structured form with a consistent rhyme scheme.
  3. The poem has an ABAB rhyme scheme.
  4. Blake uses repetition to emphasise certain words or phrases or to create a particular effect.
  5. Reader's viewpoints about the impact of the poem may differ as we are all unique.

Keywords

  • Form - the way that a text can be presented

  • Perspective - the point of view or position from which the poet writes, influencing the way events or ideas are portrayed and understood

  • Rhyme scheme - the pattern of rhyming words or sounds at the end of each line in a poem, often represented using letters to indicate the rhyme pattern (e.g., AABB, ABAB)

  • Repetition - the repeated use of sounds, words, phrases or structural elements that are repeated for emphasis or for a particular effect

Common misconception

Pupils may find clapping the beat of the poem challenging.

A metronome could be used to support the reading. This would work best in 4/4 - four beats per measure.

Model lots of examples of discussing the impact that the structure has on the poem (e.g. quatrain structure, rhyme scheme, regular beat, use of repetition, end of lines).
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

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).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following are written in first person perspective?
You walk through the crowded, dirty streets of London.
Correct answer: I see the sorrow in every face I meet.
You notice the blackened walls of the church.
Correct answer: I feel the oppression in the air.
Q2.
Which of the following are written in second person perspective?
Correct answer: You observe the misery of the city's inhabitants.
Correct answer: You hear the cries of chimney-sweepers and soldiers.
She sees the sorrow in every face she meets.
He wanders through the crowded, dirty streets of London.
Q3.
Which of the following are written in third person perspective?
You feel the oppression in the air.
Correct answer: He notices the blackened walls of the church.
Correct answer: He observes the misery of the city's inhabitants.
I shudder at hearing the cursing of others.
Q4.
Which of the following words from the poem rhyme?
fear
street
Correct answer: woe
man
Correct answer: flow
Q5.
The poem 'London' is from which collection of poetry?
Correct answer: Songs of Experience
Songs of Innocence
The Thought Fox: Collected Animal Poems Vol 4
Q6.
True or false? All poems must have a strong beat and rhythm.
Correct Answer: False, false

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the keywords to their definitions.
Correct Answer:form,the way that a text can be presented

the way that a text can be presented

Correct Answer:perspective,the point of view or position from which the poet writes

the point of view or position from which the poet writes

Correct Answer:repetition,the repeated use of sounds, words, phrases or structural elements

the repeated use of sounds, words, phrases or structural elements

Q2.
What is the rhyme scheme of the poem 'London'?
ABBA
ABCB
Correct answer: ABAB
Q3.
Which line from the poem is written in first person perspective?
"In every cry of every man"
Correct answer: "I wander through each chartered street”
"In every infant's cry of fear"
Q4.
Which of the following words are repeated throughout the poem?
"church"
Correct answer: "marks"
"tear"
Correct answer: "every"
"Thames"
Q5.
Which of the following are true?
Correct answer: The poem has a rhyme scheme of ABAB.
Correct answer: The poem contains examples of repetition.
The poem has a rhyme scheme of ABCB.
The poem does not contain examples of repetition.
Q6.
Match each example of repetition to the impact that it has on the reader or listener.
Correct Answer:“I hear”,shows how the narrator is surrounded by sounds of suffering

shows how the narrator is surrounded by sounds of suffering

Correct Answer:“charter'd”,emphasises how controlled everything in the city is

emphasises how controlled everything in the city is

Correct Answer:“every”,suggests that the negative experiences are universal

suggests that the negative experiences are universal

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