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Year 6

Exploring impact in 'London' by William Blake

I can summarise the impact of the poem in written form.

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Year 6

Exploring impact in 'London' by William Blake

I can summarise the impact of the poem in written form.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Writing about the impact of a poem allows for a deeper analysis of its effectiveness.
  2. There are certain poetry conventions that we can include in our writing.
  3. Poetry conventions include naming the poet and title of the poem, using quotes and referring to the context.
  4. When writing about the impact of a poem we can discuss the poet, the poem’s imagery and structure, and the context.

Keywords

  • Impact - the emotional, intellectual and lasting impression a poem leaves on its readers

  • Context - the setting or background that helps us to understand something better

  • Imagery - the use of vivid and sensory language that appeals to the reader's senses, creating vivid mental pictures and enhancing the emotional impact of the poem

  • Structure - the way a poem is organised or put together, including elements such as verses, lines, rhyme scheme and overall form

Common misconception

Pupils may find describing the impact of the poem's imagery and structure challenging.

Pupils could use the modelled example and elaborate.


To help you plan your year 6 english lesson on: Exploring impact in 'London' by William Blake, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

When discussing poetry conventions, you may wish to explain to pupils that there are some exceptions. For example, some poets (such as Emily Dickinson) use upper case letters intentionally. It would be beneficial to have introduced writing quotations (short and long) prior to the lesson.
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Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
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Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

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Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), 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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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
When was the poem 'London' written?
1757
Correct answer: 1794
1827
Q2.
Which of the following things does the speaker see while walking through the streets of London?
“Infants cry of fear”
Correct answer: “blood down Palace walls”
Correct answer: "black’ning Church"
Q3.
Which of the following things does the speaker hear while walking through the streets of London?
"charter'd streets"
Correct answer: “every cry of every man”
black’ning Church
Correct answer: "chimney-sweeper's cry"
Q4.
True or false? William Blake was a Romantic poet.
Correct Answer: True, true
Q5.
Which adjective is a synonym of "charter'd"?
free
Correct answer: controlled
messy
Q6.
True or false? The poem ‘London’ is a dramatic monologue.
Correct Answer: True, true

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the following keywords to their definitions.
Correct Answer:impact,the lasting impression a poem leaves on its reader
tick

the lasting impression a poem leaves on its reader

Correct Answer:context,the setting or background that helps us to understand something better
tick

the setting or background that helps us to understand something better

Correct Answer:imagery,the use of vivid and sensory language
tick

the use of vivid and sensory language

Q2.
True or false? ‘London’ was written at a time of calm and prosperity.
Correct Answer: False, false
Q3.
Which of the following can be discussed when talking about the structure of a poem?
Correct answer: verses
Correct answer: lines
the poet's surname
Correct answer: the rhyme scheme
the context
Q4.
Which of the following sentences uses the title convention correctly?
Correct answer: In ‘London’, William Blake criticises the social injustices of his time.
In “London”, William Blake describes the suffering and oppression of citizens.
Correct answer: William Blake's poem ‘London’ is known for its vivid imagery.
William Blake's poem London is known for its vivid imagery.
Q5.
Which subordinate clause provides relevant contextual information to improve the following sentence? ‘London’, __________, reflects William Blake’s disgust at the effects of industrialisation.
Correct answer: a poem written during the Industrial Revolution
a poem that has been read by people around the word
a poem that contains many well-known lines
Q6.
Put the following sections of a written response to a poem in order.
1 - Introduction to the poem, including relevant context
2 - Description of imagery and its impact
3 - Description of structure and its impact

Additional material

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