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Year 8

Comparing poems: 'Brueghel's Winter' and 'The Hunters in the Snow'

I can write a comparative paragraph which explores two poems inspired by the same painting.

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New
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Year 8

Comparing poems: 'Brueghel's Winter' and 'The Hunters in the Snow'

I can write a comparative paragraph which explores two poems inspired by the same painting.

Download all resources
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Share activities with pupils
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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The opening of a comparative paragraph could start with a topic sentence which states the paragraphs main idea.
  2. Next, the comparative paragraph could focus on analysing the first text.
  3. Then, a comparative paragraph could focus on the second text, comparing it to the first.
  4. Comparing the methods writers have used can help to develop the comparison.
  5. The final sentence of a comparative paragraph could link to the topic sentence.

Keywords

  • Enjambment - when there is no punctuation at the end of a line of poetry

  • Pace - the speed of something

  • Present participle verb - the '-ing' form of the verb; for example, slipping

  • Methods - the tools a writer uses to create their work; enjambment, verbs and adjectives are all examples of methods

Common misconception

You can't talk about two different texts in the same paragraph.

It can be tricky to talk about two texts in one paragraph, but it often makes for a stronger comparison. A good way to start is to consider one aspect of the texts you wish to compare, and then draw out the differences in your analysis.

Consider how long your pupils will need to write a decent comparative paragraph, and work out the rest of the lesson's timings from there.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You need 'The Hunters in the Snow' by William Carlos Williams from the 1991 Collected Poems: 1939-1962, Volume II published by New Directions. You also need de la Mare's poem (additional materials).

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision required

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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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
In the unit 'Myths, legends and stories that inspire', we compare texts. Which of these words or phrases help use explore differences between texts?
Correct answer: Whereas,
Similarly,
In the same way,
Correct answer: By contrast,
Correct answer: However,
Q2.
In the unit 'Myths, legends and stories that inspire', we compare texts. Which words help use explore similarities between texts?
However,
Correct answer: In the same way,
Correct answer: Similarly,
Contrastingly,
Correct answer: Both
Q3.
In 'Myths, legends and stories that inspire', we look at a poem by Walter de la Mare and Williams Carlos Williams about the same painting. What is the name of the painting?
'Landscape with the Fall of Icarus'
'Landscape with Hunters in the Snow'
'Bruegel’s Winter'
Correct answer: 'The Hunters in the Snow'
Q4.
Walter de la Mare's 'Bruegel's Winter' ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire'), describes people and animals doing different things. Match each figure to what he describes them doing.
Correct Answer:a child,watching

watching

Correct Answer:black figures,sliding

sliding

Correct Answer:dogs,snuffling

snuffling

Correct Answer:a crow ,swooping in the sky

swooping in the sky

Q5.
Walter de la Mare's 'Bruegel's Winter' ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire'), describes the hunters walking. What verb does he use?
walk
stride
lead
Correct answer: trudge
deject
Q6.
In 'Myths, legends and stories that inspire', William Carlos Williams's poem doesn't use punctuation. We say that each line is ...
Correct Answer: enjambed

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Walter de la Mare's 'Bruegel’s Winter' ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire') uses many present participle verbs. Which are examples of present participle verbs?
Correct answer: skating
Correct answer: striding
ominously
Correct answer: trudging
muffled
Q2.
In 'Myths, legends and stories that inspire', William Carlos Williams's poem describes the skaters as a "pattern". What is this an example of?
a simile
alliteration
personification
Correct answer: metaphor
adjective
Q3.
When writing about the texts we explore in 'Myths, legends and stories that inspire', you will start analytical paragraphs with topic sentences. What is true of topic sentences?
They conclude paragraphs.
They should include quotations.
They explain whether you like the text or not.
They explain everything you will focus on in an essay.
Correct answer: They are the first sentence of a paragraph and state the paragraph's main idea.
Q4.
Which of these comparative topic sentences is the strongest? They compare two poems from 'Myths, legends and stories that inspire'.
Williams says the hunters are "sturdy" but de la Mare says they "trudge".
Correct answer: Both Williams and de la Mare convey the power of the hunters.
Both Williams and de la Mare use similar methods to describe Bruegel's painting.
I think Williams is better at describing the painting than de la Mare.
Q5.
In Walter de la Mare's poem 'Bruegel's Winter' ('Myths, legends and stories that inspire'), he describes the hunters' spears as " ".
Correct Answer: sinister
Q6.
Starting with the first sentence, order this comparative paragraph about two poems from 'Myths, legends and stories that inspire'.
1 - Both de la Mare and Williams convey how treacherous the winter mountains can be.
2 - De la Mare describes them as "Jagg'd" suggesting they are rough and pointed.
3 - By contrast, Williams describes them as "icy" suggesting they are slippery.
4 - Ultimately, both poets convey that the mountains have the capacity to hurt us.

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