Exploring Walter de la Mare's poem 'Brueghel's Winter'
I can write a descriptive paragraph inspired by Bruegel's painting 'The Hunters in the Snow' and Walter de la Mare's poem 'Breughel’s Winter'.
Exploring Walter de la Mare's poem 'Brueghel's Winter'
I can write a descriptive paragraph inspired by Bruegel's painting 'The Hunters in the Snow' and Walter de la Mare's poem 'Breughel’s Winter'.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- Walter de la Mare's 'Brueghel’s Winter' is an ekphrastic poem.
- An ekphrastic poem is a poem which describes a piece of art, and is inspired by it.
- You can look at a poem as a whole and consider how the descriptions work together to create a particular tone or mood.
- You can look at the descriptions individually and consider the effect they have.
- You can consider the tone you wish to create in your own writing, and then select words and phrases to create this tone.
Keywords
Dominant - most powerful, overbearing, influential
Ekphrastic - a poem which describes a piece of art, and is inspired by it
Tone - the attitude and emotion of your voice - written or verbal
Dejected - depressed, downcast
Ominous - something suggesting something bad is about to happen
Common misconception
The use of adjectives is a simple technique, so there isn't much point analysing a writer's use of them, or planning for them in your own writing.
Adjectives are a wonderful way to express tone, nuanced meaning and atmosphere. As such, they can be rich for analysis, and have a powerful effect on your own descriptive writing.
To help you plan your year 8 english lesson on: Exploring Walter de la Mare's poem 'Brueghel's Winter', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 8 english lesson on: Exploring Walter de la Mare's poem 'Brueghel's Winter', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
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Explore more key stage 3 english lessons from the Myths, legends and stories that inspire unit, dive into the full secondary english curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
You will need a copy of Walter de la Mare's 'Brueghel's Winter' which can be found in the additional materials.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
Exit quiz
6 Questions
16th century landscape painter
English 20th century poet; wrote 'Breughel’s Winter'
American poet; wrote two poems inspired by Bruegel
British-American 20th century poet; wrote 'Musée des Beaux Arts'
downcast, depressed
suggesting something bad is going to happen
thin
silent
menacing, scary
mountains
scene
quiet
shapes
huntsmen