Analysing the poem 'The Emigree'
I can explore how Rumens uses language and structure to explore the impact of conflict on personal identity.
Analysing the poem 'The Emigree'
I can explore how Rumens uses language and structure to explore the impact of conflict on personal identity.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Sunlight in the poem could represent hope, power of place or an idealised version of the past.
- Free verse could reflect a conflicted identity.
- Regular line length seems to reflect the speaker coming to terms with the two parts of her identity.
- Personification likens the city to a child, perhaps reflecting the speaker wanting to take care of it as it did for her.
- The final line of the poem is defiant, suggesting that cherishing memory defies the oppression of tyranny.
Keywords
Pervade - spread through every part of
Idyllic - extremely happy, peaceful, picturesque
Idealised - regarded as perfect or better than in reality
Epistrophe - the repetition of a word at the end of a sentence or stanza
Common misconception
Pupils may not initially link all of the examples of personification together.
Explain to pupils that finding patterns in the text can be very useful to help create a thoughtful idea about the poem.
To help you plan your year 11 english lesson on: Analysing the poem 'The Emigree', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 11 english lesson on: Analysing the poem 'The Emigree', 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.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 english lessons from the Power and conflict poetry continued unit, dive into the full secondary english curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
You will need access to a copy of the AQA Power and Conflict Anthology for this lesson.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Starter quiz
6 Questions
Exit quiz
6 Questions
spread through every part of.
extremely happy, peaceful, picturesque.
regarded as perfect or better than in reality.
the repetition of a word at the end of a sentence or stanza.