New
New
Year 11
AQA

Effective context: modern poems in the 'Love and Relationships' anthology

I can include meaningful context when writing about modern poems in the anthology.

New
New
Year 11
AQA

Effective context: modern poems in the 'Love and Relationships' anthology

I can include meaningful context when writing about modern poems in the anthology.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Context can be interpreted in historical, social, biographical, and literary ways.
  2. Incorporating meaningful context deepens our analysis of modern poems in the anthology.
  3. An author's personal experiences can significantly influence their work.
  4. Contextual points should be seamlessly included in our overall analysis and not 'bolted on' at the end.

Keywords

  • Context - circumstances or background surrounding a text

  • Multigenerational - involving or affecting multiple generations in a family or community

  • Punglish - a blend of English and Punjabi

  • Literary tradition - written works, styles and conventions passed down through generations.

Common misconception

Students may think context should be mentioned separately at the end of their paragraphs, rather than integrated throughout their analysis.

Context should be woven into your analysis to enrich your interpretation e.g. 'Nagra's depiction of family duties versus personal desires draws from his British-Indian experience, showcasing challenges faced by second-generation immigrants.'

This lesson makes reference to 'modern' poems in the anthology. These are considered to be any poems published in the 20th century and beyond.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You will need access to a copy of the AQA 'Love and Relationships' anthology to complete this lesson.

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.
Who is the author of the poem 'Eden Rock'?
Charles Dickens
Correct answer: Charles Causley
Daljit Nagra
William Wordsworth
Q2.
Who is the author of the poem 'Singh Song!'?
Correct answer: Daljit Nagra
Robert Browning
Thomas Hardy
Carol Ann Duffy
Q3.
Which themes are central to 'Singh Song!'?
family, loss, reunion
Correct answer: love, romance, immigration
nature, solitude, introspection
conflict, power, corruption
Q4.
What are the central themes of 'Eden Rock'?
Correct answer: family, loss, reunion
love, romance, immigration
nature, solitude, introspection
conflict, power, corruption
Q5.
What is the definition of 'context' in literary analysis?
the chronological order of events in a story
the geographical setting of a poem
Correct answer: the circumstances surrounding the creation and reception of a text
the central conflict of a narrative
Q6.
Why is it important to consider the wider context of a poem?
Correct answer: It can help us to interpret a writer's influences and intentions.
It means you don't have to use as many quotations from the text.
It is great way to compare two poems.
Correct answer: It enables our analysis of a poem to be more nuanced and detailed.
It helps us to decide whether we like a poem or not.

6 Questions

Q1.
What is context in literature?
setting of the story
Correct answer: circumstances around the text's creation
main themes of the text
writer's biography
Q2.
What are the four types of context we often associate with the study of English?
Correct answer: historical, literary, social, biographical
cultural, linguistic, historical, social
political, literary, social, personal
historical, cultural, personal, economic
Q3.
Which aspect of context is linked to what was happening when the poem was written?
Correct answer: historical
social
biographical
literary
Q4.
Daljit Nagra uses a type of language in 'Singh Song!' that is a blend of English and Punjabi. What is it called?
Correct Answer: Punglish
Q5.
Charles Causley was influenced by his Cornish background and used typical styles and folk tales of this area in his work. As such this is an example of __________ context.
Correct answer: literary
historical
social
biographical
Q6.
What event likely influenced Charles Causley's poem 'Eden Rock' and the inclusion of his father?
World War II
The Great Depression
Correct answer: World War I
The Vietnam War