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Year 10
AQA

Understanding the poem ‘Love’s Philosophy’ by Percy Bysshe Shelley

I can explain how ‘Love’s Philosophy’ reflects on the emotional power of love.

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New
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Year 10
AQA

Understanding the poem ‘Love’s Philosophy’ by Percy Bysshe Shelley

I can explain how ‘Love’s Philosophy’ reflects on the emotional power of love.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Romantic literature often deals with powerful, spiritual ideas and dramatic themes.
  2. Shelley was a Romantic poet who was known for his controversial views about societal issues.
  3. ‘Love’s Philosophy’ focuses on the links between love, nature and the connectedness of all things in the natural world.
  4. The poem could be read as a passionate argument of the power of love and the importance of human connectedness.
  5. The poem could also be read as the speaker’s expression of their overwhelming desire for another.

Common misconception

Shelley was a Romantic poet which meant all of his poems were love poems.

Romantic poetry did sometimes focus on themes associated with love, but not exclusively. Romantic poetry is instead characterised by its dramatic approach to exploring abstract and emotional concepts such as a love, nature or the supernatural.

Keywords

  • Romantic - linked to love, desire or passion

  • Romantic - linked to the cultural movement in the 18th century that emphasised individualism, emotion and nature

  • Philosophy - the study of fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, ethics, and reality

  • Controversial - generating disagreement or dispute, often due to conflicting opinions or sensitive topics

  • Unrequited - not reciprocated or returned, typically referring to love or affection

Write the two statements about the poem (from Task B) on the board at the beginning of the lesson and give students a mini whiteboard/sticky note. Have them vote at the beginning of the lesson which statement is most compelling and keep returning to vote at various points in the lesson.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You will need access to the poem 'Love's Philosophy' by Percy Bysshe Shelley. This can be found in the AQA Love and Relationships Poetry Anthology.

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

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).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
When did the Romantic period occur?
17th - 18th century
Correct answer: 18th - 19th century
19th - 20th century
20th - 21st century
Q2.
When a writer makes repeated references to landscapes, wildlife and plants, they are using...
abstract imagery
emotional imagery
vivid imagery
Correct answer: natural imagery
Q3.
A question asked for dramatic effect (and not to elicit a response) is known as...
an ambiguous question
an open question
a convergent question
a divergent question
Correct answer: a rhetorical question
Q4.
What is an atheist?
someone who believes in God but follows a religion
Correct answer: someone who doesn't believe in God or organised religion
someone who hasn't yet decided if they believe in God or are religious
Q5.
Georgian society was a which means that it was male-dominated and women did not have equal rights with men.
Correct Answer: partriarchy, patriarchial society
Q6.
A verb is ...
a person, place, object or idea
a describing word
Correct answer: a word which denotes a movement, action or state of being
a word showing where something is located
a word showing when or how an action took place

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Romantic poetry focused on exploring...
different perspectives of love
Correct answer: abstract concepts or emotional experiences
how different genders viewed love in the Georgian era
the natural world
Q2.
Which of these statements best sums up our interpretation of who Percy Shelley was?
Correct answer: a passionately opinionated person who wasn't afraid to stand out
a very compassionate individual who tried hard not to upset others
a cynical person who had only negative thoughts about love
Q3.
What does the word 'philosophy' mean?
what you personally think about something
a passionate argument or plea about an important issue
a religious belief
Correct answer: the study of our existence, knowledge, ethics and reality
Q4.
Arguably, Shelley's use of ________ at the end of each stanza in 'Love's Philosophy' suggests the poem is not only about the abstract concept of love but also the speaker's love for someone else.
similes
Correct answer: rhetorical questions
religious imagery
Correct answer: second person personal pronouns
natural imagery
Q5.
Match each of these methods to the correct piece of supporting evidence from 'Love's Philosophy'.
Correct Answer:religious imagery,"the winds of Heaven mix for ever"

"the winds of Heaven mix for ever"

Correct Answer:natural imagery,"the sunlight clasps the earth"

"the sunlight clasps the earth"

Correct Answer:rhetorical questions,"Why not I with thine?"

"Why not I with thine?"

Correct Answer:verbs linked to togtherness,"mingle", "mix", "kiss"

"mingle", "mix", "kiss"

Q6.
Arguably, 'Love's Philosophy' can be read as a passionate argument about what the speaker thinks about love itself and/or it can be read as...
Correct answer: the speaker's yearning for the attention of another; an expression of desire.
the speaker's views about the hopelessness of love when it is unrequited.
the speaker's longing for their lover to return to them.
the speaker's painful memories about the end of an illicit affair.
the speaker's lessons they've learned about love in their life.