Kunial was born in Birmingham, to an English mother and Pakistani father.
Kunial's poems often refer to identity and cultural heritage.
In his poem 'Us', Kunial uses the collective pronoun to highlight how society needs to be more tolerant.
Kunial's poem is about both divisions and togetherness.
Although the speaker of the poem believes in unity, they admit this is difficult with their personal relationships.

Common misconception

The speaker of the poem wants everyone to be more tolerant and united.

Although the speaker does claim to want this, he does also confess that he finds it challenging at times, especially when it comes to his personal relationship with "you".

Keywords

Societal divisions - differences within society based on class, race, religion, or other factors
Unity - working together; joined as a whole
Fluid - flexible, adaptable; capable of flowing or changing shape easily
Abstract - existing in thought or as an idea but not having a physical or concrete existence
Concrete - opposite of abstract; something clear and specific you can see, feel or sense

Begin by picking out the images in the poem (sea, Mexican wave) and explore the connotations we associate with these imagesto help pupils understand the more abstract nature of the poem.

Teacher tip

Equipment

You will need access to a copy of 'Us' by Zaffar Kunial (included in the Edexcel GCSE Poetry Anthology - 'Belonging' cluster).

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.

What is togetherness?

being physically close to others

Correct answer: feeling a sense of unity and connectedness to others

working on individual tasks separately

Q2.

What is imagery?

the use of numbers in writing

a type of punctuation

dialogue between characters

Correct answer: descriptive language that appeals to the senses

Q3.

What are metaphors?

comparisons using "like" or "as"

Correct answer: direct comparisons saying one thing is another

statements of fact

questions that don't need answers

Q4.

What does it mean if you have dual heritage?

you speak two languages

you live in two countries

you practice two religions

Correct answer: you have parents from two different cultural backgrounds

Q5.

What are pronouns?

words that describe actions

Correct answer: words that replace nouns

words that modify verbs

words that join sentences

Q6.

What is enjambment?

Correct answer: the continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line

the use of rhyme at the end of lines

the use of short, choppy sentences

the use of alliteration in poetry

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.

What are societal divisions?

the boundaries of different countries and regions

Correct answer: when social groups are separated based on things like class and race

things that we all agree upon in society to separate us

the laws and policies in place to keep us safe from each other

Q2.

Match each of these words to the correct definition.

Correct Answer:fluid,flexible, adaptable; capable of flowing or changing shape easily

flexible, adaptable; capable of flowing or changing shape easily

Correct Answer:abstract,existing in thought or as an idea but not in the physical world

existing in thought or as an idea but not in the physical world

Correct Answer:concrete,something clear and specific you can see, feel or sense

something clear and specific you can see, feel or sense

Q3.

Zaffar Kunial was born to one English parent and one Pakistani parent. This means he is ...

Correct answer: dual heritage.

single heritage.

a traveller.

Q4.

What is interesting about the use of pronouns in Zaffar Kunial's poem 'Us'?

it uses no pronouns at all, creating a sense of universality

it only uses third-person pronouns, distancing the speaker from the subject

Correct answer: it shifts between 'I' and 'we', highlighting personal and collective identity

it poem uses unusual pronouns to challenge traditional grammar rules

Q5.

How does the description of football fans in stanza 3 of 'Us' present togetherness?

it implies it is fluid and always changing

it connects two things which are far away from each other

it can be suffocating

Correct answer: it suggests individuals share the same fate and experiences

Q6.

When analysing a particularly abstract poem, it can be useful to ...

focus on writing about the whole poem with no specific examples.

think carefully about what you like about the poem and write about that.

Correct answer: analyse a smaller section and apply these ideas to the rest of the poem.

choose any line at random and start by analysing that.