Poems can be linked by theme e.g. nostalgia.
Poems can be linked by attitude, considering how the poets feel about the subject they are addressing.
Poems can be connected by how poets use similar imagery or techniques to address different issues.
Correlative and comparative conjunctions are useful for signposting the similarities and differences between poems.

Common misconception

Thinking that every poem in the anthology is equally suitable for every potential question.

While there are common links between the poems, some have more tenuous connections than others.

Keywords

Nostalgia - a feeling of pleasure and also slight sadness when you think about things that happened in the past
Subtle - not obvious; requiring careful attention to notice or understand
Tenuous - weak, unimportant or in doubt
Melancholic - expressing feelings of sadness
Belonging - a feeling of being happy or comfortable as part of a particular group

It would be useful to recap Bridges' 'Clear and Gentle Stream', Hood's 'I Remember, I Remember' and Landon's 'Captain Cook (To My Brother)' before this lesson.

Teacher tip

Equipment

You will need access to a copy of the Edexcel Belonging anthology for this lesson.

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.

Which of the following is an accurate summary of Wordsworth's 'To My Sister'?

The speaker wishes their sister would join their protest.

Correct answer: The speaker is trying to convince their sister to join them in nature.

The speaker is trying to convince their sister to move to the city.

Q2.

Which of the following is an accurate summary of Bridges' 'Clear and Gentle Stream'?

The speaker is overjoyed to find themselves at the stream.

Correct answer: The stream feels comfortable and familiar to the speaker.

The speaker is mourning the loss of their stream.

Q3.

'A feeling of being happy or comfortable as part of a particular group' is the definition of .

Correct Answer: belonging

Q4.

Complete this quotation from Landon's 'Captain Cook (To My Brother)': "leaving childhood, life's land behind".

Correct Answer: fairy

Q5.

Complete the following quotation from Hood's 'I Remember, I Remember': "My spirit flew in then".

Correct Answer: feathers

Q6.

'A feeling of pleasure and also slight sadness when you think about things that happened in the past' is the definition of .

Correct Answer: nostalgia, nostalgic

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.

Which of the following examples uses a comparative conjunction?

Landon presents a nostalgic view of childhood. Hood does too.

Correct answer: Landon evokes the joy of childhood; likewise, Hood depicts the freedom of it.

Potentially, we might see Hood's poem as the most evocative.

Q2.

'Weak, unimportant, or in doubt' is the definition of .

Correct Answer: tenuous

Q3.

Which of the following poems has a tenuous link to the theme of nostalgia?

Correct answer: Wordsworth's 'To My Sister'

Landon's 'Captain Cook (To My Brother)'

Hood's 'I Remember, I Remember'

Bridges' 'Clear and Gentle Stream'

Q4.

'Not obvious; requiring careful attention to notice or understand' is the definition of .

Correct Answer: subtle

Q5.

The sentence: 'Neither Hood nor Landon present the present day in a positive way' uses ...

Correct answer: a correlative conjunction.

a superlative.

a comparative conjunction.

Q6.

Arguably, both Landon and Hood present the loss of __________ in their poems 'Clear and Gentle Stream' and 'I Remember, I Remember'.

humanity's relationship with nature

Correct answer: childhood innocence

a meaningful relationship