Analysing 'Sonnet 43'
I can understand how Barrett Browning uses language, form and structure to present her love as bountiful.
Analysing 'Sonnet 43'
I can understand how Barrett Browning uses language, form and structure to present her love as bountiful.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Barrett Browning wrote this poem to her future husband to express her deep love for him.
- Barrett Browning begins the poem by expressing her love in a more abstract and unquantifiable way.
- In the sestet, Barrett Browning finds more personal and specific ways to express (and measure) her love.
- The image of a sun arguably represents the idea that her lover brings warmth, light, sustenance and purpose to her life.
- Barrett Browning’s use of imagery conveys her admiration for, and adoration of her future husband.
Keywords
To liberate - to set something free
Unquantifiable - impossible to measure
Bountiful - abundant and endless
To evoke - to make someone imagine or feel something
Defiant - a refusal to obey somebody or something
Common misconception
Pupils often fail to notice or appreciate how defiant this poem is at the end.
In saying that she will love her future husband "better" after death, Barrett Browning defies her father and any cosmic force which may try to prevent the couple from being together. Barrett Browning's passion and commitment to Browning is evident.
To help you plan your year 10 english lesson on: Analysing 'Sonnet 43', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 10 english lesson on: Analysing 'Sonnet 43', 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 Poetry anthology unit, dive into the full secondary english curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
You will need a copy of the Eduqas poetry anthology.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
introduces an idea, problem, question or an argument
responds to the questions or ideas introduced in the beginning
marks a shift in tone in the poem