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This 18-slide lesson explores Rupert Brooke’s ‘The Soldier’. The poem introduces students to ideas about patriotism and propaganda at the outbreak of the First World War, before exploring Brooke’s life and work. After reading the poem together, students are encouraged to think critically about its language, imagery, form, structure and rhyme. Discussion prompts and targeted questions guide students through the poem. There is also a ‘game’ for students to identify linguistic techniques in the poem. Annotations of the poem are modelled for students before thinking about the poem’s message and its status as a problematic poem from our 21st century perspective. The lesson ends with an essay-style question for students, with an exemplar paragraph provided to demonstrate effective analysis. The resources includes both an editable PowerPoint and a PDF to retain the aesthetic design.

This 20-slide lesson explores Benjamin Zephaniah’s poem, ‘The British’. We begin by asking questions about national identity and cultural stereotypes, before learning about Zephaniah’s life and work. We then read the poem together, paying attention to its imagery and aural qualities. The poem’s central conceit (as a recipe poem) is then analysed in detail. Pupils pick apart Zephaniah’s metaphor of a national ‘melting pot’, learning about British colonial history along the way. Students are encouraged to analyse the poem’s language, form, structure, rhythm and rhyme. Key vocabulary is given to aid precise analysis, and questions are asked throughout. An essay-style question is asked towards the end, with an example paragraph given to model high-level analysis. At the end of the lesson, a fun creative task is set for students, based on Zephaniah’s poem. The resource is included as an editable PowerPoint and a PDF file (to retain aesthetic choices).

This 24-slide lesson explores Ian Duhig’s poem ‘The Lammas Hireling’. After learning about the pagan and folkloric context and the poet’s life and work, students are encouraged to explore the poem’s language and imagery alongside its form, structure and rhyme. The poem is deconstructed at a high level, with focus on important elements including its confessional tone, homoerotic subtext, and literary influences. Key vocabulary is provided to help facilitate precise and sophisticated analysis. At the end of the lesson, there are comprehension questions and ideas are given for poems which might make for fruitful comparisons. This resource includes an editable PowerPoint and a PDF version of the PowerPoint (to retain aesthetic choices).

This 30-slide lesson explores Maria in Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’. With academic scrutiny, the lesson analyses one of Shakespeare’s key characters, beginning with an overview of her key lines, attributes, and role in the plot. This then leads to interesting contextual points which might illuminate Maria’s character, and some structural analysis of her role in the play. Maria’s key lines and moments are explored, including her relationships with Olivia, Sir Toby and Malvolio. Interesting viewpoints from a range of critics, directors, and actors are discussed, and we look at how Maria has been presented in a range of theatrical productions. Crucially, we also explore how Maria’s character relates to the key themes of the play and is central to the comedy of ‘Twelfth Night’. The Carnivalesque atmosphere of the play is analysed in light of Maria’s character, with close focus on themes including social mobility, revelry and marriage. Questions, discussion points, and essay questions are featured throughout. Students are encouraged to consider Maria’s character at a high level, so this lesson would be ideal for students aged 16+. PowerPoint saved as both an editable PowerPoint and PDF (to retain aesthetic choices).

This 33-slide lesson explores Orsino in Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’. With academic scrutiny, the lesson analyses one of Shakespeare’s key characters, beginning with an overview of his key lines, attributes, and role in the plot. This then leads to interesting contextual points which might illuminate Orsino’s character, and some structural analysis of his role in the play. Orsino’s key lines and moments are explored, including his notable allusion to the myth of Diana and Actaeon. Close analysis of language is included to aid students’ annotations. Interesting viewpoints from a range of critics, directors, and actors are discussed, and we look at how Orsino has been presented in a range of theatrical productions. Crucially, we also explore how Orsino’s character relates to the key themes of the play and is central to the comedy of ‘Twelfth Night’. The Carnivalesque atmosphere of the play is analysed in light of Orsino’s character, with close focus on themes including narcissism, masculinity, and desire. Questions, discussion points, and essay questions are featured throughout. Students are encouraged to consider Orsino’s character at a high level, so this lesson would be ideal for students aged 16+. PowerPoint saved as both an editable PowerPoint and PDF (to retain aesthetic choices).

This 25-slide lesson explores Thom Gunn’s 'The Man with Night Sweats’. After some key starter questions and discussion points about the AIDS epidemic, students learn about the poet’s life and context before reading the poem. A summary of the poem is included to support students’ understanding. Questions are asked about the poem’s language and imagery, focusing crucially on the speaker’s relationship with their body. Ideas about tone, contrasts, and symbolism are explored. A detailed overview of form, structure and rhyme is also provided. The lesson also explores the poem’s key themes, and a list of sophisticated vocabulary is given to facilitate precise analysis. At the end of the lesson, comprehension questions and an essay-style question are included. The lesson is saved as both an editable PowerPoint and PDF to retain aesthetic features.

This 21-slide lesson explores Aphra Behn’s ‘Love Armed’. After some key starter questions about Cupid, students learn about the poet’s life and context before reading the poem. A summary of the poem is included to support students’ understanding. Questions are asked about the poem’s language and imagery, focusing at first on the presentation of love. Detailed annotation prompts are included to facilitate students’ own independent thinking about the poem. A detailed overview of form, structure and rhyme is also provided. Students are encouraged to think about the reliability of the speaker in the poem and assess the poem’s tone. The lesson also explores the poem’s key themes, and a list of sophisticated vocabulary is given to facilitate precise analysis. At the end of the lesson, critical thinking questions and an essay-style question are included. The lesson is saved as both an editable PowerPoint and PDF to retain aesthetic features.

This 21-slide lesson explores Tony Harrison’s poem, ‘Long Distance’. After some key starter questions about processes of grief, students learn about the poet’s life and context before reading the poem. A summary of the poem is included to support students’ understanding. Questions are asked about the poem’s attitudes to mourning, compassion, and masculinity, thinking critically about the poem’s use of voice and tone. The lesson also encourages students to think about Harrison’s use of language and imagery. A detailed overview of form, structure and rhyme is also provided. Students are encouraged to read the poem by focusing on several key themes, including appearance vs reality and routine & preservation. The lesson also explores the poem’s key themes, and a list of sophisticated vocabulary is given to facilitate precise analysis. At the end of the lesson, quick comprehension questions and an essay-style question are included. The lesson is saved as both an editable PowerPoint and PDF to retain aesthetic features.

This 26-slide lesson explores Judith Wright’s poem, ‘Request to a Year’. After some key starter questions about art, sacrifice and resolutions, students learn about the poet’s life and context before reading the poem. A summary of the poem is included to support students’ understanding. Questions are asked about the poem’s attitudes to gender and motherhood, thinking critically about the poem’s use of voice and tone. The lesson also encourages students to think about Wright’s use of language and imagery. A detailed overview of form, structure and rhyme is also provided. Students are encouraged to read the poem through a Feminist critical lens, discussing several allegorical readings. The lesson also explores the poem’s key themes, and a list of sophisticated vocabulary is given to facilitate precise analysis. At the end of the lesson, quick comprehension questions and an essay-style question are included. The lesson is saved as both an editable PowerPoint and PDF to retain aesthetic features.

This 30-slide lesson explores Charles Tennyson Turner’s poem, ‘On Finding a Small Fly Crushed in a Book’. After some key starter questions, students learn about the poet’s life and context before reading the poem. A summary of the poem is included to support students’ understanding. Questions are asked about the poem’s use of symbolism and its function as a ‘memento mori’ poem. The lesson also encourages students to think about Tennyson Turner’s use of language and imagery. A detailed overview of form, structure and rhyme is also provided. Some examples of annotations are included to support students’ independent analysis of the poem. The lesson also explores the poem’s key themes, and a list of sophisticated vocabulary is given to facilitate precise analysis. At the end of the lesson, quick comprehension questions and an essay-style question are included. The lesson is saved as both an editable PowerPoint and PDF to retain aesthetic features.

This 27-slide lesson explores Roderick Ford’s poem, ‘Giuseppe’. The lesson begins by encouraging students to think about how acts of atrocity have been justified throughout history, looking at one case study example. We then look at Ford’s writing career before delving into the poem itself and establishing its narrative. Language and imagery are deconstructed before analysing the poem’s form, structure, rhythm and rhyme. The backdrop of the Second World War, specifically concerning Sicily, is discussed, and the poem’s use of frame narrative and narrative distancing is considered. The numerous characters featured in the poem are explored, as well as the problematic gender dynamics of the poem. We zoom in on various symbols and key moments from the poem for close analysis. Students then consider the idea of ‘truth’ in the poem, before considering how the poem could be read via various critical lenses. Key vocabulary and key themes are also given to students to facilitate high-level analysis. At the end of the lesson, there are critical-thinking questions for pupils to consider about the poem, before an idea for a suitable poem to compare to ‘Giuseppe’ to strengthen comparative analytical skills. The lesson is ideal for those studying ‘Giuseppe’ as part of Pearson’s ‘Poems of the Decade’, but could easily be used for any purpose. Two files are included: one saved as a PDF (to retain font and layout); the other is saved as the original PPT so that teachers can edit the file accordingly.

This 33-slide lesson explores Patience Agbabi’s poem, ‘Eat Me’. Students begin by discussing key ideas around the relationship between sex and food and society’s beauty standards. We then learn about Agbabi’s work before delving into the poem and establishing its narrative. The lesson then guides students methodically through extensive key ideas related to the poem, including title analysis; intertextual allusions; analysis of language; and analysis of form, structure, rhythm and rhyme. The nature of the dramatic monologue as a form is also discussed, before looking closely at some of the poem’s key images and the use of repetition. Each character in the poem is then dissected, while also looking at key symbols in the poem (eg. the cake, the bed). We also discuss the poem’s colonial undertones. Students are given a list of key themes and key vocabulary to facilitate high-level analysis. There are then some important questions for students to answer once they have explored the whole poem, and a list of potential poems which could be used to compare to ‘Eat Me’ to strengthen comparative analytical skills. This resource is particularly useful for those studying ‘Poems of the Decade’ with Pearson, but could easily be used for any purpose. Two files are included: one has the PowerPoint saved as a PDF so that the fonts and layout are firmly in place; the other is saved as a normal PPT file so that you can edit it.

This 31-slide lesson explores the context behind Tennessee Williams’ classic play, ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’. Designed to introduce students to key ideas essential to understanding the play’s historical and literary background, this lesson features discussions around key vocabulary, themes and techniques relevant to Williams’ theatrical vision. Students think critically about stagecraft and theatrical technique before learning about expressionism and the Deep South of the early 20th century (including an exploration of what is meant by a ‘Southern Belle’). There are further discussions of tragedy, the American Dream, post-war masculinity, homophobia, and psychiatry of the 1940s. The play’s key themes are outlined before students are given some examples of sophisticated vocabulary to enable precise analysis of the play. Questions, images and discussion points are included throughout the lesson. A research task is included at the end. This lesson is saved both as a PDF (to retain original design) and editable PowerPoint.

This 25-slide resource explores Percy Shelley’s iconic poem, ‘Ozymandias’. Students are encouraged to think critically about the function and purpose of statues, making way for discussions about myth-making and deification. They then learn about Shelley’s life and work, before delving into the context behind why he wrote the poem following the British Museum’s landmark acquisition. The resource explores ideas about the speakers and use of frame narrative, the poem’s heavy use of irony, and tensions between art and the artist. Form, structure, and language are analysed, and lists of key themes and vocabulary are provided to equip students with sophisticated tools for analysing the poem. Questions and discussion points are provided throughout the resource. ‘Quick-fire’ questions are given at the end, followed by an essay question. This resource can be used as a lesson or revision resource. It is ideal for ambitious GCSE or KS3 classes. Both a PDF and PowerPoint version of the resource are included.

This 40-slide lesson explores the context and background of Shakespeare’s ‘King Lear’. Designed as both an introduction to the play and a revision resource for students to use when recapping the play’s context, this is a comprehensive and detailed exploration of Shakespeare’s sources and influences, as well as the play’s key themes, ideas and critical debates. Students are also equipped with important and precise vocabulary for analysing the play with sophistication. Among other key ideas, students are introduced to elements of tragedy, Jacobean ideas of kingship, Shakespearean staging and stagecraft, Christianity vs. Paganism, and the play’s preoccupation with absurdity and meaninglessness. The anonymous ‘King Leir’ is referenced along with other points about the play’s textual history, and contemporary debates around succession and the unification of Britain are discussed in detail. Images from various productions of ‘King Lear’ are included for discussion, and questions for students are included throughout the resource. The file is included here both as a PDF and PowerPoint. The latter file will not retain precise font choices and formatting.

Perfect for stretch and challenge, this 24-slide lesson considers how Priestley was influenced by various theories of time when writing ‘An Inspector Calls’. The ideas of P.D. Ouspensky and J.W. Dunne are explored here, as well as questions about the nature of the Inspector’s curious relationship with time and how the significance of time is emphasised throughout the play. Stephen Daldry’s 1992 production of the play is considered in view of time theories, and the play’s key characters and stagecraft are analysed in terms of their relationship with time. Frequent questions and discussion points are included for students, and the lesson ends with an extended essay question on Priestley’s use of time. The resource is included in two versions here: as a PDF with saved fonts and formatting, and the original PowerPoint file so that the resource can be edited.

This 20-slide lesson explores Fleur Adcock’s poem, ‘The Telephone Call’. Starter activities probe students to think about their attitude to the lottery and its anthropological implications. We then learn about the life and work of Fleur Adcock before reading the poem. Students are prompted to think about the two juxtaposing characters in the poem before delving into Adcock’s use of language, imagery, form, structure and rhyme. The significance of the poem’s 1980s context is also considered. Key themes and sophisticated vocabulary are listed to enable students to conduct precise analysis. We also ask what the poem’s true message may be, posing a variety of interpretations. This resource is ideal for those studying the poem as part of Cambridge IGCSE’s ‘Songs of Ourselves’, but is useful for anyone looking at the poem. Two versions of the lesson are attached: one is a PDF to save the best aesthetics and formatting; the other is a standard PowerPoint where fonts and formatting may be lost but can easily be edited.

This 23-slide lesson explores W.H. Auden’s ‘Funeral Blues’. The lesson begins with questions for students about the poem’s title and information about the poem’s history (including how it’s now so famous from ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’). Students then read the poem (a glossary of key terms is provided) and discuss their first impressions. The poem is summarised and explained generally before the lesson moves into detailed questions about the poem: its speaker, its tone, its language, its imagery, its ending, and its message. Notes are given about the poem’s key tensions, as well as form, structure and rhyme. Key themes are listed, and there is a list of sophisticated vocabulary to allow students to conduct precise and high-level analysis. There is an image-based task for students to match pictures to the poem. There are questions provided throughout, including comprehension and though-provoking questions at the end. An example of an essay question (particularly relevant to the Cambridge IGCSE) is also included. PowerPoint is attached as a PDF and in its original format. The PDF is recommended if you wish to retain the fonts, layout, and design.

This 43-slide lesson explores the character of Malvolio in Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’. With academic scrutiny, the lesson analyses one of Shakespeare’s most famous and complex characters, beginning with an overview of his key lines, attributes, and role in the plot. This then leads to analysis of Malvolio’s name, key vocabulary that we might use to describe him, and how his ‘gulling’ threatens the comic spirit of the play. Important historical and theatrical context is explored alongside Malvolio’s character, and we look at how Shakespeare uses him to satirise Puritanism. Using Elizabethan debates surrounding acting and its influence, we think about how Malvolio functions as a metatheatrical symbol of anti-theatricality. Interesting viewpoints from a range of critics, directors, and actors are discussed. Crucially, we also explore how Malvolio’s character relates to the key themes of the play and is central to the comedy of ‘Twelfth Night’. We look at how Malvolio interacts with other characters in the play, the vivid imagery used in his gulling, and how his famous ending might be interpreted from a range of critical lenses. The Carnivalesque atmosphere of the play is analysed in light of Malvolio’s character. Questions, discussion points, and essay questions are featured throughout. Students are encouraged to consider Malvolio’s character at a high level, so this lesson would be ideal for students aged 16+. PowerPoint saved as PDF.

This 36-slide lesson explores the character of Feste in Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’. With academic scrutiny, the lesson analyses one of Shakespeare’s most complex comic characters, beginning with an overview of his key lines, attributes, and role in the plot. This then leads to analysis of Feste’s name, key vocabulary that we might use to describe him, and how his role as a jester grants him special privileges and licence. Important historical and theatrical context is explored alongside Feste’s character, and we look at the development of Shakespeare’s ‘Fools’ across his plays. Feste’s relationship with music and song is analysed, as well as his engagement with the play’s fascination with disguise when he becomes ‘Sir Topas’. Interesting viewpoints from a range of critics, directors, and actors are discussed. Crucially, we also explore how Feste’s character relates to the key themes of the play and is central to the comedy of ‘Twelfth Night’. We look at how Feste interacts with other characters in the play, such as Malvolio, and compare him to Viola in his liminal and transgressive state. The Carnivalesque atmosphere of the play is analysed in light of Feste’s character. Questions, discussion points, and essay questions are featured throughout. Students are encouraged to consider Feste’s character at a high level, so this lesson would be ideal for students aged 16+. PowerPoint saved as PDF.