Developing a personal response to an unseen poem
Twyford CofE Academies Trust.
Task A: Responding to an unseen poem
- how does the poem make you feel? The neighbours don’t seem friendly with one another and that makes me feel sad.
- is the theme or idea of the poem relevant to you? I think the idea of people copying or “mirror[ing]” each other is relevant to me.
- are there any elements that you don’t understand? I think I understand the idea of the neighbours “mirror[ing]” each other but I’m not sure I understand the idea of never seeing what’s “real”.
- which word(s) or phrases draw your attention? The word “scab” to describe the neighbour’s lawn really stands out to me.
Consider Izzy’s response to the poem. How well does it align with your ideas?
- how does the poem make you feel? I don’t like the poem - it makes me feel tense.
- is the theme or idea of the poem relevant to you? I think the idea of people judging each other is relevant to me.
- are there any elements that you don’t understand? I’m not sure I understand why the title and first line merge together.
- which word(s) or phrases draw your attention? The final question “what will I see?” draws my attention.
Consider Sofia’s response to the poem. How well does it align with your ideas?
Task B: Developing your response
Consider how Sofia has developed her response. How well does it align with your response?
- what is the mood of the poem? The mood of the poem could be seen as fraught.
- how are the ideas in the poem pertinent to notions of human nature and wider society? The ideas of judgement that run through the poem are pertinent to how we treat each other in society.
- what is ambiguous in the poem? The opening of the poem could be seen as ambiguous.
- what is particularly evocative in the poem? The final question of the poem is particularly evocative and powerful.
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