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EAL Nexus resource
Comparing two poems
Subject:
English
Age groups:
12–14, 15–16
Topic:
Poetry
Licence information | This resource is free to use for educational purposes.
Source | This resource was originally developed by EAL Nexus.
©British Council 2015
Learning objective:
To compare two poems, ‘Checking Out
Me History’ and ‘Singh Song!’, in
relation to character and voice
Linking to your exam
You will need to answer a question
comparing two poems in your GCSE
English Literature exam.
So let’s look at comparing our two
poems!
How do the two poems we have
studied compare?
On Post-it notes, write down:
 two things which are similar about the two
poems
 two things which are different about the
two poems
Share your thoughts with a partner.
Comparative connectives
What connectives can we use when
comparing two things?
Do you feel confident using these
connectives?





however
but
whereas
on the other hand
although





unlike
in the same way
likewise
similarly
both … and …
Connectives practice - worksheet
(A)
Look at the sentences on your sheet. Fill in
the gaps with a suitable connective from the
list. There may be more than one correct
answer!
(B)
Use the connectives to make your own
sentences comparing the two poems. Use
the ideas on your Post-it notes from earlier
to help you.
SMILER

What aspects of the poem do we need to
write about when we analyse poems?
 Structure
 Meaning
 Images
 Language
 Emotion
 Reader’s response
Comparing our two poems: ‘Singh Song!’
and ‘Checking Out Me History’
 Work in groups. Each group will look at a
different aspect of the poems from SMILER .
 Complete the Venn diagram on your worksheet
to show the similarities and differences
between the poems.
 Let’s do an example together first on the next
slide.
Structure
‘Checking Out
Me History’
Repetition
runs all
through the
poem, creating
a resolution at
the end.
Both
‘Singh Song!’
Stanzas and
lines of
different
lengths.
Structure
becomes looser
at the end as
the couple
finally have
night to
themselves
and can be
free.
Repetition at
the beginning
of stanzas.
PEE: What is it?
Point
Evidence (quotes)
Effect/Explanation
Why is it important to use PEE?
Using PEE to analyse our poems
We are going to practise writing a
PEE paragraph together, to compare
one aspect of the structure used in
our poems.
We will try to use comparative
connectives in our paragraph.
Writing our own PEE paragraphs
 Continue working in your small groups.
 Write your own PEE paragraph to compare the
poems, related to your aspect of SMILER .
 Use the model we have written together as a
guide.
 Swap your paragraph with another group. Check
they have used the PEE structure clearly.
Plenary
On Post-it notes, think about what you
now know about analysing poetry. Write
down:
one thing you are confident about
one thing you still want help with.