A helpful guide to analyse a poem on the season of Spring for Year 7 UK students

1. Monday, 13 July 2015
Learning Outcomes
LO: To complete the Poetry Assessment
using all the techniques I need when
analysing poetry
Classwork
Lesson 4 Poetry Assessment

2. Spring Poem
Stunning spring is my favourite season 1
She swirls her skirts and drapes
The garden in her finest clothes
Dressing the naked winter trees and
Bushes with bright brilliant foliage 5
Spring showers us with confetti of
Pink cherry blossom petals in the warm breeze
Gently opening the eyes of
The snowdrops, crocuses and daffodils
They crane their necks from
The melting snow and smile sweetly 10
Creating colour and scent
In our glorious gardens.
Shadow Hamilton

3. Section A Reading Skills
Section A – Reading Skills
1a) What is the poet’s favourite season? (Line 1) [1 mark]
1b) Which two verbs does the poet says that Spring does with her
‘skirt’ on line 2?[1 mark]
1c) What example of alliteration is used on line 5?
[1 mark]
1d) What does the poet say is ‘gently opening’ in line 8 & 9?[1 mark]
1e) What is example of alliteration in the last line? [1 mark]

4. Section A Reading Skills Answers
1a) What is the poet’s favourite season? [1 mark]
• The poet’s favourite season is ‘spring’.
1b) Which two verbs does the poet says that Spring does with her ‘skirt’ on
line 2? [1 mark]
• The two verbs that Spring does with her skirt is ‘swirls’ and ‘drapes’.
1c) What example of alliteration is used on line 5?
[1 mark]
• The example of alliteration on line 5 is ‘bright brilliant’
1d) What does the poet say is ‘gently opening’ in line 8 & 9? [1
mark]
• The poet says that the ‘eyes’ of the flowers are ‘gently opening on line 8
& 9.
1e) What is example of alliteration in the last line?
[1 mark]
The example of alliteration in the last line is ‘glorious gardens’

5. Poetic Techniques
Look for the following techniques in the poem ‘Spring’,
highlight them and label them. Then think about what they
suggest about Spring.
1. Similes – when something is directly compared to
another things (e.g. she was as white as snow)
2. Metaphors – When something is indirectly compared to
another thing (e.g. dressing the naked winter trees)
3. Personification – an object is given a human quality –
(e.g. she swirls her skirts and drapes – Spring is not a
person and cannot wear a skirt and swirl around, but
the writer makes out they can)
4. Alliteration – the use of similar consonant sounds close
together – e.g. bright brilliant foliage
5. Positive or negative words = identify words that are
positive or negative – e.g. bright = positive – naked =
negative)

6. Section A Question 2
• 2. The poet uses personification when they
describe that Spring ‘swirls her skirts and drapes
the garden in her finest clothes’. What
impression does this personification give of
Spring? [10 marks]
• (You should write two detailed paragraphs looking
at two different impressions of spring, using
quotations and explaining how the poet creates
these impressions of Spring.)

7. Section A Question 2
• One of the impressions the poet creates of spring
using personification is _________________ This
is shown through the quotation about how she
‘swirls and drapes’ her skirt. This shows Spring as
__________________
• Another impression that the poet gives of Spring
through the technique of personification is
__________ This is demonstrated through the
quotation ______________ This indicates that
Spring is ______________________

8. Section A Question 3
3. How does the reader feel about Spring through
the poem? [5 marks]
(You need to write a detailed paragraph using
quotations to support your point about how reader
feelings about the poem and how it present Spring –
you could look at how the poet uses lots of positive
alliteration e.g. ‘bright brilliant foliage’)

9. Section A Question 3
• The reader will feel that spring is a positive
time of year. This is shown through the
quotation ______________________. This
shows Spring as positive because
_____________________________
(now you need to analyse the language and
quotation you have chosen in detail.)

10. Section A Question 4
4. The poet describes Spring as their ‘favourite
season.’ How does the poet present these feelings
about Spring through other examples of language
in the poem? [5 marks]
(You need to write a detailed paragraph using
quotations to support your point about how the
poet uses positive language to show their feelings
about Spring, such as words light ‘brilliant’ and
‘glorious’. Look at what impressions these words
make about their feelings about Spring.)

11. Section A Question 4
• The poet presents their feelings about spring as
their favourite season in the poem with the
words and phrases such as
______________________________
______________________. The poet is showing
Spring as their favourite season as these words
create a positive impression of Spring because
_____________________________
(now you need to analyse the language and
quotation you have chosen in detail.)

12. Section B The Writing Task
5. You are to write a 150-250 word description of a
spring day or night using as many different
techniques as you can below.
You need to come up with a list of things you expect
to see on a spring day and then a spring night that
might be interesting to describe.
Alliteration
(Spring spills her special
magic over the land)
Metaphors
(e.g. Spring is a lion)
Similes
(Spring is like a lion)
Personification
(Spring sweeps her hand
over the countryside)
Use a range of
Punctuation for effect
(brackets, semi-colons
and dashes)
Use a range of sentences
(simple, compound and
complex)
Use Topic Expand Link
length of paragraphs
Vocabulary – use some
interesting words from
the thesaurus
Describe different
pictures of Spring (in the
forest, in the city)
Try to mix positive events
or ideas with negative
ones to create interest
for the reader
Attention grabbing first
sentence
Attention grabbing ending

13. Section B The Writing Task
5. You are to write a 150-250 word description of a spring day or night
using as many different techniques as you can below.
Section Ideas
Attention grabbing
first sentence
Spring is as beautiful as the morning sunrise.
Description 1
The new flowers that grow and fill the air with their striking
smell. The trees start to grow their leaves so the birds have
somewhere to meet up and have their little babies.
Description 2
At nightime, Spring is full of life, as little animals, like the humble
hedgehog come out of hibernation and start to get their little
dens sorted for the summer.
Attention grabbing
ending sentence
Spring is only hear for a little while, as summer comes along and
pushes Spring out of the way for a hot and heady time.

14. Self / Peer Assessment
Success (what is good?)
Put a
Presentation
Effort grades
1-5 in here
What Next? (how can we move it to the next level?)
And now do it….. (now deal with it! Action!)

15. Blue Star = Basic Presentation
Basic handwriting; some titles and dates on work; title and date not
always underlined; some pages and spaces used correctly.
Red Star = Limited Presentation
Handwriting needs to be clearer; no titles or dates on work; no underlining;
pages and spaces not used correctly; pages missing.
Silver Star = Good Presentation
Good clear handwriting; title and date on all work; title and
date underlined; all pages and spaces used.
Green Star = Sound Presentation
Mostly clear handwriting; title and date on most work; title and date
mostly underlined; most pages and spaces used.
Gold Star = Excellent Presentation
Excellent clear handwriting; title and date on all work; title
and date underlined; all pages and spaces used.
P1
P2
P3
P4
P5
Presentation Grades

16. Effort Grades
Blue Star = Basic Effort
Meeting some expectations, but not completing all the
work.
Red Star = Limited Effort
Very little work or no work completed.
Silver Star = Good Effort
Meeting expectations; completing work to a good standard.
Green Star = Sound Effort
Meeting most expectations; completing work to a solid level.
Gold Star = Excellent Effort
Exceeding expectations; completing extension tasks to an
outstanding level.
E1
E2
E3
E4
E5

17. Achievement Grades
Blue Star = Basic Achievement
Meeting some expectations, achieving my target level/grade
sometimes, but mostly below target.
Red Star = Limited Achievement
Not meeting expectations; achieving well below my target
level/grade.
Silver Star = Good Achievement
Meeting expectations; achieving my target level/grade.
Green Star = Sound Achievement
Meeting most expectations; achieving my target level/grade
most of the time.
Gold Star = Excellent Achievement
Exceeding expectations; achieving well above my target
level/grade.
A1
A2
A3
A4
A5