Starter quiz
- If a poem is written as a long speech from an individual then it is a ...
- haiku.
- dramatic monologue. ✓
- sonnet.
- ballad.
-
- When did women first get the vote in the UK?
- 1918 ✓
- 1818
- 1718
- 1618
-
- In English, we can 'annotate' a poem. What does this mean?
- make notes on it to understand it further ✓
- write an essay based its key themes
- re-interpret it in our own way
- summarise each stanza
-
- If something is dysfunctional it is ...
- not operating properly. ✓
- clever but not suited to the task.
- working, but in a unique way.
- working perfectly.
-
- Which of the below are plausible synonyms of autonomy?
- independence ✓
- freedom ✓
- restriction
- powerlessness
-
- If a poem is written in 1916 then it was written in the ...
- 20th century. ✓
- 21st century.
- 19th century.
- 18th century.
-
Exit quiz
- Who wrote 'The Farmer's Bride'?
- 'Charlotte Mew' ✓
- The poem 'The Farmer's Bride' is written from the perspective of ...
- the farmer. ✓
- the bride.
- both the farmer and the bride.
- neither. It is written in third person limited.
-
- Starting with the first, put these events from 'The Farmer's Bride' in chronological order.
- 1⇔The farmer relates how three years ago he married a bride that was too young.
- 2⇔Once married she becomes fearful of her husband and eventually runs away.
- 3⇔The farmer and others go after her and eventually 'catch' her.
- 4⇔She is brought back to the farm and locked away.
- 5⇔She spends her time at home doing housework.
- 6⇔The farmer complains of the relationship and laments the distance between them.
- The poem is called 'The Farmer's Bride' and not 'Wife' but they have been married for over three years. What is a plausible explanation for this?
- this was the convention of the time
- their marriage was never consummated
- the use of 'bride' could suggest their marriage has not developed in any way ✓
-
- Think about the context of 'The Farmer's Bride'. At the time of writing, women usually had *decisions* taken for them by either a husband or father. As such, we would say that they lacked ...
- autonomy. ✓
- equality.
- suffrage.
- rights.
-
- Throughout the poem 'The Farmer's Bride', the bride is compared to different animals to highlight her vulnerability and captivity. Which animals is she compared to?
- hare ✓
- mouse ✓
- sheep
- bird
- rabbit
-
Worksheet
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Presentation
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Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- The bride is forced to marry the farmer at a young age and is scared of her husband.
- The bride attempts to run away and then is chased and captured by a group of men.
- When the bride returns she is locked up by her husband and becomes reclusive.
- Despite her refusal to speak, the farmer still fantasises about his wife.
- Mew was writing at a time when women's position in society was often restrictive.
Common misconception
The farmer is simply trying to care for his wife, his actions are well-intentioned and innocent.
The farmer's attempts to care for his wife may initially seem genuine, but the poem suggests a deeper complexity to their relationship. The bride's evident distress and desire to escape challenge the notion of the farmer's benevolence.
Keywords
Autonomy - independence over one’s thoughts and actions
Suffrage - the right to vote- in the early 20th century women's suffrage was an important political issue
Dramatic monologue - a poem written in the form of a speech from an individual character
Dysfunctional - not operating properly; broken
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