Starter quiz
- What is the poem 'Follower' by Seamus Heaney about?
- agriculture in rural Ireland
- a father-son relationship
- how a father-son relationship changes over time ✓
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- In 'Follower' as a child the speaker ______ his father.
- admired ✓
- judged
- rejected
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- In 'Follower' both father and son...
- trip
- stumble ✓
- fall
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- By the end of the poem 'Follower' __________ is frustrated by __________ as they are seen as a hindrance.
- the son/ their father ✓
- the father/their son
- the son/himself
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- Which of the below is an example of tentative language?
- perhaps ✓
- decidedly
- possibly ✓
- definitely
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- The ending of a poem or a story where the conflict ends is known as a ______.
- 'resolution ' ✓
Exit quiz
- In 'Follower' Heaney uses what kind of rhyme scheme in each stanza?
- a regular rhyme scheme of AABB
- a semi-regular rhyme scheme in which lines 2 and 4 of each stanza rhyme ✓
- a semi-regular rhyme scheme in which lines 1 and 3 of each stanza rhyme
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- What's the impact of the regular rhyme scheme in 'Follower'?
- reflects the stable nature of the farm
- reflects the stable nature of the parent-child relationship ✓
- reflects the rhythm of ploughing the fields
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- Which word from 'Follower' shows the shift in time in the poem?
- "today" ✓
- "away"
- "grow"
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- A pause or break within a line of poetry, often marked by punctuation is known as...
- hyperbole
- enjambment
- caesura ✓
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- What's the potential impact of the caesura used in 'Follower'?
- indicates a hesitancy
- indicates a turning point ✓
- indicates a problem to be solved
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- Which words from the poem 'Follower' describe the skill of the speaker's father when it comes to farming?
- "clicking" ✓
- "mapping" ✓
- "yapping"
- "stumbling"
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Worksheet
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Presentation
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Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Heaney uses imagery to convey the sense of wonder, awe and admiration felt towards a parental figure.
- Heaney uses powerful verbs to suggest how the speaker felt inadequate when with his father.
- Heaney uses the resolution to reveal how the roles of the father and son are reversed in their later years.
- The stable rhyme scheme could mirror the stable nature of parental support the speaker felt.
- Heaney’s use of caesura could indicate a turning point in the poem at the end of stanzas 2 and 6.
Common misconception
Students may think that in the last two lines of the poem, the father now follows behind the son while he is out ploughing a field.
Although their roles have reversed, there is no indication that the last two lines involve the father and son ploughing. The echoes in the language merely symbolise that their roles have reversed as the son has grown up.
Keywords
Awe - a feeling of wonder or admiration, often mixed with fear or amazement
Prowess - exceptional skill or ability, especially in a particular field or activity
Earnest - serious and sincere in intention or effort; showing deep conviction or dedication
Quatrain - a four-line stanza in a poem
Caesura - a pause or break within a line of poetry, often marked by punctuation
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