Starter quiz
- If someone gave you conventional gifts for Valentine's day you might expect...
- flowers ✓
- vegetables
- chocolates ✓
- teddies ✓
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- What is typical of love poetry?
- the speaker swears their devotion ✓
- written to the lover ✓
- the speaker explains how their lover makes them feel ✓
- the speaker is realistic their love might not last forever
-
- If something is not not conforming to what is usually or typically done or expected it is...
- stereotypical
- unconventional ✓
- conventional
- cliché
-
- The attitude or general feeling presented by a writer in a text is known as...
- 'tone' ✓
- What do we mean by the word 'subvert'?
- to view something in an unrealistic or idealistic way
- distrustful of other people’s sincerity
- to go against something ✓
-
- If something is cliché it is...
- an opinion or gesture that is overused and lacks originality ✓
- an opinion or gesture that is underused but lacks originality
- an opinion or gesture that is underused and original
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Exit quiz
- Match the keywords with their definitions.
- cliché⇔an opinion or gesture that is overused and lacks originality ✓
- unconventional⇔not conforming to what is usually or typically done or expected ✓
- cynical⇔distrustful of other people’s sincerity ✓
- subvert⇔to go against something ✓
- romanticise⇔to view something in an unrealistic or idealistic way ✓
- What is the poem 'Valentine' about?
- a speaker presents a lover with an unconventional gift to express their feelings ✓
- a speaker presents a lover with a traditional gift to express their feelings
- a speaker professes their undying love
- a speaker is breaking up with their 'valentine'
-
- In the poem 'Valentine' what does the speaker offer her lover?
- a rose
- a promise
- an onion ✓
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- In 'Valentine' the speaker feels that conventional romantic gifts are...
- 'cliché' ✓
- On which tone does 'Valentine' end?
- ominous ✓
- gentle
- firm
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- The poem ‘Valentine’ is an unconventional love poem, which ______ the conventions of traditional love poems.
- 'subverts' ✓
Worksheet
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Presentation
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Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- The poem ‘Valentine’ is an unconventional love poem, which subverts the conventions of traditional love poems.
- The speaker gives her lover an onion and explains why this is a better metaphor for their relationship than a rose.
- The onion arguably represents both the joy in relationships, but also the pain and suffering that people endure.
- Arguably, the poet feels that conventional romantic gifts are cliché, and limit people’s freedom of expression.
- The tone shifts throughout the poem; the poem ends with an ominous tone, perhaps to show the dangers of possessive love.
Common misconception
Pupils think that the speaker does not love their partner very much.
The speaker does love their partner - very much. The speaker, unlike other lovers, refuses to make promises that they aren't 100% sure they can't keep - they arguably find promising 'forever' unrealistic.
Keywords
Cliché - an opinion or gesture that is overused and lacks originality
Unconventional - not conforming to what is usually or typically done or expected
Cynical - distrustful of other people’s sincerity
To subvert - to go against something
To romanticise - to view something in an unrealistic or idealistic way
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