Winter Swans by Owen Sheers

Winter Swans

This two-lesson mini-unit explores Owen Sheer’s ‘Winter Swans’ in detail. Designed for GCSE pupils studying AQA’s Love and Relationships Poetry, this resource looks at the poem in depth and explains how to compare it to other poems from the anthology. The resource is made up of a 52-slide editable PowerPoint presentation and 4 accompanying worksheets.

The two lessons contain the following:

Lesson One

Context – A brief outline of Owen Sheers and factors that may have inspired the poem.

First Contact – An initial reading of ‘Winter Swans’ with a glossary included. Comprehension questions with example answers.

Language and imagery – Analysing ‘Winter Swans’ in detail. Exploring key imagery and answering questions that delve deeper. Model answers provided.

Essay Writing – An essay question to assess initial understanding. An example answer is included.

Lesson Two

Themes – Analysing the themes of ‘Winter Swans’ - Romantic love, nature and distance

Structure and Form – How Sheers uses rhyme, rhythm, caesura and enjambment.

The GCSE Exam – Comparing ‘Winter Swans’ with other poems from the anthology. Model answer included.

Not quite what you’re looking for? Click below for more AQA Anthology Poetry - Love and Relationships resources:

When We Two Parted
Love’s Philosophy
Porphyria’s Lover
Sonnet 29 – ‘I think of thee!’
Neutral Tones
The Farmer’s Bride
Eden Rock
Mother, Any Distance
Before You Were Mine
Walking Away
Follower
Letters From Yorkshire
Singh Song!
Climbing My Grandfather
AQA GCSE Anthology Poetry Love and Relationships Pack