Knowledge Organisers for English

1. Knowledge Organisers for English How do you use them? • Self quiz – read and write down what you remember • Look, cover, write, check • Create flashcards that you test yourself on to learn the knowledge • Create mini quizzes and swap and check your knowledge • Dual code – create a series of pictures or symbols that link to the information on the KO • Apply the information in context – use them to help you write an essay or plan an essay • How NOT to use them: Copy out the information with the KO directly in front of you Ignore them You will study: Romeo and Juliet Animal Farm A Christmas Carol The Poetry Anthology Context for the Anthology Unseen Poetry YOU ALL NEED TO LEARN THIS INFORMATION

2. ROMEO & JULIET CORE KNOWLEDGE – Y11 AQA Context Patriarchy - Women not as important as men Law – no justice system like we have today instead the class system hierarchy was responsible for keeping the peace Greek Tragedy – Use of a chorus in the prologue to narrate events Courtly Love – a love that was not returned – often love letters would be sent to a lady who did not reciprocate Fate - is from the work of a Roman scholar named Boethius who influenced Shakespeare Allusions/Greek Mythology – Several Greek myths are referenced throughout the play Arthur Brook’s poem inspired the play TheRenaissance – was a time of significant change in the fields of religion, politics, science, language and the arts

4. Context • Dickens used conventions from the Gothic genre –death, spirits, supernatural, • Huge population increase in London in Victorian Britain. Overcrowding. Large supply of labour meant employers could pay low wages. • ¼ of population living in poverty. No welfare state to provide benefits for poor. Charity was vital. • Many children died in childbirth/infancy • No printers or copiers in 19th century. Clerks wrote everything out by hand. • Dickens’ father ran up huge debts, and got sent to a debtors’ prison. • Dickens then taken out of school and sent to a Blacking factory at age 12.Terrible conditions. Cruel employers. Low pay. • Poor Children sent to terrible evening ‘ragged schools’ where they were neglected, and not educated well which meant they would stay poor. Education wasn’t compulsory. Only rich children enjoyed good schools. • Dickens visited ragged schools – ones for the poor • Religious society –most went to church, and believed in after life and knew Christian message of forgiveness. • Dickens was inspired to write the book by insomnia filled night walks in London A Christmas Carol CORE KNOWLEDGE AQA

6. ANIMAL FARM KO - Y11 AQA Context Orwell was a Socialist. He despised the cruelties in the Soviet Union model of socialism. The novel is an anti-totalitarian novel. Each character represents different historical figures. Pig represent educated Russians who took power. Moses exploitation of religion in communism. The Sheep – Russian Masses. Mr Frederick – Hitler Mr Pilkington – Capitalist govt of Britain & The USA. The Hens – collective farmers ordered by Stalin to surrender their livelihoods. Mr Jones the Tzar Russian history And Stalin’s rise to power

8. AQA POWER & CONFLICT KO

9. CONTEXT: for each of the poems think about; how different audiences would have perceived the poems; think about the obvious clues in the poem to suggest something about the political, historical or social context; think about what you know about the poet.

10. Ozymandias Oral tradition of storytelling passed from generation to generation The story of Pharaoh Rameses – ruler of Egypt who was disliked by his people Shelley was commenting on figures in power and disliked the role of power played in society He was a powerful ruler disliked by his subjects He wasn’t important after he died – death happens to all (Shattered visage reinforces this) Anthology Context KO – AQA Power and Conflict CONTEXT: for each of the poems think about; how different audiences would have perceived the poems; think about the obvious clues in the poem to suggest something about the political, historical or social context; think about what you know about the poet. The Charge of the Light Brigade The narrative poem is a reflection of what happened in the Crimean War when soldiers and horses were ordered to go into the valley and were surprised by the ambush Officers in charge sent them into certain death by mistake – shows how men at the time were seen as dispensable Ambushed by the enemy and shows the weaponization of the army – which caused many deaths War never seems to stop and we don’t seem to learn from the mistakes of the past, rather continue to send men to war and to horrific deaths Tennyson may be criticising the army for sending these men to certain death and exploring the pointlessness of it Extract from The Prelude Able to ‘steal’ a boat as it has been moored in a quiet spot by one of the many Lakes in the Lake District Wordsworth’s childhood was passed in the Lake District and as a romantic poet he enjoyed the great outdoors Embracing nature and the beauty around him and appreciating the moment – romantic period reference Nature is very powerful and can impact the emotions of Wordsworth both positively and negatively Lost his parents as a teen and could have felt abandoned and last as a result, because this is a autobiographical poem it reflects events that happened to him & that remained with him My Last Duchess Duke of Ferrara who has had more than one wife and was considered a tyrant Shows an element of patriarchal society where the man is in charge and more important than women 16th Century Duke who thinks he is able to own and possess anything including a person Duke is in control and is an authority figure who will control others 16th century a lot of marriages were arranged and was seen as business transaction where the male is in control – patriarchy being shown again London Industrial Revolution was changing the landscape of London as more people migrated from the countryside to work in industry and the streets became overcrowded. Blake was inspired by walking the streets of London and looking upon the misery that was indicated in people that he saw. The choices made by governments and the wealthy was affecting everyone and changing society into an unrecognisable negative world. Blake is commenting on the negative aspects of religion and showing that religion has a moral responsibility to help people overcome the difficult circumstances, but he finds them lacking. Blake wrote this and included it in the Anthology ‘Songs of Experience’ which suggests he had seen the evils in society and wanted to highlight the wrongdoing of Religion, people and the Government and Royalty Checking out me History Agard was writing to highlight the lack of voices in black history that were recognised History books whitewash the truth and Agard wants this to be recognised Toussaint was a slave who was involved in the Haitian Revolution, but his story is not often told. Shows the colonial education given to black people which eradicated their own historic figures in favour of nursery rhymes Nanny De maroon was a military leader and was know as a beacon of strength and unity Showing that black people are looking into and researching their own history and finding the information written down in history books insufficient and insulting to their heritage Kamikaze A Kamikaze pilot was a suicide pilot and they were supposed to die by crashing into planes – it was a matter of honour and this is a strong part of Japanese culture Ordinary life went on for everyone while the suicide fighters undertook their missions Childhood memories often have a great impact on people and the decisions that they make Lost honour by not killing himself and patriotism was more important than family Family honour meant that the narrative in this story values kamikaze pilots who did kill themselves more than those who opted out. A societal conflict is evident

11. Poppies Context of war and remembrance – thinking about remembering those who died in the war Mothers who have lost a child may make poppies and make themselves busy to fill the gap and the loss Remembrance Sunday Parades are well-known War memorials are a symbol of war and the remembrance in most towns across the country and seen as a part of our heritage Birds are often used as symbols in literature and while the wars happening in Iraq and Afghanistan were still raging when Weir wrote this poem perhaps the wider symbolism is the lack of freedom these men have. The poet has not had a son Remains Soldier shoots the bank robber and is haunted by the image – replaying of events in the mind of the soldier Mental health of soldiers is impacted by events that they Duty of the soldier to carry on despite the suffering they have endured – PTSD Gulf War is referenced here, and the experiences are told as an anecdote by Armitage to bring to life the experiences of the soldiers Macbeth is referenced here – so who is the guilty party and emphasises the guilt of the soldier The Emigree Heritage is important and the power of memory for individuals Middle eastern wars are being referenced in the poem and although she is no longer living there she cannot go back as it is not safe Banning a language from being spoken does happen but people continue to secretly speak their language Passports create a sense of belonging to a place and although they are only a small booklet they have wider symbolic significance As a migrant or emigrant there is a sense of belonging that is missing from the new place that you live and a sense that you always long for the past Tissue Could be a reference to religious hope that many people have Records have been written down for centuries and help us to learn more about the past We chart our history through buildings as well as through records Biblically God has a grand design for everyone (if you are religious) and this seems to be alluded to here Extended metaphor in the whole poem compares the architecture of life and paper and buildings to the construct of living Bayonet Charge Telling a story of a bayonet charge and the emotional impact this has on the person at war – his fathers experience in WW1 shaped his childhood Many soldiers went into war through a sense of patriotic duty, but found the reality very difficult Individual men wouldn’t make a huge difference and they would have questioned the worth of war Mustard gas was a horrific new invention that meant many men and animals suffered horrible painful choking deaths like the death of the hare No reason for going to war seems justifiable. The human sacrifice is too wasteful. War Photographer Newspapers will pay for the pictures that are taken in a war zone in order to publicise it, but don’t take into account the human suffering Horrors of war remain with the people who have witnessed it Religious motif and the literary allusion to The Soldier The physical act of taking the photographs captures for eternity the suffering and pain caused by war Life in this country is easy compared to the suffering endured by others in war zones and it is difficult to put yourself in those situations Storm on the Island Being in a cottage on the edge of a cliff during a storm in Ireland – feels secure as the cottage has weathered storms before Tragic chorus is an element of Greek tragedy and commenting on what happens On the edge watching the storm and seeing the effects of nature on a rugged landscape Nature being used to show the unpredictability of the weather. Everyone is aware of pets that are tame and malleable but that they are still creatures we can’t control, just like we can’t control the weather Heaney was Irish and would have been familiar with this landscape Exposure WW1 suggests that people suffered not only from injuries but from the terrible weather and not being inside – trenches offered little protection from the harsh reality of winter The poor weather conditions in the war make the long-standing suffering even worse for the soldiers – Owen was writing from experience as he suffered through the war War is unpredictable and men were not prepared well enough to cope with the long waits in between a sudden burst of action War is a slow and long process, and nothing happens immediately almost as if men lose hope through the continued suffering they face and the way that they seen to lose a part of themselves Owen died just before the end of the war so writing his experiences helped others to understand and relate to the reality of war and how different elements such as the weather played a part in the misery of the men fascinated by the weather and the way nature manipulated the surroundings

12. UNSEEN POETRY KO Paper Two Literature Section C 20% of Lit GCSE Two previously unseen poems. 1 single poem essay. 1 comparison essay. • Things to consider comparing: • Ideas • Themes • Effect on reader • Writer’s intentions • Tone • Mood and atmosphere • Imagery • Narrative voice • Language techniques • Structural techniques • Shift of focus • Beginning • End