Power and Conflict Comparison: Loss of Power in My Last Duchess and Poppies

This engaging GCSE English Literature lesson guides students through a comparison of Poppies and My Last Duchess, focusing on how both poets present loss of power, particularly from a female perspective. Designed for the AQA Power and Conflict anthology, the lesson helps students develop the analytical and comparative skills needed for the comparison question.

Lesson Overview:

• Quick recap starter to refresh key ideas, context, and themes from both poems
• Interactive whiteboard quiz exploring writer’s methods - imagery, structure, tone, and narrative voice - encouraging whole-class participation and deeper thinking
• Focused analysis tasks examining how female power is restricted, undermined, or lost in each poem
• Comparative writing activity where students identify and explain key similarities and differences in the poets’ presentations of power

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to confidently compare how Weir and Browning use poetic methods to present female loss of power, preparing them effectively for the AQA comparison question.