Read and listen to (sung, if possible) Lear’s “The Owl and the Pussycat”.

Why is the poem specially good for singing? Look at the words that rhyme, and the way the lines are arranged.

KS 2

Listen to an extract from a classical piece, such as Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata or Handel’s The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba. Ask students to jot down what it makes them feel and think, then compose a poem inspired by the music.

KS 3

Listen to “Candle in the Wind”, sung by Elton John, and read Bernie Taupin’s lyrics. Students should consider the power of the central extended metaphor, and contrast that with the other, less original imagery in the verses.

KS 4

In what ways does Orsino’s first speech in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night make an effective opening to the play? Students should think about dramatic impact, the establishing of the Duke’s character, and the play’s themes.

KS 5

Study Keats’s “Ode to a Grecian Urn”, thinking particularly about what the poet is saying about music, silence and art.