The Manhunt (Armitage) - analysis and creative response

Two lessons on Simon Armitage’s excellent poem ‘The Manhunt’.

Lesson 1 focuses on the structure, with a PowerPoint to guide students through the steps below:

1. Students reassemble a cut up version of the poem (resource provided)
2. They then record responses and ideas to sections of the poem (resource provided)
3. A paragraph on the poem’s structure
4. Watch a video with Armitage talking about the context of the poem
5. A brief research activity into PTSD

Lesson 2 is a creative response (worksheet provided). Detailed instructions and suggestions for how to write a poem inspired by Armitage’s structure and extended metaphor.

Resources:

• PPT
• Text of the poem
• Cut-up fragments of the poem for reassembly
• Worksheet to record notes on the poem
• Worksheet with detailed instructions for writing a creative response, stage by stage