The Perseverance UNSEEN EDEXCEL POETRY

A complete unseen poetry lesson for A Level English Literature (Edexcel Component 3: Unseen Poetry) based on Raymond Antrobus’s “The Perseverance.” This PowerPoint guides students through a sensitive and reflective exploration of memory, fatherhood, and identity.

Includes:

Reading tasks to develop rhythm and comprehension skills

Guided prompts on title symbolism, perspective, and tone

Focused analysis of the poem’s final lines, exploring emotional and structural shifts

Discussion tasks on universality, grief, and endurance

Exam-style comparative question: Compare “The Perseverance” and “To My Nine-Year-Old Self” by Helen Dunmore

Built-in AO1, AO2, AO4 alignment for essay skills

Plenary reflection with “exit ticket” tasks for retrieval and synthesis

Teacher notes:
Perfect for unseen poetry practice or anthology comparison lessons. Encourages students to analyse form, voice, and emotion while connecting personal experience to universal themes of love and loss.