UNSEEN POETRY EDEXCEL ALEVEL

A thought-provoking unseen poetry lesson for A Level English Literature (Edexcel Component 3: Unseen Poetry) exploring Inua Ellams’ “Fuck / Boys.” This resource helps students unpack masculinity, vulnerability, and societal expectation through form, structure, and language analysis.

Includes:

Reading tasks to explore rhythm, punctuation, and visual structure

Guided thinking and talking points on the poem’s shape, enjambment, and restraint

Deep analysis of the title’s significance, tone, and social implications

Discussion on storytelling, gender norms, and emotional repression

Exploration of contrasts between harsh and delicate imagery to reveal layered masculinity

Exam-style comparative essay question: Compare “Fuck / Boys” with “From the Journal of a Disappointed Man” by Andrew Motion

Explicit focus on AO1, AO2, and AO4 objectives

Plenary reflection with structured “exit ticket” prompts

Teacher notes:
Ideal for unseen poetry practice or thematic study of masculinity. The lesson builds critical thinking around language, identity, and structure while modelling exam-style comparative analysis.