Thematic Study of Poetry: Family/Parenthood

Poetry Comparison Workbook: A Kite for Michael and Christopher & Catrin | 29 Printable Worksheets | PowerPoint | GCSE / KS4 English

Help students explore parent-child relationships, symbolism and poetic methods with this engaging 29-page poetry comparison workbook and PowerPoint designed for studying Seamus Heaney’s A Kite for Michael and Christopher alongside Gillian Clarke’s Catrin.

This resource guides students through both poems step by step using clear, scaffolded activities focused on language analysis, structure, themes, symbolism and comparison writing.
Ideal for building confidence with unseen poetry and comparative essay skills.

Included:

✓ Close reading worksheets for each stanza of A Kite for Michael and Christopher
✓ Annotated model analysis pages
✓ Context and background activities for both poets
✓ Symbolism and theme exploration tasks
✓ Poetry comparison activities linking both poems
✓ Structured response and exam-style writing tasks
✓ Retrieval, discussion and extension questions
✓ Printable black-and-white student-friendly format

Skills covered:

• Language analysis
• Structure and form
• Imagery and symbolism
• Theme of family / parent-child relationships
• Comparison of poems
• Critical thinking and written response development
• Exam preparation for poetry comparison questions

Perfect for:

• Key Stage 3 and GCSE English
• Final year of study for Written Language Controlled Assessment (Parenthood / Family)
• Poetry comparison units
• Building confidence with analytical and comparative writing