1. SIMON ARMITAGE Mother, any distance

2. Starter Look at the title of the poem. Why do you think Armitage addresses the poem to ‘Mother’ rather than ‘Mum’? Discuss in pairs:  Three advantages of leaving home  Three disadvantages of leaving home

3. First Impressions List the five most important words in the poem. How would you use these words in one or two sentences you introduce the poem? Which best describes the movement throughout the poem?  From dependence to independence  From present to future  From being close to apart  From security to risk

4. Group Work Use the table sheets and explore the statements about the poem. Add a detail that supports each statement. List the verbs in the poem. How would you act out the poem? Why does Armitage use the word ‘anchor’? Why does he describe himself as a ‘kite’?

5. Noun Phrases In pairs, make a list of nouns and noun phrases and place under the headings: distance, measurement, connection, and tethering. Extension: Look at Armitage’s use of syntax. Verse two has one long sentence running over three and a half lines, followed by two words standing as a sentence each. What effect do you think he wanted by writing the two words this way?

6. two floors below your fingertips still pinch 1. He could have used ‘hand’ or ‘finger’. Why ‘fingertip’? 2. He could have used ‘hold’, ‘grasp’ or ‘grip’ to convey his mother’s actions. Why ‘pinch’?

8. Independent Learning Look at the student responses. How far do you agree with what has been written?