Objectives

• Analyse how Heaney uses the extended nautical simile in stanza 1 ('globed like a full sail strung') to construct the father as a figure of heroic, elemental mastery.
• Explain how the child speaker's physical clumsiness in stanzas 4–5 ('I stumbled in his hob-nailed wake') creates an ironic contrast with the father's precision.
• Trace the structural reversal in the final stanza and argue what it reveals about guilt, inheritance and the weight of the past.
• Write an evidenced, analytical paragraph that embeds and interprets quotations from the poem in response to a set question.
• Connect the poem's biographical context — Heaney's choice of poetry over farming — to its elegiac and pastoral registers.

The sequence

1. Lesson 1: What the plough makes: close reading Heaney's imagery and form in 'Follower'

   60 min · ch. 1

   Do now

   Read the poem once quietly. On a sticky note, jot down the one word that captures the essence of the father in stanzas 1–3, and the one word that reflects the speaker (child) in stanzas 4–5. Be prepared to explain your choices without any reference materials.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the line 'His shoulders globed like a full sail strung' (stanza 1). Let's think through this: the verb 'globed' implies that the shoulders are rounded, almost like a globe—suggesting that the father becomes as substantial as the earth he works with. The phrase 'full sail' brings in a nautical element, which contrasts with the agricultural setting. Heaney cleverly intertwines the language of the sea with a landlocked field, making the father's skill seem vast and unstoppable. It's important to note how the simile serves two purposes: it elevates the father's stature while also hinting that the son, who will become a poet, perceives the world through a lens of figurative language instead of just practical work.

   Independent task

   Students will write a focused analytical paragraph (minimum 150 words) addressing the question: 'How does Heaney depict the father as a figure of mastery in stanzas 1–3?' They need to incorporate at least two quotations — one from the simile 'globed like a full sail strung' and another from the technical vocabulary ('the sod rolled over without breaking') — and explain the contribution of each word or phrase to the reader's impression of the father. Paragraphs should be submitted at the end of the lesson for written feedback.

   Exit ticket

   In one sentence, explain why Heaney uses a nautical simile ('full sail') rather than an agricultural one to describe his father's shoulders — what does the unexpected comparison add that a farming image could not?

2. Lesson 2: The volta and the guilt: how the final stanza reverses everything in 'Follower'

   60 min · ch. 1

   Do now

   Without looking at the poem again, jot down the last two lines from memory. If you can’t recall them precisely, summarize their meaning instead. After you’ve written your interpretation, check the poem to see how you did. Take note of any incorrect words and reflect on why those specific words are significant.

   Teacher input

   Model how the final stanza ('But today / It is my father who keeps stumbling / Behind me, and will not go away') acts as a structural turning point. Notice the shift in pronouns: 'I stumbled' (stanza 5) changes to 'my father who keeps stumbling' — Heaney moves the child's earlier awkwardness onto the aging father, flipping the power dynamic. Highlight the present tense 'keeps stumbling' and 'will not go away': the father is not just a memory but an active, persistent presence. Relate this to the biographical context — Heaney chose poetry over farming — so the father's inability to 'go away' embodies both guilt and love.

   Independent task

   Students are required to compose a complete exam-style response of at least 200 words addressing the question: 'How does Heaney use structural reversal and the shift in tense in the final stanza to explore the theme of guilt and inheritance?' They should discuss the contrast between the child's stumbling in stanza 5 and the father's stumbling in stanza 6, accurately use the term 'volta,' and link their analysis to at least one contextual detail regarding Heaney's choice to pursue poetry over farming. All responses will be gathered and assessed based on the rubric.

   Exit ticket

   Write two sentences: one explaining what the father represents in stanzas 1–3, and one explaining what he represents in the final stanza — use the word 'shift' or 'reversal' in your second sentence.

Activities

Assessment

• Do-now sticky-note word map (Lesson 1): checking whether students can distinguish the poem's binary characterisation of father and child before any teaching.
• Simile surgery grid (Lesson 1): checking whether students can move from identifying a technique to explaining its specific effect on a reader.
• Tense detective colour-coding (Lesson 2): checking whether students can locate the exact moment the poem's tense shifts and articulate why it matters.
• Exit ticket Lesson 1: checking whether students understand why the nautical register is semantically loaded rather than decorative.
• Exit ticket Lesson 2: checking whether students can hold both halves of the poem's reversal in mind simultaneously and use the word 'shift' or 'reversal' accurately.

Standards covered

Common Core 11 12

• RL.11-12.1 — Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from it.
• RL.11-12.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyse the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.
• RL.11-12.5 — Analyse how an author's choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it, and manipulate time create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.
• W.11-12.9 — Draw evidence from literary texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

AP Literature

• Literary Argumentation (LAN-1) — Explain the function of a specific word or phrase in a literary text, including how it contributes to meaning.
• Figurative Language (FIG-1) — Identify and explain the function of a simile and its contribution to the overall meaning of a poem.
• Structure (STR-1) — Explain how the poet's structural choices — including stanza organisation, tense shifts, and the volta — contribute to the poem's meaning.
• Character (CHR-1) — Analyse how the speaker's changing relationship to the father across the poem develops a complex portrayal of inheritance and guilt.

AQA

• AO1 — Read, understand and respond to texts; maintain a critical style and develop an informed personal response; use textual references, including quotations, to support and illustrate interpretations.
• AO2 — Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects, using relevant subject terminology where appropriate.
• AO3 — Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written and received.

Edexcel

• AO1 — Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology, and coherent, accurate written expression.
• AO2 — Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts, with particular attention to diction, imagery and structural choices.
• AO3 — Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received.

Eduqas

• AO1 — Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology and coherent, accurate written expression.
• AO2 — Analyse the ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts, focusing on how Heaney's use of simile, tense and structural reversal create meaning.
• AO4 — Explore connections across literary texts, including the relationship between 'Follower' and the pastoral and elegiac traditions.