Objectives

• Analyse how Dharker uses the extended metaphor of paper — from Qur'anic pages to skin — to argue that human-made power is fragile and temporary.
• Explain how structural choices (short enjambed stanzas, the isolated final line 'turned into your skin') create meaning in 'Tissue'.
• Identify and interpret the significance of specific images — the 'fine-grained' Qur'an pages, the 'cities' built on paper, the translucent skin — within their post-9/11 and postcolonial context.
• Write an evidenced exam-style paragraph that embeds quotation from 'Tissue', analyses language and structure, and links to Dharker's purpose.
• Compare Dharker's presentation of power and impermanence in 'Tissue' with its treatment in a second AQA Power and Conflict poem, using subject terminology accurately.

The sequence

1. Lesson 1: What does tissue-thin power look like? Close reading of Dharker's 'Tissue'

   55 min · ch. 1

   Do now

   Look at the first stanza of 'Tissue' on your sheet: 'Paper that lets the light / shine through, this / is what could alter things.' Write two observations — one about what the speaker seems to appreciate about paper, and another about anything unusual you notice in the arrangement of the sentence across the lines.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of stanzas 1–2 ('Paper that lets the light / shine through…' to '…smoothed and stroked and turned to'). Let's think about the verb 'lets' — here, paper isn't just passive; it's permissive, almost generous. This suggests an active role in allowing light to filter through. Notice how the enjambment across 'this / is what could alter things' creates a pause on 'this', reflecting the tentative, fragile nature of the paper itself. This is an example of analyzing language choice and form together, a skill that students will replicate independently.

   Independent task

   Working through stanzas 3–7 ('Maps too. The sun shines through / their borderlines…' to '…fine slips from grocery shops'), students annotate their printed copies and then write a structured paragraph of at least 120 words addressing the question: How does Dharker use the items listed in these stanzas — maps, receipts, birth certificates — to challenge the authority of documents? Students should include at least two quotations, identify one language technique and one structural technique, and connect both to Dharker's purpose. Paragraphs are to be submitted at the end of the lesson.

   Exit ticket

   In one or two sentences, explain why Dharker chooses to end the poem with the isolated line 'turned into your skin' rather than including it in the final stanza — what effect does that separation create?

2. Lesson 2: Writing about power and impermanence: 'Tissue' and a comparison poem

   55 min · ch. 1

   Do now

   Read the last three stanzas of 'Tissue' again, from 'Shine through a building…' to '…turned into your skin.' Without consulting your notes, write down what you think Dharker's final argument is regarding human beings and the documents that attempt to define them. Make sure to include at least one word from the poem in your response.

   Teacher input

   The imagery of the 'half-sunk, shattered visage' in Shelley's 'Ozymandias' starkly illustrates the transient nature of power, revealing the irony in the once-mighty ruler's decay. This visual representation of ruin contrasts with Dharker's notion of 'cities / built on paper', which evokes a sense of quiet hope amid fragility. Whereas Shelley emphasizes the futility and inevitable decline of human ambition through his ironic tone, Dharker suggests that even the most delicate constructs can hold potential for renewal and growth. Similarly, both poets convey the idea that power crumbles; however, Dharker's approach is marked by an underlying optimism, suggesting a possibility for rebirth, unlike Shelley's stark depiction of loss. By contrast, the tones of these poets highlight the differing perspectives on the impermanence of power, inviting readers to reflect on the complexities of human endeavor.

   Independent task

   Students will write a timed comparative response of around 250–350 words to the following question: "Compare how poets convey the idea that human power is fragile in 'Tissue' and one other poem from the AQA Power and Conflict cluster." Students are required to include at least three quotations from 'Tissue', analyze at least one language technique and one structural technique in 'Tissue', and make at least two clear comparative points regarding their selected second poem. The responses will be completed within a 30-minute timeframe and submitted for evaluation according to the AQA mark scheme.

   Exit ticket

   Write one sentence identifying the single strongest comparative point you made in your response today, and one sentence explaining what you would add or change if you had five more minutes.

Activities

Assessment

• Lesson 1 do-now: teacher scans responses to check whether students can identify enjambment and its effect before instruction begins.
• Lesson 1 annotation check: teacher circulates during independent task to confirm students are embedding quotation rather than paraphrasing, and are naming techniques by their correct terms.
• Lesson 1 exit ticket: written responses show whether students can connect structural isolation of the final line to Dharker's thematic purpose — a key AO2 move.
• Lesson 2 do-now: unassisted summary of Dharker's final argument reveals whether students have internalised the poem's meaning from Lesson 1.
• Lesson 2 comparative quotation tennis: teacher listens to pairs to check that comparison is explicit (not just two separate analyses) before the timed write begins.

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 the text.
• 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 specific parts of a text contribute to its overall structure and meaning.
• 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 word choice, imagery, and figurative language in a literary text.
• Structure (STR-1) — explain the function of structure and the contribution of line breaks and stanza form to meaning in poetry.
• Character and Narration (NAR-1) — analyse the role of the speaker and shifts in perspective within a poem.
• Literary Argumentation (LAN-1) — develop a thesis that makes a defensible claim about a literary text and support it with evidence and commentary.

AQA

• AO1 — read, understand and respond to texts; sustain a critical stance and 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.
• AO4 — use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation (applicable to comparative written response).

Edexcel

• AO1 — maintain a critical style and develop an informed personal response, using 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 — demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received.