Lire un poème
Poems and song lyrics use simple words in surprising orders. That makes them ideal French reading: little vocabulary, lots of meaning.
Part of your national curriculum
- Reading: Read literary texts in the language, such as stories, songs, poems and letters, to stimulate ideas and develop creative expression
Lesson overview
What you'll learn in this lesson
Read literary texts in the language, such as stories, songs, poems and letters, to stimulate ideas and develop creative expression
Key learning points
- • A short original poem
- • How the poem works
- • Write your own
This lesson at a glance
- 25 minutes
- 19 parts to scroll through
- 4 quick checks
- Marked quiz at the end
- Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses
Words to know
Scroll down — the lesson carries on below
Watch & discover
Part 1 of 19
Visual introductionPicture this
Lire un poème
Poems and song lyrics use simple words in surprising orders. That makes them ideal French reading: little vocabulary, lots of meaning.
In a nutshell
Read literary texts in the language, such as stories, songs, poems and letters, to stimulate ideas and develop creative expression
Learning cycle
Part 2 of 19
Learning cycle 1 of 2
Part 1 · A short original poem
A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.
Explore the idea
Part 3 of 19
Learn
A short original poem
Le matin gris / la ville dort encore / un chat traverse la rue / et le jour commence. Translation: The grey morning / the town is still asleep / a cat crosses the street / and the day begins.
Reset break
Part 4 of 19
Pause
That's sitting 1 of 5 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Explore the idea
Part 5 of 19
Learn
How the poem works
There is one verb per line and no punctuation, so each image lands separately. 'La ville dort' gives the town a human action — personification. The cat is the only movement, which is why the last line feels like the day being switched on.
Quick check
Part 6 of 19
Quick check
Part 7 of 19
Reset break
Part 8 of 19
Pause
That's sitting 2 of 5 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Learning cycle
Part 9 of 19
Learning cycle 2 of 2
Part 2 · Write your own
A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.
Explore the idea
Part 10 of 19
Learn
Write your own
Copy the frame: a noun with an adjective, a place doing something human, one small movement, one closing statement. Four lines, present tense, no rhyme needed. 'Le soir calme / la maison respire / Luna monte l'escalier / et la nuit arrive.'
Quick check
Part 11 of 19
Reset break
Part 12 of 19
Pause
That's sitting 3 of 5 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Quick check
Part 13 of 19
Explore the idea
Part 14 of 19
Worked example
Model response
'Dans ce poème, la ville dort. C'est une personnification et l'atmosphère est calme. J'aime la troisième ligne parce que le chat est la seule chose qui bouge.' Notice the pattern: what happens, what technique, what you think.
Challenge round
Part 15 of 19
Game · Sort it
Which of these are true?
Drag each card into the right column. Tap a card first if dragging is fiddly.
True
Not true
Reset break
Part 16 of 19
Pause
That's sitting 4 of 5 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Challenge round
Part 17 of 19
Game · Recall cards
A poem says 'la ville dort encore'. Which technique is used?
Card 1 of 4
Mastery quiz
Part 18 of 19
Marked quiz
End of lesson quiz: Lire un poème
4 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.
1. A poem says 'la ville dort encore'. Which technique is used?
2. What does 'comme' mean in 'douce comme le miel'?
3. 'Grosses bises' at the end of a letter is an example of...
4. Reading fables and poems mainly helps develop...
Lesson round-up
Part 19 of 19
Lesson round-up
Ready when you are
Quiz score
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Games
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Points this lesson
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Best run
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Luna: 0 out of 4 on the practice checks. Only if you feel up to it — one more?
Ask LunaPart 1 of 19 · Watch & discover
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Read literary texts in the language, such as stories, songs, poems and letters, to stimulate ideas and develop creative expression