Thirteen (AQA GCSE English Literature)

Revision Note

Author

“Thirteen”

Each poetry anthology at GCSE contains 15 poems, and in your exam question you will be given one poem – printed in full – and asked to compare this printed poem to another. As this is a closed-book exam, you will not have access to the second poem, so you will have to know it from memory. Fifteen poems is a lot to revise. However, understanding four things will enable you to produce a top-grade response:

The meaning of the poem
The ideas and messages of the poet
How the poet conveys these ideas through their methods
How these ideas compare and contrast with the ideas of other poets in the anthology

Below is a guide to Caleb Femi’s poem, “Thirteen”, from the Worlds and Lives anthology. It includes:

Overview: a breakdown of the poem, including its possible meanings and interpretations
Writer’s methods: an exploration of the poet’s techniques and methods
Context: an exploration of the context of the poem, relevant to its themes
What to compare it to: ideas about which poems to compare it to in the exam

Exam Tip

“Thirteen” is part of the Worlds and Lives anthology of poems, and you will need to compare the ideas presented in two of these anthology poems specifically related to the ideas of worlds and lives. The collection focuses on universal themes that relate to our relationships and connections with places, as well as ideas about home and heritage.

It is therefore important that you learn how “Thirteen” compares and contrasts with other poems in the anthology rather than understanding the poem in isolation. See the section below on “What to compare it to” for detailed comparisons of “Thirteen” and other poems in the anthology.

Overview

In order to answer an essay question on any poem it is vital that you understand what it is about. This section includes:

The poem in a nutshell
A “translation” of the poem, section by section
A commentary of each of these sections, outlining Caleb Femi’s intention and message

“Thirteen” in a nutshell

“Thirteen” was written by Caleb Femi, who was born in Nigeria in 1990 and moved to Britain when he was seven years old. His life on a council estate in London is reflected in the poem in which he describes an individual surrounded by discrimination and crime.

“Thirteen” breakdown

Lines 1–4

“You will be four minutes from home

when you are cornered by an officer

who will tell you of a robbery, forty

minutes ago in the area. You fit”

Translation

The poem begins in the middle of a conversation
The poem directly addresses a second-person listener:

It is implied the “you” is the narrator; this puts the reader in their position

The speaker draws attention to the crime close to their home

Femi’s intention

The first lines of Femi’s poem submerge an ambiguous listener in the middle of a conversation to present the destabilising effect of the event
The lines also imply the dangerous nature of the environment in which the speaker lives

Lines 5–6

“the description of a man? – You’ll laugh.

Thirteen, you’ll tell him: you’re thirteen.”

Translation

The speaker relates the conversation between the officer and a thirteen-year old child
The speaker is surprised the officer has said they “fit the description of a man”

Femi’s intention

The narrator uses the casual direct speech of second person to create empathy
Femi draws attention to how the child is perceived as a “man”, which surprises them

Line 7–8

“You’ll be patted on the shoulder, then, by another fed

whose face takes you back to Gloucester Primary School,”

Translation

The speaker describes how the child is escorted back to school by the police (“fed”)
By referring to the “face”, the speaker implies the officers are unfamiliar and do not engage personally with the child
The speaker again refers to their young age as they go to “Gloucester Primary School”

Femi’s intention

Femi makes a subtle criticism of the police force in England:

By suggesting the officer appears nameless and unfamiliar to the child, Femi highlights the fear that is not understood by the officers
Femi also uses colloquial language to imply a poor relationship with the police

Lines 9–13

“a Wednesday assembly about being little stars.

This same officer had an horizon in the east

of his smile when he told your class that

you were all supernovas,

the biggest and brightest stars.”

Translation

These lines change the setting of the poem to a school hall
Here, the officer is friendly; he smiles and speaks to the class
However, Femi refers to a “horizon in the east” which hints, perhaps, at the limits of the officer’s friendliness
The officer supports the teacher’s lesson, telling the children they were all the “brightest stars”:

Femi’s superlatives here suggest the officer’s insincerity as the child seems to understand they cannot all be the “biggest” or the “brightest”

Femi’s intention

Femi foreshadows the child speaker’s sense of isolation
The ironic depiction of the officer’s friendliness presents his words as platitudes

Lines 14–15

“You will show the warmth of your teeth

praying he remembers the heat of your supernova;”

Translation

The speaker describes how he smiles at the officer and hopes he can see his potential as a “star” or a “supernova”

Femi’s intention

Femi describes the child’s sense of vulnerability with the adult police officer
Femi shows that the boy knows the officer and the officer does not recognise him, thus implying a disconnected relationship
He also shows the extent of the boy’s reliance on the officer’s good nature

Lines 16–17

“he will see you powerless – plump.

You will watch the two men cast lots for your organs.”

Translation

The speaker describes a sense of helplessness in the boy’s “plump” youth
The lines highlight that the boy is alone but there are two officers
The officers are watching him and the boy imagines they are dividing his organs between themselves

Femi’s intention

Femi emphasises the minority status of a vulnerable child by presenting two officers who “watch” the boy and decide his future
The dark imagery of sharing his organs between them signifies the power they hold over his life

Lines 18–20

“Don’t you remember me? you will ask.

You gave a talk at my primary school.

While fear condenses on your lips,”

Translation

The speaker asks the officer if he recognises him, attempting to form a bond
Femi shows that the child is intimidated and afraid

Femi’s intention

Femi portrays the child’s nervousness as they talk to the officers about a previous interaction to show how often the child feels fear in their environment

Lines 21–22

“you will remember that Wednesday, after the assembly,

your teacher speaking more about supernovas:”

Translation

The speaker relates a previous assembly that discussed supernovas

Femi’s intention

Femi portrays the child’s isolation as they attempt to make sense of their world
Both the police officers and the teachers appear to have disconnected relationships with the child, which lead to an unspoken fear

Lines 23–24

“how they are, in fact, dying stars

on the verge of becoming black holes.”

Translation

The poem ends with the child voicing their fear
The teacher told the children “supernovas” are “dying stars” that become “black holes”
The speaker remembers the officer comparing the children to supernovas

Femi’s intention

Femi portrays an individual who sees hypocrisies in their world but cannot voice their thoughts
The poem ends with a dark message: the child is bleak about their future

Exam Tip

Your exam question will ask you to compare how poets present ideas about worlds and lives in the poem given to you on the exam paper and one other from the Worlds and Lives anthology. It is therefore a good idea to plan an argument based on the specific theme in the question before annotating the poem in front of you. Consider how the poems examine the impact of the external world on individual lives and relationships. This demonstrates that you have understood the poem and the poet’s intention. For example, “Femi presents ideas about…”

Writer’s methods

Although this section is organised into three separate sections – form, structure and language – it is always best to move from what the poet is presenting (the techniques they use; the overall form of the poem; what comes at the beginning, middle and end of a poem) to how and why they have made the choices they have, especially in relation to the theme or message.

Focusing on the poet’s overarching ideas and patterns of language, rather than individual poetic techniques, will gain you more marks. Crucially, in the below sections, all analysis is arranged by theme, and includes Caleb Femi’s intentions behind his choices in terms of:

Form
Structure
Language

Exam Tip

The last thing examiners want to see is what they call “technique spotting”. This is when students use overly sophisticated terminology unnecessarily (for example, “polysyndeton” or “epanalepsis”). Examiners are not looking for identification of as many techniques as you can find in the poems, nor do they require you to remember lots of techniques from each of the fifteen poems. Instead, they award responses which examine the theme in the question and support your ideas on this with reference to the poets’ choices.

Therefore, to get higher marks, focus your analysis on the reasons why the poet is presenting their ideas in the way that they do: what is their message? What ideas are they presenting, or challenging?

Form

The poem’s conversational form creates a casual tone to represent both the individual’s identity and a sense of their bravado in the face of everyday experiences that reduce their identity.

Theme	Evidence	Poet’s intention
Inner lives	Femi uses free verse to bring the speaker’s story to life: Beginning in the middle of a story creates confusion: “You will be four minutes from home/when you are cornered by an officer”	The irregular form contributes to a narrative style that reflects instability in the individual’s life
	Femi uses a second-person address: This presents the boy’s attempt at confidence: “You’ll laugh.”	The conversational, casual voice of a thirteen-year-old speaker reflects an initial attempt at bravado: It also has the effect of placing a listener in the speaker’s shoes
	Femi uses colloquial language to create an informal tone: “another fed”	This is reflective of the boy’s language and identity It may also imply a poor relationship with the police in the community Femi alerts readers to an unnamed officer who is part of an authority group
	Femi shows a young boy relating a story from their perspective, in order to build empathy and intimacy between the reader and narrator

Structure

Femi’s poem manipulates rhythm to present a dramatic and emotional story that portrays the vulnerability of a young boy in his uncertain world.

Theme	Evidence	Poet’s intention
Disconnected relationships	Irregular stanza and line lengths convey uncertainty in the speaker’s world	Femi could be conveying the boy’s powerless status in society through the unpredictable structure
	Femi uses enjambment throughout most of the first stanza: This conveys the spontaneity of the event that startles the boy	Femi conveys the boy’s surprise when stopped by police close to his home: The fast pace reflects the individual’s inner turmoil
	Femi uses caesurae and repetition to show the boy’s concern: “Thirteen, you’ll tell him: you’re thirteen.”: The boy sees himself as “powerless – plump.”	The speaker conveys an individual’s desperation with abruptly changing rhythm that reflects the impact of the interaction
	Femi’s speaker conveys the disruptions in a young boy’s life that lead to tension and fear

Language

Caleb Femi conveys how a young individual becomes hopeless and resigned as a result of casual discrimination and careless comments.

Theme	Evidence	Poet’s intention
Relationships and lives	A question shows the boy’s hope: He asks: “Don’t you remember me? you will ask”	Femi draws attention to the way the boy attempts to build a relationship with the police officer
	Femi highlights the boy’s dependence on the authority figures using emotive language and dark imagery: The boy prays the officer remembers the “heat of his supernova” “While fear condenses” on his lips he watches the men “cast lots for his organs”	Femi conveys a sense of powerlessness as the boy recognises his future is in the police officers’ hands
	A metaphor presents the children’s aspirations as dubious: The children are described with hyperbolic imagery: “biggest and brightest stars” The officer’s words describe the students as indistinguishable from each other: “all supernovas”	Femi refers ironically to the children’s bright future: The officer’s words are superficial The boy realises supernovas are “in fact, dying stars”
	A lack of resolution implies the children may not have the bright future they are told they have: The speaker ends the poem suggesting the children are “on the verge of becoming black holes.”	Femi offers a wry criticism of the police service: He suggests their behaviour can be callous and ignorant in the context of the discriminatory world described
	Femi portrays how a broken relationship between the external world and an individual has a detrimental effect on their self-esteem and future

Exam Tip

Try not to separate “language”, “form” and “structure” into three separate elements you need to include in your answer. This means it is better to structure your answer around an exploration of the ideas and themes in the poems, commenting on elements of language, form or structure that contribute to the presentation of these themes, rather than simply listing all of the key methods you think should be covered.

In other words, stay focused on the task and theme, and then choose your evidence based on the focus of the question and the writer’s choices.

Context

Examiners repeatedly state that context should not be considered as additional factual information: in this case, it is not random biographical information about Caleb Femi that is unrelated to the ideas in “Thirteen”. The best way to understand context is as the ideas and perspectives explored by Femi in the poem that relate to worlds and lives. This section has therefore been divided into two relevant themes that Femi explores:

Home and heritage
Relationships with the world

Home and heritage

Caleb Femi was born in Nigeria in 1990 and moved to London aged seven
His poetry draws inspiration from his childhood in North Peckham:

In 2000, on the same estate where Femi lived, a ten-year-old boy, Damilola Taylor, was stabbed in a racial attack on his way back from the library
Femi’s “Thirteen” explores a young child who is “cornered” “four minutes from home” to draw attention to the vulnerability of children in dangerous, crime-ridden communities

Femi raises questions about established practices in disadvantaged communities:

In “Thirteen”, Femi explores a constant threat created by a faceless police presence:

The speaker refers to “another fed”

Femi’s writing focuses on giving young people a voice:

From 2016 to 2018 he was celebrated as London’s first Young People’s Laureate
The poem “Thirteen” gives a voice to a young boy who is singled out as a result of his heritage

Relationships with the world

Femi’s debut collection, “Poor”, written in 2020, includes poetry and photography that examines underprivileged lives facing discrimination in their world:

“Thirteen” relates Femi’s real experiences as a teenager, stopped by police and questioned about a crime that was committed by a man
The narrative style of “Thirteen” illustrates a child’s shock at being compared with a man: “You’ll laugh.”
The poem explores the disruption and fear a young boy experiences when stopped and searched on the basis of race and class

The poem raises questions about how individual identity is undermined in children’s external worlds:

The poem explores the hopelessness amongst young children in “Gloucester Primary School”:

This may be influenced by Femi’s experience as a teacher in a Tottenham school

Femi shows the children’s despair in response to careless and superficial words from authority figures

The pleasant interaction between the officers and the teacher presents authority figures working harmoniously as a powerful group:

The officer engages with the children in the assembly in a way he does not in the street

Femi shows disconnected relationships between adults and children:

“Thirteen” considers how young children are offered platitudes rather than genuine interest from people in whom they place trust:

They are referred to an indistinguishable group who are all “the biggest and brightest”

The poem presents a self-aware and knowledgeable teenage boy who knows more than the adults in his world

Exam Tip

Remember, AO3 is only worth up to 6 marks in this question. For a higher mark, you should demonstrate your understanding of the relationship between the poem and the context in which it was written in an integrated way, which means throughout your answer. It is therefore important to focus on the key themes and to have a thorough knowledge of contextual ideas across the cluster of poems.

Context comes from the key word in the task, so your answer should emphasise the key themes. Writing a whole paragraph about stop and search is not an integrated approach, and will not achieve high marks.

What to compare it to

The essay you are required to write in your exam is a comparison of the ideas and themes explored in two of your anthology poems. It is therefore essential that you revise the poems together, in pairs, to understand how each poet presents ideas about worlds and lives in comparison to other poets in the anthology. Given that “Thirteen” explores the ideas of disconnected relationships between human beings and their worlds, the following comparisons are the most appropriate:

For each pair of poems, you will find:

The comparison in a nutshell
Similarities between the ideas presented in each poem
Differences between the ideas presented in each poem
Evidence and analysis of these similarities and differences

Exam Tip

You will be expected to explore this poem in depth, as well as make perceptive comparisons about how the poets use language, form and structure to comment on complex relationships and connections with personal and external worlds.

It is therefore important that you have a thorough knowledge of ideas within the poems, rather than memorising lots of quotations. It is also essential that you not only write about the named poem, but compare it to one other in the anthology. It is important that you draw clear connections to the ideas in the two poems and how they each present the theme in the question.

“Thirteen” and “In a London Drawing Room”

Comparison in a nutshell:

Both Caleb Femi’s “Thirteen” and George Eliot’s “In a London Drawing Room” employ speakers who explore their feelings about their everyday environment. Both poets criticise the suffering their speakers observe. However, while Femi’s poem criticises discrimination in an underprivileged community, Eliot describes a joyless urban environment.

Similarities:

Topic sentence	Both poems offer a critique of their environment
Evidence and analysis	“Thirteen”	“In a London Drawing Room”
	Femi describes London in simple language that reflects the speaker’s world: “a robbery, forty/minutes ago in the area”	Eliot describes a miserable London, commenting on the “cloudy” sky and the wall of buildings like “solid fog”
	Femi describes a community that creates unjust fear and pressure: The teenage boy is “cornered by an officer” He is accused of a crime and “patted on the shoulder” by “another fed/whose face takes you back to Gloucester Primary School”	Eliot’s speaker describes their environment similarly: The speaker describes the city as a place of punishment: “The world seems one huge prison-house & court” The speaker implies the people are not thriving, using a metaphor that alludes to nourishment: “No figure lingering/Pauses to feed the hunger of the eye”
	The speakers’ descriptions of their environments suggest their unease and concern as they imply their homeland is a place of punishment and despair

Topic sentence	Both poems comment on the disconnected relationships of those who inhabit their homeland
Evidence and analysis	“Thirteen”	“In a London Drawing Room”
	Femi implies the children live under authority figures who do not see them as individuals: The children are grouped in an indistinguishable mass: “all supernovas” They are all described with a superlative: the “brightest and biggest stars”	Eliot draws attention to the way the citizens of London seem blind to the joy of life or individuality: The speaker describes how the crowds “All hurry on & look upon the ground” Eliot refers to the way the people of the city are homogenised and closed-minded: “All closed, in multiplied identity”
	Femi criticises the way individuals in disadvantaged communities are treated callously: The speaker is nervous and “fear condenses” on his lip The boy is shown “praying” the adults remember his “heat” (his bright future) The boy is powerless in his world: “You will watch the two men cast lots for your organs.”	Eliot criticises her world by describing London as without compassion or joy: She says her world is a place “Where men are punished at the slightest cost” She describes the city as having the “lowest rate of colour, warmth & joy”
	Both poems describe an individual’s response to disconnections in the world that they believe damage the inhabitants

Differences:

Topic sentence	Caleb Femi’s poem, “Thirteen”, describes a community that is made hopeless as a result of discrimination, while George Eliot’s “In a London Drawing Room” describes how the urbanisation of London brings suffering
Evidence and analysis	“Thirteen”	“In a London Drawing Room”
	Femi uses imagery to present symbolic ideas about aspiration and hope: The children are taught about “being little stars” Alliteration draws attention to the contrasting perception the boy has of himself: “powerless – plump.”	Eliot offers a description of urban London using natural imagery: She describes how the sky is blocked by a wall of houses like “solid fog” The buildings obscure the shadows of birds or the “golden rays” of sun
	Femi presents a dramatic and urgent message about his world, using metaphorical language relating to death: The poem ends with the boy’s acknowledgement that the children are “in fact, dying stars.”	Eliot, however, describes urban London’s mundane and dreary environment as restrictive: The “Monotony of surface & of form” leaves little room for individuality or variety Eliot suggests an urban world limits the imagination and sense of mystery: “Without a break to hang a guess upon”
	Femi’s poem is a harsh criticism of discrimination that damages and destroys young lives, while Eliot’s poem is a critique of the way industrialisation and urbanisation have made her world bleak and depressing

Exam Tip

It is a good idea to outline your choice of second poem in your introduction to your response, with a clear overview of the overarching themes within both poems. You can then use the theme to move between both poems to provide the substance to illustrate your arguments. However, this does not mean that you cannot focus on one poem first, and then the other, linking ideas back to the main poem. You should choose whichever structure suits you best, as long as comparison is embedded and ideas for both texts are well-developed.

“Thirteen” and “A Portable Paradise”

Comparison in a nutshell:

This is an effective comparative choice to explore individuals’ responses to their changing worlds as they recognise disconnected relationships between the individuals and their world. While Caleb Femi’s poem on discrimination in a community in England ends pessimistically, Roger Robinson considers an individual who finds comfort in a similarly accusatory world.

Similarities:

Topic sentence	Both speakers convey emotional pleas within their criticisms of their environments
Evidence and analysis	“Thirteen”	“A Portable Paradise”
	Femi’s poem has an irregular structure to convey tension as the speaker relates his story: Enjambment at the beginning reflects the boy’s fear as he is stopped by police Caesura represents the fear as he is “cornered”: the description of a man? – You’ll laugh.”	Robinson, too, conveys the response of his speaker through enjambment, which conveys a breathless expression of emotion In contrast, a sudden caesura represents moments of tension: “on my person, concealed, so”
	Femi’s speaker conveys desperation and powerlessness: Imagery shows the boy’s need to appeal to the officer: “You will show the warmth of your teeth/praying he remembers” A question presents the boy as isolated: “Don’t you remember me? you will ask.”	Robinson presents a similarly desperate speaker, using imperative verbs and a list, which implies urgency: The speaker says “get yourself to an empty room – be it hotel,/hostel or hovel – find a lamp” The adjective “empty” connotes to loneliness
	The speakers’ emotional responses to their worlds convey a sense of desperation as they attempt to find hope in their worlds

Topic sentence	Both poems comment on the disconnected relationships in their environments
Evidence and analysis	“Thirteen”	“A Portable Paradise”
	Femi presents the children as separated from the adults in their community: The unknown officers present a threat to the singled-out boy He is “patted on the shoulder” by “another fed” whose “face takes you back”	Robinson, similarly, suggests the speaker feels part of a neglected, isolated group: The speaker refers to the third-person plural “they” The nameless opposition suggests a conflict between the boy and those in power: “That way they can’t steal it”
	Femi depicts a pressured environment: Repetition highlights the boy’s shock when accused: “Thirteen, you’ll tell him: you’re thirteen.” The speaker implies they are patronised through the diminutive adjective in “little stars”	Robinson criticises the “pressure”, highlighting it with sibilance in “stresses” are “sustained and daily”: Repetition of “And if” implies persistent challenges
	Both poems describe their home as corrupted, which in turn creates embittered or isolated individuals

Differences:

Topic sentence	Caleb Femi’s poem, “Thirteen”, describes growing hopelessness amongst the young people in a disadvantaged community, while Roger Robinson’s “A Portable Paradise” conveys how a sense of community can offer comfort in challenging times
Evidence and analysis	“Thirteen”	“A Portable Paradise”
	Femi presents an isolated child who finds little comfort from adults: The speaker pleads with officers to recognise him The speaker and his classmates are offered superficial praise: they are all “the brightest and biggest stars”	Robinson, however, relates how advice from a grandparent can provide comfort in times of isolation: Robinson capitalises the word “Paradise” and links it to his family: “then I’m speaking of my grandmother”
	Femi’s metaphorical language leads to a dark conclusion: Instead of being a symbol of aspiration as the officer suggests, the star is a symbol of destruction The children are “in fact, dying stars” The poem ends describing them as “on the verge of becoming black holes.”	Robinson uses imagery to convey hope against the challenges of their world: He finds his own paradise of “white sands, green hills and fresh fish” They suggest “empty your paradise onto a desk” and “keep staring at it till you sleep”
	Femi’s poem presents a young boy whose vulnerable position under powerful authorities leads to despair, while Robinson’s poem describes a way of providing one's own comfort under such systems

“Thirteen” and “England in 1819”

Comparison in a nutshell:

Both Caleb Femi’s “Thirteen” and Percy Bysshe Shelley’s “England in 1819” criticise corrupted powerful authorities that cause suffering. Nevertheless, while Shelley’s polemic poem attacks England’s corrupt monarchy and aristocracy, Femi’s conversational poem comments on discrimination, specifically within the police service.

Similarities:

Topic sentence	Both poems highlight disconnected relationships under oppressive systems
Evidence and analysis	“Thirteen”	“England in 1819”
	Femi describes the oppressive conditions experienced by a child on a London estate: The speaker relates a stop and search: “you are cornered by an officer” The speaker expresses a lack of control: “he will see you powerless – plump./You will watch the two men cast lots for your organs”	Shelley describes the negative conditions and powerlessness of the working class in nineteenth-century England: They are “A people starved and stabbed in the untilled field” There is “public scorn” toward the monarchy and aristocracy
	Femi contrasts vivid imagery to convey how hope is offered to children and then taken away: The police officers tell the school children they are “stars” and “supernovas” The speaker concludes, however, that the children are “dying stars/on the verge of becoming black holes.”	Shelley, similarly, contrasts dark and light imagery to convey ideas about good and evil: The poem ends describing a “glorious Phantom” that “Bursts” from “graves” of dead systems Shelley hopes this will “illumine” the “tempestuous day”
	The poets both comment on issues they face in their world by using contrasting imagery that connotes to ideas related to good and evil and hope and suffering

Differences:

Topic sentence	Femi’s poem is a conversational narrative that conveys a young child’s perspective on their environment, while Shelley’s poem is a dramatic and bitter attack on England’s monarchy and aristocracy
Evidence and analysis	“Thirteen”	“England in 1819”
	The poem is written in free verse and is split into four irregular stanzas: The speaker’s attempt at a casual, nonchalant tone presents their sense of powerlessness The poem’s conversational, informal form conveys the speaker’s identity through colloquial speech	Shelley uses a sophisticated sonnet ironically to convey the “public scorn” of the people under what Shelley describes as corrupt and powerful systems: The broken rhythm, however, creates a bitter tone as Shelley’s speaker lists their criticisms
	Femi’s speaker speaks with bravado in relationships with others: “– You’ll laugh./Thirteen, you’ll tell him: you’re thirteen”: The colloquial references suggest a resigned attitude: “You’ll be patted on the shoulder, then, by another fed”	Shelley’s poem makes use of alliteration and assonance to create a resentful tone: He describes the monarchy as “The dregs of their dull race” He refers to violence bitterly: “blind in blood, without a blow”
	Both poems present embittered speakers; however, while Femi’s poem presents the way a young child has normalised their powerlessness, Shelley’s poem is a sophisticated critique of England

Exam Tip

You can choose whichever poem you feel you are able to make the most in-depth comparisons to in the exam. For example, you could choose to compare the presentation of individuals’ observations about their worlds in “Thirteen” and “In a London Drawing Room”. Or you might wish to explore the way poets examine connections and relationships in “Thirteen” and “England in 1819”. What is important is that you view the poems thematically, with a clear emphasis on worlds and lives. This will give you a better framework in which to write your response in the exam.

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Thirteen (AQA GCSE English Literature)

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Author: Sam Evans