You should answer one question in Section A from a choice of two. Each option will give you one of the poems you have studied in your poetry anthology printed on the exam paper. This Section is worth 25 marks and assesses all four Assessment Objectives. You have 45 minutes to answer this question.
In your response you are expected to:
- Demonstrate your knowledge of the poem through reference to detail and the use of accurate, relevant quotations from the poem
- Show that you understand the main ideas and explicit meanings in the poem, as well as the implied or hidden meanings
- Analyse, in detail, the choices the writer has made in terms of their use of language, structure and form to convey impressions and ideas
- Shape your writing in such a way as to communicate your engagement with the poem
- Demonstrate your understanding of the poem and the question
- Be sensitive to imagery, sound and language to develop an informed, personal response to the poem
The suggested timings for the Section A poetry question are:
10 minutes
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- Decide on the question you are going to answer
- Highlight the key words in the question you choose
- Re-read the poem
- Annotate in the margins
- Make a brief plan of the structure of your answer
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30 minutes
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- Follow your plan or annotations
- Write your response
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5 minutes
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- Re-read and check your response
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It is important to read and check your work, rather than to try to write as much as you can in the time allowed. Answers that are shorter, but more focused and concise, are often more successful.