Answering the English Lit. Poems Question

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  • Created by: Elle
  • Created on: 24-05-10 17:59

Hey, this is a quick summary of skills you need for the Literature Poetry section of the English Lit. Exam...

  • Compare all the poems the question asks for: Yeah I know, sounds stupid. But if you don't compare enough then you won't get above a C (and that's if the stuff you do do is actually good.) In the question you answer, you will need to talk about 4 poems, including 2 pre-1914. If you answer a question with 2 parts, the first will be about 2 poems and the second will be about another 2. There are 3 main ways to compare 4 poems. A: compare 2, then compare the other 2. B: compare all 4 together (probably the hardest, but whatever works for you). Or C. Compare 2 and mention the other 2 a little - they don't need to be compared in even amounts.
  • Use connectives: These help you compare and make you sound like you know your stuff... Words like "similarly", "in comparison" and "however" are really useful.
  • Plan: Most people don't like planning before they answer the question - they want to get on with it. But if you do then you won't run out of things to talk about, and if you don't have time to finish then the examiner can see what you were going to put next. Plans can work in many forms, but for me a mindmap is really good :)
  • Use evidence to back up your points: you can't get a good grade if you don't use quotations from the text.

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