The following tips from Edexcel’s GCSE English Chief Examiner, Pam Taylor, are designed to help you produce a high quality response to poetry exam questions:
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Decide between the question with two named poems and the one with one named poem and your own choice, making sure you have good knowledge of both poems.
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If choosing your own poem, be sure you have chosen a suitable one to write about for this particular question.
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Focus on the key words in the question (and underline these before you start). After you have read the paper through, spend a few minutes planning your answers to each question (no more than five minutes).
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When planning, jot down short quotations from the poems, and make sure that you include these in your answer. Do not try to write down everything you know.
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Make sure you write a balanced answer, with roughly equal attention to each of your two poems, spending 15-20 minutes on each poem.
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Always include a brief introductory paragraph, followed by your main section and ending with a clear conclusion.
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Make sure you analyse the language rather than listing how many technical devices are included.
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When referring to features such as similes and metaphors, think about how and why these are used.
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Quote briefly and support your quotations with a clearly explained point.
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Think about similarities and differences between your two poems, even if you are not directly asked to compare poems.