2023 Year 11 Advanced Exam

Section 2 Essay response:

“Modernist writers rebelled against clear-cut storytelling and formulaic verse from the 19th century.
Instead, many of them used the power of language to reflect the concerns of the rapidly changing world.”
To what extent does this statement align with your understanding of Selected Poetry: W.H. Auden?

Criteria Parts of response Comments for improvement

Point
1 Question and  Address all parts of the question and engage in an authentic way. In this
argument case:
The statement
- address WHAT Auden rebelled against, and link this to WHY (why did
he subvert the romantics? What did this reflect?)
- address Auden’s concerns: what were they and what did they reflect
about this period? (context)

The ‘verbs’
- to what extent: offer a clear position on how Auden’s concerns align
with your understanding.
 Refer to the question throughout the response and avoid “top and
tailing” references to the question in your paragraphs.
 Form conceptual statements/ points, driven by the question.
 Avoid irrelevant information or vague statements that do not contribute
to your discussion. Components of your argument should build and
respond to one another.

Purpose, context  Link your ideas and concepts to Auden’s purpose/ concerns.
and audience  Use accurate verbs to articulate purpose: interrogate, explore, challenge,
critique, create, comment.
 Ensure you consistently link your discussion back to contextual
concerns.

2 Textual Evidence
and Analysis
 Demonstrate a deeper understanding of the meaning created from the
chosen textual evidence, evaluate your evidence more thoughtfully and
purposely.
 Demonstrate a deeper understanding of Auden’s poems as a ‘suite of
poetry’, they are not separate entities, rather connected conceptually.
 Discuss a range of macro and micro techniques related to form and
poetic style.
 Analyse and evaluate the chosen form of your selected poems: e.g.,
‘Autumn Song’ (subversion of the traditional song/ romantic elements);
‘Funeral Blues’ (Elegy), ‘The Unknown Citizen’ (Satire), etc.
 Integrate evidence or ‘group quotes’ with relevance into your own
sentences for greater fluency and sophistication.
 Use stronger evidence to support your assertions; ensure the evidence
you choose proves the idea.
 Analyse specifically how the evidence proves the idea. Avoid the “quote
+ claim” error.
  Revise textual accuracy
3 Fluency and  Use paragraphing correctly.
communication  Improve clarity of sentences through expression, syntax, word choice
and sentence structure.
 Check your register. Avoid colloquial expressions.
 Improve spelling.
 Improve punctuation.
 Use correct terminology or precise language (e.g.: composer, audience).
 Apply contextual terminology accurately (e.g.: Modernism, modernist,
modern and modernity).
 Use linking words and sentences to indicate transition and building of
discussion.
General
 Ensure your handwriting is legible.
 Manage your time more effectively.