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Poems Through the Decade

Mock Preparation
Areas to prepare, plan and revise:
• History/ The Furthest Distances I’ve Travelled – how thoughts and feelings are
evoked by place
• The Gun/ Material – how transformations are presented

Secure:
• Argument points and perceptions
• Key quotations
• Techniques, methods and effects
• Structural influences
• Intentions and messages
• Symbolism
Y12: History/ The Furthest Distances I’ve Travelled – how thoughts and feelings are evoked by place
History:
1. The poet uses natural imagery and figurative language to convey how a place such as the beach can trigger philosophical emotions and considerations
about your own value and place within society.
“I knelt down in the sand with Lucas gathering shells and pebbles finding evidence of life in all this driftwork” – sensory, contrast between war planes and
children’s innocence, metaphor of life as driftwork – finding your place and focusing on the important “what tethers us to gravity and light has most to do
with distance and the shapes we find in water”
2. Burnside uses a reflective tone and sporadic structure to question ‘the self’ and our relationship with the natural world we live in. Boundaries are blurred
and the fractured lines reflect the transitory feelings and intangible nature of defining who we are and where we truly belong.
“something in the world we own and what we dream about behind the names on days like this our lines raised in the wind our bodies fixed and anchored to
the shore” “the rose or petrol; blue of jellyfish and sea anemone combining with a child’s first nakedness”
3. Through the narrator’s position on the beach, the emotions triggered from an historical event such as 9/11 culminate in the questioning of the purpose of
life and that, whether animal or human, natural or manmade, we are all just mortal.
“but this is the problem: how to be alive in this cherished world and do no harm”“on the dune slacks with a kite p[lugged into the sky all nerve and line
patient; afraid; but still, through everything attentive to the irredeemable”
Other argument point focuses:
The significance of our metaphorical place in society is foregrounded through the repetition of “today” to convey our insignificance.
The contrasting places of the beach the narrator is physically in and the twin towers that he is mentally reflecting on, encourages feelings of ambiguity and
insecurity.
The foundations of a beach are fundamentally unstable and fluid which could metaphorically reflect the transitory and uncontrollable nature of life itself.
Place is presented as an individual’s tethered position to the land which can differ between individuals – there is a suggestion that we all have a place and
that fate keeps us there.
Thesis ideas: Burnside uses the beach, sand and sea to trigger reflections of an individual’s place and position in society. By measuring the value of the
places you are in, you can measure the value and the significance of the life that you lead. Places such as public parks, forests and the seas, connect animal
life to human life, with the reader being encouraged to consider how they fit into the world, reflecting on how their memories and history impact on their
future. The larger historical events of the world, combined with our smaller, personal histories, tether us to our home and give us a sense of belonging.
Thoughts and feelings of fear, reflection, hope and love are intrinsically linked to our place in society and what we do with the time we have.
Y13: History/ The Furthest Distances I’ve Travelled – how thoughts and feelings are evoked by place
History:
1. The poet uses natural imagery and figurative language to convey how a place such as the beach can trigger philosophical emotions and considerations about your
own value and place within society.
“I knelt down in the sand with Lucas gathering shells and pebbles finding evidence of life in all this driftwork” – sensory, contrast between war planes and children’s
innocence, metaphor of life as driftwork – finding your place and focusing on the important
“what tethers us to gravity and light has most to do with distance and the shapes we find in water”
2. Burnside uses a reflective tone and sporadic structure to question ‘the self’ and our relationship with the natural world we live in. Boundaries are blurred and the
fractured lines reflect the transitory feelings and intangible nature of defining who we are and where we truly belong.
“something in the world we own and what we dream about behind the names on days like this our lines raised in the wind our bodies fixed and anchored to the shore”
“the rose or petrol; blue of jellyfish and sea anemone combining with a child’s first nakedness”
3. Through the narrator’s position on the beach, the emotions triggered from an historical event such as 9/11 culminate in the questioning of the purpose of life and
that, whether animal or human, natural or manmade, we are all just mortal.
“but this is the problem: how to be alive in this cherished world and do no harm”
“on the dune slacks with a kite p[lugged into the sky all nerve and line patient; afraid; but still, through everything attentive to the irredeemable”
Other argument point focuses:
Burnside explores how places can enable us to reflect on our sense of belonging.
Places allow us to consider humanity and the rest of the world in contrast and connection with where we stand.
Place can bring comfort and joy ion a tumultuous and unpredictable world.
Tangible items from a place can be personal and comforting in times of difficulty.
Focusing on the now and where you are can alleviate fear and uncertainty of the future – place can ground you and give security.
Contrasting ideas evoked by place convey the transience of the world can counter hatred and violence
Thesis ideas: Burnside uses the beach, sand and sea to trigger reflections of an individual’s place and position in society. By measuring the value of the places you are in,
you can measure the value and the significance of the life that you lead. Places such as public parks, forests and the seas, connect animal life to human life, with the
reader being encouraged to consider how they fit into the world, reflecting on how their memories and history impact on their future. The larger historical events of the
world, combined with our smaller, personal histories, tether us to our home and give us a sense of belonging. Thoughts and feelings of fear, reflection, hope and love
are intrinsically linked to our place in society and what we do with the time we have.
Y12: History/ The Furthest Distances I’ve Travelled – how thoughts and feelings are evoked by place
The Furthest Distances I’ve Travelled:
1. Places that hold real significance are shown to be smaller and more everyday than we might expect. Flynn conveys the unimportance of
grand places and gestures in contrast to the true value and meaning of life.
2. Through the free verse and figurative imagery, Flynn explores the journeys through places we make in life and how we find ourselves from
the relationships and connections we make there.
3. Physical journeys and places are shown to be less significant than the spiritual journeys and places we hold dear in our hearts.
4. Places evoke a realisation of what truly matters in life and help you find your personal place in the world.
5. Places enable reflection and time to consider the importance of enjoying the time we have and pausing long enough to appreciate it.
6. The varying places that Flynn references shows the different impact that they have on us and our developing character.
Possible argument points:
The poem suggests that places we visit when younger, generate a youthful energy that enables a ‘coming of age’ confidence for individuals to
secure their place in the world.
The poem suggests that you can find your place of belonging within society without travelling too far because what really matters are the
relationships you make, in the places that you are.
The ‘holidaying places’ of our fleeting visits are shown to be insignificant in comparison to the places that we spend most of our time and
perhaps, sometimes, take for granted.
With every physical journey to places that we make, it is conveyed that the spiritual journey that accompanies it has more value and
significance.
The poem acknowledges that you have to do the physical travelling to other places in order to feel the emotional journeys that they evoke,
which can impact on our personal place within the world and truly appreciate where we are.
Thesis: Flynn uses the extended metaphor of travel to convey the significance of our own small place of belonging in the world. In contrast to
foreign, faraway places, the true places of our value and worth are suggested to be much closer to home, with the memories of local places
and relationships having lasting significance and impact on who we are.
Y13: History/ The Furthest Distances I’ve Travelled – how thoughts and feelings are evoked by place
The Furthest Distances I’ve Travelled:
Possible argument points:
1. Places that hold real significance are shown to be smaller and more everyday than we might expect. Flynn
conveys the unimportance of grand places and gestures in contrast to the true value and meaning of life.
2. Through the free verse and figurative imagery, Flynn explores the journeys through places we make in life
and how we find ourselves from the relationships and connections we make there.
3. Physical journeys and places are shown to be less significant than the spiritual journeys and places we
hold dear in our hearts.
4. Places evoke a realisation of what truly matters in life and help you find your personal place in the world.
5. Places enable reflection and time to consider the importance of enjoying the time we have and pausing
long enough to appreciate it.
6. The varying places that Flynn references shows the different impact that they have on us and our
developing character.
Thesis: Flynn uses the extended metaphor of travel to convey the significance of our own small place of
belonging ion the world. In contrast to foreign, far away places, the true places of our value and worth are
suggested to be much closer to home, with the memories of local places and relationships having lasting
significance and impact on who we are.
Y12: The Gun/ Material – how transformations are presented
The Gun:
1. The gun itself is conveyed as catalyst for change and transformation in the environment it is introduced to, personified as a powerful entity that
creates change.
“Bringing a gun into a house changes it.” “At first it’s just practice…Then a rabbit shot clean through the head…Soon” “dangling” juxtaposition of life and
death, inevitability of descent into violence
2. The poet uses figurative and emotive language to convey how something inanimate like a weapon can stimulate foreboding change to the people
around it, with death dominating the home.
“casting a grey shadow on the green-checked cloth” “There’s a spring in your step; your eyes gleam like when sex was fresh” “A gun brings a house alive”
3. The personal pronouns and structural shifts convey the dangers foreshadowed by the gun’s introduction to the home, with the descent to violence
being almost inevitable.
“You lay it on the kitchen table” “I join in the cooking: jointing and slicing” “excited as if the King of Death had arrived to feast…his black mouth sprouting
golden crocuses” corrupting life – dark life out of death – changing nature/natural order irrevocably - the semantic field of cooking and preparing food
initially provides a homely and familiar feel but the connotations of the verbs can also be related to violence

Other argument point ideas:


- A gun has strong negative connotations, associated with violence and death and the determiners “the” emphasises the power it has to influence and
control negative change.
- The poem raises concerns around guns as it seems to normalise their place in the home whilst also conveying a sinister influence behind this
occurrence; it’s place within the home creates a negative change to the environment.
-Gender stereotypes with guns and male violence are conveyed through the poem in order to show a shift of power/ imbalance of power with the gun
gaining dominance over the environment and people it encounters.
- The poem conveys the transformation that occurs within an individual when they interact with guns; the inevitable change and progression of violence
conveys a ruthless change that encompasses a person.
Thesis ideas: The poet conveys how an object can create change in person’s emotions, feelings, and behaviours, transforming environments and people
in a dangerous way. Feaver creates a foreboding tone and atmosphere around the taboo topic of guns and gun culture, exploring how there is an
inevitable transformation made to people who engage with guns.
Y13: The Gun/ Material – how transformations are presented
The Gun:
1. The gun itself is conveyed as catalyst for change and transformation in the environment it is introduced to, personified as a powerful entity
that creates change.
“Bringing a gun into a house changes it.” “At first it’s just practice…Then a rabbit shot clean through the head…Soon” “dangling” juxtaposition of
life and death, inevitability of descent into violence
2. The poet uses figurative and emotive language to convey how something inanimate like a weapon can stimulate foreboding change to the
people around it, with death dominating the home.
“casting a grey shadow on the green-checked cloth” “There’s a spring in your step; your eyes gleam like when sex was fresh” “A gun brings a house
alive”
3. The personal pronouns and structural shifts convey the dangers foreshadowed by the gun’s introduction to the home, with the descent to
violence being almost inevitable.
“You lay it on the kitchen table” “I join in the cooking: jointing and slicing” “excited as if the King of Death had arrived to feast…his black mouth
sprouting golden crocuses” corrupting life – dark life out of death – changing nature/natural order irrevocably

Other argument point ideas:


The poem highlights that the gun is a stimulus for initiation into violence and a transformation into something dangerous.
The gun is personified as a tool that speeds up the cycle of life and death and speeds up the process of change and development.
Feaver shows the irony of how something that creates and brings death, also creates life and excitement, changing and altering the natural chain
of being.
The gun is symbolic of violence and how violence can transform a once homely environment.
The gun symbolises how minor alterations to familiar places can transform an environment and the feelings within that environment.

Thesis ideas: The poet conveys how an object can create change in person’s emotions, feelings, and behaviours, transforming environments and
people in a dangerous way. Feaver creates a foreboding tone and atmosphere around the taboo topic of guns and gun culture, exploring how
there is an inevitable transformation made to people who engage with guns.
Y12: The Gun/ Material – how transformations are presented
Material:
1. The poet uses the metaphor of “the hanky queen” to nostalgically explore the changes in society and families with the
inevitable transformation of attitudes and priorities.
2. The figurative use of “material” comes to represent the path of time and the changes that people implement along the
journey of life.
3. The poem explores the transformation of society and social expectations over time and the emotional connections that
these changes mark in our lives.

Other argument point ideas:


- The speaker desires change in her own attitude and behaviour, wanting to emanate her Mum, yet the poem clearly suggests
that these changes are not possible to achieve.
- The hanky symbolises a world from the past that is no longer tangible and has changed from all recognition, thus the poet
explores the changing over time of society and the people within it.
- The connotations behind the “hanky queen” imply the hierarchical structure within families with the idea of passing on
knowledge and traditions through time, in spite of the changes that surround us.
- The metaphor of “material” implies the collective experience of change and transformation that people go through on the
journey of their lives.

Thesis ideas: The poet explores the journey of change that occurs through the generational shifts of time, and how society,
expectations, ideas and people transform over time. There is a sense of nostalgia, regret and guilt intertwined with these
changes, but also a sense of inevitability that you cannot halt the change over time and that perhaps it isn’t what we should
hope for anyway – change is a natural process and vital for progression.
Y13: The Gun/ Material – how transformations are presented
Material:
1. The poet uses the metaphor of “the hanky queen” to nostalgically explore the changes in society and families
with the inevitable transformation of attitudes and priorities.
2. The figurative use of “material” comes to represent the path of time and the changes that people implement
along the journey of life.
3. The poem explores the transformation of society and social expectations over time and the emotional
connections that these changes mark in our lives.

Other argument point ideas:


The poem explores the transformation of mindset through memory and reflection.
Barber explores the generational shifts and the difference that exist between them over time.
The poem explores the lack of comfort that is associated with change, and transformation can be painful – this
process can create a nostalgia or longing for the past and a desire to halt change.
The poem explores how a meaningful life can transform to a disposable way of living – an inevitability that we
cannot reverse the changes made over time as it part of life that change occurs.

Thesis ideas: The poet explores the journey of change that occurs through the generational shifts of time, and how
society, expectations, ideas and people transform over time. There is a sense of nostalgia, regret and guilt
intertwined with these changes, but also a sense of inevitability that you cannot halt the change over time and that
perhaps it isn’t what we should hope for anyway – change is a natural process and vital for progression.
Section A – Post-2000 Specified
Poetry: one comparative essay
Study poetic form, meaning and question from a choice of two on
language in: an unseen modern poem written
 a selection of post-2000 specified post-2000 and one named poem
Component 3: poetry - Selection of modern poetry from the studied contemporary

Poetry from Poems of the Decade: An


Anthology of the Forward Books of
text (AO1, AO2, AO4). 30 marks

Poetry 2002–2011

1 Hour 15 minutes
 What kind of poem is it?
 What does it sound like?
 What does it feel like?
 What shape or form does it have?
 What feelings or thoughts does it evoke?
 What images or words immediately stand out?

Questions to  Imagine you are looking at a painting in an art gallery and listening to a
piece of music at the same time. What sounds and images grab your
ask yourself. attention?

Approaches.  What the poem is about? A general impression of the theme of the poem,
or its overall message (if there is one). And don’t forget that the title of
the poem is usually significant too!
 You’ll probably need to read the poem two or three times before you
begin to be clear about these things – and this is before you even start to
think in detail what it means. But don’t lose these first impressions of the
poem. A poem is more than just the meaning of its words: it’s also about
its aesthetic impact – and a good response will convey this.
 Establish the impact of the poem and its overall narrative or meaning to
anchor the rest of your analytical answer for their reader.
 Once you’ve thought about the impact of the poem, you can start to
reflect in more detail on the content of the poem, and the way it’s
structured: what the poem actually means, what the argument or
narrative of the poem is, how the various parts of the poem connect, and
how the poem develops from beginning to end.

 It’s vital to remember here that meaning is constructed by the reader as a


Questions to response to what the poet has written. In many poems, meanings are
deliberately ambiguous: the poet wants the reader to engage actively in
ask yourself. deciding what the poem might be about. Such ambiguity is again
intended to be part of the pleasure and interest of much poetry.
Approaches.
 In these cases, a good response will tentatively suggest what a poet might
mean, or offer more than one possible interpretation. So, for example, an
answer that establishes ‘the poet describes a relationship between two
people, possibly one that is about to end, and explores both its sensual
and destructive qualities’, before going on to explore relevant sections of
the text, is more carefully crafted than an answer which asserts ‘the poet
describes a failed relationship which has ended and has had a destructive
effect on him’.
 Finally, you can begin to think in detail about the form and
language of the poem: the techniques which the poet has used to
convey its images and ideas.
 Write subtly and sensitively about the effects these techniques
have in the context of the whole poem – how they contribute to
the meaning of the poem and the experience of reading it.
Questions to
ask yourself.  The candidate who writes ‘The poem is constructed in four stanzas
Approaches. of five lines each’, with no more about how that structure reflects
on the poem’s content, might be well advised to remove this
comment completely. A response which comments ‘the progress
of the four stanzas charts the progress of the speaker’s movement
from emotional pain to acceptance’, and goes on to analyse how
the poem’s language reflects this, is building a stronger analytical
essay.
Students must:
 AO1 Articulate informed, personal and creative responses
to literary texts, using associated concepts and
The A level terminology, and coherent, accurate written expression

questions  AO2 Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in


address 4 of the literary texts
Assessment
Objectives:  AO3 Demonstrate understanding of the significance and
influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written
AO1, AO2, AO3 and received
and AO4.
 AO4 Explore connections across literary texts

The exam is made up of two sections:


Section A is an anthology of 20 modern poems (AO1,2 and 4)
Section B is based on the study of Rossetti (AO 1,2 and 3)
Planning Exam Style Questions With Unseen Poems

Use the Assessment Questions to model the process of securing the


‘whats’ of the question in the unseen poem and identifying the
‘hows’ and ‘whys’ through the quotations that have given that
impression.
Then look at the Anthology poem and go through the same process,
before writing the thesis statement and the comparative argument
points that will lead the analytical paragraphs of the essay.
Lead you plan on the named poem and connect and link the Unseen
in as you go.
Checklist – list 10 things you would expect
to see in an A grade answer…
 Clear introduction that outlines argument and poets’ attitudes
 Key terms from question explained using synonyms in introduction
 Topic sentences for each paragraph that make a confident, specific
statement
 Between 4-6 ‘body’ paragraphs with at least one providing a counter
argument
 Word level analysis throughout (connotations, word class, sound devices
etc.)
 Terminology used throughout (i.e. poetic techniques)
 Form and structure referred to in detail – rhyme scheme, enjambment,
stanza breaks etc.
 No poem mentioned unless it is also quoted from, to make language links
 Integrated comparison within paragraphs
 Common themes, images and preoccupations referred to

Checklist – can we name everything we
would expect to see in an A grade answer?
What the mark scheme says…
AO1: Candidates characteristically:
a) communicate relevant knowledge and understanding of literary texts with confidence
b) present relevant, well-informed responses, fluently using appropriate terminology to support
informed interpretations
c) structure and organise their writing in a cogent manner
d) communicate content and meaning through sophisticated and mature writing.
AO2: Candidates characteristically:
a) identify relevant aspects of structure, form and language in literary texts with insight
b) confidently explore how writers use specific aspects to shape meaning
c) show a mastery of detail in their use of specific references to texts to support their responses.
AO3: Candidates characteristically:
a) explore links and connections between literary texts with confidence
b) communicate understanding of the views expressed in different interpretations or readings in a
mature, sophisticated manner.
Planning your essay in the exam
• Highlight the focus of the question and plan 3 or 4 key argument
points on the poem we have studied to form the main structure and
outline of your essay.
• Then read the unseen and highlight key quotations that can build
argument points to compare and contrast with the ones you have
already planned – slot them in to your paragraph plan.
• Write your thesis introduction to set up your perspective and
argument.
• Follow your paragraph plan to write your comparative, analytical
essay that explores the WHAT, HOW and WHY of the poems.
Thesis Statements

• The essay's thesis is the main point or argument you are trying to make, using the best evidence
you can gather. Your thesis will evolve during the course of writing drafts, but everything that
happens in your essay is directed toward establishing its validity.
• What is required is a rigorous, good faith effort to establish originality. Your objective is to make
a case so that any reasonable person would be convinced of the reasonableness of your thesis.
• You need to drill into and outline your way into the question focus that you will then analyse and
explore within the analytical paragraphs of your essay that follow.
• So, if your essay was to explore the presentation of the character Hamlet, your thesis could be
either:
– Hamlet is a presentation of a tragedy because he embodies a fatal flaw the leads to his unfortunate
demise
– By focusing on and using his main character Hamlet, Shakespeare brings out the sad fact that man’s
nature is full of deceit when he wants to achieve his selfish ends.
Writing a brilliant thesis introduction – a reminder
e.g. ‘Explore how both poets represent personal relationships’

a. Rephrase the question using synonyms and clarifying


terms:
Both Larkin and Abse allow their readers to observe their private lives. If we take personal
relationships as both familial and sexual, there are a host of poems which track the intimate
details of the poets’ lives.

b. Outline each poet’s attitude


Larkin permits his readers only glimpses of his relationships, but enough for us to acknowledge
both his fraught connection with his mother and his distinct lack of commitment to any romantic
union. Abse, on the other hands, allows us to act as voyeurs to a far more detailed portrayal of
family life – both in terms of his ancestors and his beloved wife Joan.

c. Outline your argument


This essay will assert that both poets, albeit cautiously at times, use their
own lives as material for their art, displaying relationships that veer from
passionate and intense, to cruel and indifferent. Nonetheless, both are
united in their conviction to honestly display the complexities of human
relationships.
• Both Two Trees and Eat Me present relationships as beginning with what
appears to be closeness and connection between both parties, but
maliciousness and anger are able to cause the breakdown of these
relationships. They both also present both parties as being viable and self-
sufficient without the other.
THESIS STATEMENTS • In some senses, both poems incorporate their unusual event to perhaps
symbolise how people treat difference through recounting an unusual
occurrence, however they approach this in different ways. Ford
Your essay needs to begin approaches the event of butchering a mermaid in an unusual way, in the
with a clear thesis that same way the event itself is unusual, he provides a sense of insensitivity
to the painful thought of the poem through unregimented stanzas
outlines the focus of your containing inconsistent line lengths. He reflects the unusualness of the
event through the poem itself. On the other hand, Paterson’s poem about
argument in relation to the two trees is much more consistently structured and more attention is
question focus and clarifies given to the event itself, therefore more attention is paid to making the
poem seem less dramatic than Giuseppe is.
and drills into your
• In both poems ‘Giuseppe’ by Roderick Ford and ‘Two Trees’ by Don
interpretation and perception Paterson, the use of dehumanising techniques are being displayed to
of the question focus. explore unusual events occurring. Whilst in ‘Giuseppe’, a recount of dark
imagery is given to show how events were morally wrong. Whereas,
You should also outline the ‘Two Trees’ uses rhythm and rhyme to conceal the dark events within the
poem.
poems you have selected in
• Within both poems the poets imply an unhealthy relationship between
relation to this perspective. masculinity and femininity. Within two trees the man signifies masculine
nature of a man being violent towards nature which is more feminine. It
presents how unnecessary his violence is. This is similar to eat me as the
male is abusive to the women for his own pleasure and doesn’t give her a
choice like the man cutting down the tree in ‘two trees’
Can you identify poetic methods?
What are your topic sentences?
Review:

Your topic sentences require reference to a method, which essentially


means you need to direct the discussion towards a poet’s use of poetic
devices, either structural or linguistic.

You need to know your terminology.


Examples of topic sentences that will lead your paragraphs of
analysis (your key argument points).
Discuss the methods the poet uses to present the relationship in
Eat Me.

1. The poet uses imagery that draws on associations with water in


order to present a shift in power from the man to the woman.
2. The poet uses alliteration and imperatives to enhance the
portrayal of an abusive relationship.
3. The poet employs a rhyme scheme that indicates a sense of
entrapment as well as a sense of dysfunction or imperfection
within the relationship.
4. The poet employs an anaphora in the seventh stanza to create a
pivotal moment in the relationship where the woman becomes
acutely frustrated by her weight gain.
• In both poems the ending of relationships is shown to be a
Comparative Argument painful process.
Points • Both poems convey power in a relationship as unequal and
threatening.
Plan your comparative • Both poems represent the male in the relationship as mysterious
and slightly sinister, as they both remain unknown and
argument points that will lead mysterious within the poems but aggressive at the same time.
your paragraphs of analysis • Both poets use tone to convey the unusual events and create a
and open a discussion for sense of mystery and ambiguity.
analytical exploration in • When looking at ‘Giuseppe’ by Roderick Ford, there is a use of
response to your thesis dehumanising and colloquial language when describing the
argument outline. unusual events. Similar methods are displayed in the poem ‘Two
Trees’ by Don Paterson too.
Analytical Comparative Paragraph Checklist:

• Ensure your paragraph begins with a comparative point that references an


aspect across the two poems.
• Ensure you have at least one quotation from each poem (ideally more that
are short and integrated!) that you have analysed and explored
connotations and layers of interpretation for in depth.
• Have you identified techniques and structural aspects and explored their
effects?
• Have you secured the messages or intents that are being conveyed?
• Have you made ‘linking phrases’ back and forth within the paragraph
rather than separating the two poems out?
Developing your Written Analysis
As we know, the examination question will ask you to
compare (and, therefore, analyse) the methods of the
poet to express, present, or explore… something.

We have been working on identifying these methods and


focusing on our ‘topic sentences’ – our clear points at
the start of paragraphs.

However, we also need to think about how we explore


our ideas and add depth to our analysis of how these
methods are used by the poet.
Both poets use tone as a way to explain the unusual events. While Two Trees contains more of an excited and positive tone
Giuseppe juxtaposes its flat and factual tone with the emotive content, this is effective in that it detaches you from the horrors
of what happened in the event with the flat and dull tone. For example, the first stanza puts little detail into the death of the
mermaid: “the only captive mermaid in the world was butchered on the dry and dusty ground by a doctor, a fishmonger, and
certain others”, removing the brutality and realism of what has just happened. One could say that it’s as if the emotive
language is being said but not felt. The use of listing of “a doctor, a fishmonger, and certain others” within this phrase is
interesting as it adds to the theme of feeling apathetic towards the situation and choosing to fell unconcerned and unmoved by
the event. Alongside this, “certain others” conjugates to imply how much he was affected by the events as he doesn’t wish to
recall them, but the bluntness of this list implies it is too horrific for him to want to think about in too much detail. This is a
pattern throughout the whole poem and is maintained until the very last Stanza, when we are finally exposed to some sort of
pathos for the mermaid, as his uncle “couldn’t look [him] in the eye”, this is significant because it suggests that he is choosing
to push the emotion to the back of his mind even when using emotive language such as “terrible fear” and “held her hand”;
this is unusual as the writer combines matter of fact language with emotion. He has accepted the truth but is still clinging onto
convincing himself that it isn’t, which is unusual and confusing for the reader. The tone within Two Trees gives the
You need to analyse the impression the speaker is much more prepared for what’s to come and it changes with the way the trees change. The anaphora
of “no”, “nor”, “nor” almost gives an impression of disbelief that the trees died. This correlates to Giuseppe as disbelief and
language and techniques in lack of acknowledgement of what actually happened at the event is seen in both poems, encouraging the reader to see them
both as quite unusual in that respect. Two Trees gives personification to the trees, referring to the branches as “limbs”, this is
much more explorative depth interesting as the speaker within Giuseppe refuses to give reference to humanity when talking about the mermaid, repeatedly
suggesting that “she was only a fish”. The fact that Two Trees gives humanity to something that isn’t a human, and Giuseppe
to secure layers of implied give this justice to the mermaid, which could be argued as human, is oddly unusual to the reader.

meaning, connotation and In both Two Trees by Paterson and Giuseppe by Ford, the brutal language is a semantic field through the poem. Both poets
use brutal verbs when describing event which creates confusion in what event is actually taking place in the poems for the
effect. reader. With Giuseppe being a story told by the uncle the violence has less emotion when it is said because it is so distance
to the narrator, therefore the brutal verbs like “butchered” and “eaten” are said so casually in the poem. The distance of the
mermaid to a person is used to justify the horrific events that happened in the poem “she, it”, forcing the description to be
dehumanised to attempt the atrocity of the event to seem as acceptable as possible. Similarly, the denial in “or so they said”
implies that men are mentally incapable of murder and what has happened is too much to handle. Also, the denial creates
confusion to the vents in whether the “mermaid” is in fact a mermaid or a symbol of something different. This creates
confusion for the reader in what event is going on or whether again it is a fairy tale. Likewise, in two trees the brutality of
cutting the trees is extreme which creates confusion in why it is that way. The man “lashed them tight” and “took his axe to
split the bole”, this behaviour towards a tree is unusual which creates suspicion in whether the tree is a metaphor to
something else in his life. however, the end of the poem is “And trees are all this poem is about” which similar to Giuseppe
underlines a muddled atmosphere for the poem as it seems to be uncertain in where the anger lies. the verb “lashed”
indicates extreme anger and would give pain and suffering to who it was going to and for someone to be cutting down a
tree it is very hyperbolic action. Similar to Giuseppe where the mermaid is “butchered”, the mermaid who is innocent is
described like an animal being murdered in such an inhumane way. The brutal actions and language add to the uncertainty
of the unusual events in the poems.
Remember to explore and clarify WHY meanings
are presented and the effect these have on the
You must ensure you are clear reader.
on the poets’ intentions and • The fact that Two Trees gives humanity to something that isn’t a
purposes. human, and Giuseppe give this justice to the mermaid, which
Why have they presented these could be argued as inhuman, is oddly unusual to the reader. The
effect is to encourage the reader to question what we value as
particular contrasts or narrated important and how we treat others who are different from
particular aspects in a certain ourselves. Both poems are using symbolism to shine a light on
order? How does it affect the relationship and attitudes towards others within our society.
reader and why? What is the • Utilizing the ideology of a relationship being forceful, Two Trees
heavily explores this idea ‘it took a whole day to work them
purpose of these choices? free…lash them tight together’, the brutality and effort is very
apparent in this poem. The verb “lash” connotes they are being
Is it to convey unfairness forced together, rather than having a choice. This could
contextually link to arranged marriages - the trees could be a
within society? To encourage a symbolism of the idea that whether them being together is
sympathetic view of elements desirable or not, they are forced to just like arranged marriages.
of society? To challenge social The imagery of them ‘laying open on their sides’ suggest the
exposure and vulnerability of the trees, furthermore connoting
stereotypes and prejudices? how exposed and vulnerable someone is when having sex for the
first time. The trees therefore are a symbolism key to explain how
different relationships are and how many mixed emotions are
expressed through a time you’re in a relationship.
• Begin your essay with a focused thesis, outlining your
interpretation of the question focus and the
perspectives you have in response to the specifics of
the question. Clarify how the poems you will explore,
show this.
• Lead your paragraphs with clear argument points that
respond to the specifics of the question and frame an
answer response.
Remember what you need • Integrate a variety of quotations, linking together
where appropriate, to analyse and explore your
to do:
perceptions.
• Identify techniques and features to develop analysis of
the effects on meaning and message.
• Analyse layers of connotations and implications to
explore what is being implied and suggested and why
(which will therefore secure JSLR’s intentions and
purposes and some context behind his messages).
• Conclude in a way that clearly secures an answer to
the question.
Planning Exam Style Questions With Unseen Poems
Read the poem War Photographer and re-read the poem Material.
Compare the methods both pots use to show the impact of the past
on the individual.
Both poems show how influential the past is on an individual and how it
shapes their future life and choices. Whilst War Photographer conveys a
sense of negativity and suffering in dealing with the past, Material
suggests a fonder, nostalgic perspective of the past and a more
welcoming attitude towards re-visiting it. Both however, clarify the
importance of coming to terms with your past in order to have a positive
future.
Comparative, lead argument points
• Both poems convey how the past has a lasting effect on an individual, with
War Photographer showing the trauma of those experiences and Material
the nostalgic fondness.
• Whilst Material shows a fond attachment to the past, War Photographer
conveys a painful and traumatic interaction with past experiences.
• Both poems show the strong influence the past has on an individual though
War Photographer suggests being haunted by past experiences whilst
Material implies a sense of empowerment through them.
• Both poems imply a need for order when dealing with the past, logically
working through issues in order to process them and live with them.
• Both poems show ways of coping with the past but whilst War Photographer
suggests that process is a personal, isolated one, Material is less suppressed
in the process of dealing with past difficulties.
Comparative Analytical Paragraph
Both poems show ways of coping with the past but whilst War Photographer suggests that process is a personal, isolated one,
Material is less suppressed in the process of dealing with past difficulties. In War Photographer the description of how ‘In his
darkroom he is finally alone/ with spools of suffering set out in ordered rows’ implies the need for isolation in order to make
sense of the chaos of his past experiences. The emphasis on ‘finally’ suggests how desperate he was to process the feelings
and emotions, away from the eyes of others, with the environment of ‘his darkroom’ conveying the sense of privacy and
intimacy needed with the pictures that record those chaotic and painful memories. The sibilance and harsh consonants in
‘spools of suffering’ create a tone of bitterness and harshness, suggesting how difficult the process of dealing with these past
experiences is for him. The need for ‘ordered rows’ shows that his process for coping is to logically sequence images and put
them away as he deals with the emotions attached to them. The third person ‘he’ also enables this sense of difficulty and
being at odds with the past. Whilst Material also shows a personal interaction with past memories, the tone is much less
introverted and more open. The first person voice acknowledges ‘I miss material handkerchiefs,/ their soft hidden history’
thereby addressing the idea of loss and change but ‘miss’ is a gentler feeling in relation to the past with the adjective ‘soft’
enabling an emotion of fondness and happiness rather than the pain and anguish in War Photographer. The connotations
around ‘material’ also add to the positivity of her past experiences influencing her in a good way. It’s not only the physical
handkerchief itself, associated with her mother and the love that existed between them, it is also the experiences and the
situations that the past has given her to use in her present life – material experiences last and are valuable. She doesn’t want
to forget, she is going to absorb and use her past, whereas in War Photographer he aims to shut the past out and ‘stares
impassively’ to the future. As War Photographer swallows down emotion and connection to the past, ordering the chaos in
order to try and forget it, Material shows how empowering it can be to embrace the past and carry it with you.

The message of how the past enables her own sense of future to happen in Material is more warming and empowering than
the grating acceptance of the past that is suggested in War Photographer……
Planning Exam Style Questions With Unseen Poems
Read the poem Quickdraw and re-read Chainsaw versus the Pampas
Grass. Compare the methods both poets use to explore the ending of
relationships.
Both poems convey the ending of relationships as a brutal and painful
experience of suffering, portrayed through the extended metaphors of
violent battles and fights to the death. Whilst Quickdraw
demonstrates the anguish and pain of losing the battle of love
between two people, Chainsaw conveys a battle between the
relationship of man and nature however, figuratively, the experiences
of these relationship battles reflect similar messages.
Comparative, lead argument points
• Both poems show the ending of relationships to be violent and aggressive,
with pain and suffering being part of the experience.
• Through both poems, the ending of relationships is conveyed through the
extended metaphors of battles, wars and fights, implying the explosive and
brutal outcome of breakups.
• Both poems show the ending of relationships to result in a winner and a
loser.
• The ending of relationships are shown to allow a person to re-grow and
recover from in both poems.
• Destructive metaphors clarify the explosive elements to relationships in
Quickdraw whereas Chainsaw allows more possibility to heal and recover
through the natural imagery described.
Comparative Analytical Paragraph
Through both poems, the ending of relationships is conveyed through the extended metaphors of
battles, wars and fights, implying the explosive and brutal outcome of breakups. In Chainsaw the
extended metaphor of the “unlikely match” immediately generates the idea of a power battle, with
the adverb “unlikely” implying that is an unequal fight and someone will get hurt. The aggressive
verbs of “grinding” with the simile “fed it out like powder from a keg” convey the danger and
violence that is ensuing in the battle and literally explosive damage that is going to be caused.
Similarly, Quickdraw’s extended metaphor of the shoot out, initiated through the simile “phones, like
guns, slung from the pockets of my hips”, implies a brutal, to-the-death battle but one more of words
than physical actions like Chainsaw. The “trigger of my tongue” conveys the cruelty of words that are
thrown “like bullets” in the battle of a break-up where one tries to hurt the other more than they
have been hurt, therefore clarifying the distress and pain that breakups cause, with words damaging
a person’s self-esteem and sense of worth, leaving lasting wounds and scars. Both poems clarify the
pain and suffering, as well as the level of violence and aggression, that can be generated by the
ending of a relationship.

Both poems imply that break-ups cause broken people and damaged individuals but whilst
Quickdraw implies brutal suffering to the end, Chainsaw, implies acceptance of defeat to fight again
another day.
Planning Exam Style Questions With Unseen Poems
Read the poem Quickdraw and re-read Ode on a Grayson Perry Urn.
Compare the methods both poets use to explore the effects of
powerful emotions.
Both poems convey a perspective on aspects of life and experience.
Whilst Quickdraw explores the emotions of love and hate in
relationships, fuelling anger, Ode expands this idea of love and hate to
society and generational divides, adding the emotions of nostalgia and
sympathy to the situations. Whilst Quickdraw implies that hatred and
negative feelings can consume you and stay with you, Ode enables a
more empathetic possibility that understanding difference can enable
love and understanding to grow.
Comparative, lead argument points
• Both poems convey a sense of hatred, though Ode implies a
mellowing and easing of anger whilst Quickdraw remains
aggressive to the end.
• Whilst Quickdraw suggest emotions of violent hatred resulting from
love, Ode is almost opposite to this with love and empathy
stemming from an initial position of hatred and fear.
Planning Exam Style Questions With Unseen Poems
Read the poem Piano and re-read Material. Compare the methods both
poets use to explore family relationships

Both poems show appreciation of their mothers and the strong and
influential relationship they had with them. Memories evoke nostalgia
and fondness in both poems but whilst Material conveys a sense of being
able to move on and use the experience of the past relationship to
become a more powerful and independent person yourself, Piano shows
the rawness of loss and how the memories of the relationship and the
absence of it in the present, still have the power to break you rather than
strengthen you.
Comparative, lead argument points
• Both poems show how objects can trigger memories of past
relationships and how emotional that journey can be.
• Material and Piano show how influential and positive their mothers
have been in their lives and the lasting impression they have had on
them as they have grown up.
• Both poems show how strong relationships with their mothers
secure an emotional tie to their life experiences and choices but
where Material shows a child who has been able to channel these
emotions to a positive purpose, Piano shows how the memories
can still be debilitating and impossible to let go of.
Comparative Analytical Paragraph

Material and Piano show how influential and positive their mothers have been in their
lives and the lasting impression they have had on them as they have grown up. In
Piano the grown son ‘sees’ the memory of his mother “who smiles as she sings” whilst
he sits under the piano “pressing her small, poised feet.” The fact that she “smiles”
implies the love and warmth of the relationship and the memory and the descriptions
of her feet being “small” and “poised” conveys pride and appreciation for her. The
vividness of the memory conveys the strength of the love he still feels for her and
therefore the power that the relationship with his mother still has over him. This
fondness and appreciation is mirrored in Material as the daughter remembers “she’d
have one, always, up her sleeve.” The certainty of “always” suggests the confidence
she had in her mother and how much she relied upon her to be there and do exactly
what was needed. She acknowledges “I miss material handkerchiefs” suggests the
sadness that she feels at the loss of that supportive relationship, but it is with fond
nostalgia that she recollects it.
Planning Exam Style Questions With Unseen Poems
Read the poem Hide and Seek and re-read the poem History. Compare the methods both
poets use to explore the effects of fear.

Both poems explore the idea of how perceptions of fear can differ through the journey
from childhood to adulthood, naivety to wisdom. Hide and Seek presents a form of
childhood fear that is exciting and fun to experience, entered into willingly with no
negativity associated with the enjoyment of slight panic. The idea of hiding and waiting to
be found allows for the fear of being caught within the safety of a practiced game where
you will be found. However, the shift towards the end suggests a realisation, perhaps as
you grow up, that the darkness isn’t always safe and someone won’t always be there to
find you. History, from an adult’s perspective, confirms this permanent sense of anxiety,
worry and fear that exists for adults through their experiences of negative events, and the
importance of trying to maintain childhood innocence for as long ads possible.
Comparative, lead argument points
• Both poems convey the sense that fear in childhood is either non-existent or
something light-hearted and fun, more like a game, because there is the
assumption that someone will always be there for you to keep you safe.
• The poems convey a realisation that fear is a real part of adult life, accepting
that a feeling of foreboding is something that accompanies you throughout
your daily experiences.
• Both poems suggest how precious the innocent naivety of childhood is –
something that needs to be protected and preserved to keep fear away for as
long as possible.
• Both poems imply a difference between an adult’s perspective and experience
of fear and a child’s. There is a clear sense that growing up brings with it an
increased anxiety and panic about daily life.
Planning Exam Style Questions With Unseen Poems
Read the poem War Photographer and re-read the poem Material.
Compare the methods both poets use to show the impact of the
past on the individual.
Planning Exam Style Questions With Unseen Poems
Read the poem War Photographer and re-read the poem Material.
Compare the methods both pots use to show the impact of the past
on the individual.
Both poems show how influential the past is on an individual and how it
shapes their future life and choices. Whilst War Photographer conveys a
sense of negativity and suffering in dealing with the past, Material
suggests a fonder, nostalgic perspective of the past and a more
welcoming attitude towards re-visiting it. Both however, clarify the
importance of coming to terms with your past in order to have a positive
future.
Comparative, lead argument points
• Both poems convey how the past has a lasting effect on an individual, with
War Photographer showing the trauma of those experiences and Material
the nostalgic fondness.
• Whilst Material shows a fond attachment to the past, War Photographer
conveys a painful and traumatic interaction with past experiences.
• Both poems show the strong influence the past has on an individual, though
War Photographer suggests being haunted by past experiences whilst
Material implies a sense of empowerment through them.
• Both poems imply a need for order when dealing with the past, logically
working through issues in order to process them and live with them.
• Both poems show ways of coping with the past but whilst War Photographer
suggests that process is a personal, isolated one, Material is less suppressed
in the process of dealing with past difficulties.
Comparative Analytical Paragraph
Both poems show ways of coping with the past but whilst War Photographer suggests that process is a personal, isolated one,
Material is less suppressed in the process of dealing with past difficulties. In War Photographer the description of how ‘In his
darkroom he is finally alone/ with spools of suffering set out in ordered rows’ implies the need for isolation in order to make
sense of the chaos of his past experiences. The emphasis on ‘finally’ suggests how desperate he was to process the feelings
and emotions, away from the eyes of others, with the environment of ‘his darkroom’ conveying the sense of privacy and
intimacy needed with the pictures that record those chaotic and painful memories. The sibilance and harsh consonants in
‘spools of suffering’ create a tone of bitterness and harshness, suggesting how difficult the process of dealing with these past
experiences is for him. The need for ‘ordered rows’ shows that his process for coping is to logically sequence images and put
them away as he deals with the emotions attached to them. The third person ‘he’ also enables this sense of difficulty and
being at odds with the past. Whilst Material also shows a personal interaction with past memories, the tone is much less
introverted and more open. The first person voice acknowledges ‘I miss material handkerchiefs,/ their soft hidden history’
thereby addressing the idea of loss and change but ‘miss’ is a gentler feeling in relation to the past with the adjective ‘soft’
enabling an emotion of fondness and happiness rather than the pain and anguish in War Photographer. The connotations
around ‘material’ also add to the positivity of her past experiences influencing her in a good way. It’s not only the physical
handkerchief itself, associated with her mother and the love that existed between them, it is also the experiences and the
situations that the past has given her to use in her present life – material experiences last and are valuable. She doesn’t want
to forget, she is going to absorb and use her past, whereas in War Photographer he aims to shut the past out and ‘stares
impassively’ to the future. As War Photographer swallows down emotion and connection to the past, ordering the chaos in
order to try and forget it, Material shows how empowering it can be to embrace the past and carry it with you.

The message of how the past enables her own sense of future to happen in Material is more warming and empowering than
the grating acceptance of the past that is suggested in War Photographer……
Planning Exam Style Questions With Unseen Poems
Read the poem Quickdraw and re-read Chainsaw versus the Pampas
Grass. Compare the methods both poets use to explore the ending of
relationships.
Planning Exam Style Questions With Unseen Poems
Read the poem Quickdraw and re-read Chainsaw versus the Pampas
Grass. Compare the methods both poets use to explore the ending of
relationships.
Both poems convey the ending of relationships as a brutal and painful
experience of suffering, portrayed through the extended metaphors of
violent battles and fights to the death. Whilst Quickdraw
demonstrates the anguish and pain of losing the battle of love
between two people, Chainsaw conveys a battle between the
relationship of man and nature however, figuratively, the experiences
of these relationship battles reflect similar messages.
Comparative, lead argument points
• Both poems show the ending of relationships to be violent and aggressive,
with pain and suffering being part of the experience.
• Through both poems, the ending of relationships is conveyed through the
extended metaphors of battles, wars and fights, implying the explosive and
brutal outcome of breakups.
• Both poems show the ending of relationships to result in a winner and a
loser.
• The ending of relationships are shown to allow a person to re-grow and
recover from in both poems.
• Destructive metaphors clarify the explosive elements to relationships in
Quickdraw whereas Chainsaw allows more possibility to heal and recover
through the natural imagery described.
Comparative Analytical Paragraph
Through both poems, the ending of relationships is conveyed through the extended metaphors of
battles, wars and fights, implying the explosive and brutal outcome of breakups. In Chainsaw the
extended metaphor of the “unlikely match” immediately generates the idea of a power battle, with
the adverb “unlikely” implying that is an unequal fight and someone will get hurt. The aggressive
verbs of “grinding” with the simile “fed it out like powder from a keg” convey the danger and
violence that is ensuing in the battle and literally explosive damage that is going to be caused.
Similarly, Quickdraw’s extended metaphor of the shoot out, initiated through the simile “phones, like
guns, slung from the pockets of my hips”, implies a brutal, to-the-death battle but one more of words
than physical actions like Chainsaw. The “trigger of my tongue” conveys the cruelty of words that are
thrown “like bullets” in the battle of a break-up where one tries to hurt the other more than they
have been hurt, therefore clarifying the distress and pain that breakups cause, with words damaging
a person’s self-esteem and sense of worth, leaving lasting wounds and scars. Both poems clarify the
pain and suffering, as well as the level of violence and aggression, that can be generated by the
ending of a relationship.

Both poems imply that break-ups cause broken people and damaged individuals but whilst
Quickdraw implies brutal suffering to the end, Chainsaw, implies acceptance of defeat to fight again
another day.
Planning Exam Style Questions With Unseen Poems
Read the poem Quickdraw and re-read Ode on a Grayson Perry Urn.
Compare the methods both poets use to explore the effects of
powerful emotions.
Both poems convey a perspective on aspects of life and experience.
Whilst Quickdraw explores the emotions of love and hate in
relationships, fuelling anger, Ode expands this idea of love and hate to
society and generational divides, adding the emotions of nostalgia and
sympathy to the situations. Whilst Quickdraw implies that hatred and
negative feelings can consume you and stay with you, Ode enables a
more empathetic possibility that understanding difference can enable
love and understanding to grow.
Comparative, lead argument points
• Both poems convey a sense of hatred, though Ode implies a
mellowing and easing of anger whilst Quickdraw remains
aggressive to the end.
• Whilst Quickdraw suggest emotions of violent hatred resulting from
love, Ode is almost opposite to this with love and empathy
stemming from an initial position of hatred and fear.
Planning Exam Style Questions With Unseen Poems
Read the poem Piano and re-read Material. Compare the methods
both poets use to explore family relationships
Planning Exam Style Questions With Unseen Poems
Read the poem Piano and re-read Material. Compare the methods both
poets use to explore family relationships

Both poems show appreciation of their mothers and the strong and
influential relationship they had with them. Memories evoke nostalgia
and fondness in both poems but whilst Material conveys a sense of being
able to move on and use the experience of the past relationship to
become a more powerful and independent person yourself, Piano shows
the rawness of loss and how the memories of the relationship and the
absence of it in the present, still have the power to break you rather than
strengthen you.
Comparative, lead argument points
• Both poems show how objects can trigger memories of past
relationships and how emotional that journey can be.
• Material and Piano show how influential and positive their mothers
have been in their lives and the lasting impression they have had on
them as they have grown up.
• Both poems show how strong relationships with their mothers
secure an emotional tie to their life experiences and choices but
where Material shows a child who has been able to channel these
emotions to a positive purpose, Piano shows how the memories
can still be debilitating and impossible to let go of.
Comparative Analytical Paragraph

Material and Piano show how influential and positive their mothers have been in their
lives and the lasting impression they have had on them as they have grown up. In
Piano the grown son ‘sees’ the memory of his mother “who smiles as she sings” whilst
he sits under the piano “pressing her small, poised feet.” The fact that she “smiles”
implies the love and warmth of the relationship and the memory and the descriptions
of her feet being “small” and “poised” conveys pride and appreciation for her. The
vividness of the memory conveys the strength of the love he still feels for her and
therefore the power that the relationship with his mother still has over him. This
fondness and appreciation is mirrored in Material as the daughter remembers “she’d
have one, always, up her sleeve.” The certainty of “always” suggests the confidence
she had in her mother and how much she relied upon her to be there and do exactly
what was needed. She acknowledges “I miss material handkerchiefs” suggests the
sadness that she feels at the loss of that supportive relationship, but it is with fond
nostalgia that she recollects it.
Planning Exam Style Questions With Unseen Poems
Read the poem Hide and Seek and re-read the poem History. Compare
the methods both poets use to explore the effects of fear.
Planning Exam Style Questions With Unseen Poems
Read the poem Hide and Seek and re-read the poem History. Compare the methods both
poets use to explore the effects of fear.

Both poems explore the idea of how perceptions of fear can differ through the journey
from childhood to adulthood, naivety to wisdom. Hide and Seek presents a form of
childhood fear that is exciting and fun to experience, entered into willingly with no
negativity associated with the enjoyment of slight panic. The idea of hiding and waiting to
be found allows for the fear of being caught within the safety of a practiced game where
you will be found. However, the shift towards the end suggests a realisation, perhaps as
you grow up, that the darkness isn’t always safe and someone won’t always be there to
find you. History, from an adult’s perspective, confirms this permanent sense of anxiety,
worry and fear that exists for adults through their experiences of negative events, and the
importance of trying to maintain childhood innocence for as long ads possible.
Comparative, lead argument points
• Both poems convey the sense that fear in childhood is either non-existent or
something light-hearted and fun, more like a game, because there is the
assumption that someone will always be there for you to keep you safe.
• The poems convey a realisation that fear is a real part of adult life, accepting
that a feeling of foreboding is something that accompanies you throughout
your daily experiences.
• Both poems suggest how precious the innocent naivety of childhood is –
something that needs to be protected and preserved to keep fear away for as
long as possible.
• Both poems imply a difference between an adult’s perspective and experience
of fear and a child’s. There is a clear sense that growing up brings with it an
increased anxiety and panic about daily life.

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