Unseen Poetry How to approach an unseen poem.

The Exam In the exam you will be given two unseen poems – both linked by theme. You will be expected to analyse them – think PEA paragraphs! But also compare them to each other.

P.E.A. P = Point E = Example (“quotation”) A = Analyse– To achieve high grades you need to do this in detail. Say what technique the poet is using and the effect of this – why they use it? How it makes you feel? (personal response)

MITSL M – Meaning (themes of the poem – what the poet is trying to say?) I – Imagery (What image does the poem create? Techniques and their effect.) T – Tone (very important – the emotions and mood of the poem such as bitter or sad, does it use humour or irony?) S – Structure (how is the poem laid out? Is it different from normal? Effect?) L – Language (look for language techniques used such as alliteration / imagery etc.)

Themes To help you to gain the skills to be able to analyse poetry yourself, you will be studying a range of poetry based on the following themes: 1.Conflict 2.Love 3.Parent / family relationships 4.Youth / Age 5.Male / female relationships 6.Power/ ambition 7.Hypocrisy / prejudice

How it is marked. AO1 – 6.25% Respond to texts giving careful and thoughtful opinions Select short quotations from the texts to support your idea Discuss quotations and analyse their meaning. AO2 – 6.25% Discuss how writers use language, structure and form to present their ideas. Discuss the themes of the texts. AO3 – 12.5% Make links between the texts. Write about the similarities and differences of the texts. Write about the writers’ different ways of expressing meaning and achieving effect.

Where to start? Before anything else, read the poem two or three times. Then try to grasp its meaning - what is the theme, what is the tone, what is the poet trying to say here? MITSL – Meaning, Imagery, Tone, Structure and Language. By studying the structure and language of the poem, you will gain an insight into the poem's meaning. The more times you read the poem, the more you will understand the meaning of the poem.

But? However, contemporary poetry is sometimes difficult to interpret. It can often have several meanings, or its meaning can be quite explicit. Sometimes, the poet doesn't want it to have any particular meaning, preferring instead the reader takes his/her own interpretation. You are advised to be as open and non- judgemental as possible when answering the unseen poetry question.

How a poem can effect a reader? The poet communicates thoughts, emotions and ideas to the reader through a particular choice of words and structure. The objective of the poem can differ. Sometimes the poem might challenge readers' perceptions of how they view things, and help them see things in a different light. For some people, poetry is highly personal, and they engage with poems on a subjective level. In this way, you can learn a lot about life and understanding life through poetry.

To help you gain a deeper understanding of what the meaning or content of a poem, try examining the following: Ideas State what you believe to be the main idea or ideas of the poem, approaching it stanza by stanza. Note the key words or phrases repeated throughout the poem. Think about why the stanzas/lines are structured in a particular way. Explore the relationships throughout the poem. See if there are any recurring themes in the poem, and extract what the poet is trying to say by writing about these.

Persona Who is the speaker in the poem? Is it the poet, or is it the poet taking on another voice? Who is the poet speaking to? Is it him/herself, is it a particular person, or is it the reader? What can we tell about the poet from studying the poem?

Language Tone: What is the poem's tone (sad, happy, reflective, morose, philosophical, etc.) Rhythm: Is there a musical quality to the poem, does it rhyme, does it follow a particular rhythm or is the rhythm fragmented? Techniques: Does the poet use writing techniques to enhance the language, e.g., alliteration (the repetition of consonants) and assonance (the repetition of vowels). Imagery: What imagery does the poem use and how does it shape your meaning of the poem. Symbolism: Does the poet use symbolism to illustrate his/her views and is it effective. Words: These are the essence of a poem, and it is important you're aware of key words and expressions and how they form your understanding and appreciation of the poem. Grammar and punctuation: Poets differ in how they express themselves. Sometimes words are not enough in themselves and poets might use unorthodox grammar or different punctuation to get their points across. Be aware of this.

Extracts from the examiner’s report “It is worth reminding candidates that the identification of stylistic features gets no extra marks, and it is possible to achieve the very highest marks without using any technical terminology at all - what is important is showing how the way the poems are written is effective in expressing the poets' messages. What tended to be a discriminator at the top of the mark range was appreciation of the points of view (the ironic tone in Tramp and the guilt at the end of Decomposition) and the successful exploration of language. A lesson for candidates to take on board is that quantity does not necessarily mean quality, and time spent reading the poems, and thinking about them, noting key words and phrases and their effects, is time well spent. Having said that, those who took time to read carefully did grasp the central messages, with some working very successfully at details.”