Essay Writing for Glasgow 5 th March 1971

What the examiners are looking for: 1.Understanding – am I showing I understand what the writer is trying to do? 2.Analysis – can I name and explain the techniques used? 3.Evaluation – can I form a personal opinion about the ideas in the text and support it with quotes? 4.Expression – can I write in a way that is clear and correct?

How to get a General Pass: 1.Clearly answer the question 2.Use quotes from the text to prove you are right 3.Show understanding of what the writer is trying to do 4.Write clearly and without any spelling or punctuation mistakes For a Credit Pass: Go that bit further. Other points that can be discussed: Use and effect of enjambment Use and effect of contrast Use and effect of irony Make sure that your personality comes through, your essay should stand out.

Show me, don’t tell me! DO NOT WRITE “ I think that…” E.G. “I think that Morgan is trying to say that city life is…” DO WRITE “Morgan is saying that…” By stating it, you are showing me that that is what you think, you do not have to tell me.

The question Chose a poem which describes a scene or incident vividly. Show how the author’s use of poetic techniques help make the scene vivid and memorable.

Step 1: Mind Mapping Glasgow 5 th – how is the scene made vivid?

Step 1: Mind Mapping Glasgow 5 th – how is the scene made vivid? Seems like true story Clear visual imagery blood pain Realistic characters violence Present tense Newspaper headline Everyday place but dark and wet Innocent victims Faceless criminal s Society just drives by

Step 2: How to PEEL Glasgow 5 th – how is the scene made vivid? The ideas will become paragraphs in your essay Each paragraph follows a simple structure: –P –E –L

Step 2: How to PEEL 1.Point 2.Evidence 3.Explain 4.Link back to question

Step 2: How to PEEL 1.Point (what I will show in this paragraph) 2.Evidence (quote from the poem) 3.Explain (explain how this proves my point, unpack any techniques, and give a personal reaction to them) 4.Link back to question (show how this answers the question)

Step 2: How to PEEL: example Glasgow 5 th – how is the scene made vivid? In “Glasgow, 5 th March 1971”, the poet creates a vivid description of a violent incident. One of the best ways he does this is by describing the injuries to the victims: “The young man’s face is bristling with fragments of glass” Morgan uses a metaphor to create a horrible picture of the young man’s face. The shards of glass seem to make a beard, there are so many. This is effective because it shows us how many pieces are embedded, and how he will be scarred. This horrible image is one of the ways the scene is made vivid and memorable.

Step 2: How to PEEL © Glasgow 5 th – how is the scene made vivid? In “Glasgow, 5 th March 1971”, the poet creates a particularly vivid description of a violent incident. One of the most powerful ways he does this is by describing the injuries to the victims: “The young man’s face is bristling with fragments of glass” Morgan uses a metaphor to create a disturbing picture of the young man’s face. The shards of glass seem to make a beard, there are so many. This is effective because it shows us how many pieces are embedded, and how he will be scarred. This horrible image is one of the ways the scene is made vivid and memorable. PEELPEEL