1. How to respond to poetry
Paper 1 Skills
How to respond to poetry

2. How to respond to poetry – a procedure to follow
1. Annotate the poem
Literal level
Analysing meaning, main thoughts and feelings communicated
How is meaning constructed through techniques
2. Plan your response
Brainstorm a subject statement
Outline the ideas and evidence you will use
3. Begin writing your introduction

3. Annotating a poem (15 mins)
Read the poem
Concentrate on the literal meaning.
What is the poem about? I.e. subject matter / characters.
Re-read and annotate the poem
Concentrate on the MACRO level,
what thoughts and feelings, BIG ideas are being communicated?
Annotate on the left hand side of the poem.
Re-read and annotate the poem again
Concentrate on the MICRO level,
how is the poet conveying his/her ideas? What techniques and devices are being used?
Annotate on the right hand side of the poem.
Annotating a poem (15 mins)
For a series of videos which explicitly teach and model the procedural knowledge of how to annotate a poem, using the Birth of the Owl Butterflies poem, go to: G:\Curriculum\Common \English\Paper 1\Annotating a Poem
When practicing annotating poetry use the document called: Exploding a poem_questions to help students analyse poetry

5. Planning your response (10 mins)
Annotations and brainstorming
Your thinking in the first 10 to 15 minutes will lead to the formulation of your subject statement.
Subject statement
The subject statement should outline your understanding of the main thoughts and feelings in the poem.
This is the poet’s purpose, authorial intent, the poem’s main message.

6. Planning your response (10 mins)
Constructing Support Graphic Organiser
Subject statement:
Idea for body paragraph 1:
Idea for body paragraph 2:
Idea for body paragraph 3:
Idea for body paragraph 4* :
Topic Sentence for Body Paragraph 1:
Topic Sentence for Body Paragraph 2:
Topic Sentence for Body Paragraph 3:
Topic Sentence for Body Paragraph 4:
Evidence / quotes to be included in body paragraph 1 (write down line number):
Evidence / quotes to be included in body paragraph 2 (write down line number):
Evidence / quotes to be included in body paragraph 3 (write down line number):
Evidence / quotes to be included in body paragraph 4 (write down line number):
*You may only have 3 body paragraphs or you may have more.
** You may choose to structure your commentary by SCASI, SPECSLIMS, ideas/themes, techniques.

7. Let’s see how one of your peers successfully annotates and plans:
Student annotations and planning

8. Begin writing your introduction!
Remember a good introduction should include:
The title of the extract and full author name
The subject matter of the extract (literal level, what is happening in the extract)
Your subject statement (this outlines the purpose /authorial intent / main message)
An outline of the ideas you will explore in your body paragraphs
10 minutes

9. Why spend so much time annotating and planning?
Students who do not annotate and plan their texts often come into trouble when they begin writing. Their ideas are disjointed. Their writing is confusing. Often crossing out and wedged in words make following their ideas difficult. The commentary lacks overall cohesion and purpose. Sometimes it seems as though the student only understands the extract when they arrive at their conclusion. Remember the adage: Failing to plan is planning to fail.

10. Your task Follow this procedure. Choose one of the two poems:
Three Lunulae, Truro Museum from November 2007 HL Paper 1
My Father from pages 81 and 82 of HS Toshack's Writing Unseen Commentaries: A Student Help Book
These are BOTH challenging poems. However,
There are guiding questions available for the HL poem so SL students can do this one.
There are some guiding analysis notes included for My Father.