Exam tips

Question 1

Compare how poems present romantic love in ‘Singh Song’ and one other poem from love and relationships.

Answer 1

Topic sentence 1: In Singh Song and Sonnet 29, both poems explore how the power of romantic love can overcome obstacles-

Topic sentence 2: Both poems explore how romantic love can dominate someone’s thoughts, causing one to be destructive-

[ In Singh song, his thoughts that dominate him about his wife cause him to neglect his duties in his ‘daddy’s’ shop, whereas in S29, the speaker’s obsessive thoughts that dominate her, cause her to start breaking her relationship].

Topic sentence 3: Both poems manipulate structure, in order to show how strong their romantic love is?

Question 2

Compare how poems present desire in ‘Sonnet 29’ and one other poem from love and relationships.

Answer 2

Topic sentence 1: Both poems explore how desire is natural, through the use of natural imagery.

Topic sentence 2: Both poems also explore how the speaker has a obsessive longing for their loved one, via the use of a lexical field of nature.

Topic sentence 3: Both poems show how love can cause someone’s emotions to be intense.

Question 3

Compare how poets present attitudes to a parent in ‘Follower’ and one other poem from love and relationships.

Answer 3

Topic sentence 1: Both poems explore how attitudes to a parent change over time (Follower and WA).

Topic sentence 2: Both poems explore how growing up can change attitudes to a parent.

Topic sentence 3: Both poems explore how

Question 4

Compare how poems present distance in ‘Letters From Yorkshire’ and one other poem from love and relationships

Answer 4

Topic sentence: Both poems explore how love can overcome distance

Topic sentence 2: both poets use natural imagery to convey how distance affects people

Topic sentence 3: Both poems explore the affect that distance can have on relationships.

Question 5

Compare how poets present family relationships in ‘Walking away’ and one other poem from love and relationships.

Answer 5

Topic sentence 1: In WA and follower, both poems explore how family relationships can change over time.

Topic sentence 2: Both poems explore how growing up can change family relationships.

Topic sentence 3:

Question 6

What is the structure of how to write a comparative poetry essay?

Answer 6

• umbrella sentence (that links to the key word)
• first comparative point: Both poems explore/reflect…
• Analyse language, imagery and refer to context.
• second comparative point: Both poems explore/reflect…
• Analyse language, imagery in Poem 1 and 2, link to context.
• third comparative point
• Analyse language, imagery, context, form and structure.
• Now analyse rhyme, rhythm, metre.
• Finally do a conclusion that relates to the key point.

Question 7

Compare how poets present family relationships in Mother any distance and one other poem.

Answer 7

Topic sentence 1: Both poems explore how the need for their child to independently grow up, can change family relationships.

Topic sentence 2: Both poems explore how reluctant parents can negatively alter family relationships.

Topic sentence 3:

Question 8

Compare how poets present attitudes to a family member in Climbing my grandfather and one other poem.