Out out:

Language: Structure:

- Title: ‘OUT, OUT-’: It is a line - Change to passive tense - When

from Macbeth, cut short. Perhaps the boy is nearing his demise, the
it alludes to the fact the boy’s life poet changes to the passive tense as
was cut short, just like the title. seen in ‘HE LAY’. The passive
- Poem starts with mention of tense is seen by many to indicate a
buzzsaw – foreshadowing its lack of control by the subject of the
importance. sentence, who is now powerless to
- ‘SNARLED AND RATTLE’: avoid any actions happening to
Onomatopoeia, predatory them.
connotations – like an animal - Single word sentence- Owen uses
waiting to pounce. a single word sentence to break the
- Time marker – ‘SUNSET – momentum of the poem and to
informs us that it is the end of a force the reader to pause and accept
working day. Foreboding – that the incident has passed. ‘SO.’
darkness is coming which may be Implies a certain amount of finality,
foreshadowing the tragedy to as if the boy himself was faced with
come via pathetic fallacy. an inevitable outcome since there
- Repetition of ‘BOY’ – the was nothing to be done to help him.
emphasis and reminder of the It may lead the reader to feel
child’s age aids the tragic tone of panicked, with such a sudden
the poem. Namelessness forces caesura in the poem, as it carries an
the reader to focus on the age of undertone of uncertainty.
the boy. - DASHES – resemble the buzzsaw?
- Poet is critical: ‘BOY DOING A Represent the heatbeat slowly
MAN’S WORK’ – He believes ebbing away 'LITTLE-LESS-
the task was too dangerous for a NOTHING’ Upset the reader as it
child and is perhaps shifting acts as a visual representation of
blame onto the guardians for the boys life fading.
allowing a child near such a - Dialogue only given by children:
dangerous object (the buzzsaw) This may also add to the blaming of
- Use of third person pronoun – the guardians- why were children
Near the end of the poem the poet the only ones with the power to
repeatedly uses the pronoun speak – were the adults not present
‘THEY to describe life moving on enough to speak? Then there is a
after the incident. The lack of sad plea from the boy, reinforcing
description about the people adds his powerlessness as a child, and
a notion of ambiguity which may making the tragedy seem all the
lead the reader to believe that worse for his young age.
these unidentifiable people are the - From a horizontal angle: the
readers themselves. poem resembles a buzzsaw. The
poet might have done this
intentionally to reinforce the
normalcy of the offending object by
mimicking with the shape of the
poem. This simple inclusion may
allude to the fact that the buzzsaw is
easily found, a commonplace
object, and therefore increases the
readers horror at an accident with
an everyday object since it makes
the prospect of a repeat incident
much more realistic.
Disabled:
Language: Structure:

- TITLE: ‘DISABLED’ – the - Rhyme scheme: There is a

poem is about a veteran reflecting consistent rhyme scheme especially
on his life post war, after he in the fourth stanza which is a
returns missing limbs. Ties his particularly happy one, when
entire identity to his disabled- talking about his youth. One might
ness? make the connection therefore, that
- Mention of wheeled chair – The the rhyme scheme throughout the
first thing that is mentioned in the poem may allude to the fact the
poem is ‘THE WHEELED veteran is desperate to find
CHAIR’. This immediately happiness. Reader = empathetic.
highlights the lack of mobility - Poem starts and ends with the
and may forewarn the reader protagonist in the wheelchair
about the themes centring the (Cyclical structure). – No matter
poem: about how the veteran feels the journey of the poem, he is still
less than other men. in his wheeled chair, powerless.
- Temporal contrasts – ‘IN THE
- End the poem in the veterans
OLD DAYS,’ vs. ‘LAST YEAR’
perspective: Now that we now his
The juxtaposition between the
backstory, from a proud young
two time periods leads the reader
man, to one who feels aged and
to question the
shameful about himself, the poet
- Sensory imagery - semantic field
increases our sympathy by making
of waste to enunciate the
him call out like a child,
pointlessness of war. This is
dehumanizing him since he can’t
evident through his use of verbs
even do the simple task of sleeping
such as ‘SPILL’ which paint an
(which he so craves for) by himself.
image of carelessness as well as
recklessness and implies the
squandering of innocence through
violence. The act of spilling may
also demonstrate that it was
unintentional, and he did not
realise the consequences of
‘throwing away his youth.’ This
makes the reader feel empathetic
towards the veteran and through
his lexical choices portrays the
naïveté of the young men who
conscript in the army.
- Metaphor: ‘Sleep’ = Death?
Still I rise
Language: Structure:

- TITLE: metaphor for - TENSE CHANGE – ‘I’LL RISE’

resurrection – ‘STILL I RISE’ vs. ‘I RISE.’ – Shows a journey
Shows her resilience in the face from the beginning of the poem to
of adversity. Sets the tone for the the end and a change in her attitude,
rest of the poem – confident. This and how she’s now overcoming her
phrase is repeated (Repetition) struggles with the determination
for emphasis showing her she’s maintained throughout the
- Rhetorical question: ‘DID YOU poem to succeed.
WANT TO SEE ME BROKEN?’ - Rhyme scheme: Consistent, almost
– Inclusion of direct address is song like – encourage others to
bold, and following the confident ‘sing’ with her and to stand up
tone of the poem, it might imply against injustice.
her bold personality and how she - Parallel structure: ‘You may…’
is unafraid to challenge ideals and (repeated thrice) – reinforces her
norms. undeniable resilience.
- Similie- ‘… LIKE I HAVE - Only the last ‘I RISE’ has a full
GOLD MINES’ – She doesn’t stop. – Throughout the poem, and
need wealth to enjoy life, she is through the six repetitions of ‘I
proud of her metaphorical ‘roots’ rise’, only one has a full stop. The
(something commonly found in caesura at the end of the poem adds
one’s backyard) and is thus, closure- a sense of finality, as if it
proud of her heritage as a black has been decided, inevitably she
woman. Reader = empowered. will rise.
- Similie – ‘JUST LIKE MOONS
AND LIKE SUNS… LIKE AIR’
– These are natural things, almost
suggesting a natural resilience
and that it is natural ‘to still rise’.
The bright lights of Sarajevo:
Language: Structure:

- Connectives: ‘BUT’ (first stanza) - Foreboding undertone despite the

used in addition to direct address seeming normalcy:
to shock the readers with how - Horror of war para sandwiched-
similar, and perhaps even normal, This shows how even if it isn’t
life is despite being under siege. outrightly obvious, the siege is still
- Pathetic fallacy – perfect date scene there, a stark reminder no matter the
doubles as a perfect sniper shot – scene.
unsettles the reader with the duality - Person change: Goes from third
of the language and adds a three- person observing to ‘I SEE’ – who
dimensionality to the poem, layering else is seeing? They are always
it with a double entendre. ‘STAR
being watched. Pity for the lack of
FILLED EVENING SKY’- Pleaides
privacy?
is a constellation. This shows the
sacrifice you have to make to have - Starts with war and ends with
any sort of beauty. the ‘star-filled love – Reinforces the fact that love
evening sky’ the Beauty but the risk and life can persist through the
is the ‘bombers’ have better vision worst of times.
on the towns, cities and schools. But - Iambic pentameter: By following
it also shows that beauty is the iambic pentameter, it further
everywhere even in a war zone you emphasises the strict regularity of
just have to look. their daily life, while showing that
- Militaristic semantic field: even in war, Sarajevo is still
‘RADAR’ ‘SIGNALS’ – even thriving as a beating heart would.
love has to be controlled with a The iambic rhythms may echo the
militaristic precision in the heartbeats of two lovers. Through
darkest of times. Juxtaposition this structure, a tone of monotony is
between love and the war terms added, although it also represents
shocks the reader the stability, determination as well
- Present participle verbs: as functioning of the community.  
‘Killing’ ‘dodging’ – hold -
negative connotations and the fact
that they are presented in the
present tense shows how these
verbs are still applicable at the
time – people are still ‘dodging
snipers’ and ‘queueing for meagre
rations’ showing how the
population is still under mortal
peril, despite the youth’s
 courtships.
- Personification – by portraying
the ground as having ‘scars’ the
poet symbolizes the emotional
scarring of the people caused by
war. The fact that these scars are
still visible may allude to the fact
that the public have not fully
healed yet from the horrors of
war, and since the scars seem to
be permanent, it may symbolize
that they might never be able to
fully rid themselves from the
trauma.
- Recurrence of bread – start by
queueing for it, then get
slaughtered for it.
- Repetition of ‘DEATH’ (final
two lines) – as if it is inevitable.

________________________________
An unknown girl
Language: Structure:

- Repetition- ‘Unknown girl’ – - Centred and resembles the henna,

who is this unnamed, ‘unknown winding and twisting. – Increases
girl?’ One interpretation is that it the significance of the henna by
is the speaker herself, however, I integrating it into the form of the
personally believe that the poem.
unknown girl refers to the henna - Poem starts and ends in the same
girl who is symbolic of the setting – ‘In the bazaar’ – shows that
speaker’s identity. Both are this battle for belonging is one she will
faceless, nameless entities whose always have to face. The lack of
defining trait is that they won’t identity will always lead her back to the
linger; not the girl, nor the bazaar. Bazaar is a safe space for her?
speaker’s connection to India. One where she feels safe to explore her
- Juxtaposition- ‘For a few rupees’ identity? Mention the difference
vs. ‘new brown veins’– between ‘longing for’ the bazaar vs
Considering the henna as actually being in the bazaar. The
symbolic of the speakers identity, difference encapsulates her desire to
it raises the question of how much belong; she feels like she was happiest
identity is worth, both financially in the bazaar.
and to the speaker herself. The -
speaker revels in her ‘new brown
veins’, having carved herself a
new identity, however, that seems
surprising to the reader as the
service (of applying henna) is also
stated to be rather cheap. A ‘few
rupees’ would not be more than a
couple pennies or cents in western
currency, therefore one may infer
that the simple act of being
present and having such a service
performed is enough to tie one to
their identity and money is not
everything.
________________________________

Other notes:

Key:
Bold = Technique
CAPS/italics = quotation/example of technique

 Use PEARL – Point, Evidence, Analysis (words like connote/imply/indicate etc.) Reader
response and Link back to the question
 ‘Lexical choices’
 Make sure to answer the question (interlink points!)
 For the introduction – introduce context and themes.
 Use your connectives and think calmly!
 Add more socio-historical context
 When talking about structure: ‘Structurally,’…
 Reader response common terms: shocks (the reader)… fascinates (the reader)… surprises
(the reader)… makes (the reader) feel sympathy… BECAUSE.
 NB: Question 1 will have a focus in the question, make sure to pay attention to said focus
and LINK LINK LINK.
Prose texts:

The story of an hour:

(Themes: repressive nature of marriage, freedom)

Language: Structure:

- Title: ‘The story of an hour: - Change in name: ‘Mrs Mallard-

indicates that a lot can happen in Louise’. After she has learnt of her
an hour and establishes a clear husband’s death, she goes back to
timeframe for the story to take having an identity beyond being his
place in. Could be considered as wife ‘Mrs Mallard’. She is addressed as
foreshadowing? (could be taken Louise, a name which belongs to her,
as a structure point as you’re and she is not seen as an extension of
pointing out that the her husband anymore. This supports the
- Double entendre: ‘afflicted with themes of the short story surrounding
a heart trouble’: The heart the repressive nature of marriage,
trouble is both literal and which is displayed here as Mrs Mallard
metaphorical considering she has was stripped of her own identity when
a heart condition and it is she was married, being known only as
indicated later in the text that she the wife of Mr Mallard- Mrs. Mallard,
is unhappy in her marriage (‘often and feels joy to have been returned to
she had not [loved him]’). her possession, which is further shown
Produces sympathy from the with her excitement at ‘days that would
reader. be her own’, highlighting how she
- Simile: ‘like a goddess of values her possessions and undeniably
Victory’. This statement is alongside it, her identity.
powerful as it implies that she has
-Dramatic irony: ‘When the doctors
won a battle and is now standing
came they said she had died of heart
victorious after the death of her disease—of joy that kills.’.
husband. This is a show of Juxtaposition of joy vs kills, isn’t joy a
strength and emphasises Louise’s good thing? One could interpret that
power as an individual and this implies the fact that it isn’t the
especially as a woman. #girlboss. happiness that killed her but the
thought of her newly imagined freedom
 - Pathetic fallacy: Chopin employs being snatched away. It is almost as if
pathetic fallacy to denote the Chopin is suggesting that true
protagonists excitement at the happiness and freedom is the ultimate
prospect of her new life. ‘Spring goal of life and once you have it, it is
days and summer days’. Possibly better to die than to live without it.
alludes to the fact that this
freedom feels natural to her. This
is set in 19th century America and
might shock a modern reader to
whom these problems may seem
prevalent to this day.

The necklace:
(Setting: late 19th century France, this one will have a v specific focus)
http://englishtutorhome2.blogspot.com/2013/05/analysis-of-necklace-for-edexcel-igcse.html

Language: Structure:

- Omniscient narrator: (could be - Single sentence paragraph: ‘They

a structure point as well, this is lived like this for 10 years.’ Temporal
one piece where it’s easier to look paragraph, It is a simple declarative
at structure due to the sheer sentence, highlighting how despite the
vastness of it). The presence of an passage of so much time, nothing note-
omniscient narrator and the fact worthy has occurred. Madame Loisel’s
that the story is narrated in third life was bound to be tedious, and full of
person means that it zooms in on relentless hard work and there was
the main character: Madame nothing she could have done but accept
Loisel. At first the main her fate for as long as it took to get
characters name is not said but herself and her husband out of debt;
she is described as ‘pretty’ and even if she lost ten years of her life
‘delightful’.  The fact that she is doing so. This informs the reader that
pretty and delightful yet born into there is more emphasis on Mathilde’s
a rather poor family is described character, as seen with the longer
as a ‘error of fate.’  This idea of paragraphs which detail her emotions,
hopes, destiny and reality is a since Maupassant has covered the span
major theme throughout the story of ten years within a single sentence.
for the main character. - Plot twist: ‘It couldn’t have been
- Semantic field: ‘battered, worth much more than five hundred
peeling, run-down’. This semantic francs!’ Definitely used to shock the
field of a dilapidated place is used reader, perhaps evokes sympathy for
 to highlight and contrast against Madame Loisel as all of her years of
Madame Loisel’s beauty. It is hard work have been a waste. The fact
used to justify her unhappiness at that the extract ends with a grand reveal
living in such an ‘inhabitable’ and not Madame Loisel’s revealing her
environment and explains her hard work to Forestier, leaves Madame
discontentment and feelings that Loisel’s reaction to this news open to
her beauty is set for greater interpretation.
things. Evokes understanding
from the reader as they may find
the theme of ‘thwarted ambition’
one that they can relate to.
- Symbolism: ‘The necklace’: The
focal object in the story is this
piece of jewellery; the diamond
necklace. It is an expensive
artefact and as such it connotates
Mathilde’s desire to be part of a
higher social class and she views
it as a way of presenting her
social status, claiming that she
will ‘look like a church mouse’ if
she doesn’t wear jewellery. This
aids the reader to understand the
naivete and character of Madame
Loisel, who is unhappy with what
she has and will forever wish for
more, trapped in her ingratitude.
- Rule of three: This one is
peppered through the story, just
look out for it. It’s usually used to
juxtapose.
Significant cigarettes:
(REMEMBER THIS IS AN EXTRACT)
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https://quizlet.com/hk/376519468/significant-cigarettes-flash-cards/

Language: Structure:

- Onomastic symbolism: ‘Lev, - Written in third person: BUT

Lydia, Baryn, Aurora’ . Lev everything is in Lev’s perspective. May
comes from Lion (connotates allude to the writers purpose in writing
courage/bravery), Lydia means the book, and Lev is used to explain the
noble one (alludes to intelligence struggle of moving to an urban city in
perhaps) Barryn sound like hopes for a better life, especially when
Barren and gives the reader the you leave the life you had known and
visual imagery that the place Lev the people you love (Lev’s daughter in
is leaving is not particularly this case) behind.
fertile or hospitable. - Short sentence: ‘Lev drank again.’ Is
- Literary allusion: “To be or not he drinking for courage? Is he drinking
to be’. References the famous to calm his nerves- is he nervous? Is he
Shakespearean work: Hamlet. It is trying to combat his homesickness by
a testament to Lydia’s character, consuming something which is part of
it shows how she is well read (a his culture, part of what he is scared to
further complexity is that despite be leaving behind? Builds tension with
being clearly educated, she still the reader as they wonder how his inner
eats a boiled egg- a very cheap turmoil at leaving home affects his
pantry staple, showing how she interaction with Lydia, will his
may be in want for money and unpleasant feelings make him speak
luxury as well) and perhaps how unpleasantly towards her? (Just turn all
she does not understand Lev’s the questions I’ve posed into statements
character, seeing as she and you have a PEAR paragraph)
misinterpreted his want for - Polysyndeton (listing): ‘My daughter
shelter, for a famous saying, This Maya needs clothes, shoes, books, toys,
highlights to the reader the everything.’ Use of listing shows the
difference in their education as wide variety of objects a child needs,
well as the disparity in their and also reflects how far her father will
 purpose for seeking work. Lev is go for her. The word ‘everything’ is
clearly desperate as he is moving placed at the end of the list, implying
to a foreign country for work, that his daughter needs much, much
without even knowing the more than what he has stated. To the
language. Reader gains sympathy reader this seems like adequate
for Lev. motivation and explains why he is
- Symbolism: ‘his hands grew moving from Poland, when he is clearly
fidgety/ longing for a cigarette’ anxious about it. It gives the reader a
His longing for a cigarette better understanding of his character
represents his anxiety at leaving and values.
home. Since he uses it to comfort
him, one may interpret this as him
trying to hold onto something that
reminds him (Lev) of home. This
makes the reader pity him, since it
is clear that he is clearly not
leaving of his own volition and
even if he was, he is not doing so
joyfully. Perpetrates the themes of
homesickness and uncertainty for
the future.
Whistle and I’ll…:
(REMEMBER THIS IS AN EXTRACT, written in the 20th century but set in Victorian era
where gothic ghost stories were popularised)
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from-the-woman-in-black/

Language: Structure:

- Personification: ‘Windows were - Rational person gains doubt

rattling everywhere and there throughout the extract: ‘How could
was the sound of moaning down there be?’ vs. ‘conjecture’. Juxtaposes
all the chimneys of the house and his rationality with the supernatural,
whistling through every nook and makes the reader uneasy as it makes the
cranny’ The chimneys sound as if scenario realistic.
they are unhappy with their - Dramatic tension: short sentences
situation and this sets the tone and are used to build the tension and
mood for the rest of the extract, provide a dramatic ending to the
increases tension. “alone and paragraph. “No light came on. The
exposed’ (when talking about the torch had broken” Having set the
house). reader up for the fear that Kipps is not
- Pathetic fallacy: ykwim, it sets alone, she then makes it even more
the mood etc. Typical feature of a tense when he drops the torch.
gothic extract yada yada yada - Symbolism: Spider the dog is used as
blah blah blah. (I’m bored.) a symbol of hope and companionship.
- Simile: ‘house felt like a ship at The dog is introduced as a way to break
sea’ Mimics the movement of the tension and to provide comfort to Kipps
house, with the shaking windows as Spider ‘licks {his} hand’ drawing
and gives the reader a sense of him back to reality and easing his fear
imbalance, insecurity – prepares despite still being in the dark. Comforts
us for a rollercoaster ride ahead. the reader to know that Kipps has
- Dynamic verbs: “spinning”, someone on his side.
“drummed”, create a very frantic
pace, leaving the reader on the
edge of their seat and creating
active imagery which aids the
reader to sympathize with Kipps’
terror.
Night:
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Language: Structure:

- - Conversational tone:

\
I heave open the boot of my car and grapple with the boxes that I would be holding for the
last time. Tomorrow, I would be moving to this new house closer to all the major buildings in
the city. Loading up my items onto a flimsy trolley, I casually stroll into the only entrance of
the building – one that I wouldn’t exit out of.
Just as entering, I fail to distinguish the color change of the sky from a bright azure to a
crimson red.
I frantically shriek as cobwebs greet me at the front door. All I can see inside is old furniture
and the horrid damp smell of eggs, throbbing my head like a persistent toothache. As I had
been listening carefully to the subtle sounds that were coming from inside the house, I had
become aware of the stronger gusts that blew every so often against the brittle-looking walls.
While walking through the place, I spot things that seem out of the ordinary: swarms of flies
laying dead on the old oak flooring, the lack of windows, and the scratch marks on the
already cracked walls. This place needs some renovation.
F’tang! The undeniable sound of a bicycle bell is echoed down from upstairs. Strange.
Thump. Creak. Groan. I climb up the stairs. Thump. Creak. Groan.