English Department Exam Guide

Essay with extract —Post-1914 Prose/Drama

What: a 45 m inute essay w ith an ex tract to use as a
springboard
Where: English Literature Com ponent 2, section A

AO1—read, understand, respond

Time management
AO2—analyse language , structure and form
First 5 minutes: create a bullet-point plan of
AO4—SPaG
around 5 key points you will make, for example 5
ways a character is presented. Include the extract
where it is helpful.
Question types
Remaining 40 minutes: w rite a detailed
paragraph for each point. Use PEA and ensure you  Presentation of character
include words from the question. Include close
 Presentation of relationship between
references at all times and quotations where you can.
characters
Zoom in on key words in your quotations.
 Importance of character
 Presentation/importance of theme (e.g.
family, friendship, fear)
SPaG alert!
There are 5 marks available so be careful!  Tension or drama

Presentation of character Presentation or importance of theme

Begin with first impressions and end with how they Begin with where the theme first emerges and end
are last seen. Middle points should cover how they with its climax. Middle points should cover how the
change. theme develops. For importance, you also need to
explore the way the theme influences characters
Presentation of relationship
and plot.
As with characters, begin with how it first comes
Tension or drama
across and end with the last time we see the
characters’ relationship. Middle points should cover Tension or drama should build to the climax. Begin
how it changes and why. Remember not to talk with the first tense or dramatic event and end with
about ‘the relationship’ but a character’s the story’s conclusion. Middle points should cover
relationship to another. For example, Ralph’s the way tension or drama builds to the climax.
relationship towards Piggy and Piggy’s to Ralph. It
won’t be the same from each point of view!
Importance of a character Top Tips
This is different as the character might have an A ‘close reference’ is a specific detail - ask yourself
influence on something when they’re not present. whether you could find that moment in the story.
Start with the first time they have an impact and If not, you’re being vague.
end with the last time. Middle points should cover
how their importance becomes greater or lessens. You cannot achieve AO2 unless you analyse some
quotations. The extract will help but you must
have some more. The shorter, the better.
Opening and ending:
Every single thing you say must directly answer
Start with a single sentence answer.
the question.
End with a single sentence explanation of what
changed and why (or why not).
 English Department Exam Guide
Essay with extract —19th century prose
What: a 45 m inute essay w ith an ex tract to use as a
springboard
Where: English Literature Com ponent 2, section B

AO1—read, understand, respond

Time management
AO2—analyse language , structure and form
First 5 minutes: create a bullet-point plan of
AO3—importance of context
around 5 key points you will make, for example 5
ways a character is presented. Include the extract in
where it is helpful.
Question types
Remaining 40 minutes: w rite a detailed
paragraph for each point. Use PEA and ensure you  Presentation of character
include words from the question. Include close
 Presentation of relationship between
references at all times and quotations where you can.
characters
Zoom in on key words in your quotations.
 Importance of character
Context  Presentation/importance of theme (e.g.
Only bring in context where understanding a family, friendship, fear)
difference in 19th and 21st century audiences  Tension or drama
actually matters to the question!

Presentation of character Presentation or importance of theme

Begin with first impressions and end with how they Begin with where the theme first emerges and end
are last seen. Middle points should cover how they with its climax. Middle points should cover how the
change. theme develops. For importance, you also need to
explore the way the theme influences characters
Presentation of relationship
and plot.
As with characters, begin with how it first comes
Tension or drama
across and end with the last time we see the
characters’ relationship. Middle points should cover Tension or drama should build to the climax. Begin
how it changes and why. Remember not to talk with the first tense or dramatic event and end with
about ‘the relationship’ but a character’s the story’s conclusion. Middle points should cover
relationship to another. For example, Ralph’s the way tension or drama builds to the climax.
relationship towards Piggy and Piggy’s to Ralph. It
won’t be the same from each point of view!
Importance of a character
This is different as the character might have an Top Tips
influence on something when they’re not present. A ‘close reference’ is a specific detail - ask yourself
Start with the first time they have an impact and whether you could find that moment in the story.
end with the last time. Middle points should cover If not, you’re being vague.
how their importance becomes greater or lessens.
You cannot achieve AO2 unless you analyse some
quotations. The extract will help but you must
Opening and ending: have some more. The shorter, the better.

Start with a single sentence answer. Every single thing you say must directly answer
the question.
End with a single sentence explanation of what
changed and why (or why not).
 English Department Exam Guide
Unseen Poetry Essay (a)
What: a 20 minute essay based on a previously -unseen poem
Where: English Literature Com ponent 2, section C

Time management
Up to 5 minutes: read poem three tim es: once The question
for a general feel, again to understand the subject Write about the poem _______, and its
and a third time to annotate interesting words or effect on you.
phrases. Don’t forget there will be a summary of the
topic at the top of the page.
At least 15 minutes: track through the poem ,
analysing words or phrases from every few lines.

Unseen Poetry (a)

Essay technique and structure

Begin with an overview, summing

up what the poem is about and The poem ‘Slow Reader’ describes a child who does not enjoy reading,
the overall tone or mood, which even though his parent is desperate for him to. The poem starts off with
may change. a positive tone but ends quite sadly or regretfully.
…

Track through the poem, selecting The boy is described as letting words ‘go cold/as gristly meat’. This is a
words or phrases from every few very unpleasant simile and suggests that the boy is unable to
understand these words, as gristle is something people would not
lines to analyse. Identify and
usually want to eat. It could suggest that the words are of no use to the
explain key poetic techniques— boy as gristle is usually left behind as inedible.
don’t just spot them. You get
marks for analysis, not labelling. The speaker says ‘I relent’ to imply that he has been trying hard to
force the boy to read but, eventually, has to give up. It is as if the boy
has ‘won’. The boy can then ‘wriggle free’ as though he has been held
against his will and forced to attempt to read. ‘Wriggle’ suggests a
struggle or impatience which makes me think that he has been very
unhappy when being made to try to read. He could have become
frustrated because he finds it so difficult.
…
Give the poet’s aim in writing at
the end. I think the poet’s aim is to show that you cannot force your likes and
dislikes onto a child. It could also suggest that children can be very
different to their parents as the speaker is unable to make his child
share his passion for reading.

How to analyse
The poems will never have complex, hidden meanings. What they are about on the surface is what you
must write about. The question paper will also say what they’re both about right at the top.
You don’t have time to pick out many quotes so analyse what you’re confident about—skip parts you’re
less sure of.
Link every single point back to the topic of the poem—never analyse quotes in isolation.
Never waste time counting stanzas or describing rhyme schemes.
 English Department Exam Guide
Unseen Poetry Essay Comparison (b)
What: a 40 minute essay com paring a second unseen poem to that
in (a)
Where: English Literature Com ponent 2, section C

Time management
5 minutes: read the new poem three tim es, The question
selecting similar or different features on the third Now compare _________ to the poem
reading. from section (a).
20 minutes: track through poem (b), analysing
words or phrases from every few lines
You deserve a magician. We all do.
15 minutes: com pare the tw o poem s
And that fake pencil-line moustache, which fell off?
Don't be like him. Just you be true to you.
Do what you do, my son. It'll be enough.

Unseen Poetry (b) ‘Poem for a Birthday’ describes a very bad magician at the speaker’s son’s
birthday party several years ago. The tone is quite humorous and positive. As
Essay technique and
with ‘Slow Reader’, the poem is written from a father’s point of view and is
structure thinking about the son’s abilities. However, this poem has a more optimistic
Begin with an overview of message, saying that whatever the son chooses to do will be the right thing.
the second poem, Unlike ‘Slow Reader’, this poem is written as if being spoken directly to the son.
summing up what it is …
about and the key
When the speaker says ‘you deserve a magician’ he is suggesting the son
similarities and should have all the great things in life. After this, there is an aside where he
differences to poem (a). remembering ‘that fake pencil-line moustache’ which sounds like he can’t stop
going back to how bad the party magician was. It could also be sharing an
in-joke with his son and shows how personal the poem is.
Track through poem (b),
The speaker does not want his son to try to be something he is not, saying
selecting words or
‘don’t be like him’. This direct command makes it clear the speaker feels
phrases from every few strongly. When he ends with ‘it’ll be enough’ this is a very encouraging phrase
lines to analyse. Use the and suggests there is no way the speaker could be disappointed as long as the
exact same structure as son is ‘true to you’. ‘Enough’ makes it seem as if he doesn’t want to pressurise
for (a) his son into being the best.
...
Compare and contrast The speaker in ‘Slow Reader’ tries to force his son to read, holding him on his
the two poems. Identify lap until he ‘wriggles free’. Instead of saying the child can ‘just do what you do’,
and explain key poetic the speaker forces the son to try to read even though he dislikes it. The
techniques and make links speaker in ‘Slow Reader’ lists good things the child can do such as ‘tell jokes’
but this doesn’t seem to be ‘enough’ as the speaker in ‘Poem for a Birthday’
between the ways they
would feel. When the speaker in the first poem says the son is afraid he will
are used in each poem. ‘never run quite free again’ it suggests the parent is restraining him by forcing
him to be good at something he dislikes. In contrast, Dunn says his son should
‘be true to you’ so he will allow him the freedom to do what feels right.
…
I much prefer Dunn’s message, compared to Feaver’s. He wants his son to
realise that everyone has their own talents and that he should not try to be
something he is not. I really like that final sentence ’It’ll be enough.’ as it
suggests that there is no way the son can disappoint his father.