How to Revise Poems from Different Cultures (Section A)
A quick reminder:
- You will have 45 mins to compare the way a specified theme /ideas /title /poetic and literary techniques /methods is/are used in two poems. One poem will be named in the question, and you have to select the second poem. Remember you will have a blank and unannotated copy of the Anthology in the exam, so you must learn your notes well, as well as having your own ideas about the poems and being flexible enough to adapt to the demands of the question and to any ideas which come to you in the exam.
- You should aim to choose the poem which best fits the focus of the question. For example, if you were answering the question ‘Compare the ways the past and present are presented in What Were They Like? and one other poem’, you could compare WWTL with Blessing, Island Man, Limbo, Nothing’s Changed, and Vultures. However, one of these poems will stand out for you as giving you the most to say in the exam – so use your knowledge to judge which is the best poem to choose For You.
Revision techniques could include:
- Learning notes and testing yourself using a blank copy of the poem
- Choosing a theme, e.g. identity, and practising comparing two poems which share this theme (either through notes or a mini essay)
- Revising your poetic techniques and how to apply them to...
