≈ 31% of Paper 2
≈ 19% of the whole GCSE English Literature qualification
- Compare the two poems directly and sustain a clear argument throughout
- Develop an informed personal response to both poets' writing
- Use relevant quotations from both poems to support every point
- Avoid simply describing what the poem is about
- Analyse each poet's language choices and their effects on the reader
- Comment on form and structure (ITAPE — Introduction, Tone, Aural choices, Pace, Ending)
- Use subject terminology accurately and naturally
- Explain the effect on the reader, not just what the technique is
- Link each poem's ideas to the poet's background, historical moment or cultural context
- Explain why the poet's context shapes the way they write about power and conflict
- Use context as a lens to deepen comparison, not as a bolt-on at the end
- Note: AO3 carries slightly more weight in poetry than in other sections — 25% vs 20%
| Band | Marks | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Band 4 | 10–12 | Perceptive, detailed comparison. Convincing and compelling argument about both poems. Judicious quotations from both poems fully embedded. Methods analysed with precise terminology and thoughtful exploration of effect. |
| Band 3 | 7–9 | Clear, explained comparison. Relevant references from both poems support the argument. Language and structure examined with appropriate terminology. Effect on reader considered. |
| Band 2 | 4–6 | Some understanding of both poems. Quotations used but not always analysed. Techniques identified but effects not fully explored. Comparison may be implicit rather than explicit. |
| Band 1 | 1–3 | Simple, limited response. May write about poems separately rather than comparing. Little analysis. Quotations may be copied without comment. |
| Band | Marks | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Band 4 | 5–6 | Perceptive understanding of how context shapes meaning in both poems. Context woven into the comparison throughout, not added at the end. |
| Band 3 | 4 | Clear understanding of relevant context for both poems. Links made between context and each poem with some explanation. |
| Band 2 | 2–3 | Some awareness of context for one or both poems. Mentions background but connections to the poems are vague or undeveloped. |
| Band 1 | 1 | Simple reference to context with little or no connection to the poems or the question. |
The single most common reason students lose marks in the poetry question is writing about each poem separately — a few paragraphs on the named poem, then a few on the chosen poem — with comparison only appearing in the final paragraph. This approach caps you at Band 2.
Top-band responses compare throughout. Every paragraph makes a point about both poems simultaneously, using comparative language: "Similarly...", "In contrast...", "Whereas [Poet A]..., [Poet B]...", "Both poets use... however...". The comparison is the argument, not a conclusion added at the end.
Use ITAPE as your structural framework — Introduction, Tone, Aural choices, Pace, Ending — applying each element to both poems in the same paragraph.
Most students treat AO3 the same way across all sections. In the poetry question it is worth 8 marks out of 32 — a higher proportion than in Shakespeare, the 19th-century novel or the modern text questions. Students who weave specific, accurate context into their comparison of both poems — not just one — consistently outperform those who treat context as an afterthought.
For Power and Conflict poetry specifically: the most valuable contextual points connect the poet's own experience of conflict, power or displacement directly to the choices they make in the poem. A soldier who served in the Falklands writing Remains is making different choices than a civilian imagining war. That biographical context is available to you and examiners reward it.
- Writing about poems separately — two mini-essays is not a comparison. Compare throughout every paragraph.
- Writing about the speaker instead of the poet — always lead with what the poet is doing. "Duffy presents the photographer as..." not "The photographer feels..." "Owen uses the speaker to convey..." not "The soldier thinks..."
Key tip: always lead with what the poet is doing — NOT what the speaker is doing. "Shelley presents Ozymandias as..." not "Ozymandias says..." This will elevate your understanding of the poem to any marker.
- Quoting without commenting — every quotation needs analysis. ALWAYS USE THE FORMULA.
- Choosing a poem you know less well as your comparison poem — always choose the poem you can write about most confidently, not just the most obvious thematic match.
- Naming the technique but not the effect — "the poet uses alliteration here" tells the examiner nothing. Explain what it makes the reader feel or understand.
- Ignoring form and structure — the shape of a poem, its stanza lengths, its rhyme scheme or deliberate lack of one, its use of enjambment and caesura are all conscious choices. Comment on why.
- Only analysing language — ITAPE gives you five structural entry points. Use all five across your response.
ALWAYS REFER TO "THE READER" IN POETRY — NOT "THE AUDIENCE". Poetry is a written form read on the page, not performed to an audience. Write "the reader feels...", "the poet makes the reader...", or "this creates a sense of... for the reader."
- Only giving context for the named poem — AO3 is marked across both poems. You must contextualise your comparison poem too.
- Generic historical facts — saying "World War One was very violent" without connecting it to a specific choice the poet makes scores very little.
- Bolting context on at the end — context should shape your argument from the start, not appear as an afterthought in the final paragraph.
- You have approximately 45 minutes for Section B
- Spend 5 minutes choosing your comparison poem and planning
- Aim for 4 to 5 paragraphs comparing both poems throughout
- Leave 2 to 3 minutes to check your work
SO MAKE SURE YOU GIVE YOURSELF A FEW MINUTES TO CHECK THROUGH YOUR ANSWER BEFORE MOVING ON.
| Section | Content | Questions | Marks | Time | % Paper | % GCSE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Section A | Modern text | 1 essay (no extract) | 34 marks | ≈ 45 min | 35% | 21% |
| Section B | Poetry anthology | Named poem + comparison | 30 marks | ≈ 45 min | 31% | 19% |
| Section C | Unseen poetry | 2 questions | 32 marks | ≈ 45 min | 33% | 20% |
- You are given one named poem printed on the paper
- You must compare it with one other poem from your anthology cluster
- You choose which poem to compare — pick the one you can write about most confidently
- Spend 5 minutes choosing your poem and planning before you write
- Compare both poems throughout every paragraph — not separately
Typical question wording: "Compare how poets present the theme of [X] in [Named Poem] and one other poem from your anthology."
| AO | Skill | Marks | % of Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| AO1 | Compare both poems with a clear argument and evidence | 12 | 37.5% |
| AO2 | Analyse both poets' methods — language, structure, form | 12 | 37.5% |
| AO3 | Show understanding of context for both poems | 6 | 20% |
Context is worth 20% of the poetry question — the same as other sections. Contextualise both poems, not just the named one.
- A clear, sustained comparison of both poems throughout — not two separate essays
- Close analysis of both poets' language choices and their effects on the reader
- Explicit use of comparative language in every paragraph
- Relevant context for both poems woven into the comparison
- Embedded quotations from both poems — not dropped in, but integrated into sentences