How to Answer the Unseen Poetry Comparison Question (AQA GCSE English Literature): Model Answers
Poetry Analysis Techniques for AO2
For this question, you are only marked on AO2, so you need to focus on how the poets use different techniques in the poems and why. However, the exam board also wants you to compare the ideas in the poems, especially the common theme or connection between them.
- Focus on how the writers have conveyed their ideas through particular methods. Your evidence should always have a method that you can analyse, and you should try to compare the methods in the two poems as well.
Techniques you can spot quickly and analyse
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Enjambment is an easy feature to identify and often simple to explain. If the poet breaks a line mid-sentence without punctuation and starts a new line, consider why they did this. Did they want to emphasise the word at the line's end? Create surprise or mislead with the word at the start of the next line (e.g. screaming / with laughter?
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Symbolism is often used. Common examples include seasons (spring = hope, autumn = decline, winter = sadness), weather (sunny = positive, rainy = sad), and times of day (night = danger, daybreak = change/hope, afternoon = decline). These are just general rules so make sure it aligns with your poem before making any assumptions!
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Form - One poem might have a regular form (consistent rhyme scheme, standard grammar and punctuation), suggesting calmness and control. This is often set against a poem with an irregular form (free verse, no rhyme, lack of end-stops), which might reflect spontaneity or a deliberate sense of disorder. You'll need to analyse the specific poems to determine the exact meaning, but comparing their forms can help you reach higher marks.