Poetry Comparative Essay Guide
Writing A Good Comparative Essay – GCSE Poetry
You will be asked to compare two or more poems in your exam.
You could be asked to write about the presentation of themes, people or places and the importance of language.
A good comparative essay is like a multi-layered sandwich:
• BREAD - A new point.
• FILLING A - How one of your chosen poems illustrates this point.
• FILLING B - How your other chosen poem illustrates this point.
• BREAD - Your conclusion about this point.
This is what the examiners call cross-referencing - you talk about both poems all the way through your answer.
What the examiner will look for:
When marking your essay, the examiner will look to see whether you have appreciated and explored the:
• ideas
• attitudes and tone
• structure and form
• techniques used by the poets
When answering an exam question, keep these five criteria in mind.
Question!
Now consider the exam question. Highlight and underline key words and requirements:
How is the theme of death presented in the two poems?
Choose two of the poems you are studying to try this exercise (you might need to replace ‘death’ with a different theme, depending on the collection of poetry you are focusing on).
When planning an answer it is a good idea to look at each poem in turn and to note down examples or quotations relevant to each of the following criteria.
Try drawing a table like the one below:
Death* Ideas Attitudes & Tones Structure & Form Techniques Effect/ purpose
Poem 1
Poem 2
Can you find two or three quotations (single words or short phrases) to put in each box?
Make sure that you appreciate and explore the examples you choose. Notice which poetic devices or techniques have been used and then suggest why. Think about why a poet might have used these particular words and phrases. How do they relate to the main ideas or themes? This will help you to write good quality poetry essays.
Throughout your essay, move from one poem to the other in every
You will be asked to compare two or more poems in your exam.
You could be asked to write about the presentation of themes, people or places and the importance of language.
A good comparative essay is like a multi-layered sandwich:
• BREAD - A new point.
• FILLING A - How one of your chosen poems illustrates this point.
• FILLING B - How your other chosen poem illustrates this point.
• BREAD - Your conclusion about this point.
This is what the examiners call cross-referencing - you talk about both poems all the way through your answer.
What the examiner will look for:
When marking your essay, the examiner will look to see whether you have appreciated and explored the:
• ideas
• attitudes and tone
• structure and form
• techniques used by the poets
When answering an exam question, keep these five criteria in mind.
Question!
Now consider the exam question. Highlight and underline key words and requirements:
How is the theme of death presented in the two poems?
Choose two of the poems you are studying to try this exercise (you might need to replace ‘death’ with a different theme, depending on the collection of poetry you are focusing on).
When planning an answer it is a good idea to look at each poem in turn and to note down examples or quotations relevant to each of the following criteria.
Try drawing a table like the one below:
Death* Ideas Attitudes & Tones Structure & Form Techniques Effect/ purpose
Poem 1
Poem 2
Can you find two or three quotations (single words or short phrases) to put in each box?
Make sure that you appreciate and explore the examples you choose. Notice which poetic devices or techniques have been used and then suggest why. Think about why a poet might have used these particular words and phrases. How do they relate to the main ideas or themes? This will help you to write good quality poetry essays.
Throughout your essay, move from one poem to the other in every