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English Teacher Sucks, Help!

My English teacher is absolutely terrible and has taught me nothing I need to know for my GCSE English Literature. Most of it I've managed to teach myself but I'm really struggling with the poetry bit of the exam. All that I know is that there is a poetry bit.
What actually is the poetry section? What am I even tested on? How do I answer it?
HELP!
Original post by alexiaaa
My English teacher is absolutely terrible and has taught me nothing I need to know for my GCSE English Literature. Most of it I've managed to teach myself but I'm really struggling with the poetry bit of the exam. All that I know is that there is a poetry bit.
What actually is the poetry section? What am I even tested on? How do I answer it?
HELP!


i think @Lily will point you in the right direction :yep:
what exam board are you on? because it varies depending on which exam board you have!
As above, we need to know what the paper asks you to do, but the basis of any poetry exam is to test understanding. You need to decide what you think the poet is trying to convey and to select examples from the poem to prove your point. Following this format is the easiest way to be sure you are covering it all:

Point: make a statement about the poem which links to the subject of the question.
Evidence: quote from the poem to prove you are right about this point.
Explanation: explore the words/techniques used in that quotation and the effect they create.
Link: connect this point in some way to the next point you are going to make so that the essay flows logically.

There are several different versions of this formula but they all lead to the same thing. PEEL in every paragraph and make sure you put a conclusion summing up what you have proved to be the answer to the original question. Select only material that is relevant to the question and accept that you can't say everything you know about a poem in the time available. You will only get marks for relevance, so if the poem asks you about the poet's relationship with his mother, you won't get anything for discussing how he describes the flowers. Selecting the right material is part of the assessment criteria, so make a plan first.
(edited 8 years ago)
If you're doing AQA, I can help.
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alexiaaa
OP
Sorry guys, but she hasn't even told us the exam board! I'm going to guess it's AQA though as that's the exam board I have for the majority of my exams.
Original post by alexiaaa
Sorry guys, but she hasn't even told us the exam board! I'm going to guess it's AQA though as that's the exam board I have for the majority of my exams.


She MUST'VE told you the exam board... Try and flip back to the very beginning of the year to at least the first five lessons. She really should of told you the exam board then.

If she hasn't, ask your friends. All of you should be on the same exam board.

What is the poem anthology you are studying called?
Original post by The Empire Odyssey
She MUST'VE told you the exam board... Try and flip back to the very beginning of the year to at least the first five lessons. She really should of told you the exam board then.

If she hasn't, ask your friends. All of you should be on the same exam board.

What is the poem anthology you are studying called?


You mean the one with the big AQA or Edexcel etc logo on?
Original post by Carnationlilyrose
You mean the one with the big AQA or Edexcel etc logo on?


I meant OP should know the title of the anthology they are studying from. Like AQA had "Moon on the Tides" and has "Power & Conflict Anthology". Edexcel has "Pearson Poetry Anthology"
Original post by The Empire Odyssey
I meant OP should know the title of the anthology they are studying from. Like AQA had "Moon on the Tides" and has "Power & Conflict Anthology". Edexcel has "Pearson Poetry Anthology"


It's pretty clear which board they are for in all cases. It says so in the front.
Lucky! all my teachers are sh*t!
Original post by Carnationlilyrose
It's pretty clear which board they are for in all cases. It says so in the front.


Yeah, as on the paper it says the exam board, even the mock papers. If you really don't know the exam board, you can go on the website of different exam boards and check which exam specifications look similar to yours
Original post by Carnationlilyrose
It's pretty clear which board they are for in all cases. It says so in the front.


Which is why I don't understand how the OP doesn't have the faintest idea on how to approach the poetry section. It would have taken less time to actually type it into Google and find it etc, than to sit here and wait for replies (imo).

PS. Unless, the school actually just printed off the poems rather than ordering the exam board's copies?
Original post by reinaadira
Yeah, as on the paper it says the exam board, even the mock papers. If you really don't know the exam board, you can go on the website of different exam boards and check which exam specifications look similar to yours

Think you mean to quote OP here.
Original post by The Empire Odyssey
Which is why I don't understand how the OP doesn't have the faintest idea on how to approach the poetry section. It would have taken less time to actually type it into Google and find it etc, than to sit here and wait for replies (imo).

PS. Unless, the school actually just printed off the poems rather than ordering the exam board's copies?


I think I'd better not comment.
Original post by alexiaaa
Sorry guys, but she hasn't even told us the exam board! I'm going to guess it's AQA though as that's the exam board I have for the majority of my exams.


What year are you in?
Original post by Carnationlilyrose
Think you mean to quote OP here.


yeah haha i literally just realised when reading it now

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