english lit - how to prepare for unseen poetry? Year 11

Hi I did my eng lit exam last year and got a B.
For the unseen poetry I would revommend analysing any piece of poetry youcan find. I know it sounds mad but seriously, it works.
Another way is to revise poetry techniques like similes and metaphors etc. This way if it does come up then you know what the technique shows and how tje reader feela etc.

I hope this helps and good luck with the exam xx

Hi. I got a C in my English lit unseen poetry exam, which I am v.v disappointed with. I've been getting a's in most of my coursework, so this exam result feels like a real failure, to be honest.

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone had any tips for preparing and improving skills for unseen poetry analysis?

thanks!

The first time you read the poem, don't look for techniques - just understand the 'plot' of the poem and what it's trying to tell you. You should be able to join the dots between techniques easier that way Start just labelling everything you see, then try and relate all of them to the meaning of the poem

Just had my unseen mock today and I found some poems that we weren't using for poetry and prose and just tried to analyse it. The mock felt okay.

Hi. I got a C in my English lit unseen poetry exam, which I am v.v disappointed with. I've been getting a's in most of my coursework, so this exam result feels like a real failure, to be honest.

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone had any tips for preparing and improving skills for unseen poetry analysis?

thanks!

Hey I got full marks in that exam, I love poetry. The tip is that every poem will always have some features that are the same:
1. They either have caesura (punctuation) or enjambment (No punctuation) and this is always done to create an effect, so comment on it.
2. Poems will usually have a rhyme scheme and as GCSE it should be an easy recognizable one. Bring yourself up to scratch on rhyme schemes as it's always something great to comment on.
3. The form of the poem is also great, is it a sonnet, monologue ect.
4. Pronouns, who is the poem addressing, especially if it's 'you' or 'she/he'. Comment on why they are addressing who they are in your opinion.
5. The title always has something, even if you just analyze a verb if it's good analysis it will always get marks!
6. If it's correct analysis no matter if it's basic it will always get marks.

I hope any of this is useful, that's how i tried to learn it! Most importantly try not to stress too much about it.
Good luck!

I have my actual GCSE English lit paper 2 poetry I. The 20th, I just wanted to say this is really helpful!

No problem, if you have any questions at all I'd love to help. Good luck, I'm sure you'll do fantastic!

Thank you
Do you have any advise for what I need to make sure I do for both seen and Un seen poetry. Also how do I make sure I'm hitting the top bands and getting full marks

I'd say I know it's dull but practice questions are always a good thing to do, teachers will usually be fine about marking it as they also want good grades as it reflects on them. Practice questions let you see where your strengths and weaknesses are. I'd say if you did one chose the poem(s) you find the hardest so if they come up you'll have done some preparation.
I'd try work on learning the terms and spotting them in unseen poetry, this will mean you will always be able to spot them and in your seen poems it will be easy to analyse on the day.
You don't have to be over the top on your analysis on either unseen or seen; people think complicated analysis is better. It does give the examiner a better impression but you will get the same amount of marks for getting a correct analysis.
At GCSE they make a huge deal out of spelling and grammar, I can say that I'm dyslexic and it didn't bother me so focus more on the poems than that.
Try and keep a good point evidence explain structure as it makes it easy to read which puts the examiner in a better mood. Examiners are just teachers so they get bored of marking, make it easy for them and they will like you and give you more marks generally.

Hope some of that is helpful.

That is really helpful. Thank you very much! I really appreciate it also one last thing you know the bit about spelling and grammar, what do you mean. Do I need to worry about it or not ?

Well my spelling and grammar is awful but not bad enough to get extra time. It's never affected any of my grades across any subject so I'd say not to stress about it as teachers make it out to be vital when really it's only a few marks out of like 200 or something.

Hi. I got a C in my English lit unseen poetry exam, which I am v.v disappointed with. I've been getting a's in most of my coursework, so this exam result feels like a real failure, to be honest.

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone had any tips for preparing and improving skills for unseen poetry analysis?

thanks!

Don't prepare: close your eyes, breath in deeply and let the bull**** flow through you!

Don't prepare: close your eyes, breath in deeply and let the bull**** flow through you!

I'd say I know it's dull but practice questions are always a good thing to do, teachers will usually be fine about marking it as they also want good grades as it reflects on them. Practice questions let you see where your strengths and weaknesses are. I'd say if you did one chose the poem(s) you find the hardest so if they come up you'll have done some preparation.
I'd try work on learning the terms and spotting them in unseen poetry, this will mean you will always be able to spot them and in your seen poems it will be easy to analyse on the day.
You don't have to be over the top on your analysis on either unseen or seen; people think complicated analysis is better. It does give the examiner a better impression but you will get the same amount of marks for getting a correct analysis.
At GCSE they make a huge deal out of spelling and grammar, I can say that I'm dyslexic and it didn't bother me so focus more on the poems than that.
Try and keep a good point evidence explain structure as it makes it easy to read which puts the examiner in a better mood. Examiners are just teachers so they get bored of marking, make it easy for them and they will like you and give you more marks generally.

Hope some of that is helpful.

Hey I got full marks in that exam, I love poetry. The tip is that every poem will always have some features that are the same:
1. They either have caesura (punctuation) or enjambment (No punctuation) and this is always done to create an effect, so comment on it.
2. Poems will usually have a rhyme scheme and as GCSE it should be an easy recognizable one. Bring yourself up to scratch on rhyme schemes as it's always something great to comment on.
3. The form of the poem is also great, is it a sonnet, monologue ect.
4. Pronouns, who is the poem addressing, especially if it's 'you' or 'she/he'. Comment on why they are addressing who they are in your opinion.
5. The title always has something, even if you just analyze a verb if it's good analysis it will always get marks!
6. If it's correct analysis no matter if it's basic it will always get marks.

I hope any of this is useful, that's how i tried to learn it! Most importantly try not to stress too much about it.
Good luck!

I use a PELTS analysis, it works for me...

P is for Person (who is talking, what person is it written in, why is it like this?)
E is for Emotion (what emotions are portrayed and how do they affect the reader?)
L is for Language techniques (e.g. alliteration, metaphor, simile etc)
T is for Themes (e.g. love, death, war, hatred, disgust and why are they used)
S is for Structure (e.g. enjambement, short sentences...)

most importantly make sure that you not only describe where each technique is used, but HOW and WHY it is used, that should give you the best chance for success.

Hope this helps!