The Student Room Group

2018 gcse

anyone else really stressing about english literature, especially poetry? have noo clue whatll come up im so nervous
yep... haven't even started yet...
I'm also pretty nervous, but don't worry I'm sure once you sit down in that exam hall you'll get in the zone! That's what happens with me. In terms of having no idea what will come up, I'm assuming you know the structure of the English Lit exams? If not, I guess it probably depends on the exam board, but I'm doing AQA and mine looks like this:
Paper 1 - Shakespeare Play and 19th-Century Novel (For me it's Macbeth and the Sign of Four), counts for 40% of your grade with 64 marks altogether, with an essay question with short extract for each, asking how that extract reflects something and how that thing is shown in the play/book as a whole
Paper 2 - Modern Prose or Drama Text and Poetry (Inspector Calls and Power & Conflict Anthology for me), Counts for 60% of grade, with one essay question on the drama text; one essay question on the poetry anthology which gives you one poem from the anthology which you have to compare to another; one essay question about an unseen poem; and one 8-mark question comparing the unseen poem to another unseen poem.
They're pretty long and draining exams, but I have faith that you'll do your best.
Hope this helped, good luck!!
Original post by anonoymous24
anyone else really stressing about english literature, especially poetry? have noo clue whatll come up im so nervous
Reply 3
What poetry are you doing? Mine are all covered by seneca learning, and doing their courses is making me much less stressed as they make me feel very well prepared. I've also done a couple of timed practice questions so that I have the timing of the essay sorted as was worrying I may run over time! Am going to do more of these..
Original post by MimiElf
What poetry are you doing? Mine are all covered by seneca learning, and doing their courses is making me much less stressed as they make me feel very well prepared. I've also done a couple of timed practice questions so that I have the timing of the essay sorted as was worrying I may run over time! Am going to do more of these..


I do power and conflict (AQA), i worry about that too, especially seeing as i do love the poems so im worried of going off on a tangent! this weekend i definitely will do some practice questions, good luck to you :smile:)
Original post by Lucy._.R
I'm also pretty nervous, but don't worry I'm sure once you sit down in that exam hall you'll get in the zone! That's what happens with me. In terms of having no idea what will come up, I'm assuming you know the structure of the English Lit exams? If not, I guess it probably depends on the exam board, but I'm doing AQA and mine looks like this:
Paper 1 - Shakespeare Play and 19th-Century Novel (For me it's Macbeth and the Sign of Four), counts for 40% of your grade with 64 marks altogether, with an essay question with short extract for each, asking how that extract reflects something and how that thing is shown in the play/book as a whole
Paper 2 - Modern Prose or Drama Text and Poetry (Inspector Calls and Power & Conflict Anthology for me), Counts for 60% of grade, with one essay question on the drama text; one essay question on the poetry anthology which gives you one poem from the anthology which you have to compare to another; one essay question about an unseen poem; and one 8-mark question comparing the unseen poem to another unseen poem.
They're pretty long and draining exams, but I have faith that you'll do your best.
Hope this helped, good luck!!


Thank you, you're going to do great too :smile: i personally love literature, and the texts i do- especially Frankenstein- are amazing to go in depth. The conflict poems are really interesting, i hope London or War photographer come up. Good luck in your exams, can't believe it's only about 3 weeks away ahh
Original post by KathS1072
yep... haven't even started yet...


I reckon there's still time to get some good revision going, it definitely will be worth it. What texts/poems do you study?
Original post by anonoymous24
Thank you, you're going to do great too :smile: i personally love literature, and the texts i do- especially Frankenstein- are amazing to go in depth. The conflict poems are really interesting, i hope London or War photographer come up. Good luck in your exams, can't believe it's only about 3 weeks away ahh


Thanks, I hope so :smile:) I agree, the texts are so interesting to go through. I used to find all the analysis a bit pointless but in the last year or so I’ve really started to appreciate the texts, especially Inspector Calls, it really gets you thinking. Also I love the anthology too, probably got to say Remains and Kamikaze are my faves, I’m just hoping Tissue doesn’t come up because I can’t seen to get my head around that one 😂😂
You sound interested which is always a good thing in exams!! You’ll do great I’m suree
I agree with you
Original post by Lucy._.R
Thanks, I hope so :smile:) I agree, the texts are so interesting to go through. I used to find all the analysis a bit pointless but in the last year or so I’ve really started to appreciate the texts, especially Inspector Calls, it really gets you thinking. Also I love the anthology too, probably got to say Remains and Kamikaze are my faves, I’m just hoping Tissue doesn’t come up because I can’t seen to get my head around that one 😂😂
You sound interested which is always a good thing in exams!! You’ll do great I’m suree


thank u!! you too :smile: i doubt Tissue will come up tbh, i have a feeling it's going to be a poem about identity so Emigree, Checking out me history or kamikaze ahh
Original post by anonoymous24
thank u!! you too :smile: i doubt Tissue will come up tbh, i have a feeling it's going to be a poem about identity so Emigree, Checking out me history or kamikaze ahh


Ooh I hope so, I have my fingers crossed for Kamikaze :smile: good luck
Original post by Lucy._.R
Ooh I hope so, I have my fingers crossed for Kamikaze :smile: good luck


I only just figured out a comparison, but even then it makes me confused. I’d compare it to Extract from, what would you do? It’s confused me lmao
Original post by anonoymous24
I only just figured out a comparison, but even then it makes me confused. I’d compare it to Extract from, what would you do? It’s confused me lmao


Well I first looked at it compared to Emigree bc they both deal with themes of memories of a place and nostalgia etc, but I guess it could be compared to any more modern ones like Remains? I guess it’s all down to interpretation though...

Quick Reply

Latest