1. AS English Literature Revision Day
April 2014

2. LT1 Section A: Poetry

3. Which Poems? Identify which poems the following lines come from
“The lough waters
Can petrify wood.”
“The globe has spun. He stands in a wooden O.”
“Or in the sucking clubber I would splash
Delightedly and dam the flowing drain”
“Once I carried him milk in a bottle
Corked sloppily with paper. He straightened up
To drink it, then fell to right away”
“Rattling the classroom window
Like a ruler across the knuckles”

4. “The lough waters
Can petrify wood.”
“The globe has spun. He stands in a wooden O.”
“Or in the sucking clubber I would splash
Delightedly and dam the flowing drain”
“Once I carried him milk in a bottle
Corked sloppily with paper. He straightened up
To drink it, then fell to right away”
“Rattling the classroom window
Like a ruler across the knuckles”
The Relic of Memory
Alphabets
Poem
Digging
Hailstones

5. Principle Examiner’s Comments
AO1: As in previous years, there is still evidence of a lack of planning in a number of cases. Candidates have 1 hour 15 minutes to spend on Section A and it is strongly advised that they spend at least 15 minutes planning. 1 hour is more than enough time to write a strong essay, and essays that are well planned will be more likely to be focused and relevant.
AO2: Almost all candidates would benefit from closer focus on how meaning is created.
AO3i: As in previous sessions, the strongest responses used the partner text as a lens through which to discuss the core text.
AO3ii: There are still some cases where candidates do not include any readings at all or even any tentative language (such as ‘perhaps’).

6. A03i: Making Connections

7. AO3ii: Suggested ‘interpretations from others’ that could ‘inform’ your own reading of Heaney’s poetry
Helen Vendler praised Heaney "the Irish poet whose pen has been the conscience of his country.“
His poetry is said to reflect ‘the turbulence of his homeland while simultaneously celebrating the human spirit and the beauty of the natural world’.
Heaney’s poetry is said to be concerned with ‘the childhood building blocks of language and environmental surroundings’. His work is said to be a ‘land-language-heritage triangle’.
"Heaney's writing is full of taste, touch, smell, sight and hearing." It has been said that in Heaney’s poetry ‘it is easy to recognise the emulation of a childlike inner voice’.

8. A03ii: Using Alternative Interpretations

9. A03ii: Using Alternative Interpretations

10. Using Alternative Interpretations
Aim to use alternative interpretations to inform your analysis – they can either form a part of your ‘analysis’ sentence, after your quotation, or you could use them as a part of your topic sentence.

11. Structuring Your Response
Example Introduction
What does this do well?

12. Structuring Your Response
Introduction:
Introduce two Heaney’s poems which you will explore in your essay and the attitude expressed in each towards the theme of the question.
Use a comparative comment to introduce Sheers’ two poems that you will explore in your essay.
State how the Sheers and Heaney pairings present similar/contrasting attitudes towards the theme of the question.

13. Structuring Your Response Main Body Paragraphs
Throughout the main body of your essay, you need to move confidently between your partner text, Heaney, and your core text, Sheers.

14. Main Body - Analytical Paragraphs

15. Main Body - Analytical Paragraphs

16. Structuring Your Response
Every paragraph must start with a clear topic sentence – you need to make it clear to the examiner what you’re going to be exploring in this paragraph.
Select short, specific quotations to illustrate your point; use phrases such as ‘for example’ to introduce them; you might choose ¾ quotations in one paragraph to support your point
Focus on as specific feature of your quotation and explore how it creates an effect

17. Structuring Your Response
Use a comparative comment to introduce Sheers’ poem
Include a short quotation and analyse, commenting on the effects of a particular feature.

18. The following are useful phrases to show comparison/contrast.
Comparative Phrases
The following are useful phrases to show comparison/contrast.
Comparison: similarly/ furthermore/ equally/ in the same way…/ also /in much the same way…/ comparably
Contrast: In contrast/ contrastingly/ on the contrary…/ differently…

19. Conclusion What does this student’s conclusion do?
Your conclusion should summarise the ideas and attitudes in both texts and how they are similar/different

20. Time For a Terminology Test

21. And Now a Coffee Break….
10 minutes to refresh your brains!

22. Planning Your Response
PLANNING YOUR RESPONSE IS ESSENTIAL!

23. Planning Your Response
Heaney 1
Sheers 1
Heaney 2
Sheers 2
Structure and Form
Language
Imagery
Poetic
Techniques

24. Now It’s Your Turn!
You will have 15 minutes planning time and 30 minutes to write your introduction, one comparative paragraph and your conclusion.

25. Themes in Heaney

26. Revision Sheets Heaney’s Poems Sheers’ Poems
Alternative Interpretations
Theme:

27. And Finally…Things To Do:
Become familiar with Heaney and Sheers’ poetry
Complete Planning Grids
Complete essay
Revise terminology