1. Poetry

2. Read the Poem  Read the poem twice – on the second reading use a highlighter.  Make notes on the exam paper.  Highlight interesting imagery/ poetic techniques.  Look for changes in mood or tone.  What is the message – all poems have one.

3. Technical Terms – not trainspotting!  Alliteration – the repetition of a particular sound for effect e.g. Frozen fingers creates a sound of shivering.  Personification – an idea or object is given human qualities e.g. Busie olde foole, unruly sunne.”  Simile – a comparison made with “like” or “as” e.g. A face like thunder.  Metaphor – a comparison made without “like” or “as” e.g. His face was carved from stone.

4. More …  Enjambment – one verse flows into the next e.g.  In the sky, a butterfly with a broken wing  Floating downwards.  Oxymoron – two contradictory ideas in one phrase e.g. An icy fire coursed through his veins.  Juxtaposition – two contradictory ideas next to each other e.g. A life of hope and pain.

5. Even more…  Sonnet – a poem 14 lines long usually dealing with major themes such as love or death.  Ballad – a poem telling a story in short verses, almost like a song.  Narrative Poem – a poem that tells a story.  Persona – the poet pretending to be someone else in order to get the reader to consider another point of view.

6. No to negativity Never say the following things in an exam: 1.I don’t understand the poem… 2.This poem is rubbish.. 3.The language is not effective… 4.It rhymes. (with no explanation about effect of this) 5.It has 2 verses.

7. You must always explain the effect of something you comment on… The Richest Poor Man In The Valley… The structure of the poem is very linear and the last verse is both the shortest and most insightful verse. It is here that we learn the worth of being a good and happy man. The tears of his friends…