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Writing about poems
AIM: to analyse ‘Last Night I saw the City…’ by Andrew Fusek Peters
Point, Evidence, Explore and Effect
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Point
Your point is a short sentence used to introduce your evidence.
It can be about a technique, the style of poem or about your views.
The poet uses a simile
The poem is filled with laughter
The poet uses metaphors
There is alliteration in the poem
The poem is a monologue
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Evidence
‘Last Night I saw the City breathing’
The poet uses metaphors to describe the city. I know this because he writes, ‘Last night I saw the city laughing’
Evidence is used to support your point. You must always use quotation marks (‘’).
It is really important that you remember to use only the evidence that is necessary.
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Explore
The poet uses metaphors to describe the city. I know this because the poem says, ‘Last night I saw the city laughing’ This quotation suggests the city is alive and a happy place to live.
When you explore your point and evidence. You are exploring the effect of your point.
Remember not to repeat your point in the exploration but to expand it, explore it.
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5. Gaining a level 5 or higher
The poet uses metaphors to describe the city. I know this because the poem says, ‘Last night I saw the city laughing’ This quotation suggests the city is alive and a happy place to live. The word “laughing” tells me the city is fun and exciting. The image made by personification is very vivid, and I can imagine buildings chuckling and pavements grinning.
To gain a level 5 or higher you must explore your evidence in detail.
You should explore how your point made you feel and the effect of the language chosen by the poet on you, and other readers.
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Link Phrases choose your vocabulary carefully- a sophisticated vocabulary means a Level 5/6
Link Phrase 1
This is shown in..
This is apparent in..
I know this because..
This is conveyed in..
Link Phrase 2
This quotation suggests..
This example highlights..
This conveys..
This means..
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Making my Point
Read the poem through & make notes on:
Character ( monologue, narrative, persona)
Form ( number of stanzas, lines, blank verse, rhyme pattern, final couplet…..)
Language (literary techniques )
Tone (e.g sad or amusing)
Style (limerick, sonnet, narrative poem)
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