1. Paper 2 Section B Poetry Love and Relationships Cluster
English Literature

2. The Exam
You will answer 1 question that asks you to compare 2 poems from the ‘relationships’ cluster.
1 poem will be named and the other poem will be your choice.
The ‘named’ poem will be printed on the question paper. You will not have a copy of the ‘chosen’ poem – you will need to know short ‘key’ quotations from memory.
An example question:
Compare how poets present attitudes towards relationships between parents and children in ‘Before You Were Mine’ and one other poem from ‘Love and relationships’.
‘Compare’: all paragraphs in your response will discuss both poems.
‘How’: the focus in on the methods (language/structure/form) used by writers to convey meaning.
‘attitudes towards/parents and children’: your response needs to be explore the focus of the question.

3. Assessment Objectives for Poetry Section B AO1
maintain a critical style and develop and informed personal response.
Use quotations to support and illustrate interpretations.
What is ‘critical style’ and how can this be achieved?
Quotes – strategies for learning these throughout the year and building your ‘memory bank’....
Develop your own confident ‘critical voice’ – consider you response to the collection as a young ‘modern reader’..

4. Assessment Objectives for Poetry Section B AO2
Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects, using relevant subject terminology.
What is ‘subject terminology’ and how does this link back to AO1?
How have you developed and demonstrated this skill exploring other Literature texts?

5. Assessment Objectives for Poetry Section B AO3
Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written
Context of production (ideas/attitudes/feelings related to time/theme/tradition)
Context of reception (‘modern’ or ‘contemporary’ reader response to the ideas/attitudes/feelings)

6. Timed responses – writing with focus
Timed responses – writing with focus. Categories to ensure responses address AO1/2/3
Please stick in your poetry ‘writing with focus’ support sheet tonight – I will check this next lesson.
This may help you to develop your first focused written responses and a ‘critical style’.
You will be able to refer back to this/adapt it/add to it as we compare poems in the cluster.

7. Before You Were Mine Carol Ann Duffy
First reading - discuss. Who’s who/perspective? Tone? Theme? Structure? Time?
Second reading in group of 3. Discuss the following:
Stanza 1: impact of first short sentence “I’m not here yet.”/ image of “thousand eyes”/tone set through phrase “movie tomorrows”/ meaning of “right”/ emotion conveyed through expression “before you were mine”/ use of the word “reckon” (red lead)
Stanza 2: feeling established by “possessive yell”/ impact and tone of the rhetorical question/ meanings of the word “relic”/ “your ghost” – a memory or imagined?/”clear as scent” – why is this sensory image effective?/who is imagined as saying “sweetheart”? (green lead)
Stanza 3: double meaning of “steps”?/”Mass” – what does this reveal?/why the “wrong pavement” now?/ does this stanza become vague?/why?/what is your interpretation of the final sentence? (blue lead)
What do you feel this poem reveals about the poet’s relationship with her mother? What is your personal response to this poem?