A level English Literature

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Session 1 - Unit 3 

Section A: Essay question

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Section B: Unseen Poetry

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Unit 3 exam paper breakdown

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• 2 hours
• Open book (clean copy)

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Section A: Poetry pre-1900 (60 marks total)

1. Named extract/poem question (15 marks)
2. Essay question (45 marks)

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Section B: Unseen poetry comparison (60 marks)

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Session 2 revision

Session 1 revision

Question (ii) – essay

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Question (ii) is out of 45 marks, and you’re assessed through AO1, AO2, and AO3. Their weightings are:

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AO1 - 10 marks

AO2 - 5 marks

AO3 – 30 marks

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Assessment Objectives – what exactly do they mean?

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AO1 - Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology, and coherent, accurate written expression (10 marks)

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Band 5 – to get full marks:

• Sophisticated, creative and individual response to poem/extract; ideas are thoughtful and response is fully engaged and relevant;
• confident, perceptive application of literary concepts and terminology;
• effectively organised; demonstrates flair;
• high levels of technical accuracy and adopts a clear academic style and register.

Assessment Objectives – what exactly do they mean?

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AO2 - Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts (5 marks)

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Band 5 – to get full marks:

• Perceptive, sophisticated analysis and evaluation of writer’s use of language and poetic techniques to create meaning;
• confident and apt textual support;
• confident discussion of implicit meaning.

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Assessment Objectives – what exactly do they mean?

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AO3 - Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received (30 marks)

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Band 5 – to get full marks:

• perceptive, productive discussion of significance and influence of contexts
• confident analysis of the contexts in which texts are written and received
• confident analysis of connections between texts and contexts

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There is no need to compare in this section!

How should I tackle Section A: question (ii)? A step-by-step approach

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1) Read question A(ii) and highlight key words/commands

2) Decide on three poems / three or four extracts from Chaucer/Milton which would help you to answer the question

3) In your exam booklet, make a note of the key points to make about the poems / extracts in the light of the question

4) Make sure that you have an overview of the poet’s work in the light of the question and then begin to look more closely at how meaning has been created.

5) Make a note of some contexts which would be relevant in the light of the question

6) Write your response focusing on the task, the selected poems/extracts and AO2

Step 1

Steps 2-5

Step 2-3 – Now you’ll need to take some time to choose which poems you will use to answer the question. Once you’ve made your choices, take some time to note the key points which you’ll want to make.

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Step 4 - Reading the poems again, make notes which will support your argument. You might be adding some new points here as you read the poems, or amending some of the things you’d considered saying. Think about poetic tone, key words/images, allusions, poetic techniques and so on.

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Step 5 - Finally, add some references to relevant contextual material which will illuminate your reading of the text.

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Beginning to write your response

Pre-1900 Poetry essay practice – do’s and don’ts

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Do

• Start your response directly and relevantly
• Look for patterns of language and imagery
• Make and support points succinctly
• Use tentative language
• Use technical terminology to demonstrate the extent of your understanding
• Take care with your expression, remember to paragraph, and remember to proof-read your response once you’ve finished.

Pre-1900 Poetry essay practice – do’s and don’ts

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Don’t

• Start at the first line of the poem/extract and work through line by line
• Write descriptively or narratively about the poem – being succinct is the key
• Write lengthy and clunky introductions (for example “this is a poem written in the 17^th century by John Donne in memory of his deceased wife, Anne.”)
• Make extended/extensive/chunked references to context
• Use very long quotations or copy out large chunks of the text
• Use technical terms descriptively and for their own sake.

Section B – Question 6 (Unseen Poetry)

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Skills being tested:

AO1 - ability to write coherently and clearly, structuring an argument (15 marks)

AO2 - focused close analysis of two unseen poems on a specific theme (15 marks)

AO4 - ability to make productive and illuminating connections between poems (30 marks)

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Time for answering:

1 hour (plus any additional time you are eligible for) – 15-20 minutes of this should be planning!

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How should I tackle Section B? A step-by-step approach

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Step 1 - Read question 6 and highlight key words/commands

Step 2 - Read through Poem A twice. The first time, just read it. The second time, make some notes and try to come to some general conclusions based on the set question

Step 3 - Read through the other three poems twice.

Step 4 - Choose the poem which you wish to compare to Poem A and begin to make notes based on the set question on both poems (tone, key words, imagery, allusions, poetic techniques etc.)

Step 5 - Make a list of connections – comparisons and contrasts – which might be useful in your response

Step 6 - Review your notes in light of the key words from the question

Step 7 - Write your response focusing on the task, the poem and AO2

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TOP TIPS Avoid a line-by-line approach

Be selective

Make connections from the outset

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Step 1

Step 2 – Take your time!

• It is especially important that you take time to read through the poems. Read Poem A twice: The first time, just read it. The second time, make some notes and try to come to some general conclusions based on the set question.
• The question itself gives you a way into the poem, in this case the presentation of spring. This should now allow you to analyse Poem A – which you must write about – and give some focus to your thinking.
• Remember that you don’t have to write about every word or every line in the poem. Focus on the key points which you want to make. If you don’t understand a word or a line, does the rest of the poem help you to understand the meaning? If you still don’t understand the word or the line, just ignore it. Focus on what you do know and understand.

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• Once you feel reasonably confident with Poem A, read through the other poems at least twice. This will give you an opportunity to make a good choice for your second poem. There is no right or wrong choice, so choose the one which you’re most interested in and where you can see clear connections with Poem A.
• Once you’ve made the choice, begin to annotate that poem, always trying to focus on the task – spring here - and Poem A.

Writing your response - example

Writing your response - example

Top tips to close…

• Take time to read the instructions and the questions carefully in order to avoid making errors which will affect your overall mark.
• Avoid a line-by-line approach to analysing poems.
• The balance of text and context is crucial for success in Section A part (ii).
• The context in the task itself in Section A, part (ii) questions are meant to guide the response so make sure that you refer to it as you answer the question.
• In Section B, you must write on Poem A.
• Remember that half the marks for Section B are for making connections.
• Begin each essay with a clear reference to the task.

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