Tips for answering poetry questions.

When answering poetry questions:

· Analyse the question. Break it up into its components and ensure that you answer each part of the question. Full marks will only be awarded if this is done properly!

· It’s not really about your opinion, it’s about how logically you can argue.

· Identify the type of question. Typical questions asked:

o A grammar question e.g. “In your own opinion, why is the speaker's choice of pronoun in lines 16 to 18 a surprising but valid choice?”

o A question on diction – here, you MUST quote.

o A long paragraph type question involving interpretation or theme. Use the PEEL method to structure your paragraph.

o A question on imagery.

o A question on punctuation.

o A long intertextual question using sources such as a cartoon or an unseen poem or both. You MUST refer to each text in order to get full marks.

· In the last line of each stanza, look to where you are directed.

· Ask yourself, ‘What is the poet’s intention in writing the poem?’

· Look for patterns and work out their significance.

· Look for deviations from the pattern and work out the significance.

· Take note of contradictions and explain them.

Integrate your quotes e.g. Whilst poets use a pen to construct their art, the artist makes use of ‘palette and brush’ (line 3), to convert ‘words into images’ (line 4), which suggests the ability of words to transfer the images in the mind of the poet to the imagination of the reader.

· When asked for an opinion, make a choice – do not sit on the fence!

· Know what certain images symbolize e.g. fire, the seasons, the weather, animals, birds such as the dove, raven etc

· Know your poetry terminology some of the questions over the past few years have included questions on:

o Themes

o style/form of the poem

o how does alliteration contribute to the mood?

· How do the rhythm and use of repetition in the opening lines contribute to the tone? Succinct, well-structured answers are best.

Some bad answers

These answers are generally bad because they are vague and do not adequately answer the question. Do not begin an answer with a pronoun – if you use a noun and name what you are talking about, your answers are automatically more focused.

o It enhances/highlights the meaning. WRONG

[What] enhances/highlights the meaning [explain the meaning]. BETTER

o Avoid answers with “the way” in them unless you can adequately describe “the way”.

o It allows the poet’s emotions to come out. WRONG

[What]It portrays the poet’s emotions of [describe] to come out. BETTER

o It enhances the poem [What enhances the poem in what way? What do you mean by enhances?]

o It is more descriptive [What is more descriptive than what? What is being described?]

o It gives a better feel [What gives a better feeling of what? What feelings are expressed? How does this contribute to the meaning?]

o The structure conveys the message. [What is the structure? What message is being conveyed?]