General Advice

• if you're doing hl, take 30mins (at least 20-25mins) to plan your essay (if you're SL, make it 10-15mins). start with your first reading, then write down the literal meaning. the thing about the ib syllabus is that you cannot get more than 2/5 or if you're lucky 3/5 for knowledge and understanding if you don't state what is literally happening, no matter how in depth your in-depth points are. so, as the reader, what do you initially think of the poem? then do a second reading and write down your points/organising principles/big ideas. the things that are the most evident. this is not necessarily the main themes, it may be also be the characters or the settings depending on what you're analysing. after that, annotate or write down which quotations you're gonna use and your in-depth analysis etc.. don't forget writer's choices! why are they writing the way they're writing, with that literary device? is there aural imagery? what are the connotations? what's the structure? (from fritzzes#2041)
• Also just a tip from an IB lit examiner who is also my teacher is that you don't have to follow a very rigid almost 'stale' structure in paper 1. There isn't really a set requirement for structure except that your ideas are organized and you have a good introduction and conclusion. Line by line analysis is also acceptable but if youre doing it just be sure to have a good topic sentence in each of your paragraph. (from Greed#1629)