Writing a response
When you have settled on a suitable poem, you should note down a variety of links between the poems. The key thing to do when comparing poems is to note the points where they are similar and the points where they differ.
When writing an essay comparing your two poems you should consider the points below.
Essay-writing tips
A good approach to begin with is to highlight any key terms which stand out for you.
In the sample question the key term you must think about is 鈥榣oss of a loved one鈥.
Make sure you use the key term frequently throughout your essay.
Begin by introducing both poems, giving a brief overview of their main subject or message. You MUST refer to the key term in your introduction.
You will be expected to compare and contrast the poets鈥 use of features such as themeCentral, unifying idea(s) that run through a text., formSome poems adopt specific 'forms'. For example, they could be sonnets or narrative poems. Many don鈥檛 have an identifiable form. , structureThe way the poet has organised the poem on the page eg number of stanzas, lines per stanza, breaks in between lines and stanzas., rhythmA strong pattern of words, sounds, musical notes or movement found in poetry, music and dance., language and figure of speech A word or phrase with a meaning other than the literal meaning. For example, 'it's raining cats and dogs'. .
Make sure you are comparing and contrasting the poems throughout.
Your essay should be peppered with comparing words and phrases such as "similarly...", "in contrast to this鈥" and "this can also be seen in鈥".
Mention any relevant details about the contextThe time and place a text was produced in. of the poem.
You will not get marks for context which is not linked directly to the question. For example, don鈥檛 simply write down everything you know about the poet if it is not relevant to the question.
Support all you say with details or quotes from the poem.
This may mean quoting a full line at times, but could also involve detailed analysis of one significant word.
If you were to compare Clearances 7: In the last minutes with Funeral Blues by WH Auden for example, you could use some of the following points:
- Both poets write about losing a loved one through death. Heaney writes about the loss of a parent, whereas Auden writes about the death of a lover.
- The language in Clearances 7: In the last minutes is striking in its simplicity and there is very little figurative language When a writer uses figurative language they do not simply state the facts, they use words or expressions with a meaning that is different from the literal interpretation. For example, they might use exaggeration to make a point, as in 'I have a ton of homework'. used. This is in contrast to Funeral Blues where Auden describes what his lover meant to him by using a variety of metaphorA word or phrase which is representative or symbolic of something else. .
- Both poems are elegyA sad poem or song written on the death of someone. , but Heaney writes a blank sonnet whereas Auden uses four quatrainA type of stanza - or a complete poem - consisting of four lines that have a rhyming scheme. written in regular rhyming coupletIn poetry, a pair of lines that rhyme and have the same length and metric pattern. .
- Heaney鈥檚 speaker observes the actual moment of death of his mother, while Auden鈥檚 speaker is lamentA heartfelt expression of sorrow, usually in verse or song. after the death has occurred.
- The poems are both filled with grief and loss. But in Clearances 7: In the last minutes the speaker suggests hope - in the end - that something of the speaker鈥檚 mother will live on in those at her death bed. In Funeral Blues the last line - "For nothing now can come to any good" - leaves the reader with a note of hopelessness.
When writing about these similarities and differences, you should discuss the methods used by the poets.
Look at the earlier sections on themes, language, form and structure to get ideas.