GCSE ENGLISH/
GCSE LITERATURE
2003
MODEL ANSWERS
&
COMMENTARIES
PUBLISHED BY LEWISHAM LITERACY TEAM APRIL 2003
CONTENTS PAGE
Pg.3 How to use this booklet
Pg.4 Success Criteria: -what an A*/A candidate does
-what a B/C candidate does
Model answers
Pg. 5-6 Paper 1 Section A: Reading – short questions A*/A
Pg. 7 Paper 1 Section A: Reading – short questions B/C
Pg. 8-9 Paper 1 Section A: Reading – comparison questions A*/A
Pg. 10 Paper 1 Section A: Reading – comparison questions B/C
Pg. 11-12 Paper 1 Section B: Writing to persuade, argue, advise A*/A
Pg. 13 Paper 1 Section B: Writing to persuade, argue, advise B/C
Pg. 14-15 Paper 2 Section A: Set poet A*/A
Pg. 16 Paper 2 Section A: Set poet B/C
Pg. 17-18 Paper 2 Section A: Poetry of other cultures and traditions A*/A
Pg. 19 Paper 2 Section A: Poetry of other cultures and traditions B/C
Pg. 20 Paper 2 Section B: Writing to inform, explain, describe A*/A
Pg. 21 Paper 2 Section B: Writing to inform, explain, describe B/C
Pg. 22-23 Literature Section A: Set Text – Of Mice and Men A*/A
Pg. 24-25 Literature Section A: Set Text – Of Mice and Men B/C
Pg. 26-27 Literature Section: Poetry Theme – Hearts and Partners A*/A
Pg. 28-29 Literature Section: Poetry Theme – Hearts and Partners B/C
The Essay on American Literature Summer Reading List
The following list was complied from the recommendations of the Belmont High School English department and contains some of the best-known works of American literature. Each book addresses the American Dream and/or American identities. All entering 11th graders must read at least one book from the list below over the summer. Students entering English 11 Honors must read at least one contemporary ...
Pg. 30 Notes and targets page
HOW TO USE THIS BOOKLET
For Students:
On the following page is a brief summary of what a student working at a C does and what a student working at an A does. Study this carefully and try to apply it to your work. If you are aiming to get a C, what could you improve on from the C criteria? If you are aiming for a top grade, what do you need to work on from the A criteria. Set your self a new target every time you do an exam essay.
This booklet provides examples of good exam essays for you to read. There are two for each section of the English and Literature exams, one which is an A*/A grade and one which is a B/C grade. You should read both of them for each section and see why the A*/A grade one was better. Each essay is annotated to help you see why it achieved the grade it did. As you read, make notes to help you relate this to what you do in your writing. There is a blank page at the back for your notes and targets.
Unfortunately we only had room for two essays from each section, which means you may have done a different set poet or set text to the ones featured here. If so, read the essays anyway and try to think about the general features of the essay that you can apply to your poet/ text.
For teachers:
Use this booklet in Easter/ After School revision or in your regular English lessons. If you use our suite of revision lessons you will find that they follow a Model – Try -Apply sequence where the teacher models reading the exam question and then the opening of an exam answer before the students move on to supported and then more independent writing. These essays can be used to support with the modeling stage but can also be used in a variety of ways to get pupils to engage with models of good writing. A set of originals is available for classroom use.
For example:
– Cut up and sequence an essay to investigate structure
– Read both A*/A and B/C and decide which one got which grade using criteria
– Get students to annotate a blank version using a list of specific criteria
– Underline the openings to each paragraph for a particular section and investigate how effective paragraphs are started
The Coursework on Syllabus For Freshman Writing Composition
Syllabus for Freshman Writing Composition I For non-native speakers of English EN 120-003 Fall 2013 Semester MWF 10:00 A.M. – 10:50 A.M Classroom: Ten Hoor 23 The University of Alabama Instructor: Courtney BelcherCo-Teacher: Victoria Pei E-mail: : Office: Rowand Johnson 203Office Hours: By appointment Office Hours: MWF 9am-10am or by appointment Prerequisites: Qualifying exam scores. Please ...
– Analyse a particular section in a shared session to investigate success criteria
SUCCESS CRITERIA FOR ENGLISH AND LITERATURE AT GCSE
What a C candidate does
• Engages with the task
• Organises their answers into a clear and coherent structure
• Explains their points using detail to support
• Comments on how language and technique are used and their effects
• Understands idea of writer at work and comments on this
• Understands differences between fact and opinion
• Can generally control spelling, punctuation and grammar
• Understands the purpose of a text and can link this with the way it is written, including language and presentation
• Explains quotations or references
• Compares and contrasts texts, making relevant points
What an A candidate does
• Shows insight into writer’s purpose and links this effectively with the way the text is written
• Analyses effects of language and links with writer’s intentions and purpose
• Writes only points relevant to question
• Selects most interesting aspects of a text to discuss
• Integrates quotations seamlessly
• Writes engagingly showing personal response
• Gives imaginative and original interpretations, responding to layers of meaning
• Can consciously craft writing using sentence forms and vocabulary for effect
• Writes in a distinctive style, consistently using the correct tone and form for purpose and audience of writing, does this with confidence
• Structure of writing more sophisticated than for lower grades
• When comparing texts makes imaginative links, exploring full implications of question
• Almost faultless spelling, punctuation and grammar
• English Paper 1 Section A Reading: Short questions
Model A*/A Grade answers
1(a) (i) Read the newspaper article. What is Polly Toynbee’s argument?
Polly Toynbee’s article argues that it is more important to save people’s lives than animal’s lives. She doesn’t believe that animal’s lives are more important and therefore condones animal experimentation. She gives two examples of individuals on different sides of the debate. Firstly, a dying animal rights protester on hunger strike and, in contrast, a man with a progressive wasting disease who waits for a cure to be found.
The Essay on Animals in The Eyes of the Dragon
The Significance of Animals In The Eyes of the Dragon Although it may seem quite absurd, the role of animals in The Eyes of the Dragon is a very supreme and dignified part of the novel. Through the development of the novel, the animal kingdom roars from insects to dogs and they all play their own, individual roles. The great black and white Anduan Husky named Frisky who is, out of all of her dogs, ...
(ii) How does she develop her argument?
Toynbee goes on to develop her argument by tackling the question of eating meat and asks whether this should not be the first point of campaigning for those protecting animal’s rights, after all it is a huge industry responsible for by far the greater amount of animal deaths. She also explains the expense and bureaucracy involved in experimentation, emphasising the point that it is only done where there is no other option.
The writer also raises the issue of the millions of rats and mice killed in sewers for vermin control and asks why no-one campaigns on this issue. She contrasts these deaths with the method by which animals used in experiments are killed and the latter is by far the more preferable method of killing. She takes the argument to the limit with the statement ‘If a mouse can’t die to save a child with cystic fibrosis, they’ve won their argument’.
The article is concluded with the claim that this is an era without causes and that the animal rights activist takes up the cause because there are no others in this day and age.
1 (b) The animal aid leaflet sets out to shock people. How are the presentational devices used to achieve this?
A close-up picture of a dog’s eyes and face dominates the leaflet. This is headed with the slogan ‘It’s a crying Shame’ in large bold print. The combination of words and image immediately evoke emotions in the reader. The use of the animal’s eyes encourages us to sympathise with the animal and to think of it as almost human. This combined with the headline contributes to the suggestion that animals have feelings just like humans. As humans we cry when we are in pain and this is the suggestion made here. A sub-headline still in bold print is used to describe what animals undergo in experiments.
Overleaf the page is organised into sections of text, each with a heading ‘Dangerously Misleading’/ ‘Animals are not people’ to indicate the content of each section. The overall heading on this page asserts ‘animal experiments are bad science’, which is obviously a matter of opinion but being displayed in this manner could be misconstrued as fact. A paragraph in bold type goes on to explain this point using highly emotive language.
The Essay on Animal Rights Researcher That Unlike Human
The issue of animal experimentation is a widely debated topic in the United States. A fundamental question of this debate is whether the functions of animal testing and research are morally and ethically justified. In the viewpoint of the pro-research community, animal testing is a necessary practice. They support this position by stating that humans, instinctual ly, prioritize their own survival ...
One section of the top right hand side of the page is highlighted in blue and features two images of animals, one of these is particularly disturbing, featuring a mouse with an unpleasant growth. Another image is simply of a monkey but is deliberately chosen for its resemblance to humans in order to provoke sympathy. The overall effect of this leaflet is to shock the audience into campaigning on this issue. This is achieved through eye-catching layout and use of colour, images and font.
English Paper 1 Section A Reading: Short questions
Model B/C Grade answers
1 (a) (i)Read the newspaper article. What is Polly Toynbee’s argument?
Polly Toynbee has written a newspaper article about the testing of animals for medical research. She argues that animal experimentation only occurs when necessary, as it is so expensive. Her article states ‘only 5 per cent of medical research uses animals.’ She argues that there are guidelines which are carried out in such laboratories, and that there are many licences needed to be able to perform animal testing and this ensures that the research is safe. Polly Toynbee dislikes the way activists turn to animal testing as the most morally unjust reason for the killing of animals. She argues that if mice can help a child they have fulfilled their purpose. She believes humans are more important than animals.
1 (a) (ii) How does she develop her argument?
First of all her article starts off with a case of a man who is starving himself in protest at animals being used as part of the medical research. But she doesn’t attack him. After she has built up a recent picture of what’s going on in the world of animal protestors, she comes into her own argument. By now she has given us an idea on the subject and wishes to inform us of her opinion.
1 (b) The animal aid leaflet sets out to shock people. How are the presentational devices used to achieve this?
On the front of the leaflet there is a picture of an animal, the photo is close up and you are able to see into the animal’s eyes very clearly. This picture grabs our sympathy. The eyes look deep, unloved and frightening. This photograph sets up the image that animals have feelings just as deep and complicated as humans. ‘Hurting’ is highlighted in blue to accentuate the pain that animals undergo when they are tested on. ‘It’s a crying shame’ is an excellent title for the leaflet with the photograph of the eyes, not only does it make the reader think of the sorrow the animal may be going through but also the pain, as we cry when we are emotionally distraught and in pain.
The Term Paper on Should Animals Be Used For Research Purposes
Should animals be used for scientific research and experimentation? From ancient times, humans have relied on animals for their survival either as food (sheep, cow) or for competition (horses) and companionship (dogs). As humans became more familiar to their environment, they then also started utilizing animals for attainment of knowledge dating back to the days of the great physician Galen (129- ...
Overleaf the leaflet is set out into a number of different, easy to read sections using red and blue ink to keep your eyes focussed and entertained. There is a photograph of a mouse with a picture of something growing on its side, this is visibly disturbing and unpleasant to look at, it provides shock as we do not normally see mice in this way.
I think the picture of a monkey has been used as it is shocking as it is so similar to the format of a baby’s face longing for its mother.
English Paper 1 Section A Reading: Comparison questions
Model A*/A Grade answers
© How is the attitude towards animal experimentation in the animal aid leaflet different from the attitude in Polly Toynbee’s article?
Polly Toynbee believes that animal experimentation can be justified whereas the animal aid leaflet is vehemently opposed to it. She takes the arguments of animal rights protesters to its limits and finds that if they were really concerned with the rights of animals they would first tackle issues of eating meat and vermin control, which kill far more animals than science does.
The leaflet questions the value of animal experimentation for several reasons. Firstly that animals are not people and that drugs tested only on animals cannot be passed as safe for humans. Secondly that there are many alternative and preferable ways to explore causes and cures for illness without resorting to animal experiments, for example use of human tissue or genetic material, computer simulations and so on. Polly Toynbee does not offer alternatives but emphasises the cost and bureacracy involved in animal experimentation, implying that it is used only where no other options are available.
Finally, Toynbee’s article presents us with the central dilemma at the heart of this issue, whether to save an animal’s life or a child’s. The leaflet of course does not present the argument in this way, and does not make it a choice between animals and humans. It does say that ‘people who oppose animal experiments want improvements in human health as much as anyone else.’ The attitude in the leaflet is that this is a serious issue which we should all campaign on but Polly Toynbee is somewhat dismissive of animal rights protesters, claiming them to be lacking any real causes for campaigning on.
The Term Paper on Animal Rights Vs. Human Rights
„h Laboratory animals The use of laboratory animals is important to three main areas: biomedical research, product safety testing, and education. Biomedical researchers use animals to extend their understanding of the workings of the body and the processes of disease and health, and to develop new vaccines and treatments for various diseases. The research these people do isn¡¦t only for human ...
(d) Compare the ways writers use the following in the two items:
• language
• facts and opinions
The purpose of Item 1 is to make readers consider the issue of animal testing. It is not as outwardly persuasive as Item 2, which is designed to convince people that animal testing is a bad and illogical thing. Item 1 relies more on a sound argument using facts rather than the emotive language and presentation used in Item 2.
Both texts make use of facts but where the leaflet uses facts to shock the reader into supporting the cause, the article takes an alternative approach. The leaflet presents us with the number of three million animals used in experiments annually but Toynbee says that eight million rats and mice are killed in pest control every year. When put side by side it does make the reader think about why the animal rights protesters don’t campaign to prevent pest control. After all as Toynbee says science is the most morally justifiable reason for killing animals.
She develops this point also via the issue of vegetarianism, using the fact that only 7% of the population are vegetarian to make us consider why this isn’t the first point of campaigning for those protecting the rights of animals. Her article contains not only facts but also strong opinions, for example she refers to animal rights campaigns as ‘profoundly misleading propaganda claiming that animal experiments are unnecessary…suggests animals are wantonly carved up for fun’. She goes on to contradict this claim with the real facts about the cost of animal experimentation.
Both article and leaflet use effective language to make their point. The leaflet uses far more emotive language, for example the writing on the main picture ‘Hurting animals in laboratories won’t improve human health’ implies that animals are always hurt in laboratories. In contrast Polly Toynbee describes the death of an animal in a laboratory as preferable to death by poison, ‘warfarin is a nasty way to die’. The animal aid leaflet also has a series of descriptions of what animals experience in laboratories. The language used depicts the animals as helpless victims ‘subjected to nerve gases’ and ‘emotionally tormented’.
Both articles work to dispel myths but on opposing sides of the argument, ‘We like to think science is based on logic. But what could be more illogical than using mice or dogs in medical research and pretending this teaches us about people?’ The leaflet tries to dismantle notions that this research can be of any real benefit. It does this through an obvious statement to start with and then a question which undermines that statement, alleging that research using animals is of little benefit. Toynbee addresses this very point in her article, suggesting that it’s easier to ‘inflame hatred against an image of cruel scientific torturers…with a few lurid photos’ than it would be to take on the meat eating population of Britain for which by far most animals are bred and die. She is severely critical of the animal rights lobby, believing them to be taking the easy route by addressing scientific research.
I believe Toynbee’s argument to be the most effective, and particularly where she present us with the moral choice ‘If a mouse can’t die to save a child, they’ve won their argument’. To juxtapose a mouse and a child’s life puts this argument into perspective. Presented with the choice in this way, extreme animal rights protesters seem, as she says, ‘dotty’, dangerous and crazy’. Their desperation is reflected in the form and style of the animal aid leaflet whereas the article makes its point (in my opinion) more persuasively but based on argument rather than shock and assertion.
English Paper 1 Section A Reading: Comparison question
Model B/C Grade answers
1 © How is the attitude towards animal experimentation in the animal aid leaflet different from the attitude in Polly Toynbee’s article?
Polly Toynbee’s article is for animal experimentation, while Animal Aid is not.
Polly Toynbee believes that animal testing is morally just and believes it is often the only way to carry out such experiments. Animal Aid suggests alternative options such as using human tissue.
Polly Toynbee’s attitude is quite authoritative and bossy. She is concerned that the feelings of humans are more important than those of animals. Animal Aid is concerned with the feelings of animals and the way they are treated during such experiments.
Polly Toynbee is also arguing against the ways of protesting whereas the leaflet does not talk of any ways of demonstrating against animal testing.
The article focuses in the end of what animal testing can achieve whereas Animal Aid doesn’t look at any of the positive outcomes.
(d) Compare the ways writers use the following in the two items:
• language
• facts and opinions
Polly Toynbee uses more statistics in her article than Animal Aid does, Animal Aid only uses one statistic ‘in only 5-25% of cases are the harmful side effects of medicines correctly predicted by animal experiments’. The ‘facts’ in both articles seem to conflict as Animal Aid claims animal testing is cheap, while Polly Toynbee states that it is the most expensive form of research.
The leaflet is trying to persuade us to give money to the charity so it uses emotive and persuasive language, whereas the article is stating more of an opinion, she is trying to persuade us to think more carefully by using arguments of more obvious cases where animals are being harmed. In a way, she has nothing to personally gain, so she is simply stating her view and writing a good article. She won’t care as much about the reader’s response.
Animal Aid and the article both bring up the ideology of whether humans are of more importance than animals, Animal Aid beings in a clear argument to argue that it is not right to treat those with less intelligence as inferior.
The leaflet uses clearer, more direct and simpler language than the article because it doesn’t want to confuse their readers, if they become confused they will not give money to the charity. The article raised more complex arguments as they are writing for different audiences. While the article is aimed at intellectual, middle class people (Guardian) the leaflet is aimed at anyone who has a reasonable amount of money or is interested in equality, fairness and humanity.
English Paper 1 Section B: Writing to argue, persuade, advise
Model essay A*/A grade
Write a letter to your MP in which you argue either for or against animal experimentation.
Dear Tessa Jowell,
I am a year eleven student currently sitting my GCSEs. I have become concerned about the controversy that has broken out recently in the News about animal experimentation.
I am not in favour of animal experimentation without good reason, but I believe that medical research is one such justifiable reason. The fact that cosmetics tested on animals have now been banned shows significant progress in the right direction. These types of products are produced purely for our vanity and testing them on animals cannot be justified; however, it has come to my attention of late that animal rights protesters are gaining a lot of support for the banning of all products tested on animals. I believe this is a cause for great concern for a variety of reasons.
Although I am sure a total ban is unlikely in the near future, the prospect of such a ban does concern me. My sister was born with cystic fibrosis and due to the advances in medical research she is now able to lead a relatively normal life on her new drugs. Without the use of animal testing, such drugs would probably have been unavailable to her.
Animals are not genetically identical to people but they are close enough to provide meaningful results in scientific research. Many people use the argument that humans and animals are equals. This is not the case. For thousands of years the most intelligent, strongest and fittest creatures have been killing weaker animals. This is a fact of nature. Only a very small percentage (7 per cent) of the population is vegetarian. This means the rest of us willingly eat the flesh of other animals.
Why do so many turn to attack scientists? Researchers are not out to destroy life but to prolong it, to cure it, to ensure its survival. Animal testing is only carried out when necessary, as it is one of the most expensive forms of research and is laden with bureaucracy. There are guidelines and processes to ensure certain standards are upheld in the treatment of animals.
Animal testing is the only way forward for human life. We need medical research to find cures for such diseases as cancer and HIV. If people want fairness and equality between animals and humans they should get out of their cars, grow their own food and stop polluting the world. They should stop consumerism, and they should live in jungles and farmland. And you know what? They would end up in the same position: killing animals to fight for survival. We cannot change what is our predator’s instinct.
I thank you for taking the time to read my letter.
Yours sincerely,
English Paper 1 Section B: Writing to argue, persuade, advise
Model essay B/C grade
Write a letter to your MP in which you argue either for or against animal experimentation.
Dear Sirs,
I am writing to ask you to take an Act of Parliament against the use of animal experimentation. I hope that by the end of this letter, you agree with my view point and attempt to do as I have asked.
First of all, I would like to thank you for the ban on testing cosmetics and toiletries on animals. But with my thanks, a concern also comes; by banning this, you obviously know that something’s wrong. My question is, if you’re going to ban one type of testing, why not just ban them all?
In a perfect world, I’d like all testing to be banned, by my main worry is with military experiments. They’re done in secret, which suggests that it is immoral and shouldn’t be done. Also, you wouldn’t test the effects of military weapons on a human, so why and how can you justify doing it to an animal? Being non-violent, I don’t like the idea of weapons in any form, but I find it disgusting that animals’ lives are cheapened to the extent that weapons are tested on them. You must know it’s wrong, you wouldn’t hide it if it wasn’t. Your job as an MP is to challenge and prevent war. Weapons shouldn’t be needed. Testing them shouldn’t need to be an option.
Secondly, I’d like to display my opinion on the ‘if you can eat them, why can’t you experiment on them?’ debate. As a vegetarian, I don’t eat them anyway, and even if I did I’d disagree with this statement. Although it’s not completely necessary, people eat meat as a means to survive; they don’t inject them or poison them in experiments that probably won’t even come to any use. I find this statement highly offensive and completely ignorant. I would advise against you (or your colleagues) mentioning it.
The next part of my argument should strike a nerve as it’s not my opinion, it’s scientific fact. Animals are used as ‘models’ for human disease to find cures. These experiments are completely useless and misleading. This is because not only is every type of animal different to every other, but they are also completely different from humans. This obviously means that what might be harmful to one species could be completely harmless to another. For example penicillin can kill guinea pigs and hamsters, but has saved many human lives. Your response might well be that this means it has been a benefit to humans; that is well and good, but it has been at the cost of many animal’s lives. Apparently, we (as humans) are the most important species on earth, but in no way should this give us the right to make any creature suffer in this way.
We both know that there are many alternatives to animal testing. These include using human tissue and genetic materials and also population studies to explore various factors in disease. You’ve increased the budget to develop these methods once before, why not again? I know it will take some time, but if just ten mice or monkeys survive, it will be worth it.
I highly appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to read my letter. I urge you to take heed of what you have read and do something about it. I hope to hear from you in the future.
Yours sincerely
English Paper 2 Section A: Set Poet – Carol Ann Duffy
Model essay – A*/A Grade
Many of Carol Ann Duffy’s poems describe people who are in some way isolated. Discuss how she presents such people in two of her poems.
Both ‘War Photographer’ and ‘Stealing’ describe people, albeit in very different ways. However, there is a resemblance in the sense that both poems show characters that are alone or isolated in some way.
As the title suggests, the poem ‘War Photographer’ explores the situation and feelings of a photographer operating in war zones. The first line reads ‘In his darkroom he is finally alone.’ This implies that at some point he wasn’t alone; he would have been with the war victims that he photographs. The scene in his darkroom is described in terms of a religious ceremony ‘As though this were a church and he a priest preparing to intone a mass’. The names of war zones are listed with full stops after each one, as though it were a litany. It is as though the photographer is being invested with a kind of sacred power in developing these images, which reinforces his isolation.
There are several other characters represented in the poem which help to illlustrate the position and feelings of the photographer. The description of the photos developing is quite vivid, and brings back to the reality to him, yet he is still removed from them. The lines ‘He remembers the cries/ of this man’s wife/ how he sought approval to do what someone must’ illustrate the agony of his profession. However much he sympathises, his relationship with the victims is strictly professional, as he has a job to do. This is similar to his relationship with his editor, who is described as picking out five or six (pictures) for Sunday’s supplement, yet there are hundreds of images, each one representing an ‘agony’. The process of choosing five or six seems somehow cynical, based on what criteria would one decide? There is an element of sarcasm in the description of the reader’s eyeballs as they ‘prick with tears between the bath and pre-lunch beers’. The compassion experienced by the reader is momentary, and disappears as soon as a distraction appears. The photographer’s feelings towards each of these help illustrate his personal difficulty with his job.
In ‘Stealing’, we are presented with a strange character. He speaks in the first person, making use of questioning to address the reader directly. I get the impression that he/she has no immediate family or friends; he steals a snowman and seems to think they can be friends. ‘The most unusual thing I ever stole. A snowman/…I wanted him, a mate …’ It almost seems like this is the reason he steals; he thinks the objects will love him. The fact that the object was a snowman accentuates the poignancy of his situation. A snowman is a symbol of fun and joy for young children, usually built together with others. This character wants to have that happiness and so, despite knowing the futility of his actions, stole it. He gains satisfaction from upsetting the children ‘Part of the thrill was knowing that children would cry in the morning. Life’s tough.’. His life clearly is tough, without affection or love and he wants others to feel what he is going through. The poem sounds like a cry for help.
The structure of ‘War Photographer’ is regular, there are four stanzas with six lines each. The last two lines of each stanza rhyme. For example, ‘feet’ and ‘heat’ or ‘must’ and ‘dust’. I think that the structure of the poem parallels the character it portrays; the structure is regular, as is the man. In ‘Stealing’, the structure is also regular. This seems to me to reflect the tedium of the character’s life.
The imagery in ‘War Photographer’ is very powerful. For example, the mixture of sentence length gives emphasis to certain points. The poem reads. ‘The only light is red and softly glows/ as though this were a church and he/ a priest preparing to intone a Mass/Belfast. Beruit. Phnom Pehn. All flesh is grass.’ The last line of this example shows war zones, which are very important in the poem and therefore punctuated. Also in this example, you can see how enjambment is used to continue a phrase from one line to the next, giving emphasis to ‘he’ in line 4. There is also an example of a metaphor to accentuate the pain and agony evident in the neatly arranged pictures, ‘with spools of suffering set out in ordered rows.’ There are also numerous references to ‘home’ in the poem. For instance, ‘Rural England. Home again/… to fields which don’t explode…’ In my opinion, this reference helps us sympathise with what the photographer is going through. The poem is written in the first person, which encourages the feeling of isolation surrounding the phtographer.
‘Stealing’ is written the first person, which I believe was necessary, in order for us to understand this strange character. They way in which this poem begins and ends is very interesting. It begins with a question and answer ‘The most unusual thing I ever stole? A snowman.’ And ends ‘ You don’t understand a word I’m saying, do you?’ From these lines alone, it’s clear to see that the character is quite strange. This is emphasised though, by the variety of sentence length used. The poem reads ‘Part of the thrill was knowing that children would cry in the morning. Life’s tough.’ The last sentence shows us the character’s attitude to life. Another example ‘I took a run and booted him. Again. Again.’ Give us an insight into the character’s violent tendencies. The metaphors also help us get to grips’ with the personality. For example, ‘My breath ripped out/in rags.’ This gives me the impression of a person quite deranged.
I sympathise with the ‘War Photographer’ for what he has to do. I enjoy reading the poem as I find it quite moving, this man who is struggling with his professional responsibilities and personal responses to situations. The character in ‘Stealing’ is very different to the war photographer, yet both of them share a certain isolation and marginalisation from the societies in which they live.
English Paper 2 Section A: Set Poet – Carol Ann Duffy
Model essay – B/C Grade
In the poems ‘Before you were mine’ and ‘In Mrs Tilscher’s Class’ Duffy explores the theme of change. Discuss how this theme is presented in the two poems.
Both poems are about change, but contrast in both the subject matter and in the way they are written. ‘Before you were mine’ is essentially a love poem, dedicated to the poet’s mother, and describes moments in the mother’s life before the poet was born, contrasting them with the years after she was born. The main theme of the poem ‘In Mrs Tilscher’s Class’ is about the changes a child goes through when experiencing adolescence.
‘Before you were mine’ begins with an image of a young girl laughing with her friends, ‘The three of you bend from the waist, holding each other…and shriek at the pavement’. This is the poet’s mother, ten years before she was born. It compares her to Marilyn Monroe, a symbol of youth, beauty and powerful sexuality. The next image is one of ‘the ballroom with the thousand eyes’. This image refers both to the young men watching her and also possibly the mirror ball spinning overhead. The poet emphasizes how she is as not yet thought of ‘The thought of me doesn’t occur’. It is a touching poem as we don’t ofen think about our parents as young people before we were born.
‘In Mrs Tilscher’s Class’ conjures up the innocence of childhood by using all your senses. It describes the sounds of school ‘ the laugh of a bell swung by a child’. The first and second stanzas describe the fairy-tale fantasy land of childhood that the classroom provides ‘skittle of milk, ‘sugar paper’ and the xylophone all create the image of a sweet, fulfilling, twinkly place.
Both poems have four even stanzas and the change occurs in both poems halfway through. ‘In Mrs Tilscher’s class’ uses a very obvious metaphor as the beginning of puberty is described by the changing of tadpoles over Easter ‘the inky tadpoles changed/ from commas into exclamation marks’. The end of the school symbolises the gates to freedom, a chance to explore. But the thunderstorm reminds the reader of how changeable a pubescent person can feel, and the ups and downs growing up brings.
In the third verse of ‘Before you were Mine’ we hear the ‘loud possessive yell’ of the child. The action changes now to the child trying on the mother’s ‘high-heeled red shoes, relics’. These are reminders from the past. The poet tries to visualize her young mother, and she appears as a ghost clattering in her high heels.
The metaphors in ‘In Mrs Tilscher’s Class’ bring out some wonderful images, my personal favourite in stanza four is of the thunderstorm, the uncertainty and mood swings symbolised by the changes in temperature of the weather. The change described in ‘Before you were mine’ is the change that happens to a mother’s life when she has her first child. The person she was is almost forgotten, a ghost, as her identity is now primarily as a mother.
English Paper 2 Section A: Poetry of other cultures and traditions
Model essay A*/A grade
Compare the ways in which two poets from this selection explore the idea that your own identity is closely linked with the language you use.
The two contrasting poems ‘Search for my Tongue’ and ‘From Unrelated incidents’ share the common general theme and idea that your own identity is closely linked with the language you use. However, they explore this idea and different aspects of it in very different ways. Both poems are written in free verse, with no real underlying rhythm, making them more conversational, which I think reflects the idea of language and the natural use of it.
In ‘Search for my Tongue’ the theme is the difficulties inherent in speaking two languages, almost like a confused identity, which is shown in the interruption from the ‘mother-tongue’ in the middle of the poem. I also feel that the differing appearances of the two actual scripts of the language suggest the differences in culture of the two.
A lot of rather unusual imagery is used to describe the mother tongue. This is very effective along with the double meaning of the word ‘tongue’ (physical organ and language/ dialect) in conveying the author’s mixed feelings.
The images of the mother tongue ‘rotting and dying and metaphorically spitting it out are quite unpleasant as she seems resentful of its existence, yet possibly resentful towards the foreign tongue for causing this rotting. Also the author describes having ‘lost’ the mother tongue and not really knowing the other suggests a feeling of loss of not only language but also identity.
The unpleasant dying images are contrasting with the still unpleasant images of growth described as the mother tongue appears to grow back. Words such as ‘stump’, ‘moist’, ‘strong veins’, ‘bud’ I find unpleasant but along with the repeated use of ‘grows’ and ‘blossoms’ these images create a sense of spring awakening, a new vitality and the poet’s response of amazement and pleasure. However the way in which the mother tongue interrupts and ‘pushes the other tongue aside’ growing ‘moist veins’ suggest that it has a life of its own and she can’t actually control it, as towards the end of the poem the climax builds with repetition and punctuation almost as if the author can’t control the flow of the poem.
The poem ‘From Unrelated Incidents’ also contains the theme that language controls identity. However, the author is more concerned with dialects, prejudices and the extensive use of standard English in the media. He uses the idea of reading the news in an accent/ dialect to reflect the whole of the media. There is much emphasis on truth, his truth and this I feel, reflects the idea that the use of accents and dialects means being true to your identity. The author feels that there is pressure to speak correctly and the tradition of ‘thirza right way to spell ana right way ti tok it’.
His strong rebellion against this is shown by the unusual presentation of the poem and very little punctuation. However, more importantly, it is all written phonetically as if he is rebelling against the accents (there is a clear accent on reading it) but also a rebellion against the written form of English. He refuses to conform and feels that his accent is part of his identity.
A similarity between the poems is this idea of rebelling, overpowering as well as the theme. Just as Sujata Bhatt resents this ‘foreign tongue’ and is overjoyed at its vitality and perseverance so Tom Leonard is resentful of standard English which is almost like a foreign tongue. Both poets feel that conforming to a foreign tongue isn’t being true to your own identity. However as ‘From Search for my tongue’ shows the mother tongue, the identity can often be more powerful and will always overrule.
English Paper 2 Section A: Poetry of other cultures and traditions
Model essay B/C grade
Compare the ways in which two poets from this selection explore the idea that your own identity is closely linked with the language you use.
The two poems ‘From Search for my Tongue’ and ‘From Unrelated incidents’ show that the language a person uses is a big part of their identity.
Sujata Bhatt is saying that her language is a part of her. She first of all describes how she believes that she has lost her mother tongue ‘your mother tongue would rot/ rot and die in your mouth’. By using the word ‘rot’ she is suggesting the image of a plant. This makes it seem like it is growing as a part of her. She says that by having to speak a new language you think your old language has disappeared but really it is still there beneath the surface.
Tom Leonard’s poem explores a different aspect of how a persons’ language or accent is a part of their identity. ‘thi reason/ a talk wia/ BBC accent/ iz coz yi/ widny wahnt/ ti talk/ aboot thi/ trooth wia/ voice lik/ wanna yoo/ scruff’. In these lines he is saying that dialects are unacceptable in the media when dealing with serious topics. He shows how the way a person speaks can change how other people think of them. He is also showing, like Sujata Bhatt, how his language is a part of him. It is what he understands and what he trusts rather than the Standard English way of talking we hear on the BBC news. He is also proud of his accent, because it is him.
Bhatt shows how much her ‘mother tongue’ is a part of her identity using the section of Gujarati in the middle of the poem. It seems to the reader that this is the poet’s true identity coming out. The pronunciation is also written so that it seems as though the woman is speaking it, not writing it. To the English reader who does not understand Gujarati it looks like the woman’s true feelings are coming out in this section, but really she is saying much the same thing as she said in the English section of the poem.
The final section of ‘Search for my tongue’ uses a metaphor to describe the beauty of her language returning. It is a flower which ‘blossoms out of’ her ‘mouth’. She is very proud of her ‘mother tongue’ and resents having to live in a country where the people do not speak it.
Leonard writes in a Scottish accent, to reinforce what he is saying. It makes the poem seem more real as if it is actually coming from the man, rather than if the poem was written in standard English. Unlike Bhatt, Leonard writes the whole poem in his ‘language’. This strengthens the idea that language is closely linked with a person’s identity. If the poem wasn’t written in this way the reader would not get the point of the poem as clearly as they do.
Both poems prove that the language a person uses is a big part of their whole identity.
English Paper 2 Section B: Writing to inform, explain, describe
Model essay – A*/A Grade
My Ideal home
Opening the heavy, solid oak door, I enter the hall. The walls of an incubator, safe, warm, reliable. Uniform stripes guard me, looming yet comforting as wood bandages line the walls, supportive. I feel protected. Carpet lies flat and nothing moves, obeying. Light filters through blinds, ordered, reliable.
I move across the ocean of carpet in front of me and enter into the living room. At once I am absorbed into the rippling leather and waves of fabric that seep down the walls. Muted light glows through the curtains, dissolving into nothing. It is deep, never-ending. I am submerged in a waterfall of soft light never returning for breath. Relaxation spreads through my veins and I melt into the luxury. Through the hidden door I enter the kitchen.
Flowers dance across the tiles. Mugs and jugs arrange themselves into an untidy pile as rays of light float in the lightness, suspended yet energetic. Metallic, spidery taps sit, poised for action. The yellow walls relish their role as the sun, as light skates across the smooth, shiny surfaces. I feel suddenly lighter.
Towels shuffle around for space and everything is alive. An imaginary factory of movement. As if everything is restrained. With renewed energy I move on to the bathroom.
Fittings blend into the wall in curves. Colours are mixed and stirred hypnotising. The pond of calmness is still as if a small drop would disturb it. Despite this calmness, the chrome sparkles and shines, posing, and soft flickers from candles expand and disintegrate into stardust. Everything is sleek and smooth and edges combine and mix, yet never touch.
I feel safe, secure, calm, light and energetic in my house and now I move on to my garden.
I am immediately transported to a childhood fairytale as glittering light drips down the trees, tying the deep roots in shining ribbons and bows. Branches perform elegant waltzes around the garden, intertwining yet not touching for fear of breaking. Specks of light flutter through the leaves arranging themselves as intricate patterns on the carpeted earth. Trees reach out with open arms, longing for a dance. This is my ideal home, my safe, warm home, my incubator.
English Paper 2 Section B: Writing to inform, explain, describe
Model essay – B/C Grade
My Ideal Home
My ideal home would be far from here, somewhere on a Spanish coast. I can picture myself in a small town, close enough to the noise of the streets and the business of everyday life but also not far from peace and solitude.
The front of my house is alive with brightly coloured flowers in spring and summer, hanging baskets cascading down the walls, filled with deep purples, bright reds and electric blues. This contrasts with the whitewashed walls, bleached from the white sunshine that blazes down day after long summer day.
Being in such a climate of course I need a swimming pool, perhaps with mosaic tiles of blue and white. The blue water is clear as crystal and cool against my skin in the sweltering summer heat. I could lie there for hours staring at the cloudless sky above.
Nearby is an outdoor living area, a terracotta paved terrace with a large metal table for outdoor dining with friends and family, lazy afternoons where we share the freshest of local produce, fat red strawberries, soft juicy peaches and dripping yellow melon. The only sounds are those of water splashing and gentle laughter.
And yet even this land has a winter time, when I prefer the warmth and cosiness of the house to the frosty outdoors. A warm fire glows in the main room, a large living and dining area. The warmly coloured yellow sofas will be scattered with soft luxurious cushions. Soft low lighting encourages the cosy atmosphere as I wind down after a busy day.
At the end of the day I like to relax in my sanctuary, my bathroom. I soak for what seems like hours in the feathery bubbles, scented with rose and jasmine oils. The candle flames flicker with the gentle breeze coming from the window. The only sounds come from the crickets outside. I can hear my breath travelling in and out and could almost drift off to sleep here in this haven of tranquillity.
Finally I get into my bed. The coolness of the sheets is a relief from the humidity of the summer’s night. My head rests on the pillow and I descend into a deep and restful slumber.
Literature Paper Section A: Set text – Of Mice and Men
Model essay – A*/A Grade
Consider the theme of loneliness in the novel, Of Mice and Men. How does it affect the friendships and relationships in the novel.
The novel “ Of Mice and Men” clearly explores a theme of loneliness that adds depth to the characters and their relationships. From Steinbeck’s first description of the setting we are immediately struck with a feeling of loneliness and isolation, as it is set in “Soledad”, meaning to be alone. The novel was inspired by the Depression in 1930’s America, where men were forced to lead what seems to be an almost desperate lifestyle, travelling constantly in search of work. In the novel, Steinbeck shows us the effects of a life without any stable relationships, or homelife, something that shows many characters as being intensely lonely. Candy, “the old swamper” appears lonely as he is trapped by his age, leaving him almost worthless. Curley’s life is also lonely, although in a different way, by being an outsider, the only woman on the ranch. Yet Crooks is the main character whose loneliness stands out to be a significant mark of the racial prejudices of the time.
George and Lennie, the central characters are also victims of this itinerant lifestyle, travelling through Soledad to another ranch with another group of people. George, “the first man was small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features”. He appears alert, and defined and perhaps initially appears strong enough to overcome these feelings of loneliness. Lennie, “his opposite”, however shows signs of vulnerability, being “a huge man, shapeless of face . . . dragging his feet a little”. Although he appears childlike and sensitive, he perhaps will not be affected by the lonely lifestyle, as he is unaware of it and more significantly has George as a friend and father figure. Lennie’s worries seem almost pointless, constantly asking to “tell about the rabbits”, but George’s stern, responsible personality allows Steinbeck to clearly convey the emotion loneliness can cause.
Although many of Steinbecks characters appear isolated and alone, George and Lennie are clearly different. Lennie knows that “I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you”. This strong friendship sets them apart from the other character, in a way isolating them also. Lennie admires and respects George, his leader and only form of family. He is aware of George’s fears and emotions, reminding him that “you want, I should go away and leave you alone”. Lennie relies on George entirely to provide them with his dream of “tending the rabbits” one day and trusts that George will also supply security. George, on the other hand perhaps feels tied down by his immense responsibility for Lennie, something that may even conjure up feelings of loneliness in his character. Lennie is a burden, a “dumb bastard” and although he gives George friendship, something that other characters in the novel long for, in some ways he is pushing him further into isolation.
George and Lennie are the only characters who have a stable relationship in the novel, and are completely different to the “old swamper” Candy, who has little more than an “ancient dog” for company. Candy is rejected because of his age, he is a “stoop-shouldered old man” who is seen as fairly worthless because of his physical appearance. Candy is clearly desperately alone, as he has built such a strong relationship with his dog, something he has not had to leave behind, “had him since he was a pup”. The future holds little for him, as he fears he will soon be seen as as worthless as his dog, with people wanting to “shoot him for you”. Candy’s only chance to escape a life without hope comes when he enters George and Lennie’s dream. The fact that Candy has to use money to be given this hope again exemplifies the isolation these men are faced with.
Crooks, “the negro black stable buck”, is perhaps Steinbeck’s most isolated character. He “had his bunk in the harness room; a little shed” and is even separated from the little friendship the men have by sharing the bunkhouse. His worthlessness means that he is reduced to an animal, sleeping in “a long box filled with straw” and by being black he has even fewer privileges than the other men. However, although Crooks appears physically weaker, with “his body bent over to the left by his crooked spine”, his mental strength and intelligence stretches beyond that of many of the men. Steinbeck gradually reveals more about this complex character through describing his surroundings. Crooks has “accumulated more possessions than he could carry on his back”, not only showing that he is more permanent, but also his pride, despite the feelings of prejudice. His “tattered dictionary” and “large gold-rimmed spectacles” highlight his intelligence and wisdom. For a man that initially appears tired, being “lined with deep black wrinkles”, his eyes still “glitter with intensity”, something that has not been crushed by constant isolation. The bitterness of this character can be understood as he knows that “I ain’t wanted in the bunkhouse”, but he is perhaps more desperate for friendship than he first appears, eventually inviting Lennie to “come on in and sit a while”.
Curley’s wife is also a character who suffers from loneliness, although shows this emotion in a much more direct way than either Candy or Crooks. By being the only woman on the ranch, she is already segregated from the others in much the same way as Crooks for his race. She makes others aware that she is ignored by saying” Think I don’t like to talk to somebody ever, once in a while?” Curley expects her to “stay in that two-by-four house”, encouraging her to seek attention and try to establish friendship by constantly making excuses to see others, asking “have any of you guys seen Curley?” she only encourages the men to feel badly towards her.
Loneliness is probably the strongest theme in Steinbeck’s novel and is presented to the reader both through character and setting. The reasons for loneliness are mainly rooted in the lifestyle and situation of the characters, although we are provided with a range of experiences in the characters of Candy, Crooks and Curley’s wife, whose loneliness is accentuated through their age, race and gender respectively. Steinbeck’s novel is a strong statement on the effects of the depression on 1930’s America, the resulting lifestyle, and the impact of that on the men and women of the time.
Literature Paper Section A: Set text – Of Mice and Men
Model essay – B/C Grade
How important are Dreams in the novel “Of Mice Of Men”
In the novel ‘Of Mice Of Men’ there are many themes which set aside the characters from others, however all of them have one thing in common – they all have dreams. Lennie and George share a dream of owning their own land and later on Candy wants to join them. This shows that everyone in the novel needs dreams to keep them going through life.
The novel is set in the time of the depression in 1930s America. Because of the depression there weren’t many jobs around so there were a lot of migrant workers. These workers travelled all over America to find jobs. Because they travelled a lot they were not able to make any friends, which meant many suffered from terrible loneliness.
Nearly all of the characters in the novel have a dream. Dreams give the characters something to look forward to and help them forget about everything else. This is why it is an important theme because it affects all the characters. George and Lennie are the main characters who are not alone and they share a dream of owning a farm. Their dream is to have a house, own a couple of acres of land, a cow and some pigs and to ‘live off the fatta the land’. Lennie also wants some rabbits and he repeatedly asks George to tell the story of how they would live and how he would tend the rabbits. This fantasy keeps them going through all the difficult times but it is never materialized which is given away in the title ‘of Mice and Men’ referring to a quote from a Robert Burns poem about how ‘the best laid plans of mice and men’ often go wrong.
Candy has also had a dream of owning a farm where he can be useful again. Candy is very interested in George and Lennie’s dream and thinks it can all really work out because they all have each other and they would nearly have enough money to buy a farm because of Candy’s extra 350 dollars. “Tell you what – He leaned forward eagerly. ‘S’spose I went in with you guys. Tha’s three hundred an’ fifty bucks I’d put in.” George and Lennie are very tempted at this offer because it would mean their dream would finally come true. Candy has to have dreams because he has no one for company after Carlson shot his dog,
Curley’s wife also has a dream of becoming a Hollywood movie star. She wants to become an actress and become famous, but we soon know this doesn’t come true, in fact the death of Curley’s wife brings an end to all dreams in the novel because
of Lennie killing her. Curley’s wife is lonely because she has no one to talk too as there are no other women on the ranch and Curley just tells her to be quiet and go back inside the ranch. Curley’s wife plays around and flirts with others to get attention. This attraction was fatal between herself and Lennie and ended her dream of being an actress. Curley’s wife spends a lot of time on her own, hence the need for dreams in her life. She is unhappy with her ranch life and wants a Hollywood life. Since she has nothing to do she gets involved with other characters like George and Lennie which trigger off the series of incidents leading to her death.
Dreams are very important to the plot of the novel. Dreams are what carry people through their loneliness. Dreams are needed for every character who is lonely. When a character in “Of Mice of Men” gets lonely he/she thinks about a dream which they want to come true. With dreams, characters can imagine anything they want to and this will keep them happy if nothing else does. Steinbeck is saying that anybody can get lonely and unhappy sometimes but anyone can have dreams to help them through bad times, it just depends on how imaginatively that lonely person can imagine their dreams.
Literature Paper Section B: Poetry theme – Hearts and Partners
Model essay – A*/A Grade
Young love is full of lust, but old love can be relied upon. Discuss this idea with reference to 3 poems.
The poems in “Hearts and Partners: all discuss the different emotions associated with love at different stages in a relationship. Some talk of the amusing energy, passion and lust that can be experienced, whereas others focus on more sensitive issues, where love may not only be reliable, but perhaps dead.
“To His Coy Mistress” is very much a poem that describes the feeling of lust a man has for a woman, as it has strong sexual overtones. This is also a young love, as the man is in pursuit of the woman, attempting to persuade her to sleep with him. The man begins his argument by describing how “a hundred years shall go to praise thine eyes”, if “had we but world enough and time”. Here he is mainly using flattery and much exaggeration, perhaps showing just how passionate, or in fact desperate he is. His thoughts of sex are also brought forward, as he uses a metaphor for her virginity, the “rubies”, something precious that they can share together.
He then points out that in fact, time is short and “Times winged chariot hurrying near.” This brings yet more energy into this relationship, as the “chariot” is an image of war. This man now appears not only lustful, but also arrogant and selfish as he attempts to bully her into bed, terrifying her with a horrific image of death, as “worms will try that long preserved virginity”. The most overpowering feeling of lust and energy however do not come until the end of his argument, as Marvell shows that they should enjoy the time they have, “at every pore with instant fires”. This poem could even be described as sexually explicit, as the man suggests they “tear our pleasures with rough strife”.
The overall feeling of this poem is not only that this young couple should live for the day, and enter a particularly lustful, passionate relationship, is that it may not even be love, as this man is possibly only after sex, without thinking of the consequences. In fact, this very idea is symptomatic of the social and historical context of the poem. In contrast with the others it was written in the seventeenth century. The poet’s philosophy of seizing the day shows a questioning of accepted Christian beliefs about life after death. If there is life after death why would we need to rush to fill the time we have? Many people were concerned with these issues at the time as religious values were changing. This is reflected strongly in the poem.
The poem “Our Love Now”, however creates a very different impression of love. This couple is perhaps not particularly old, but this is an old love that may even be “dead”, although for this reason not necessarily reliable. The poem interestingly shows both the male and female perspective of the relationship, as he tries to convince her that the “storm”, or problem in this partnership can be overcome. This poem is immediately striking, as it uses metaphors for emotional hurt to describe their love. He feels that the “cut will mend”, the pain will heal and become one again, whereas she knows that the “skin remains bleached”, providing a constant reminder of the pain that once existed; something that could not be relied upon. Another gentle metaphor for change, the “cut hair”, that she believes the “style will be different”, again reinforces the issue of an uneasy love, as the couple may now have different priorities, as they steadily grow away from each other. Anger and violence is also brought into this love, as the “raging storm” has “left damage in its wake”, something that cannot be fixed, is unsteady and may break again.
This love is old, but because of immense pain is not reliable, not lustful. In spite of his constant attempts to persuade her, insisting that, “the breach in us can be mended”, it is clear that the woman is more accurate in her assessment of the relationship, as she is given the final word with, “the tree is forever dead”.
An old love that in many ways can be relied upon, however is shown in the poem, “One Flesh”. This love is old, although perhaps is so reliable because this couple have grown old together, simply in “separate beds” because of changes through time, rather than substantial pain.
Immediately we can see that there is no lust or passion in this relationship, as they are “lying apart”, perhaps trying to ignore each other as he is “with a book” and she is “like a girl dreaming of childhood”. The thought of a sexual relationship being far from their minds is again reinforced, as she dreams with “all men elsewhere”, as if men are no longer needed in her life in a way returning to her youth when men were not a priority. The room in which they sit is clearly lifeless, lacking energy, as “the book he holds unread” and “her eyes are fixed on the shadows overhead”. There is also a sense that little is remaining in this relationship, it is “tossed up like flotsam” from a previous storm, however what is there stays afloat, providing the reliable friendship now between them. The lust has disappeared, as they “hardly ever touch”, on their “destination” to “chastity” and maybe a safer world.
However, there remains something touching about this couple, a partnership that could never be destroyed, unlike in ‘Our Love Now’. They are “strangely apart” in one sense as they rarely make physical contact, yet “strangely close together” almost as if nothing could be said or done for them to understand one another. Again the issue of the passion being taken through time, as “time itself’s a feather, touching them gently”, as they came to the end of their lives, but still have an untouchable feather. In this love it is almost certain that the lust and energy is dead and their “fire has grown cold”, but it is still reliable, as a “thread” of understanding holding them together throughout the silence.
The poems clearly demonstrate that in young love, there will almost certainly be lust, probably as there was within all the relationships described. However, whether in some cases this lust will overtake love, or the relationship may not survive a “storm” will tell whether or not it builds to a reliable love as in “One Flesh”. That love had stood the test of time, and although it may be coming to an end, it is coming to an end with their lives, as the couple still remain together, possibly still “One Flesh”, despite “lying apart”.
Literature paper Section B: Poetry Theme – Hearts and Partners
Model essay – B/C Grade
Several of the poems in Hearts and Partners are about conflict between Men and Women. Compare how conflict between Men and Women is shown in three or four of these poems. You must refer to a pre-Twentieth Century poem in your answer.
For my essay I have been asked to explore the ways in which conflict is represented, I will do this by first picking out the reasons for conflict in each and analysing them. I will them compare the poems and give my opinion.
‘Our Love Now’ shows a difference of opinion by a man and a woman about their relationship. The man says that their love is strong and will last ‘Wounds heals in time’ but on the other side you have the woman doubting everything he says ‘Although the wound appears cured; it is not the same’. There is clearly a conflict between the couple, shown through their different perspectives on the same relationship. They both see it in completely different ways. The structure of the poem reinforces this divide between the couple. It is set out in two sections, each with four verses. The first section is told in the first person from the man’s point of view, beginning each verse with ‘I said’. The second section brings the woman’s voice, although the third person is used beginning each verse with ‘She said’.
The poet uses strong metaphors to represent the relationship. The same metaphor is used by both the man and the woman, but are used to illustrate different perspectives on the relationship. For example where the man claims the ‘wound heals in time’, the woman remarks on how there will always be a scar. Similarly the image of a burn leaving an area of bleached skin is used to illustrate how pain cannot ever be forgotten, and the relationship has changed forever. Images of a haircut and a storm are also used to develop the different perspectives on the relationship. The conflict of opinion is reinforced through language and structure.
In ‘To His Coy Mistress’ conflict is represented in a completely different way. It is of a more sexual nature. The poem is about a man who is trying to lure the woman into having sex with him. He begins by saying how if he had to wait, he would wait for her forever “till the conversion of the jews”. The poet uses exaggeration describing how the man’s love would grow and how loyal he would be “A hundred years should go to praise thine eyes”. The tone then changes slightly as the man appears to get frustrated, (perhaps she has continued to refuse him).
He says he is worried about time passing and therefore tries to scare her into sleeping with him. The image of “Deserts of vast eternity” is used to show how long and lifeless eternity will be. He becomes quite cruel “worms shall try that long preserved virginity”. In the final section he becomes more passionate and lustful “And tear our pleasures with rough strife”.
The conflict in this poem is in the way the man is trying to persuade the woman to have sex with him and although he begins with a pure and moral tone he has to resort to fear, emotional blackmail and lust to convince her. This is different to the previous poem ‘Our Love Now’ in that they are at the end of their relationship, although in both poems the man and woman clearly are not on the same wavelength.
One clear contrast between the two poems is the social/ historical setting. ‘To His Coy Mistress’ was written in the seventeenth century when people were concerned with the passing of time as they questioned their religious beliefs. ‘Our Love Now’ appears to describe a modern relationship where the couple don’t seem to be concerned with the practicalities of their breaking up but can afford to focus only on their feelings.
Another modern poem in which conflict is present is ‘One Flesh’. It deals with a couple that has been together for a while and now they lie in separate beds. He reads a book and she dreams of childhood. They seem to be waiting for something. In line 9 it says “They hardly ever touch/ And when they do it is like a confession/ Of having little feeling or too much”. They clearly were close once but their love has faded away and yet they will not end their relationship like the couple in ‘Our Love Now’. They are “strangely close together/ Silence between them like a thread to hold and not wind in”. It is as though they don’t know any different and so will not do anything to change the situation. At the end of the poem it is revealed that the couple are the poet’s parents. The conflict in this poem is subtle. There are no arguments or outright disagreements but the couple are miles apart.
There is conflict between each of the couples in these poems but it is very different. ‘One Flesh’ shows how the couple doesn’t touch or talk or show any affection. In ‘To His Coy Mistress’ the conflict is in his attempts to persuade her to have sex with him, and in ‘Our Love Now’ it tells you that their love is dead and can not be brought back to life.
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