unseen poetry essay plan

Poetry Explained

How to Approach Unseen Poetry

Approaching unseen poetry is one of the more challenging things that students might be asked to do in the classroom. How do you read a poem you’ve never seen or heard before and effectively understand what the poet is trying to say? This article, which should help any reader of unseen poetry, covers the best place to start, managing notes, and drawing conclusions.  

Before you start reading a poem is important to ensure that you have a good understanding of what your instructor or examiner wants you to do. This includes having a well-rounded knowledge of terms that are going to be necessary for completing your analysis. These include types of meter , like iambic pentameter , and poetic forms like sonnets , odes , elegies , and more. Take a look at Poem Analysis’s Literary Terms Glossary for more.  

It’s likely that your instructor, exam, or workbook will ask you to complete an analysis of language, structure and form, context , and literary devices. This might seem like a lot to handle, but it can actually be quite simple if you take the time to read the poem completely and take notes along the way.  

6 Elements to Analyze Unseen Poetry

• 1 1, Read the poem twice
• 2 2. Consider language, structure, and techniques
• 3 3. Analyze language and form 
• 4 4. Annotate 
• 5 5. Start writing your response
• 6 6. Finalize your answers

1, Read the poem twice

One of the most important things you can do while analyzing an unseen poem is to take the time to read it twice (at least!). You’re going to be far more successful if you use this time wisely. Do not rush through the text, anxious to start writing. The poem you’ve been assigned might be relatively straightforward but there is a great deal that can be easily missed if you try to get to the end as fast as possible.  

2. Consider language, structure, and techniques

When you read the poem for a second time, or perhaps the third, start thinking about what techniques the poet used. This is where your knowledge of literary devices and poetic structures is going to come in handy. Can you recognize a rhyme scheme ? Does it match the rhyme schemes of any known poetic structures? For example, if your assigned poem has fourteen lines it’s a safe bet that it’s also going to conform to some other elements of a sonnet .  

3. Analyze language and form  

You’ll also want to ask yourself what kind of language the poet is using. Is it flowery and complex? Is the diction colloquial or more poetic? If it’s the latter, and the poet uses words that you don’t understand, make sure to circle those and take the time to figure out their context and possible definition. If you have access to a dictionary, it’s imperative that you read the definition, even if you’re vaguely aware of what the word might mean. Often, the smallest differences in definitions (for example what you think a word means and what it actually means) can help you put together central aspects of the poem. Similarly, it’s possible that a word that seems out of place, for which you know the definition, actually has a secondary or tertiary meaning that you aren’t aware of. If the poem was written in the 1600s or 1700s, it’s very likely that this will be the case.  

In regard to the structure and form of a poem , an important question to ask yourself is why a poet chose a particular form. If it’s a sonnet, why is it a sonnet and not a villanelle ? If the poem is unrhymed, what does that contribute compared to having every line rhyme perfectly? This often adds additional meaning to the content as well.  

4. Annotate  

While reading, one of the most effective ways to understand an unseen poem is by annotating the text. This means physically writing on your copy of the poem. If you can’t write on it, take the time to transcribe it onto another sheet of paper (a practice that can also be quite helpful on its own). Highlight important words, underline sections you need to spend more time on, draw arrows, write definitions, do anything that you think will help you make this unseen poem less intimidating. Other things to consider while annotating are if words or images repeated . Then, what mood do those images create? What do you think the poet wants you, as the reader, to feel or think about? 

5. Start writing your response

When you feel like you’ve got a handle on what the poem is about and the techniques, form, and language   the writer used (and why) it’s time to start writing your response. When writing, make sure to demonstrate your knowledge. Show the examiner that you can identify the poem’s poetic techniques and the poet’s style . You’ll likely also want to explore the poem’s theme, tone , mood, and effect on the reader. Depending on what your exam asks, you may need to offer your personal response to these elements. Your interpretation of the poem’s meaning may or may not play a big role in your exam essay . If the former is the case, make sure to engage with the questions effectively and provide examples from the poem for why you’ve come to your conclusions in regard to its meaning.  

6. Finalize your answers

Before finishing your writing, make sure to go back and check that you’ve given the examiner what they’re looking for. If they asked for something specific, it must be in your poetry essay . The most successful responses have specific examples from the poem and were successfully justified.  

If you’re still having trouble figuring out how to structure your response to an unseen poem, it might be beneficial to take some time and look over other expert examples of unseen poem analyses. Consider the way that these experts phrase their answers and how they use citations to their advantage.  

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Unseen Poetry Mark Scheme and Model Answers ( Edexcel IGCSE English Literature )

Revision note.

English and Language Lead

Unseen Poetry Mark Scheme and Model Answers

The best way to improve any essay is to know how you are assessed, and what skills you are being assessed on. Find out what Edexcel IGCSE English Literature examiners are looking for in a Grade 9 unseen poetry essay: 

Mark scheme

Example tasks

Grade 9 model answer

It is vital to plan your essay to achieve the highest marks. Examiners always stress that the best responses have a logical, well-structured argument. To achieve this in your essay, you must spend time planning your answer.

Mark Scheme

In Section A, you will be asked to write an essay question exploring the meaning and effects created in an unseen poem.

Understanding the Edexcel IGCSE English Literature mark scheme will help you to know exactly what you are being assessed on and how to improve.

AO2 is assessed in Section A and is worth 100% and asks you to analyse the language, form and structure used by the poet to create meanings and effects.

The following model answers are based on different past papers for the Edexcel IGCSE English Literature exam (4ET1). The commentary is designed to highlight how to structure your response in relation to the assessment objective.

We will now explore some exemplars using an examination question from Section A from the May 2019 past paper. First, let’s read through this poem:

Now read through this question:

Bullet point 1:  the writer’s descriptive skills

When structuring your essay, the most important thing to do is to have a clear introductory sentence (also known as a “topic sentence”) at the beginning of every paragraph. This topic sentence must make one clear point that is directly related to the focus of the question.

The first bullet point in the question will always ask you to consider the writer’s descriptive skills in the poem. Consider this model answer which explores the use of description in the poem.

When writing the rest of your paragraph, all your points then should relate to your topic sentence. It is also a great idea to focus consistently on the key words of the question (“how the writer presents the cottage and its inhabitants”) throughout your argument.

Bullet point 2:  the writer’s use of language

The second bullet point in the question will always ask you to focus on the writer’s use of language. Consider this model answer which explores how language is used in the poem.

The question in Section A invites you to give a personal response to the unseen poem. For instance, in Patten’s poem you could choose to write an empathic response by commenting on the woman’s situation of living and dying alone. This could then lead you to explore the poem’s greater message about time, change, destruction and impermanence.

Bullet point 3:  the writer’s use of form and structure

 The third bullet point in the question will always ask you to explore the writer’s use of form and structure. Consider this model answer which explores form and structure in the poem.

 Model Answer

Below you will find a full-mark Grade 9 model answer for this task. The commentary is labelled in each section of the essay to illustrate how and why it would be awarded Grade 9, modelling how to structure an answer by incorporating the relevant assessment objective.

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Author: Kate Lee

Kate has over 12 years of teaching experience as a Head of English and as a private tutor. Having also worked at the exam board AQA and in educational publishing, she's been writing educational resources to support learners in their exams throughout her career. She's passionate about helping students achieve their potential by developing their literacy and exam skills.

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Unseen Poetry Scheme of Work for English Literature GCSE (2017)

Subject: English

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Lesson (complete)

Last updated

27 March 2018

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How does the poet present their feelings about NATURE in the following verse? (24 marks)

Tapestry by lesley elaine greenwood, if i could take a brush and paint the mountains and the moors,, i would splash the hillsides yellow and cover them in gorse., i'd take the finest needle and the darkest thread of green, and sew a line of bracken along the landscape. in-between, i'd lay a purple carpet of wild heather in the dells, and fringe the edge of all the woods with their pretty lilac bells., i'd merge the bracken with the heather, mix their colours like the sea,, a green and purple ocean on my own rich tapestry., then i'd take a ball of soft, white wool and stitch a mass of daisy chains, around the lush green meadows and up the sides of winding lanes., on the marshes i would stencil , just like pure white china cups,, some fragile water lilies and, by the ponds, sweet buttercups., i'd mix orange, reds and yellows planting poppies wild and free, onto nature's coloured canvas, my own rich tapestry..

© Lesley Elaine Greenwood

Source: https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/tapestry

For the first poem, just make sure you write about the following things:

A brief summary of what the poem is about, analyse some language - two or three specific words will do, analyse a couple of techniques - again, two or three techniques will be plenty, say something about the structure of the poem., an example answer: (24 marks), here, the poet compares the creations of nature to a personal craft project, comparing it to painting, sewing and other creative endeavours., throughout the poem, the writer uses the language of arts and crafts to describe the colours of nature. she says she' like to "splash" colour on a hillside, as though it was something fun and surprising. at the same time she would "lay" a carpet of wild flowers, which suggests her taking time to position it just right. by doing this she shows how both chaos and order can be a part of both nature and art., really the whole poem is an extended analogy that compares art and nature. the image of the poet taking a "ball of soft white wool" to "stitch a mass of daisy chains" enhances the softness and comfort we get from the image of the "daisy chains," which reminds us of childhood - an time when we might have all spent more time enjoying the carefree fun of making art - and innocence, since "white" is often a colour that connotes innocence., she repeats the use of whiteness to symbolise innocence when she uses a simile to compare "fragile lilies" to "pure white china cups." here, the comparison is both visual, as lilies are white, and the shape of lilies, which open up as they grow, look similar to cups opening. here, however, the reminder that they are "fragile" also reminds us that nature, like china cups, must be taken care of and protected., the poem has a strict aabb rhyme scheme, with a rhyming couplet at the end. though this poem is similar to a classic sonnet in that it is about her shared love for nature and art, it doesn't have a turn. most of the ideas in the poem are contained within one or two lines, which gives it a sense of order and completeness. it also means that each image is neatly contained within a rhyming couplet which adds to the poem's innocent, child-like feel. it seems ordered and neat. in this respect, it is as though she is using her arts and crafts to bring order to the chaos of nature, and in doing so enhances the beauty of what she sees., reflecting on that answer:, for this one, i used my opening paragraph to establish what the poem was about - there's normally always a "big idea" behind a poem that you can express in a sentence or two. keep this opening simple, and then go from there., initially, i looked for a couple of words i could analyse from the opening - i looked at "splash" and "lay." to choose those two i first picked out "splash" and then found another verb - it's often easy to compare two words of the same class. once i'd got them, i noticed that they were almost opposites to each other which allowed me to pursue the deeper analysis., for the technique i referred back to my initial statement and then found am image that supported that - a part of the poem where she compared a piece of nature to something from arts and crafts. i could have chosen any one of a few different images so i just chose one i could write about., the structure of this poem is very simple, childlike and ordered, and so the key was finding a way to link "childlike," "simple" and "ordered" to the big idea of the poem. it seems obvious that arts and crafts are childlike and simple, so that was good. and then i thought about how the poem brings order to nature, which is often quite disordered, hence her trying to bring order to chaos., the key to this is that opening statement - you'll recognise that in a poem relatively quickly - and then, once you see it, you should be able to start linking any of the key ideas or techniques in the poem to the big idea., find the big idea, choose an image / word or structural feature and be creative in how you link them, really, that's all you have to do..., compare how the poets present their feelings about nature in the following to poems. - (8 marks), i would stencil on the marshes, just like pure white china cups,, some fragile water lilies and by the ponds, sweet buttercups., rain by edward thomas.

Rain, midnight rain, nothing but the wild rain

On this bleak hut, and solitude, and me

Remembering again that I shall die

And neither hear the rain nor give it thanks

For washing me cleaner than I have been

Since I was born into this solitude.

Blessed are the dead that the rain rains upon:

But here I pray that none whom once I loved

Is dying tonight or lying still awake

Solitary, listening to the rain,

Either in pain or thus in sympathy

Helpless among the living and the dead,

Like a cold water among broken reeds,

Myriads of broken reeds all still and stiff,

Like me who have no love which this wild rain

Has not dissolved except the love of death,

If love it be towards what is perfect and

Cannot, the tempest tells me, disappoint.

Poem A & Poem B - (8 marks)

Remember that in the exam you'll only have 10-15 mins for this question - and it's only worth 8 marks - so you're just being asked to write about a few key features., below i've written some comparisons between the two poems. if you'd picked up on two or three of these you could probably get 6 or 8 out of 8 for the final exam:, poem a uses images of brightness and colour; poem b is bleak and dark, poem a has someone who takes control of nature; poem b is someone responding to nature, poem a talks about a range of different parts of nature; poem b is just about the rain, poem a has a strong, clear rhyme scheme; poem b has no rhyme scheme, poem a keeps its ideas contained within rhyming couplets; poem b has enjambment and caesura to throw the rhythm into chaos.

How to Write a Level 5 Poetry Essay (A-level English lit)

The rhythm and rhyme scheme – how does the use of a certain meter or the positioning of a certain word contribute to the tone of the poem or emphasis on an ide

The structure and punctuation – what does enjambment, caesura, the use of repeated questions or direct speech or even the lack of punctuation tell you?

The use of rhetorical devices – how do similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole etc. create a certain image?

Word choice – do the words chosen by the poet have certain sounds or connotations in common? Are they often used in similar or in contrasting situations?

Grammatical features – how does the poet play with tenses, pronouns and voices (active/passive)?

The association of violence with pleasure in “The Gun”, shown by the simile invoking sexual pleasure and use of words with positive connotations.

The association of violence with excitement in “The Gun”, shown by the repetition of s and f sounds to give the impression of an excited rush.

The idea of pace adding excitement in “The Notorious Case”, similar to the excitement of “The Gun” and shown by the implications of the verb “caught.”

The positive connotations of there being an art to violence in “The Notorious Case”, similar to the positivity implied by sexual pleasure in “The Gun” and shown by the context in which the phrase “caught the public imagination” is often used.

The link between violence and (positive) community in “The Gun”, shown by the use of a personal pronoun combined with verbs implying communal activity.

The similar use of a first-person pronoun and modifier in “The Notorious Case”, showing that both poems refer to the personal aspect of violence.

The link between violence, its personal nature and destruction in “The Notorious Case”, shown by the connotations of the word “ashes”, and its contrast to the general positivity of “The Gun.”

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