How do I go about approaching the unseen poem in the exam?

Firstly, make sure you re-read and have understood the question! This will give you an idea of what ideas and themes to look out for. Read the poem several times and mentally address these questions as you go: what is the form of the poem? (eg sonnet, ballad etc - make sure you can recognise these) what is the tone of the poem? is there a rhyme or rhythm structure? does it change at any point (this will be significant)? what kind of poetic techniques can you notice? (eg repetition, enjambment etc) what effects do these techniques have, especially on how it portrays the theme? After you have read the poem several times and made notes of all these things, then you can begin to plan your essay. Try to have around 3 or 4 main points and write paragraph headings for your plan. After you've noticed all these things about the poem and made your plan then you will be ready to start analysing it for a high-quality essay