How do I compare two poems in my GCSE English Literature exam?
Broadly speaking, there are two ways to go about this kind of essay question. One option is to spend the first half your essay on one poem and, in the second half, write about a different poem in the light of what you just have said. The risk of this approach is that your essay is not comparative enough. The 2017 AQA mark scheme for GCSE English Literature specifies that a top mark answer will contain ‘critical, exploratory comparison’. In order to meet this criteria, it is often better to weave the poems together throughout the essay. For example, you might spend one paragraph talking about the imagery in Poem A and then think about whether this throws any light on the imagery used in Poem B. Are there similarities or any striking differences? If similar imagery is used, does it necessarily affect the reader in the same way?
It is important in this sort of essay not to be too general — you want to avoid making sweeping comparisons that are unsupported by the texts in front of you. You need to closely analyse the language, form and structure of the poems in question. In order to do this, you should have a few technical terms at your fingertips! Are you confident, for example, using words like ‘simile’, ‘metaphor’, ‘symbolism’ and ‘hyperbole’?
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