How can I prepare for the "unseen poetry" question?

The simple answer to this question is to practice, practice, practice! Find a poetry anthology in your library that you can photocopy, or print out some online poetry (the poetry foundation website has a huge archive of free poetry) and practice writing responses.

The first thing to do is to look at the poem on the page. Is there anything you can say about the form? Is it long, short, regular or irregular? What about the line lengths?

Next, read the poem from start to finish without writing anything. What general sense are you getting of the overall meaning or subject of the poem? Is there a speaker that can be identified? What is the mood or tone of the poem? What about the setting?

Now it's time for some close reading. In a close reading, you are looking for examples of poetic devices such as similie, metaphor, and alliteration. You are looking at the rhyme scheme, at instances of repetition, and at specific word choices and imagery. Underline and highlight examples of these within the poem. What effect is being created in the use of these devices?

Finally, what is your response to the poem? What do you think the message of the poem is? And how effective is it in putting that message across?

Following and practicing these steps, will help you tackle any poem that may come up in your exam!