English Literature Past Paper Questions

Poetry Across Time

There are Four Parts to Section A of this Paper:

Character and Voice

Place

Conflict

Relationships

You have to choose ONE of the four parts and then answer ONE of the two questions in this part. DO NOT write

about all four parts or answer both questions within a part!!!

The Examination Papers have been collated by Part and Year.

The Questions have been analysed by theme and given poem.

The green highlights shows poems which have been set and the red those which have not been set yet. You might

want to focus on the ‘red’ poems in your revision because these have yet to be set BUT BE WARNED! ‘The Farmer’s

Bride’ has been set twice for different themes! So this prediction may not be reliable.

Your teachers will have focussed on a Poem Cluster from the 4 choices above. DO NOT go outside this cluster, if you

have studied the Relationship poems, do them in the examination!

There are only so many themes you can ask about a cluster so the trick is ……….

Knowing the themes of the poems in the cluster and what makes a good pairing with given poem on a specific

theme.

For the ‘red’ poems, what are the themes? How would you link them in the grids? What poems would you choose to

put into the grid alongside the given poem under a theme? An exercise worth doing!

Remember Section A is about showing your understanding of how a poet writes, the techniques etc, to get his theme

across the reader and this is very formulaic.

Section B is then about applying the same formula approach to something you haven’t seen before.

The formula approach is on a separate guide to poetry comparison and tackling the Unseen Poem, all on the school

revision website.

Character and Voice

June 2015

Compare the ways poets explore pride in ‘My Last Duchess’ and in one other poem from Character and Voice

Or

Compare the ways poets explore hopes and dreams in ‘Brendon Gallacher’ and in one other poem from Character

and Voice

June 2014

Compare the ways the poets show feelings towards another person in ‘On a Portrait of a Deaf Man’ and in one other

poem from Character and Voice.

Or

Compare the ways the poets show how relationships can affect people in ‘Les Grand Seigneurs’ and in one other

poem from Character and Voice.

June 2013

Compare the ways the poets explore ideas about control in ‘The River God’ and in one other poem from Character

and Voice

Or

Compare the methods the poets use to explore a character’s sense of identity in ‘Casehistory: Alison (head injury)’

and in one other poem from Character and Voice

January 2013

Compare the methods poets use to present an interesting character in ‘Singh Song’ and in one other poem from

Character and Voice

Or

Compare how poets use language to present ideas and feelings in ‘Horse Whisperer’ and in one other poem from

Character and Voice

June 2012

Compare how poets use language to explore ideas and feelings in ‘Checking Out Me History’ and in one other poem

from Character and Voice

Or

Compare the ways poets present ideas about power in ‘Ozymandias’ and in one other poem from Character and

voice

January 2012

Compare the ways poets present ideas about identity in ‘The Clown Punk’ and in one other poem from Charcaters

and Voice

Or

Compare the ways poets present isolated characters in ‘The Hunchback in the Park’ and in one other poem from

Character and Voice

June 2011

Compare the ways poets present powerful characters in ‘My Last Duchess’ and in one other poem from Character

and Voice

Or

Compare the ways poets present strong emotions in ‘Medusa’ and in one other character from Character and Voice

Character and Voice Poem Grid

Poem June 2011 Jan 2012 June 2012 Jan 2013 June 2013 June 2014 June 2015

The Clown Punk YES

Checking Out Me History

YES

Horse Whisperer

YES

Medusa YES

Singh Song! YES

Brendon Gallacher

YES

Give

Les Grand Seigneurs

YES

Ozymandias YES

My Last Duchess

YES YES

The River God YES

The Hunchback in the Park

YES

The Ruined Maid

Casehistory: Alison (head

injury)

YES

On a Portrait of a Deaf Man

YES

Character and Voice Theme and Poem Grid

Themes Not Assessed

June 2011

Jan 2012 June 2012 Jan 2013 June 2013 June 2014

June 2015

Present ideas about

identity

The Clown Punk

Language to explore ideas and feelings

Checking Out Me History

Language to present

ideas and feelings

Horse Whispere

r

Present strong

emotions

Medusa

Present an interesting character

Singh Song!

Hopes and Dreams

Brendon Gallacher

Give

How Relationships can affect

people

Les Grand

Seigneurs

Present ideas about

power

Ozymandias

Present Powerful

Characters

My Last Duchess

Explore ideas about

control

The River God

Present isolated

characters

The Hunchbac

k in the Park

The Ruined Maid

Explore character’s

sense of identity

Casehistory: Alison (head injury)

Feelings towards another person

On a Portrait

of a Deaf Man

Pride My Last Duchess

Place

June 2015

Compare the ways poets present reactions to places in ‘A Vision’ and in one other poem from Place

Or

Compare the ways poets present the power of the natural world in ‘Below the Green Corrie’ and in one other poem

from Place

June 2014

Compare the ways the poets show how places can cause people to have powerful feelings in ‘The Blackbird of

Glanmore’ and in one other poem from Place.

Or

Compare the methods the poets use in ‘Cold Knap Lake’ and in one other poem from Place, to show how places can

hold strong memories for people.

June 2013

Compare the ways the poets use imagery to explore ideas about change in ‘The Wild Swans at Colle and in one other

poem from Place

Or

Compare the methods the poets use to create a strong sense of place in ‘Crossing the Loch’ and in one other poem

from Place

January 2013

Compare how poets present the idea that nature cannot be controlled in ‘The Moment’ and in one other poem from

Place

Or

Compare the methods poets use to show that places can affect people in ‘Extract from The Prelude’ and in one other

poem from Place

June 2012

Compare the ways poets show the relationship between people and places in ‘Neighbours’ and in one other poem

from Place

Or

Compare the ways poets show attitudes towards particular places in ‘Hard Water’ and in one other poem from Place

January 2012

Compere the ways poets show people’s relationships with nature in ‘Below the Green Corrie’ and in one other poem

from Place

Or

Compare how poets use language to present ideas in ‘Storm in the Black Forest’ and in one other poem from Place

June 2011

Compare how nature is presented as threatening in ’Wind’ and in one other poem in Place

Or

Compare the ways poets present feelings about a place in ‘London’ and in one other from Place

Place Poem Grid

Poem June 2011 Jan 2012 June 2012 Jan 2013 June 2013 June 2014 June 2015

The Blackbird of Glanmore

YES

A Vision YES

The Moment YES

Cold Knap Lake YES

Price We Pay for the Sun

Neighbours YES

Crossing the Loch

YES

Hard Water YES

London YES

Extract from The Prelude

YES

The Wild Swans at Coole

YES

Spellbound

Below the Green Corrie

YES YES

Storm in the Black Forest

YES

Wind YES

Place Theme and Poem Grid

Theme Not Assessed June 2011 Jan 2012 June 2012 Jan 2013 June 2013 June 2014 June 2015

Place can cause people

to have powerful feelings

The Blackbird

of Glanmore

Reactions to a place

A Vision

Present the idea that

nature cannot be controlled

The Moment

How places can hold strong

memories for people

Cold Knap Lake

Price We Pay for the Sun

Show the relationship

between people and

places

Neighbours

Create a strong sense

of place

Crossing the Loch

Show attitudes towards

particular places

Hard Water

Present feelings about

a place

London

Methods to show that places can

affect people

Extract from The Prelude

Use of imagery to

explore ideas about change

The Wild Swans at

Coole

Spellbound

Show people’s relationship with nature

Below the Green Corrie

Language to present ideas

Storm in the Black

Forest

How nature is presented as threatening

Wind

Power of the natural world

Below the

Green Corrie

Conflict

June 2015

Compare the ways the poets use places to present ideas about conflict in ‘Mametz Wood’ and in one other poem

from Conflict

Or

Compare the ways poets present fear in ’Bayonet Charge’ and in one other poem from Conflict

June 2014

Compare the ways the poets demonstrate the effects of conflict on people in ‘Extract from Out of the Blue’ and in

one other poem from Conflict.

Or

Compare the ways the poets present feelings of confusion in ‘Come On, Come Back’ and in one other poem from

Conflict

June 2013

Compare the ways the poets present ideas about power in ‘Hawk Roosting’ and in one other poem from Conflict

Or

Compare the ways the poets present the destructive impact of conflict in ‘The Yellow Palm’ and in one other poem

from Conflict

January 2013

Compare the ways poets show how conflict and war affect feelings about a place in ‘At the Border, 1979’ and in one

other poem from Conflict

Or

Compare the methods poets use to present their points of view in ‘next to of course god america i’ and in one other

poem from Conflict

June 2012

Compare how poets present the effects of war in ‘Mametz Wood’ and in one other poem from Conflict

Or

Compare how poets present bravery in ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’ and in one other poem from Conflict

January 2012

Compare how poets use language to present strong feelings in ‘Poppies’ and in one other poem from Conflict

Or

Compare how poets show attitudes to war in ‘Futility’ and in one other poem from Conflict

June 2011

Compare how poets present the effects of conflict in ‘Belfast Confetti’ and in one other poem from Conflict

Or

Compare how poets present the experience of soldiers in ‘Bayonet Charge’ and in one other poem from Conflict

Conflict Poem Grid

Poem June 2011 Jan 2012 June 2012 Jan 2013 June 2013 June 2014 June 2015

Flag

Extract from Out of the Blue

YES

Memetz Wood YES YES

The Yellow Palm

YES

The Right Word

At the Border, 1979

YES

Belfast Confetti YES

Poppies YES

Futility YES

The Charge of the Light Brigade

YES

Bayonet Charge

YES YES

The Falling Leaves

‘Come On, Come Back’

YES

next to of course god America i

YES

Hawk Roosting YES

Conflict Theme and Poem Grid

Theme Not Assessed June 2011 Jan 2012 June 2012 Jan 2013 June 2013 June 2014 June 2015

Flag

Demonstrate the effects of

conflict on people

Extract from Out

of the Blue

Present the effects of war

Memetz Wood

Present the destructive impact of conflict

The Yellow Palm

The Right Word

Show how conflict and war affect

feelings about a place

At the Border,

1979

Present the effects of conflict

Belfast Confetti

Language to present strong

feelings

Poppies

Show attitudes to

war

Futility

Presents bravery

The Charge of the Light Brigade

Present the experience of

soldiers

Bayonet Charge

The Falling Leaves

Present feelings of confusion

‘Come On, Come Back’

Present their points of view

next to of course god America i

Present ideas about power

Hawk Roosting

Ideas about conflict

Memetz Wood

Present fear Bayonet Charge

Relationships

June 2015

Compare the methods poets use to present damaged relationships in ‘The Manhunt’ and in one other poem from

Relationships

Or

Compare the ways poets explore trust in ‘Sister Maude’ and in one other poem from Relationships

June 2014

Compare the ways the poets use form and structure to help present their ideas in ‘Ghazal’ and in one other poem

from Relationships.

Or

Compare the effects the poets create with the endings of their poems in ‘The Farmer’s Bride’ and in one other poem

from Relationships.

June 2013

Compare the methods the poets use to explore ideas about love in ‘Sonnet 116’ and in one other poem from

Relationships

Or

Compare the ways the poets present hopes and wishes in ‘Born Yesterday’ and in one other poem from

Relationships

January 2013

Compare the methods poets use to explore ideas about time in ‘Hour’ and in one other poem from Relationships

Or

Compare the methods poets use to present difficult relationships in ‘The Farmer’s Bride’ and in one other poem

from Relationships

June 2012

Compare the ways poets explore strong feelings about another person in ‘Quickdraw’ and in one other poem from

Relationships

Or Compare the ways poets use language to present relationships in ‘Praise Song for My Mother’ and in one other

poem from Relationships

January 2012

Compare the ways poets use structure to develop ideas about a relationship in ‘Sonnet 43’ and in one other poem

from Relationships

Or

Compare the ways poets present a speaker’s attitudes towards another person in ‘Harmonium’ and in other poem

from Relationships

June 2011

Compare how poets use language to present feelings in ‘The Manhunt’ and in one other poem from Relationships

Or

Compare the ways poets portray emotions in ‘Nettles’ and in one other poem from Relationships

Relationships Poem Grid

Poem June 2011 Jan 2012 June 2012 Jan 2013 June 2013 June 2014 June 2015

The Manhunt YES YES

Hour YES

In Paris with You

Quickdraw YES

Ghazal YES

Brothers

Praise Song for My Mother

YES

Harmonium YES

Sonnet 116 YES

Sonnet 43 YES

To His Coy Mistress

The Farmer’s Bride

YES YES

Sister Maude YES

Nettles YES

Born Yesterday YES

Relationships Theme and Poem Grid

Theme Not Assessed

June 2011 Jan 2012 June 2012 Jan 2013 June 2013 June 2014 June 2015

Language to present feelings

The Manhunt

Explore ideas about time

Hour

In Paris with You

Explore strong

feelings about

another person

Quickdraw

Use form and structure to

present ideas

Ghazal

Brothers

Language to present

relationships

Praise Song for My Mother

Attitudes towards another person

Harmonium

Explore ideas and love

Sonnet 116

Structure to develop ideas

about a relationship

Sonnet 43

To His Coy Mistress

The effects of the endings

of poems

The Farmer’s

Bride

Present difficult

relationships

The Farmer’s

Bride

Portray emotions

Nettles

Present hopes and

wishes

Born Yesterday

Damaged relationships

The Manhunt

Explore trust Sister Maude