Year 9 Poetry Revision
You need to revise all of the poems we have studied in preparation for your poetry exam after half term.
The poems you need to revise are: Brendan Gallacher by Jackie Kay, On A Portrait of A Deaf Man by John Betjeman, The Ruined Maid by Thomas Hardy, Les Grands Seigneurs by Dorothy Molloy, Medusa by Carol Ann Duffy, My Last Duchess by Robert Browning. You could also include The Hunchback in the Park by Dylan Thomas and Give by Simon Armitage which we studied in the Autumn.
To succeed in this exam, you will need to be able to produce a comparative essay on two of these poems (one will be preselected) that analyses the language and structure. You will need to be able to do this in timed conditions, so the quicker you can think of ideas and find quotes, the better you will do.
You might want to look online to help you. BBC Bitesize has a whole section that covers (on a pretty basic level) each of the poems. If you go on Youtube there are also a number of tutorial videos, like the one we watched on Wednesday.
You can revise by:
· Creating mind maps for each poem
· Creating mind maps for each theme
· Creating Venn diagrams to compare two poems at a time
· Creating notecards for each poem and memorising them
· Creating a revision grid with each poem along both sides, to compare the poems
· Creating a revision grid with poems along one side and themes along the other
· Planning essays based on practice questions (see below)
· Writing practice essays in timed conditions
· Creating flashcards with key ideas, quotes or analysis on and memorising them
· Creating questions to test yourself
· Teaching other people about the poems (your parents/siblings?)
There are examples/templates of many of these strategies on the following pages. Whichever one of these strategies that works for you is the one you should use. Good revision uses a range of strategies!
Good luck!
Miss Williams
Brendan Gallacher / The Ruined Maid / On a Portrait of a Deaf Man / Les Grands Seigneurs / Medusa / My Last DuchessBrendan Gallacher / Both...
However...
The Ruined Maid / Both...
However...
On A Portrait of a Deaf Man
Les Grands Seigneurs
Medusa
My Last Duchess
Past Paper Questions / How to structure an essay
1. How does the poet present growing up in Brendan Gallacher and one other poem?
2. How does the poet present strong feelings in Medusa and one other poem?
3. How does the poet present isolated characters in Hunchback in the Park and one other poem?
4. How does the poet present disturbed characters in My Last Duchess and one other poem?
5. How does the poet present relationships in Les Grands Seigneurs and one other poem?
6. How does the poet present anger in On a Portrait of a Deaf Man and one other poem?
7. How does the poet present death in On a Portrait of a Deaf Man and one other poem?
8. How does the poet present pride in The Ruined Maid and one other poem?
9. How does the poet present change in Brendon Gallacher and one other poem?
10. How does the poet present possessiveness in Brendon Gallacher and one other poem?
11. How does the poet present betrayal in Les Grands Seigneurs and one other poem?
12. How does the poet present love in Medusa and one other poem?
13. How does the poet present imagination in The Ruined Maid and one other poem? / Introduction – State how the theme/character is presented in one poem compared to the other. Use the ‘Both..../However...’ structure.
You need at least 3 paragraphs.
In each paragraph you want to repeat this ‘Both.../However...’ structure so that you are developing your comparisons. You can turn the order around if it works better.
Your paragraphs could focus on:
· The title
· The layout of the poem
· The structure of the poem
· The imagery in the poem
· The tone of the poem (and how it changes)
· The rhyme scheme in the poem
· The presentation of a particular part of the theme
· Other language techniques that are used
· The form of the poem (i.e. elegy, dramatic monologue)
Conclusion – Sum up the differences and similarities. Suggest which poem has been more effective
Intro – Both Medusa and Les Grands Seigneurs are poems about women who feel betrayed by men, and blame themselves for the situation. However, Medusa feels angry and vulnerable whereas the character in LGS is bitter and sarcastic.
Paragraph 1 – Title – Medusa is beautiful, untainted women in Greek mythology who was turned into a monster after she was seduced by Poseidon. Suggests that men are to blame for making women into monsters. Les Grands Seigneurs uses French to mock the self-importance of men – also blames them but in a more light hearted and pitying way
Parapgrah 2 – Imagery – Medusa uses images to suggest how ugly she feels she is since she became suspicious i.e. ‘foul mouthed’ triplet. Repeated use of triplet to show the escalation of the problem. Demonstrates that her relationship affects her deeply (physically). Les Grands Seigneurs uses images to mock the behaviour of men during courtship. Her sense of superiority (‘hurdy gurdy monkey men’) sets her up for a fall later in the poem – she doesn’t seem too deeply affected.
Paragraph 3 – Change of tone in final stanza – Medusa shows her vulnerability and the lack of communication from her husband. Rhetorical questions and battle imagery. ‘Look at me now’ shows that her self-destrcution will affect him aswell. LGS shows how she was betrayed – pace of change in marriage, aside suggests disbelief. Ends on a sad, self-pitying note – seems to put more blame on herself (‘called my bluff’) for playing the ‘game’ of the relationship rather than honest communication and little impact on him.
Conclusion – Both women feel betrayed, but one is imagined and one is real. Both blame themselves but Medusa ends with suggestion that he suffers too whereas LGS suggests women are the ones who suffer.
Loss / Imagination / Relationships / Power/control / Change / Betrayal
Brendan Gallacher
The Ruined Maid
On A Portrait of a Deaf Man
Les Grands Seigneurs
Medusa
My Last Duchess
Create mind maps for each poem/theme. This example shows how you need to organise your ideas, include quotes and your analytical points.