Question Constellation Sign up for free

OCR · GCSE · English Literature · Higher

Worries about growing older

Q03.1 20 marks

Section A: Poetry across Time. Youth and Age. Read the two poems below and then answer both part a) and part b). You are advised to spend about 45 minutes on part a) and 30 minutes on part b). The poems are When I have fears that I may cease to be by John Keats and What I Regret by Nina Cassian.

Compare how these poems present worries about growing older.

Practice unavailable

This practice task is unavailable because the official extract or source text has not been imported and reviewed yet.

Write your answer first. You can study the marking guidance whenever you need it.

Study the marking See what earns credit and compare it with a full-mark answer.

Marking points

  1. 1 Addresses how both poems present worries about growing older.
  2. 2 Compares ideas, attitudes, tone and atmosphere across both poems.
  3. 3 Analyses language, form and structure, such as repetition, verbs, form, figurative language or listing.
  4. 4 Uses relevant quotations or textual references from both poems.

Why this answer loses marks

Both poems are about getting older, and they both sound unhappy.

This gives a simple similarity but lacks precise comparison of worries and close analysis of repetition, form or imagery.