Question Constellation Sign up for free OCR · GCSE · English Literature · Higher
A conflict that leaves the speaker feeling powerless
Section A – Poetry across Time. Conflict. Candidates answer both parts of the question on the poetry cluster they have studied; part b asks about one other poem from the anthology.
Explore in detail one other poem from your anthology which presents a conflict that leaves the speaker feeling powerless.
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Study the marking See what earns credit and compare it with a full-mark answer.
Marking points
- 1 Focuses on one other Conflict anthology poem.
- 2 Explains how conflict leaves the speaker feeling powerless.
- 3 Uses relevant textual reference.
- 4 Analyses language, form and/or structure.
Full-mark answer
A strong answer would select one appropriate Conflict anthology poem and explain how the speaker’s powerlessness is created. It would use precise quotations and analyse the poet’s methods, including imagery, voice, form and structure.
Why this answer loses marks
A war poem shows people are powerless because war is terrible.
This may fit the cluster, but it needs one named poem developed with textual reference and method analysis linked to the speaker’s powerlessness.