Secondary School Literature

[zac's mum]

Hi, I wonder if anyone here can help me with this. Teacher has not provided any sample answers for these type of qns (which will be tested in the exam). Unseen poetry:


1. What impressions do you form of the persona?
(I assume this is to be answered in a similar way as previously tested seen poetry & prose.)

2. How does the poet vividly highlight the persona’s attitude towards love?
(Are we supposed to point out the literary devices used by the poet & then explain how they highlight the identified attitude?)

3. What is striking about the poet’s choice of words?
(No idea how to answer this qn type. Help!)

[D3-n]

zac's mum\" post_id=\"2133089\" time=\"1714019150\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=2133089 time=1714019150 user_id=53606]
Hi, I wonder if anyone here can help me with this. Teacher has not provided any sample answers for these type of qns (which will be tested in the exam). Unseen poetry:

1. What impressions do you form of the persona?
(I assume this is to be answered in a similar way as previously tested seen poetry & prose.)

This is the most basic Literature question, and the most straight forward.
Just state your 2 impressions in 2 separate PEA paragraphs, supported with your Evidence (x2) and Analysis (x2) for each PEA.

2. How does the poet vividly highlight the persona’s attitude towards love?
(Are we supposed to point out the literary devices used by the poet & then explain how they highlight the identified attitude?)

No, it is the other way round. First identify the 2 attitudes as your Points, and then through your Evidence, point out the literary devices and explain them in your Analysis.

3. What is striking about the poet’s choice of words?
(No idea how to answer this qn type. Help!)

First state your 2 Points on how the choice of words is striking. And then through your Evidence, Analyse how the particular use of the words is effective in bringing out the theme, mood or the attitude of the persona / poet (depending on question). Choice of words is basically Diction, and you need to delve into connotations in your Analysis.
[/quote]

I hope this helps.
Due to time and space constraints, I can only provide a general approach to tackling such questions. To get a more in-depth approach, the student needs to have more practice on as many poems as possible and have the coaching on how to tackle each specific poem - as each of them is unique.

[zac's mum]

D3@n\" post_id=\"2133117\" time=\"1714043916\" user_id=\"124020:

I hope this helps.
Due to time and space constraints, I can only provide a general approach to tackling such questions. To get a more in-depth approach, the student needs to have more practice on as many poems as possible and have the coaching on how to tackle each specific poem - as each of them is unique.

Thank u very much for your reply. I really appreciate this. Teacher only taught annotations of the poems, various literary devices and their effects (everything is in note/point form; no full paragraphs but i’m sure the marker will be fully expecting that). Nothing about diction or connotations but I will look up what they are.

[D3-n]

zac's mum\" post_id=\"2133120\" time=\"1714047819\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=2133120 time=1714047819 user_id=53606]
Thank u very much for your reply. I really appreciate this. Teacher only taught annotations of the poems, various literary devices and their effects (everything is in note/point form; no full paragraphs but i’m sure the marker will be fully expecting that). Nothing about diction or connotations but I will look up what they are.[/quote]

When we go through poems, we will teach students how to annotate. We will also go through the various literary devices. And you're right, these will be in note/point form. And you're right, full paragraphs are expected for any WA and EOY. I can't speak for other teachers, but I will use a few of the poems as practice. I will go through them in class, to show them how to construct a PEA paragraph. Students will then write the 2nd PEA based on the structure of the first.
Providing a \"model\" answer for each poem is unproductive and defeats the purpose of literary appreciation. There is no one \"right\" answer to a Literature question. With any given text, students simply need to use the tools they have learnt in class and apply it to whatever poems they are given. Schools definitely don't provide enough writing practice. Your child needs to do more practice on her own to be able to tackle these questions for the WA and EOY. All the best!

[zac's mum]

D3@n\" post_id=\"2133128\" time=\"1714054991\" user_id=\"124020:

When we go through poems, we will teach students how to annotate. We will also go through the various literary devices. And you're right, these will be in note/point form. And you're right, full paragraphs are expected for any WA and EOY. I can't speak for other teachers, but I will use a few of the poems as practice. I will go through them in class, to show them how to construct a PEA paragraph. Students will then write the 2nd PEA based on the structure of the first.
Providing a \"model\" answer for each poem is unproductive and defeats the purpose of literary appreciation. There is no one \"right\" answer to a Literature question. With any given text, students simply need to use the tools they have learnt in class and apply it to whatever poems they are given. Schools definitely don't provide enough writing practice. Your child needs to do more practice on her own to be able to tackle these questions for the WA and EOY. All the best!

Yes, thank u. This new teacher stopped short of showing how to craft a lucid paragraph in answer to the question types.

Yes we will do the writing practice. He has been doing such practice at home for last year’s seen prose and poetry (as well as last term’s drama text). Question types 2 & 3 are new though. I will bumble through trying to mark his answers (as I have been)…

[sharonkhoo]

zac's mum\" post_id=\"2133129\" time=\"1714055549\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=2133129 time=1714055549 user_id=53606]
Yes, thank u. This new teacher stopped short of showing how to craft a lucid paragraph in answer to the question types.

Yes we will do the writing practice. He has been doing such practice at home for last year’s seen prose and poetry (as well as last term’s drama text). Question types 2 & 3 are new though. I will bumble through trying to mark his answers (as I have been)…[/quote]

I'm not a Lit teacher, and only studied Lit to A levels. Also helped coach my older girl in Lit at A levels. Here's my 2-cents worth:

Crafting a lucid para in Lit (or any other subject) would be like crafting a good para in any essay. There are new acronyms these days, but my daughter's was \"PEEL\". I guess \"PEA\" is the current one? The main thing is to have a point, support it, and explain why this is relevant to the question asked! Students who have a decent level of English should be able to do this without \"model answers\". In any case, model answers can make the essay sound too \"canned\", in my opinion.

There was also a long acronym of things to look out for which I (and she) can't remember now, but it included things like diction, alliteration, etc. There will be other devices which the teacher should be covering in lessons, and for unseen texts, the technique is to run through all these to see what can be said! The main thing for Lit is to show understanding and appreciation for the text/poem, and there are no absolute \"right\" answers as long as the points can be reasonably supported. Completely off the wall and unsupported points will of course be \"wrong\".

[lifeishappy]

D3@n\" post_id=\"2133117\" time=\"1714043916\" user_id=\"124020:

I hope this helps.
Due to time and space constraints, I can only provide a general approach to tackling such questions. To get a more in-depth approach, the student needs to have more practice on as many poems as possible and have the coaching on how to tackle each specific poem - as each of them is unique.

Hi D3@n, I am unable to PM you, could you please PM me? Thanks alot.