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Comparing Poems: Blake's 'London' and Keats' 'To Autumn', Slides of Poetry

Analysis and key quotes from two Romantic poems, 'London' by William Blake and 'To Autumn' by John Keats. Students are expected to compare these poems based on ideas, language, and form for exam questions worth 20 marks each. The poems explore themes of change, nature, and social injustice. Blake's 'London' focuses on the misery of city life and the need for change, while Keats' 'To Autumn' reflects on the beauty of nature and the passage of time.

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2021/2022

Uploaded on 09/12/2022

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Download Comparing Poems: Blake's 'London' and Keats' 'To Autumn' and more Slides Poetry in PDF only on Docsity!

One essay

For your English Literature GCSE, you will sit two exam papers. It is important to know what you need to revise for each

and how important each component is.

Literature Paper 1

Total Time: 1 Hour 45

Romeo and Juliet Animal Farm

Romeo and Juliet Two-part question: 3a) Extract analysis of L+F+S (20 marks) 3b) Essay exploring what Shakespeare suggests about a theme throughout the play and how this links to his context (20 marks)

Animal Farm

15/16) Exploring how Orwell presents a character, theme or setting through the novel, and how this links to context. (40 marks)

Literature Paper 2

Total Time: 2 Hours 15

A Christmas Carol Poetry

A Christmas Carol Two part question: 4a) Extract analysis of L+F+S (20 marks) 4b) Essay exploring what Dickens suggests about a character, theme or setting throughout the novel (20 marks)

Poetry Two questions:

  1. Compare two unseen poems to each other based on ideas and L+F+S (20 marks)

  2. Compare one poem from the anthology to another based on ideas, L+F+S, and context (20 marks)

Below is a table which identifies which poems are easily compared based on themes like time and place etc. You’ll find the themes along the top in yellow, and a grey box underneath that for all the poems that explore that theme. Poem and Poet Time Period Identity Memories Journeys Experience Senses Nature Time Alienation Detachment 1 ‘London’ by William Blake Romantic Era 1800- 1890

2 ‘Composed upon Westminster Bridge’ by William Wordsworth 3 ‘To Autumn’ by John Keats 4 ‘Home Thoughts from Abroad’ by Robert Browning Victorian Era 1837- 1901

5 ‘I started Early – Took my Dog’ by Emily Dickinson 6 ‘Where the Picnic was’ by Thomas Hardy 7 ‘Adlestrop’ by Edward Thomas 8 ‘In Romney Marsh’ by John Davidson

Contemporary Period 1945-present

9 ‘Absence’ by Elizabeth Jennings 10 ‘Stewart Island’ by Fleur Adcock 11 ‘First Flight’ by U.A. Fanthorpe 12 ‘Nothing’s Changed’ by Tatamkhulu Afrika 13 ‘Hurricane Hits England’ by Grace Nichols 14 ‘Postcard from a Travel Snob’ by Sophie Hannah 15 ‘Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan’ by Moniza Alvi

However, these are NOT the only ideas that can be compared so feel free to make other connections between the

poems.

What is the poem about?

‘London’ by WiLLiam bLake Key quotes and language analysis The poem is about the narrator walking round the city of London and noticing how miserable people are and how many are affected by it. He blames people in power as they do not seem to be helping. He describes the city as impoverished and oppressed. The first two stanzas focus on people he sees and hears, the third stanza focuses on those he holds responsible and the last focuses on people mainly the young to help the reader think about the need for change

Tone

  • The tone of the poem is both angry and hopeless.
  • The poem is melancholic as the narrator seems distraught by what has happened to the city over time.

Context

  • William Blake was a Romantic poet who spoke out against social injustices and the negative effects of the Industrial Revolution.
  • Romantic poets focused on the ideal of freedom, feelings about changes happening in their time and the glorification of nature but Blake focused mainly on change, social injustice and freedom.
  • Blake wrote the poem ‘London’ in the aftermath of the French Revolution.
  • Blake was born in London and enjoyed wandering through the streets of London since he was a child. And growing up he noticed how religion and the government had negatively affected London. 1. I wander through each chartered street’/’chartered Thames ’- in stanza 1 Blake uses repetition of ‘chartered’ to show that everything in the city is owned by the government and he is powerless.
  1. ‘Cry of every man’/ ‘infant’s cry of fear’ –in stanza 2 auditory imagery is used to show the despair everyone feels.
  2. Mind-forged manacles ’- in stanza 2 the metaphor is used to show that people are trapped in every way including their thoughts and attitudes.
  3. ‘Blackn’ing church’/ ‘blood down palace walls’ – in stanza 3 symbolism is used to highlight the fact that the church is corrupt as it is tarnished by its failure to look after people and the monarchy do nothing to protect the ordinary people who suffer in their cities.

Structure and form

  • The form of the poem is a dramatic monologue as he is speaking passionately about the suffering he sees.
  • The poem has four stanzas with four lines in each to reflect on the cyclical nature of social injustice.
  • The poem uses an ABAB rhyme scheme to imitate the pattern of walking making us feel like we are also walking with him and witnesses to the suffering..
  • Overall, the meter of the poem is iambic tetrameter to reflect the consistent oppression of urban life that Industrialisation brought.

What is the poem about?

to autumn’ by John keats

Key quotes and language analysis The poem is a description of the different stages of Autumn as the season transitions into winter. It considers how the beauty of nature changes over time. The poet personifies Autumn as a woman, focusing on the idea of fleeting beauty over time.

Tone

  • The tone of the poem is melancholic as he thinks about time passing by.
  • The tone is also reflective as he focuses on the senses describing the changes of abundance, (touch) harvesting (sight) and decay of nature (hearing). He seems to be conscious that change is inevitable.

Context

  • Keats composed this poem after taking a country walk. This was typical of a Romantic writer as they took inspiration from nature as they considered nature to be restorative.
  • Romantic poets focused on the ideal of freedom, feelings about changes happening in their time and the glorification of nature.
  • Keats expresses his appreciation of nature and his concerns about change in this poem.
  • Keats experienced great loss at a young age as his father died and this shaped his understanding that the human condition. He understood that life is very short.
  • Keats wrote this poem a year before he passed away after suffering from Tuberculosis. He was 25 years old when he died. 1. ‘Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun’ – in stanza 1, personification is used to imply that Autumn is a woman who is close friends with the sun which helps fruit ripen in abundance. This emphasises the beauty of nature. 2. ’Sound asleep, Drows’d with the fume of poppies ’- in stanza 2 the verb drows’d and olfactory imagery creates a lethargic feeling creating a peaceful scene preparing the reader for the next stage which is death. 3. ‘In a wailful choir the small gnats mourn’- in stanza 3 aural imagery is used to emphasis the melancholy tone. 4. ‘While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day ’- in stanza 3 alliteration is used to emphasis the passing of time and the harsh reality that death is round the corner.

Structure and form

  • The form of the poem is a pastoral ode which highlights and praising the particular time of year.
  • The poem is divided into three stanzas with a rhyme scheme that follows a regular pattern then includes a variation to reflect the idea that there is a cycle to life but change should be expected as it is not mechanical or repetitive.
  • The meter of the poem is iambic pentameter which is a traditional meter possibly chosen to emphasise the Romantic ideal of going back to nature as a source of inspiration.

‘home thoughts from abroad’ by robert broWning

What is the poem about? The poem is about missing England as he is living abroad and he is feeling melancholy as he imagines the beauty of England as springtime approaches. The poet celebrates the beauty of nature. The poem begins by describing England in April when spring comes and follows the narrators imagination of what it would be like to be there. He ends the poem by comparing his surroundings with England to reveal his sadness of missing this experience in England.

Tone

  • The tone of the poem is admiration, longing and wonder.
  • The tone is happy. Even though the poet is feeling sad and homesick the joy that the season brings and the imagined imagery in England uplifts his mood.

Context

  • Robert Browning composed this poem when living in Italy. It would seem that he was homesick.
  • Browning indicates that the poem could be written from someone else’s perspective and this could be his wife Elizabeth Barrett Browning who had to move to Italy to improve her health. We can assume that it is her who will never see England in Spring.
  • Even though Browning is a Victorian poet, he seems to take inspiration from nature like the Romantics.

Key quotes and language analysis

1. ‘Oh to be in England when April is there’- in stanza 1 the speaker uses an exclamatory sentence to show his longing to be back home. ‘April’ is personified as a visitor making reference to the coming of Spring. 2. ‘Whoever wakes in England’- in stanza 1 the poet uses a different perspective to show that this is an imagined experience. The use of alliteration emphasises that this is a shared experience by those living in England. 3. ‘And the white-throat builds and all the swallows’/ ‘blossomed pear tree’- in stanza 2 the poet uses visual imagery of the abundance of nature to create a tranquil scene. The repetition of the word ‘and’ emphasises his excited tone to see these rare bird sightings. 4.Far brighter than this gaudy melon-flower’- in stanza 2 the speaker uses the superlative adjective ‘brighter’ to show that he is attempting to compare his current setting to one he would like to escape to. The juxtaposition of the flowers he sees shows there is no comparison.

Structure and form

  • The form of the poem is a short lyric or an inverted sonnet as he is ironically praising a place he is not living in anymore.
  • The poem is divided into two stanzas to juxtapose the contrast of the two months. Potentially this could reflect the divide between what he remembers to expect and what he imagines.
  • The meter of the poem is irregular to reflect on the idea that this imaginary experience brings him overwhelming joy.

What is the poem about?

‘Where the piCniC Was’ by thomas hardy

Key quotes and language analysis The speaker recalls a memory of a place he and friends had a picnic in the summer. A wind blows over which leads to him thinking about the changes of the present day. He realises that coming here has proved that this place is no longer filled with life. The speaker uses the turn of summer to winter as the changes that happen in life. The fact that he chooses to only use two lines to describe summer and the rest for winter reflects that he is in a state of grief.

Tone

  • The tone of the poem is reflective as the speaker considers the changes that have happened throughout his life.
  • The tone of the poem is melancholic as the speaker describes his feelings of loneliness and loss. 1. ‘I slowly climb’- in stanza 1 the use of the adverb ‘slowly’ reinforces that he is taking a leisurely walk to an important location and the memories that are attached to this place are affecting his emotional state. 2. ‘A cold wind blows and the grass is grey’- in stanza 2 the adjectives used to describe the scenery are bleak to emphasise his sad mood. The hard consonants express the sharp stabs of inner pain that he might be feeling. 3.The sea breathes brine’- in stanza 3 the sea is personified to emphasise the idea of sadness as he embraces the salty air which could refer to him embracing his tears. 4. ‘Has shut her eyes ’- in stanza 3 the speaker uses a euphemism to refer to the fact that Emily is dead to reflect on his bereavement period.

Context

  • The poem was written after the death of his first wife Emma.
  • Her death was unexpected and even though they had become estranged, Hardy was traumatised by her death and decided to revisit places in Cornwell that were linked to their courtship.
  • Like most Victorian poets, Hardy focused this collection on nature, the passing of time and a pessimistic attitude towards life.

Structure and form

  • The form of the poem is a lyric poem as the poet uses imagery to symbolise his loss.
  • The poem has three stanzas which symbolise the past, present and future.
  • The inconsistent rhyme scheme to reflect his bereavement.
  • In the second stanza the poet uses a lot of enjambment and uses an exclamation mark to emphasise his lack of control over his emotions as he is not prepared to start thinking about the future without his wife.

‘adLestrop’ by edWard thomas

What is the poem about? The poet went on an express train from Oxford to Worcester six months before the outbreak of the war and the train made an unscheduled stop. He recalls this moment in time to describe England as sunny and innocent. It focuses on an appreciation of nature and a time that was lost but still remembered.

Tone

  • The tone of the poem is reflective, peaceful and nostalgic as it focuses on a place that could easily be forgotten after it was abandoned during the war.
  • The tone of the poem is also calming as the sensory detail used helps the reader feel like they are taking a moment to pause and enjoy nature.

Context

  • Edward Thomas was a poet known for his sensitive observations of the countryside.
  • All his poetry was written during the last few years of his life.
  • Thomas enlisted in the British Army in 1915 and was killed in action at the Battle of Arras in 1917.
  • Thomas seems to have drawn inspiration from Romantic poets in this poem as he focuses of the beauty of nature.

Key quotes and language analysis

1. ’Yes, I remember Adlestrop ’- in stanza 1 the speaker uses first person and colloquial language to emphasis that the poem is based on one of his memories that he fondly talks about. 2. ‘The steam hissed someone cleared his throat ’- in stanza 2 the poet uses sibilance and auditory imagery to help the reader visualise the memory. 3. ‘And willows’/’and grass’/ ‘and meadowsweet and haycock’- in stanza 3 the poet lists the abundance of natural imagery that surrounds him and uses the repetition of the word ‘and’ to emphasis his connection to nature. 4. ‘And for that moment a blackbird sang’- in stanza 4 the poet uses auditory imagery again to recall the tranquillity of the scene. He uses the noun ‘moment’ to reflect on the idea that this moment in time is fleeting and short. One which can’t be replicated again.

Structure and form

  • The form of the poem is free verse to show the liberation of nature.
  • The poem consists of four stanzas with four lines in each stanza to highlight the fact that this image of Adlestrop is timeless and fixed as a memory that will never change.
  • It follows a clear ballad rhyme scheme of ABAB to imitate the rigid state of this tranquil scene.

What is the poem about?

‘absenCe’ by eLizabeth Jennings

Key quotes and language analysis

The poem is about the speaker going back to a place where she met the person the poem is dedicated to. It is clearly a place that holds many memories and the lack of change in this place disturbs her as she feels it does not represent the changes that have happened within her. The absence of the person who she shared this place with brings her grief as she doesn’t feel she can enjoy the scenery.

Tone The tone of the poem shifts from calm to melancholic as the poet feels in anguish of the fact that this place has not changed.

Context

  • Elizabeth Jennings was a British poet who took inspiration from her religious background as she was very careful with following rigid structures and basing ideas on tradition.
  • Jennings did not like to use her autobiographical information in her poems so it is unclear who this poem is dedicated to it could be a person or even a pet.
  • Jennings was part of The Movement who typically included a realisation in their poems.
  1. Nothing was changed’/ ‘no sign/’nothing to instruct me’- in stanza 1 the speaker uses a repetition of negatives to emphasise her distress that there is nothing has changed revealing her discomfort when visiting this place.
  2. ‘The fountains sprayed their usual steady jet ’-in stanza 1 uses the onomatopoeia in the word ‘sprayed’ to emphasis that this is monotonous and there are no signs that time has passed which emphasises her sense of loss.
  3. ‘The thoughtless birds that shook out of the trees singing in ecstasy’- in stanza 2 the speaker personifies the birds as they doo not share her grief so nature does not bring her solace.
  4. ‘Your absence seem a savage force ’- the adjective ‘savage’ describes nature as threatening and it is hurting her. She realises that the absence of the person or thing that should be enjoying this experience with her is a force that makes her struggle with her inner turmoil.

Structure and form

  • The form of the poem is a lyric poem which is a traditional style with clear rhymes which effectively helps the reader focus more on the subject matter.
  • The poem is divided into three stanzas each comprised of five lines. The rigid structure of the poem makes it seem frozen in time doe to its rigid structure reinforcing the confines of the speakers grief.
  • The ABABA rhyme scheme is melodic which focuses attention on the language and the emotional content; suited to the sincere and unpretentious emotions of the speaker.

What is the poem about?

‘steWart isLand’ by fLeur adCoCk

Key quotes and language analysis The poem is about a speaker who visits their home island in New Zealand. Whilst she is there she realises that even though this place is beautiful it is a place of deceit and this makes the speaker feel uncomfortable and justified for leaving this place when they migrated a long time ago.

Tone

  • The tone is quite bitter as every image in the poem is tainted by deception.
  • The tone is also conversational and direct implying that this poem is based on the poet’s thoughts and feelings about her past.

Context

  • Fleur Adcock was born in New Zealand but moved to England around the age of 5.
  • She eventually moved back to New Zealand when she was about to go to university but she felt a sense of loss and homesickness when leaving England.
  • This struggle with her national identity is explored in her inability to accept the beauty of the island in the poem.
  • As a contemporary writer, Fleur includes the theme of identity, entrapment, travel and culture. These themes help consider how time and place can change in meaning to a person. 1. ‘True: there was a fine bay’ – the speaker uses colloquial language to show that this conversation expresses their feelings through the subtly of expression. The colon signifies a reluctance to admit that the island is beautiful 2. ‘Maori fisherman with Scottish names ’-the speaker contrasts the nouns ‘Maori’ and ‘Scottish’ to reference historical colonization and express that this is an unfortunate loss of culture. 3. ‘Too cold to swim’- the speaker has negative responses to her surroundings. The adjective ‘cold’ could symbolise her detachment and alienation in her home island. 4. ‘Bitten by sand-flies'/’mad seagull jetted down to jab its claws’- the memory of this experience is loaded with aggressive verbs which reflects her feelings of the environment being hostile and unwelcoming to her.

Structure and form

  • The form of the poem is block form as there is no pause or break between each verse which could reflect the idea that these are the speakers internal thoughts.
  • The poem is written free verse as it reflects that these are her thoughts and feelings that are not restricted.
  • The poem is one stanza to represent the subject matter which is an island.

What is the poem about?

‘nothing’s Changed’ by tatamkhuLu afrika Key quotes and language analysis

The poem is about how a place in South Africa is still affected by the apartheid that has been abolished. The poet focuses on the idea that the racial divide that lawfully separated people based on skin colour might have been abolished but the economic struggle of those living in District 6 still face means that areas like these are still poverty stricken which maintains the divide between races.

Tone The tone of the poem is angry and immediate as the poet seems irritated that significant change has no impact on this place, District 6.

Context

  • The poet Ismail Joubert in Egypt, Tatamkhulu Afrika (his Xhosa African name means Grandfather Africa) was a political protestor who was imprisoned in the same jail as Nelson Mandela for 5 years.
  • He actively fought against the apartheid system. The system put people into a ranking system which gave more privileges to White people. The darker your skin, the less you were entitled to and this included land, wealth, education and job roles. To this day South African townships and areas are still separated according to skin colour as communities stayed together due to wealth or prejudice.
  • During the 1970s, the beginning of the apartheid, all inhabitants living in District 6 were forcibly removed and to make space to move white people into this area. They destroyed most of the houses and buildings leaving it as an abandoned lot.
  • As a contemporary writer, Afrika focused his poem on political change, race and belonging versus detachment to a place. 1. ‘Seeding grasses thrust bearded seeds into trouser cuffs, cans, trodden on, crunch’- in stanza 1 the speaker uses the harsh alliteration of ‘c’ to create the sound of the wasteland that is very dry as he walks around. He focuses on the visual imagery around him to consider how the land is unkept. 2. ‘District six. No board says it: but my feet know it’- in stanza 2 the poet uses the noun District Six to show that this was home for the poet and visiting this place after the end of the apartheid is fuelling his anger. The use of caesura implies that there is an invisible barrier that he is aware of as he walks around the area. 3. ‘New, up-market haute cuisine.. whites only inn’/ ‘working man’s café sells bunny chow’ – in stanza 3 and 6 the poet uses juxtaposition to show the economic divide still separates race. He uses the slang term ‘bunny chow’ to refer to a meal that is associated with comfort as the name implies that you can eat it with your hands 4. ‘Nothing’s changed’- in the final stanza the poet repeats the title to show that over time the speaker is still angry and there is no difference. It leaves the reader with a feeling of hopelessness and despair.

Structure and form

  • The poem is written in free verse to reflect that it is a true reflection of his inner thoughts.
  • The irregularity of the lines reveals that the poet is struggling to control his emotions which are mainly angry.
  • The poem is divided into seven stanzas.

What is the poem about?

‘hurriCane hits engLand’ by graCe niChoLs Key quotes and language analysis The poem is a memory in which the poet shares her thoughts after her experience of the storm/hurricane that hit England in 1987. The speaker draws on images that represent her clash between her two cultures: Guyanese and English. The poem is about the experience of coming to terms with a new life and a different culture.

Tone

  • The tone of the poem is mostly positive as the speaker seems to welcome the weather seeing it as a positive sign.
  • The tone of the poem shifts in stanza 5 to a more reflective tone to think about the deeper meaning of the hurricane.

Context

  • Grace Nichols is a British West-Indian writer who focuses on the connections between the Caribbean and British culture in her poetry.
  • Nicholas was born in Guyana and moved to the UK when she was 27 years old so uses her history, Creole language and heritage to influence her writing.
  • Growing up in Guyana meant that the hurricane weather was something she became accustomed to.
  • Immigration was a central political issue during the time she wrote the poem as it was a debate Margret Thatcher’s government often discussed.
  • Like most contemporary writers, Nichols explores the theme of identity, heritage, belonging vs alienation and culture. 1. ‘ Fearful and reassuring ’ – in stanza 1 the speaker describes the hurricane using an oxymoron to reveal her conflicting emotions as she feels both afraid and soothed by the storms power. 2. ‘Talk to me Huracan/’talk to me Oya’ - in stanza 2 the speaker uses anaphora to emphasis her plea to be closer to her heritage. The use of the nouns refer to deities from the West Indies allowing the speaker to show her pride of her Creole language and heritage. 3. ‘What is the meaning of old tongues reaping havoc in new places?’- in stanza 3 the speaker personifies the wind as a language which she understands but one which England is afraid of. She also uses inversion of a common phrase to show that this havoc is something she needed in order to feel comforted and less homesick due to its familiarity to her 4. ‘ Come to break the frozen lake in me ’- in the final stanza the speaker uses a metaphor to reveal her feeling of detachment to her roots and has considered the coming of this storm as an important time in her life and must have some symbolic meaning.

Structure and form

  • The poem is written in free verse form with some rhymes to reflect the speakers feelings of struggling with her cultural identity.
  • The poem begins in third person but shifts to first person- this is to reveal that the poet is feeling more accepting and comfortable with herself as the poem progresses.
  • The poem is divided into seven stanzas with irregular lines to reflect that the speaker is very emotional and moved by this experience.

‘presents from my aunts in pakistan’ by moniza aLvi

Key quotes and language analysis What is the poem about? The poem is an autobiographical account of how the poet remembers being a teenager and receiving gifts from Pakistan. It recalls her thoughts, feelings and memories of struggling with her cultural identity of being both English and Pakistani. She focuses on being both attracted and repelled by her heritage.

Tone

  • The tone of the poem is nostalgic as she seems to cherish these memories.
  • The tone of the poem is also apprehensive as the speaker seems confused and feels guilty for her reaction to the gifts.

Context

  • Moniza Alvi was born in Pakistan but moved to England when she was only a few months old.
  • Alvi’s father was from Pakistan and her mother was from England. Having a dual identity meant that she struggled with the idea of belonging.
  • The poem focuses on a specific time in her life when identity becomes a crucial part of growing up.
  • As a contemporary writer, Alvi explores the themes of identity, culture, heritage, detachment and alienation at a particular time in history. 1. ‘They sent me a salwar kameez peacock-blue ’- in stanza 1 the poet uses the metaphor ‘salwar kameez’ to represent the country Pakistan. The adjective ‘peacock’ is used to reflect the vibrance, feeling of awe and exotic nature of the gift. The gift is something the speaker already feels a sense of detachment towards. 2. ‘Was alien in the room’- in stanza 2 the speaker uses the adjective ‘alien’ to bring her conflicted feelings and her low self esteem in considering her embracing her heritage as she feels she is inadequate. 3. ‘My salwar kameez didn’t impress my schoolfriends’/ ‘but often I admire the mirror-work’ – in stanza 5 the speaker juxtaposes the opinion of her friends and her own which seems to be one of admiration for the clothes. The symbolism of the ‘mirror’ is a reflection on her inner conflict at this moment. She seems like an outsider. 4. ‘No fixed identity staring through the fretwork ’- in the final stanza the speaker uses colloquial language and visual imagery to reflect on her feelings of alienation as there is a barrier between her and her English and Pakistani identity.

Structure and form

  • The form of the poem is free verse and is written with indented lines across the page to appear restless. This is to reflect her wavering emotions about her cultural identity.
  • The poem is divided into seven stanzas with an irregular number of lines to reflect the speakers conflicting emotions.

Once you’ve revised the 15 poems, the next thing to think about is how to approach the kind of essay question you’ll get asked. But whatever the question, you need to work through the following steps:

STEP 1: Read the question carefully and underline key words. (^) The second poem is your

choice, which means you This means that you need to compare ideas which means using comparative connectives.

This means that you need to comment on language, form and structure in both poems.

Every question will identify a theme, which is what you should base each of your points on.

Every question will also identify one poem from the anthology which you have to write about

have to decide which of the other 14 poems in this cluster is best to use, but you’ll have to do this from memory as you won’t have a copy of this poem in the exam!

(^1 0) Compare the way poets present ideas about how a city is described in ‘London’ and in one other poem from the ‘Time and Place’ cluster.

STEP 2: Spend 5 minutes planning ideas.

Context : Blake lived there + saw Ind. Rev. first-hand Wordsworth was just visiting so maybe more impressed

Memorised quotes : e.g. ‘marks of weakness, marks of woe’ e.g. ‘the black’ning church’, ‘blood’ etc. Structure & Form

Intro/Conc: What is your answer to the question and Ideas: What comparative points could you make on the theme they’ve given you

  • Both Romantic poets but…
  • The people in the city are presented differently – one’s good, one’s bad
  • The landmarks in the city are presented differently – one’s good, one’s bad

Poem 1: London Poem 2: Westminster Bridge Theme: Cities

Writers’ feelings/attitudes Blake-negative/Wordsworth- positive

Poem 1- V. regular and monotonous -> bad Poem 2- Petrarchan sonnet -> love Language & Structure Poem 1- Uses things like listing, repetition, emotive lang, and metaphors to emph. misery / Poem 2- Uses things like listing, similes, and personification to emph. positives

what context can you use? Although both poems were written during the Romantic era, they present the city of London differently