Paper 2 Unseen Poetry: Writing the Commentary

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Notes de leçon

Reading the two questions

The two questions on the poem usually take different angles: in the specimen, (a) asks how the poet conveys her thoughts and feelings about the delivery man and the newspaper; (b) asks how she conveys the effect the news has on her.
Underline the focus words of each question and keep your answers separate — do not write one essay and split it in two.
Some material will fit both questions; use it where it answers the focus best and avoid repeating the same point.
Words such as strikingly, vividly or memorably ask you to judge effect.

Timing and planning

About 20 minutes reading and planning; then roughly 25 minutes per question.
Plan each answer as 3–4 points, each with a quotation and the method you will discuss.
Order points to follow the poem's movement or to build towards your strongest idea.
Leave a few minutes to check that each answer stays on its question.

Opening an answer

Start with a direct answer: an overview of the poet's feelings or ideas in relation to the question.
Example:×"Thomas presents the stop at Adlestrop as a moment of unexpected stillness that grows, through sound, into a vision of the whole English countryside."×
Avoid general openings ("Poetry is a way of expressing feelings…") and do not copy out the introduction.
Mention the situation briefly (AO1) only as far as it frames your argument.

Writing an analytical paragraph

Point tied to the question → short quotation → method → effect on the reader → link to meaning.
Zoom in:×"'hissed' makes the steam sound loud in the silence, so the reader notices how quiet the platform is."×
Develop with alternatives:×"This could also suggest…"×.
Use the poem's structure as evidence: where a sentence breaks, where a stanza turns, what is saved for the end.

Worked example: 'Adlestrop' (Edward Thomas, 1917)

An express train stops unexpectedly at a small country station on a hot afternoon in late June; no one gets on or off.
Short sentences with caesurae —×"The steam hissed. Someone cleared his throat."×— make time seem to stand still.
The speaker sees "only the name" — then the list "willows, willow-herb, and grass, / And meadowsweet, and haycocks dry" slows the reading with repeated×and×(polysyndeton) as the scene fills his attention.
In the last stanza a blackbird sings "Close by" and the sound widens, "Farther and farther", to "all the birds / Of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire" — the enjambment stretches the moment outward across the countryside.
Written in the First World War (Thomas was killed in 1917), the poem's peace can feel precious and fragile — context to use lightly, as a possible reading.

Personal response (AO4)

Say what you find striking, moving or unsettling, and why — then support it.
Weigh ideas:×"The stillness is peaceful, yet the train's stop is 'unwontedly', a disruption…"×.
Tentative language shows sensitivity:×perhaps×,×seems to×,×may suggest×.
Top level (13–15) sustains a perceptive and evaluative personal response.

Concluding and checking

A short conclusion returns to the question and states your overall judgement — no new points needed.
Check: every paragraph answers this question; quotations are short and accurate; effects are explained.
Level 5 (13–15) needs much well-selected reference, a sustained critical understanding and a detailed response to the poet's effects.
Level 3 (7–9) shows overall understanding but only some response to language, structure and form.

Diapos

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1.Why should the two Paper 2 answers be kept separate?
Easy
- AEach question has its own focus and is marked separately
- BExaminers only read the first answer
- CThe second question is optional
- DThey are on different poems
2.After about 20 minutes of reading and planning, roughly how long is left for each answer?
Easy
- AAbout 10 minutes
- BAbout 50 minutes
- CAbout 5 minutes
- DAbout 25 minutes
3.Which is the best opening for a Paper 2 answer?
Medium
- AA copy of the introduction printed above the poem
- BA list of techniques you will find
- CA direct overview of the poet's feelings or ideas in relation to the question
- D"Poetry is a way of expressing feelings."
4.In 'Adlestrop', what happens?
Medium
- AA crowd boards the train in the rain
- BAn express train stops briefly at a small, silent country station
- CA train crashes near a village
- DThe speaker gets off the train and walks home
5.When does the stop at Adlestrop take place?
Medium
- AOn a hot afternoon in late June
- BOn a snowy morning in January
- CAt midnight in autumn
- DAt dawn in spring
6."The steam hissed. Someone cleared his throat." What is the main effect of these short sentences?
Medium
- AThey create a fast, exciting pace
- BThey show the train is about to crash
- CThey introduce a new character
- DSmall sounds stand out, emphasising the stillness
7.The repeated 'and' in 'willows, willow-herb, and grass, / And meadowsweet, and haycocks dry' is an example of…
Medium
- Aa refrain
- Ba volta
- Cpolysyndeton
- Donomatopoeia
8.What does the final stanza of 'Adlestrop' do?
Medium
- ANames the people on the platform
- BWidens one blackbird's song to all the birds of two counties
- CReturns to the noise of the train
- DDescribes the speaker's arrival in London

Plus de questions

9.Which context could deepen a reading of 'Adlestrop' if used lightly?
Medium
- AIt was written during the First World War; Thomas died in 1917
- BTrains were invented in the 1990s
- CThomas lived in Argentina
- DThe poem was a railway advertisement
10.Which sentence shows tentative, sensitive personal response?
Medium
- AThe poem is about birds.
- BThomas definitely meant the war.
- CI did not like this poem.
- DThe widening birdsong perhaps suggests a peace larger than the moment itself.
11.What should a conclusion to a Paper 2 answer do?
Medium
- ARetell the whole poem
- BDiscuss a different poem
- CReturn to the question with an overall judgement
- DIntroduce three new techniques
12.A point fits both questions. What should you do?
Medium
- APut it only in the conclusion
- BUse it where it best answers the focus and avoid repeating it
- CWrite it twice word for word
- DLeave it out entirely
13.Which is the best-structured analytical sentence?
Medium
- A"Hissed" makes the steam sound loud in the silence, so we sense how still the platform is.
- B"Hissed" is a word.
- CThe poet uses onomatopoeia.
- DLine 5 has the word "hissed" in it.
14.What does the word 'unwontedly' add to the opening of 'Adlestrop'?
Medium
- AThe train was full
- BThe speaker wanted to stop
- CThe station was famous
- DThe stop is unusual, a break in routine that makes the moment memorable
15.Which Paper 2 level range is 13–15?
Medium
- ALevel 3
- BLevel 6
- CLevel 5
- DLevel 4
16.Which describes a Level 3 (7–9) answer?
Medium
- AA detailed response to every effect
- BOverall understanding with some response to language, structure and form
- CSustained perceptive response with much well-selected reference
- DAlmost no understanding of the literal meaning
17.Which belong in a strong analytical paragraph? (select all that apply)
Medium
- AA short quotation
- BExplanation of the method's effect
- CA long copied passage
- DA new unrelated poem
- EA point linked to the question
18.Which methods create stillness in 'Adlestrop'? (select all that apply)
Medium
- A'No one left and no one came'
- BA fast, galloping rhyme
- CShouted dialogue
- DShort sentences with caesurae
- ESmall sounds such as a cleared throat
19.Which are good checks before finishing? (select all that apply)
Medium
- AEvery device in the poem is listed
- BThe answer copies the introduction
- CEach paragraph answers this question
- DQuotations are short and accurate
- EEffects are explained, not just named
20.In 'Adlestrop', nobody gets on or off the train.
Easy
True or false?
21.You should write one long essay and divide it between the two questions.
Easy
True or false?
22.A conclusion must introduce new techniques.
Easy
True or false?
23.Tentative words such as 'perhaps' can show a sensitive personal response.
Medium
True or false?
24.Structure — such as where a stanza turns — can be used as evidence.
Medium
True or false?
25.In 'Adlestrop' the blackbird's song is described as fading into total silence.
Medium
True or false?
26.Context should be the main focus of a Paper 2 answer.
Medium
True or false?
27.Match each part of the analytical paragraph to its job.
Medium
- Point
- Quotation
- Method
- Effect
- Answers the question directly
- Gives precise evidence
- Names the poet's choice
- Explains what it does to the reader
28.Match each 'Adlestrop' quotation to its method.
Medium
- "The steam hissed. Someone cleared his throat."
- "And meadowsweet, and haycocks dry"
- "Farther and farther, all the birds / Of Oxfordshire"
- "hissed"
- Short sentences and caesurae
- Polysyndeton
- Enjambment widening the scene
- Onomatopoeia
29.Match each Paper 2 level to its mark range.
Medium
- Level 5
- Level 4
- Level 3
- Level 2
- 13–15
- 10–12
- 7–9
- 4–6
30.Put the exam stages in order.
Medium
- Write answer (b)
- Read and annotate the poem
- Plan both answers
- Check both answers
- Write answer (a)
31.Order the stages of 'Adlestrop' as the poem presents them.
Medium
- A blackbird sings close by
- The train stops unexpectedly
- The speaker notices plants and haycocks
- All the birds of two counties seem to sing
32.Complete the sentence.
Easy
Each answer should start with a direct ____ of the poet's ideas in relation to the question.
33.Complete the quotation from 'Adlestrop'.
Medium
No one left and no one ____
34.Complete the sentence.
Medium
Using many conjunctions in a list, such as repeated 'and', is called ____.
35.Which bird sings in the last stanza of 'Adlestrop'?
Medium
36.Name one of the two counties at the end of 'Adlestrop'.
Medium
37.Write an opening overview for the question: How does Thomas make the stop at Adlestrop so memorable?
Medium
38.Write an analytical paragraph on the final stanza of 'Adlestrop'.
Hard
39.Explain how you would divide material between two Paper 2 questions that overlap.
Medium

Notes de révision

## Approach - Two questions, **different angles** — underline focus words; write **two separate answers**. - ~20 min reading/planning, ~25 min per answer, 3–4 points each. ## Paragraph - **Point → quotation → method → effect → meaning**; offer alternatives; use structure as evidence. ## Worked example: 'Adlestrop' (Edward Thomas) - Express train stops **"Unwontedly"** on a hot afternoon in **late June**. - Stillness: short sentences, caesurae, "The steam **hissed**. Someone cleared his throat."; "No one left and no one came". - Scene: **polysyndeton** in the plant list. - Ending: a **blackbird** "Close by" → "Farther and farther" → "all the birds / Of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire" (**enjambment**). - Context: written in WW1 (Thomas killed 1917) — peace as precious/fragile. ## Levels (out of 15) - L5 13–15 · L4 10–12 · L3 7–9 · L2 4–6 · L1 1–3.

Overview: An opening statement that answers the question with your overall argument.
Focus words: The key words in a question that define what the answer must address.
Polysyndeton: Using many conjunctions (and…and…) in a sequence.
Onomatopoeia: A word that imitates a sound, such as 'hissed'.
Tentative language: Words such as 'perhaps' and 'may suggest' that offer interpretation carefully.
Enjambment: A sentence running over the end of a line.
Caesura: A pause within a line.
Level descriptor: The description of qualities an answer needs to reach a level.

Cartes mémo

How should the two Paper 2 answers relate?

Two separate answers, each on its own focus, without repeated points.

Paper 2 timing?

~20 min reading/planning, ~25 min per answer.

Analytical paragraph pattern?

Point → quotation → method → effect → meaning.

What happens in 'Adlestrop'?

An express train stops unexpectedly at a silent country station in late June.

'The steam hissed. Someone cleared his throat.' — effect?

Short sentences and small sounds emphasise stillness.

Polysyndeton in 'Adlestrop'?

'willows, willow-herb, and grass, / And meadowsweet, and haycocks dry' — the list slows and accumulates.

How does 'Adlestrop' end?

A blackbird's song widens to 'all the birds / Of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire'.

Context of 'Adlestrop'?

Written in WW1; Thomas was killed in 1917 — the peace can feel fragile.

Level 5 Paper 2 marks?

13–15.

What should a conclusion do?

Return to the question with an overall judgement.

Examples of tentative language?

Perhaps, seems to, may suggest, could imply.

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