Expert IGCSE English Language Tips: Poetry and Prose Analysis
Today, Senior Tutor Edward Ashdown will guide us through some effective IGCSE English Language tips for poetry and prose analysis.
What does poetry and prose analysis involve?
Poetry is often a stumbling block for IGCSE English Language candidates who find analysing poetic techniques challenging. Extracting the deeper meaning of prose can be equally difficult for many students.
Identifying the linguistic and structural techniques used by writers to communicate their purposes is the key to maximising your marks for these poetry and prose questions, as well as following a clear paragraph structure that matches the question being asked as well as the expected IGCSE style.
Example of a weak IGCSE poetry and prose response
Look at this typical 12 mark question from the Poetry and Prose section of the Edexcel IGCSE English Language exam:
How does the writer use language and structure to communicate ideas about personal struggle?
Many IGCSE English Language students may approach the question like this:
“The writer uses emotive language like “stupid” to show that he struggled in school and felt his teachers treated him badly. Also, his dyslexia meant he felt like he never fitted in and that led him to being creative to escape. Sometimes the author used metaphors to show how he beat his struggles and became more creative. His use of repetition, “we are…” also shows this as well. “
What could the IGCSE English Language student have done better?
Where this paragraph lacks substance:
The paragraph is missing a clear point sentence and a link back to the question that frames the response. Therefore, the response feels jumbled and confused.
The response lacks effective evaluative language like, ‘Similarly’, or ‘Indeed’, expected in IGCSE English Language.
Some of the points lack substantiation with evidence from the text important for poetry and prose analysis: there is no concrete, thorough analysis of IGCSE English ideas such as elaboration or discussion of the effect on the audience of the word ‘stupid’. The metaphor point is not backed up and should not, therefore, have been made.
Example of a strong IGCSE English Language poetry and prose response
Instead, consider this model response drafted by one of our IGCSE Language students:
Benjamin Zephaniah uses linguistic techniques such as metaphor and emotive language to create a feeling of perseverance in overcoming his personal struggles. His use of the metaphor “the past is a different kind of country” and describing feeling like a “foreigner” suggests that the scale of the challenges he faced as a dyslexic in school are comparable to the challenges faced by a foreigner in an unknown country.
Indeed, the use of emotive, aggressive language in the direct speech of the teacher further highlights the hostility the writer faced: “Shut up. Stupid boy.” “Shut up” and “stupid” are aggressive words conveying anger, while “boy” is a demeaning noun, implying the writer has an underdeveloped intelligence due to his dyslexia.
By contrast, the writer describes his brain as a "creativity muscle". This metaphor reflects how the writer places value on his creative skills and his ability to overcome personal struggles.
In summary, the writer uses metaphor and emotive language to convey not only his personal struggle but also his growth through perseverance.
Why is this response better?
What this response does well:
Here it is clear that the writer frames the IGCSE English Language analytical poetry and prose response with an effective point and link. This paragraph is focused on linguistic techniques and the following paragraph would address structural techniques (a crucial aspect of IGCSE English), which avoids confusion and complication.
The tone is formal, with effective use of evaluative language and clear argumentation.
The response uses key contextual information vital to poetry and prose analysis such as the writer’s name and recognition of language such as referring to ‘noun’ and exposition of the effects of the techniques used on the reader.
The analysis is narrow and thoroughly establishes an effect on the audience. The ‘link’ at the end of the response adds another angle of analysis and answers the question in deeper terms than were set.
Overall, while some IGCSE English Language students certainly find poetry and prose analysis challenging, by following a rigorous structure and sticking to the scope of the question, you should be able to pick up all the marks you need.
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