New
New
Year 10
Eduqas

Writing excellent comparative essays

I can create a written response which meets a success criteria.

New
New
Year 10
Eduqas

Writing excellent comparative essays

I can create a written response which meets a success criteria.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. A good analytical response begins with a clear and concise thesis statement.
  2. Comparative connectives can be used to link ideas together and explore connections between poems.
  3. Quotations can be signposted with where they appear in the poem e.g. ‘in the final stanza’.
  4. Analysis can focus on 'bigger' methods and then the effects of these methods.
  5. Context should be used to support your argument.

Common misconception

Students often think that they need to 'zoom in' on every word when analysing a quotation.

Often, it can be useful to discuss the 'bigger' method that the poet is using e.g. their use of personification. By thinking about bigger methods, the students may be more focused on the themes of the poem and the poet's intentions.

Keywords

  • Insightful - perceptive - showing a deep and personal understanding of something.

  • Concise - using as few words as possible to express as much meaning as possible.

  • Comparative connectives - words that indicate the relationships between things - the patterns in them e.g. whilst, both, however.

You could set the full model answer as pre-reading for the lesson and then use the lesson to pick key parts out of it.
Teacher tip

Equipment

A copy of the Eduqas poetry anthology is required for this lesson.

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
How many poems are in the Eduqas poetry anthology?
15
16
17
Correct answer: 18
Q2.
Who wrote the poem 'London'?
Wilfred Owen
Thomas Hardy
Correct answer: William Blake
Owen Sheers
Q3.
Which poem featured in the Eduqas anthology was written by a Romantic poet after a significant encounter at a party?
'Sonnet 43'
Correct answer: 'She Walks in Beauty'
'Valentine'
'Cozy Apologia'
Q4.
Match the poem, taken from the Eduqas poetry anthology, to the figurative language used within the poem.
Correct Answer:'Valentine',an onion is used as an extended metaphor for love

an onion is used as an extended metaphor for love

Correct Answer:'Cozy Apologia',the poet's lover is described as a knight-in-shining-armour

the poet's lover is described as a knight-in-shining-armour

Correct Answer:'Dulce et Decorum Est',gas is described as an ocean that chokes and drowns its victims

gas is described as an ocean that chokes and drowns its victims

Correct Answer:'A Wife in London',the image of a candle is used to represent lost hope

the image of a candle is used to represent lost hope

Q5.
Complete the quotation from 'A Wife in London': "'Tis the morrow; the hangs thicker".
Correct Answer: fog
Q6.
Match the poem, taken from the Eduqas poetry anthology, to its summary.
Correct Answer:'Mametz Wood',the story of the 38th Welsh division

the story of the 38th Welsh division

Correct Answer:'A Wife in London',an exploration of the impact of war on soldiers' loved ones

an exploration of the impact of war on soldiers' loved ones

Correct Answer:'Living Space',a celebration of the resourcefulness/resilience of slum communities

a celebration of the resourcefulness/resilience of slum communities

Correct Answer:'London',a criticism of institutionalised power that limits individual autonomy

a criticism of institutionalised power that limits individual autonomy

Correct Answer:'Dulce et Decorum Est',a criticism of misleading propaganda and pre-war optimism

a criticism of misleading propaganda and pre-war optimism

6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following is not a comparative connective?
Correct answer: furthermore
however
similarly
whilst
Q2.
What does the word 'insightful' mean?
using as few words as possible to express as much meaning as possible
Correct answer: showing a deep and personal understanding of something
being deliberately vague about your opinion
Q3.
Being means using as few words as possible to express as much meaning as possible.
Correct Answer: concise
Q4.
Which of these sentences is most concise?
Ben did not speak to his mother and he only saw his Dad once a week - sometimes.
Correct answer: Ben had a complicated relationship with his parents.
Ben's relationship with his parents was confusing to other people.
Ben rarely saw his parents.
Q5.
How can you make your introduction in an analytical piece clear and engaging?
Correct answer: Open with a thesis statement.
Introduce yourself and explain why you are writing.
Explain who the speakers are in both poems and how this links to the poems.
Correct answer: Use comparative connectives to show connections between poems.
Q6.
How should context be included in an analytical response?
It should be attached to the end of your paragraph.
Correct answer: It should be used to support an argument.
Correct answer: It should be accurate and specific.
You should give as much contextual information as possible.

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