Guidelines for
Answering
You Must Know!
• Theme
• Techniques
When Answering
• Keep in mind all features of the poem, do
not concentrate on summing up the whole
poem.
• SMILES should help you stay on
track and stop you summarising!
SMILES
• S= Subject matter (what is the poem
about).
For example in ‘Child’ Plath expresses
her love for her child while also revealing
her inner torment.
SMILES
• M= Message or Meaning.
This is also know as the theme of
the poem. It can be connected to the
subject matter.
SMILES
• I= Imagery
Poets use images or pictures to help us
imagine a scene or clarify ideas by
comparing one thing to another. Poets
want to create a very vivid image for their
readers. Every poem has imagery so you
should be confident discussing it.
SMILES
• L= Language
The language of the poem refers to the
poet’s choice of words. Poets choose
words very carefully to convey exact
meaning. It also refers to any poetic
techniques used e.g. simile, metaphor,
alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia,
rhyming, repetition etc.
SMILES
• E= Emotions
This refers to the feelings of the poet as
he/she was writing the poem, or the
feelings of the reader while the poem is
being read. Another word is tone or the
atmosphere created.
SMILES
• S= Structure
This refers to the format of the poem.
Layout, how many stanzas etc.
SMILES
You do not have to write about each of these
features in every answer but it is helpful to
keep each one in mind if you feel like you are
starting to summarise a poem instead of
analysing.
It can also be helpful to give you a checklist of
what to discuss if you are asked to write about
your personal response or asked why you liked
or disliked a poem.
Questions …
• Make sure you read the question very
carefully.
• Underline the key words.
• Spend a little time thinking about your
response.
• Write a short plan/brainstorm/spider
diagram etc.
Evidence …
• Back up response with carefully chosen
quotations.
• Avoid writing out long sections of the poem.
(waste of time!)
• Choose quotations that will help
illustrate/explain your points you are making.
• Sometimes a word on its own will explain your
point.
Answers …
• Do not need to be very long …avoid
rambling and repeating yourself.
• Avoid telling the story of the poem –
focus on the question asked.
• Examiners are looking for quality not
quantity.
Personal Response
• Give a personal response to the poem this
will get you more points.
• Use phrases like; ‘I enjoyed’, ‘I liked’,
‘This made me feel’, ‘In my opinion’, ‘I
was shocked’… etc.
• Use SMILES.
Examples of language of
personal engagement.
•
I can relate to the poem because …
•
This poem reminds me of …
•
I enjoyed this poem because …
•
What I liked/disliked about this poem was …
•
The poem opened my eyes to …
•
This poem helped me to understand …
•
The poem offers interesting insights into …
•
I particularly liked the image of …
•
I love the poet’s wonderful use of detail …
•
The poet’s eye for detail brings the poem/character to life …
Structure
• Brief introduction
• Clear, well structured paragraphs
• Illustrate with reference to your point
• Write a brief conclusion which refers to the question.
Exercise: Plath Essay Question
“Plath’s poetry reflects a wide range of powerful emotions
communicated through thought-provoking imagery.”
Do you agree with this assessment of her poetry? Your
answer should focus on her themes and the way she
expresses them. Support the points you make with
suitable reference to the poetry of Sylvia Plath on your
course.
Exercise: Plath Essay Question
Marking Scheme:
Students should deal with both emotions and
poetic devices.
Reward a personal response.
Penalise straight summaries.
Emotions
Morning
Song
A mother’s
feelings of
unease at
the birth of
her first
child
But more
importantly,
feelings of
joy, love and
intimacy
Mirror
A search
for identity
A fear of
ageing
Poppies
in July
Desperation
beyond pain
Numbness
The
Arrival of
the Bee
Box
Child
Freedom
from
repression
Initially joy
at her son’s
beauty and
hope for his
future
Having
control over
one’s
emotions
Then the
unhappiness
and fears
that
consume her
Imagery
Much of
imagery
unusual
and
disturbing
Many
images
rooted in the
natural
world
Adjectives well
chosen and much
use of symbolism
Language very
precise and
words carefully
chosen
Metaphors and
similes are apt and
graphic