How To Study Poetry (for Edexcel IGCSE Literature)
As a whole, Literature covers three forms of writing: poetry, prose (novels/stories) and drama (plays). In any GCSE or iGCSE exam, you’ll have to write essays about all three of these forms. In the Edexcel iGCSE Literature exams, you’re given two different poetry questions:
Section A – Unseen poetry: explore how writers create meaning and effects in a range of poetry that you’re reading for the first time. With this exam, you respond in the moment to a new poem, but you use your general knowledge of poems to analyse this one in detail.
Section B – Anthology poetry: develop skills to compare a range of poetry from Part 3 of the Pearson Edexcel International GCSE English Anthology. With the Anthology poems, you study them as much as you can before taking the exam.
This introduction will help with Section B – Anthology poetry. It contains a breakdown of what poems are, why they’re written, how to study them and how to write essays on them.
Check out the link below to access the complete explanation of How to Study Poetry (plus much more!):
What is a Poem?
A poem is a form of literary expression that uses rhythm, imagery, and often metaphorical language to convey feelings, ideas, or stories. Unlike prose, poetry is structured in lines and stanzas and often relies on sound and rhythm to create an emotional or aesthetic impact. At its core, poetry is about communicating in a concentrated and imaginative way. It can explore universal themes such as love, death, nature, time, war and identity, or focus on small, personal moments that change a person’s life forever.
Why Do People Write Poetry? People write poetry to express emotions, tell stories, capture fleeting moments, or challenge traditional ways of thinking. Poetry can serve as a form of personal reflection or a way to connect with others through shared experiences.
Historically, poetry has been used for a range of purposes. Poems are written to: • Celebrate events or people. • Protest injustices.
• Explore philosophical questions.
• Create beauty through language.
• Express deep emotions.
• Explore spiritual beliefs or perspectives.
• Consider the workings of nature and the natural world.
• Capture the beauty, tragedy or complexity of everyday life.
• Show the experiences of different cultures.
• Document the reality of war.
By understanding the poet’s purpose, you gain deeper insight into the poem’s meaning. Make sure to understand the deeper meaning and purpose behind the poem before analysing it, because that will make your interpretations much stronger.
Famous Poem Examples
Here are a few famous poems that showcase different styles and themes:
"If—" by Rudyard Kipling: A didactic poem offering advice about resilience and character.
"Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" by Dylan Thomas: A passionate plea to resist death, written as a villanelle.
"Ozymandias" by Percy Bysshe Shelley: A sonnet reflecting on the impermanence of power and human achievement.
"The Tyger" by William Blake: A rhythmic exploration of creation and its mysteries.
Reading and reflecting on famous works helps build familiarity with poetic techniques and themes.
Ways to Think About Poems
When studying poetry, approach it with an open and inquisitive mind. Here are some ways to think about poems:
1. First Impressions:
• Read the poem aloud to appreciate its rhythm and sound.
• Write down your immediate thoughts and feelings.
• What is the poem about? Write out the story, or the thought processes of the poem.
2. Theme and Purpose:
• Ask yourself: What is the poem about? Why was it written? What are the themes and messages?
3. Imagery and Language:
• Look for vivid descriptions, metaphors, similes, and symbols.
• Think about how these elements contribute to the poem’s meaning.
4. Form and Structure:
• Notice the poem’s layout, rhyme scheme, and metre.
• Reflect on how the structure enhances the content.
5. Context (For Higher Levels):
• Learn about the poet’s background and the era in which the poem was written.
• Consider how historical, cultural, or personal circumstances influence the poem.
• For Edexcel IGCSE, you’re not expected to write in depth about context, but learning it will help you to analyse the poems more accurately and in greater detail.
How to Study Anthology Poetry for Edexcel IGCSE
For the Edexcel IGCSE, preparation is key. Follow these steps:
1. Know Your Anthology:
• Familiarise yourself with the prescribed poems.
• Understand their themes, contexts, and key literary techniques.
2. Annotate Thoroughly:
• Mark important lines and write notes on language, form, and structure.
• Understand the deeper symbolism behind imagery.
3. Practise Comparing Poems:
• Many exam questions require comparison. Identify similarities and differences in themes, tone, and techniques.
4. Understand the Assessment Objectives (AOs):
• AO1: Respond to the text with personal insight.
• AO2: Analyse language, form, and structure.
• AO3: Show understanding of connections between different texts.
• AO4: Show understanding of connection between a text and its context.
5. Use Model Essays:
• Review exemplar student responses to understand what high-scoring answers include.
• Compare student answers with your own
Assessment Objectives
Here’s what it says about assessment objectives in the Edexcel IGCSE Literature Specification:
Section B: Anthology Poetry (30 marks)
Students will apply their knowledge of poetic form, content and meaning to compare poems.
Students must:
• Demonstrate understanding of how writers create literary effects using, for example, imagery, descriptive skills, language choice, tone and mood, structure and form
• Understand and use appropriate literary terminology
• Make comparisons between poems, including use of language, structure and form
• Identify and use relevant examples from poems. Questions will test the following assessment objectives:
AO2 Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects. (15 marks) Analyse how the poets use poetic devices. Examine different types of imagery. Think about the form and structure of the poems.
• Understand how techniques and devices create specific meaning and effects
• Think about the reader’s response to the poems AO3. Explore links and connections between texts. (15 marks)
• Constantly compare and contrast the poems
• Find meaningful similarities and differences
• Think about HOW + WHY the poems are similar or different
• Focus on the poet’s message or meaning behind the poems
How to Analyse Poems and What "Analysis" Really Means
Analysis means breaking down a poem into its components to understand how it works. The process of analysis involves: Comprehension + Information Selection:
• Understand the story or the ideas of the poem.
• Identify literary devices (e.g., alliteration, enjambment, personification).
• Highlight key phrases or words that stand out.
Interpretation:
• Consider what these devices and phrases suggest or emphasise.
• Explore how they relate to the poem’s themes or emotions.
• HOW/WHY does the poet present the ideas in this way? How do the specific details of the poem contribute to its purpose?
Evaluation:
• Discuss the overall impact of the poem.
• Evaluate how the reader responds to the poem and how they are changed or affected by it.
THE BEST WAY TO ANALYSE POEMS:
1. Read the poem aloud
2. Figure out the story or shape of ideas - look up any new vocabulary
3. Annotate it once, trying to find as many language, structure and form points as possible
4. Research the poem further - read more about it, look at study guides, watch video lessons, read other student essays
5. Annotate your poem again, in more detail
6. (When you revise the poem, repeat the ‘research’ steps until you’re fully confident on the ideas, message and meaning of the poem)
Thanks for reading!
Try our complete Edexcel IGCSE Poetry study bundle!
This course gives you a full breakdown of all poems from the 2025 Edexcel IGCSE Poetry Anthology.
+ Complete poetry analysis
+ Example Essays
+ Essay Writing Support
+ Mark schemes, grade boundaries + assessment objectives
+ 20 official past paper questions
+ more!
