Remember by Christina Rossetti – Poem and Analysis

Below, you can find the full poem and part of a breakdown of the ideas in ‘Remember’ by Christina Rossetti, tailored towards GCSE / IGCSE students but also useful for those studying at a higher level. Thanks for reading! If you find this analysis useful, you can buy our full Edexcel IGCSE Poetry course or […]

Farmhand by James K Baxter — Poem Analysis

Below, you’ll find a detailed analysis of James K Baxter’s poem ‘Farmhand. Youth, innocence, awkwardness and rural life — this poem encapsulates Baxter’s own experience as a young man living in New Zealand. Here’s a detailed breakdown of everything you need to know about the poem. It’s tailored towards the Edexcel IGCSE syllabus, but it’s […]

An Essay on Childhood in Isobel Dixon’s Poem ‘Plenty’

I wrote this essay on Childhood in Isobel Dixon’s Poem ‘Plenty’ during a poetry lesson with a student who is taking the CIE / Cambridge IGCSE exam. However, feel free to use it if you’re studying any of the GCSE exam boards — Edexcel, AQA, CCEA, WJEC, Eduqas, OCR, etc. It wasn’t written under timed […]

If by Rudyard Kipling — Poem Analysis

“If” by Rudyard Kipling is one of the most popular poems of the last century, and its inspirational messages hold true today as much as they did when it was written in 1910. Yet, it also feels outdated in some ways — should we really never embrace our extreme emotions and always try to be ‘fine’ […]

War Photographer by Carol Ann Duffy – Poem Analysis

Here are some notes, analyses, and annotations for the poem ‘War Photographer’ by Carol Ann Duffy. It’s a fascinating poem! Although I don’t always like Duffy’s poems, this is my absolute favorite of hers; I really love how it’s so personal and thought-provoking. My analysis is tailored towards the Edexcel IGCSE Literature Poetry Anthology and […]

‘The Tyger’ by William Blake – Complete Breakdown

‘The Tyger’ by William Blake is a strikingly powerful poem about the beautiful and dangerous complexity that can be found within nature. Blake deconstructs all the wondrous aspects of a Tiger in order to better understand Nature itself, as through this process he feels that he can further appreciate the God whom he believes made […]

Amends by Adrienne Rich — Poem Analysis

Here’s an analysis of Adrienne Rich’s ‘Amends’, tailored towards IGCSE and GCSE Exams — CIE, Edexcel, WJEC, OCR, AQA, and Eduqas. I’ve written some exam-style questions at the bottom too for you to practise! Before you start reading, take a look at my school for similar lessons and help with poetry and essay writing. “Nights like this: […]

Piano by DH Lawrence – Poem Analysis

‘Piano’ by DH Lawrence is a poem that beautifully captures a sense of nostalgia, a longing for the past. Below you’ll find the poem and a set of detailed annotations that cover its key concepts and techniques — use these points in your essays and exams, but also push the analysis further and start to […]

La Belle Dame sans Merci by John Keats — Poem Analysis

Here’s a full analysis of the poem ‘La Belle Dame sans Merci’ including vocabulary, context, language techniques, and structure / form devices. It’s great for students taking it for GCSE or IGCSE on exam boards such as Edexcel, AQA, WJEC, OCR, CIE (Cambridge), CCEA, and Eduqas. However, it’s also tailored towards exploring some of the […]