Keats’ Romantic Relationships: Isabella Jones + Fanny Brawne

John Keats and Isabella Jones Keats’ romantic relationships had a significant impact on his poetry: he met a lady called Isabella Jones in 1817 while on holiday in Hastings. She was a beautiful, intelligent, wealthy and well-read woman, and it is thought that she and Keats had a secret romance for a time; remaining close […]

How to Understand the Basics of Poetry

This page takes you through everything you need to know when starting out with understanding the basics of poetry. It’s great for complete beginners, or experienced writers wanting to refresh their knowledge. It’s equally useful for literature students, such as those taking GCSEs, IGCSEs, and A-Levels. If you’re totally stuck on poetry and how to […]

Those Winter Sundays by Robert Hayden— Poem Analysis

Below, you will find an analysis of the poem ‘Those Winter Sundays’ by Robert Hayden. This is a beautiful, simple poem on the surface: a man remembers his childhood as a boy, realising that he didn’t appreciate everything his father did for him. The father seemed cold and distant, but all his suffering and difficult […]

‘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 […]

‘Plenty’ by Isobel Dixon – Poem Analysis

This poem analysis of ‘Plenty’ by Isobel Dixon makes you think so much about the difference between wealth and poverty; having everything or nothing. I really love this poem and this analysis. It helps break apart some of the major themes and examine important language features. It’s useful for students studying GCSE exam boards such […]

The Mountain by Elizabeth Bishop — Poem Analysis

This analysis of ‘The Mountain’ goes in-depth with the meaning and ideas behind the text. Hopefully, it’s useful for you — even if you’re studying a different exam board such as AQA, Edexcel, CIE, WJEC, CCEA or Eduqas it’ll still be the same process for poetry analysis so feel free to use these notes, even […]

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: […]