Essay Introductions for Poetry
CPD: You Can't Revise for GCSE English! (by Mark Roberts), topic 2.1.3
Preparing Essay Introductions for Poetry
An excellent way for students to show that they understand the main techniques and ideas in the poems is to prepare a brief introduction for each of the anthology poems studied. Mark recommends the following format:
Form
- Form refers to the type of poem.
- For example, an elegy, sonnet, or a didactic poem.
Tone
- Tone being the writer’s or speaker’s attitude towards a subject.
- Students should focus on the author's point of view or choice of words.
Conceit
- Are there any extended metaphors running throughout the poem?
Deeper meaning
- Students need to identify any key themes or ideas.
- They should also read between the lines to see what is hidden beneath the obvious meaning of the poem.