Students should be encouraged to consider what distinguishes those poems which ‘dramatise’ persona and situation and those whose tone is lyrical in re-enacting an ‘inner’ drama of thought and feeling (for instance, ‘Soeur Louise de la Miséricorde’ and ‘Good Friday’). Students must develop confidence in understanding and applying poetic terminology, a skill necessary for Section 1 analysis of Shakespeare and, potentially, for a verse drama in Section 2.Įxploring how and why Rossetti employs ‘dramatising’ devices will help students make connections between the poems and the drama text. Teachers can utilise online resources (click on links) in compiling tailor-made worksheets/card packs covering ‘terms’, ‘definitions’ and ‘examples.’Ī useful way to begin reading the poems is to focus upon the multiple and multi-voiced personas Rossetti presents personas whose ‘characterisation’ ranges from the mischievous assertiveness of ‘No, Thank You, John’ and ‘Winter: My Secret’ to the acerbic despair of ‘Shut Out’ and ‘From the Antique’. It is important to avoid ‘swamping’ students with indiscriminate lists of terms they might struggle to understand and that will not help them discuss Rossetti’s poetic strategies.Ī focused poetic vocabulary (please see Learner Resource 1.1) will deter students from the kind of ‘commentary’ that treats verse as another kind of ‘narrative.’ It will also avoid readings that ‘spot’ poetic features regardless of their effect.Īctivities that require students (for example) to match cards printed with selected ‘poetic features’ to others with their ‘definitions’ and then to match the ‘definitions’ to examples from poems, will foster an informed understanding of Rossetti’s poetic practice. Establishing a poetic vocabulary focused upon the techniques that occur in Rossetti, will help students gain confidence in close reading and analysis. This exercise will introduce students to the range of literary terminology relevant to the set poems. Good Friday (Am I a stone and not a sheep?).In the Round Tower at Jhansi (Indian Mutiny).From the Antique (‘It’s a weary life, it is, she said’).Questions will be set from the poems listed below: In this way Section 1 ensures candidates have an opportunity to address AO2 directly. Opportunity to satisfy AO2 is afforded by Section 1 of this component where candidates write a detailed critical analysis of an extract from their chosen Shakespeare play.
However, where learners discuss, for example, the use of symbolism or the presentation of poetic persona or character in their chosen texts, such discussion can be rewarded under AO1 (‘informed’ responses to literary texts), AO4 (‘connections’ across literary texts) or AO5 (‘different interpretations’). Setting aside AO2 gives candidates greater opportunity to build and sustain a comparative discussion focusing upon the contexts, connections and interpretations of their chosen poetry and drama texts, without having to interrupt the continuity of their comparisons in order to ‘step aside’ and demonstrate AO2 in a single text.
In addition to AO1, Section 2 requires students to establish connections between their chosen texts from the genres of poetry and drama (AO4) demonstrate their appreciation of the significance of cultural and contextual influences on writers, readers and/or audiences (AO3) and read texts in a variety of ways and respond critically and creatively (AO5).ĪO2 is not assessed in Section 2 of this component.
Candidates must choose one question worth 30 marks and base their answer on a comparative study with substantial discussion of both texts. There will be six questions, each with a different thematic or literary focus. This guide will focus upon the poems of Christina Rossetti listed for study in Section 2, Component 01: ‘Drama and Poetry pre-1900.’ For Section 2 students study one drama text and one poetry text.
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