Sample question

Read this question carefully. It is similar to the type of question you will be asked in the exam

Teacher's note

If you are ready to practise writing a full answer, you should spend 40 minutes on this, and write about two poems. In the exam itself, you will only have 30 minutes for this question.

For each poem:

• Make it clear what the poet is writing about.
• Refer to anything you know about the context of the poem which helps you to understand the poems.
• Remember to comment in detail about how the poem is written, referring to particular words and phrases.
• What do you think the poet has to say about the past, and the way it relates to the present?

If you would prefer to concentrate on just Moniza Alvi's poem at this stage, write for 20 minutes.

In writing about Moniza Alvi's poem, you could include short paragraphs about:

• The poet's personal history, and how this links with the situation described in the poem.
• The imagery of Pakistan and the imagery of England.
• What the poem says about the girl's thoughts and feelings.

If you want to practise writing a full answer, you could also write about the poem by Sujata Bhatt, Grace Nichols, Fiona Farrell or Edward Kamau Brathwaite.

When writing about two poems, you should try to end by making a connection between the two. In what ways are the poems similar - in the style of language, or in ideas? In what ways are they different?