STRUCTURE OF A PRE-1914 ESSAY

- Start with the content of the poem

Then talk about the…
- Language and imagery
- Form
- Tone
Then write an overall conclusion including your personal response

Form – Structure of the poem (e.g.) enjambment, rhythm and rhyme

Language – Literacy Device
Imagery – Literacy Device
Content – What the poem is about (i.e.) the message/intention of the poem
Tone – Voice (e.g.) is it sarcastic/ angry or reflective etc.

You can remember it in the form of FLICT 

ADVICE
- Use a wide range of vocabulary + different comparative connectives
- Use quotations related to the question
- Always refer to the question
- Analyse quotations in detail but relate it to the question
- Weave in quotations
- If you have time after your language and imagery briefly mention the structure – but
only if there is something to say relating back to the theme of the question
- Content of all poems in the introduction

HITCHER
Poem based on disturbed persona which is used to explore the pressures of society.
You can compare this with ‘Havisham’

Content: It’s about a hard working man, but he has a lot of time off work because he’s
stressed from his job and needs to get away from it. He hires a car and picks up a hitch
hiker, who is the complete opposite to him. The hitch hiker is as free as a bird and he’s
jealous of him so he beats him up and kicks him out the car leaving him to walk from there.

Language and imagery: Euphemism “under the weather” – this shows he’s confused and
doesn’t know what’s wrong with him
‘I let him have it’ – this shows jealousy, another euphemism

Form: written in 1st person narrative and in the past tense which shows a clear insight into
his mind – creates immediacy

Tone: ‘I let him have it’ – angry tone. ‘You can walk from there’ – shows no kind of remorse,
calm.

OTHER POEMS
You can compare the ‘affliction of Margaret’ with ‘we remember your childhood well’
‘On my first sonne’ with ‘sonnet 130’