Answer critical essay questions requiring exploration of form, structure and language.

Component 1 – Poetry and Prose (Cambridge IGCSE 0475)

Purpose of these notes

Provide a step‑by‑step framework for answering critical essay questions that require you to explore form, structure and language in a poem or prose passage, while meeting all four Assessment Objectives (AO1‑AO4) of the syllabus.

1. Assessment Overview (Papers 1‑4 & Component 5)

Each component is marked against the same four Assessment Objectives (AO1‑AO4). Roughly 25 % of the mark for each AO (see p. 9 of the syllabus).

2. Set‑Text List (2026 edition)

3. Command‑Word repertoire

Identify the command word in the question and use the associated expectations:

• Analyse / Analyse how – break down technique(s) and explain effect.
• Explore / Examine – consider a range of techniques and their contribution to meaning.
• Evaluate / Assess – judge the effectiveness of the writer’s choices, providing a balanced view.
• Discuss – present a considered argument covering several viewpoints.
• Compare / Contrast – identify similarities and differences, linking each to meaning.
• Explain – give reasons for a particular effect or development.

4. Understanding the Question

1. Highlight the command word(s).
2. Identify the focus: form, structure, language, or a combination.
3. Note the required text(s) – usually one poem and one prose excerpt.
4. Check for extra demands (e.g., “consider the author’s background” → AO2; “evaluate effectiveness” → AO4).

5. AO‑Specific Prompt Checklist

• AO1 – Knowledge & Understanding – title, author, date, genre, 1‑2 sentence summary.
• AO2 – Contextual Insight – 1‑2 sentences of historical, biographical or literary context.
• AO3 – Analysis of Form, Structure & Language – detailed “what, why, how” for each technique.
• AO4 – Evaluation & Personal Response – clear thesis, sustained argument, final judgement of effectiveness.

6. Form – What to look for

6.1 Poetry (set‑text examples)

• Stanzaic pattern – number of lines, regular vs. irregular shape.
• Rhyme scheme – e.g., ABAB, AAAA; regularity can create order or tension.
• Meter & rhythm – iambic pentameter, tetrameter, free verse; influences pacing and mood.
• Line‑breaks & enjambment – control pauses, emphasis and movement of ideas.
• Caesura & pause – internal breaks that affect tone.
• Sound devices – alliteration, assonance, consonance, onomatopoeia, internal rhyme.

6.2 Prose (set‑text examples)

• Paragraphing – length, single‑ vs. multiple‑paragraph scenes, shifts in focus.
• Narrative voice – first‑person, third‑person limited/omniscient, unreliable narrator.
• Dialogue vs. description – how speech advances plot or reveals character.
• Literary devices – irony, foreshadowing, flash‑back, stream‑of‑consciousness.
• Sentence‑level form – simple vs. complex sentences, fragments, punctuation for effect.

7. Structure – Organising the Text

8. Language – Detailed Analysis

• Diction & register – connotation, formality, slang.
• Imagery & sensory detail – visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, gustatory.
• Figurative language – metaphor, simile, personification, symbolism, hyperbole.
• Sound devices – alliteration, assonance, consonance, onomatopoeia, internal rhyme.
• Syntax & punctuation – sentence length, parallelism, repetition, ellipsis, dashes.
• Quotation conventions – give line numbers for poetry (e.g., line 3) and page numbers for prose; use “…” for omissions, [] for added words, and enclose the quotation in single quotation marks.

9. Unseen‑Text Checklist (Paper 4)

1. Read quickly – note title, author (if given), genre, overall tone.
2. Annotate – underline striking form, structural shifts, and powerful language.
3. Identify AO requirements – does the question demand AO1‑AO4?
4. Plan (5 min) – intro, three body paragraphs, conclusion.
5. Apply the same framework used for set texts: AO1‑AO2 context, AO3 form/structure/language, AO4 evaluation.

10. Planning the Essay (600 words max)

1. Restate the question in your own words (1‑2 sentences).
2. Thesis statement – a single sentence linking form, structure and language to overall meaning or theme.
3. Paragraph outline
   • Intro (≈70 words) – AO1 (title, author, brief summary) + AO2 context + thesis.
   • Paragraph 1 – Form – two techniques, explain *what* they are, *why* they matter, *how* they affect meaning.
   • Paragraph 2 – Structure – two structural features, same analytical pattern.
   • Paragraph 3 – Language – two language choices, same analytical pattern.
   • Paragraph 4 – Synthesis/Evaluation (AO4) – show interaction of the three elements and judge their effectiveness.
   • Conclusion (≈50 words) – restate thesis, summarise key points, final evaluative comment.
4. Use **two textual references per paragraph** (quotations, line or page numbers). Keep each quotation to ≤ 8‑10 words.
5. Link ideas with cohesive devices (e.g., “Consequently”, “This creates”, “In contrast”).

11. Sample Answer Outline – Set Poem: “Follower” by Seamus Heaney (1990)

1. Introduction
   • Title, poet, date, genre; brief synopsis (son recalling his father’s skillful farming and his own desire to follow).
   • Context: Heaney’s rural Irish upbringing and the post‑war Irish poetic revival.
   • Thesis: Heaney’s irregular stanzaic form, chronological structural shift, and vivid agricultural language combine to foreground the theme of generational identity and the tension between admiration and independence.
2. Form
   • Four irregular stanzas (5‑4‑5‑4 lines) mirror the uneven rhythm of farm labour.
   • Predominant iambic tetrameter with occasional extra‑syllable feet creates a “walking” cadence echoing the act of following.
   • Effect: the irregularity destabilises the reader, reflecting the speaker’s conflicted feelings.
   • Evidence: ‘The ploughman’s foot / Stumbled in the sod’ (lines 3‑4).
3. Structure
   • Chronological movement: early stanzas describe the father’s mastery; middle stanza shows the son’s attempt to imitate; final stanza reverses the gaze, showing the son now leading.
   • Shift from past tense (stanzas 1‑2) to present tense (stanza 4) signals the transition from memory to lived reality.
   • Effect: underscores role reversal and the lasting impact of the father’s example.
   • Evidence: ‘I have known / The labour of his hand’ (line 13) vs. ‘I, too, have learned to follow’ (line 31).
4. Language
   • Colour imagery – “the bright, sharp‑cut wheat” (line 7) evokes vitality and skill.
   • Metaphor – the horse’s neck as a “bent‑over instrument” suggests strength and humility.
   • Repetition of “I was a …” creates a rhythmic echo mirroring the physical repetition of farm work.
   • Effect: agricultural diction grounds the poem in a specific cultural landscape while the metaphors elevate labour to art.
   • Evidence: ‘He was a farmer / He was a plough‑man’ (lines 1‑2).
5. Synthesis & Evaluation (AO4)
   • Form, structure and language intertwine to produce a layered portrait of admiration tinged with anxiety.
   • Heaney’s choices are highly effective: the reader feels the physicality of the farm and senses the emotional distance that later narrows.
6. Conclusion
   • Restate that the interplay of form, structure and language conveys the central theme of inter‑generational identity.
   • Briefly note the lasting relevance of Heaney’s technique for contemporary readers.

12. Examiner Checklist (What the marker looks for)

• All parts of the question answered?
• Clear thesis linking form, structure and language to meaning (AO4).
• Accurate AO1 knowledge: title, author, brief plot/character outline.
• Relevant AO2 context incorporated.
• Correct quotation conventions with line/page numbers.
• Each paragraph follows the “what‑why‑how” pattern.
• Logical progression and effective linking between paragraphs.
• Spelling, punctuation and grammar are accurate (AO4).

13. Common Pitfalls & How to Avoid Them

• Listing without analysis – always follow a technique with an explanation of its effect.
• Over‑generalising – use precise quotations; avoid vague statements like “the poem is sad”.
• Neglecting an AO – tick the checklist after writing to ensure AO1‑AO4 are covered.
• Excessive plot summary – limit plot description to the introductory AO1 paragraph.
• Informal language or first‑person pronouns unless the question explicitly allows a personal response.

14. Planning Diagram (Optional)

Draw a Venn‑style map with three intersecting circles labelled Form, Structure and Language. In each circle write a brief example from your chosen text (e.g., “irregular stanza length”). In the overlaps note how the techniques interact (e.g., “irregular stanza ↔ shifting tense ↔ colour imagery”). Use this visual before you start writing.

15. Link to Coursework (Component 5)

The analytical skills practiced here transfer directly to the extended essay (600‑1200 words). Remember to:

• Cover AO1‑AO4 comprehensively.
• Reference the *entire* set text, not just an excerpt.
• Provide a more extended contextual discussion (historical, literary, authorial).

16. Further Practice

1. Write a 600‑word essay on “Ozymandias” (Shelley) using the structure above.
2. Analyse the given prose excerpt from Great Expectations – focus on paragraphing, narrative voice and language.
3. Practice with an unseen poem: apply the “Unseen‑Text Checklist” and write a timed 30‑minute response.
4. Peer‑review a classmate’s essay using the Examiner Checklist; give specific feedback on each AO.