Answer one question requiring critical commentary on previously unseen prose or poetry.

IGCSE Literature – Component 4 : Unseen (Paper 4) Overview

1. Module snapshot – all assessment components

2. Cambridge Assessment Objectives (AO) for Paper 4

3. Command‑word cheat‑sheet

4. Exam‑room rules for Paper 4 (Unseen)

• Closed‑book – no notes, dictionaries or electronic devices.
• Only the extract supplied is to be used; you may not refer to any other text.
• Time: 35‑40 minutes for the commentary (remaining time for reading, planning and proofreading).
• Write legibly; use the answer booklet provided.
• Do not write any additional material on the question paper.

5. Time‑allocation overview (75 minutes total)

6. Step‑by‑step approach (with AO reminders)

1. Read the text twice.
   • First reading – grasp overall meaning, tone and speaker (AO1).
   • Second reading – hunt for unfamiliar words, contextual clues, and structural features (AO2 & AO3).
2. Annotate (use a pencil and symbols).
   • AO1 – Content: note text type, speaker, addressee, setting, any plot or character hints.
   • AO2 – Context: mark clues to period, social issue, cultural reference, or personal circumstance.
   • AO3 – Language & structure: highlight imagery, metaphor, simile, personification, irony, sound devices, enjambment, caesura, punctuation, stanza/paragraph breaks, narrative voice, tone shifts.
   • Write brief marginal notes such as “metaphor = river ↔ time” or “caesura → pause = hesitation”.
3. Plan your commentary (5‑7 min).
   • Formulate a clear thesis that links technique(s) to overall meaning/purpose (AO4).
   • Decide on 3‑4 main points; each should cover a different technique or effect (AO3).
   • For each point, list 1‑2 concrete quotations and the analytical comment you will make (AO2).
   • Outline paragraph order: Introduction → Body 1 → Body 2 → Body 3 (optional 4) → Conclusion.
4. Write the commentary (35‑40 min).
   • Introduction (≈4‑5 lines)
     • Brief paraphrase of the extract (AO1).
     • Identify text type, speaker and any contextual hint (AO2).
     • State a focused thesis that answers the question and hints at the techniques you will discuss (AO4).
   • Body paragraphs (≈8‑10 lines each)
     1. Topic sentence – a claim about a technique and its effect (AO3).
     2. Quote or precise reference (include line/paragraph numbers).
     3. Analyse: name the technique, explain how it works, and use commentary verbs (“conveys”, “creates”, “evokes”).
     4. Link to overall meaning, context or personal response (AO2 & AO4).
   • Conclusion (≈3‑4 lines)
     • Restate the thesis in new words.
     • Summarise how the selected techniques collectively achieve the writer’s purpose.
5. Proof‑read (2‑3 min).
   • Check spelling, punctuation and that all quotations are accurate.
   • Confirm you have used at least three different literary terms correctly (AO3).
   • Ensure linking words (however, therefore, consequently) guide the reader.

7. Key skills required for Paper 4

• Close reading and systematic annotation.
• Identifying and naming literary and linguistic techniques (AO3).
• Linking technique → effect → purpose/personal response (AO2 & AO4).
• Planning a logical, paragraph‑based commentary.
• Using precise commentary language (e.g. “conveys”, “evokes”, “underscores”).
• Effective time management (35‑40 min writing).

8. Commentary language tips (AO3 & AO4)

• Verbs of effect: conveys, creates, evokes, highlights, reinforces, undermines, suggests, intimates.
• Link technique → effect → purpose: “The alliteration ‘whispering winds’ evokes a hushed atmosphere, underscoring the speaker’s sense of isolation.”
• When referring to context, use phrases such as “in a post‑war setting”, “reflecting Victorian anxieties”, or “drawing on the poet’s personal loss”.

9. Quick terminology reference (AO3)

10. Sample unseen extracts (exam‑style)

Poem – “The Glass Garden” (excerpt)

The glass garden glitters, a city of frost,
Where roses bloom in silver, never lost.
A child watches, breath a ghostly plume,
While distant drums beat an ancient doom.

Possible question: “Analyse how the poet constructs an atmosphere of tension and hope in the extract.”

Prose – “The Letter” (excerpt)

She unfolded the paper with trembling fingers, the ink already smudged by rain. “Dear Thomas,” it began, “the night has grown long, and the shadows in the hallway whisper your name.” She read the words twice, each time hearing the faint echo of a clock ticking, counting down to a moment she could not name.

Possible question: “Discuss how the writer uses language and structure to develop a sense of unease.”

Drama – “The Last Light” (excerpt)

[Lights dim. MARIA stands centre‑stage, clutching a cracked photograph.]
MARIA:
What ruins us, dear? The silence of the streets,
Or the echo of promises we never kept?
[She steps forward, the sound of distant sirens swelling.]

Possible question: “Explore how the playwright creates a feeling of isolation through stage directions and dialogue.”

11. Sample commentary outline (poem)

1. Introduction – Paraphrase: a fragile, glass‑like garden where roses survive while ominous drums sound.
   Thesis: The poet creates tension through contrasting visual imagery of “glass”/“silver” (hope) and auditory menace of “drums”/“doom” (threat), reinforced by sound devices and a shift in tone.
2. Paragraph 1 – Visual & symbolic imagery (AO3)
   • Quote: “glass garden”, “city of frost”.
   • Analyse the metaphor of fragility and coldness, suggesting a precarious hope.
   • Link to AO2: evokes a post‑industrial, desolate setting.
3. Paragraph 2 – Auditory & rhythmic devices (AO3)
   • Quote: “distant drums beat an ancient doom”.
   • Analyse onomatopoeia (“drums”) and heavy diction (“doom”), creating a foreboding rhythm that counters earlier lightness.
   • Link to AO4: heightens the reader’s sense of impending danger.
4. Paragraph 3 – Juxtaposition & tone shift (AO3)
   • Contrast “roses bloom in silver, never lost” with “ancient doom”.
   • Explain how the juxtaposition heightens tension while preserving a thread of optimism.
   • Link to AO2 & AO4: reflects a universal conflict between hope and fear.
5. Conclusion – Restate that through stark visual contrast, sound imagery and a shifting tone, the poet balances hope and tension, leaving the reader aware of both beauty and impending danger.

12. Mini‑rubric (Levels 4‑8) – mirrors official marking scheme

13. Checklist before submitting

• AO1 – Have I identified text type, speaker, setting and any plot details?
• AO2 – Did I note contextual clues and link them to meaning?
• AO3 – Have I analysed at least three different techniques, naming them correctly?
• AO4 – Do I explain how each technique contributes to the writer’s purpose and to my personal response?
• Structure – Clear introduction, body paragraphs with topic sentence → evidence → analysis → link, and concise conclusion?
• Language – Appropriate commentary verbs, no slang, accurate spelling and punctuation?
• Timing – All stages completed within the allocated minutes?

14. Visual reminder (flowchart)

Suggested flowchart for your revision notebook: read → annotate → plan → write → proof‑read. Sketch it in the margin of your practice booklet to visualise the process.