2.
From
the poetry you have studied choose a poet whose work impressed
you.
(a) What topics or themes does the poet
deal with in the poetry that you have
studied?
Support your answer with reference to the
work of your chosen poet. (15)
(b) Explain why you find the work of your
chosen poet impressive. Give reasons for your answer with reference to his or
her poetry. (15)
(a)
What topics or themes does the poet deal with in the poetry that
you have studied?
Sample Answer, part
(a)
I have studied two poems by Seamus Heaney,
“Digging”, and “St Kevin and the Blackbird.” I was very impressed with these
poems. They deal with quite different topics, but are both very interesting and
thought-provoking.
In “Digging”, Heaney writes about
maintaining a link with his heritage while being able to form a new identity of
his own. His father and grandfather were both rural men, who worked on the land
their whole lives. Heaney says, “By God, the old man could handle a spade. Just
like his old man.” Heaney is proud of their achievements. However, Heaney is not
going to be like them. He has “no spade to follow men like them.” As a writer,
he will lead a very different life. All the same, he says he will “dig” with his
pen, in order to keep the connection to his
past.
In “St. Kevin and the Blackbird”, Heaney
recounts an old story about the patron saint of Glendalough. Kevin was so deep
in prayer one day, that a bird nested in his hand. He stayed still for weeks to
allow the eggs to hatch. The theme that Heaney is exploring is how people behave
while they are doing a good deed. He asks is Kevin“self-forgetful or in agony
all the time?” Through Heaney’s description of Kevin, we realise that the saint
has “forgotten self, forgotten bird”. He does not dwell on the pain he is
experiencing. The key message of the poem is “to labour and not to seek reward”.
(b) Explain why you find the work of your
chosen poet impressive. Give reasons for your answer with reference to his or
her poetry. (15)
There are many reasons I enjoyed the work
of Seamus Heaney. I found his work surprisingly accessible. It was easier to
follow than I had expected. I particularly enjoyed his use of language,
especially when he was describing things I was unfamiliar with. Finally, I liked
how his own personality and opinions were evident in the poems.
In “St Kevin and the Blackbird”, we see
Heaney’s background as a teacher coming through. He guides us carefully through
the poem, making sure we understand each stage before moving on. The poem opens
with an easily understood summary of the St Kevin legend. Lines like, “The saint
is kneeling, arms stretched out, inside his cell” are immediately understood. I
found this very reassuring. Even in the second, more difficult section of the
poem, Heaney does what he can to help us. He instructs us to “Imagine being
Kevin” then asks “Which is he?” We are even given options to choose from!
Finally, we are guided to the correct answer. I thought the underlying idea of
the poem was quite difficult, but the way Heaney brought us to it really helped
me to grasp it.
I also enjoyed Heaney’s use of language. I
have no experience of digging potatoes, but in“Digging” I was able to imagine it
quite clearly. Using onomatopoeia, Heaney captured the “clean rasping sound when
the spade sinks into gravelly ground.”Alliteration is also used to great effect
in this line. He appeals to our senses when he uses tactile language in the line
“loving their cool hardness in our hands”. This gave me a great understanding of
what it must have been like to dig
potatoes.
Finally, Heaney’s ability to work his own
opinions into his poetry really impressed me. In “St Kevin and the Blackbird”,
Heaney points out that “the whole thing’s imagined anyhow.” I found this to be a
very refreshing and honest approach. His opinions are clear in “Digging” as
well. He settles his mind on how he will live his life, and announces
decisively, “I’ll dig with it.” I felt I got a glimpse of Heaney’s personality
through his poetry. All of these aspects – the accessibility, the innovative use
of language and the strong sense of personality – combined to make Heaney’s work
very impressive in my opinion.
From
the poetry you have studied choose a poet whose work impressed
you.
(a) What topics or themes does the poet
deal with in the poetry that you have
studied?
Support your answer with reference to the
work of your chosen poet. (15)
(b) Explain why you find the work of your
chosen poet impressive. Give reasons for your answer with reference to his or
her poetry. (15)
(a)
What topics or themes does the poet deal with in the poetry that
you have studied?
Sample Answer, part
(a)
I have studied two poems by Seamus Heaney,
“Digging”, and “St Kevin and the Blackbird.” I was very impressed with these
poems. They deal with quite different topics, but are both very interesting and
thought-provoking.
In “Digging”, Heaney writes about
maintaining a link with his heritage while being able to form a new identity of
his own. His father and grandfather were both rural men, who worked on the land
their whole lives. Heaney says, “By God, the old man could handle a spade. Just
like his old man.” Heaney is proud of their achievements. However, Heaney is not
going to be like them. He has “no spade to follow men like them.” As a writer,
he will lead a very different life. All the same, he says he will “dig” with his
pen, in order to keep the connection to his
past.
In “St. Kevin and the Blackbird”, Heaney
recounts an old story about the patron saint of Glendalough. Kevin was so deep
in prayer one day, that a bird nested in his hand. He stayed still for weeks to
allow the eggs to hatch. The theme that Heaney is exploring is how people behave
while they are doing a good deed. He asks is Kevin“self-forgetful or in agony
all the time?” Through Heaney’s description of Kevin, we realise that the saint
has “forgotten self, forgotten bird”. He does not dwell on the pain he is
experiencing. The key message of the poem is “to labour and not to seek reward”.
(b) Explain why you find the work of your
chosen poet impressive. Give reasons for your answer with reference to his or
her poetry. (15)
There are many reasons I enjoyed the work
of Seamus Heaney. I found his work surprisingly accessible. It was easier to
follow than I had expected. I particularly enjoyed his use of language,
especially when he was describing things I was unfamiliar with. Finally, I liked
how his own personality and opinions were evident in the poems.
In “St Kevin and the Blackbird”, we see
Heaney’s background as a teacher coming through. He guides us carefully through
the poem, making sure we understand each stage before moving on. The poem opens
with an easily understood summary of the St Kevin legend. Lines like, “The saint
is kneeling, arms stretched out, inside his cell” are immediately understood. I
found this very reassuring. Even in the second, more difficult section of the
poem, Heaney does what he can to help us. He instructs us to “Imagine being
Kevin” then asks “Which is he?” We are even given options to choose from!
Finally, we are guided to the correct answer. I thought the underlying idea of
the poem was quite difficult, but the way Heaney brought us to it really helped
me to grasp it.
I also enjoyed Heaney’s use of language. I
have no experience of digging potatoes, but in“Digging” I was able to imagine it
quite clearly. Using onomatopoeia, Heaney captured the “clean rasping sound when
the spade sinks into gravelly ground.”Alliteration is also used to great effect
in this line. He appeals to our senses when he uses tactile language in the line
“loving their cool hardness in our hands”. This gave me a great understanding of
what it must have been like to dig
potatoes.
Finally, Heaney’s ability to work his own
opinions into his poetry really impressed me. In “St Kevin and the Blackbird”,
Heaney points out that “the whole thing’s imagined anyhow.” I found this to be a
very refreshing and honest approach. His opinions are clear in “Digging” as
well. He settles his mind on how he will live his life, and announces
decisively, “I’ll dig with it.” I felt I got a glimpse of Heaney’s personality
through his poetry. All of these aspects – the accessibility, the innovative use
of language and the strong sense of personality – combined to make Heaney’s work
very impressive in my opinion.