Work through the list without notes. If you cannot do a statement, follow its link, then come back. Guide = study guide; Practice = practice questions.
Understanding
- I can explain the difference between a symbol and an image. (Guide: “What makes something a symbol?”; Practice Question 1)
- I can explain why a symbol is built by the poem and is not a fixed code. (Guide: “What makes something a symbol?”; Practice Question 5)
- I can explain the difference between a symbol and a metaphor. (Guide: “What makes something a symbol?”)
- I can explain how a symbol can imply a speaker’s attitude. (Guide: Worked example 2; Practice Question 6)
Skills
- I can spot a possible symbol by its weight (repetition, position, emotion). (Guide: “Five questions”; Practice Question 4)
- I can track how a poem uses a symbol across its lines. (Guide: Worked example 1; Practice Question 2)
- I can state what a symbol suggests as a sentence about this poem. (Guide: Worked example 1; Practice Question 7)
- I can explain a double meaning in a word that carries a symbol, such as “blackening”. (Guide: Worked example 2; Practice Question 3)
Reasoning
- I can avoid one-to-one decoding and give evidence for what the poem makes the symbol suggest. (Guide: “Weak and strong versions”; Practice Question 5)
- I can link a symbol to the speaker’s attitude and to the poem’s whole meaning. (Guide: Worked examples 1 and 2; Practice Questions 6 and 8)
- I can explain how two symbols in one poem work together. (Guide: Worked example 2)
- I can write a paragraph on a symbol with a claim, evidence and commentary. (Practice Questions 7 and 8)
When every box is ticked, move on to the 8.4 study guide.