Poetry and Modern Prose (4ET1): Revision Notes

Condensed for the final weeks. For the full explanation, use the Poetry and Modern Prose study guide.

Component 1 at a glance

Section	Focus	Marks	AOs
A	Unseen poem (printed on the paper)	20	AO2
B	Compare two anthology poems	30	AO2, AO3
C	Chosen modern prose text	40	AO1, AO4

2 hours, closed book, 90 marks total = 60% of the whole IGCSE.

Section A — unseen poem

• The poem is printed on the paper — no memorisation needed, just strong analytical skill.
• Pure AO2: focus entirely on how meaning and effects are created (language, form, structure), not what happens to be recalled about the poet.

Section B — comparing two poems

• One poem is usually specified; you select the second from the anthology.
• AO2 (language/form/structure) and AO3 (comparison) — a response that analyses each poem well but never directly compares them is missing AO3 marks entirely.
• Build short comparative notes across pairs of poems by theme — don’t revise poems only in isolation.

Section C — modern prose

• AO1 (informed, textually-supported response) and AO4 (understanding of context).
• Reward tracking how a theme or character develops across the whole novel, not just one memorable scene.
• Context (social, historical, cultural) must be integrated into the argument, not bolted on as a separate paragraph.

Timing and exam strategy

Because the three sections are not equally weighted, time should be allocated roughly in proportion to their marks rather than split evenly across the two hours: more time for Section C’s 40 marks than Section B’s 30, and the least time for Section A’s 20, while still leaving a few minutes at the end to check all three responses. A common cause of a disappointing overall mark is spending too long perfecting Section A’s shorter response and running out of time on Section C, where the largest number of marks is actually available.

Structural technique for Section A

Because Section A is pure AO2, a top-band response builds sustained analysis across three areas — language (imagery, word choice, sound), form (rhyme, meter, stanza shape), and structure (how the poem develops or shifts) — with every point rooted in a short, precisely selected quotation and a clear effect explained, not just named. Narrowing the focus onto structure specifically, when a question asks for it, means structural features such as where lines break or where a stanza ends should carry the analysis, rather than drifting into imagery or word choice as the main evidence.

Structural technique for Section B

The strongest Section B answers organise by point of comparison, not poem-by-poem — for instance, “both poets use natural imagery, but Poem A does X while Poem B does Y” — analysing language, form and structure in each poem with precision, and making the comparison explicit and sustained throughout rather than confined to a closing paragraph. Where a question specifies a shared feature such as imagery, both poems must be shown to use it in a genuinely comparable way, not merely both contain it.

Structural technique for Section C

Track the character or theme across at least three distinct points in the novel — beginning, a turning point, and the ending or a late development — using specific, well-chosen textual evidence at each point, and integrate relevant context (social, historical, cultural) that illuminates why the character or theme develops as it does, rather than adding context as a disconnected final paragraph. A frequently tested angle within this section is using a specific setting to reflect or influence a character’s state of mind at two different points in the novel — track the same setting, or a contrasting pair of settings, and use each to make an explicit claim about the character’s development, rather than describing the setting for its own sake.

Where marks are usually lost across all three sections

Beyond the section-specific traps below, three general patterns recur across the whole paper: Section B answers that analyse each poem in a separate half rather than comparing directly point by point; Section C answers that retell the plot instead of tracking character or theme development with a clear argument; and context in Section C treated as a bolt-on paragraph rather than woven into the analysis throughout.

Exam traps

• Writing about only one poem in Section B when comparison is explicitly credited.
• In Section C, summarising plot instead of building an argument about character/theme development.
• Forgetting that set texts (poetry anthology and prose novel) rotate by examination series — always confirm your own series’ texts.
• Spending equal time on all three sections when they are not equally weighted (40 > 30 > 20 marks).

Self-test

1. How many marks is Component 1 worth, and what percentage of the IGCSE is that?
2. Which AOs does Section B assess, and what does the second one specifically require you to do?
3. Why does a Section C answer that only summarises plot underperform?
4. Given the mark split (40/30/20), how might you allocate your two hours?

Answers: 1. 90 marks, 60% of the whole IGCSE. 2. AO2 and AO3 — AO3 specifically requires directly comparing the two poems, not just analysing them side by side. 3. Because Section C rewards AO1 (a supported, developing argument) and AO4 (context), neither of which a plot summary demonstrates. 4. Roughly proportionally to the marks: more time on Section C (40 marks) than Section B (30), and least on Section A (20), while leaving time to check all three responses.