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English Literature: All Topics
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Which qualification and component contains the unseen-poetry task?
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Edexcel IGCSE English Literature
English Literature: All TopicsComplete deck
01·1.1 Unseen Poetry
Which qualification and component contains the unseen-poetry task?
Answer
Pearson Edexcel International GCSE English Literature (4ET1), Component 1: Poetry and Modern Prose (4ET1/01), Section A.
02·1.1 Unseen Poetry
Is Section A unseen poetry compulsory in both qualification routes?
Answer
Yes. All candidates take Component 1; the choice between examined Component 2 and coursework Component 3 does not change Section A.
03·1.1 Unseen Poetry
How many marks is the Component 1 unseen-poetry question worth?
Answer
20 marks, all allocated to AO2.
04·1.1 Unseen Poetry
How many unseen-poetry questions must a candidate answer in Section A?
Answer
One compulsory essay question on the poem printed in the assessment; there is no question choice within Section A.
05·1.1 Unseen Poetry
Which assessment objective is tested in Section A?
Answer
AO2: analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects.
06·1.1 Unseen Poetry
Does Section A require comparison with an anthology poem?
Answer
No. Comparison belongs to Section B; Section A analyses the unseen poem itself.
07·1.1 Unseen Poetry
Does Section A require a prescribed unseen-poetry set text or edition?
Answer
No. The poem is unfamiliar and reproduced in the question, so no particular unseen poem or prescribed edition is required.
08·1.1 Unseen Poetry
May candidates take annotated poems into Component 1?
Answer
No. Component 1 is closed book, but the relevant poems, including the unseen poem, are provided in the assessment.
09·1.1 Unseen Poetry
How long is the whole Component 1 written examination?
Answer
Two hours for all three sections; 35 minutes on Section A is a study-guide suggestion, not a separate official time limit.
10·1.1 Unseen Poetry
What three areas of a writer’s craft must an AO2 unseen-poetry response analyse?
Answer
Language, form and structure; explain how their choices create meaning and effects rather than merely naming devices.
11·1.1 Unseen Poetry
What types of poetic effects does the specification explicitly highlight?
Answer
Imagery, descriptive skills, language choice, tone and mood, structure and form are examples to analyse, alongside relevant evidence and terminology.
12·1.1 Unseen Poetry
What is a poem’s speaker?
Answer
The voice speaking within the poem; it is not automatically identical to the real poet.
13·1.1 Unseen Poetry
What is the addressee of a poem?
Answer
The person, group or thing addressed by its speaker; identifying the addressee can clarify relationships and purpose.
14·1.1 Unseen Poetry
What is a poem’s subject?
Answer
The situation, person, event, place or idea explicitly presented; distinguish it from the wider theme the details may imply.
15·1.1 Unseen Poetry
What is a poetic theme?
Answer
An underlying idea explored through the poem, such as belonging or change, which should be inferred from particular details.
16·1.1 Unseen Poetry
What is the difference between explicit and implicit meaning?
Answer
Explicit meaning is stated directly; implicit meaning is suggested through the writer’s choices and must be supported by textual evidence.
17·1.1 Unseen Poetry
What is an interpretation of a poem?
Answer
A plausible explanation of what its details suggest, supported by precise language, form or structural evidence.
18·1.1 Unseen Poetry
What makes a reader-response claim appropriate for AO2?
Answer
It links a specific poetic choice to a plausible effect, while allowing that other readers may reasonably respond differently.
19·1.1 Unseen Poetry
Why is the title part of the evidence in an unseen poem?
Answer
Its wording can establish expectations, focus the central idea or acquire changed significance after the ending.
20·1.1 Unseen Poetry
Why should the first reading of an unfamiliar poem establish the basic situation?
Answer
Knowing who speaks, to whom, where and about what prevents unsupported technique-spotting and gives later AO2 analysis a coherent basis.
21·1.1 Unseen Poetry
How should a candidate handle an unfamiliar word whose meaning is uncertain?
Answer
Use the surrounding image, sentence, contrast and tone to make a cautious inference; avoid building a whole argument on an unverified definition.
22·1.1 Unseen Poetry
Why can a poem support two different interpretations?
Answer
Specific details may carry several associations or work in tension; both interpretations are legitimate when each is explained through the wording.
23·1.1 Unseen Poetry
What is diction in poetry?
Answer
The poet’s selection of words; their precision, register and connotations can shape a speaker’s attitude and the reader’s response.
24·1.1 Unseen Poetry
What is a connotation?
Answer
An association or feeling suggested by a word beyond its literal definition; it should be justified in context.
25·1.1 Unseen Poetry
What is imagery?
Answer
Descriptive or figurative language that evokes sensory impressions or ideas, influencing how the subject is imagined.
26·1.1 Unseen Poetry
What is a semantic field?
Answer
A pattern of words with related meanings, such as imprisonment or movement, which can reinforce or complicate a poem’s central concern.
27·1.1 Unseen Poetry
What is a simile?
Answer
An explicit comparison, commonly using “like” or “as”, that helps the reader understand one thing through another.
28·1.1 Unseen Poetry
What is a metaphor?
Answer
A comparison presenting one thing as another, transferring qualities and associations rather than asserting literal identity.
29·1.1 Unseen Poetry
What is personification?
Answer
Attributing human qualities or actions to something non-human, potentially altering its emotional or moral significance.
30·1.1 Unseen Poetry
What is an extended metaphor?
Answer
A comparison developed through several linked details, allowing a single image to shape a sustained interpretation.

