Cambridge iGCSE English Lit poetry essay
plans
Grade 9 student
24/25 in poetry
The Telephone Call- Manipulation
Adcock presents the theme of manipulation by:
- belittling such an important moment for the speaker
-- hyperbole of 'ultra-super global special' only to belittle it after
-- caller is flippant and casual, 'thats what they all say belittles speaker's emotions
-- doesn't explicitly say 1mil
- using corporate jargon to sinisterly order the speaker how to react
-- 'go on' orders
-- contrasts with the speakers humane response
-- possible voyeuristic pleasure in that the speaker takes pleasure in experiencing the speaker's
emotions
-- 'relax' manipulation
-- 'have a little cry' order
-- 'laughed again' patronising
- revealing to the speaker that they have been successfully exploited by the caller
-- feed into computer suggests that caller feeds off emotions which is invasive and destructive
-- asks about the check and the response is 'oh/.../there is no check', patronising
-- dealing in experiences, corporate jargon again
Ozymandias- Time
Shelley expresses ideas about time by:
- highlighting the power of time and how it can destroy even the most powerful of tyrants
-- shattered visage serves as a reminder of the fleeting nature of human achievements.
-- sneer of cold command once inspired fear and obedience, is now frozen in a meaningless
expression.
- inviting the reader to compare man and nature
-- Shelley's imagery suggests a natural world whose might is far greater than that of humankind.
-- The statue is notably found in a desert, a landscape hostile towards life.
-- That the statue is"trunkless" suggests sandstorms eroded the torso or buried it entirely, while
the face being "shattered" implies humanity's relative weakness: even the destruction of a
hulking piece of stone is nothing for nature.
-- The fact that the remains of the statute are "half sunk" under the sand, meanwhile, evokes a
, kind of burial.
-- In fact, the statement "nothing beside remains" can be read as casting the fragments of the
statue as the "remains" of a corpse.
-- The encroaching sand described in the poem suggests that nature has steadily overtaken a
once great civilisation and buried it, just as nature will one day reclaim everything humanity has
built, and every individual human as well.
- contrasting the statue's grandiose inscription and its current state of ruin
-- The boastful words of Ozymandias' inscription suggest that he believed his works would
endure forever, yet the reality is that they have crumbled to dust.
-- The irony of the situation highlights the foolishness of human attempts to defy time and create
lasting legacies.
-- Shelley suggests that our desire for immortality is ultimately futile and that the only true legacy
we can leave is the memory of our deeds in the minds of those who come after us.
Rain- strong emotions
Thomas conveys strong emotions by:
- exploring the theme of the inevitability of death and how it will come as a relief for the speaker
-- modal verb 'shall' shows that death is inevitable and is guaranteed to come. the speaker takes
comfort in this
-- rain will 'wash him cleaner' which is biblical imagery like a baptism and readers can perhaps
infer that Thomas is comparing death to baptism as it is a way of rebirth and renewal.
-- looks forward to death as it cannot 'disappoint' him which makes the reader feel empathy for
him. takes comfort in the fact that death won't be a disappointment like other things have been in
his life
- inviting the reader to compare the constant, heavy rain with death
-- both have connotations of gloom and misery and they both have Thomas stuck sheltering in
'solitude'.
-- most people would find both death and rain negative experiences but for Thomas they are both
cleansing. biblical link to baptism again
-- relentlessness of rain can be compared to the relentlessness of death as they are both
ongoing natural processes that cannot be stopped
-- speaker seems to welcome death in this moment as he craves an escape from the 'solitude' on
this rainy day
- allowing the speaker to express a mix of sympathy for and alienation from the world's suffering
people.
-- Lying in a "bleak hut" during a persistent "midnight rain," the speaker feels profoundly cut off
from others.
-- In this lonely state, the speaker thinks of everyone else the rain is falling on—both "the living
and the dead."
-- The speaker prays that none of their own(former) loved ones is dying, in pain, or feeling the
same "Helpless" kind of "sympathy" they do.
-- Yet they insist that they no longer love anyone; they only love "death."
-- Through these statements, the poem shows how great "solitude" can produce a mix of
empathy and alienation.
-- A lonely person can keenly feel their distance from the rest of humanity, and even feel for the
rest of humanity, while losing all belief in their ability to help or connect with others.
plans
Grade 9 student
24/25 in poetry
The Telephone Call- Manipulation
Adcock presents the theme of manipulation by:
- belittling such an important moment for the speaker
-- hyperbole of 'ultra-super global special' only to belittle it after
-- caller is flippant and casual, 'thats what they all say belittles speaker's emotions
-- doesn't explicitly say 1mil
- using corporate jargon to sinisterly order the speaker how to react
-- 'go on' orders
-- contrasts with the speakers humane response
-- possible voyeuristic pleasure in that the speaker takes pleasure in experiencing the speaker's
emotions
-- 'relax' manipulation
-- 'have a little cry' order
-- 'laughed again' patronising
- revealing to the speaker that they have been successfully exploited by the caller
-- feed into computer suggests that caller feeds off emotions which is invasive and destructive
-- asks about the check and the response is 'oh/.../there is no check', patronising
-- dealing in experiences, corporate jargon again
Ozymandias- Time
Shelley expresses ideas about time by:
- highlighting the power of time and how it can destroy even the most powerful of tyrants
-- shattered visage serves as a reminder of the fleeting nature of human achievements.
-- sneer of cold command once inspired fear and obedience, is now frozen in a meaningless
expression.
- inviting the reader to compare man and nature
-- Shelley's imagery suggests a natural world whose might is far greater than that of humankind.
-- The statue is notably found in a desert, a landscape hostile towards life.
-- That the statue is"trunkless" suggests sandstorms eroded the torso or buried it entirely, while
the face being "shattered" implies humanity's relative weakness: even the destruction of a
hulking piece of stone is nothing for nature.
-- The fact that the remains of the statute are "half sunk" under the sand, meanwhile, evokes a
, kind of burial.
-- In fact, the statement "nothing beside remains" can be read as casting the fragments of the
statue as the "remains" of a corpse.
-- The encroaching sand described in the poem suggests that nature has steadily overtaken a
once great civilisation and buried it, just as nature will one day reclaim everything humanity has
built, and every individual human as well.
- contrasting the statue's grandiose inscription and its current state of ruin
-- The boastful words of Ozymandias' inscription suggest that he believed his works would
endure forever, yet the reality is that they have crumbled to dust.
-- The irony of the situation highlights the foolishness of human attempts to defy time and create
lasting legacies.
-- Shelley suggests that our desire for immortality is ultimately futile and that the only true legacy
we can leave is the memory of our deeds in the minds of those who come after us.
Rain- strong emotions
Thomas conveys strong emotions by:
- exploring the theme of the inevitability of death and how it will come as a relief for the speaker
-- modal verb 'shall' shows that death is inevitable and is guaranteed to come. the speaker takes
comfort in this
-- rain will 'wash him cleaner' which is biblical imagery like a baptism and readers can perhaps
infer that Thomas is comparing death to baptism as it is a way of rebirth and renewal.
-- looks forward to death as it cannot 'disappoint' him which makes the reader feel empathy for
him. takes comfort in the fact that death won't be a disappointment like other things have been in
his life
- inviting the reader to compare the constant, heavy rain with death
-- both have connotations of gloom and misery and they both have Thomas stuck sheltering in
'solitude'.
-- most people would find both death and rain negative experiences but for Thomas they are both
cleansing. biblical link to baptism again
-- relentlessness of rain can be compared to the relentlessness of death as they are both
ongoing natural processes that cannot be stopped
-- speaker seems to welcome death in this moment as he craves an escape from the 'solitude' on
this rainy day
- allowing the speaker to express a mix of sympathy for and alienation from the world's suffering
people.
-- Lying in a "bleak hut" during a persistent "midnight rain," the speaker feels profoundly cut off
from others.
-- In this lonely state, the speaker thinks of everyone else the rain is falling on—both "the living
and the dead."
-- The speaker prays that none of their own(former) loved ones is dying, in pain, or feeling the
same "Helpless" kind of "sympathy" they do.
-- Yet they insist that they no longer love anyone; they only love "death."
-- Through these statements, the poem shows how great "solitude" can produce a mix of
empathy and alienation.
-- A lonely person can keenly feel their distance from the rest of humanity, and even feel for the
rest of humanity, while losing all belief in their ability to help or connect with others.
