Essay Examples:
“Amends” by Adrienne
Rich A* vs B Grade Essays
Below, you’ll find a breakdown of an essay question on Adrienne Rich’s “Amends”, plus I’ve written a
couple of paragraphs that show how the finished piece would look after the planning stages are done.
The breakdown is split into keyword analysis of the question, how to collect quotations and ideas, how
to organise those into a plan, and finally the written sections of the essay.
There’s also another complete “Amends” example essay below, completed by one of my students, with
some basic feedback. You’re welcome to compare and contrast the two and write down any good essay
words or points of analysis that you read to use in your own future essays. See the feedback for both to
get an idea of what examiners are looking for in the very top grade essays.
THE QUESTION:
Comment closely on ways in which the writer uses imagery in the following poem.
STEP 1: KEYWORD ANALYSIS
Highlight the keywords:
Comment closely on ways in which the writer uses imagery in the following poem.
Break them down:
Comment closely — this shows that it is a discursive essay, a discussion of a topic, in this case,
“imagery”. Close analysis is the specific type of discursive essay that you have to do - the purpose of
this kind of essay is to dissect the poem in as much detail as possible and use a range of devices to
create deep meanings and interpretations (form/structure/language).
Imagery — focal point, shows that the essay has to be focused on techniques and types of imagery in
particular.
Copyright © 2021 Scrbbly
, RECAP: WHAT IS IMAGERY?
• Imagery is anything that produces a strong image in your head as you read. There are five types
of imagery: Visual / auditory / olfactory / gustatory / tactile — these relate to the five senses. Each
type of imagery has a slightly different feeling and writers use them to produce a range of effects. To
understand the effects of the imagery you choose, you need to go into depth with the context and
messages of the poem, then figure out what effects the poet intended.
• Within the imagery, you should also analyse a range of other techniques, so start with an image and
then break it down into grammar, semantics, other poetic devices, or structural comments.
STEP 2: READ POEM + ANNOTATE
• Underline quotations as you go, commenting briefly on the side of the poem
• Choose images that have strong effects and meanings
• Try to choose different ideas / techniques as much as possible
• Part to whole analysis — the individual small ideas you have should support the overall thesis or
argument of your essay
My personal quotations:
As I went through the poem, I found quotations that relate to imagery — mostly visual but also some
tactile. There is a group of synthesised quotations — you should do this if aiming for a high level in your
essays. A synthesised quotation is where you group several short phrases together — ones that don’t
come directly next to each other in the poem - to prove a single point. If you analyse quotations as a
group, it shows a higher level of analysis than if you just deal with one at a time by itself.
“on the cold apple-bough / a white star, then another / exploding out of the bark:”
( / - line break )
“moonlight picking at small stones // as it picks at greater stones”
( // - stanza break )
Synthesised quotations: “rises with the surf”, “licks the broken ledge”, “flows up the cliffs,” —
combines several short quotations together
“the hangared fuselage / of the crop-dusting plane”
“ it soaks through cracks into the trailers”
“as it dwells upon the eyelids of the sleepers as if to make amends.”
Copyright © 2021 Scrbbly
“Amends” by Adrienne
Rich A* vs B Grade Essays
Below, you’ll find a breakdown of an essay question on Adrienne Rich’s “Amends”, plus I’ve written a
couple of paragraphs that show how the finished piece would look after the planning stages are done.
The breakdown is split into keyword analysis of the question, how to collect quotations and ideas, how
to organise those into a plan, and finally the written sections of the essay.
There’s also another complete “Amends” example essay below, completed by one of my students, with
some basic feedback. You’re welcome to compare and contrast the two and write down any good essay
words or points of analysis that you read to use in your own future essays. See the feedback for both to
get an idea of what examiners are looking for in the very top grade essays.
THE QUESTION:
Comment closely on ways in which the writer uses imagery in the following poem.
STEP 1: KEYWORD ANALYSIS
Highlight the keywords:
Comment closely on ways in which the writer uses imagery in the following poem.
Break them down:
Comment closely — this shows that it is a discursive essay, a discussion of a topic, in this case,
“imagery”. Close analysis is the specific type of discursive essay that you have to do - the purpose of
this kind of essay is to dissect the poem in as much detail as possible and use a range of devices to
create deep meanings and interpretations (form/structure/language).
Imagery — focal point, shows that the essay has to be focused on techniques and types of imagery in
particular.
Copyright © 2021 Scrbbly
, RECAP: WHAT IS IMAGERY?
• Imagery is anything that produces a strong image in your head as you read. There are five types
of imagery: Visual / auditory / olfactory / gustatory / tactile — these relate to the five senses. Each
type of imagery has a slightly different feeling and writers use them to produce a range of effects. To
understand the effects of the imagery you choose, you need to go into depth with the context and
messages of the poem, then figure out what effects the poet intended.
• Within the imagery, you should also analyse a range of other techniques, so start with an image and
then break it down into grammar, semantics, other poetic devices, or structural comments.
STEP 2: READ POEM + ANNOTATE
• Underline quotations as you go, commenting briefly on the side of the poem
• Choose images that have strong effects and meanings
• Try to choose different ideas / techniques as much as possible
• Part to whole analysis — the individual small ideas you have should support the overall thesis or
argument of your essay
My personal quotations:
As I went through the poem, I found quotations that relate to imagery — mostly visual but also some
tactile. There is a group of synthesised quotations — you should do this if aiming for a high level in your
essays. A synthesised quotation is where you group several short phrases together — ones that don’t
come directly next to each other in the poem - to prove a single point. If you analyse quotations as a
group, it shows a higher level of analysis than if you just deal with one at a time by itself.
“on the cold apple-bough / a white star, then another / exploding out of the bark:”
( / - line break )
“moonlight picking at small stones // as it picks at greater stones”
( // - stanza break )
Synthesised quotations: “rises with the surf”, “licks the broken ledge”, “flows up the cliffs,” —
combines several short quotations together
“the hangared fuselage / of the crop-dusting plane”
“ it soaks through cracks into the trailers”
“as it dwells upon the eyelids of the sleepers as if to make amends.”
Copyright © 2021 Scrbbly
