IGCSE Pearson Edexcel
English Lit
Poetry Section B
,Do not go gentle into that good night Remember
Key idea: elderly people shouldn’t simply give up and give in to death Key idea: her partner shouldn’t simply give up remembering her
Quote: ‘do not’ Quote: ‘Remember’
Technique: imperative Technique: repetition, imperative
Analysis: commanding you to resist death, it conveys the author’s desperation in achieving this message Analysis: the imperative creates a sense of desperation, as she commands her
Quote: ‘burn and rave’ partner repeatedly to keep her memory alive, out of fear that she will disappear from
Technique: bold imagery her lover’s mind.
Analysis: those who know death is approaching with their age should fight fiercely against it, implying that life is
precious and worth fighting for.
Key idea: acceptance that loss of memory is inevitable
Technique: loss of rhyme scheme after the volta
Key idea: acceptance that loss of life is inevitable Analysis: At the volta, she becomes more contemplative of her partner’s happiness.
Quote: ‘wise’, ‘good’, ‘wild’, ‘grave’ The loss of rhyme scheme at the end reflects how they break away from
Technique: adjectives expectations of wanting to be grieved or remembered as they die; they selflessly
Analysis: the variety of adjectives of characters of people shows the universality of death and how it affects all prioritise their partner’s happiness over their own desires as an act of love.
kinds of men regardless of the life they lead. The only power they have is how they challenge it to win more
time on Earth. It encourages the farther to take inspiration from the fact they all fight to the bitter end, despite
Key idea: Time is limited and therefore invaluable
their situation.
Quote: ‘no more hold me by the hand’
Technique: verb
Key idea: Time is limited and therefore invaluable (life is short) Analysis: The poet wishes to turn back when she is nearing her death as he was
Quote: ‘forked no lightning’ always there to ‘hold’ her hand, the verb expresses the importance of physical
Technique: modal verb, regretful tone contact to her. Hence, in the future, she feels sad about her lonely journey to oblivion
Analysis: The ’wise’ academics and intelects look back on their life and regret how their words and capabilities without any contact with her lover.
left no impact, like lightning however would, although they could have. They regret this and therefore do not
calmly accept their death and fight for more time to achieve their full potential.
Key idea: lack of control to how their partner will grieve
Technique: Iambic pentameter
Key idea: lack of control against death Analysis: the control in structure through the iambic pentameter contrasts with the
Technique: villanelle lack of control they have of their death and how their partner will cope with it.
Analysis: controlled structure draws parallels to his desire to control his father’s actions facing death. The
author may find comfort in the controlled structure as a contrast to facing death as it’s unpredictable of when it
will take his father, so this way he feels as though he has control over the situation.
Key idea: memories last longer than the physical form
Key idea: memories last longer than the physical form Quote: ‘silent land’
Quote: ‘blinding sight’ Technique: metaphor
Technique: oxymoron Analysis: The poet imagines her death as a journey to a ‘silent land’ a place that
Analysis: despite the decay of physical sight, it doesn't mean the elderly can't see their past clearly in their own takes both her body and her voice away from her love. Memory will be all that’s left
memories. Their memories "blaze" in their blind eyes; in other words, the joy of a life well lived reflects in their to the beloved so the speaker insists that he should cling to it as a form of
face and continues to survive, despite their age and physical state. communication between them.
,Prayer before birth Blessing
Key idea: unborn desires that God protects them Key idea: children are grateful for God’s protection
Quote: ‘I am not yet born’ Quote: ‘blessing’, ‘congregation’, ‘god’
Technique: anaphora Technique: semantic field of religion
Analysis: repeated throughout the poem to remind the reader of youth and moreover innocence and Analysis: the abundance of water is to be depicted as a blessing; they show enormous amounts of gratitude and joy
vulnerability, highlights the need for protection from God to protect them; there’s a sense of desperation for its presence, likened to the presence of God in religion. They all come together like a ‘congregation’ to praise
throughout the structure. God for his gift.
Key idea: acceptance that loss of innocence is inevitable Key idea: the reader should accept that they’re in a privileged position, naivety to the world around
Quote: ‘they think me’ Technique: short sentences & stanzas, contrast
Technique: repetition of pronoun, passive Analysis: It is significant that short stanzas (with short, abrupt sentences) express what it is like to be without water
Analysis: the author creates a sense of hopelessness, that it is part of fate they will sin; they have no control and the longing for it, then the longer stanzas (with flowing sentences) contrast to what it is like suddenly to have
over their loss of innocence as if the responsibility lies in others and their actions. water. This creates a sense of gratitude for the reader to be in their position where water is in abundance, by forcing
them to experience the perspective of those who don’t have something essential to survive.
Key idea: unborn child is limited to growing up in the society they’re born into Key idea: developed Western society doesn’t value the same as what lower income countries do
Quote: ‘drugs dope me’ (differences between in society, two separate worlds)
Technique: alliteration, assonance, internal rhyme Quote: ‘silver crashes to the ground’
Analysis: highlights the terror of entering the world of torture for the unborn, which they can’t escape from. Technique: metaphor, contrast, noun, title
This is juxtaposed with nursery rhyme-like style of the internal rhyme, to symbolise the manipulation they will Analysis: In this environment, the occasional overflow of water feels like a "Blessing," one that fosters joy and
face. communal togetherness, which draws contrast to a modern society of capitalism known to have an ethos of ‘it’s
every man for himself’. The rushing water, shimmering in the bright sun, shines like ‘silver’; but the noun also
suggests its value to the villagers - like an outpouring of precious metal, which will make them rich.
Key idea: lack of free will Key idea: lack of water
Quote: ‘must play’ Quote: ‘skin cracks like a pod’
Technique: modal verb, extended metaphor Technique: simile, verb
Analysis: author feels that their personality is restricted to conform to what others want and what is socially Analysis: the verb ‘cracks’ conveys the discomfort and negative impact on health the children face due to
expected, essentially they will have no freedom to develop into their own person. They will have a lack of dehydration and the scarcity of water, creating pathos towards them. It could also imply that the crops are failing to
free will like an actor in a play. grow due to the severe dryness of the earth, emphasising the extent of their crisis.
Key idea: they will be only valued as a physical form (employment) Key idea: the physical form of the children is concerning
Quote: ‘cog in a machine’ ‘thing’ Quote: ‘small bones’, ‘roar of tongues’
Technique: metaphor, noun Technique: adjective, onomatopoeia
Analysis: when the child is at the age to work, they may be dehumanized and viewed as just a component in Analysis: the children are malnourished and underfed, highlighting the importance of water for them (to grow crops).
a huge corporation to produce profit (like a labourer) rather than an individual with feelings and morals. The ‘roar’ of them presents them as enthusiastic or desperate for the water; they react to water uncontrollably as
Considered easy to manipulate for someone’s gain (like a boss) and dispose of, noun ‘thing’. they are likened to animals as their bodies in severe need for it.
,The Tyger If
Key idea: the author questions his identity following Christianity Key idea: acceptance of defeat (inevitable)
Quote: ‘did he who make the lamb make thee?’ Quote: ‘meet with Triumph and Disaster’, ‘two imposters’
Technique: religious allusion, list of questions Technique: personification, capitalisation, metaphor
Analysis: Blake brings to light a reference to a higher power or specifically in this poem God. In this line Blake is Analysis: The noun and metaphor of ‘imposter’ highlights how success and defeat are in disguise (they may
wondering in awe if God, who made the docile and innocent Lamb, is also the creator of the ferocious “tyger.” have unexpected outcomes, failure may lead to something better), they will inevitably disappear, so the reader
He questions the nature of God’s creation throughout the poem, which can be exemplified through the list of is advised not to dwell on them - treating them as equals. They are personified and capitalised to emphasise
questions; exerting how his questions are yet to be answered on the topic of Christianity. their guaranteed presence and just like humans, they will be met. It’s part of life to endure troubles and a ‘Man’
is aware of this.
Key idea: self-control
Key idea: risk of free will Quote: ‘If you can keep your head...losing theirs and blaming it on you’
Quote: ‘when the stars threw down their spears And water’d heaven with their tears:’ Technique: metaphor, iambic pentameter
Technique: personification, metaphor, contrast Analysis: The importance to a man to keep composure and a level head, even when those around him are not
Analysis: ‘Stars’ is a metaphor for angels, which directly link to heaven and innocence, who are personified to and blaming the reader. A symbol of the brain is used to emphasise that being a man doesn’t rely on
protest against the creation of humankind and their free will. The violent imagery ‘spears’ and ‘tears’ contrasts to physicalities, but the ability to be perceptive and use self-control to their advantage. It displays message that
this, to highlight how mankind has destroyed the purity of the world God created. one should never let emotions get the best of one, and should avoid stooping to the level of one's enemies. The
well balanced and controlled structure of the iambic pentameter mirrors the self-control needed to gain respect
as a man.
Key idea: Duality of God
Quote: ‘fearful symmetry’, ‘twist the sinews of thy heart?’ Key idea: universal message, guide for humanity
Technique: contrast Quote: ‘you’
Analysis: He is describing not only the remarkable patterns on the tiger’s skin and fur which humans have Technique: direct address, repetition, rhyme scheme
learned to go in fear of, but the ‘symmetry’ between the innocent lamb on the one hand and the fearsome tiger Analysis: "you" is repeated on almost every line, the majority of the poem reads as if it's addressed to anyone at
on the other. all. Everyone who reads "If—," it seems, could very well imagine that the words are intended for them to use as
a guide. Or, at the very least, readers can reasonably assume that the poem is about humanity in general, as
Key idea: God is a creator, power of God the speaker dispenses advice that more or less applies to everybody. Although the speaker's advice is stern,
Quote: ‘anvil’ and ‘furnace’ this easy, music-like rhyme scheme feels appealing, friendly to encourage others to live a meaningful life.
Technique: powerful imagery, aural images, references to sources of power
Analysis: Blake introduces another central metaphor, explicitly drawing a comparison between God and a Key idea: strength
blacksmith. It is as if the Creator made the blacksmith in his forge, hammering the base materials into the living Quote: ‘heart’,’nerve’, ‘sinew’, ‘hold on’
and breathing ferocious creature which now walks the earth. Powerful images are demonstrated through the Technique: metaphor, synecdoche, imagery of suffering
references to the blacksmith’s tools or those of the Industrial Revolution when Great Britain was most powerful; Analysis: The language of body parts is a metaphor for exhaustion, or fatigue one will face. Therefore the
the strong rhythm and beat reflect the noise and vibration of manufacturing and provide powerful aural images. reader is said to ‘force’ them to serve long after they are gone, to imply that strength is needed even past life or
with physical aging - through the legacy or reputation left behind. The repetition and quotation of ‘hold on’,
creates an image of suffering, implying the reader needs resilience.
Key idea: power of the tyger, tyger born with physical power
Quote: ‘burning bright’, ‘ forests of the night’
Technique: contrasting colour imagery, six quatrains, rhyming couplets, repeated alliteration Key idea: manhood isn't something one is physically born with, but a quality one earns
Analysis: the six quatrains each have two pairs of rhyming couplets; this structure, together with the regularity of Quote: ‘if’, ‘Man’
the questions, patterns of language and repeated alliteration, provide dramatic emphasis to create a powerful Technique: anaphora, repetition, title, advisory tone, capitalisation
image of the tiger. The power of the tiger is conveyed through the use of contrasting colour imagery: ‘burning Analysis: Anaphora of ‘if’ makes the poem move, as the reader is working their way through it in order to get to
bright’, ‘ forests of the night’. The contrast of light and dark makes the tiger’s appearance even more powerful. the effects of what will happen if they’re able to accomplish all that it mentions, as shown by the advisory tone.
The significance of ‘if’ throughout the poem is to emphasise that manhood isn’t granted to any male: it requires
a various & demanding list of qualities to be able to earn the title. The capitalisation of ‘Man’ is used to express
it’s great importance; it’s something to strive towards, to the speaker to be a man is a virtue, an achievement,
and its own reward.
, Sonnet 116 La Belle Dame sans Merci
Key idea: love is guidance, invaluable Key idea: the Knight is vulnerable
Quote: ‘ever fixed mark’, ‘never shaken’, ‘star’ Quote: palely loitering’, ‘withered from the lake’
Technique: metaphor Technique: pathetic fallacy
Analysis: love is a form of guidance, the noun ‘mark’ draws parallels to a lighthouse or a ‘star’ because it is Analysis: the atmosphere is intriguing from the start, with questions raised for the reader about the solitude of
constant and in the same place, and it can weather even the most harrowing of storms or tempests and is never the doomed ‘loitering’ knight-at- arms and whether he is a victim; the use of pathetic fallacy makes it seem that
even shaken, let alone defeated, therefore it should provide one with strength to carry on with life. However a nature reflects the feelings of the knight and his lack of health: ‘The sedge has withered', 'no birds sing'. He is a
star is unreachable, and exceeds human comprehension, a metaphor for love and how it’s invaluable. non-stereotypical Knight: he’s ill and sad.
Key idea: real love doesn’t change Key idea: love is dangerous
Quote: ‘alters when it alteration finds’, 'remover to remove’ Quote: ‘and no birds sing’
Technique: polyptoton Technique: cyclical structure, repetition
Analysis: emphasis on the constancy and durability of love: it is not true love if one stops loving one because Analysis: The line ‘and no birds sing’ is repeated in both the first and last stanza, in order to ground the reader
there is a change. Shakespeare is telling the reader that if love changes, it is not truly loved because if it back into reality after the fantastical events which occur in the middle of the poem with the siren. It reflects how
changes, or if someone tries to “remove” it, nothing will change it. Love does not stop just because something is the knight is now dying as a result of loving the siren and therefore a the cyclical poem could reflect the dangers
altered. of love and how it can make one naive.
Key idea: Shakespeare presents a criteria for real love, he believes it can’t be challenged Key idea: imbalanced power dynamic, woman is in control, challenges gender normalities
Quote: ‘proved’ Quote: ‘I set her’, ‘She found me’
Technique: iambic pentameter, verse poem, 3 quatrains, language of certainty Technique: contrast, passive
Analysis: The controlled structure depicts the power real love has and how Shakespeare is definite that it is only Analysis: The Knight is presented initially as in control of her, but this contrasts in the next stanza ‘she found
real if it aligns with the messages he presents, which are split into three quatrains. If one’s love doesn’t align it’s me’ where he is in passive. The power dynamic shifts between male and female, as she entrances, bewitches
end is inevitable and predictable, mirrored in the structure. Shakespeare is sure of this using language of and entraps him with her beauty and supernatural powers, which he was oblivious to the whole time - she was
certainty, verb ‘proved’; open to criticism as he is confident enough to know he can’t be proven wrong. in control.
Key idea: love lasts longer than the physical form Key idea: the Knight fell in love at first sight
Quote: ‘though rosy lips and cheeks… bending sickle’s compass come’ Quote: ‘full beautiful’ ‘her eyes were wild’
Technique: youthful imagery Technique: first person, adjective
Analysis: he adds that true love doesn't falter even as beauty fades—represented in the poem by the image of Analysis: The perspective changes to the Knight as he gives answers to the concerns of the first speaker. He
youthful, rosy cheeks losing their vitality. Because love isn't primarily concerned with the body, it's not affected believes the woman is not only physically beautiful but is also morally beautiful, as he is deceived by her
by aging. Physical beauty succumbs to time but real love won’t. appearance and manipulation. The adjective ‘wild’ foreshadows how he will have no control of her and she is
unable to be tamed, as the one with power.
Key idea: longevity of real love, time has no control Key idea: the Knight is in a nightmare, power of the spell
Quote: ‘Love’s not Time’s fool’ Quote:’dreamed’ , ‘Ah! Woe betide!’
Technique: capitalisation, personification Technique: repetition, exclamation
Analysis: Shakespeare is personifying time as a person and uses capitalisation to highlight that time has control Analysis: Repetition of dream highlights the strange and unreal quality of the time spent with the woman as he
and power over humans, as death is inevitable at the end of their time. Despite this, he implies that love is not at realised it wasn’t how he perceived it to be. In his nightmare he cries out ‘Ah! Woe betide!’ to suggest this dream
time’s mercy, meaning death will not stop love. It may kill the lover, but the love itself is eternal. is woeful and that he was tricked by her lulls. His latest dream could mean the most recent or the last dream;
the knight is dying and he knows it.
English Lit
Poetry Section B
,Do not go gentle into that good night Remember
Key idea: elderly people shouldn’t simply give up and give in to death Key idea: her partner shouldn’t simply give up remembering her
Quote: ‘do not’ Quote: ‘Remember’
Technique: imperative Technique: repetition, imperative
Analysis: commanding you to resist death, it conveys the author’s desperation in achieving this message Analysis: the imperative creates a sense of desperation, as she commands her
Quote: ‘burn and rave’ partner repeatedly to keep her memory alive, out of fear that she will disappear from
Technique: bold imagery her lover’s mind.
Analysis: those who know death is approaching with their age should fight fiercely against it, implying that life is
precious and worth fighting for.
Key idea: acceptance that loss of memory is inevitable
Technique: loss of rhyme scheme after the volta
Key idea: acceptance that loss of life is inevitable Analysis: At the volta, she becomes more contemplative of her partner’s happiness.
Quote: ‘wise’, ‘good’, ‘wild’, ‘grave’ The loss of rhyme scheme at the end reflects how they break away from
Technique: adjectives expectations of wanting to be grieved or remembered as they die; they selflessly
Analysis: the variety of adjectives of characters of people shows the universality of death and how it affects all prioritise their partner’s happiness over their own desires as an act of love.
kinds of men regardless of the life they lead. The only power they have is how they challenge it to win more
time on Earth. It encourages the farther to take inspiration from the fact they all fight to the bitter end, despite
Key idea: Time is limited and therefore invaluable
their situation.
Quote: ‘no more hold me by the hand’
Technique: verb
Key idea: Time is limited and therefore invaluable (life is short) Analysis: The poet wishes to turn back when she is nearing her death as he was
Quote: ‘forked no lightning’ always there to ‘hold’ her hand, the verb expresses the importance of physical
Technique: modal verb, regretful tone contact to her. Hence, in the future, she feels sad about her lonely journey to oblivion
Analysis: The ’wise’ academics and intelects look back on their life and regret how their words and capabilities without any contact with her lover.
left no impact, like lightning however would, although they could have. They regret this and therefore do not
calmly accept their death and fight for more time to achieve their full potential.
Key idea: lack of control to how their partner will grieve
Technique: Iambic pentameter
Key idea: lack of control against death Analysis: the control in structure through the iambic pentameter contrasts with the
Technique: villanelle lack of control they have of their death and how their partner will cope with it.
Analysis: controlled structure draws parallels to his desire to control his father’s actions facing death. The
author may find comfort in the controlled structure as a contrast to facing death as it’s unpredictable of when it
will take his father, so this way he feels as though he has control over the situation.
Key idea: memories last longer than the physical form
Key idea: memories last longer than the physical form Quote: ‘silent land’
Quote: ‘blinding sight’ Technique: metaphor
Technique: oxymoron Analysis: The poet imagines her death as a journey to a ‘silent land’ a place that
Analysis: despite the decay of physical sight, it doesn't mean the elderly can't see their past clearly in their own takes both her body and her voice away from her love. Memory will be all that’s left
memories. Their memories "blaze" in their blind eyes; in other words, the joy of a life well lived reflects in their to the beloved so the speaker insists that he should cling to it as a form of
face and continues to survive, despite their age and physical state. communication between them.
,Prayer before birth Blessing
Key idea: unborn desires that God protects them Key idea: children are grateful for God’s protection
Quote: ‘I am not yet born’ Quote: ‘blessing’, ‘congregation’, ‘god’
Technique: anaphora Technique: semantic field of religion
Analysis: repeated throughout the poem to remind the reader of youth and moreover innocence and Analysis: the abundance of water is to be depicted as a blessing; they show enormous amounts of gratitude and joy
vulnerability, highlights the need for protection from God to protect them; there’s a sense of desperation for its presence, likened to the presence of God in religion. They all come together like a ‘congregation’ to praise
throughout the structure. God for his gift.
Key idea: acceptance that loss of innocence is inevitable Key idea: the reader should accept that they’re in a privileged position, naivety to the world around
Quote: ‘they think me’ Technique: short sentences & stanzas, contrast
Technique: repetition of pronoun, passive Analysis: It is significant that short stanzas (with short, abrupt sentences) express what it is like to be without water
Analysis: the author creates a sense of hopelessness, that it is part of fate they will sin; they have no control and the longing for it, then the longer stanzas (with flowing sentences) contrast to what it is like suddenly to have
over their loss of innocence as if the responsibility lies in others and their actions. water. This creates a sense of gratitude for the reader to be in their position where water is in abundance, by forcing
them to experience the perspective of those who don’t have something essential to survive.
Key idea: unborn child is limited to growing up in the society they’re born into Key idea: developed Western society doesn’t value the same as what lower income countries do
Quote: ‘drugs dope me’ (differences between in society, two separate worlds)
Technique: alliteration, assonance, internal rhyme Quote: ‘silver crashes to the ground’
Analysis: highlights the terror of entering the world of torture for the unborn, which they can’t escape from. Technique: metaphor, contrast, noun, title
This is juxtaposed with nursery rhyme-like style of the internal rhyme, to symbolise the manipulation they will Analysis: In this environment, the occasional overflow of water feels like a "Blessing," one that fosters joy and
face. communal togetherness, which draws contrast to a modern society of capitalism known to have an ethos of ‘it’s
every man for himself’. The rushing water, shimmering in the bright sun, shines like ‘silver’; but the noun also
suggests its value to the villagers - like an outpouring of precious metal, which will make them rich.
Key idea: lack of free will Key idea: lack of water
Quote: ‘must play’ Quote: ‘skin cracks like a pod’
Technique: modal verb, extended metaphor Technique: simile, verb
Analysis: author feels that their personality is restricted to conform to what others want and what is socially Analysis: the verb ‘cracks’ conveys the discomfort and negative impact on health the children face due to
expected, essentially they will have no freedom to develop into their own person. They will have a lack of dehydration and the scarcity of water, creating pathos towards them. It could also imply that the crops are failing to
free will like an actor in a play. grow due to the severe dryness of the earth, emphasising the extent of their crisis.
Key idea: they will be only valued as a physical form (employment) Key idea: the physical form of the children is concerning
Quote: ‘cog in a machine’ ‘thing’ Quote: ‘small bones’, ‘roar of tongues’
Technique: metaphor, noun Technique: adjective, onomatopoeia
Analysis: when the child is at the age to work, they may be dehumanized and viewed as just a component in Analysis: the children are malnourished and underfed, highlighting the importance of water for them (to grow crops).
a huge corporation to produce profit (like a labourer) rather than an individual with feelings and morals. The ‘roar’ of them presents them as enthusiastic or desperate for the water; they react to water uncontrollably as
Considered easy to manipulate for someone’s gain (like a boss) and dispose of, noun ‘thing’. they are likened to animals as their bodies in severe need for it.
,The Tyger If
Key idea: the author questions his identity following Christianity Key idea: acceptance of defeat (inevitable)
Quote: ‘did he who make the lamb make thee?’ Quote: ‘meet with Triumph and Disaster’, ‘two imposters’
Technique: religious allusion, list of questions Technique: personification, capitalisation, metaphor
Analysis: Blake brings to light a reference to a higher power or specifically in this poem God. In this line Blake is Analysis: The noun and metaphor of ‘imposter’ highlights how success and defeat are in disguise (they may
wondering in awe if God, who made the docile and innocent Lamb, is also the creator of the ferocious “tyger.” have unexpected outcomes, failure may lead to something better), they will inevitably disappear, so the reader
He questions the nature of God’s creation throughout the poem, which can be exemplified through the list of is advised not to dwell on them - treating them as equals. They are personified and capitalised to emphasise
questions; exerting how his questions are yet to be answered on the topic of Christianity. their guaranteed presence and just like humans, they will be met. It’s part of life to endure troubles and a ‘Man’
is aware of this.
Key idea: self-control
Key idea: risk of free will Quote: ‘If you can keep your head...losing theirs and blaming it on you’
Quote: ‘when the stars threw down their spears And water’d heaven with their tears:’ Technique: metaphor, iambic pentameter
Technique: personification, metaphor, contrast Analysis: The importance to a man to keep composure and a level head, even when those around him are not
Analysis: ‘Stars’ is a metaphor for angels, which directly link to heaven and innocence, who are personified to and blaming the reader. A symbol of the brain is used to emphasise that being a man doesn’t rely on
protest against the creation of humankind and their free will. The violent imagery ‘spears’ and ‘tears’ contrasts to physicalities, but the ability to be perceptive and use self-control to their advantage. It displays message that
this, to highlight how mankind has destroyed the purity of the world God created. one should never let emotions get the best of one, and should avoid stooping to the level of one's enemies. The
well balanced and controlled structure of the iambic pentameter mirrors the self-control needed to gain respect
as a man.
Key idea: Duality of God
Quote: ‘fearful symmetry’, ‘twist the sinews of thy heart?’ Key idea: universal message, guide for humanity
Technique: contrast Quote: ‘you’
Analysis: He is describing not only the remarkable patterns on the tiger’s skin and fur which humans have Technique: direct address, repetition, rhyme scheme
learned to go in fear of, but the ‘symmetry’ between the innocent lamb on the one hand and the fearsome tiger Analysis: "you" is repeated on almost every line, the majority of the poem reads as if it's addressed to anyone at
on the other. all. Everyone who reads "If—," it seems, could very well imagine that the words are intended for them to use as
a guide. Or, at the very least, readers can reasonably assume that the poem is about humanity in general, as
Key idea: God is a creator, power of God the speaker dispenses advice that more or less applies to everybody. Although the speaker's advice is stern,
Quote: ‘anvil’ and ‘furnace’ this easy, music-like rhyme scheme feels appealing, friendly to encourage others to live a meaningful life.
Technique: powerful imagery, aural images, references to sources of power
Analysis: Blake introduces another central metaphor, explicitly drawing a comparison between God and a Key idea: strength
blacksmith. It is as if the Creator made the blacksmith in his forge, hammering the base materials into the living Quote: ‘heart’,’nerve’, ‘sinew’, ‘hold on’
and breathing ferocious creature which now walks the earth. Powerful images are demonstrated through the Technique: metaphor, synecdoche, imagery of suffering
references to the blacksmith’s tools or those of the Industrial Revolution when Great Britain was most powerful; Analysis: The language of body parts is a metaphor for exhaustion, or fatigue one will face. Therefore the
the strong rhythm and beat reflect the noise and vibration of manufacturing and provide powerful aural images. reader is said to ‘force’ them to serve long after they are gone, to imply that strength is needed even past life or
with physical aging - through the legacy or reputation left behind. The repetition and quotation of ‘hold on’,
creates an image of suffering, implying the reader needs resilience.
Key idea: power of the tyger, tyger born with physical power
Quote: ‘burning bright’, ‘ forests of the night’
Technique: contrasting colour imagery, six quatrains, rhyming couplets, repeated alliteration Key idea: manhood isn't something one is physically born with, but a quality one earns
Analysis: the six quatrains each have two pairs of rhyming couplets; this structure, together with the regularity of Quote: ‘if’, ‘Man’
the questions, patterns of language and repeated alliteration, provide dramatic emphasis to create a powerful Technique: anaphora, repetition, title, advisory tone, capitalisation
image of the tiger. The power of the tiger is conveyed through the use of contrasting colour imagery: ‘burning Analysis: Anaphora of ‘if’ makes the poem move, as the reader is working their way through it in order to get to
bright’, ‘ forests of the night’. The contrast of light and dark makes the tiger’s appearance even more powerful. the effects of what will happen if they’re able to accomplish all that it mentions, as shown by the advisory tone.
The significance of ‘if’ throughout the poem is to emphasise that manhood isn’t granted to any male: it requires
a various & demanding list of qualities to be able to earn the title. The capitalisation of ‘Man’ is used to express
it’s great importance; it’s something to strive towards, to the speaker to be a man is a virtue, an achievement,
and its own reward.
, Sonnet 116 La Belle Dame sans Merci
Key idea: love is guidance, invaluable Key idea: the Knight is vulnerable
Quote: ‘ever fixed mark’, ‘never shaken’, ‘star’ Quote: palely loitering’, ‘withered from the lake’
Technique: metaphor Technique: pathetic fallacy
Analysis: love is a form of guidance, the noun ‘mark’ draws parallels to a lighthouse or a ‘star’ because it is Analysis: the atmosphere is intriguing from the start, with questions raised for the reader about the solitude of
constant and in the same place, and it can weather even the most harrowing of storms or tempests and is never the doomed ‘loitering’ knight-at- arms and whether he is a victim; the use of pathetic fallacy makes it seem that
even shaken, let alone defeated, therefore it should provide one with strength to carry on with life. However a nature reflects the feelings of the knight and his lack of health: ‘The sedge has withered', 'no birds sing'. He is a
star is unreachable, and exceeds human comprehension, a metaphor for love and how it’s invaluable. non-stereotypical Knight: he’s ill and sad.
Key idea: real love doesn’t change Key idea: love is dangerous
Quote: ‘alters when it alteration finds’, 'remover to remove’ Quote: ‘and no birds sing’
Technique: polyptoton Technique: cyclical structure, repetition
Analysis: emphasis on the constancy and durability of love: it is not true love if one stops loving one because Analysis: The line ‘and no birds sing’ is repeated in both the first and last stanza, in order to ground the reader
there is a change. Shakespeare is telling the reader that if love changes, it is not truly loved because if it back into reality after the fantastical events which occur in the middle of the poem with the siren. It reflects how
changes, or if someone tries to “remove” it, nothing will change it. Love does not stop just because something is the knight is now dying as a result of loving the siren and therefore a the cyclical poem could reflect the dangers
altered. of love and how it can make one naive.
Key idea: Shakespeare presents a criteria for real love, he believes it can’t be challenged Key idea: imbalanced power dynamic, woman is in control, challenges gender normalities
Quote: ‘proved’ Quote: ‘I set her’, ‘She found me’
Technique: iambic pentameter, verse poem, 3 quatrains, language of certainty Technique: contrast, passive
Analysis: The controlled structure depicts the power real love has and how Shakespeare is definite that it is only Analysis: The Knight is presented initially as in control of her, but this contrasts in the next stanza ‘she found
real if it aligns with the messages he presents, which are split into three quatrains. If one’s love doesn’t align it’s me’ where he is in passive. The power dynamic shifts between male and female, as she entrances, bewitches
end is inevitable and predictable, mirrored in the structure. Shakespeare is sure of this using language of and entraps him with her beauty and supernatural powers, which he was oblivious to the whole time - she was
certainty, verb ‘proved’; open to criticism as he is confident enough to know he can’t be proven wrong. in control.
Key idea: love lasts longer than the physical form Key idea: the Knight fell in love at first sight
Quote: ‘though rosy lips and cheeks… bending sickle’s compass come’ Quote: ‘full beautiful’ ‘her eyes were wild’
Technique: youthful imagery Technique: first person, adjective
Analysis: he adds that true love doesn't falter even as beauty fades—represented in the poem by the image of Analysis: The perspective changes to the Knight as he gives answers to the concerns of the first speaker. He
youthful, rosy cheeks losing their vitality. Because love isn't primarily concerned with the body, it's not affected believes the woman is not only physically beautiful but is also morally beautiful, as he is deceived by her
by aging. Physical beauty succumbs to time but real love won’t. appearance and manipulation. The adjective ‘wild’ foreshadows how he will have no control of her and she is
unable to be tamed, as the one with power.
Key idea: longevity of real love, time has no control Key idea: the Knight is in a nightmare, power of the spell
Quote: ‘Love’s not Time’s fool’ Quote:’dreamed’ , ‘Ah! Woe betide!’
Technique: capitalisation, personification Technique: repetition, exclamation
Analysis: Shakespeare is personifying time as a person and uses capitalisation to highlight that time has control Analysis: Repetition of dream highlights the strange and unreal quality of the time spent with the woman as he
and power over humans, as death is inevitable at the end of their time. Despite this, he implies that love is not at realised it wasn’t how he perceived it to be. In his nightmare he cries out ‘Ah! Woe betide!’ to suggest this dream
time’s mercy, meaning death will not stop love. It may kill the lover, but the love itself is eternal. is woeful and that he was tricked by her lulls. His latest dream could mean the most recent or the last dream;
the knight is dying and he knows it.
