Poetry is generally one of the favourite sections of secondary school students across the UK, and with good reason. The analytical skills that students acquire and develop in the GCSE English program are unlike anything they will have covered before.
Studying the lives of the prescribed poets and surfacing their defining life experiences in their poetry also makes for an engaging essay, letting students' imaginations run free.
You will likely find yourself handing up more pages for your poetry essays than any other question worth equal marks in the GCSE exam paper. This is especially true when it comes to answering a compassion question.
If analysing one poem already spiked your enthusiasm, being afforded the option to compare and contrast two poems from different poets will have you running out of paper in the exam hall!
In this article, I aim to prepare you for the comparative poetry question by showing you how to compare and contrast before getting into the poems ‘Storm on the Island’ and ‘Exposure’ in more detail.
An Overview of Both Poems
In a nutshell, Heaney’s 'Storm on the Island' is a GCSE classic that beautifully portrays how a coastal community bravely faces a storm.
Through descriptions and comparisons, he illustrates the islands' fragility against the forces of nature. The poem's one-stanza setup mirrors the islands' sense of seclusion, while its free verse style captures the untamed essence of the weather.
If you ask your English teacher, this poem is likely to be their favourite due to it being a perfect example of many of the techniques that you will have studied throughout the GCSE course thus far.
On the other hand, "Exposure” by Wilfred Owen paints a picture of soldiers enduring conditions in World War I. Owens’ use of near rhymes and structured stanzas conveys a sense of seriousness and tightness, mirroring the soldiers' escalating pain in each stanza.
The poem's stark portrayal of nature's attack on the troops will likely leave you feeling a strong sympathy right from the first time you read it.
These poems are well-suited for one another when it comes to drawing comparisons since both poets use devices like personification, Storm on the Island themes, themes of war, and vivid descriptions to reveal suffering against nature's unyielding force.
The above podcast provides plenty of points for you to discuss from Heaney's poem. Try and see if you can find any similarities or differences between the two!
It makes for an even more exciting essay when you contrast their styles, which vary in mood and viewpoint. Heaney explores the rooted struggles within heritage, while Owen captures the immediate dread and weariness experienced by soldiers in combat.
How To Compare Poems In Your GCSE Answers
This will guide you in how you should approach comparing two studied poems. You must know what is expected of you and how many marks the section is worth on your exam paper.
Poem Comparison Breakdown in the GCSE Exam:
Grade Weighting ?
30 Marks
Time Allocation ?
45 minutes, with 3 paragraphs x 15 mins each.
Format ✍️
Written analysis comparing both poems.
The comparison question in your GCSE exam carries 30 marks. This tells you more than you might realise. It indicates how much writing you should produce in your answer and the time you’ll want to allocate to it.
You should allocate around 45 minutes to comfortably work through the question, crafting three paragraphs of 15 minutes each and a brief introduction and conclusion that wraps up your arguments nicely.
I decided to provide some instruction in this article, as the comparison question requires a different style of wiring to other questions you will be preparing for your GCSE English exams.
Storm on the Island summary can be effectively incorporated into your essay analysis using a back-and-forth method. This method ensures your essay ticks all the boxes of the marking scheme and adequately compares the poems. It involves moving between the two poems by segregating them into paragraphs.
A useful structure you might have already heard your English teacher go on about in great length is adhering to a 'PRTE' (point, reference, technique, explanation) structure:
| PRTE Method | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Point | Clearly state the main idea or theme that you're comparing between the two poems. |
| Reference | Provide specific examples from each poem to support your point. |
| Technique | Discuss the techniques employed by each poet to convey their ideas. |
| Explanation | Explain how each technique contributes to the overall meaning or effect of the poem. |
Start by stating the identified similarity or difference. Then, present evidence from each poem, analyse the techniques used, and elucidate the resulting impact.
You can link the two poems using phrases like "similarly" or mention differences by saying ‘in contrast’ or ‘on the other hand.’ The language you use in this section should weave your arguments together seamlessly into a well-structured comparison essay.
Contrasting Perspectives
Students typically have an easier time discussing commonalities between the poems and the poets. It’s often more difficult to surface underlying differences between the poems, so let’s start with this.
"Storm, on the Island" and "Exposure" delve into nature's might and humanity's battle against it. Seamus Heaney and Wilfred Owen offer contrasting perspectives.
Owen, a war poet who perished in World War I, vividly illustrates the fatigue, fear, and harsh conditions endured by soldiers in combat.
In contrast, despite witnessing unrest in Ireland without involvement in its conflicts, Heaney portrays the Irish people's strength against relentless weather.
Owens' "Exposure" captures a haunting essence depicting soldiers' agony and fear under brutal weather conditions. The use of sounds and intense imagery, like "the merciless iced east winds that knife us," conveys the severity of their suffering.
On the other hand, Heaneys' "Storm on the Island" delves into a struggle with a storm's impact through a language rich in violence while maintaining an undertone of admiration and resilience.
Notice how contrasting two poems can be done without separating your arguments into different paragraphs? Make sure to note these points in your English hardback and consult it when writing your next essay in preparation for the GCSE English exam.
Comparing The Language And Imagery
Opening up your exam paper in June to see a comparison question on the language and imagery used by both poets would be a dream come true.
The reason that poets are included in the GCSE English syllabus is arguably, among other things, due to their expert use of language and the images they conjure in the reader’s head through their appeal to the senses.
Both Seamus Heaney and Wilfred Owen use language and vivid descriptions to depict the struggles faced by their subjects against the forces of nature. Despite this commonality, their approaches differ, reflecting the perspectives found in their poems.
One key similarity between the two poets is their use of fallacy and personification to illustrate the pain and turmoil endured by those they portray. In his work "Exposure, "Owen captures the realities of war as soldiers battle cold and winds, employing striking imagery and rhythmic sounds.
In contrast, Heaney portrays weather-related dangers in a manner that symbolises the resilience of the Irish people amidst ongoing challenges. He personifies the storm as "the wind flung," "the rain hacked," and "squat houses," showcasing its strength and destructiveness while underscoring the unity within the island community through language like "we."
In the poem "Storm on the Island, "the cycle and the certainty of the storm are conveyed through the use of a rhythmic pattern that mirrors the storm's movement.
The intense, relentless nature of the storm is captured through phrases like "the wind flung" and "the rain hacked." Similarly, in "Exposure," Owen employs personification and vivid descriptions to show how the harsh weather relentlessly attacks the soldiers.
Don't worry too much if this question doesn’t appear in your exam question; you can adopt it as a paragraph and add any question that you can ask about these poems.
Comparative Summary Between Exposure & Storm on the Island
| Aspect | Heaney | Owen |
|---|---|---|
| Commonality | Depicts struggles against nature | Depicts struggles against nature |
| Perspective | Irish resilience against challenges | Realities of war |
| Key Similarity | Use of personification and fallacy | Use of personification and fallacy |
| Imagery | The wind flung, the rain hacked | Harsh weather attacks soldiers |
| Symbolism | Unity and strength of the Irish people | Pain and turmoil of soldiers |
| Rhythmic Pattern | Mirrors the storm's movement | Striking imagery and rhythmic sounds |
Looking At The Themes And Motifs In The Poems
One question that should consume a sizable portion of your study time is preparing to answer a comparison question on themes and motifs in the two poems.
Both delve into nature's strength and humanity’s smallness when confronted with elements. However, each poet offers viewpoints influenced by their encounters and histories.
Owens showcases soldiers' suffering from weather conditions during World War I, while Heaney illustrates the strength of the Irish people confronting severe weather conditions.
The poem hints at a rooted resilience, highlighting how the islanders are accustomed to facing and enduring storms.
Both poems portray nature as a forceful entity that cannot be avoided. They use a structure and the repeated phrase 'nothing happened' to emphasise the inevitable conflict. They also detail how encounters with nature lead the speaker to uncover truths about the world.
Make sure to keep a handful of pages containing quotes that you can use to support your arguments on a theme comparison question. I recommend using quotes that you can also implement in other styles of questions to reduce the amount of information you need to retain.
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With its array of resources and tutoring expertise, Superprof is the perfect resource for students looking to enhance their skills in poetry analysis and excel in their GCSE English examinations.
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