Comparing poems: what AO3 actually rewards
Pearson Edexcel International GCSE English Literature · 4ET1
Component 1 | Section B: Anthology Poetry
Edexcel's AO3 is comparison, not context. This is how to build an answer that compares continuously instead of describing two poems in turn.
Specification coverage
Component 1, Section B — Anthology Poetry
Assessment objectives: AO2, AO3. Suggested learning time: 50 minutes.
Required knowledge
- On this specification AO3 is 'explore links and connections between texts' and is worth 10% of the qualification
- All sixteen Part 3 poems are printed in the examination paper
- The question names one poem; you choose the second
Required skills
- Make comparisons between poems, including use of language, structure and form
- Sustain a comparative line rather than dealing with the poems consecutively
- Select the second poem deliberately for the argument it makes possible
How it is examined
- One 30-mark comparative essay from a choice of two
Common mistakes
- Writing about the poems one after the other and comparing only in the conclusion.
- Choosing a second poem because you know it best rather than because it argues with the first.
- Comparing subject matter only. Language, structure and form must be compared too — the specification says so explicitly.
- Importing context. Section B credits AO2 and AO3; AO4 belongs to Sections C and Component 2 Section B.