poetry analysis essay ib

Analysing Poetry

Two Major Categories of Poetry

It helps to separate poetry into two different categories: narrative poems and lyrical poems. A narrative poem seeks to tell a story. In this regard, its content might feel familiar given that we encounter stories in our daily life and engage with them in other texts, such as plays, novels or films. A lyrical poem, on the other hand, doesn't seek to tell a story; it aims to capture a particular moment, emotion or thought. In this regard, a lyrical poem is like a montage or a photograph. 

Aspects of Poetry

Quoting Poetry 

Like all other forms of analysis, we need to support our claims with evidence. Read the slides to see the three different ways that evidence can be provided for poetry, and make sure that you're using the method that is appropriate for your purpose. 

Example of Poetry Analysis War Photographer

Look at the slides to see an example of poetry analysis. Pay attention to the types of authorial choices that were chosen from the text. 

Further Practice

Analysing poetry process sheet.  This resource allows you to independently analyse poems that you choose for yourself.

Practice identifying authorial choices in Robert Browning's 'Love in a Life'

Analysing poems from Songs of Ourselves Volume 2

You may also want to explore...

Click the image to follow access some extra material related to graphic novels. Use these resources to deepen your understanding of the different ways in which authors develop meaning in poetry .

Back to Text Types

IB English/Commentary

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• 1.1 Types of Poems
• 1.2 Step 1: Reading the Poem
• 1.3 Step 2: Looking for Detail
• 1.4 Step 3: Structuring your Commentary
• 1.5 Step 4: Example Commentary

How to write a Poetry Commentary

In order to write a IB Paper 1 commentary, the following guidelines must be followed. For the IB commentary, you are expected to explain a given poem or prose. While it is not to be confused with a detailed explanation as you might expect in college which would be anywhere from 5-15 pages in length, the commentary is less formulaic and structured than the World Literature papers, but at the same time, it adheres to formal standard English.

There are several disagreements as to what constitutes a commentary. Some hold that by nature, it is not formal--it can be a running "commentary"(hence the term, "commentary") of what the examinee sees in a given poem. Though this approach runs the risk of seeming like a literary version of a grocery list, as long as the examinee sees some overarching, organizing method--an idea, concept, or literary device that the poet uses to hold the poem together cohesively--the commentary need not be as tightly formulaic as the five paragraph thesis paper (which is generally despised in most circles because it discourages divergent thinking).

Others say that this organic approach makes it impossible to surmise any actual literary analysis. A beginning "thesis" of the poem's focus, followed by organizing the analysis into patterns, strands, or organizational groups, makes it easy to follow a persuasive, holistic presentation.

All agree, however, on the paramount importance of framing one's literary analysis within the terms and devices of poetry; one must both identify literary elements, analyze its purpose and effect, and speak intelligently as to tone, diction, structure, mood, and form.

Below are some literary devices to get you started.

• Accent : refers to the stressed portion of a word. An accent is used to place emphasis on a word.
• Note : accent and stress can be used interchangeably.
• Allegory : A description that has a second, usually moral meaning.
• Alliteration : is the repetition of initial (at the beginning) CONSONANT sounds (if it's a vowel repetition, you would call it assonance. Assonance includes any repetition of a vowel sound in any part of the word. It usually occurs in the middle of words).
• Allusion : refers to an event from an external content. It is understandable only to those with prior knowledge of the reference in question (as the writer assumes the reader has).
• Apostrophe : Something that addresses an object or person or idea who is not present as though he/she/it could reply.
• Antithesis : The juxtaposition of contrasting words or ideas to create a feeling of balance (e.g Too black for heaven, and yet too white for hell)
• Assonance : The repetition of vowel sounds may also add to euphony.
• Aubade : Poetry referring to either the dawn, a love song or about parting lovers.
• Ballad : A form of poetry in a specific meter meant to be sung. There is always a repeating refrain and it is always narrative in form. See below for more information.
• Blank verse : Iambic Pentameter that doesn't rhyme. (Much of Shakespeare's plays for example were written in blank verse.)
• Caesura : A cut or break in a line, could be a comma or a semicolon.
• Cacophony : Harsh sounding and generally unpleasant.
• Consonance : The repetition of consonant sounds NOT in the beginning of a word (which would be alliteration). Enforces relation.
• Continuous Form : Lines follow each other without any type of structural organization except by blocks of meaning.
• Didactic Poetry : Poetry with a directly morally teaching purpose.
• Ethos : the validity of the source or narrator/ speaker.
• Euphony : Pleasant sounding.
• Extended Figure : An apostrophe, simile, metaphor, etc. which is developed throughout a poem.
• Imagery : Language which appeals to each of the five senses.
• Visual imagery : Sight. The most frequent type.
• Aural or auditory imagery : Sound.
• Olfactory imagery : Smell.
• Gustatory imagery : Taste.
• Tactile imagery : Touch, tangibility.
• Organic imagery : Human sensations, hunger for example.
• Irony : Dramatic or otherwise, conveying an aspect that is intrinsically unexpected or self-contradictory.
• Metaphor : A comparison between two unlike things without using the words "like" or "as".
• Onomatopoeia : Words which are written to mimic a sound. (SHAZAM! SPLAT! PLOP!)
• Paradox : A statement which appears to contradict itself but makes sense (usually in an abstract sense).
• Personification : Animals and inanimate objects are given human characteristics.
• Phonetic Intensive : A word whose sound emphasizes its meaning.
• Prose : Language which is not in meter.
• Refrain : A repeated line, phrase, sentence, etc. which appears throughout a poem.
• Rhetorical Poetry : Poetry written in superfluous language with the intention of being overdramatic.
• Scansion : The process of measuring verse.
• Simile : The comparison of two subjects using "like" or "as" or something similar
• Sonnet : See link.
• Tone : The writer's attitude toward the subject.

Advanced Vocabulary for the Daring

• Anaphora : Repetition of the same word or words from the beginning of sentences, lines, or phrases.
• Ars Poetica : A poem about poetry
• Conceit : The comparison of two dissimilar things. "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day"
• Dramatic monologue : Narrator speaks to himself. The speaker is not the author.
• Epiphany : A realization or comprehension of the essence of something.
• Feminine Rhyme : Two syllable (Disyllabic) rhyme consisting of stressed syllable followed by unstressed
• Incantation : Use of words to create an archaic effect. (Opening scene of Macbeth and the Weird Sisters)
• Incremental repetition : Repetition of succeeding stanzas with small substitutions of changes.
• Masculine rhyme : Monosyllabic rhymes.
• Metonymy : Substitutes the name of one thing with something closely associated with it.
• Synecdoche : Substitutes a part of one thing to represent the whole, or vice versa.
• Pathetic fallacy : A reflection of the action/events through nature/weather. (A thunderstorm during the creation of Frankenstein's monster sequence)
• Persona : The character created by the narrator.
• Synaesthesia : A blending of sensations.
• Trope : A way of extending the meanings of words beyond the literal.

Types of Poems

• Alexandrine : Twelve-syllable poetic line of French origin.
• Couplet : A poem or section consisting of two successive lines, usually rhyming and having the same meter and often forming a complete thought.
• Elegy : A poem of loss and consolation.
• Panegyric : Praise for an individual, a group of people, or a body.
• Sonnet : A poem of fourteen lines, usually following a strict rhyme scheme/structure.
• Stichic : A poem which is a continuous sequence of lines without any division into stanzas.
• Villanelle : 19 lines divided into 6 stanzas 5 of 3 and 1 of 4.
• Apostrophe : A poem directed to a person or thing not present/alive.

Step 1: Reading the Poem

• Read the poem silently once. Take a mental note or actually write down if you can't remember any impressions, emotions, or confusions the poem may originally stir.
• Read the poem once more; try to understand its meaning or the course of events it may describe.
• Read the poem aloud if possible. If you're in an exam room you can read the poem under your breath. Take note of the tone and speed of the poem.
• Read the poem again and take notes about the literal and figurative context of the poem. This should include its meaning on the literal level and any figurative meanings it may include.
• Read the poem again, this time looking for literary devices. These should be, but not limited to:
• Onomatopoeia and Phonetic Intensive words
• Metaphors, Similes, and Personifications.
• Juxtaposition and Contrast
• Once you're sure you've found these literary devices, proceed to look further for:
• What does the title suggest- is it related to our understanding of the poem?
• Note : Compare your first impression of the title to its actual meaning.
• Does the poem have an apostrophe?
• Are sections cacophonic or euphonic? If so, do the previous literature features make them so?
• Is there any irony?
• Does the poem have an extensive figure?
• Is there a refrain?
• Next, once you've gone through the poem's meaning and its literary devices- it's time to look for form!
• Note : Knowing a poem's scansion is not necessarily required. You don't need to state this poem is written in dactylic hectometre, but it’s pretty obvious if a poem is written in iambic pentameter and counting meter isn't too difficult.
• Is the poem in a continuous form, a stanzaic form, or a fixed form? (Such as a Ballad or a Sonnet)
• Take note of the poem's structure- how many stanzas, how many lines, etc.
• Make extra note of the author's tone and how this influences the poem.

Step 2: Looking for Detail

• Now that you've found the poem's literal and figurative meanings, its form, and its literary devices - it's time to get to work!
• Make connections - in what ways do the poem's literary devices add to the poem's meaning?
• What effect does the writer's tone have on the reader's perception of the poem?
• What effect does meter and form have on meaning?

An excellent way of keeping your entire commentary in focus is, asking yourself these simple yet significant questions:

1) What's being said (content, maybe theme, character, ideas, relationships, love, peace etc.)

2) How is it being said (stylistic devices, rhyme, structure, diction, etc.)

3) So What? (I.e. for what ends, purposes, extrapolation chances, personal connection and response, etc.)

Remember it's not a grocery list of memorized terms- barfed out in a time period of 2 hours. It is supposed to be an intricate and insightful response to what you as a reader, understand from the text, the author's intended message. The planning phase is perhaps the most important, even more important than the writing phase (which comes naturally succeeding it, if planning goes well the written should be equally responsive).

Step 3: Structuring your Commentary

• There is no definitive structure to a poetry commentary; this isn't like writing a history essay. However, structure is an important aspect in writing a poem commentary and you can prepare yourself in advance by having some notion of the order in which you will write. Here is an example of a possible essay structure:
• Note : Everyone is different, if you want to write your poetry commentary in a different form, by all means do so- this is merely a suggestion aimed at guiding your writing.
• Introduction
• State the poem's title, author, and a small introduction to the poem's overall literal meaning.
• State the poem's form, and any important literary devices which appear throughout it.
• Write about an important aspect of the poem which you will further discuss in your wildcard paragraph and eventually conclude in your last paragraph.
• Paragraph One: Structure and Narration
• Briefly mention the poem's structure. Make note of the use of Enjambment or the juxtaposition of words.
• Write about the poem's meter and its speed.
• Make note of the poem's speaker (do not use narrator) and his/her tone.
• Paragraph Two: Meaning
• State the poem's literal meaning.
• State the poem's figurative meaning.
• Paragraph Three: Devices
• Write about the poem's literary devices.
• Write about important themes present in the poem.
• Paragraph Four: Combine
• Write how literary devices and meaning interconnect.
• This paragraph should begin to bring things together.
• Paragraph Five: The Wild Card
• Introduce an important theme or aspect of the poem in great detail. This could be a refrain, an extended figure or an apostrophe.
• The conclusion should combine the Wild Card with the above paragraphs. In this case, one could talk about how literary devices or the poem's structure aid in supporting an extended figure.

Here is another suggestion for a structure which requires about 10-15 minutes of planning, but is still just as efficient-

• If any, state the relevance of the background of the author (i.e. their philosophies, causes, a message..)
• Construct a 'map' to your answer. Concisely, write one sentence on each idea that will be put forth in the essay
• Paragraph One: Idea One
• P oint: State the point you are trying to prove, e.g. The conflict in the extract symbolizes change
• E vidence: Give evidence for the conflict by quoting
• T echnique: State the literary features
• E laboration: Develop your point further and give a deeper explanation on your point. Also state the reason for the point that the author was trying to make, or the reason for which the literary feature was used
• R esponse: Describe the emotions or ideas evoked into the reader, if any
• Paragraph Two: Idea Two
• e.g. Point: The first person narrative is used to gain empathy from the reader.
• (Follow the same pattern as used for the first idea)

(An ideal commentary has 3-5 ideas . Remember to focus more on developing the ideas than to have more of them. 3 well developed ideas will fetch more marks than 6 baseless points.)

• (Off record: One must realize that a conclusion is usually just the introduction which is paraphrased with a more conclusive tone and possibly a fact or two more!)
• The conclusion must contain a brief summation of all the points you have made and why were they the most important. It could also include some personal interpretation that you are not confident about adding in the body of your essay.

Step 4: Example Commentary

Confused? Don't be! Here everything will be made clear as together we'll decipher a poem. Our poem of choice is The Daffodils by William Wordsworth .

I wandered lonely as a cloud

When all at once I saw a crowd,

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

They stretched in never-ending line

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced, but they

A Poet could not but be gay,

I gazed--and gazed--but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

They flash upon that inward eye

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

• Try to do it by yourself first- even if roughly.
• First impression : The poem is extremely euphonic and uses quite a bit of pleasant imagery. When spoken, it rolls off the tongue naturally. This reinforces the poem's joyful tone which proceeds through out the poem except for momentarily in the fourth stanza where the first two lines are cacophonic. The poem deals with an extended figure which may be considered an apostrophe.
• Structure : The poem is in a stanzaic form of four stanzas of six lines each. The rhyming scheme alternates at first, ABAB, but ends in a rhyming couplet CC which adds to the euphony of the poem and the ease at which it's spoken. The lines are in iambic tetrameter.
• Note : Meter can be found by counting the syllables in each line and simply dividing them by two. If this is the same for each line, then the poem is written in a specific meter.
• Speaker : The speaker is obviously the poet himself. By sharing his own first experiences with such a crowd of daffodils the reader gains the same first impressions.
• Literal Meaning : The poet recalls his first experience of seeing such a wondrous crowd of daffodils beside a bay. The blowing wind moves them in an awesome formation, a spectacle of nature of which the poet remembers in order to lift his spirits.
• Figurative Meaning : Everyone has had their good experiences in life. Perhaps it's the sensation of getting a new dog or seeing a beautiful bird take flight. It's important for us to remember those experiences, in times when we are down.
• Imagery : Lots of visual imagery
• "Golden daffodils" (4)
• "Sparkling waves" (14)
• "stars that shine / and twinkle on the milky way" (7-8)
• Kinesthetic imagery
• "Fluttering and dancing in the breeze" (6)
• "Tossing their heads in sprightly dance" (12)
• "The waves beside them danced" (13)
• Metaphors and Similes
• "I wandered lonely as a cloud" (1)
• "Continuous as the stars" (7)
• Personification of the Daffodils
• I saw a crowd / a host, of golden daffodils (3-4)
• Tossing their heads in sprightly dance (12)
• In such a jocund company (16)
• A host of golden daffodils (3)
• Beside the lake, beneath the trees (6)
• For oft when on my couch (19)
• heart with pleasures fills (23)
• Alliteration
• Beside... beneath... breeze (5-6)
• stars...stretch...shine (7-8)
• glee...gay...gazed...gazed (13-15)
• Repetition :
• Dance (6), (12), (13), (24)
• Wildcard: Importance of the Speaker
• The speaker shows a great tranquility and appreciation of nature. The juxtaposition of the first two lines of the last paragraph with the rest of the poem and the use of the word "couch" suggest unhappiness with the material surroundings.
• Great! Now that we've written down the basic aspects of the poem- it's time for us to connect their meanings and effects!

The Commentary

"The Daffodils" by William Wordsworth describes the poet's sight of a spectacular field of daffodils situated by a bay. He uses worldly imagery to magnify such a small feat of nature in an attempt to demonstrate how both nature and memories are important in dealing with many of the woes of a modern society. The personified daffodils are the center of the poem which is written in a stanzaic form with a consistent rhyming scheme. Through the use of literary devices and intensive visual and kinesthetic imagery, the reader is able to adopt the same feeling of awe at this simplistic spectacle as once felt by the poet.

The poem is written in stanzaic form of four stanzas each consisting of six lines with each line written in iambic tetrameter. For the first four lines of each stanza, the rhyming scheme alternates as ABAB, but ends with a rhyming couplet. This stanzaic form serves to reinforce the poem's euphony, with the ending the consistent rhyming scheme serving to ensure that the poem progresses smoothly. Indeed, the structure of the poem may even serve to reflect the extended figure of the poem, for like the daffodils, we too are entranced by the product of its general simplicity. The poem is told through the eyes of the poet himself.

The poem describes in detail, a simplistic wonder of nature, a "crowd, / a host, of golden daffodils" (3-4) situated "along the margin of a bay" (10). The daffodils "dance" (6) and though not mentioned directly, this dance is most likely caused by the wind. The poet is amazed at two things, the sheer number of daffodils, comparing their numbers to the number of stars in "the milky way" (7) and the intricate dance that they produce. He then states that the waves of the lake also danced, most likely ripples once again caused by the wind, but the effect the wind had on the flowers "Out-did the sparkling waves in glee"(13). The sight was so beautiful that the poet "gazed and gazed" (17), clueless of the "wealth" (18) gained from the experience. From then on, when the Poet is in a "vacant mood" (20), he recalls this experience in his mind and his "heart [fills] with pleasures" (23) as he too "dances with the daffodils" (24).

(Note: this commentary isn't the best example... the use of the quotes at the end is exactly what IB doesn't want. Additionally it's far too short - a commentary should be about one thousand words. This commentary also do not develop a line of reasoning, and do not use sufficient reasoning and explanations to support the author's claim. Maybe try to write one yourself would be the best way to learn!)

Sources http://courses.durhamtech.edu/perkins/aris.html

• Book:IB English

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Essay Papers Writing Online

A comprehensive guide to writing a poem analysis essay.

Delving into the intricate world of poetry analysis can be a rewarding and enlightening experience. A poem analysis essay allows you to explore the nuances of a poem, dissect its themes, and uncover the hidden meanings within its verses. It offers a unique opportunity to delve into the poet’s mind and understand their perspective.

When crafting a poem analysis essay, it is essential to approach the task with a critical eye and an open mind. Careful attention to detail, a keen understanding of poetic devices, and a thoughtful analysis of the poem’s structure are key components of a successful essay. By following a systematic approach and employing effective writing techniques, you can create a compelling and insightful analysis that showcases your literary prowess.

In this article, we will provide you with valuable tips and strategies to help you craft a thought-provoking poem analysis essay. From conducting a thorough analysis of the poem to structuring your essay effectively, we will guide you through the process of analyzing a poem with skill and finesse. By mastering the art of poetry analysis, you can unlock the deeper layers of meaning hidden within the lines of a poem and gain a deeper appreciation for the art of poetry.

Understand the Poem’s Context

When analyzing a poem, it’s essential to understand the context in which it was written. Consider the historical, cultural, and social background that influenced the poet and the poem itself. Research the time period in which the poem was written, the poet’s biography, and any significant events or movements that may have impacted the poet’s work.

Furthermore, pay attention to the poet’s intentions and motivations for writing the poem. Understanding the context can provide valuable insights into the poem’s themes, symbols, and stylistic choices. By delving into the context, you can deepen your interpretation and appreciation of the poem’s meaning.

Analyze the Poem’s Structure

Examining the structure of a poem is crucial in understanding the poet’s intentions and the overall impact of the work. Consider the poem’s form, including the stanza structure, line length, and rhyme scheme. Look for patterns in the organization of the poem, such as repetition, enjambment, or other structural techniques. Pay attention to the rhythm and meter of the poem, as this can contribute to the tone and mood of the piece. By analyzing the structure of the poem, you can uncover deeper meanings and insights that may not be immediately apparent.

Identify Key Themes and Symbols

One important aspect of crafting a poem analysis essay is identifying the key themes and symbols within the poem. Themes are recurring ideas or messages that the poet conveys through the poem, while symbols are objects, characters, or elements that represent deeper meanings.

When analyzing a poem, pay attention to the themes that emerge as you read. Consider what the poet is trying to communicate about topics such as love, nature, life, or death. Look for recurring symbols or images that carry symbolic meaning, such as birds symbolizing freedom or light symbolizing hope.

By identifying the key themes and symbols in a poem, you can gain a deeper understanding of the poet’s message and the significance of the poem as a whole. This analysis can help you craft a thoughtful and insightful essay that explores the poem’s meaning in depth.

Discuss the Poem’s Tone and Mood

One key aspect to consider when analyzing a poem is its tone and mood. The tone of a poem refers to the attitude or feelings that the poet expresses towards the subject matter. It can be playful, serious, sarcastic, melancholic, or any other emotion that the poet conveys through the language and imagery used in the poem. On the other hand, the mood of a poem is the overall feeling or atmosphere that the poem evokes in the reader. The mood can be somber, joyful, contemplative, or any other emotional response that the reader experiences when reading the poem. To analyze the tone and mood of a poem, pay attention to the language, imagery, and metaphors used by the poet, as these elements can reveal the underlying emotions and attitudes that the poet is trying to convey.

Provide Evidence from the Text

When analyzing a poem, it is crucial to support your interpretations with evidence directly from the text. This evidence can include specific lines, phrases, or stanzas that illustrate the themes, imagery, or language used by the poet.

For example: If you are discussing the theme of love in a poem, quote lines where the poet describes emotions, interactions, or relationships to demonstrate how the theme is developed throughout the poem.

Remember: Providing textual evidence not only strengthens your analysis but also shows your deep engagement with the poem and your ability to support your interpretations with concrete examples.

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• Current: Tips and Tricks for IB English Literature and Performance (Paper 2)

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Tips and tricks for ib english literature and performance (paper 2).

English Literature and Performance is a subject available in IB under both Group 1: studies in language and literature, and Group 6: the arts. It aims to explore the relation between literature and theatre. As a student of literature and performance, you are required to study a minimum of five texts. This blog focuses on the two poets and their poems you would be studying and the required assessment.

PAPER 2 – POETRY

Paper 2 requires analytic comparison of poems by two poets. Throughout the two years of the Diploma Program, you will study two poets and about 5-6 poems written by each of them, a total of 10-12 poems. Your teacher may teach them to you in pairs, one poem by one author and one by another yet both related by their themes. These poets will have very different writing styles, yet you may find similarities in their use of particular literary devices. This paper requires a detailed analysis of both the poems in the context of the genres, cultures and the periods in which they were written.

Paper 2 has six generic questions to choose from since every school teacher can choose which two poets he/she wishes to teach. You are required to answer one of these questions in the form of an analytical essay. You cannot take any books in the exam hall for this paper and would need to know the words of the poems by heart. Your IB English tutor can explain this to you in detail if you are confused, however, here is a vague example:

For instance, you are studying Margaret Atwood and Robert Frost. Both have extremely different styles but some of their poems have similar themes. Their outlook and their approach to the theme can be similar or different and this is what the essay is all about. How has Atwood and Frost seen and written about particular themes, how do they differ and how are they similar in terms of their use of literary devices and structure. An example question would be how two poets have handled conflicts, both internal and external in their poems. You can see how vague and open ended the question is yet restricting you to poems with the idea of conflict in them. Choosing Half-hanged Mary by Atwood and The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost, you have to pick literary devices and discuss what effect they have and how they effectively portray conflict. You also have to explain what the poet means and whether the two poets have a different outlook to conflict. What kind of conflict is it? How does structure and form of the poem develop this idea of conflict? How are the two poems similar yet different or different yet similar? These are the few sub-questions that can help you write a good essay. However, most papers also always contain an even more generic question that requires you to discuss content and form, voice, structure etc. These questions can be applied to almost any set of two poems that have similar themes. Nevertheless, this does not mean that you should only study two poems. This is because these two poems may not have enough material for you to write about in context of their structure or voice etc. Tips and tricks further on by getting online IB tuition by Baccalaureate Classes tutors can help you identify and prepare smartly for your exam.

Do not hesitate to consult your IB English tutor to help you with analysis of the poems. You have 1 hour 30 minutes to write this essay and it comprises 20% of your final grade.

CLOSER LOOK AT THE ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Criterion a: knowledge and understanding of texts.

This criterion is examining how well you know the poems you have studied. This is not only the words of the poem but also the meaning of the poem and the use of literary devices. You should be well informed of all the literary devices like sibilance, repetition, metaphors etc. and the structure of the poem including the hint of iambic pentameter etc. You should know what the themes are, what the poem means by every line and what effect does it have on the reader. Very importantly, you have to include references in your analysis. The more informed references and quotes from the poem you include in your answer, the better your answer is. However, the quotes must be relevant to the point you are trying to make, the subsequent analysis and must help you answer the question. This tells the examiner that you are extremely well informed of the poems you are analyzing. Discuss and analyze the poems with your IB online tutor to be able to write an informed analysis in your answer.

Criterion B: Response to the question

This criterion examines how well you have responded to the question. If the question is about conflict, have you linked all our analysis to the question and explicitly written how you are answering the question through your analysis? Hence, it is important to judge which question you should pick and which poems. Personal interpretations without using the word ‘I’ are also appreciated. You can include this by saying – ‘Another possible interpretation of this could be…’ or ‘this metaphor (any other literary device you are talking about) can also be interpreted as…’. However, discuss this interpretation with your IB English online tutor so that it is not ill-informed or does not suggest that you have not understood the poems. Since the paper requires a comparison between two poets, your response must include a sense of comparison always. If both poems use sibilance, then compare the effect of sibilance in the respective poems in relation to the question.

Criterion C: Appreciation of literary features

This criterion examines your knowledge and analysis of literary features. Though the other criteria depend on your analysis, this criterion focuses on it. You should have detailed analysis of at least 8-10 literary features in your essay in relation to the question. Your Online IB English tutor can help you with this. The analysis should be supported with good examples and quotes from the poems. Additionally, many students stray away from answering the question and start generally analyzing the poem as they write their answer. You must be careful that your analysis and explanation has direct, explicit and obvious links to the questions and answers it well.

Criterion D & E: Presentation and Formal use of language

Your essay should have an effective structure that contributes to answering the question you chose well. Supporting examples should be well integrated into the body of the essay. The use of language should be clear, varied, precise and concise. There should be no significant lapses in grammar, spelling and sentence construction. A wide vocabulary and varied idiom and style should be evident, and the choice of register should be effective for literary analysis. This will only be achieved with practice. Do not forget to get them checked and marked by your IB English tutor. Your IB tutor can not only give you detailed feedback but also give you insights and tips into making your writing more effective.

HOW TO PREPARE FOR PAPER 2: TIPS AND TRICKS

• Before you enter the examination hall, your preparation of your exam should include a list of at least 3 pair of poems (3 of each poet) that are rich in literary features and can answer a wide range of questions. You should have an in-depth understanding of these poems and should have written answers comparing these pairs of poems at least twice before your final exams. You can discuss this list with your online IB English tutor.
• To make sure these pairs of poems will help you answer at least one of the six questions, go through the last 10 years of past papers and check which question you would answer with which pair and how you would structure your answer. Do you have enough to write and fulfill the criteria? If you are confident that you can answer at least on question of each paper, then your list is perfect! If not, then you should in your IB tuition classes how to add poems to this list or change a pair and repeat this process.
• Have an in-depth understanding of all literary features in these poems. You may not need to learn the long poems by heart if you can remember the words that have literary features to be used as reference quotes. Since questions are so generic, covering all literary features in your mind beforehand will help you form your essay easily to answer the question you choose without wasting any time during exam! If you are stuck and wish to discuss ideas and possibilities, your IB tutors can always help you preparing for final exams!
• Practice makes perfect! Practice a lot of answers and get it marked by your teacher or IB tutor.
• Personally as a student, I felt the PEEL method is the best and easiest way to structure your essay and fulfill at least the first three criteria. You can use this with alterations for other analytical essays in English. You can ask your IB tutor to explain this method in detail but here is a generic possible structure of your essay:
• Introduction - Which poems by which poets. Why would these two poems help you answer the question? What have you understood of the question and how you plan to answer it? What are the main literary features you will discuss?
• POINT (P) – Literary feature and what effect it has on the reader?
• EVIDENCE (E) – Reference quotes from the poems.
• EXPLAIN (E) – Explain why these reference quotes are an excellent example of the literary device. How and what effect they have on the meaning of the poem and the reader? What does it help you understand about the poet or the persona?
• LINK (L) – Link to the question. How is your explanation leading to an answer to the question? Use synonyms of words used to explain your interpretation of the question in your introduction.
• Conclusion – summarize your answer in a few sentences. Overall, how are the two poets similar or different?

Use the PEEL for each of the poems, one or two literary devices in one paragraph. Compare in your explanation how the use and effect is similar or different from the previous poem.

This is my guide to you, as a student of the English Literature and Performance. These tips and tricks worked for me and I hope they will get you 7 points in PAPER 2 as well. Baccalaureate Classes are always there to help you whenever you need it!

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Tips for Analyzing Poetry in IB English

February 19, 2024

The International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum offers a wealth of new knowledge acquisition for students—often encouraging them to challenge themselves with new methods of inquiry. The IB English course does this well by asking students to analyze many mediums of communication, one of those being poetry. Aegis Advisors’ IB English tutors in Hong Kong have observed, through their hundreds of lessons, that poetry analysis seems particularly difficult for many IB students, especially those who have not traditionally enjoyed literary coursework. Our IB English tutors in Hong Kong came together to share some tips for students learning how to analyze poetry. This list is by no means exhaustive but rather a start when students are feeling overwhelmed by their poetry assignments. 

• You can never read a poem too many times. 

Many students get frustrated with poetry because on the first read, the meaning is not immediately clear. This makes sense for poetry because so often there are so many literary and structural devices being used that it is impossible to understand them all from one read. Students are usually accustomed to reading a text and immediately understanding the content, so of course it would be frustrating to have a poem which initially refuses to yield meaning. Our IB English tutors in Hong Kong know that reading a poem many times, each time focusing on a different aspect of the poem is key to understanding. We suggest reading the poem a first time, then a second time going stanza by stanza, and writing what you think you are understanding from each stanza for content. Then a student could try to read out loud so see what the poem sounds like. Then a student could examine the structure of the poem by reading for form: Where are the phrases vs. sentences? Which words are alone and which in longer lines? To try and get all of these nuances in one reading is impossible. Our IB English tutors in Hong Kong believe that a student must be meticulous in the focus of each reading to decipher all the aspects of a poem.

• How do the pieces relate to one another?

After reading the poem several times for different aspects, students should start a list of their observations and see if they can find any patterns. Maybe the tone of the poem and its form change at the same time. Maybe there are repeats of similar words? Maybe the rhyming scheme changes based on the content. Poetry allows for so many tricks and possibilities that many connections can be made by just listing observations, according to our IB Eng lish tutors in Hong Kong. 

• Look at the context.

Another suggestion from our IB English tutors in Hong Kong is to look at the context of a poem to aid in the analysis. Students should find out information about the author and the environment they lived in. What major world events were happening during their lifetime? How might those circumstances be represented in the work of poetry a student analyzed? This type of context can also help students feeling stuck on understanding the content of a poem. If a student knows what was happening around when this poem was written and some information about the author, they can try and find the author’s perspective in the poem which might lead to new conclusions. 

Aegis Advisors’ expert IB English tutors in Hong Kong know that poetry is challenging. Tutors can help so much with this skill by doing poetry analysis alongside their students as they practice this new skill. Having a tutor can encourage students to expand into deeper thinking about their own observations and alert them to new ways of thinking about text. Overall, using these tips and having tutor support can greatly assist students who are struggling with poetry and IB english in general. We are committed to teaching our students and helping them find passions and new perspective through their coursework in a way that builds academic determination and interest.  Contact us for any IB English tutoring, as well as academic support in all major curriculums and test preparation. We are excited to begin working with you at any time of the year!

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Friday, March 9, 2012

A level-7 essay for ib english exam paper 1 - commentary.

57 comments:

Very helpful. Thank you :).

woow realy nice

hmmm....i think you're being kind of arrogant setting this up as the perfect commentary. for the most part your language is clumsy, you state the obvious and narrate rather than interpret. also, too much moralizing and flaunting of your personal opinion. you have hardly any ideas and have not grouped them together - very incoherent on the whole. I'd say this was a level five. If your teacher actually marked this as a seven, your school's obviously not a very 'quality' place.

it seems you have been humbled politely.

Thanks for your comment, Anonymous. Of course, we all know that the humanities are always very subjective. This essay was written for me after graduation by a student who got level 7 in IB English, and since IB papers are graded by IB examiners, not the school, we will have to assume that the writing is worthy of a level 7. Hopefully these posts have helped some IB students improve their literary analysis and writing skills. But since the course has changed, I'll be taking these IB posts down soon anyway.

I have my Engligh HL P1 exam tomorrow and I just read this essay and found it very helpful. I think that everyone has a different writing style, mine is certainly very different to this, but it is still very helpful to see the different ways in which you can approach an analytical commentary. Yes the course has changed, but I still found this very helpful! Thank you very much and congratulations to Nerdvark for getting a 7 in English, I know that is very hard!!

Super helpful! Thanks loads and wow that's brilliantly written!!

There is either a typo or a misspelling where he talks about " "Fulfilling themselves" shows no evidence of animals needing to please a superior power. The Earth itself is thier reward their reward to walk" ". Thier.

Fixed - thank you!

Hello! I'm just starting my commentary and I'd just like to ask.. Are we not allowed to voice some connections? For example, would this be considered imposing my own opinion?: Through the repetition of the words “one man”, (lines 153, 155, and 157) Cassius emphasizes the incapability of Caesar to rule over Rome alone. [Due to Rome being a powerful empire, it would be unsuitable for one man to control the land without the counsel of others] The sentence in the square brackets, is that imposing my opinion? Is that acceptable to writei n a commentary? Ty and please answer as soon as possibleif you could... it's due in 2 days and I'm hoping I'd get some professional help! :) Thank you!

Hello, Anon. That's certainly a good way to analyze the writing. It would be improved by giving the effect on the reader, by the addition of a sentence: "This use of repetition shows the reader that Cassius is adamantly against Caesar, and encourages the reader to feel the same way." For more on this, see my post on PEEing (31 Jan, 2013) Giving your personal response would be more about how effective the writing was on you, such as "I found the repetition to be very persuasive. The more times I read the words 'one man,' the more I agreed that Caesar would not be able to rule such a vast empire." Thanks for reading! Good luck in your studies. -the Nerdvark (Nardvark's hidden nerd)

I have trouble completing my commentaries in the time given for the English IB examination. Can this commentary be written in 1.5 hours?

This was a Higher Level commentary, written in two hours, but keep in mind that practice makes perfect! Make sure you use The Writing Process - pace yourself and give yourself some time to PREWRITE (read and make notes on the extract), PLAN (memorize the five-paragraph essay plan so you can just plug your ideas into it), DRAFT (write the essay), REVISE (re-read your essay and add anything you can think of to improve it) and EDIT (re-read it again, checking for errors.) For more on this, check my posts on The Five Paragraph Essay Format (2 October, 2012) and Writing a Five Paragraph Essay (19 October, 2012). Thanks for your comment!

This is a pretty good analysis of the poem. However, the language and the sentence structure, I partially agree with one of the comments, is quite clumsy and lacks a formal structure. Considering the strict markings of the IB literature papers, I consider him to be quite lucky to be getting a 7. Though I appreciate his effort in demonstrating an effective method to tackle paper 1 commentary. Overall, it's a very good presentation of what is expected to be said and analyzed about a literary work.

just finished my paper 1. I read this 20 minutes before the exams, and it was really helpful. :)

Hi, I like the way you have analyzed the poem and would like your inputs on my own writing. I have done an analysis on "Suzanne" by Leonard Cohen which is an interesting poem but I can't seem to substantiate any concrete ideas. Pls help me out with the ideas along with the structure.

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How to Analyze Poetry in IB English Literature?

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• by Ankit Singh
• On October,09,2023

How do you Analyse a Poem in IB English Literature?

How can I understand poems easily? How do you get a 7 in English Paper 1? These questions will be answered in this guide for IB English Poetry (Paper 1 External Examination).

Analysing poetry is an intricate process and very crucial for the first paper of IB English A Literature. For analysis and commentary, students are provided with either poetry or prose. It’s not really about structure or a specific format (unlike the paper 2 Essay) but about interpreting the text correctly.

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Steps on how to analyse a poem

Before anything, read the poem properly. Read the title and try to understand what the poem is talking about.

Highlight all the verses, words and poetic devices that you deem are important.

Think about the theme of the poem or the central idea. The best way to understand it is by reading the first and the last verses of the poem. It will generate curiosity and questions. You will then automatically find answers by reading the poem completely.

You can use this approach for ib unseen poetry in paper 1 as well !

Use PQAL structure

How to analyse the evidence? How to write commentary? These questions will be answered using this method. We need to convey the deeper meaning behind the poem. This will help you nail the IB Literature paper 1.

PQAL stands for Point, Quote, Analysis, Link

It talks about how you introduce the quote and show its significance while writing the commentary. Students need to ask themselves, How does this quote associate to the point of your paragraph?

After finding out the point, try to find the most logical and appropriate quote that will provide evidence for the point. It need not be too comprehensive, it can be a few words. Make sure you place it in a sentence, rather than leaving it alone.

This is the part where we criticize the quote and break it down. For this step, try to use literary devices such as metaphors, imagery, alliteration etc. Make sure you use the proper terminology. You can find all the important literary terms down below.

This step is about linking back to the central idea/theme of the paragraph. 

What is a Poetic Device?

Poetic devices are a form of literary devices that are used in Poems. They are the components which make a poem, A POEM ! They help in enhancing and amplifying the mood of the material. Along with the poetic devices we have  ib poetry analysis example of each. 

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What are the types of Poetic devices?

Following are the Poetic Devices that you should know!

An allegory is used when a story or a poem are deciphered to have a secondary meaning.

“The Lion, the witch and the Wardrobe” by C.S Lewis

“Animal Farm” by George Orwell

“Young Goodman Brown” by Hawthrone 

Alliteration

Alliteration is the repetition of a sound or letter at the beginning of multiple words.

" F air is F oul, and F oul is F air:

Hover through the F rog and F ilthy air"

-Macbeth by William Shakespeare

It is an indirect reference

"I wish I could just click my heels."

-The Wizard of Oz

It is used when the writer/author addresses the person who is not present with an exclamation.

“Oh nature, thou art my goddess”

Assonance is the repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds in a series of words, phrases or syllables 

“Cl a p your h a nds and st a mp your feet.”

“Tr y to l i ght the f i re.”

Blank Verse

Blank verse is a verse which does not have any rhyme and uses iambic pentameter.

“But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sen!”

-Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

It is when repetitive sounds are produced within a sentence or a phrase. 

“Who se woo ds are the se are I Think I know.

H is House is in the village though;.”

A simple two line poem that rhymes is a couplet. Each line shall consist of the same number of syllables. They are often silly.

“I have the measles and the mumps,

A gash, a rash and purple bumps”

It is the practice of running lines of poetry from one to the next without using any kind of punctuation to indicate a stop.

"I’m feeling rather sleepy, but

I really don’t know why. I guess it

Is the way the day has spun

Out of control"

It is used to appeal to the 5 senses in order to help readers imagine exactly what is being described.

“Two Roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far I could

To where is bent in the undergrowth;”

-The Road not Taken

It is when a person delivering a statement is completely opposite to what they mean or what the reality of the situation is.

Trusting no man as his friend, he could not recognize his enemy when the latter actually appeared”

-The Sacred Letter

A metaphor compares one item with another by saying that it is the other item.

“I water it in fears, night and morning with my tears. I sunned it with smile”

-A Poison Tree

Traditional forms of verse use established rhythmic patterns called meters.

"I do not like green eggs and hams ,

I do not like them, Sam-I-Am "

It is an elaborate structured poem praising or glorifying an event or an event or individual.

Oh coffee maker,

As brewing your steam rises

And wafts through the air,

So i rise from fitful slumber

Onomatopoeia

Words which represent or imitates natural sounds

“Bright streaks whiz through the sky.

Thunk! Whoosh!

Brightly coloured explosions 

Sizzles and pop, pop, pop.”

The side by side placement of words that are contradictory in meaning

“I find no peace , and all my war is done

I fear and hope, I burn and freeze like ice,

I flee above the wind , yet I cannot rise ”

Personification

Personification is used when human qualities, feelings are given to a non living thing or inanimate objects. It is used to show that an item or thing has performed an action when in reality it has not/could not.

“The wind is whistling 

The clouds are crying

The trees are dancing 

The sun left us 

Because the winter is visiting us”

Winter (Janna ghossein)

Words that are alike or nearly alike in sound but different in meaning; a play of words.

“If you were an angle, you would be acute”

Love Triangle (Lang leav)

Repeating a word or words to enhance effect

“Nobody

Can make it out here alone.

Alone, all alone 

Nobody, but nobody 

Can make it out here alone”

Rhetorical Question

Questions used for effects that are not be answered. This usually draws the audience’s attention into a specific area.

“I wonder if they like being raindrops?

I suppose they do

They always have friends around them

They never travel alone

Some people save them to wash their hair

They make trees grow”

Raindrop feelings (Tierra Jones)

Rhyme Scheme

A rhyming pattern that is created at the end  of lines of poetry.

Mary had a lamb, (A)

Its fleece as white as snow (B)

And everywhere that Mary went,  (C)

The lamb was sure to go (B)

Rhythm is a flow of the beat in a poem and gives poetry a musical feel.

"Be cause I  could not stop for death ,

He kindly stopped for me ;

The carri age held but just for our selves  

And imm or tality "

A comparison of two things by using the words “like” or “as”

“Mary had a lamb,

Its fleece as white as snow

And everywhere that Mary went,

The lamb was sure to go”

A poem of fourteen lines using any of a number of formal rhyme schemes, which has an iambic pentameter meter.

“Death be not proud.” —John Donne

“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” —William Shakespeare

A group of lines that helps to break up and organise how the poem appears

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International Baccalaureate (IB)

IB students around the globe fear writing the Extended Essay, but it doesn't have to be a source of stress! In this article, I'll get you excited about writing your Extended Essay and provide you with the resources you need to get an A on it.

If you're reading this article, I'm going to assume you're an IB student getting ready to write your Extended Essay. If you're looking at this as a potential future IB student, I recommend reading our introductory IB articles first, including our guide to what the IB program is and our full coverage of the IB curriculum .

IB Extended Essay: Why Should You Trust My Advice?

I myself am a recipient of an IB Diploma, and I happened to receive an A on my IB Extended Essay. Don't believe me? The proof is in the IBO pudding:

If you're confused by what this report means, EE is short for Extended Essay , and English A1 is the subject that my Extended Essay topic coordinated with. In layman's terms, my IB Diploma was graded in May 2010, I wrote my Extended Essay in the English A1 category, and I received an A grade on it.

What Is the Extended Essay in the IB Diploma Programme?

The IB Extended Essay, or EE , is a mini-thesis you write under the supervision of an IB advisor (an IB teacher at your school), which counts toward your IB Diploma (learn more about the major IB Diploma requirements in our guide) . I will explain exactly how the EE affects your Diploma later in this article.

For the Extended Essay, you will choose a research question as a topic, conduct the research independently, then write an essay on your findings . The essay itself is a long one—although there's a cap of 4,000 words, most successful essays get very close to this limit.

Keep in mind that the IB requires this essay to be a "formal piece of academic writing," meaning you'll have to do outside research and cite additional sources.

The IB Extended Essay must include the following:

• A title page
• Contents page
• Introduction
• Body of the essay
• References and bibliography

Additionally, your research topic must fall into one of the six approved DP categories , or IB subject groups, which are as follows:

• Group 1: Studies in Language and Literature
• Group 2: Language Acquisition
• Group 3: Individuals and Societies
• Group 4: Sciences
• Group 5: Mathematics
• Group 6: The Arts

Once you figure out your category and have identified a potential research topic, it's time to pick your advisor, who is normally an IB teacher at your school (though you can also find one online ). This person will help direct your research, and they'll conduct the reflection sessions you'll have to do as part of your Extended Essay.

As of 2018, the IB requires a "reflection process" as part of your EE supervision process. To fulfill this requirement, you have to meet at least three times with your supervisor in what the IB calls "reflection sessions." These meetings are not only mandatory but are also part of the formal assessment of the EE and your research methods.

According to the IB, the purpose of these meetings is to "provide an opportunity for students to reflect on their engagement with the research process." Basically, these meetings give your supervisor the opportunity to offer feedback, push you to think differently, and encourage you to evaluate your research process.

The final reflection session is called the viva voce, and it's a short 10- to 15-minute interview between you and your advisor. This happens at the very end of the EE process, and it's designed to help your advisor write their report, which factors into your EE grade.

Here are the topics covered in your viva voce :

• A check on plagiarism and malpractice
• Your reflection on your project's successes and difficulties
• Your reflection on what you've learned during the EE process

Your completed Extended Essay, along with your supervisor's report, will then be sent to the IB to be graded. We'll cover the assessment criteria in just a moment.

We'll help you learn how to have those "lightbulb" moments...even on test day!  

What Should You Write About in Your IB Extended Essay?

You can technically write about anything, so long as it falls within one of the approved categories listed above.

It's best to choose a topic that matches one of the IB courses , (such as Theatre, Film, Spanish, French, Math, Biology, etc.), which shouldn't be difficult because there are so many class subjects.

Here is a range of sample topics with the attached extended essay:

• Biology: The Effect of Age and Gender on the Photoreceptor Cells in the Human Retina
• Chemistry: How Does Reflux Time Affect the Yield and Purity of Ethyl Aminobenzoate (Benzocaine), and How Effective is Recrystallisation as a Purification Technique for This Compound?
• English: An Exploration of Jane Austen's Use of the Outdoors in Emma
• Geography: The Effect of Location on the Educational Attainment of Indigenous Secondary Students in Queensland, Australia
• Math: Alhazen's Billiard Problem
• Visual Arts: Can Luc Tuymans Be Classified as a Political Painter?

You can see from how varied the topics are that you have a lot of freedom when it comes to picking a topic . So how do you pick when the options are limitless?

How to Write a Stellar IB Extended Essay: 6 Essential Tips

Below are six key tips to keep in mind as you work on your Extended Essay for the IB DP. Follow these and you're sure to get an A!

#1: Write About Something You Enjoy

You can't expect to write a compelling essay if you're not a fan of the topic on which you're writing. For example, I just love British theatre and ended up writing my Extended Essay on a revolution in post-WWII British theatre. (Yes, I'm definitely a #TheatreNerd.)

I really encourage anyone who pursues an IB Diploma to take the Extended Essay seriously. I was fortunate enough to receive a full-tuition merit scholarship to USC's School of Dramatic Arts program. In my interview for the scholarship, I spoke passionately about my Extended Essay; thus, I genuinely think my Extended Essay helped me get my scholarship.

But how do you find a topic you're passionate about? Start by thinking about which classes you enjoy the most and why . Do you like math classes because you like to solve problems? Or do you enjoy English because you like to analyze literary texts?

Keep in mind that there's no right or wrong answer when it comes to choosing your Extended Essay topic. You're not more likely to get high marks because you're writing about science, just like you're not doomed to failure because you've chosen to tackle the social sciences. The quality of what you produce—not the field you choose to research within—will determine your grade.

Once you've figured out your category, you should brainstorm more specific topics by putting pen to paper . What was your favorite chapter you learned in that class? Was it astrophysics or mechanics? What did you like about that specific chapter? Is there something you want to learn more about? I recommend spending a few hours on this type of brainstorming.

One last note: if you're truly stumped on what to research, pick a topic that will help you in your future major or career . That way you can use your Extended Essay as a talking point in your college essays (and it will prepare you for your studies to come too!).

#2: Select a Topic That Is Neither Too Broad nor Too Narrow

There's a fine line between broad and narrow. You need to write about something specific, but not so specific that you can't write 4,000 words on it.

You can't write about WWII because that would be a book's worth of material. You also don't want to write about what type of soup prisoners of war received behind enemy lines, because you probably won’t be able to come up with 4,000 words of material about it. However, you could possibly write about how the conditions in German POW camps—and the rations provided—were directly affected by the Nazis' successes and failures on the front, including the use of captured factories and prison labor in Eastern Europe to increase production. WWII military history might be a little overdone, but you get my point.

If you're really stuck trying to pinpoint a not-too-broad-or-too-narrow topic, I suggest trying to brainstorm a topic that uses a comparison. Once you begin looking through the list of sample essays below, you'll notice that many use comparisons to formulate their main arguments.

I also used a comparison in my EE, contrasting Harold Pinter's Party Time with John Osborne's Look Back in Anger in order to show a transition in British theatre. Topics with comparisons of two to three plays, books, and so on tend to be the sweet spot. You can analyze each item and then compare them with one another after doing some in-depth analysis of each individually. The ways these items compare and contrast will end up forming the thesis of your essay!

When choosing a comparative topic, the key is that the comparison should be significant. I compared two plays to illustrate the transition in British theatre, but you could compare the ways different regional dialects affect people's job prospects or how different temperatures may or may not affect the mating patterns of lightning bugs. The point here is that comparisons not only help you limit your topic, but they also help you build your argument.

Comparisons are not the only way to get a grade-A EE, though. If after brainstorming, you pick a non-comparison-based topic and are still unsure whether your topic is too broad or narrow, spend about 30 minutes doing some basic research and see how much material is out there.

If there are more than 1,000 books, articles, or documentaries out there on that exact topic, it may be too broad. But if there are only two books that have any connection to your topic, it may be too narrow. If you're still unsure, ask your advisor—it's what they're there for! Speaking of advisors...

Don't get stuck with a narrow topic!

#3: Choose an Advisor Who Is Familiar With Your Topic

If you're not certain of who you would like to be your advisor, create a list of your top three choices. Next, write down the pros and cons of each possibility (I know this sounds tedious, but it really helps!).

For example, Mr. Green is my favorite teacher and we get along really well, but he teaches English. For my EE, I want to conduct an experiment that compares the efficiency of American electric cars with foreign electric cars.

I had Ms. White a year ago. She teaches physics and enjoyed having me in her class. Unlike Mr. Green, Ms. White could help me design my experiment.

Based on my topic and what I need from my advisor, Ms. White would be a better fit for me than would Mr. Green (even though I like him a lot).

The moral of my story is this: do not just ask your favorite teacher to be your advisor . They might be a hindrance to you if they teach another subject. For example, I would not recommend asking your biology teacher to guide you in writing an English literature-based EE.

There can, of course, be exceptions to this rule. If you have a teacher who's passionate and knowledgeable about your topic (as my English teacher was about my theatre topic), you could ask that instructor. Consider all your options before you do this. There was no theatre teacher at my high school, so I couldn't find a theatre-specific advisor, but I chose the next best thing.

Before you approach a teacher to serve as your advisor, check with your high school to see what requirements they have for this process. Some IB high schools require your IB Extended Essay advisor to sign an Agreement Form , for instance.

Make sure that you ask your IB coordinator whether there is any required paperwork to fill out. If your school needs a specific form signed, bring it with you when you ask your teacher to be your EE advisor.

#4: Pick an Advisor Who Will Push You to Be Your Best

Some teachers might just take on students because they have to and aren't very passionate about reading drafts, only giving you minimal feedback. Choose a teacher who will take the time to read several drafts of your essay and give you extensive notes. I would not have gotten my A without being pushed to make my Extended Essay draft better.

Ask a teacher that you have experience with through class or an extracurricular activity. Do not ask a teacher that you have absolutely no connection to. If a teacher already knows you, that means they already know your strengths and weaknesses, so they know what to look for, where you need to improve, and how to encourage your best work.

Also, don't forget that your supervisor's assessment is part of your overall EE score . If you're meeting with someone who pushes you to do better—and you actually take their advice—they'll have more impressive things to say about you than a supervisor who doesn't know you well and isn't heavily involved in your research process.

Be aware that the IB only allows advisors to make suggestions and give constructive criticism. Your teacher cannot actually help you write your EE. The IB recommends that the supervisor spends approximately two to three hours in total with the candidate discussing the EE.

#5: Make Sure Your Essay Has a Clear Structure and Flow

The IB likes structure. Your EE needs a clear introduction (which should be one to two double-spaced pages), research question/focus (i.e., what you're investigating), a body, and a conclusion (about one double-spaced page). An essay with unclear organization will be graded poorly.

The body of your EE should make up the bulk of the essay. It should be about eight to 18 pages long (again, depending on your topic). Your body can be split into multiple parts. For example, if you were doing a comparison, you might have one third of your body as Novel A Analysis, another third as Novel B Analysis, and the final third as your comparison of Novels A and B.

If you're conducting an experiment or analyzing data, such as in this EE , your EE body should have a clear structure that aligns with the scientific method ; you should state the research question, discuss your method, present the data, analyze the data, explain any uncertainties, and draw a conclusion and/or evaluate the success of the experiment.

#6: Start Writing Sooner Rather Than Later!

You will not be able to crank out a 4,000-word essay in just a week and get an A on it. You'll be reading many, many articles (and, depending on your topic, possibly books and plays as well!). As such, it's imperative that you start your research as soon as possible.

Each school has a slightly different deadline for the Extended Essay. Some schools want them as soon as November of your senior year; others will take them as late as February. Your school will tell you what your deadline is. If they haven't mentioned it by February of your junior year, ask your IB coordinator about it.

Some high schools will provide you with a timeline of when you need to come up with a topic, when you need to meet with your advisor, and when certain drafts are due. Not all schools do this. Ask your IB coordinator if you are unsure whether you are on a specific timeline.

Below is my recommended EE timeline. While it's earlier than most schools, it'll save you a ton of heartache (trust me, I remember how hard this process was!):

• January/February of Junior Year: Come up with your final research topic (or at least your top three options).
• February of Junior Year: Approach a teacher about being your EE advisor. If they decline, keep asking others until you find one. See my notes above on how to pick an EE advisor.
• April/May of Junior Year: Submit an outline of your EE and a bibliography of potential research sources (I recommend at least seven to 10) to your EE advisor. Meet with your EE advisor to discuss your outline.
• Summer Between Junior and Senior Year: Complete your first full draft over the summer between your junior and senior year. I know, I know—no one wants to work during the summer, but trust me—this will save you so much stress come fall when you are busy with college applications and other internal assessments for your IB classes. You will want to have this first full draft done because you will want to complete a couple of draft cycles as you likely won't be able to get everything you want to say into 4,000 articulate words on the first attempt. Try to get this first draft into the best possible shape so you don't have to work on too many revisions during the school year on top of your homework, college applications, and extracurriculars.
• August/September of Senior Year: Turn in your first draft of your EE to your advisor and receive feedback. Work on incorporating their feedback into your essay. If they have a lot of suggestions for improvement, ask if they will read one more draft before the final draft.
• September/October of Senior Year: Submit the second draft of your EE to your advisor (if necessary) and look at their feedback. Work on creating the best possible final draft.
• November-February of Senior Year: Schedule your viva voce. Submit two copies of your final draft to your school to be sent off to the IB. You likely will not get your grade until after you graduate.

Remember that in the middle of these milestones, you'll need to schedule two other reflection sessions with your advisor . (Your teachers will actually take notes on these sessions on a form like this one , which then gets submitted to the IB.)

I recommend doing them when you get feedback on your drafts, but these meetings will ultimately be up to your supervisor. Just don't forget to do them!

The early bird DOES get the worm!

How Is the IB Extended Essay Graded?

Extended Essays are graded by examiners appointed by the IB on a scale of 0 to 34 . You'll be graded on five criteria, each with its own set of points. You can learn more about how EE scoring works by reading the IB guide to extended essays .

• Criterion A: Focus and Method (6 points maximum)
• Criterion B: Knowledge and Understanding (6 points maximum)
• Criterion C: Critical Thinking (12 points maximum)
• Criterion D: Presentation (4 points maximum)
• Criterion E: Engagement (6 points maximum)

How well you do on each of these criteria will determine the final letter grade you get for your EE. You must earn at least a D to be eligible to receive your IB Diploma.

Although each criterion has a point value, the IB explicitly states that graders are not converting point totals into grades; instead, they're using qualitative grade descriptors to determine the final grade of your Extended Essay . Grade descriptors are on pages 102-103 of this document .

Here's a rough estimate of how these different point values translate to letter grades based on previous scoring methods for the EE. This is just an estimate —you should read and understand the grade descriptors so you know exactly what the scorers are looking for.

Here is the breakdown of EE scores (from the May 2021 bulletin):

How Does the Extended Essay Grade Affect Your IB Diploma?

The Extended Essay grade is combined with your TOK (Theory of Knowledge) grade to determine how many points you get toward your IB Diploma.

To learn about Theory of Knowledge or how many points you need to receive an IB Diploma, read our complete guide to the IB program and our guide to the IB Diploma requirements .

This diagram shows how the two scores are combined to determine how many points you receive for your IB diploma (3 being the most, 0 being the least). In order to get your IB Diploma, you have to earn 24 points across both categories (the TOK and EE). The highest score anyone can earn is 45 points.

Let's say you get an A on your EE and a B on TOK. You will get 3 points toward your Diploma. As of 2014, a student who scores an E on either the extended essay or TOK essay will not be eligible to receive an IB Diploma .

Prior to the class of 2010, a Diploma candidate could receive a failing grade in either the Extended Essay or Theory of Knowledge and still be awarded a Diploma, but this is no longer true.

Figuring out how you're assessed can be a little tricky. Luckily, the IB breaks everything down here in this document . (The assessment information begins on page 219.)

40+ Sample Extended Essays for the IB Diploma Programme

In case you want a little more guidance on how to get an A on your EE, here are over 40 excellent (grade A) sample extended essays for your reading pleasure. Essays are grouped by IB subject.

• Business Management 1
• Chemistry 1
• Chemistry 2
• Chemistry 3
• Chemistry 4
• Chemistry 5
• Chemistry 6
• Chemistry 7
• Computer Science 1
• Economics 1
• Design Technology 1
• Design Technology 2
• Environmental Systems and Societies 1
• Geography 1
• Geography 2
• Geography 3
• Geography 4
• Geography 5
• Geography 6
• Literature and Performance 1
• Mathematics 1
• Mathematics 2
• Mathematics 3
• Mathematics 4
• Mathematics 5
• Philosophy 1
• Philosophy 2
• Philosophy 3
• Philosophy 4
• Philosophy 5
• Psychology 1
• Psychology 2
• Psychology 3
• Psychology 4
• Psychology 5
• Social and Cultural Anthropology 1
• Social and Cultural Anthropology 2
• Social and Cultural Anthropology 3
• Sports, Exercise and Health Science 1
• Sports, Exercise and Health Science 2
• Visual Arts 1
• Visual Arts 2
• Visual Arts 3
• Visual Arts 4
• Visual Arts 5
• World Religion 1
• World Religion 2
• World Religion 3

What's Next?

Trying to figure out what extracurriculars you should do? Learn more about participating in the Science Olympiad , starting a club , doing volunteer work , and joining Student Government .

Studying for the SAT? Check out our expert study guide to the SAT . Taking the SAT in a month or so? Learn how to cram effectively for this important test .

Not sure where you want to go to college? Read our guide to finding your target school . Also, determine your target SAT score or target ACT score .

As an SAT/ACT tutor, Dora has guided many students to test prep success. She loves watching students succeed and is committed to helping you get there. Dora received a full-tuition merit based scholarship to University of Southern California. She graduated magna cum laude and scored in the 99th percentile on the ACT. She is also passionate about acting, writing, and photography.

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How to Improve your Poetry Analysis for English GCSE, A-Level and IB Success in 2024

What is poetry analysis?

Analysis involves  examining something in a detailed way  and breaking it down into its constituent parts to understand how it works.  So, when you’re asked to analyse a poem, you’re being asked to deconstruct it; this means explaining its message and exploring how the language, structure and form communicate that message.

Where should I start?

The first step when you are analysing a poem is pretty straightforward:  read it .  Spend about five minutes reading through the whole thing, and then read it again to make sure you understand each word.  Look up unfamiliar words in a dictionary and think about how the sentences fit together. Think about who the ‘speaker’ is.

Once you’ve read through the poem twice, you’re ready to think about what the poem might be about. Try and  sum up the poem  into a single sentence; for example, you might think, ‘this poem is about moving to a new country’ or ‘this poem is about life in the city’.

Then, when you’ve understood the content of the poem, you’re ready to  think about the wider themes or issues  which it raises. So, a poem about moving to a new country might have themes of loneliness or alienation. Think broadly about what the poem is saying about human experience.

Delving deeper

Now that you’re confident that you’ve grasped the message and overriding theme(s) of the poem, think about how the language of the poem communicates those ideas.  Go through the poem slowly, line by line, and think about the poet’s choice and positioning of words. Here are some starting points:

Is there any figurative language, such as metaphors, similes or personification?

Are there any striking adjectives used? Think about where the poet pairs up words which don’t usually go together; for example, the phrase ‘blissful light’ would be worth commenting on because light isn’t usually described as ‘blissful’, so it grabs our attention.

Which words are at the start and the end of the line? The poet will often use the positioning of words to add emphasis to them.

Are there any superlatives used?

Are the verbs in the past, present or future tense?

Is the poem in the first or third person? 

As you’re identifying these linguistic features, examine what the  effect  of them is.   How does the language make you feel?  How does it relate to the broader issues of the poem?

Think about how the poem is set out and structured .  Just as with the linguistic analysis, think about the  effect  of form.

Is the poem divided into separate stanzas? Are the stanzas all the same size?

Does it rhyme? Can you identify the rhyme scheme? (For example, ABAB means that alternating lines rhyme, and AABB means that the lines fall into rhyming couplets).

Is the poem a sonnet?  (Sonnets have 14 lines).

Can you identify the metre? For example, iambic pentameter means that there are five ‘unstressed’ syllables and five ‘stressed’ syllables per line.

Bringing it all together

Now that you’ve spent some time analysing the language and form of the poem and have examined how these contribute to the overall effect of the poem, you’ll have a detailed sense of how the poem functions. This means that when you discuss or write about the poem, you’ll be able to back up each point you make with a specific textual example.  Use the PQA formula: point-quotation-analysis (also known as PEA: Point-evidence-analysis) . The point of analysis is being precise in your discussion of the poem, and this will help you to appreciate the poet’s craft in generating ideas through language.

Words to describe the effect of language techniques:

Makes vivid/ visual.

Creates tension.

Creates suspense.

Creates a gloomy/ positive/ melancholy/ peaceful/ noisy/ relaxed/ thoughtful/ tense/ joyful/ energetic/ sad/ dark/ warm/ mellow/ comical/ romantic/ violent/ celebratory/ harmonious/ dreamy/ animated/ cold/ playful/ nostalgic/ humorous atmosphere.

Comedy/ humour.

Appeal to our senses.

Terms to indicate how the poet conveys effect:

Demonstrates.

Illustrates.

Emphasises/ highlights/ underlines. - Creates a ................. atmosphere.

Appeals to...

Allows the reader to...

Now you have all you need to analyse that knotty poem. Remember, meaning can be found in the most innocuous of words, and returning to the same piece of work over multiple days can be a good way to refine and hone your craft. So what are you waiting for? Dig out that dusty copy of The Waste Land and get started!

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Tragedy — Irony and Tragedy in “Pathedy of Manners”: A Poem Analysis

Irony and Tragedy in "Pathedy of Manners": a Poem Analysis

• Categories: Irony Tragedy

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Words: 651 |

Published: Jun 13, 2024

Words: 651 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

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