How to analyse ANY GCSE Poem in 3 EASY Steps! 😊

GCSE Poetry is arguably one of the most hated parts of GCSE English! Why?

1️⃣ Too many poems to remember

2️⃣ What on earth are these poems even about?

3️⃣ Overwhelm: which quotes should I pick?

If this is you - I’ll show you exactly how to make this EASY. GCSE Poetry doesn’t have to be this vague, wierd part of English that you basically waffle through and hope you get a decent mark in. You can actually do well if you follow these 3 easy steps:

1️⃣ Find the Big Idea:

❌ When writing about a poem - DO NOT DESCRIBE THE POEM! ❌

Instead - ask yourself: what’s the poet trying to say about life, people, or society? Think “big idea”: is the poem about love, relationships, friendships?

As “Power & Conflict” poems are by far the most studied poetry anthology in GCSEs, I’ll use this anthology as my example. So if I was given “Ozymandias” by Percy Shelley to analyse, I’d ask myself:

• Is this poem about power, conflict, memory, or identity?

• What message or emotion is the poet leaving you with?

Then I’d write: “In Ozymandias, the big idea is that human power fades — but nature lasts.”

2️⃣ Zoom in on Language and Structure:

Find how the poet communicates that big idea.

Look for:

• Language: metaphor, repetition, tone, contrast, sensory detail

• Structure: stanzas, rhythm, enjambment, shifts in tone

In Ozymandias - I’d write: “The quote ‘lone and level sands stretch far away’ has soft alliteration ‘l’ words which show time erasing power.”

3️⃣ Link to Context:

Ask yourself:

• What influenced the poet at the time to write this poem?

• Mention historical events or figures

So for the poem Ozymandias, I’d write: “Shelley used Pharaoh Ramses II to warn that even Kings aren’t immortal and nature - which we take for granted, outlasts all human creation.”

And that’s it! 😊

PS: ✨I’ll be running a one-off Power & Conflict GCSE Masterclass during October half term! On 30 October, I’ll show students how to go up by 3 GCSE grades before their mocks exams: https://www.firstratetutors.com/october-literature