3 Model for critical essay on poetry PDF

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Summary

how to write a critical poetry essay about Duffy's poem War Photographer, aimed at Common entrance syllabus...

Description

Choose a poem which deals with an important issue. Explain how the poet deepens your understanding of the issue by the choice of content and the skilful use of poetic techniques. First – quick planning Intro: what is the poet making us understand? It makes us understand how difficult it is to take photos of war/chaos on a daily basis. Next, pick five good quotes (in black, which becomes our ‘Evidence’) and summarise what that evidence shows the reader about the issue (in red, which becomes the ‘Points.’) E: “hundred agonies…five or six…Sunday supplement” P: there’s much more pain than the readers see/think there is

E: “fields.. running children…nightmare heat” P: comparison of happiness/threat – it’s a different world

E: “spools of suffering… ordered rows” P: contrast between the chaos of war and the neatness of the darkroom. etc.

Finally, annotate specific words from your evidence for techniques/diction/structure (in green, which becomes your ‘Analysis.’)

Next – structuring and writing the essay 1. General introduction which is also specific about the poem itself: Duffy deepens the reader’s understanding by using a range of techniques and content images which contrast our daily lives with the horrors of wartorn areas, and make us appreciate how difficult a job it is that war photographers do, and the long-term effects that it has upon them. 2. .PEA: (different paragraph for each chosen quote) Duffy suggests that the photographer witnesses far more pain than the readers ever see or understand. She describes the photos as “a hundred agonies,” and this is a metaphor implying with this metaphor that every

photo represents pain and suffering, and with the hyperbole that they are countless. We can infer from the words “in black and white” that the reader will not get the full experience which might be suggested by colour. “Black and white” also denotes polarity, which could highlight the difference between “Rural England” and the war zone. Duffy conveys the limited understanding of people in England when she tells us that only “five or six for Sunday’s supplement” will be chosen. The mention of the “supplement” is significant because it is the secondary, less important part of the newspaper, which indicates that it is less likely to be read. The photographer risks his life to take photos which may not even reach their intended audience.

Great verbs to use to start your analyses:               

Duffy implies… The simile conveys… Here she suggests… The phrase hints that… The poet emphasises… This signifies… The poet gives the impression that… The reader infers… This indicates… This denotes… The word conveys… This illustrates… This could symbolise… The word reinforces the idea that… The line length highlights…...