Forward Poems of the Decade: A Guide for Edexcel A/AS level English Literature

Description

The Guide has been written primarily for students of AS and A Level English Literature as specified by Edexcel in the post-2015 syllabus (9ET0). It addresses Component 1 (8ET0/01 – Poetry and Drama) of the AS syllabus and Component 3 (9ET0/03 – Poetry) of the A2 syllabus, specifically, the requirement to study a selection of Post-2000 poetry. The Guide covers all the poems in the selection from Poems of the Decade: An Anthology of the Forward Books of Poetry 2002–2011 (ISBN 978-0571281732). The poems are explored individually, and links and connections between them are drawn as appropriate. The format of each exploration is similar: • A summary of the key themes of the poems, with a note on possible connections and links to other poems in the selection • An explanation of any key features of the poem that require additional contextual knowledge or illustration • A brief summary of the metric form, rhyme scheme or other structural features • A “walk-through” (or explication) of the poem, ensuring that what is happening in the poem is understood, how the rhythm and rhyme contribute to meaning, an explanation of the meaning of words which may be unfamiliar, an exploration of imagery and language and a comment on main themes.