En anglais

Comparing two poems as one argument

English · Reading Comprehension · ages 15-16

Name ______________________ Date ____________

How should a comparison paragraph be built?
- One paragraph per poem, kept separate
- One long retelling of each poem in turn
- One point that moves between both poems
What is the best opening move for a poetry comparison?
- Name a shared concern
- List every device found in both poems
- Summarise the first poem from start to end
Link words in a comparison should carry your argument, not just join sentences.
Circle one: True False
Which sentence argues a difference in how two poems treat loss?
- Where one poem softens the loss, the other refuses to
- One poem is about loss and the other is too
- The first poem has three stanzas, the second has four
Poem A remembers home warmly, while poem B calls it a trap. Which shared concern works best?
- How many stanzas each poem contains
- How each poet answers the feeling of home
- Which poet had the sadder childhood
Two detailed descriptions, one per poem, explain a comparison even if they never relate the poems to each other.
Circle one: True False
Your margin notes show both poems shift tone halfway. How do you best use that?
- Write one half on each poem's tone
- Compare both poems' tone shifts
- List the tone words found in each poem
A paragraph quotes both poems at length but never explains their different treatments of loss. What is missing from its argument?
- Shorter quotations from each poem
- Margin notes made before drafting
- A comparative link that carries an argument

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

One point that moves between both poems · Each paragraph holds one point. Both poems meet inside it.
Name a shared concern · One clear question comes first. Everything else hangs from it.
True · An argued link explains how the poems treat a concern, rather than only placing statements beside each other.
Where one poem softens the loss, the other refuses to · Softening loss and refusing to soften it are different treatments of the concern. The other lines name a topic or count stanzas.
How each poet answers the feeling of home · The concern must let both poems answer differently. Home does that here.
False · Detail alone does not explain a comparison. The writer needs to state a relationship between the poems.
Compare both poems' tone shifts · Matching notes become one point. Both poems meet inside the paragraph.
A comparative link that carries an argument · The writer needs to explain the difference using evidence from both poems. Shortening the quotations alone would not supply that argument.