This concise GCSE English Language guide provides you with a breakdown of each question for AQA’s Paper 1 and Paper 2, including: approximate exam timings, assessment objectives, helpful tips and useful sentence starters. The GCSE English Language guide is on an adaptable PowerPoint and a pdf handout. For more learning resources, please visit Poetry Essay’s website.

Annotation prompts for Alfred Tennyson’s ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’. ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’ is a poem that recalls a disastrous historical military engagement. It focuses on the initial phase of the Crimean War (between Turkey / Russia: 1853-56). The annotation prompts are a supportive tool, intended to encourage further poetry analysis and interpretation. Resources included: an editable PowerPoint presentation on Alfred Tennyson’s ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’; a poetry planning table; 20 poetry analysis questions; and a booklet containing the poetry questions, with space to respond. This poetry resource can also be found, in video format, on Poetry Essay’s YouTube channel.

Annotation prompts for Alfred Tennyson’s ‘The Kraken’. ‘The Kraken’ is about a legendary vast sea monster, that allegedly dwells off the coast of Norway and Greenland. The annotation prompts are a supportive tool, intended to encourage further poetry analysis and interpretation. Resources included: an editable PowerPoint presentation on Alfred Tennyson’s ‘The Kraken’; a poetry planning table; 20 poetry analysis questions; and a booklet containing the poetry questions, with space to respond. This poetry resource can also be found, in video format, on Poetry Essay’s YouTube channel.

Annotation prompts for Andrew Marvell’s ‘To His Coy Mistress’. ‘To His Coy Mistress’ is about love and time. The annotation prompts are a supportive tool, intended to encourage further poetry analysis and interpretation. Resources included: an editable PowerPoint presentation on Andrew Marvell’s ‘To His Coy Mistress’; a poetry planning table; 20 poetry analysis questions; and a booklet containing the poetry questions, with space to respond. This poetry resource can also be found, in video format, on Poetry Essay’s YouTube channel.

Annotation prompts for Christina Rossetti’s ‘Maude Clare’. ‘Maude Clare’ focuses on redundant women in Victorian society. The annotation prompts are a supportive tool, intended to encourage further poetry analysis and interpretation. Resources included: an editable PowerPoint presentation on Christina Rossetti’s ‘Maude Clare’; a poetry planning table; 20 poetry analysis questions; and a booklet containing the poetry questions, with space to respond. This poetry resource can also be found, in video format, on Poetry Essay’s YouTube channel.

Annotation prompts for Charlotte Mew’s ‘The Farmer’s Bride’. ‘The Farmer’s Bride’ is about a newly married woman. In farming communities, marriages were often organised according to valuable family matches and convenience, rather than love. The annotation prompts are a supportive tool, intended to encourage further poetry analysis and interpretation. Resources included: an editable PowerPoint presentation on Charlotte Mew’s ‘The Farmer’s Bride’; a poetry planning table; 20 poetry analysis questions; and a booklet containing the poetry questions, with space to respond. This poetry resource can also be found, in video format, on Poetry Essay’s YouTube channel.

Annotation prompts for Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s ‘Sonnet 43’. ‘Sonnet 43’ is an expression of love. The annotation prompts are a supportive tool, intended to encourage further poetry analysis and interpretation. Resources included: an editable PowerPoint presentation on Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s ‘Sonnet 43’; a poetry planning table; 20 poetry analysis questions; and a booklet containing the poetry questions, with space to respond. This poetry resource can also be found, in video format, on Poetry Essay’s YouTube channel.

Annotation prompts for John Donne’s ‘A Hymn to God the Father’. ‘A Hymn to God the Father’ centres on forgiveness. The annotation prompts are a supportive tool, intended to encourage further poetry analysis and interpretation. Resources included: an editable PowerPoint presentation on John Donne’s ‘A Hymn to God the Father’; a poetry planning table; 20 poetry analysis questions; and a booklet containing the poetry questions, with space to respond. This poetry resource can also be found, in video format, on Poetry Essay’s YouTube channel.

Annotation prompts for Christina Rossetti’s ‘Sister Maude’. ‘Sister Maude’ is a poem about someone called Maude who has reported an incident to her parents about something shameful that her sibling has done – this could be a reference an illicit relationship. The annotation prompts are a supportive tool, intended to encourage further poetry analysis and interpretation. Resources included: an editable PowerPoint presentation on Christina Rossetti’s ‘Sister Maude’; a poetry planning table; 20 poetry analysis questions; and a booklet containing the poetry questions, with space to respond. This poetry resource can also be found, in video format, on Poetry Essay’s YouTube channel.

Annotation prompts for Clement Clarke Moore’s ‘A Visit from St. Nicholas’. ‘A Visit from St. Nicholas’, also known as ‘The Night Before Christmas’ and ‘'Twas the Night Before Christmas’. It is largely responsible for some of the ways we perceive Father Christmas or Santa Claus. The annotation prompts are a supportive tool, intended to encourage further poetry analysis and interpretation. Resources included: an editable PowerPoint presentation on Clement Clarke Moore’s ‘A Visit from St. Nicholas’; a poetry planning table; 20 poetry analysis questions; and a booklet containing the poetry questions, with space to respond. This poetry resource can also be found, in video format, on Poetry Essay’s YouTube channel.

Annotation prompts for Lewis Carroll’s ‘Jabberwocky’. ‘Jabberwocky’ is a nonsense poem. It was first written in the sequel to ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’, called ‘Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There’ (1871). The annotation prompts are a supportive tool, intended to encourage further poetry analysis and interpretation. Resources included: an editable PowerPoint presentation on Lewis Carroll’s ‘Jabberwocky’; a poetry planning table; 20 poetry analysis questions; and a booklet containing the poetry questions, with space to respond. This poetry resource complements the video annotation of Lewis Carroll’s ‘Jabberwocky’, on Poetry Essay’s YouTube channel.

Annotation prompts for William Wordsworth’s ‘Composed Upon Westminster Bridge’. ‘Composed Upon Westminster Bridge’ is about someone observing events from the famous London landmark. The annotation prompts are a supportive tool, intended to encourage further poetry analysis and interpretation. Resources included: an editable PowerPoint presentation on William Wordsworth’s ‘Composed Upon Westminster Bridge’; a poetry planning table; 20 poetry analysis questions; and a booklet containing the poetry questions, with space to respond. This poetry resource complements the video annotation of William Wordsworth’s ‘Composed Upon Westminster Bridge’, on Poetry Essay’s YouTube channel.

Annotation prompts for William Shakespeare’s ‘Sonnet 116’. ‘Sonnet 116’ is taken from Shakespeare’s collection of 154 sonnets – published 1609. The annotation prompts are a supportive tool, intended to encourage further poetry analysis and interpretation. Resources included: an editable PowerPoint presentation on William Shakespeare’s ‘Sonnet 116’; a poetry planning table; 20 poetry analysis questions; and a booklet containing the poetry questions, with space to respond. This poetry resource complements the video annotation of William Shakespeare’s ‘Sonnet 116’, on Poetry Essay’s YouTube channel.

Annotation prompts for William Blake’s ‘London’ (Songs of Experience). ‘London’ is a poem that depicts England’s capital city during the Industrial Revolution (1760-1820/40). Poem was published in Songs of Experience (1794). The annotation prompts are a supportive tool, intended to encourage further poetry analysis and interpretation. Resources included: an editable PowerPoint presentation on William Blake’s ‘London’; a poetry planning table; 20 poetry analysis questions; and a booklet containing the poetry questions, with space to respond. This poetry resource complements the video annotation of William Blake’s ‘London’, on Poetry Essay’s YouTube channel.

This poster contains a range of important quotations that are associated with Juliet in William Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet. The Juliet key quotes poster has been created in high resolution – up to A0 size (841mm x 1189mm) – so that you can use it as a classroom display. However, it will print perfectly well in other paper sizes, such as A4. Two copies of the Juliet poster have been included, with different backgrounds: white and a black chalkboard one. For more learning resources, please visit Poetry Essay’s website.

This poster contains a range of important quotations that are associated with Benvolio in William Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet. The Benvolio key quotes poster has been created in high resolution – up to A0 size (841mm x 1189mm) – so that you can use it as a classroom display. However, it will print perfectly well in other paper sizes, such as A4. Two copies of the Benvolio poster have been included, with different backgrounds: white and a black chalkboard one. For more learning resources, please visit Poetry Essay’s website.

This poster contains a range of important quotations that are associated with the Nurse in William Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet. The Nurse key quotes poster has been created in high resolution – up to A0 size (841mm x 1189mm) – so that you can use it as a classroom display. However, it will print perfectly well in other paper sizes, such as A4. Two copies of the Nurse poster have been included, with different backgrounds: white and a black chalkboard one. For more learning resources, please visit Poetry Essay’s website.

This poster contains a range of important quotations that are associated with Friar Lawrence in William Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet. The Friar Lawrence key quotes poster has been created in high resolution – up to A0 size (841mm x 1189mm) – so that you can use it as a classroom display. However, it will print perfectly well in other paper sizes, such as A4. Two copies of the Friar Lawrence poster have been included, with different backgrounds: white and a black chalkboard one. For more learning resources, please visit Poetry Essay’s website.

This poster contains a range of important quotations that are associated with Lady Capulet in William Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet. The Lady Capulet key quotes poster has been created in high resolution – up to A0 size (841mm x 1189mm) – so that you can use it as a classroom display. However, it will print perfectly well in other paper sizes, such as A4. Two copies of the Lady Capulet poster have been included, with different backgrounds: white and a black chalkboard one. For more learning resources, please visit Poetry Essay’s website.

This poster contains a range of important quotations that are associated with the Prince in William Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet. The Prince key quotes poster has been created in high resolution – up to A0 size (841mm x 1189mm) – so that you can use it as a classroom display. However, it will print perfectly well in other paper sizes, such as A4. Two copies of the Prince poster have been included, with different backgrounds: white and a black chalkboard one. For more learning resources, please visit Poetry Essay’s website.