Compare Hide and Seek and Half-past Two: Edexcel IGCSE English Literature

A chart for pupils to complete after studying the poems** Hide and Seek** and Half Past Two from the Edexcel IGCSE Poetry Anthology for English Literature. Good preparation for tackling a comparative essay.

The twelve questions to compare the poems are:

1. What does the poem describe and how far can the reader relate to the topic?
2. Where is the boy and what is he doing?
3. How is the boy feeling in lines 1-9?
4. How does each poet use language to convey the boy’s feelings in lines 1-9?
5. How does each poet use references to the senses to convey atmosphere?
6. How does each poet convey the boy’s innocence?
7. How is the boy feeling in the middle of the poem?
8. How does the tone of the poem change towards the end?
9. What happens to the boy at the end of the poem?
10. Do you see the final three lines of the poem as positive or negative?
11. Does the ending of the poem make you reconsider the meaning of the poem as a whole?
12. What can you say about the form and structure of the poem?

Teacher’s notes with suggested answers provided.