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AS and A Level: Alfred Lord Tennyson

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Common errors when writing about Tennyson's poems

1 Failing to distinguish between titles and characters – It can lead to confusion if you do not distinguish between ‘Mariana’ or ‘Ulysses’ (the poems) and Mariana or Ulysses (the characters). Quotation marks or italics are essential to indicate titles of poems.
2 Failure to make proper use of quotations – Quotations from the poems should always be followed by an analysis of their language and effects. It is not enough just to quote and pass on.
3 Sweeping generalisations about the Victorian era – Avoid statements like ‘the Victorians believed that…’ It is most unlikely that they all did.
4 The poet’s name – The poet should be referred to as Tennyson, not Lord Tennyson. He did not become a baronet until very late in life.
5 Poor spelling – Tennyson’s poems contain characters with unfamiliar names, such as Ulysses and Tithonis. Make sure you spell them correctly.

Poetry essay success

1 Try to refer to the wording of the essay title two or three times during the course of your essay. This should ensure that you are answering the question effectively.
2 If asked to compare or contrast two poems, make sure you give equal weight to both of them.
3 Discuss poetic technique as well as narrative content, and consider how these two things relate to each other.
4 Introduce your quotations so they are fluently integrated into the flow of your sentences. Then analyse their effect. Don’t just expect them to speak for themselves.
5 Use adverbs or phrases such as ‘moreover’, nevertheless’, ‘in addition’ and ‘however’. These indicate whether you intend to develop a previous point or change tack, and help the reader follow your argument.

Marked by Teachers essays 6
Peer Reviewed essays 3

A later poet said 'Old men ought to be explorers'. What do you think he meant by that? Do you think he would have approved of the Ulysses who speaks in this poem? What would be your own assessment of Ulysses' character?

3 star(s)

Also the poet specifically chose 'ought' as though there is an obligation, or a duty, to become one of these explorers, or perhaps that one might be seen as foolish or failed if one does not spend time in one's final years exploring something. Being a 'later' poet, he would have been able to look back and see the revolutionary ways that peoples' every day lives had changed due to the discoveries made during the Victorian era. Although there were of course destructive or depressing sides to the Industrial Revolution, for example the poverty in the slums, if so many
- Word count: 2520

Conclusion analysis

Good conclusions usually refer back to the question or title and address it directly - for example by using key words from the title.
How well do you think these conclusions address the title or question? Answering these questions should help you find out.

Do they use key words from the title or question?

Do they answer the question directly?

Can you work out the question or title just by reading the conclusion?

Crossing the Bar contains the most powerful presentation of death in the anthology. To what extent do you agree? Discuss with reference to two other poems in the collection Tennyson question

"To conclude, I believe that ‘Crossing the Bar’ contains the most powerful presentation of death because in contrast to ‘Break break break’ Tennyson is conclusive – he is being valiant about his own deaf or has come to terms with the grief of his friend and is ready to be reunited with him. ‘And may there be no moaning of the bar’. Even the structure of the poem can represent the shortness of life. By having fewer words, they can hold more control and capture the attention of the reader. In contrast, ‘Morte D’Arthur’ is longer and this makes the presentation of death less powerful because the meaning may be lost as the poem is read."

AS and A Level: Alfred Lord Tennyson

Common errors when writing about Tennyson's poems

Tennyson is noted for the variety of his verse forms. Check the definitions of each of the following, and make sure you always try to link form with meaning in a poem.

Poetry essay success

A later poet said 'Old men ought to be explorers'. What do you think he meant by that? Do you think he would have approved of the Ulysses who speaks in this poem? What would be your own assessment of Ulysses' character?

Conclusion analysis

Marked by a teacher

Peer reviewed

Peer reviewed