Which anthology does Eduqas set?

Eduqas examines its own anthology, Poetry 1789 to the present day, a set collection of poems printed in the specification, ranging from Romantic-era writing to contemporary verse. The exact contents are board-specific and may be updated, so always confirm the current poems with your teacher.

Is the poetry anthology exam closed book?

Yes. Part (a) prints the named poem, so no memory is needed there, but part (b) is closed book for the second poem you choose, so you must recall short, accurate quotations from your partner poems. Revising the anthology by theme, in pairs and trios, makes the closed-book comparison manageable.

Is AO3 (context) assessed on the poetry anthology?

Yes, in part (b). The 25-mark comparison rewards AO3, so embed a clause of context for each poem where it sharpens the reading (a poem's period, a war poem's date). Part (a) is AO1 and AO2 only, so context is not needed there. AO4 (accuracy) is not assessed on the poetry sections.

How do I choose the second poem in part (b)?

Choose a poem that genuinely shares the idea in the question, not just one you know well. A poem that truly pairs with the printed poem gives you similarities and differences to compare; a forced pairing produces a thin answer. Revising the anthology in thematic clusters means you have a strong partner ready for any focus.

EnglandEnglish Literature

Poetry anthology overview: how to study the Eduqas Component 1 Section B poems

Q: How is the Eduqas poetry anthology question structured?

It is Section B of Component 1, a two-part question worth 40 marks together. Part (a) prints one named anthology poem and asks you to analyse it alone for 15 marks (AO1 and AO2). Part (b) asks you to choose a second anthology poem and compare it with the printed one for 25 marks, recalled from memory (AO1, AO2 and AO3). Part (b) is the heavier task and the only place AO3 is rewarded in the section.

A complete overview of the Eduqas GCSE English Literature poetry anthology, Poetry 1789 to the present day, for Component 1 Section B: the two-part question (a 15-mark single-poem analysis and a 25-mark comparison with a poem from memory), the language, form and structure toolkit, the idea-led comparison, the set anthology and its themes, and how to structure and time the answer.

Generated by Claude Opus 4.811 min readC720QSUpdated 2026-06-02

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What the anthology question tests
The five study areas
How to study the anthology for the exam
Where this fits in the exam

This overview maps the Eduqas GCSE English Literature poetry anthology, Poetry 1789 to the present day, examined as Section B of Component 1. You answer a two-part question worth 40 marks: a 15-mark single-poem analysis of a printed poem, then a 25-mark comparison with a second anthology poem recalled from memory. Everything rests on the language, form and structure toolkit, the idea-led comparison, and thematic knowledge of the anthology.

What the anthology question tests

Section B is a two-part question worth 40 marks. Part (a) prints one named poem and asks you to analyse it alone for 15 marks (AO1 and AO2). Part (b) asks you to choose a second anthology poem and compare it with the printed one for 25 marks, recalled from memory (AO1, AO2 and AO3). Part (b) is the heavier task and the only place AO3 is rewarded in the section. AO4 is not assessed here.

The five study areas

This module breaks the anthology study into five skills, each with its own page.

Approaching the poetry anthology. Understand the two-part question (15-mark single poem, 25-mark comparison from memory) and prepare thematic links across the anthology.
Language, form and structure in poetry. Analyse diction, imagery and sound; stanza, line, rhyme and metre; the order and development of ideas, the volta and the ending, always reaching the effect.
Comparing anthology poems. Choose a strong second poem and build an idea-led comparison that treats both poems together with connectives, integrating method and context.
The Poetry 1789 to the present day anthology. Know the anthology's range and themes, and organise the poems into thematic clusters for the closed-book comparison.
Writing the anthology answer. Structure part (a) and part (b), budget time in proportion to the 15 and 25 mark weighting, and select precise evidence under closed-book conditions.

How to study the anthology for the exam

Master the language, form and structure toolkit so part (a) is a confident single-poem analysis. Revise the anthology by theme, in pairs and trios, so part (b) always has a strong, accurately memorised partner poem ready. Drill the idea-led comparison structure so you compare in every paragraph rather than analysing two poems separately. Because AO3 is rewarded in part (b), practise embedding a clause of context for each poem, and protect the time split so the 25-mark comparison gets the larger share of the section.

Where this fits in the exam

The anthology shares Component 1 with the Shakespeare question, so budget your time across both in proportion to their marks (the anthology is 40, Shakespeare 20). The comparison skill transfers directly to the unseen poetry section in Component 2, where you compare two unseen poems, and the language, form and structure toolkit underpins all the poetry work. For technique that crosses sections, see the exam skills pages on the Eduqas papers, on essay writing and comparison, and on using context for AO3.

Sources & how we know this

Eduqas GCSE (9-1) English Literature (C720QS) specification — WJEC Eduqas (2015)