Approaching the Eduqas poetry anthology (Poetry 1789 to the present day) for Component 1 Section B: understanding the two-part question (analyse one printed poem for 15 marks, then compare it with a second anthology poem from memory for 25 marks), and preparing thematic links across the anthology (AO1, AO2 and AO3).

What this dot point is asking

Component 1 Section B examines the Eduqas anthology, Poetry 1789 to the present day, in a two-part question worth 40 marks together. Part (a) prints one named poem and asks you to analyse it for 15 marks. Part (b) asks you to choose a second anthology poem and compare it with the first, worth 25 marks, recalled from memory. You need to know the anthology well enough to pick a strong partner poem and to quote it accurately under closed-book conditions (AO1, AO2 and AO3).

Know the two-part structure

The first thing to master is the shape of the question, because the two parts demand different skills.

Part (a): analyse the printed poem

Part (a) is the more contained task, and the poem is in front of you.

Part (b): choose and compare a second poem

Part (b) is where the anthology knowledge pays off. You choose which second poem to set against the printed one, so the quality of your choice shapes the answer. Pick a poem that genuinely shares the idea in the question, not just one you happen to know well, because a forced link weakens the comparison. Because the second poem is closed book, you must recall short, accurate quotations from it, so your revision has to cover potential partner poems thoroughly, not just plot. Group the anthology by theme (conflict, nature, power, love, memory, identity) so that whichever focus part (a) sets, you can reach for a poem that pairs naturally with it.

Prepare for closed-book conditions

The printed poem removes the memory burden for part (a), but part (b) is fully closed book. Build a small bank of short, flexible quotations for every anthology poem you might use as a partner, and rehearse retrieving them, not just recognising them. For each poem, learn two or three quotations that you can analyse for method, and note which themes the poem speaks to so you can match it to a question quickly. Practise part (b) often by taking a printed poem and choosing different partners for different focuses, so on the day the choice feels familiar rather than improvised.

The set anthology

Eduqas examines its own anthology, Poetry 1789 to the present day, a set collection of poems published in the specification. The poems range from Romantic-era writing through to contemporary verse, grouped here by the themes that recur across them. Always revise from the current Eduqas anthology, because the contents are board-specific and may be updated; confirm the exact poems on your paper with your teacher.

Try this

Q1. How many marks is each part of the Eduqas anthology question worth? [2 marks]

• Cue. Part (a) is 15 marks (single-poem analysis); part (b) is 25 marks (comparison with a second poem from memory).

Q2. Why must you know the whole anthology, not just one poem? [2 marks]

• Cue. Part (b) lets you choose the second poem, so you need a strong partner for whatever focus part (a) sets, recalled from memory.