Component 1: Section A: Unseen Poetry Overview (Edexcel IGCSE English Literature)

Revision Note

Kate Lee

Written by: Kate Lee

Reviewed by: Jenna Quinn

Component 1: Section A: Unseen Poetry Overview

Edexcel International GCSE in English Literature (4ET1/01) has a compulsory, examined component, Component 1, and a choice of an additional examined component or coursework option. All of your exam papers must be taken at the end of your course of study.

In your Component 1 exam, the exam question in Section A requires you to write a 20-mark essay question exploring the meaning and effects created in an unseen poem. The poem will be reproduced in the question paper.

You must complete Component 1. There are three sections in this exam paper:

Component 1: Poetry and Modern Prose  (4ET1/01)

Externally assessed 

60% of the total International GCSE

Section A

Unseen Poetry

  • explore how writers create meaning and effects in a range of seen and unseen poetry

Section B

Anthology Poetry

  • develop skills to compare a range of poetry from Part 3 of the Pearson Edexcel International GCSE English Anthology

Section C

Modern prose

  • explore how writers create meaning and effects in a range of modern prose texts

In Section A, you will be expected to apply your knowledge of poetic form, content and meaning to an unseen poem. You must:

  • demonstrate understanding of how writers create literary effects using, for example, imagery, descriptive skills, language choice, tone and mood, structure and form

  • understand and use appropriate literary terminology

  • identify and use relevant examples from the poem

Find out more about how to answer the Unseen Poetry question here.

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Kate Lee

Author: Kate Lee

Expertise: English and Languages Lead

Kate has over 12 years of teaching experience as a Head of English and as a private tutor. Having also worked at the exam board AQA and in educational publishing, she's been writing educational resources to support learners in their exams throughout her career. She's passionate about helping students achieve their potential by developing their literacy and exam skills.

Jenna Quinn

Author: Jenna Quinn

Expertise: Head of New Subjects

Jenna studied at Cardiff University before training to become a science teacher at the University of Bath specialising in Biology (although she loves teaching all three sciences at GCSE level!). Teaching is her passion, and with 10 years experience teaching across a wide range of specifications – from GCSE and A Level Biology in the UK to IGCSE and IB Biology internationally – she knows what is required to pass those Biology exams.