Unseen Poetry Mark Scheme and Model Answers (Edexcel IGCSE English Literature)

‘A Cottage in the Lane’ by Brian Patten

Whatever tragedies occurred in that house

Where finally she lived out her life alone,

No one knew or cared, least of all

Those who thought the place was theirs:

The squirrels nesting in the roof,

The mice in the cellar, and in the eaves*

The birds that came each spring

And nested there, and sang

A song as pure as the rain-washed air.

How full her mind was, or how blank,

How rich she was or how poor

Was to them of no concern.

For all they knew the house was theirs,

So quietly had she lived in one small room.

An electric fire, a lamp,

And no desire to be elsewhere.

Now that the ghost-in-waiting she became

Has finally evaporated into the air,

The For Sale board’s gone up,

A flag of surrender nailed against the cottage wall.

And the squirrels, the mice, the birds,

And all the rest who thought the place was theirs

Will soon move on. It’s either that or else

Be caught in a pest-controller’s snare.

Change is in the air.

Rich, green-wellied* weekenders

Prowl through the undergrowth where once

A dynasty* of toads held court.

The place will soon be bought.

Glossary

*eaves – the edge of a roof

*green-wellied – green waterproof Wellington boots

*dynasty – generations of powerful rulers or leaders

IGCSE Edexcel English Literature Unseen Poetry

Explore how the writer presents the cottage and its inhabitants in this poem.

In your answer, you should consider the writer’s:

• descriptive skills

• choice of language

• use of form and structure

Support your answer with examples from the poem.

Question focus

How the writer presents the cottage and its inhabitants

Topic sentence

In the poem ‘A Cottage in the Lane’ Patten the poet presents a subtle contrast between the human and animal inhabitants of the cottage.

Comments about

 the writer’s descriptive skills

Patten initially describes a cottage where a woman lived a lonely, restricted life, as she “lived out her life alone”. Despite living in “one small room” with only “An electric fire, a lamp”, she had “no desire to be elsewhere”. This is contrasted with the descriptions of the cottage as a haven for wildlife. The squirrels, mice and birds “knew the house was theirs”, but towards the end of the poem their future appears less certain and they “Will soon move on”.

Question focus

How the writer presents the cottage and its inhabitants

Topic sentence

In the poem, Patten uses language to depict the cottage as a threatened former sanctuary for its habitants. 

Comments about the writer’s use of language

The simile “A song as pure as the rain-washed air” creates an atmosphere of calm and a feeling of harmony between the woman and nature, reinforcing the idea that the woman finds solace in her humble surroundings. Patten contrasts this with the animal’s control within the cottage and their dominance. They are depicted as arrogantly indifferent to the old woman and uninterested in her world: for them it was of “no concern. / For they knew the house was theirs”. Towards the end of the poem, Patten uses listing when she describes the “squirrels, the mice, the birds” under threat, who must “move on” or “be caught in a pest-controller’s snare”. Indeed, the haunting final line, with its simplicity and matter-of-fact tone, conveys the inevitability of change: “The place will soon be bought.”

Question focus

How the writer presents the cottage and its inhabitants

Topic sentence

In the poem, Patten uses form and structure to cleverly present the relationship between the cottage and its inhabitants. 

Comments about the writer’s use of form and structure

It is written in a single 29-line stanza of free verse. This structure could be used to signify the interconnectedness of the cottage, its inhabitants and the nature that surrounds it. The single stanza therefore represents their unity. The repetition of  “who thought the place was theirs” evokes a sense of uncertainty, particularly when compared with the more concrete line of “knew the house was theirs”. The poet’s use of caesura provides a pause, reflecting the transition between the current situation and the possible fate of the wildlife: “Will soon move on. It’s either that or else / Be caught in a pest-controller’s snare”.

Graded 9 Model Answer

In the poem ‘A Cottage in the Lane’, Brian Patten presents the cottage, its inhabitants and their relationships to explore a range of themes such as solitude and the inevitability of change.

In the poem ‘A Cottage in the Lane’ Patten presents a subtle contrast between the human and animal inhabitants of the cottage through his evocative descriptive skills. The woman at the cottage is depicted as a solitary, isolated figure: “she lived out her life alone”. The omission of the woman’s name, further emphasises her lack of identity as she is only referred to using the pronoun “she”. Despite living in “one small room” with only “An electric fire, a lamp”, she had “no desire to be elsewhere”. This is contrasted with the descriptions of the cottage as a haven for wildlife. The squirrels, mice and birds “knew the house was theirs”. The simile “A song as pure as the rain-washed air” first creates an atmosphere of calm and harmony between the woman and nature. This imagery evokes a sense of peace and contentment, reinforcing the idea that the woman finds solace in her humble surroundings. 

Through his choice of language, Patten conveys the animal’s control within the cottage and their dominance. They are depicted as having an arrogant indifference to the woman and are uninterested in her world: for them it was of “no concern. / For they knew the house was theirs”. However, towards the end of the poem their future appears to be less certain. Patten uses listing when he describes the “squirrels, the mice, the birds” to illustrate how they are now under threat and must “move on” or “be caught in a pest-controller’s snare”. Indeed, the haunting final line, with its simplicity and matter-of-fact tone, is used to convey the inevitability of change: “The place will soon be bought.” The use of repetition of  “who thought the place was theirs” evokes a sense of uncertainty, particularly when compared with the more concrete line of “knew the house was theirs”.  The poet’s use of caesura provides a pause, reflecting the transition between the current situation and the possible fate of the wildlife: “Will soon move on. It’s either that or else / Be caught in a pest-controller’s snare”. [AO2]

In the poem, Patten uses form and structure to cleverly present the relationship between the cottage and its inhabitants. The poem is written in a single 29-line stanza of free verse. This form and structure could be used to signify the interconnectedness of the cottage, its inhabitants and the nature which surrounds it. The single stanza therefore represents their unity. [AO2] The repetition of  “who thought the place was theirs” evokes a sense of uncertainty, particularly when compared with the more concrete line of “knew the house was theirs”. The poet’s use of caesura provides a pause, reflecting the transition between the current situation and the possible fate of the wildlife: “Will soon move on. It’s either that or else / Be caught in a pest-controller’s snare”. Enjambment is also used here, and throughout the poem, to suggest the changing relationship of the cottage and its inhabitants. 

In conclusion, Patten uses language, form and structure to present the cottage as both a sanctuary for its inhabitants and a threatened space to explore the theme of change.