Exam Tips

My 10 Tips on How to Get a Good Grade

  1. Relax. You and the poet are human and you both speak English.
  2. Ignore your notes. Rub them out a week before the exam.
  3. Read the poem as if you’ve never seen or heard it before.
  4. Read it again, and hear it in your head.
  5. Trust your own reaction.
  6. Remember, in a poem every word counts.
  7. Bring your experience, your heart and mind to the poem.
  8. Trust the images that come into your mind.
  9. Write down your ideas.
  10. Quote every word or phrase you can find in the poem to prove your point.