Is she insane?

Blue_Seas

Actual question about my English teacher. For the Junior Cert Higher Level English course she's given us 15 poems to learn by various poets. I've heard that you really only need six, maybe eight. I think she's trying to prepare us but honestly she's very strict with absolutely everything and piles the work on us. Sometimes this is good but... I'm swamped.

I think I'd simply need to learn a handful of these poems (There's over two in each category so I was thinking doing two or three from each) and make sure I have at least two poems by the same poet. Is this sufficient or was my teacher correct in telling us we need to know fifteen poems?

bluejay14

Fifteen!!! I'd say we've only got about 10 or so.I can't even remember what they all are now.

*runs away to study*

soccymonster

15 is too much imo. And its only a thirty marker question. I'd do what you're doing

Blue_Seas

I figured it was too much >.<

I'm probably just going to study the poems I like and can write a lot about.

coldwood92

No not for honours

jumpguy

15 isn't too bad, tbh, you should just learn as much as you can so you can answer every possible exam question. I remember I used Daffodils by William Wordsworth...it could suit loads of questions.

In Leaving Cert you'll be learning over 30 at HL English...

BL1993

I did my JC last year and I can tell you for a fact you do not need 15 poems. I only learned 2 poems and they ensured that I could answer any question. Sure, you may not have a choice anymore, but you'll be prepared and more than likely score very high marks depend on your grasp of the language and your understanding of the actually poems. The poems were:

The Wild Swans At Coole

AND

The lake Isle of Innisfree

Both by W.B. Yeats. I guarantee a question will appear which will suit either or both poems.

Blue_Seas

Thanks for the help ^.^
30 poems for HL English?! Oi, the Leaving Cert will be upon me before I know it. It's so tempting to ask to go to OL for English, Irish and Maths after this year...

I just did The Wild Swans at Coole today but I find there isn't much to write about. She trained us to hone in on alliteration, assonance and a rhyming scheme instead of looking at the poem as a whole. I'd much prefer simply saying "I liked this poem because the description of the still lake is a pleasing image to the mind" -.-'

Papa_Lazarou

You dont have to learn 30 poems for your leaving cert..... You may read through that many poems but them you just choose certain ones from various poets that you could use in potential questions.

And op its all about dividing up your study by the marks that are going for the questions. No point point spending ages go over and learning off poems if in the end you done little on something that's worth a lot more.

spurious

I would say she is trying to teach you English and give you an appreciation of a wide range of poems and poets, rather than just to pass the exam.

Clearly insane.

BL1993

Use the internet to find online summaries and analysis's. TBH, I only studied the Wild Swans at Coole to cover a question that required me to compare/contrast two poems by the same poet. The "Lake Isle of Innisfree" actually covers just about every question if you know it inside out. If you need any help on that poem, drop me a message.

MoyVilla9

Yup I learned 30 for my Leaving, you got it good with your 15!

Luno

So far over three years I've learned
2 poems that I remember the names of but thats as far as it goes..
15 sounds too much..

here.from.day.1

jumpguy wrote: »

In Leaving Cert you'll be learning over 30 at HL English...

Managed a B1 in the leaving in HL English knowing only one poem!

Jackobyte

Blue_Seas wrote: »

Actual question about my English teacher. For the Junior Cert Higher Level English course she's given us 15 poems to learn by various poets. I've heard that you really only need six, maybe eight. I think she's trying to prepare us but honestly she's very strict with absolutely everything and piles the work on us. Sometimes this is good but... I'm swamped.

I think I'd simply need to learn a handful of these poems (There's over two in each category so I was thinking doing two or three from each) and make sure I have at least two poems by the same poet. Is this sufficient or was my teacher correct in telling us we need to know fifteen poems?

We have done 13 poems and for the inclass test's I've had to use about 10 of them to answer questions. I'd say for the pres just learn the few but for the actual junior cert try and learn as many as you can. I find the easiest way to do poetry is learn the actual poem. If you are good at english you can make up the answer by just reciting the poem mentally. I can anyway. If I learn the poem, in an exam situation I can pick out onomatopoeia, imagery, alliteration, assonance, pun, rhyme scheme, etc., with relevent quotes just from reciting poem.

Zoticon

Fifteen!!!!!!!!!!!
omg
no need for that much
all u really need is 3 to be able to answer all questions
but they have to vary in theme
the ones i have studiesd in great and i do mean great detail are:

Dulce Et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen
Mid-Term Break by Seamus Heaney
and Blackberry Picking by Seamus Heaney

thats all the aspects of which the questions ask on, covered

and there is actually no need to learn the poems
it does help but if u learn several quotes u should be grand

Jackobyte

Zoticon wrote: »

Fifteen!!!!!!!!!!!
omg
no need for that much
all u really need is 3 to be able to answer all questions
but they have to vary in theme
the ones i have studiesd in great and i do mean great detail are:

Dulce Et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen
Mid-Term Break by Seamus Heaney
and Blackberry Picking by Seamus Heaney

thats all the aspects of which the questions ask on, covered

and there is actually no need to learn the poems
it does help but if u learn several quotes u should be grand

That doesn't allow you contrast a prowar and anti war poem.

Halla Basin

Ha, you people are intimidated by learning off only 15 poems. I could learn off 50 poems in a month.

Washington Irving

Halla Basin wrote: »

Ha, you people are intimidated by learning off only 15 poems. I could learn off 50 poems in a month.

Well... I can learn off 51 in 29 days...

My English teachers is only making us learn off 8

Halla Basin

SAULGOODE9 wrote: »

Well... I can learn off 51 in 29 days...

My English teachers is only making us learn off 8

Well, yeah that was like my normal speed anyway. If I really wanted to I could learn like 100 poems in a week

bevan619

Fifteen poems? We've gotten like 2.

qwerty2

15 is much too many! I think for my JC (last year) I did the following

Dulce et Decorum Est (Wilfred Owen)
Blackberry Picking (Seamus Heaney)
Midterm Break (Seamus Heaney)

That being said, I did them in great detail and knew I'd be able to adapt them to any question by looking over past papers! Also did a few others like the Conquerors and some others that I can't remember just in case, but they were very brief! PM me if you want notes etc on them

spurious

No amount is too many really, but limiting the number of poems you are familiar with is teaching you to pass the exam, not to understand and appreciate English. It might work for the JC, but will leave you lacking for the LC.

chocolate98

you need to know 7 poems inside out thats it :P

joetoad

Its the junior cert, it doesn't matter. You just a need a C in any subject.

Bazinga_N

chocolate98 wrote: »

you need to know 7 poems inside out thats it :P

Why in earth did you feel the need to pull out a thread from over 3 years ago? :rolleyes: The op, is most likely doing his/her LC or is finished Secondary School by now, I don't think he/she is bothered how many poems is needed for the Junior Cert anymore.

Blue_Seas

Em.. Thanks for the help and all you two but I'm actually doing my leaving cert English in a few weeks, so tis a bit late to be telling me what poems to be doing ! I wish I only had to do 15 for the leaving!
I'm assuming a mod will lock this thread soon but lads, check the other post dates before replying

spurious

Die zombie thread!