2017 English Poetry Predictions

EireLemon

I know this thread is extremely premature but I think it's important to study the same poets. I made a little table and I am still not sure who to study, Boland?

LC2017

I think the SEC has shown us last year across most subjects that they are changing things up in regards to patterns and 'definite' questions. From an English student last year I highly recommend you do 5 poets. Even if 2/3 of the poets that you banked on do come up, the question may not suit you. It's probably not what you wanted to hear but as I'm sure the other repeat students will agree with me, it's the truth.

Bazinga_N

LC2017 wrote: »

I think the SEC has shown us last year across most subjects that they are changing things up in regards to patterns and 'definite' questions. From an English student last year I highly recommend you do 5 poets. Even if 2/3 of the poets that you banked on do come up, the question may not suit you. It's probably not what you wanted to hear but as I'm sure the other repeat students will agree with me, it's the truth.

This is very true! So many people banked on Yeats coming up last June and he didn't! Definitely cost a lot of people a grade on the day. It's the start of 6th year so there's plenty of time to study five poets.

I could see Eliot coming up again though, just because people won't expect him to and a lot of people don't like him. Plath would be an obvious one too but after the whole 2012 fiasco I wouldn't bet anything on it.

Honestly, just learn five poets well. Then you have nothing to worry about on the day because you know at least one of your poets will be coming up.

EireLemon

Bazinga_N wrote: »

This is very true! So many people banked on Yeats coming up last June and he didn't! Definitely cost a lot of people a grade on the day. It's the start of 6th year so there's plenty of time to study five poets.

I could see Eliot coming up again though, just because people won't expect him to and a lot of people don't like him. Plath would be an obvious one too but after the whole 2012 fiasco I wouldn't bet anything on it.


Honestly, just learn five poets well. Then you have nothing to worry about on the day because you know at least one of your poets will be coming up.

Are you guaranteed one 100% if you learn 5?

Bazinga_N

EireLemon wrote: »

Are you guaranteed one 100% if you learn 5?

Yeah there's 8 poets and four come up on the day. So if you do 5 out of 8, at least one of the 5 has to come up.

EireLemon

Bazinga_N wrote: »

Yeah there's 8 poets and four come up on the day. So if you do 5 out of 8, at least one of the 5 has to come up.

Yeah but way more than 8 have come up in the last few years as seen in the table. Really getting worried about this poetry.

nanook5

EireLemon wrote: »

Yeah but way more than 8 have come up in the last few years as seen in the table. Really getting worried about this poetry.

There is only certain poets prescribed for 2017

EireLemon

nanook5 wrote: »

There is only certain poets prescribed for 2017

Oh brilliant, my teacher explained this to me yesterday. I thought we would have to learn like 10. Is it true a female has to come up so learning the 3 women poets would mean you would definitely get a poet you know?

carefulnowted

EireLemon wrote: »

Oh brilliant, my teacher explained this to me yesterday. I thought we would have to learn like 10. Is it true a female has to come up so learning the 3 women poets would mean you would definitely get a poet you know?

Unfortunately, there are never any guarantees. To date there has been a female poet among the 4 poets on the paper, but 2017 could easily be the year the pattern changes.

randylonghorn

EireLemon wrote: »

Are you guaranteed one 100% if you learn 5?

Yes.

EireLemon wrote: »

Is it true a female has to come up ...

No, there is no such rule.

Neither is it a rule that at least one Irish poet will come up.

It tends to be the pattern, certainly, but there is absolutely nothing to stop them breaking that pattern at any time.

Rustywtf

studying 5 poets isn't even hard. And isn't the poetry only worth 25% of one paper? don't understand the fuss tbh.

drmartinaf

Definitely learn five poets, it's the only viable strategy:)

Danick

I would always advise that students know five poets - the fact that Bishop and Durcan came up last year does not mean they won't be on this year's paper.

In recent years Plath appeared on the LC paper two years in a row - all bets are off - don't take any risks - know five and you will be prepared for this section - there is plenty of time left.

Mr Rhode Island Red

I know this means nothing in reality but our English teacher has a feeling that Boland and Plath will make an appearance

wanderer100

What are people's thoughts on the poets coming up now at this stage of the year?? Have your teachers given their thoughts or predictions?

I've only studied 3 poets well - Plath, Boland & Donne
and have skimmed over Hopkins. Not sure if that's enough prep, so wanted to hear some more thoughts

Danick

wanderer100 wrote: »

What are people's thoughts on the poets coming up now at this stage of the year?? Have your teachers given their thoughts or predictions?

I've only studied 3 poets well - Plath, Boland & Donne
and have skimmed over Hopkins. Not sure if that's enough prep, so wanted to hear some more thoughts

Do 5 -if none of the four poets that you studied appears on the paper then it could have an adverse affect on how you answer the other questions on paper 2.

I know Durcan came up last year but he is the only Irish male poet this year and his poems are really accessible - I would more than skim Hopkins - I'll be very surprised if he doesn't appear on the paper.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

hasdanta

My predictions are Boland, Keats, Donne, Durcan

Noveight

I love seeing the 2012 paper mentioned, I don't think there was one teacher who was confident of their "predictions" for the following year :P

justme126712

My teacher predicted Boland, Donne, Keats and Plath, but she was strongly encouraging us to study Durcan as well

floof

It's totally unpredictable. We have Boland. Keats, Hopkins, Durcan and Plath.. My biggest bets are on Keats and Boland as they both havent come up for the last 5 years or so and then Hopkins. But overall, learn off 5 poets.. though I only learned those 3 mentioned above in detail and the other two are so so, also they're not as complicated as Hopkins or Keats

hannah2553

as long as you write about a poet that comes up can you write about whatever poems you'd like by them?

A97

hannah2553 wrote: »

as long as you write about a poet that comes up can you write about whatever poems you'd like by them?

Yes. Choose poems that suit the question though. I think I discussed 6 poems in varying amounts of detail.

Marking Scheme wrote:

GENERAL

“Students at Higher Level will be required to study a representative
selection from the work of eight poets: a representative selection would
seek to reflect the range of a poet’s themes and interests and exhibit
his/her characteristic style and viewpoint. Normally the study of at least
six poems by each poet would be expected.” (DES English Syllabus, 6.3)

Note that, in the case of each poet, the candidates have the freedom of
choice in relation to the poems studied.

Note that there is not a finite list of any ‘poet’s themes and interests’.

Note that, in responding to the question set on any given poet, the
candidates must refer to poem/s they have studied but they are not
required to refer to any specific poem/s, nor are they expected to
discuss or refer to all the poems they have chosen to study.

In each of the questions in Prescribed Poetry the underlying nature of
the task is the invitation to the candidates to engage with the poems
themselves.

heroboom

So I made a strong educated prediction, a female had appeared more than once every year so I am banking on Eavan Boland and Sylvia Plath, if neither come up then a male poet is the other option and that either hopkins, keats, durcan and donne would appear. I predict keats. I have studied only 3 poets, Boland, Keats and Plath. I'm taking a gamble. I know my quotes for Hamlet and I recommend everyone to get at least 5 poems, it is incredibly difficult to get 6. be real with yourself. more than 4 pages for each section is my aim. waffle your exam but not complete bollox. throw quotes and key points and your in the examiners dream. After English P2, im gonna come back on this and see if my predictions came true. if not, well ****. good luck.

hannah2553

even if they arent in the in the books?

THANK YOU

A97

hannah2553 wrote: »

even if they arent in the in the books?

Sorry for any confusion. They do need to be in the books. The poems are prescribed each year. You shouldn't talk about any poems from a poet that's not in your 2017 book. The poems are here:

https://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Information/Curriculum-and-Syllabus/Senior-Cycle-/Syllabuses-and-Guidelines/English-Leaving-Certificate-Poetry-Courses-for-examination-2015-2018.pdf

auorablaze

Our teacher was really pushing Keats and Boland, she also gave a good bit of detail on Elliot. I think people are figuring boland only because she hasn't showed up in so long