✍️ How to Structure My Poetry Essay

Struggling with how to approach the comparative poetry essay in your GCSE English Literature exam? Don’t worry, we’ve got you! This guide walks you through exactly how to structure your poetry essay using tips from our Light Up Hub method.

You’ll have around 50 minutes to answer the poetry question in your exam. We recommend structuring your time like this:

💡 Factor in time to plan your essay, even if it's just a couple of minute as it will ensure you stay on topic and cover everything you need to

🧠 3 Comparative Paragraphs: One each on language, form, and structure (around 15 minutes each)

✨ Conclusion: 5 minutes max, just a summary, not a chance to introduce new ideas

Be sure to check out our lesson on how to structure our essay:

Each comparative paragraph should include:

✅ Point about both poems (state a similarity or difference)
✅ Evidence, technique & analysis for Poem A
✅ Further analysis for Poem A (linked to reader/meaning)
✅ Comparative sentence linking to Poem B
✅ Evidence, technique & analysis for Poem B
✅ Further analysis for Poem B
✅ Wrap up by comparing again, if you started with a similarity, consider finishing with a difference (or vice versa)
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Use comparative sentence starters like:

Similarly, Likewise, This is contrasted by, Unalike to, This is the antithesis of, Analogously, However

✅ Weave context into your analysis, don’t bolt it on at the end.
✅ Use the word from the question regularly (e.g. “power”, “conflict”) to stay focused.
✅ Don’t get vague, keep linking your ideas clearly back to the poems and the reader’s response.
❌ Don’t treat your conclusion like a new paragraph, it should only summarise your main arguments.

The goal isn’t to mention everything, it’s to write well-structured, thoughtful comparisons that engage with the question, use evidence effectively, and show you understand both poems. You’ve got this! 🚀