Poems of the Decade Revision

Poems of the Decade Revision is an important use of time for students studying the English Literature A Level or AS Level provided by Edexcel; a selection from the anthology are part of the prescribed texts meaning that they may be part of the final exam. For A Level, poetry is part of the third exam and in total accounts for 30% of the qualification. One half of that exam made up of the Post-2000 poetry that is part of the Poems of the Decade Anthology, and the other half a selection of Pre-1900 poetry, such as English Romantic Verse. In the AS qualification, poetry is included in the poetry and drama exam. Teaching Resources for the Poems of the Decade Anthology can also be found by clicking here.

Poems of the Decade Revision

This is a relatively new course, with the first A Level assessment thaven taken place in June 2017. There are a total of 20 poems that are prescribed, of which two will be selected in the exam paper. You will have to pick one of two specified questions, each of which will have one poem that is part of this collection and one unseen poem.

For AS Level students, you will be given two questions to pick from, and each will specify a poem to be used. It is then up to you to decide on another poem to use from the prescribed anthology, meaning that it is important to be confident on all the set poems and the different ways they can link to each other.

Currently Prescribed Poems

• ‘Eat Me’ by Patience Agbabi
• ‘Chainsaw Versus the Pampas Grass’ by Simon Armitage
• ‘Material’ by Ros Barber
• ‘History’ by John Burnside
• ‘An Easy Passage’ by Julia Copus
• ‘The Deliverer’ by Tishani Doshi
• ‘The Lammas Hireling’ by Ian Duhig
• ‘To My Nine-Year-Old Self’ by Helen Dunmore
• ‘A Minor Role’ by U A Fanthorpe
• ‘The Gun’ by Vicki Feaver
• ‘The Furthest Distances I’ve Travelled’ by Leontia Flynn
• ‘Giuseppe’ by Roderick Ford
• ‘Out of the Bag’ by Seamus Heaney
• ‘Effects’ by Alan Jenkins
• ‘Genetics’ by Sinéad Morrissey
• ‘From the Journal of a Disappointed Man’ by Andrew Motion
• ‘Look We Have Coming to Dover!’ by Daljit Nagra
• ‘Please Hold’ by Ciaran O’Driscoll
• ‘On Her Blindness’ by Adam Thorpe
• ‘Ode on a Grayson Perry Urn’ by Tim Turnbull

Poems of the Decade Example Questions

Previously Prescribed Poems

A number of poems were removed from the prescribed list in 2017 for AS and A Level, meaning that you will not be examined on these poems. However, they act as a great option to use for practice essays and general Poems of the Decade revision, with analysis available to support your learning. International exams may still use these poems – confirm with your teacher.

• ‘Inheritance’ by Eavan Boland
• ‘A Leisure Centre is Also a Temple of Learning’ by Sue Boyle
• ‘The War Correspondent’ by Ciaran Carson
• ‘The Map Woman’ by Carol Ann Duffy
• ‘The Fox in the National Museum of Wales’ by Robert Minhinnick
• ‘Fantasia on a Theme of James Wright’ by Sean O’Brien
• ‘You, Shiva and My Mum’ by Ruth Padel
• ‘Song’ by George Szirtes

Sample Paper Unseen Poems

• ‘Fireflies’ by Frank Ormsby
• ‘Somewhat Unravelled’ by Jo Shapcott

Past Exam Paper Unseen Poems

• ‘When Six O’Clock Comes and Another Day Has Passed’ by Kathryn Simmonds (2017)