Missing ones

Mark Scheme – Question 1

Re-read La Belle Dame sans Merci and My Last Duchess. Compare how power is shown through relationships in La Belle Dame sans Merci and in My Last Duchess.

La Belle Dame sans Merci (AO2) Responses may include:

  • The faery’s child wields power over the knight through her beauty and supernatural charm: he is ‘alone and palely loitering’ after she abandons him. The knight’s vulnerability shows the imbalance of power in the relationship.

  • Repetition of ‘wild eyes’ and the description of her ‘light of foot’ emphasise her dominance over him.

  • The use of the ballad form, with regular rhyme in the second and fourth lines, creates a rhythmic, almost hypnotic effect, reflecting the control the lady has over the knight.

  • Pathetic fallacy highlights the knight’s powerlessness: the ‘sedge has withered’ and ‘no birds sing’ mirror his emotional desolation.

  • The knight’s dream of other ‘pale kings’ and ‘princes’ suggests a history of men powerless before her, reinforcing her authority.

  • Archaic language such as ‘sojourn’ and ‘grot’ adds to the sense of an otherworldly figure whose power is beyond the knight’s understanding.

  • The narrative structure, with questions and answers, foregrounds the knight’s inability to influence events, contrasting his initial confidence with later helplessness.

My Last Duchess (AO2) Responses may include:

  • The Duke exerts power over the Duchess through possession and control: he refers to her as ‘my last Duchess’ and describes her smiles and gestures as needing his permission.

  • The dramatic monologue allows the Duke to reveal his controlling nature, while the Duchess cannot speak for herself; enjambment mirrors his obsessive, uninterrupted narrative.

  • He conveys power through implied threat: the line ‘I gave commands; then all smiles stopped together’ subtly implies he orchestrated her death.

  • Imagery of the Duchess as a painting reinforces the idea of objectification: she is a static possession rather than an active agent.

  • The rhyme and caesura in the iambic pentameter echo the Duke’s measured, formal control and authority.

  • Language choices like ‘taming’ and ‘commands’ emphasise hierarchical power within the relationship.

  • The poem’s structure, with the Duke controlling the storytelling, mirrors the imbalance of power in his relationship with the Duchess.

Both poems (AO2/AO3) Responses may include:

  • Both poems explore imbalance in relationships, though through different methods: Keats uses supernatural allure, Browning uses social and patriarchal authority.

  • Both feature one-sided perspectives: the knight and Duchess are affected by power, while the other character dominates the narrative.

  • Control is shown through language, imagery, and structure: repetition, narrative voice, and descriptive details highlight dominance in both cases.

  • The poets present consequences of unequal power: the knight is abandoned and suffering, the Duchess is silenced and objectified.

  • Both use form to reinforce power dynamics: the ballad’s rhythm and rhyme create hypnotic control; the dramatic monologue shows verbal dominance.

AO3 Responses may include:

  • Both poems link the theme of power and control to relationships and human vulnerability.

  • La Belle Dame sans Merci presents power through supernatural enchantment; My Last Duchess presents power through social hierarchy and psychological manipulation.

  • Both poets emphasise one-sided relationships where one character dominates the other, though the medium differs (ballad vs dramatic monologue).

  • Both explore the effects of power on the victim: the knight experiences emotional and physical suffering; the Duchess is reduced to a silent image.

  • Candidates may discuss how historical context shapes power: medieval romantic idealisation vs Renaissance patriarchy.

Mark Scheme – Question 2

Re-read La Belle Dame sans Merci and My Last Duchess. Compare how the poets present control without physical violence in the two poems.

La Belle Dame sans Merci (AO2) Responses may include:

  • The faery exerts control through charm and enchantment rather than physical force; the knight is entranced by her ‘faery’s child’ and her promise of love.

  • Use of supernatural imagery (‘elfin grot’, ‘I love thee true’) highlights psychological and emotional control.

  • Ballad form and repetitive rhyme create a hypnotic effect, mirroring the spell-like influence she has over the knight.

  • Pathetic fallacy conveys the knight’s lack of agency: the ‘sedge has withered’ and ‘no birds sing’ reflect his helplessness.

  • The knight’s dream warns him of the faery’s subtle control, suggesting her influence extends beyond her physical presence.

  • Language such as ‘wild eyes’ and ‘light of foot’ reinforces seduction and the power of allure without force.

  • The narrative perspective and questioning style underline his lack of control over events.

My Last Duchess (AO2) Responses may include:

  • The Duke controls the Duchess psychologically, using jealousy and possessiveness rather than violence.

  • Dramatic monologue shows his dominance: he interprets her smiles as inappropriate and conveys that he ‘gave commands; then all smiles stopped together’—suggesting control through implication rather than overt action.

  • Objectification of the Duchess as a painting conveys silent, symbolic control: she is frozen, immobile, and powerless.

  • Language such as ‘taming’ and ‘commands’ communicates hierarchical power.

  • Enjambment and formal iambic pentameter reinforce the Duke’s measured, calculated control.

  • The Duke’s narrative control mirrors his control over the Duchess; she is absent from the text except as an object of his authority.

  • Dramatic monologue structure allows the poet to explore psychological control through speech rather than physical action.

Both poems (AO2/AO3) Responses may include:

  • Both poets explore psychological, emotional, or symbolic control rather than physical force.

  • Techniques include repetition, descriptive imagery, narrative perspective, and structure to emphasise the effect of control.

  • Both show consequences of non-physical control: the knight is emotionally and mentally trapped; the Duchess is objectified and silenced.

  • Both highlight imbalance in relationships, where one character dominates the other.

  • The poets use form and language to convey control: hypnotic ballad form vs formal dramatic monologue; seductive vs authoritative diction.

AO3 Responses may include:

  • Both poems link control to social or emotional dominance rather than physical power.

  • La Belle Dame sans Merci uses supernatural charm to control the knight; My Last Duchess uses social hierarchy and psychological manipulation.

  • Both demonstrate the lasting impact of control: the knight suffers emotional harm, the Duchess is removed from life (or rendered powerless).

  • Both encourage reflection on human vulnerability in the face of manipulation and influence.

  • Candidates may note historical and cultural differences in the expression of control: medieval romance versus Renaissance courtly power.

Question: Re-read Blessing and one other poem of your choice. Compare how the poets show the relationship between humans and their environment.

Blessing

(AO2) Responses may include:

  • the poem opens with a vivid depiction of the dry, harsh environment in an urban slum: ‘The skin cracks like a pod’ conveys the effect of scarcity and heat on the people, immediately showing the environment’s impact on humans.

  • the poet uses similes and metaphors to bring the environment to life and show its effect on human behaviour: water is described as a ‘rush of fortune’ and ‘blessing’, emphasising how a natural resource shapes the lives of the community.

  • sensory imagery engages the reader: visual images (‘silver crashes’), tactile images (‘skin cracks’), and auditory images (‘the voice of a kindly god’) communicate the intensity of the environment and its sudden transformation.

  • contrasts in the poem highlight how humans are shaped by their surroundings: the harsh, dry conditions are juxtaposed with the sudden arrival of water, which creates joy and relief. This shows the fragility of life and dependence on the environment.

  • enjambment and irregular line lengths reflect the unpredictability of the environment and the rush of water, echoing human excitement and desperation.

  • repetition (‘blessing, the voice of a kindly god’) emphasises the environment’s power to overwhelm and transform, reinforcing the link between natural forces and human emotion.

  • the sudden shift in tone from hardship to celebration shows the environment’s immediate effect on human life, creating a dramatic moment in time.

  • the poem is in free verse, which mirrors the uncontrolled, untamed aspects of nature and the unpredictable response of humans to it.

  • personification gives the water almost divine qualities (‘the voice of a kindly god’), showing how humans perceive their environment as both threatening and miraculous.

Second Poem

(AO2) Responses may include:

  • the second poem chosen should also show humans interacting with, or being affected by, their environment. For example, War Photographer shows humans responding to conflict zones, while Prayer Before Birth presents a world of violence and oppression shaping human life.

  • imagery is used to convey the environment’s impact: in War Photographer, the war-torn landscape is described with stark visual details (‘fields which don’t explode beneath the feet / of running children’), showing human vulnerability.

  • structure contributes to meaning: the regular stanzas in War Photographer contrast with the chaotic subject matter, emphasising the tension between humans and the environment. Similarly, Blessing’s free verse reflects unpredictability in both water and human response.

  • language choices, such as metaphors and similes, highlight the relationship: in Prayer Before Birth, the unborn child describes the world as ‘a house of horrors’, showing how environment shapes fear and existence.

  • contrasts between the human experience and environmental conditions can be explored, e.g., joy vs. scarcity in Blessing and suffering vs. societal neglect in War Photographer.

  • repetition, enjambment, and punctuation reflect human reactions to the environment, as in both poems sudden moments of intensity or reflection are captured.

Both Poems

(AO2 & AO3) Responses may include:

  • both poems show how environment affects human behaviour, emotions, and survival; for example, water brings ecstasy in Blessing, while war or chaos in War Photographer/ Prayer Before Birth evokes fear, helplessness, or moral reflection.

  • both poems use imagery, metaphor, and personification to link human experience with surroundings.

  • structure and form in both poems enhance meaning: free verse in Blessing mirrors unpredictability; controlled stanzas in the second poem may mirror attempts to impose order on a hostile environment.

  • both explore human vulnerability to external forces, showing dependence, awe, or fear, allowing comparative links in theme, tone, and voice.

  • comparisons may highlight the poets’ attitudes: Dharker’s tone is celebratory, yet aware of scarcity, while the second poem may be critical, sombre, or reflective about environmental influence.

  • comparative points can be drawn on how each poet’s choice of diction, line breaks, and imagery conveys human response to the environment, reinforcing AO3 links.

(AO3) Responses may include:

  • both poems can be linked through the theme of environmental influence on human life and behaviour.

  • candidates may compare the immediacy of experience in Blessing with the reflective or critical tone in the second poem.

  • links may include treatment of scarcity, danger, or awe-inspiring aspects of the environment.

  • comparisons can be made on how the reader is made aware of human fragility, resilience, or emotional reaction to surroundings.

  • candidates should show awareness of both poems’ contexts: urban scarcity in Dharker, war or societal oppression in the second poem, enhancing AO3 connections.

  • comparisons may extend to poetic techniques: sensory imagery, form, enjambment, metaphor, personification, and tone, highlighting similarities and contrasts in how environment shapes humans.

If you like, I can also draft 2-3 more fresh, unpublished Edexcel-style questions specifically abo

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