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Russell Carey

Cambridge IGCSE® and O Level

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Literature in English
Coursebook
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Second edition
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Original material © Cambridge University Press 2018

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PL
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Original material © Cambridge University Press 2018

 Russell Carey

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Cambridge IGCSE® and O Level
Literature in
PL English
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Coursebook
Second edition
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Original material © Cambridge University Press 2018

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PL
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SA

Original material © Cambridge University Press 2018

Contents
How to use this book iv

Part 1 Introduction
Unit 1 How to get the most from this coursebook 2

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Unit 2 Approaching your course 6

Part 2 Building your skills: Poetry

Unit 3 Introducing poetry 12
Unit 4 Reading for meaning 19
Unit 5
Unit 6

Unit 9
Unit 10
Unit 11
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Exploring language and structure
Developing an informed personal response to a poem

Part 3 Building your skills: Prose

Unit 7
Unit 8
Introducing prose
Responding to characters
Responding to setting and mood
Responding to narrative viewpoint
Developing an informed personal response to a short story
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51

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70
85
94
108
iii
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Part 4 Building your skills: Drama
Unit 12 Introducing drama 122
Unit 13 Responding to characters and themes 128
Unit 14 Responding to structure and language 142
Unit 15 Developing an informed personal response to drama 156
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Part 5 Consolidating your writing skills

Unit 16 Critical writing  164
Unit 17 A closer look at essay technique 172

Part 6 Approaching assessment

Unit 18 Approaching set texts  182
Unit 19 Approaching unseen poems and prose extracts 199
Unit 20 Approaching the coursework portfolio  217

Appendix: the structure of your assessment 230

Glossary232
Acknowledgements234

Original material © Cambridge University Press 2018

 How to use this book
You will find several different features on the pages of this coursebook. These are there to help you as you
progress through the book, and through your literature course.

Learning outcomes set the scene for each unit, help

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with navigation through the coursebook and indicate
the important concepts covered in the unit.

iv
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Activities will help you to become better
readers of texts. They will encourage you to
reflect not only on the content of what you are
reading, but also on the important role of the
writer. Exploring the deliberate choices writers
make in their writing will help you to sharpen
your skills of analysis. It will also increase your
enjoyment of the texts you study. In addition,
you will find examples of students' responses
to questions, together with teacher feedback.
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Key terms are clear and straightforward
definitions of the most important terms
in the course. When a key term is used
in this coursebook for the first time, it
is shown in bold and defined nearby in
a Key term feature alongside the text.
All key terms can also be found in the
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Glossary at the back of the coursebook.

Tips offer helpful advice on your literature course and often build on
the information given in the main text.
Links refer you to other pages or units in
the coursebook. You might, for example, be
encouraged to go back and recap information
or guidance provided earlier in the coursebook,
to remind yourself of what you learned in
earlier units. Ideas, terms and skills are often
relevant to more than one unit.

Original material © Cambridge University Press 2018

 How to use this book

Did you know? boxes contain interesting

general knowledge about writers and
their works.

Extension activities suggest useful learning

activities you could do on your own or
perhaps working with another student. You

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are not required to do these activities, but
they are there if you wish to have a go, and
have the time to do them.
Further reading features point you in the direction of other poems, plays
and prose texts you may like to read for your own enjoyment or interest. You
will be very busy during your literature course, with other subjects as well

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as literature, but you might find time to dip into some of the texts that are
recommended. If you find something you like, you could return to reading it
after you have finished the course. Many students find that study of literature
at this level is just the beginning of a lifelong interest in reading.

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Check your progress boxes appear at the end of
the unit and provide a quick reminder of important
key points that have just been covered. They allow
you time to reflect on what you have just learned,
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and to look again at any points you are not clear

about. They also include at least one activity to help
you check your understanding.

Self-evaluation tables give you the

opportunity at the end of units to
consider the skills that you have practised
and assess how confident you feel going
forward. You can rate your confidence
level from 1 (low) to 5 (high). If you want to
revisit the section where they are covered,
the 'Look again' column directs you to the
relevant point. It is a good idea to return
to these tables again and see how your
confidence has grown.
Original material © Cambridge University Press 2018
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32
Unit 5
Exploring language and structure
Learning outcomes
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By the end of this unit, you will be able to:
■ develop further confidence in reading for meaning
■ explore how poets use words and sounds to create specific effects
■ analyse the ways in which poets use structure to convey their ideas
■ use appropriate terminology effectively when discussing poems.
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KEY TERM
Introduction
Imagery: plays a central
role in poetry. On a Poets make deliberate choices in the words, images and sounds they use, and they think
straightforward level, carefully about the way they structure their poems. In this unit, you will learn how to comment
you can picture in your on the effects of writers’ choices and not simply list the devices they use. You should also be able
head the literal images to use with confidence a number of terms that are helpful when discussing poetry.
created by the words
in the poem. Other Poets deliberately choose the words they use, and it is part of your work as a student of
examples of imagery literature to analyse carefully the effects created by those words. For example, in 'Ozymandias'
that poets use are not (see Unit 4), Shelley uses imagery to create a number of meaningful pictures in your mind.
so literal, and writers use
As you read that poem, you can clearly imagine the legs of the statue still standing, the face
them to communicate
their ideas even more
shattered and half sunk in the ground, the ruler’s frown and sneer, and so on. In 'Blackberry-
strikingly. Picking', the first poem of this unit, the poet helps you to see the vivid colours of the purple, red
and green berries.

Original material © Cambridge University Press 2018

 Unit 5: Exploring language and structure

5.1 Exploring imagery and sound:

‘Blackberry-Picking’ by Seamus Heaney
Seamus Heaney (1939–2013) wrote our next poem. Winner of the 1995
Nobel Prize in Literature, he was a popular Irish poet whose early poems
vividly capture his youth in rural Northern Ireland. The title of this particular
poem, ‘Blackberry-Picking’, tells us what it is about. The poem describes a
childhood pastime of collecting blackberries from the sort of thorny bush
you can see in the photograph. The perspective is that of an adult looking

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back at, and reflecting on, his childhood experience.
Blackberries grow on thorny bushes.

Blackberry-Picking
Late August, given heavy rain and sun

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For a full week, the blackberries would ripen.
At first, just one, a glossy purple clot
Among others, red, green, hard as a knot.
You ate that first one and its flesh was sweet
Like thickened wine: summer’s blood was in it
Leaving stains upon the tongue and lust1 for
Picking. Then red ones inked up, and that hunger
Sent us out with milk-cans, pea-tins, jam-pots
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1 lust strong desire

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Where briars scratched and wet grass bleached our boots. 10
Round hayfields, cornfields and potato-drills,
We trekked and picked until the cans were full,
Until the tinkling bottom had been covered
With green ones, and on top big dark blobs burned
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Like a plate of eyes. Our hands were peppered 15

With thorn pricks, our palms sticky as Bluebeard’s2. 2 Bluebeard a notorious
murderer and pirate-type
figure

We hoarded the fresh berries in the byre.

But when the bath was filled we found a fur,
A rat-grey fungus, glutting on our cache.
The juice was stinking too. Once off the bush 20
The fruit fermented, the sweet flesh would turn sour.
I always felt like crying. It wasn’t fair
That all the lovely canfuls smelt of rot.
Each year I hoped they’d keep, knew they would not.

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 Cambridge IGCSE and O Level Literature in English

TIP
You need to show detailed knowledge of the literary texts you study. Creating mind maps can help
you to arrange visually the detail of the poem in a way that helps close study.

KEY TERM In ‘Blackberry-Picking’, Heaney uses non-literal images: similes, metaphors and
personification. He does this to make the experience he describes more vivid to the reader.
Simile: where one

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thing is compared to A simile is the comparison of one thing to another. In this poem, the flesh of the first berry is
another. It is easy to described in this way: ‘its flesh was sweet / Like thickened wine’. The comparison with wine
spot a simile, as they suggests the forbidden nature of eating the berries: perhaps this is something the children
signal comparison by
should not be doing. Your response to a poem involves looking closely at the choices of
using the words ‘like’,
‘as’ or ‘as if’. words made by poets, and considering their intended effects on the reader.
A metaphor is used to describe the first berry: ‘a glossy purple clot’. A dictionary describes a

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‘clot’ as ‘a thick mass of coagulated blood’. Heaney has deliberately used this word to create
a rather disturbing effect. Remember that this is the first berry the child bites into!
Personification is used in the description of the ‘big dark blobs’ which ‘burned / Like a plate
of eyes’.
It is not enough simply to identify devices such as these; you must say why you think Heaney
has used these particular words in the poem, and what effects he creates.

ACTIVITY 1
34
Read the poem ‘Blackberry-Picking’ carefully. The mind map below provides an overview of
the content of stanza 1. Create a similar mind map for stanza 2.
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various colo
urs of
the berries

the weather y
its ripening nd
a first berr
effect s like w ine
taste
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on the berr
ies

STANZA I

the childre
n’s s
the children's sens
e desire for co trong
of guilt llecting
the berries
the menacing look of
the berries (‘big da
rk
blobs’)

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 Unit 5: Exploring language and structure

ACTIVITY 2

Examples of imagery in stanza 1 of ‘Blackberry-Picking’ are listed below. In each case, say what
type of imagery Heaney is using, and what effect he creates. Record your answers in a table like
the one below.
Words Type of imagery Effect created
glossy purple clot
its flesh was sweet / Like

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thickened wine
summer’s blood … Leaving
stains upon the tongue
red ones inked up metaphor This conveys the vivid
saturated red colour of the
berries, similar to red ink.
The berries have the

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power to stain, in the same
way as ink.
big dark blobs burned / Like a personification and simile
plate of eyes.

ACTIVITY 3

As you read poems, you should be alert to the effects created by the sound of particular words, 35
as well as the rhythm of particular lines. There may be something significant about:
• the sound of particular words and lines
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• the length of words and lines.
Something unusual about the rhythm is always worthy of your attention. In such cases, the
KEY TERM
rhythm will clearly reinforce the meaning. Two common sound devices used by poets are
alliteration and onomatopoeia. Onomatopoeia:
Read the following two lines aloud, and answer the questions which follow. a word which
We trekked and picked until the cans were full, sounds like the
thing it describes.
Until the tinkling bottom had been covered …
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a What sound is suggested by the use of alliteration – the repetition of the ‘k’ sound
(indicated in red)? How does this help to convey the experience being described?
b Which word in these lines provides a good example of onomatopoeia, and why?
c How does the rhythm of these lines capture the experience being described?

TIP
As with imagery, you need to do more than merely spot and define sound devices such as
alliteration and onomatopoeia. To write an effective essay, you need to explore:
• the effects that such devices create
• how they help to convey the meaning.

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 Cambridge IGCSE and O Level Literature in English

ACTIVITY 4

The poem is written from the point of view of an adult who remembers his childhood pastime
of collecting berries. From stanza 2, write down those words you think capture most closely
the voice of the child.

ACTIVITY 5

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How does the description in lines 18–21 show the boy’s disappointment at what happens to
the berries?
Write down the key words or phrases, and explain the effect they have on you.

ACTIVITY 6

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DID YOU KNOW?
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The excitement of picking the berries (in stanza 1) gives way to the boy’s disappointment. He is
upset at how quickly the excitement passed.
There are clues in stanza 1 that prepare the reader for the children’s disappointment as
described in stanza 2. Write a paragraph, outlining what these clues are. You might begin your
answer like this:
The first clue is the description of a berry as a ‘glossy purple clot’. The association of the word
‘clot’ with blood is a disturbing one because …

5.2 Looking closely at the effects created by writers:

‘Daffodils’ by William Wordsworth
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Romantic poets wrote
about emotions and Most people have heard of William Wordsworth (1770–1850). Like Shelley, who wrote
imagination, often ‘Ozymandias’, Wordsworth was an English Romantic poet. The poem which follows is a
drawing inspiration classic Romantic portrayal of nature, celebrating the beauty and tranquillity in his vision
from nature, as of a multitude (a ‘crowd’) of daffodils. The deeper meaning of what this sight meant to
Wordsworth does Wordsworth is given in the poem’s final stanza.
in ‘Daffodils’. The
Romantic period
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largely coincides with

Wordsworth’s life, from Daffodils
1770 to 1850.
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees, 5
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line

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 Unit 5: Exploring language and structure

Along the margin of a bay: 10

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

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A poet could not but be gay, 15
In such a jocund company:
I gazed – and gazed – but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
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And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
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What aspects of Wordsworth’s descriptions of daffodils can be seen in this photograph?

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 Cambridge IGCSE and O Level Literature in English

ACTIVITY 1

Read the poem ‘Daffodils’ carefully to yourself, emphasising the sounds and rhymes as
you do so.
Using a dictionary, match the following words to their correct meaning in the poem.

solitude sprightly jocund bliss milky way vacant pensive

Use a table like the one shown below for your answers.

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Word Correct meaning
solitude being alone
faint band of light making up the night sky,
made up of stars
perfect happiness

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thoughtful
lively
empty
cheerful

ACTIVITY 2

The poem begins with a description of the daffodils. It ends with the poet reflecting on what
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the experience of seeing the daffodils means to him. Pinpoint the precise moment in the poem
where you think the description gives way to reflection. Explain why you chose that moment.
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ACTIVITY 3

Explore the effects of these images in the poem. Then write up your own comments in a table
like this one.
Image Effect
I wandered lonely as a cloud / That floats on
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high o’er vales and hills

a crowd, / A host, of golden daffodils
Continuous as the stars that shine / And This simile gives the impression that the
twinkle on the milky way daffodils are so plentiful – that they stretch
as far as the eye can see. The words ‘shine’
and ‘twinkle’ show how bright and dazzling
the daffodils appear to the poet.
KEY TERM Tossing their heads in sprightly dance
[the daffodils] Out-did the sparkling waves
Assonance: the in glee
repetition of vowel
sounds in words
which are placed close
together. Remember In your study of ‘Blackberry-Picking’, you have so far explored the effects of alliteration and
that alliteration refers
onomatopoeia. Another sound device used by writers is assonance, which can be heard in
to the repetition of
consonant sounds.
the long ‘o’ sounds in the following line:
A host, of golden daffodils.

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 Unit 5: Exploring language and structure

As you read this line, you can hear the repeated sound and it creates a sense of harmony.
However, it is not so easy to establish a precise link between sound and meaning in this
example. The best advice, therefore, is to focus on the meaning. There is no credit given in
exams for making exaggerated or generalised claims about the sound devices poets use.

TIP
Effects created by sound will be easier to comment on in some examples than in others. In essays,
it is sensible to focus on those examples where you have something useful to say about the way

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sound reinforces the meaning. Remember that there is no point in simply listing sound devices (e.g.
that there is alliteration of the ‘b’ sound in the final two lines of stanza 1) without commenting on
the specific effects these have.

ACTIVITY 4

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Look at the following lines from ‘Daffodils’:
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Write down examples of the following in these lines:
• alliteration
• assonance
• onomatopoeia.
For each example, comment on the effects Wordsworth creates.
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KEY TERM
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ACTIVITY 5
Rhyme scheme: the
The poem ‘Daffodils’ has a highly regular structure, with a regular rhyme scheme.
pattern of rhymes at
In each stanza, the first and third lines rhyme at the end, as do the second and fourth. The final the end of lines of
two lines (fifth and sixth) also rhyme, giving a sense of completion to each stanza. Note that poetry.
‘glee’ and ‘company’ in stanza 3 are not full rhymes, unless you force the pronunciation of the
second word. (Interestingly, in stanza 4, ‘mood’ and the final syllable of ‘solitude’ are not full
rhymes for UK speakers, but are for US speakers of English.)
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Which pair of rhyming lines do you think is most effective, and which pair least effective? Give
reasons for your answers.

TIP
Comment on the rhyme scheme only if you have something useful to say. The rhyming of ‘trees’
and ‘breeze’ in stanza 1 of ‘Daffodils’, for example, may well conjure up the sound made by the
‘fluttering’ leaves. However, it is best to avoid generalisations such as: ‘The stanza has an ABABCC
rhyme scheme.’ This sort of comment does not in itself really add to an appreciation of the poem.

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 Cambridge IGCSE and O Level Literature in English

ACTIVITY 6

In order to consider the deeper meanings of the poem, explain why you think Wordsworth uses
the following words:
• wealth (in line 18)
• pensive mood (in line 20)
• that inward eye / Which is the bliss of solitude (in lines 21–22).

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SA

Entry from Dorothy Wordsworth’s diary, for 15 April 1802. Can you
pick out any phrases that echo those in her brother William’s poem
‘Daffodils’?

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 Unit 5: Exploring language and structure

FURTHER READING

This extract is from the diary entry made by William’s sister, Dorothy Wordsworth, on 15 April 1802.
Part of this extract (from ‘& at last . . .’) can be seen in the original diary in the photograph on the
previous page.
The wind was furious . . . the Lake was rough . . . When we were in the woods beyond Gowbarrow park
we saw a few daffodils close to the water side, we fancied that the lake had floated the seeds ashore
& that the little colony had so sprung up – But as we went along there were more & yet more & at last
under the boughs of the trees, we saw that there was a long belt of them along the shore, about the
breadth of a country turnpike road. I never saw daffodils so beautiful they grew among the mossy

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stones about & about them, some rested their heads upon these stones as on a pillow for weariness &
the rest tossed & reeled & danced & seemed as if they verily laughed with the wind that blew upon them
over the Lake, they looked so gay ever glancing ever changing.
You can find more of Dorothy Wordsworth’s diary on the internet.

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EXTENSION ACTIVITY 1

Romantic poets such as Wordsworth drew great inspiration from nature. Fellow poet Samuel Taylor
Coleridge adopts an almost devout tone in his attitude towards nature in his poem ‘Frost at Midnight’.
In this poem, Coleridge imagines a world in which nature will be the best teacher for his young child.
Search for a copy of the poem in your library or on the internet. Then, using the close reading skills you
have developed so far, read the poem carefully. How do you think Coleridge portrays nature?

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EXTENSION ACTIVITY 2
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After working through the activities on Wordsworth’s poem, look at the poem ‘Miracle on St David’s
Day’ written by Welsh poet Gillian Clarke (born 1937). You can find a copy of the poem on the poet’s
website. Then explore the connections between her poem and Wordsworth’s poem ‘Daffodils’. LINK

The sonnet is a very

traditional type of
poem in its use of
5.3 Organising ideas in a sonnet: structure and rhyme.
Compare this rigid
‘When Forty Winters Shall Besiege Thy Brow’ by William Shakespeare
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format with the freer

The next poem is by a writer who needs little introduction. Perhaps you know William style of Walt Whitman’s
poem later in this unit.
Shakespeare (1564–1616) more as a writer of plays rather than as a poet. The following poem
is the second of 154 sonnets he wrote about love, beauty and the passage of time. There
has been much speculation about the identity of the person being addressed; the sonnets KEY TERM
were dedicated to ‘W.H.’, possibly William Herbert (the Earl of Pembroke). But who the actual
Quatrain: a stanza
person was is less important than how Shakespeare conveys universal ideas about the of four lines, usually
strength of one person’s love for another. containing a separate
focus. Quatrains often
Read the sonnet carefully. Two archaic words and one old-fashioned phrase are explained in have an alternating
the margin, but these are probably not the only words that you will find difficult, at least on a rhyme scheme: e.g.
first reading. listen to the words
‘brow’ and ‘now’ at
The form of the poem is a Shakespearean sonnet, which has 14 lines: three quatrains (each the ends of lines 1 and
of four lines), ending with a rhyming couplet (two lines), which gives a sense of completeness 3 in this sonnet by
to the poem. The sonnet form shows how important structure is to poets in developing and Shakespeare.
organising their ideas.

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 Cambridge IGCSE and O Level Literature in English

KEY TERM LINK

Turning-point: a There are two types of sonnet: the ‘Shakespearean’ and the ‘Petrarchan’ (named after the ancient
twist that signals a Roman poet Petrarch). Look again at ‘Ozymandias’ in Unit 4 for an example of a Petrarchan sonnet.
change in direction There are two main sections to a Petrarchan sonnet:
or a change in tone 1 the octave (of eight lines)
in a poem. These will
2 the sestet (six lines).
often provide a useful
starting-point for your Re-read ‘Ozymandias’ to see how Shelley has used the Petrarchan sonnet to organise his ideas. You
close exploration of a will notice that the ninth line signals a shift in direction, or a turning-point.

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poem’s meaning and
effects.

When Forty Winters Shall Besiege Thy Brow

When forty winters shall besiege thy brow,
And dig deep trenches in thy beauty’s field,

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1 tottered tattered, or old
and worn

2 Were an Would be
3 thriftless worthless, or
useless
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Thy youth’s proud livery so gazed on now,
Will be a tottered1 weed of small worth held:
Then, being asked where all thy beauty lies,
Where all the treasure of thy lusty days,
To say within thine own deep-sunken eyes
Were an2 all-eating shame, and thrift less3 praise.
How much more praise deserved thy beauty’s use
If thou couldst answer ‘This fair child of mine
5

10
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Shall sum my count and make my old excuse,’
Proving his beauty by succession thine.
This were to be new made when thou art old,
And see thy blood warm when thou feel’st it cold.
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TIP
When reading any text
for the first time, note
your first impressions.
Look at particular
words or phrases and
listen to particular
sounds that you find
striking.

What do you notice about the spellings and the appearance of the letter ‘S’ in this
early printed version of this sonnet?
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 Unit 5: Exploring language and structure

The following activities will help you to organise a response to the language and structure of
the poem.

ACTIVITY 1

Print a copy of the poem ‘When Forty Winters Shall Besiege Thy Brow’ from the internet. Then
draw a line after each of the three quatrains: that is, after lines 4, 8 and 12. This will help you to
see clearly the poem’s structure.
Write a summary of the content of:

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• each quatrain
• the rhyming couplet.

ACTIVITY 2

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Look at each quatrain of the sonnet ‘When Forty Winters Shall Besiege Thy Brow’ in turn, and,
on a copy of the poem, highlight the words and phrases you find striking. Annotate each of
these by commenting on the effects each word or phrase creates.
For the first quatrain, your annotation might look like this:

‘trenches’ – metaphorically the wrinkles ‘besiege’ personifies a

that cut into the face and take away its sustained battle against
youthful beauty a human face, as if it is
‘dig’ makes it seem like a deliberate, forced to surrender to the
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destructive activity devastation caused by time
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When forty winters shall besiege thy brow,
And dig deep trenches in thy beauty's field,
Thy youth's proud livery so gazed on now
Will be a tottered weed of small worth held:

this continues the ‘livery’ the metaphor ‘livery’ conveys the idea
metaphor in a shocking way; in that youth has a particular uniform which
time, the livery will become old attracts admiring gazes; ‘gazed’ creates the
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and worn, its pride vanished impression of being looked at intently

ACTIVITY 3

Rhyming couplets give a sense of completion to a sonnet. How effective do you find lines 13–14
as a conclusion to the poem? Write your answer in no more than two sentences.
Rhyme can create a kind of musical effect as you read, and gives emphasis to the words that
rhyme. Rhyme can also link words by their sounds to create certain effects. Write a paragraph
in which you explore two rhymes from this sonnet that you find most effective, and explain
your reasons for choosing them.

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 Cambridge IGCSE and O Level Literature in English

KEY TERMS 5.4 Exploring free verse:

Metre: the rhythm of
‘Come Up from the Fields Father’ by Walt Whitman
the poem. Walt Whitman (1819–1892) was an American poet
Iambic pentameter: whose poetry broke through traditional boundaries.
a line of poetry (or If you look below at the poem we will be exploring,
verse in plays such
you can see that both stanzas and individual lines
as those written by
Shakespeare) with are of varying lengths. Whitman’s poem is written
ten syllables arranged in free verse, which has irregular lines and lacks

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in five ‘feet’, each a regular metre (such as the sonnet’s iambic
containing a short and pentameter). In this poem, you can see at a glance
then a long syllable. that Whitman exercises total freedom in deciding
An iambic pentameter
has a traditional and
how long his lines and stanzas will be. It is important
rigid metre. Take as to remember that whether the verse is free or more
an example the first rigidly traditional, it is used to reinforce the meaning.

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line of Shakespeare’s
sonnet in the previous
The poem is the sad story of a mother receiving the
section of this unit: news of her son’s death in battle in the American
‘When forty winters Civil War (1861–1865). The grief of one family in this
shall besiege thy A portrait of a young soldier in the poem is typical of the grief of all families who lost
brow’. American Civil War. sons in battle.

44 Come Up from the Fields Father

Stanza 1 Come up from the fields father, here’s a letter from our Pete,
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And come to the front door mother, here’s a letter from thy
dear son.

Stanza 2 Lo, ’tis autumn,

Lo, where the trees, deeper green, yellower and redder,
Cool and sweeten Ohio’s villages with leaves fluttering in the 5
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moderate wind,

Stanza 3 Where apples ripe in the orchards hang and grapes on the
1 trellis’d vines climbing plants trellis’d vines1,
held up by a wooden support
(Smell you the smell of the grapes on the vines?
2 buckwheat plant producing Smell you the buckwheat2 where the bees were lately buzzing?)
starchy seeds
Above all, lo, the sky so calm, so transparent after the rain,
and with wondrous clouds,
Below too, all calm, all vital and beautiful, and the farm 10
prospers well.

Original material © Cambridge University Press 2018

 Unit 5: Exploring language and structure

Stanza 4 Down in the fields all prospers well,

But now from the fields come father, come at the daughter’s call,
And come to the entry mother, to the front door come right away.

Stanza 5 Fast as she can she hurries, something ominous3, her steps 3 ominous bringing bad news

trembling,
She does not tarry to smooth her hair nor adjust her cap. 15

E
Stanza 6 Open the envelope quickly,
O this is not our son’s writing, yet his name is sign’d,
O a strange hand writes for our dear son, O stricken
mother’s soul!

Stanza 7

Stanza 8
main words only,

PL
All swims before her eyes, flashes with black, she catches the

Sentences broken, gunshot wound in the breast, cavalry

skirmish4 , taken to hospital,
At present low, but will soon be better.

Ah now the single figure to me,

Amid all teeming5 and wealthy Ohio with all its cities and
20
4 cavalry skirmish a minor
fight on horseback

5 teeming swarming, packed

45
M
farms,
Sickly white in the face and dull in the head, very faint,
By the jamb of a door leans. 25

Stanza 9 Grieve not so, dear mother, (the just-grown daughter speaks
through her sobs,
SA

The little sisters huddle around speechless and dismay’d,)

See, dearest mother, the letter says Pete will soon be better.

Stanza 10 Alas poor boy, he will never be better, (nor may-be needs
to be better, that brave and simple soul,)
While they stand at home at the door he is dead already, 30
The only son is dead.

Original material © Cambridge University Press 2018

 Cambridge IGCSE and O Level Literature in English

Stanza 11 But the mother needs to be better,

She with thin form presently drest in black,
By day her meals untouch’d, then at night fitfully sleeping,
often waking,
In the midnight waking, weeping, longing with one deep
longing,

E
O that she might withdraw unnoticed, silent from life escape 35
and withdraw,
To follow, to seek, to be with her dear dead son.

46
PL
TIP
There is no point in copying out large chunks of the text. Quote only the words that help you to
make your points clearly and precisely.

ACTIVITY 1

Read the poem ‘Come Up from the Fields Father’ carefully. Sum up in 11 concise sentences
M
(one for each stanza) the ‘story’ of the poem.

ACTIVITY 2

How does the way in which the poem is structured contribute to its dramatic impact? Use
evidence from the poem to support your views.
SA

ACTIVITY 3

The mood of the first three stanzas is calm. In stanza 4, the mother comes to the front door
‘right away’, and a sense of urgency is created. Re-read from stanza 6 to the end of the poem.
How would you describe the changing mood? Refer to specific lines to support your answer.

ACTIVITY 4

In free verse, poets have considerable flexibility. Their lines can be as long or as short as they
need them to be in order to convey their ideas. What effect do you think is created by how long
or how short the following lines from this poem are?
a Above all, lo, the sky so calm, so transparent after the rain, and with wondrous clouds
b Open the envelope quickly

Original material © Cambridge University Press 2018

 Unit 5: Exploring language and structure

ACTIVITY 5

Select one short line and one long line from the poem (though not the ones in Activity 4). Then
comment on the effects created by:
a the length of the line
b its position in the overall poem.

ACTIVITY 6

E
In lines 4–11, what picture is depicted of the life on the farm? Look carefully at the words, and
write two paragraphs in which you comment on:
a words which appeal to the senses
b words which use sound to create strong effects.

ACTIVITY 7

PL
In lines 16–28, explore the ways in which Whitman conveys the death of the son and the
sadness it brings.
Write a paragraph, using brief quotations to support your views.

ACTIVITY 8

What does Whitman make you feel for the mother in the final stanza? Write a paragraph in
which you refer closely to his use of language and structure within this stanza.
47
M
5.5 Exploring the use of dialogue in poetry: KEY TERM
‘Telephone Conversation’ by Wole Narrator: the person
Soyinka who tells the story.
What happens is
Born in Nigeria in 1934, Wole Soyinka is a playwright
communicated
SA

and poet who received the 1986 Nobel Prize in through their words.
Literature. After studying in Nigeria, he lived for some
time in the UK. In the following poem, we hear the
narrator’s voice recounting the circumstances of a
telephone conversation between him and a woman
who rents out property. The poem explores the
prejudice sometimes encountered by immigrants in
England in the 1960s.

Old-fashioned telephone booths

can still be found in many places
in Britain.

Original material © Cambridge University Press 2018

 Cambridge IGCSE and O Level Literature in English

Telephone Conversation
The price seemed reasonable, location
Indifferent. The landlady swore she lived
Off premises. Nothing remained
But self-confession. ‘Madam,’ I warned,
‘I hate a wasted journey – I am African.’ 5

E
Silence. Silenced transmission of
Pressurized good-breeding. Voice, when it came,
Lipstick coated, long gold-rolled
Cigarette-holder pipped. Caught I was, foully.

PL
‘HOW DARK?’ . . . I had not misheard . . . ‘ARE YOU LIGHT 10
OR VERY DARK? Button B. Button A. Stench
Of rancid breath of public hide-and-speak.
1 red booth old-fashioned Red booth1. Red pillar-box 2. Red double-tiered
English public telephone
booth Omnibus squelching tar. It was real! Shamed
2 pillar-box postbox By ill-mannered silence, surrender 15

48
Pushed dumbfounded to beg simplification.
Considerate she was, varying the emphasis –
M
‘ARE YOU DARK? OR VERY LIGHT?’ Revelation came.
‘You mean – like plain or milk chocolate?’
Her assent was clinical, crushing in its light 20
Impersonality. Rapidly, wave-length adjusted,
3 sepia light brown I chose. ‘West African sepia3’ – and as afterthought,
‘Down in my passport.’ Silence for spectroscopic
SA

Flight of fancy, till truthfulness clanged her accent

Hard on the mouthpiece. ‘WHAT’S THAT?’ conceding 25
4 brunette person with ‘DON’T KNOW WHAT THAT IS.’ ‘Like brunette .’ 4
brown hair
‘THAT’S DARK, ISN’T IT?’ ‘Not altogether.
Facially, I am brunette, but, madam, you should see
The rest of me. Palm of my hand, soles of my feet
5 peroxide a bleach used to dye Are a peroxide5 blond. Friction, caused – 30
hair blonde
Foolishly, madam – by sitting down, has turned
6 raven black shiny black like My bottom raven black6 – One moment, madam! – sensing
a raven
Her receiver rearing on the thunderclap
About my ears – ‘Madam,’ I pleaded, ‘wouldn’t you rather
See for yourself?’ 35

Original material © Cambridge University Press 2018

 Unit 5: Exploring language and structure

KEY TERMS
ACTIVITY 1
Tone: conveyed in a
Read the poem ‘Telephone Conversation’ carefully. Write down the dialogue from the poem
poem by the poet’s
in the form of a drama script. You should concentrate mainly on the words spoken by the man
deliberate choice of
and the woman. You could set lines out like this:
words. Think of tone
MAN: Madam, I hate a wasted journey – I am African. as being the tone
[Silence.] of voice in which a
particular word or line
WOMAN: How dark …? Are you light or very dark?
might be spoken. The

E
In pairs, read through your drama script, making sure you bring to life the characters of both tone can, of course,
change during a
the man and the woman. In your reading, capture as clearly as you can an appropriate tone of
poem. In your essays
voice for both the man and the woman. The tone for each character changes over the course of
you should be able
the conversation. Your reading should reflect this.
to discuss where, and
why, such changes in
tone occur.

PL
ACTIVITY 2 Enjambment: occurs
where lines run on
Annotate a copy of the poem to show how Soyinka portrays the unpleasant character of the without punctuation
woman. Refer to: and without a break in
the meaning.
a the words she speaks, and her tone of voice
b the words used by the speaker to describe her.

LINK

ACTIVITY 3 Enjambment at the end

49
of stanzas is generally
Enjambment is used several times in the poem. Explain what effects are created by its use in: more significant than
a line 11 elsewhere in a poem.
M
Look at stanzas 1 and 4
b line 14.
in Ted Hughes’s poem
‘Wind’ in Unit 6 for a
good example of
how enjambment
enhances the content
TIP of the poem.
Avoid comments on enjambment that say little more than ‘The enjambment makes the lines flow.’
SA

This may or may not be true, but more precise comments are required about what makes specific
examples of enjambment so effective.

ACTIVITY 4

In what ways does Soyinka use punctuation to powerful effect in the following lines?
1 ‘HOW DARK?’ … I had not misheard … ‘ARE YOU LIGHTʼ
2 Red booth. Red pillar-box. Red double-tiered / Omnibus squelching tar. It was real!
3 ‘ARE YOU DARK? OR VERY LIGHT?’ Revelation came.

ACTIVITY 5

How effective do you find the structure of the poem in reinforcing its content? Your responses
to Activities 1–4 will help you answer this question.

Original material © Cambridge University Press 2018

 Cambridge IGCSE and O Level Literature in English

Check your progress

Exploring language and structure
When exploring language and structure as you study a poem, remember to consider the key
areas listed below. It is not possible to impose an order for you to follow, as readers respond
to poems in different ways.
You could use the following active learning techniques to identify and comment on key
aspects of language and structure in the poems you are studying:

E
• annotation
• mind maps
• lists.

Areas to consider Comment on the effects of …

Words appealing to senses words appealing to sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell

PL
Imagery similes and metaphors
personification
Sound alliteration
assonance
onomatopoeia
rhyme
rhythm
Tone the tone of any ‘voice’ or ‘voices’ in the poem
50 shifts in tone
Structure organisation of content in stanzas / stages of the poem
M
use of traditional (e.g. sonnet) or other forms (e.g. free verse)

ACTIVITY

Choose one of the poems in your poetry set text (a different one from the one you selected at
the end of Unit 4). Read a copy of the poem carefully, and annotate as follows:
• Mark and number each clearly different section of the poem. Note that a new section may
begin mid-line. Then at the top or bottom of the page write one concise sentence on what
SA

each section is about.

• Underline six particularly striking words or phrases, and comment in the margin on the
effects they create.

Self-evaluation
Reflect on the skills below and indicate your confidence level between 1 and 5. If needed,
revisit the section listed in the 'Look again' column. Come back to this list later in your course.
Has your confidence grown?

Skill Confidence Look

level again
I can identify imagery and comment on the effects it creates. 5.1
I can identify sound devices and comment on the effects they create. 5.2
I can confidently explain how structure reinforces meanings. 5.3
I can distinguish between traditional and less traditional poetic forms. 5.4
I practise reading poems aloud to appreciate poets’ use of tone. 5.5
Original material © Cambridge University Press 2018
 E
PL
M
SA

Original material © Cambridge University Press 2018

Cambridge IGCSE® and O Level
Literature in English
Coursebook
Second edition
Russell Carey
Analyse how Carol Ann Duffy uses structure to convey meaning in ‘Row’,
explore Anita Desai’s first person narratives and engage with characters in
Tennessee Williams’ play The Glass Menagerie. This coursebook contains
a range of poetry, prose and drama from around the world to appeal to
international students.

E
In keeping with the spirit of the Cambridge IGCSE and O Level, the book
takes an active approach to learning and helps students develop informed
personal responses based on close textual study.

Key features:
• Structured activities that build key skills in responding to literature

PL
• Advice on developing effective writing skills
• Guidance for answering questions on poetry, prose and drama
• Support with tackling critical essay questions and unseen texts
• Helpful revision strategies and tips for preparing coursework

Also available:
Workbook 978-1-108-43995-4
Cambridge Elevate Teacher’s Resource 978-1-108-45733-0
Songs of Ourselves anthology vol. 1 978-1-108-46226-6
Songs of Ourselves anthology vol. 2 978-1-108-46228-0
Stories of Ourselves anthology vol. 1 978-1-108-46229-7
Stories of Ourselves anthology vol. 2 978-1-108-43619-9
M
Completely Cambridge
Cambridge University Press works with Cambridge Assessment
International Education and experienced authors to produce
high-quality endorsed textbooks and digital resources that support
Cambridge teachers and encourage Cambridge learners worldwide.
To find out more about Cambridge University Press visit
SA

cambridge.org/cambridge-international

This resource is endorsed by

Cambridge Assessment International Education

✓ S upports the full Cambridge IGCSE, IGCSE

(9-1) and O Level Literature in English
syllabuses (0475/0992/2010), and IGCSE
World Literature (0408), for examination
from 2020.

✓ Please note, Cambridge International do not

endorse materials for Literature in English
which include coverage of our set texts.

✓ Has passed Cambridge International’s rigorous

quality-assurance process
✓ Developed by subject experts
✓ For Cambridge schools worldwide
Original material © Cambridge University Press 2018
Cambridge University Press
978-0-521-13610-5 – Cambridge IGCSE Literature in English
Russell Carey
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PART

2
1 Starting your
Cambridge IGCSE
Literature

UNIT 1 How to get the most from this

Coursebook
Why study Literature?
Literature, like travel, broadens the mind, particularly when the writers
you are studying come from countries around the world. The main criteria
for selecting texts for Cambridge IGCSE Literature are that they should be
well written (and therefore worth studying) and be written in English. One
of the principal aims of the course is for you to enjoy the experience of
reading and studying Literature.

How will this Coursebook help you?

This Coursebook is designed to be used in class or to be read as part of your
individual private study. Its purpose is to help you develop the skills you
need to succeed in your Cambridge IGCSE Literature course.

This book is intended mainly for students following the Cambridge IGCSE
Literature (English) syllabus (0486). But much of it will still be relevant
to you if you are following a Cambridge IGCSE Literature syllabus with a
different syllabus code. You should check with your teacher which parts of
this book are relevant to you.

Many of us find examinations among the most stressful experiences of

our lives. This Coursebook aims to reduce the ‘fear factor’ associated with
examinations. It will show you how careful preparation and effective
revision can in fact increase your confidence and make the whole
experience of examinations less stressful.

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The book is in three parts:

Key term

Part 1 (‘Starting your Cambridge IGCSE Literature’) introduces you to the

Texts, when used in this study of Literature, to the Cambridge IGCSE Literature (English) syllabus,
Coursebook, refers to a
and explains how to get the most from using this Coursebook.
poem, a short story, a novel
or a play. When studying
English Language, you might Part 2 (‘Building your skills’) helps you to develop the skills you will
work on different types of need for reading and responding to a variety of texts: poems, short stories,
text, such as letters and novels and plays.
newspaper articles.
This part of the book also gives you practice in developing your writing
skills. It is important that you master these writing skills, as your
understanding of the texts you study will be tested through your written
responses.

Part 3 (‘Preparing for assessment’) takes a close look at the

requirements of the various examination papers and of the coursework
portfolio. This part of the Coursebook gives you specific guidance
about how to write successful responses to questions, including advice
about what examiners are looking for, and the criteria they use when
awarding marks.

A glossary of key terms is provided for reference at the end of the book,
and you should make good use of this.

Each of the Parts in the book is divided into Units. The content of each
Unit is summarised below.

Unit 1: How to get the most from this Coursebook

This introductory Unit explains how the Coursebook will help you during
your Literature course.

Unit 2: Cambridge IGCSE Literature: question types and

assessment objectives
This Unit gives an introduction to the question types and assessment
objectives used in the syllabus. You will find it helpful to familarise yourself
with these assessment objectives, and to refer back to them as you progress
through the course.

Unit 3: Responding to Poetry

This is the first main study Unit, and it is best for you to read and work
through this Unit before the Units on Prose and Drama. One reason for this
is that poems are generally much shorter than plays or novels, and even
short stories. By studying the way in which poets write, you will be able to
explore a complete text, and see how poets begin, develop and end their
poems. This Unit will also introduce skills and learning strategies which
you will go on to develop further in subsequent Units.

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Whilst this Unit is not intended as an anthology, there is nonetheless a

wide variety of poetry for you to read and explore. The Activities suggested
and the questions asked are designed to develop your skills of analysis over
the duration of the course. The more poetry you read, the more competent
you will become at analysing poems closely. The poems chosen are the
work of a variety of authors from different centuries and from different
continents.

Unit 4: Responding to Prose

Except for one complete short story, the ‘texts’ for study in this Unit are
extracts from longer prose works. They have been chosen to enable you
to develop the skills you will need for reading and exploring the detail of
longer prose works.

The Activities and questions in this Unit will focus on how writers begin
their novels or stories, and how they establish the setting and mood, as
well as how they develop characters and themes.

As with the Poetry Unit, the more you read, the more you will develop
your skills of analysis. The questions will help you to develop appropriate
vocabulary to use when analysing and writing about Prose texts, and
methods for appreciating the ways in which writers present their material.

Your study of the complete short story in this Unit will help you to
consider the ways in which writers not only begin and develop stories but
also how they bring them to a conclusion.

The chosen prose extracts are by female and male authors, were written
over the last two centuries and are from different parts of the world.

Unit 5: Responding to Drama

The extracts in this Unit are from plays by Shakespeare, written over four
hundred years ago, and also from plays written during the last century,
reflecting the kinds of plays to be found on the syllabus.

The Activities and questions in this Unit will help you to visualise the
drama texts as plays that are intended for performance in the theatre.
The extracts are designed to cover a range of key aspects that are important
when studying drama texts: the ways in which dramatists begin their plays
and establish settings and mood, as well as the ways they present
characters and themes.

Unit 6: Developing effective writing skills

With this Unit, you will begin to consider in greater detail the specific
requirements of the syllabus, starting with effective writing strategies. How
successful you are in the examination will depend on how effective you
are at communicating your ideas in writing. It is essential that you devote

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enough time over the duration of the course to developing your writing
skills. Remember that it is your written responses that will be assessed in
the examination and also in Coursework assignments (if you are following
that particular option).

In this Unit you will look at the different sorts of questions you will find on
set texts examination papers, and be given advice on how to tackle them.

Unit 7: Preparing for the Unseen Paper

Link This Unit builds on the skills you will have already practised in the previous
Units on Poetry, Prose and Developing writing skills.
If you are preparing for
the Unseen examination There are two questions on the Unseen Paper:
paper, you will not be doing
Coursework. Likewise, if you • one on a poem (or extract from a poem)
are doing the Coursework • the other on a prose extract.
option, you will not be
preparing for the Unseen If you are doing this option, you only have to answer one question, and the
Paper. choice is yours.

You may find the idea of an Unseen paper rather daunting because you
cannot revise for this paper as you can for a Set Texts paper. This Unit
aims to reassure you by reminding you that you will have developed and
practised the necessary skills for responding to Poetry and Prose in your
work on the Poetry and Prose set texts.

In addition, this Unit will suggest useful strategies for how to prepare for
the Unseen Paper, as well as giving you practice in answering examination-
type questions.

Unit 8: Preparing for the Set Texts Papers

This Unit builds on what you will have learned in the previous Units, on
responding to Poetry, Prose and Drama, and the development of your
writing skills. It gives advice on how to revise your set texts effectively.
Guidance is also provided on the different types of question that you will
find in your Set Texts Papers, and how to prepare for these.

Unit 9: Preparing for the Coursework portfolio

The skills for reading Poetry, Prose and Drama texts have been developed in
earlier Units, and these skills are all relevant for the texts you will study if
you are doing the Coursework component.

This Unit provides clear guidance about the requirements for Coursework
and suggests effective strategies for planning and producing successful
Coursework assignments.

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Active learning
This Coursebook covers all the requirements of your Cambridge IGCSE
Literature course and the skills you need to achieve success. It is tempting
to wish you ‘Good luck’, but in fact your success will depend more on the
following:

• Detailed and thorough revision of your set texts

• Development and practice of key skills.

This Coursebook will help you to develop effective learning strategies and
to develop and practise the skills necessary for your success in Cambridge
IGCSE Literature. It will also encourage you to take responsibility for your own
learning. The following are some of the ways in which you can do this:

1 Read texts – such as the drama and prose texts – before lessons,
if you can.
2 Begin your revision of texts straight away. After lessons, find time
when you can re-read closely the sections of texts you have covered
in class.
3 Read with a dictionary available nearby. This can be in print or
online. Meanings of words are not going to become clearer unless
you use a dictionary.
4 Be an active reader and make notes – lots of them! Then add
to your notes as you re-read them. You might find that a reading
log or a computer ‘scrapbook’ is a very useful addition to
your learning.
5 Annotate copies of poems or pages from longer texts. This can be
Key term very helpful indeed – particularly if you annotate key words to show
how the writers achieve their effects. For this reason, it is helpful to
Annotate means to make have different coloured pens, or highlighter pens, to differentiate
notes providing brief between various types of notes. A useful starting point is to use one
explanations or comments. colour for notes about content, and another colour for key words
which illustrate a writer’s choice of language.
6 Read up on set texts, using the internet or library for research. Study
guides can be helpful early on in providing an overview of the plot or
characters. Remember, however, that such guides should not be used
as a substitute for your own informed personal response to texts.
7 Read texts aloud. This is likely to be done in lessons, and it is more
easily done with poems and plays than long novels. However, there
is no reason why you should not read aloud key extracts from the
novels you are studying. If you have time, you could even record
your reading of some of your poems or key extracts from drama and
prose texts. This would certainly be an excellent way to revise.

Activities
The Activities and guidance found in this Coursebook will help you to
become better readers of texts. Together, they will encourage you to reflect
not only on the content of what you read but also on the important role of

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the writer. Exploring the deliberate choices writers make in their writing
will help you to sharpen your skills of analysis. It will also increase your
enjoyment of the texts you study.

Various approaches to Activities are encouraged, including working in pairs

and small groups as well as individual study.

In addition, you will find examples of students’ responses to questions,

together with feedback from an examiner.

Quick recap
In several of the Units, you will find ‘Quick recap’ sections. These provide a
quick reminder of important key points that have just been covered in the
Unit. They allow you time to reflect on what you have just learned, and to
look again at any points you are not clear about.

How to use the Coursebook features

You will find several different features on the pages of this Coursebook.
These are there to help you as you progress through the book, and through
your Literature course. They usually appear in the margins alongside the
main text, and they often refer to something that is on the page.

Here is a list of the different features you will find as you use the book:

Key term
Key term When a key term is used in the book for the first time, it is shown in bold,
and defined nearby in a ‘Key term’ feature alongside the text. All key terms
can also be found in the Glossary at the back of the book.

Link
Link These features refer you to other pages or Units in the Coursebook. You
might, for example, be encouraged to go back and recap information or
guidance provided earlier in the book, to remind yourself of what you
learned in earlier Units. Ideas, terms and skills are often relevant to more
than one Unit.

Tip
Tip These features give you helpful advice and hints on studying, examinations
and other aspects of your Literature course. These often build on the
information given in the main text.

Extension
Extension These features suggest useful learning Activities you could do on your own
or perhaps working with another student. You are not required to do these
activities, but they are there if you wish to have a go, and have the time to
do them.

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Further Reading
Further Reading These features point you in the direction of other poems, plays and prose
texts you may like to read for your own enjoyment or interest. You will be
very busy during your IGCSE course, with other subjects as well as Literature,
but you might find time to dip into some of the texts that are recommended.
If you find something you like, you could return to reading it after you have
finished your IGCSE course. Many students find that study of Literature at
this level is just the beginning of a lifelong interest in reading.

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Cambridge University Press
978-1-108-43995-4 — Cambridge IGCSE® and O Level Literature in English Workbook
Russell Carey
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How this workbook can help you

How this workbook can help you

This workbook will help you develop the skills you need to succeed in
Cambridge IGCSE® or O Level Literature in English, or Cambridge IGCSE
World Literature. It has been written for use alongside the Cambridge IGCSE
and O Level Literature in English Coursebook Second Edition.
In this workbook you will find a rich variety of texts. These include poems
and extracts from drama and prose fiction texts. Some of the texts in this
workbook can also be found in the Literature in English coursebook, though the
activities are different. You will also find a number of texts that are completely
new, and which you may not have come across before.
The activities in this book ask the sorts of questions you need to ask as you
analyse literary texts. There is a section of study support, with guidance
on active learning, essay writing and further reading; then the rest of the
workbook is divided into three main sections:
■ Responding to poetry
■ Responding to prose
■ Responding to drama.
All three sections will help you develop and practise the skills you need for
exploring and understanding texts – and communicating your responses
effectively. Remember that in studying English literature you will make
progress over time. If you work conscientiously through the activities in this
workbook as well as those in the coursebook, they will help you to acquire the 1
skills you need for success in this subject.

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Russell Carey
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Cambridge IGCSE and O Level Literature in English Workbook

Support for your study

Active learning
If you are to get the most out of your English literature course, you need to
build your confidence in expressing your personal response to the poems,
plays and prose fiction you read.
There is no such thing as a ‘model answer’ in this subject. It is not your
teacher’s role to provide you with prepared approaches to answering
questions that might be set on the ideas, characters or settings you will
encounter in the texts you study.
It is therefore important that you are an active learner. Here is a checklist to
help you find out just how much of an active learner you are. Tick the column
that applies to you.

Do I...? Always Sometimes Never

prepare for lessons by reading ahead
from set texts?

re-read and review after lessons what

I have studied in class?

2 consult the dictionary – print or

online – to look up unfamiliar words?

make notes as I read?

Key Term
annotate copies of poems or pages
Annotate means to make from longer prose or drama texts?
notes providing brief
explanations or comments.
research set texts by reading about
them on the internet or in library
books?

practise reading poems and extracts

from longer texts aloud?

consider other students’ views in order

to confirm or challenge my own?

If you have more ticks in the ‘Always’ column, well done! If any ticks appear in
the ‘Sometimes’ or ‘Never’ columns, you should reflect on what you need to do
to become a fully active learner.

© in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org

Cambridge University Press
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Russell Carey
Excerpt
More Information

Support for your study

Wider reading log

The more you read, the more you will find reading enjoyable. Over time you will
discover hundreds of new words. These will be available to you for the rest of
your life and in a very real sense become a part of who you are.
The Literature in English coursebook includes lists of texts that are often
read by students of your age. Look out for the Further reading boxes in the
coursebook for good suggestions. Teachers and others may also recommend
books for you to read. You can find other ideas in newspapers, magazines and
on radio and television.
Use the spaces below as a starting point to list the titles of texts you read
outside lessons.
Poems

Poet Title

Short stories and novels

Writer Title

Plays

Playwright Title

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Russell Carey
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Cambridge IGCSE and O Level Literature in English Workbook

Checklist for writing critical essays

Use the following checklist, and the mind map on the next page, to check
whether you have considered all the important key points for writing an
effective essay.
This checklist, and the mind map, can be used to help you plan and write any
formal essays during your English literature course. If you use them regularly,
you should become increasingly confident about writing essays.

Tick Have I…? Guidance

made sure that all my Don’t write for a question you wanted to be
points are focused on the set and may have prepared for. Make sure you
actual question? answer the actual question. Leave out material
that is not relevant to the question, even if it
shows how good your understanding is.
used paragraphs and Paragraphs and connectives help you to
connectives to make my structure your essays effectively.
argument clear to the reader?
used accurate spelling and Accurate use of English enables the reader
punctuation? to concentrate on the content of your essay
without being distracted by errors.
4
written in formal English? Avoid informal English such as contractions (for
example, don’t, can’t, isn’t).
Key Term Avoid slang or clichés (for example, X was the
‘elephant in the room’; ‘Y was in an unhappy place’).
Substantiate means provide supported my points by You need to substantiate your points by using
evidence from the text in using references to the evidence from the text. Otherwise your views
order to persuade the reader text? are merely assertions.
that your arguments are valid.
integrated quotations Quotations should be brief and contain only the
smoothly into my writing? word or phrase you wish to comment on as part
of your analysis. Short quotations are easier to
insert smoothly into the flow of your own writing.
Remember always to use quotation marks.
analysed structure? In poetry questions and passage-based
questions you can explore the structure of the
printed poem or passage. In general essays
you might be asked to explore aspects of
characters, themes or settings at different
stages of the text.
analysed the language? It is important to comment on the effects for
a reader (or audience of a play) of any words
or phrases that you quote. This is a key part of
literary analysis.
commented on form? It needs to be clear from your essays that you
are responding to texts written in particular
genres: poems, plays or prose fiction.

© in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org

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Russell Carey
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More Information

Support for your study

Engage wit h
relevant d etail
s elected f rom
t he text

many
Embed tions
Answer t he rief quota
b to
question s et m o o t hly in
s g
writin
you r

W riting a successful critical

respons e to a passage-bas ed
or general essay question

ent in
Comm e
on t h
d etail
Analys e t he ts o f
ef fec nd
writer’s us e ords a
of t he w o en
s
st ruct u re an es ch r
5
d phras e
form e writ
by t h
Develop
an informed
personal
respons e

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Russell Carey
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Cambridge IGCSE and O Level Literature in English Workbook

Key Terms Responding to poetry

A ballad is a poem (or song) Exploring the use of sound in poetry
which tells a story, written in
simple stanzas, and making This poem is in the form of a ballad.
use of refrain.
‘O What is That Sound’
A refrain is a line or lines
that are repeated in poetry
by W.H. Auden
(or songs). O what is that sound which so thrills the ear
Down in the valley drumming, drumming?
Only the scarlet soldiers, dear,
The soldiers coming.

O what is that light I see flashing so clear 5

Over the distance brightly, brightly?
Only the sun on their weapons, dear,
As they step lightly.

O what are they doing with all that gear,

What are they doing this morning, this morning? 10
Only their usual manoeuvres, dear,
6 Or perhaps a warning.

O why have they left the road down there,

Why are they suddenly wheeling, wheeling?
Perhaps a change in their orders, dear. 15
Why are you kneeling?

O haven’t they stopped for the doctor’s care,

Haven’t they reined their horses, their horses?
Why, they are none of them wounded, dear,
None of these forces. 20

O is it the parson they want, with white hair,

Is it the parson, is it, is it?
No, they are passing his gateway, dear,
Without a visit.

O it must be the farmer who lives so near. 25

It must be the farmer, so cunning, so cunning?
They have passed the farmyard already, dear,
And now they are running.

© in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org

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Russell Carey
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Responding to poetry

O where are you going? Stay with me here!

Were the vows you swore deceiving, deceiving? 30
No, I promised to love you, dear,
But I must be leaving.

O it’s broken the lock and splintered the door,

O it’s the gate where they’re turning, turning;
Their boots are heavy on the floor 35
And their eyes are burning.

Exploring ‘O What is That Sound’ by W.H. Auden

1 Read the poem on your own, and write down the meanings of the words
listed below.

Look up the meaning of any other words you are not familiar with.

manoeuvres

reined

vows
7
deceiving

splintered

2 There are two voices in the poem.

Working in pairs, discuss who you think the two voices might belong to.
Then allocate the lines in the poem to the two speakers.

With your partner, practise reading the poem aloud, each of you taking
the role of one of the speakers.

3 Working on your own, write a summary of what you think is happening

in all the stanzas except the final one. Include a brief comment on the
content of each of stanzas 1–8.

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Russell Carey
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Cambridge IGCSE and O Level Literature in English Workbook

4 What impressions do you form of the speaker of the first two lines in
stanzas 1–8? Begin with:
O what is that sound which o thrills the ear
Down in the valley drumming, drumming?

Complete your answer in note form in the space below.

5 What evidence is there in the poem to suggest that the man is a deserter
from the army?

Using the evidence in lines 29–36, what do you think of the man’s
actions?

© in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org

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Russell Carey
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Responding to poetry

6 The use of rhyme and repetition of words and lines are typical of the
techniques found in ballads.

a What effects do you think the poet creates by using the following rhymes?

Lines Rhyming words Effect created

14 + 16 wheeling … kneeling

26 + 28 cunning … running

34 + 36 turning … burning

b Write down one example of a word or line from the poem that is repeated:

Comment on the effect the poet creates by using this repetition.

9

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Russell Carey
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Cambridge IGCSE and O Level Literature in English Workbook

Extension
1 Search online to find a clip of W.H. Auden reading his poem ‘O What is
That Sound’.

How does hearing this reading help you to appreciate more fully the
meaning and language of the poem?

2 Find an online clip of the opening of the documentary film Night Mail,
made in 1936. It begins with a reading of Auden’s poem of the same
name. The film is about the train carrying the post, travelling north
across England from London up to Scotland. As you watch the clip,
follow a printed copy of the poem, focusing on Auden’s use of rhyme
and repetition. This is the first stanza:
10 This is the Night Mail crossing the border,
Bringing the cheque and the postal order,
Letters for the rich, letters for the poor,
The shop at the corner and the girl next door.
Pulling up Beattock, a steady climb:
The gradient’s against her, but she’s on time.
Past cotton-grass and moorland boulder
Shovelling white steam over her shoulder,
Snorting noisily as she passes
Silent miles of wind-bent grasses.

© in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org

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Russell Carey
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How this workbook can help you

How this workbook can help you

This workbook will help you develop the skills you need to succeed in
Cambridge IGCSE® or O Level Literature in English, or Cambridge IGCSE
World Literature. It has been written for use alongside the Cambridge IGCSE
and O Level Literature in English Coursebook Second Edition.
In this workbook you will find a rich variety of texts. These include poems
and extracts from drama and prose fiction texts. Some of the texts in this
workbook can also be found in the Literature in English coursebook, though the
activities are different. You will also find a number of texts that are completely
new, and which you may not have come across before.
The activities in this book ask the sorts of questions you need to ask as you
analyse literary texts. There is a section of study support, with guidance
on active learning, essay writing and further reading; then the rest of the
workbook is divided into three main sections:
■ Responding to poetry
■ Responding to prose
■ Responding to drama.
All three sections will help you develop and practise the skills you need for
exploring and understanding texts – and communicating your responses
effectively. Remember that in studying English literature you will make
progress over time. If you work conscientiously through the activities in this
workbook as well as those in the coursebook, they will help you to acquire the 1
skills you need for success in this subject.

© in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org

 Cambridge University Press
978-1-108-43995-4 — Cambridge IGCSE® and O Level Literature in English Workbook
Russell Carey
Excerpt
More Information

Cambridge IGCSE and O Level Literature in English Workbook

Support for your study

Active learning
If you are to get the most out of your English literature course, you need to
build your confidence in expressing your personal response to the poems,
plays and prose fiction you read.
There is no such thing as a ‘model answer’ in this subject. It is not your
teacher’s role to provide you with prepared approaches to answering
questions that might be set on the ideas, characters or settings you will
encounter in the texts you study.
It is therefore important that you are an active learner. Here is a checklist to
help you find out just how much of an active learner you are. Tick the column
that applies to you.

Do I...? Always Sometimes Never

prepare for lessons by reading ahead
from set texts?

re-read and review after lessons what

I have studied in class?

2 consult the dictionary – print or

online – to look up unfamiliar words?

make notes as I read?

Key Term
annotate copies of poems or pages
Annotate means to make from longer prose or drama texts?
notes providing brief
explanations or comments.
research set texts by reading about
them on the internet or in library
books?

practise reading poems and extracts

from longer texts aloud?

consider other students’ views in order

to confirm or challenge my own?

If you have more ticks in the ‘Always’ column, well done! If any ticks appear in
the ‘Sometimes’ or ‘Never’ columns, you should reflect on what you need to do
to become a fully active learner.

© in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org

Cambridge University Press
978-1-108-43995-4 — Cambridge IGCSE® and O Level Literature in English Workbook
Russell Carey
Excerpt
More Information

Support for your study

Wider reading log

The more you read, the more you will find reading enjoyable. Over time you will
discover hundreds of new words. These will be available to you for the rest of
your life and in a very real sense become a part of who you are.
The Literature in English coursebook includes lists of texts that are often
read by students of your age. Look out for the Further reading boxes in the
coursebook for good suggestions. Teachers and others may also recommend
books for you to read. You can find other ideas in newspapers, magazines and
on radio and television.
Use the spaces below as a starting point to list the titles of texts you read
outside lessons.
Poems

Poet Title

Short stories and novels

Writer Title

Plays

Playwright Title

© in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org

 Cambridge University Press
978-1-108-43995-4 — Cambridge IGCSE® and O Level Literature in English Workbook
Russell Carey
Excerpt
More Information

Cambridge IGCSE and O Level Literature in English Workbook

Checklist for writing critical essays

Use the following checklist, and the mind map on the next page, to check
whether you have considered all the important key points for writing an
effective essay.
This checklist, and the mind map, can be used to help you plan and write any
formal essays during your English literature course. If you use them regularly,
you should become increasingly confident about writing essays.

Tick Have I…? Guidance

made sure that all my Don’t write for a question you wanted to be
points are focused on the set and may have prepared for. Make sure you
actual question? answer the actual question. Leave out material
that is not relevant to the question, even if it
shows how good your understanding is.
used paragraphs and Paragraphs and connectives help you to
connectives to make my structure your essays effectively.
argument clear to the reader?
used accurate spelling and Accurate use of English enables the reader
punctuation? to concentrate on the content of your essay
without being distracted by errors.
4
written in formal English? Avoid informal English such as contractions (for
example, don’t, can’t, isn’t).
Key Term Avoid slang or clichés (for example, X was the
‘elephant in the room’; ‘Y was in an unhappy place’).
Substantiate means provide supported my points by You need to substantiate your points by using
evidence from the text in using references to the evidence from the text. Otherwise your views
order to persuade the reader text? are merely assertions.
that your arguments are valid.
integrated quotations Quotations should be brief and contain only the
smoothly into my writing? word or phrase you wish to comment on as part
of your analysis. Short quotations are easier to
insert smoothly into the flow of your own writing.
Remember always to use quotation marks.
analysed structure? In poetry questions and passage-based
questions you can explore the structure of the
printed poem or passage. In general essays
you might be asked to explore aspects of
characters, themes or settings at different
stages of the text.
analysed the language? It is important to comment on the effects for
a reader (or audience of a play) of any words
or phrases that you quote. This is a key part of
literary analysis.
commented on form? It needs to be clear from your essays that you
are responding to texts written in particular
genres: poems, plays or prose fiction.

© in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org

Cambridge University Press
978-1-108-43995-4 — Cambridge IGCSE® and O Level Literature in English Workbook
Russell Carey
Excerpt
More Information

Support for your study

Engage wit h
relevant d etail
s elected f rom
t he text

many
Embed tions
Answer t he rief quota
b to
question s et m o o t hly in
s g
writin
you r

W riting a successful critical

respons e to a passage-bas ed
or general essay question

ent in
Comm e
on t h
d etail
Analys e t he ts o f
ef fec nd
writer’s us e ords a
of t he w o en
s
st ruct u re an es ch r
5
d phras e
form e writ
by t h
Develop
an informed
personal
respons e

© in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org

 Cambridge University Press
978-1-108-43995-4 — Cambridge IGCSE® and O Level Literature in English Workbook
Russell Carey
Excerpt
More Information

Cambridge IGCSE and O Level Literature in English Workbook

Key Terms Responding to poetry

A ballad is a poem (or song) Exploring the use of sound in poetry
which tells a story, written in
simple stanzas, and making This poem is in the form of a ballad.
use of refrain.
‘O What is That Sound’
A refrain is a line or lines
that are repeated in poetry
by W.H. Auden
(or songs). O what is that sound which so thrills the ear
Down in the valley drumming, drumming?
Only the scarlet soldiers, dear,
The soldiers coming.

O what is that light I see flashing so clear 5

Over the distance brightly, brightly?
Only the sun on their weapons, dear,
As they step lightly.

O what are they doing with all that gear,

What are they doing this morning, this morning? 10
Only their usual manoeuvres, dear,
6 Or perhaps a warning.

O why have they left the road down there,

Why are they suddenly wheeling, wheeling?
Perhaps a change in their orders, dear. 15
Why are you kneeling?

O haven’t they stopped for the doctor’s care,

Haven’t they reined their horses, their horses?
Why, they are none of them wounded, dear,
None of these forces. 20

O is it the parson they want, with white hair,

Is it the parson, is it, is it?
No, they are passing his gateway, dear,
Without a visit.

O it must be the farmer who lives so near. 25

It must be the farmer, so cunning, so cunning?
They have passed the farmyard already, dear,
And now they are running.

© in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org

Cambridge University Press
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Russell Carey
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More Information

Responding to poetry

O where are you going? Stay with me here!

Were the vows you swore deceiving, deceiving? 30
No, I promised to love you, dear,
But I must be leaving.

O it’s broken the lock and splintered the door,

O it’s the gate where they’re turning, turning;
Their boots are heavy on the floor 35
And their eyes are burning.

Exploring ‘O What is That Sound’ by W.H. Auden

1 Read the poem on your own, and write down the meanings of the words
listed below.

Look up the meaning of any other words you are not familiar with.

manoeuvres

reined

vows
7
deceiving

splintered

2 There are two voices in the poem.

Working in pairs, discuss who you think the two voices might belong to.
Then allocate the lines in the poem to the two speakers.

With your partner, practise reading the poem aloud, each of you taking
the role of one of the speakers.

3 Working on your own, write a summary of what you think is happening

in all the stanzas except the final one. Include a brief comment on the
content of each of stanzas 1–8.

© in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org

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Russell Carey
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Cambridge IGCSE and O Level Literature in English Workbook

4 What impressions do you form of the speaker of the first two lines in
stanzas 1–8? Begin with:
O what is that sound which o thrills the ear
Down in the valley drumming, drumming?

Complete your answer in note form in the space below.

5 What evidence is there in the poem to suggest that the man is a deserter
from the army?

Using the evidence in lines 29–36, what do you think of the man’s
actions?

© in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org

Cambridge University Press
978-1-108-43995-4 — Cambridge IGCSE® and O Level Literature in English Workbook
Russell Carey
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More Information

Responding to poetry

6 The use of rhyme and repetition of words and lines are typical of the
techniques found in ballads.

a What effects do you think the poet creates by using the following rhymes?

Lines Rhyming words Effect created

14 + 16 wheeling … kneeling

26 + 28 cunning … running

34 + 36 turning … burning

b Write down one example of a word or line from the poem that is repeated:

Comment on the effect the poet creates by using this repetition.

9

© in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org

 Cambridge University Press
978-1-108-43995-4 — Cambridge IGCSE® and O Level Literature in English Workbook
Russell Carey
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Cambridge IGCSE and O Level Literature in English Workbook

Extension
1 Search online to find a clip of W.H. Auden reading his poem ‘O What is
That Sound’.

How does hearing this reading help you to appreciate more fully the
meaning and language of the poem?

2 Find an online clip of the opening of the documentary film Night Mail,
made in 1936. It begins with a reading of Auden’s poem of the same
name. The film is about the train carrying the post, travelling north
across England from London up to Scotland. As you watch the clip,
follow a printed copy of the poem, focusing on Auden’s use of rhyme
and repetition. This is the first stanza:
10 This is the Night Mail crossing the border,
Bringing the cheque and the postal order,
Letters for the rich, letters for the poor,
The shop at the corner and the girl next door.
Pulling up Beattock, a steady climb:
The gradient’s against her, but she’s on time.
Past cotton-grass and moorland boulder
Shovelling white steam over her shoulder,
Snorting noisily as she passes
Silent miles of wind-bent grasses.

© in this web service Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org