Comparing Technique and Effect

If comparing theme is the what of comparative analysis, comparing technique is the how. AO2 — the analysis of "ways in which meanings are shaped" — is the most heavily weighted assessment objective in the unseen poetry section, and it demands that you compare not just what the poems say but how they say it. This lesson focuses on comparing the use of form, language, imagery, and tone across two poems, and on avoiding the trap of "feature-spotting."

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The Problem of Feature-Spotting

Feature-spotting is the single most common weakness in A-Level poetry analysis. It occurs when a student identifies a technique, names it, and moves on without analysing its effect:

"The poet uses alliteration in 'broken black branches.' There is also a simile: 'like a wound.' The poem has an ABAB rhyme scheme."

This is a checklist, not an analysis. The examiner already knows the poem contains these features — they chose it. What the examiner wants to know is why these features matter — how they contribute to the poem's meaning, tone, and effect on the reader.

The Antidote to Feature-Spotting

For every technique you identify, answer three questions: