Author: Andrew

In the opening of the play, Macbeth is not presented as a flawed character. We are given hints that he is a strong and dominant warrior . Macbeth is respected by his fellow soldiers. He is a fierce and strong character who might have a positive role in the rest of the play. Despite, the fact that he is such a dominant warrior and has a passion and talent for killing could suggest that he has a darker side to his personality. This is evidence from when the captain describes how loyal, brave and patriotic Macbeth was when he fought the Norwegians:                                                                      “For Brave Macbeth-well he deserves that name-distaining fortune, with his branished steel, which smoked with bloody execution like valor’s minion.”                                                                                                                                          The metaphor (branished steel) creates an image of Macbeth in a over-powering and threatening way which makes him seem totally unbeatable and invincible. Shakespeare describes in a way which makes the reader feel a sense of un-ease. The description of Macbeth made by Shakespeare is gives the reader hints. The way he writes makes the reader feel he has a darker side to his personality. All the adjectives used creates an apprehensive and dread feeling for the reader leading to anxiety and suspicion. The hyperbole (bloody execution) creates an image of Macbeth being ruthless and essentially a killing machine. These descriptions are of the highest praise, admiration and honour to Macbeth. The metaphor ‘valour’s minion’ is ironic because whereas in this case his daring is advantageous, it foreshadows later in the play. Shakespeare’s description makes the reader feel like Macbeth has the ability to completely dominate the world. Shakespeare writing makes us feel he is a two-faced character as his presentation of Macbeth give the reader an uncertain and underlying feeling and suspicion of his ability. The contextual factor of witchcraft give him hope and confidence. He starts to conjure up an image and fantasize about himself killing the king and being crowned the new king which creates an image of the audience having suspicious thoughts of witchcraft.

In the opening of both stories, the main characters have strong differences between them. In Macbeth, he is portrayed as a dominant and essentially a killing machine whereas Scrooge is portrayed as a ‘squeezing, wrenching, grasping, clutching, covetous old sinner’. This is demonstrated when Scrooge meets the charity workers and refuses to give donations:                                                                                                                                                                       “Are there no prisons? Union workhouses, treadmill and the poor law in full vigour”.                                                    This response portrays Scrooge as a cold-hearted and bitter character towards others, especially the poor. The use of the nouns ‘prisons, union workhouses, treadmill and the poor law’ create an image of Scrooge as a self-righteous character who makes negative comments about the poor. These contextual factors were a place where poor people would go if they couldn’t cope financially. On the other hand, it also creates the feeling that Scrooge is a self-contained and ‘solitary as an oyster’ character. Both characters share similar characteristics as they are both naive. Charles Dickens presents Scrooge in this way to give the reader an insight of his character which creates an image of a tight, almost heartless negative person. Dickens father was in debtor’s prison and the character of Scrooge demonstrates how many people suffered who were much like Dickens’ father. Scrooge doesn’t like to mix himself with the poor which represents the attitude of the rich towards the poor, which Dickens directly suffered because of.

In this scene, we see a development in Macbeth’s character. Shakespeare starts to present Macbeth as a flawed character whereas in the beginning of the play, Shakespeare presented Macbeth as a noble man. We can see there are a number of flaws developing in his character. He begins to be manipulated by his wife who has planted the seed in his head that he can become king. However, he has second thoughts about killing the king and guilt and hesitation start to twist his mind . These emotions presented by Shakespeare demonstrate a strong character but we see his ambition over-riding his flaws. During the soliloquy, he says:                                                                                                             “If it were done when ‘tis done, then’ twere well it were done quickly”. “But in these cases we still have judgement here”. Shakespeare creates an image of Macbeth as he lacks control, almost unable to cope with the mental  state of his thoughts and the obsessive desire from his wife for him to become king. Lady Macbeth knows he was essentially a legendary icon on the battlefield but classes him as gutless if he doesn’t act upon her ambitions. Macbeth is presented as an anxious, determined and confused character. Shakespeare plays a contrast game where at the beginning he wasn’t depressed or manipulated whereas, the emotional description show the more vulnerable and physiological side of his character. The second quote shows he is having doubts. This links to the belief at the time that the Divine Right of Kings. Any attempt to dispose the king may constitute a sacrilegious act. Macbeth knows his actions may result in severe consequences which creates an image of confusion, doubt and suspicion for the reader. This explains the nervousness and apprehension for Macbeth. Shakespeare uses the human condition in a way to describe his inner feeling . The witches predcition constantly play his mind. Shakespeare wants the reader to feel the emotions which foreshadows the reader’s mind that Macbeth has indeed doubted and influenced as the contextual factors had an impact on Macbeth which he doesn’t want to endure or go through. Also, the idea of the gunpowder plot links to the mental mind set of Macbeth. The actions taken against Guy Fawkes and his compatriots has spiritually had a massive impact on Macbeth. The soliloquy and the way Shakespeare expresses these thoughts, the reader can acknowledge that Macbeth is a confused and un-eased character at the moment as the contextual factors have hinted to Macbeth that killing the King is just not an option.

In the next part of the novella , we see even more of a difference between the two characters. Macbeth is portrayed as an uncertain, confused and puzzled character whereas Scrooge is presented as a scared, frightened and alarmed character. This is demonstrated when Scrooge remembers:                                                                                         “The ghost had warned him of a visitation when the bell tolled one. He resolved to lie awake until the hour was passed”. This portrays the character of Scrooge as a fearful and apprehensive character. The verb ‘resolved’ creates an image of Macbeth awaiting the arrival of the ghost in a trembling and anxious way. On the other hand, it creates an image of Scrooge’s personality isn’t as cold-hearted as his appearance. He seems to have a more emotional side that he hid from others. Both characters share some similar characteristics as they are both stubborn and reluctant. They both are content and feel their beliefs are far more superior. Charles Dickens presents Scrooge in this way to show the audience that Scrooge does feel emotions. This foreshadows later in the play as Scrooge begins to feels more emotions. Dickens wants the reader to fast-think to what this might foreshadow later in the novella.

Towards the denouement of the play, Macbeth feels a mixed of emotions which seem to destroy him mentally and physically. Macbeth has a thought which seems to constantly play over his mind. The first thought is jealously. Macbeth feels bitterness, spite hatred and animosity when he sees a vision of Banquo’s children becoming king. This is demonstrated when Macbeth says:                                                                                                                                 “So is he mine; and in such bloody distance that every minute of his being thrusts against my near’st of life. I have to hide my real plans from the public eye for many important reasons”.                                                                                 The language has a big effect on his character. ‘In such bloody distance that every minute of his being thrusts against my near’st of life’ suggest every minute that Banquo is alive, it eats away his heart. Macbeth despises that Banquo’s children are to become king. This suggest to me that Macbeth can’t stand the sight of him and that Banquo is the most hated person in his life. This contrast earlier in the play as Macbeth had enjoyed the company and friendship that he shared with Banquo. Now we see that Banquo is Macbeth’s worst nightmare as the witches separate and cause friction in their friendship. ‘I have to hide my real plans from the public eye for many important reasons’ suggest to me that Macbeth is scared about when people realise that Banquo is missing. He is worried about suspicious people as Banquo has friends in common as him. He is anxious because he doesn’t think he will moan and cry over Banquo’s death in public. Shakespeare wanted the audience to feel the impact of Macbeth’s thoughts. From the beginning of the play, Macbeth is presented by Shakespeare as he has legacy of power which suggest he has the ability to kill and essentially a killing machine. His passion and natural physique suggest he has the will power to kill anyone as he killed King Duncan previously in the play. As Macbeth has no qualms about killing, it shows his higher status amongst his peers. It also shows that he can take control as his accomplishments speak for themselves. The phrases from Shakespeare creates an image for the reader where Macbeth is sick of Banquo existing and wants him dead to end the possibility of his children becoming kings. We now see his earlier willingness to kill people and feel no remorse. His darker side has now come to light. The audience feel that they can now recount the mind of Macbeth doing something unexplainable.

Towards the denouement of the novella, we see a different side of Scrooge when the ghost arrives. We see fear in his character which over-rides his emotionless attitude at the beginning. Foreshadowing comes to life when it was Marley’s ghost who appeared to Scrooge. In the middle of Macbeth, we see a presentation of him as a bewildered and indecisive character compared to Scrooge who is presented as a worried character. This is demonstrated when Scrooge says:                                                                                                                                                             “When the bell struck one, and no shape appeared, he was taken with a violent fit of trembling”.                                This quote presents Scrooge as a petrified, uneasy and anxious character. The use of the verb ‘trembling’ suggest to the reader that Scrooge is scared about the apparition of the ghost. The adverb ‘violent fit’ creates an image of Scrooge restless and tense as he eagerly agitated awaits the vision. Another alternative could be that his personality at the beginning isn’t as secret, self-contained as his appearance expresses. A marked difference in how his character is portrayed by Charles Dickens from the beginning to middle. Macbeth and Scrooge share some similar characteristics as they are both stubborn and reluctant to change their attitudes. This ideas of Scrooge feeling emotions foreshadows later in the play. Dickens tricks the reader into fast-thinking what the sudden feeling of emotions could foreshadow later in the play.

When Banquo’s ghost appears we see Macbeth’s flaws develop into a guilty, scared and rouged man. During the scene, Macbeth feels guilty about what he has done. Macbeth cannot live with himself as he can’t admit that it was him who planned the death of his best friend. Macbeth is presented as a flawed character as he seems to be a paranoid character. This is demonstrated when he says:                                                                                                           “That, when the brains were out, the man would die, and there an end; but now they rise again, with twenty mortal murders on their crowns, and push us from our stools”.                                                                                  Shakespeare presented Macbeth like this towards the denouement of the play because a Shakespeare audience would have normally associated such feelings with the action of murder. The phrase ‘twenty mortal murders on their crowns’ creates an image of Banquo wounds that he had sustained by the murderers on him which shocks Macbeth. Also, the phrase ‘they rise again’ presents to the reader that Macbeth is totally shocked as Banquo’s ghost haunts him. When Shakespeare uses the phrase ‘push us from our stools’ to suggest to the reader that Macbeth cannot stand the sight of blood on Banquo and creates an image of Macbeth frightened of what he has done to Banquo. Superstition and belief in the afterlife was very strong in Shakespeare’s time which would have made the audience feel like ghosts were real. During Shakespeare’s time, people believed ghosts were real and the audience would have able to relate to the ghost of Banquo where they will be shocked and have a sight of horror when a ghost appears in front of Macbeth. This foreshadows that Macbeth was to be killed next. If Macbeth didn’t kill Banquo, it may have turned out that Banquo was going to become King and he would stay King until his children are old enough to become King. Indeed, it may have been Macbeth’s ghost who haunts Banquo.

In this scene, we see a development in Scrooge’s character. Charles Dickens presents Scrooge in a way where he regrets what he has done. He has recognised that his actions were wrong and starts to want to turn things around becoming a kind, loving man. In the beginning of the play Charles Dickens presents Scrooge as a ‘squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, and covetous old sinner’ whereas we now see Scrooge’s character becoming un-flawed. He has been visited by the last of the three spirits which change his character. These emotions presented by Dickens demonstrate a strong character but we see his more human, kind, emotional character. This is demonstrated when Scrooge cries:                                                                                                                                                    “Spirit, he cried, tight clutching at its robe”.                                                                                                             Towards the denouement of the play and the novella, there is a big difference between the two characters. The use of the verb ‘clutching’ and the adverb ‘tight’ suggest he is scared of the future as his cold-hearted and anti-social has come back to haunt him. On the other hand, it could just suggest he is scared. Charles Dickens portrays Scrooge as a more generous and warm character. This foreshadows later in the play. His flaws are decreasing whereas, the flaws of Macbeth are increasing. Both characters flaws have opposite endings and experience flaws at different times. Dickens uses the character of Scrooge to suggest nobody is past redemption and there is always a chance to amend things for the better. Charles Dickens strived in changing the views of the rich and attitudes towards the poor that were so harsh at the time (Victorian society). This presentation of Scrooge’s character can link to the journey of the reader themselves.

After Macbeth’s deed has become public, people react to this in a angry and outraged way. Shakespeare uses a lot of emotive language to present Macbeth to the audience. This is demonstrated when he says:                                 “Creeps in this petty pace from day to day. Out, out brief candle, life’s but a walking shadow”.                                    This phrase used by Shakespeare to describe Macbeth suggest he has lost everything to the point where he feels worthless. The phrase suggest he doesn’t have the mental strength or mind-set of a fierce warrior which contrasts to earlier in the play. The phrase ‘day to day’ suggest to the audience that time just keeps plodding on and is relentless. The extended metaphor ‘ a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more’ propose to the reader that he feels his life is in total despair. The murders of King Duncan and Banquo propose it was not worth while. We see his character feeling emotions which involves guilt which foreshadowed earlier in the play where we were presented with a un-human and immortal character.

At the denouement, we see that Scrooge is turning into a more of a positive, excited character. The ghost of Christmas yet to come has terrified him. The grave and the vision of Tiny Tim dying has had an emotional effect on him. He starts to turn things around and share happiness within the Christmas period. We see a clear contrast in the attitudes towards Christmas from the beginning of the novella to now from Dickens. We now are presented a marked difference between the two characters. The flaws in them are opposite as Macbeth’s rise and Scrooge’s fall. We see the effect the ghost of Christmas Yet to come has had no Scrooge when he says:                                                                                               “I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a school-boy. I am as giddy as a drunken man”.                                                                                                                                                                               The use of the repeated simile ‘as’ creates an image of Scrooge’s character expressing an more vibrant, warming approach to citizens of his town. His attitude at this time matches the feeling of Christmas. We see a change in his character as he fears for the future. The description of himself as happy, merry and giddy create an image of a positive, enlightened attitude towards the festive period. Charles Dickens portrays Scrooge in this way to suggest to the reader that no-one is past redemption and the time of Christmas should share a sense of togetherness and loving warm environment. This presentation of Scrooge’s character can link to the journey of the reader themselves. On the other hand, it could also suggest to the reader that the apparition of the ghost has forced Scrooge into a change of attitudes to Christmas and the poor.

As I approach the abandoned school building, it looks surprisingly decrepit. From a distance, the brick structure is ancient and worn. The edifice has taken a beating. The rain is falling heavily with huge force and the raindrops are like sharp spikes shooting in my face. The wind buffets me, pushing me from side to side, making me lose my balance. I keep moving forward into the deluge.

I see a gateway. Slowly walking up to it straining my eyes from a distance, I see cracks in the door; maybe it had been hit with a bullet or a blunt object- it’s hard to tell. I notice the door half-open. The jagged glass in the inside door shows a hole which automatically catches my attention. As I peak through the bullet hole, I see a shadow quickly disappearing down the corridor. I decide to enter as I cannot move my eyes onto anything else. Almost like a curious drive which gave me the feeling that I must go in. As I step into the huge dark blue door that towers above me, my heart beats with much more emphasises as I quiver at the sight of anything. As I measure my steps forward into the corridor, the darkness wraps around me as I was trembling with fear.

A loud bang. The front door slams shut behind me. Empty drink cans and crisp packets lie scattered across the floor glinting in the flickering dim light that only just reveals the path to the staircase. Nervously, I walk towards the side stairs trying not to alert anyone. A sense of trepidation almost overwhelms me. I become frantic and my nerves jangle as I hear the clattering and rattling of stainless rooftops as they slam to the ground. As I walk towards the sound, the lights stutter off and on. I feel a cold rush of air blast past my face. As I walk through the unlit corridor, I hear the creak of many doors as the wind plays tricks on my mind. The rain pounds down with huge beatings sounding out my hearing.

As I enter room 205, I am startled by the crazy disorganization of the room. Abruptly paralysed, I am barely able to move any part of my body. My movements freeze. The force of the wind has complete dominance over the classroom: double-glazed windows are shattered, old chrome chairs lie broken; ruined, magenta violet curtains billow out, gold tables are tossed all over the place. The black and grey classroom seems almost shadow like with its thick swirling mist. The cold and eerie sensation of the room makes the hairs on my body stick up and a massive shiver cascades down my spine. A rapid trembling motion convulses me as the sinister and ghostly atmosphere closes in. My stomach turns, making me suspicious of everything-even the long lost teacher’s mug looks sinister. My fear became a poison within me.

Suddenly, I hear the faintest of screeches behind me: a scare, a suspicion, a horror. It sounds like footsteps. I strain my ears to try and hear in which direction the noise is coming from. I turn around in total anxiety. I walk slowly towards the door. As I turn right, I quiver like a terrified animal. The lights spasm on and off as I creep down the corridor.

All at once, I see blood dripping down the stairs. Anxiously, I track the blood. It leads me through the science corridor. Unblinkingly, I keep following the dripping blood, thinking it may take me somewhere. After stumbling blindly from corridor to corridor, my physical state tells me I can’t walk any further, but my mind tells me I have to keep going.

In an instant, another screech faintly behind me completely immobilizes me. Somehow I swivel around to see what is behind me. As I slowly do so, realising my slim chance of staying alive, a shadow flashes before my eyes. I dive down to the exit.

All of a sudden, the lights turn off. The pips scream out, ricocheting through my brain like gunshots. I look left and right, wondering which direction is closest to the exit. I turn left……………………………………………………..

Personification or metaphor.

The number of GCSE exams should be reduced significantly in order to save the fragile minds of young students: pressure on the shoulders of teenagers to revise and do well in exams is incredibly stressful and can lead to eating disorders, self-harm and suicidal tendencies.

Thousands of pressurised students, who are not fully ready to take an exam, must prove what they have learned to faceless examiners. Those who fail are left to shrivel in the world, only to be taunted for not meeting perverted expectations.

From current experiences of my own, exams deteriorate us and oppress our lives. They distort our everyday routine into a never ending cycle of revising and reiterating for an exam. This pressure, put on still developing teenage minds, gives the student one choice under the stress leading to the examination. If you do well, you are fine. But with the ever-changing mark scheme it’s increasingly difficult to succeed. Students who fail may completely lose their self-confidence, feeling like they ruined their one last chance to shine. It’s soul-destroying, as well as exhausting, having to prepare for an examination when the end result may seem almost fatal.

The compulsion from our teachers and parents to do well in our exams can be seen as a form of brainwashing. Students are harassed by the amount of homework, coursework and assessments that they have. The load is relentless.

Coercing stressed pupils to do well at exams is putting their mental health at risk. Specialists say eating disorders, self-harm and even suicidal tendencies are some of the consequences as pupils struggle to cope with the enormous need to succeed. This is why I passionately feel exams should be reduced: many teenagers just can’t cope with the workload. Dr Deema Sihweil (clinical psychologist) has said, “Students are experiencing more levels of stress, anxiety, depression, fear, hopelessness and rage than ever. Exam time can be painful for so many”. Teenagers want to do well for themselves, but at the same time feel the need to assuage the aspirations of those around them.

We need to ask ourselves what skills these exams are teaching us. How will regurgitating facts and figures help teenagers get a job in the real world? Instead of these useless skills, we need to be focusing on abilities such as practical skills, debating skills and advanced coding to cope with the digital world we inhabit now. London is a key part of the digital economy which means we need to adapt what we teach our students. For example, in Germany they teach a range of digital vocational skills and they have one of the lowest youth unemployment rates in the world.

Students do not have the same mind-set as adults. Some are coping with exam anxiety by skipping meals and drinking alcohol. Suzie Hayman  (spokesperson for Family Lives) has said that exams can cause conflict in families and crises of confidence in young people. Teenagers’ confidence drops when they feel they are not getting any support from those around them or they feel failure is on the horizon.

In 2010 and 2011, a children’s mental health group received 6,332 calls to its helpline. Of these, 884 calls were from young people aged 16 and 17; 39% were about exam stress. This shows that teenagers are struggling to come to terms with pressure about the whole situation. Parents are suffering too when they are made aware that their kids are struggling psychologically.

Overall, in my opinion, exams should be reduced as teenagers are literally killing themselves to relieve the pressure. Parents are left to suffer the consequences of the unfortunate death.

The Government should reduce the amount of exams students have to face in order to keep them satisfied. I do understand that pressurised assessments are part of life and we need to prepare students for it, but at this point in time it has gone too far. One alternative to exams is e-portfolios – this way students are not pressured to do well. E-portfolios are one way to help. They are ideal for supporting coursework and end-of-course assessments. This way, a student’s work can be assessed, graded and given feedback. This doesn’t put pressure on them as they can research in depth, polish and improve their work over a period of time. Teenagers can work at their own speed, making it a relaxing and meaningful experience.

In conclusion, I feel reducing exams will bring much relief for teenagers. The mental health issues are the most dangerous ones. Society needs to give teenagers the best possible chance of success in unprecedentedly difficult and challenging times.

Dear Ms Samantha Taylor,

I take your point on board but Franzen, Louis CK and Greenfield are correct. I strongly agree with your statements concerning the way teenagers live their lives. You assert that the current crop of teenagers are a different generation as they are disinterested and have detached themselves from real society. You and the media present teenagers in a negative way as superficial, fickle and apathetic because, you say, of the lack of awareness they show to reality or the real world. In your view, teenagers concentrate too much on social network sites and they seem to be apathetic about their education and future. I really agree for the following reasons.

Recent evidence from Franzen has shown that about “92% of teenagers go on-line daily and 56% go on-line several times a day”. The data from different sources vary, but the most important thing is that this shows how important a smartphone or computer is to a teenager’s daily life. It is their everything.

I believe on-line socialising is creating a uniquely shallow and trivial culture, making teenagers unable to socialise in a meaningful way. Too much on-line fraternising amongst teenagers has created a generation who in fact can’t relate face to face. This in turn has a negative and detrimental impact on the majority of teenagers. Texting and the use of mobile phones has established itself as the preferred and favoured channel of basic communication between the majority of the teenagers. As a result of this, they are not ready for the real world where people skills make the difference between success and failure in the current jobs market.

Moreover, teenagers do not place as much importance on academic challenge, and focus too much of their time on social networking sites which can make it more difficult for them to distinguish between the meaningful relationships we foster in the real world and the numerous casual relationships formed through social media. Teenagers’ attitude to education shows how little value and importance they put on it; education seems to be low on the list of their priorities. While teenagers spend all those countless hours glued to Facebook, social networking has indeed “turned them into screen-enslaved social inadequates”. You are right. Hours spent on social networking sites are turning teenagers away from reality. Electronic gadgets are leading teenagers to become socially withdrawn and unable to relate to others.

While we are busy tweeting, texting and spending, the world is drifting towards disaster. Teenagers don’t really take into consideration or realise that their generation is a major crisis about to reach its peak. Now that we have all these new expensive gadgets and high-tech items, teenagers are being brainwashed to the extent that they are detaching themselves from reality. The story of David Molak is a classic example of a teenager who was cyber bullied to his own death. It is heartbreaking that in the real world social media is having a disastrous effect on the mental health of the nation. Obsession with gadgets is pushing teenagers over the edge, into an epidemic of psychological disorders. They seem to depend on social networking sites for self-satisfaction and higher status amongst their friends.

Teenagers seem to focus on social media rather than on the type of person they want to become. These days, teens above all seek status and acceptance amongst their peers and these are not always healthy aspirations. Also, teenagers are apathetic because of the amount of hours they spend on social media rather than studying and planning for their future. I strongly feel that teenagers are a brand-new generation of digital addicts, spending hours upon hours texting, unwittingly changing the world for the worse as more and more of them devote themselves to the world of superficial triviality.

To conclude, teenagers’ addiction to social networking sites emphasises that we could be raising a generation who live only in the thrill of the computer generated moment. Teens are in danger of detaching themselves from the real world because they seem to shy away from academic challenge and lose themselves to social media. Such sites are changing children’s brains, creating a dystopian generation of selfish, self-obsessed robot-narcissi.

In both poems, the poets show that conflict has had major effects on people’s lives. In ‘Belfast Confetti’, Ciaran Carson shows that the protagonist is being affected by the conflict which is a civil war between the protestants and the IRA. Likewise in ‘At the Border’, a group of people have been forced to flee from Kurdistan to Iran because of the effect of the civil war. Both poems emphasises the violence that conflict brings on people’s lives.

‘In Belfast Confetti’, the poet starts the poem with an adverb ‘Suddenly’. This emphasises the idea that the protagonist is in a state of danger. The adverb sets up the rest of the poem in quite a dangerous and suspicious way. The poet in Belfast Confetti uses juxtaposition. He contrasts the two words, Belfast and Confetti. We know Belfast is the city where an religious and political war is taking place. We usually associate the word Confetti with moments of happiness, celebrations and special occasions but in this case, the connotation of Confetti is the nuts, bolts, screws, nails and bombs. The poet starts the poem with the adverb ‘Suddenly’ to try and emphasise the fact that the situation the protagonist finds himself in, is dangerous and life-threatening. Wheras, the title of the ‘At the Border’ tells us that a group of people are set to leave their current surrounding and migrate to Iran because of the impact a civil war has towards an individuals life. The poet uses the year 1979 which tells us that that year was a significant year whether it was the start of the war or the time they forced to leave.

The poet also uses a metaphor to suggest that the riot squad are coming to put an end to the conflict.

Likewise, the poet uses the verb ‘stuttering’ to try and draw attention that the protagonist feels brainwashed as he sees the battle going on around him. We know that the protagonist is struggling to take control over his mental state and his thoughts have been scrambled by seeing blood, dead bodies, sound of gun shots going off and people screaming.

A bird is roosting on the top branch in the wood. The hawk is sleeping, thinking about the advantages in nature that makes him advantageous over everything below him. The Earth is starring the hawk in the face.

The poem theme is about a hawk who dreams to become a perfectionist at killing his prey. Likewise, during times of conflict, mankind always wants to outwit and defeat their opponents and win the battle. Similarly, the hawk practises to become an expert in killing its prey.

The convenience of the high trees, the air’s buoyancy and the sun’s ray give the hawk an advantage over things below him. The hawk believes nature gives him many advantages over aspects in the woods. The hawk has a bird’s view. Bird’s see the world in a way that humans can’t. the hawk sound like he has authority and control. The hawk believes his feathers and each foot has been created specially in the image of God. the hawk sees himself greater than God, now that nature gives him superiority.

In stanza 3, the poet uses the technique caesura to describe the hawk’s standpoint towards its prey. The hawk focuses on its prey and can’t move. Therefore, the full stop is used to notify that the bird is focused on its prey. Another technique the poet uses is enjambment . In stanza 2, line 2-3 you know the air’s buoyancy and the sun’s ray are of advantage to the hawk. The hawk can glide through the air as nature gives him many advantages.

Firstly, the conflict in At the Border, is a group of people that want to return to the land that is linked to their identify. We know that the poet is being forced to flee from Kurdistan back to her homeland Iraq. We can tell that the effect of the civil war has had a major effect on the individual. She wants to return home after experiencing conflict. However, in Belfast Confetti the conflict is the protagonist finds himself in a situation where a riot squad has enclosed around him. The protagonist tries to escape. The poet uses the protagonist’s mum as a metaphor that she feels going home. The poet uses adverbs to hyperbolise the mother’s view that home is a place that is better than wherever they have come from.

The conflict is a civil war between the protestants and the IRA. The protagonist finds himself trapped in a civil war between protestants and IRA. The Catholics in Northern Ireland wanted independence but some people wanted to stay within the United Kingdom. The protestants and IRA are both fighting for political reasons. The protagonist is surrounded by an riot. The protagonist is a civilian. The poem is written in first perspective, the protagonist seems scared. He wants to escape the situation, he finds himself in but he is restricted as fighting as happening in every corner. A burst of fire blocks the protagonist from escaping and an asterisk on the map shows the enemy were going to attack a specific space within the area.

Both poems are written in first person. The poem ‘Belfast Confetti’ is written in first perspective. The protagonist seems to be an participant in an civil war where he is surrounded by an battle. I think the mood of the situation is angry and an dispute is happening. There is an religious battle with the young Irish man in the middle of it.  However, In At the Border, the protagonist is someone who has been in an civil war and wants to return back to her homeland with her family. The protagonist is in a situation where a civil war has happened. The civil war has had an negative impact on both her and her family and they feel they can’t stay in Kurdistan where the civil war has taken place. Her family feel the need to migrate back to her homeland.

The poet in Belfast Confetti uses Juxta position. She contrast two words, Belfast and Confetti. We know Belfast is the city where an religious war is taking place. We usually associate the word Confetti with moments of happiness, celebrations and special occasions but in this case, the connotation of Confetti is the nuts, bolts, screws, nails and bombs. The poet starts the poem with the adverb ‘Suddenly’ to try and emphasise the fact that the situation the protagonist finds himself in, is dangerous and life-threatening. The poet also uses a metaphor to suggest that the riot squad are coming to put an end to the conflict. Likewise, the poet uses the verb ‘stuttering’ to try and draw attention that the protagonist feels brainwashed as he sees the battle going on around him. We know that the protagonist is struggling to take control over his mental state and his thoughts have been scrambled by seeing blood, dead bodies, sound of gun shots going off and people screaming.

In the first stanza, the poet sets the scene for Vandevue’s death by using the repetition of ‘alone’. The poet also uses, the midnight and the moonlight to try and set the scene for Vandevue’s death. The poet uses the line ‘left by the ebbing tide of the battle’ to try and set the scene for her death. The first line is very important in recognising that the scene is set for the girl soldier’s death. We know that she is left behind in what used to be a battleground.

The feature of M.L.5 suggest that it is set in the future. In our time, M.L.5 doesn’t exist, so this could suggest that it is set in the future. M.L.5 could be a chemical or poison that has been created to take away people’s memory. In the second stanza, it says M.L.5 has left the girl just about alive. We know that M.L.5 has taken her memory away. She has been brainwashed so we could assume she has been drugged or poisoned. We know that M.L.5 has had disastrous effects on people.

The poet uses repetition to create a feeling of sadness in the poem. The poet uses the word ‘alone’ to emphasis the fact that she is alone. The significance of the word ‘alone’ suggest that when she is alone, she is fragile and vulnerable.

How has the poet presented the effects of conflict in ‘The Right Word’ through choices of language and structure?

The poem is about a woman inside her house. Her thoughts manage to get the better of her. The poem comes about on what happened on the 911 bombings. The poet uses an provocative and emotive opening. The woman is in a situation where she feels that she doesn’t have control. The poet uses a range of nouns and verbs to describe activists and their behaviour each with emotional connotation. I think the poet writes this poem to say that on the aftermath of 911, most Asians(innocent people) have been victimised because of their race(appearance) is similar to those of terrorists that took part in the 911 bombings. I think the poet uses the metaphor of a door to talk about many threats that exist in society today. The poet uses a range of verbs and nouns to describe the behaviour of the activists.

The first 4 stanzas show different interpretations of who might be ‘outside the door’ in the ‘shadows’. The poet uses short stanzas which the reader comes to quick judgements. Also, the poet uses a noun ‘shadow’ which represents dark and gloom, sense of things hidden and also uncertainty. The repetition of the noun ‘shadows’ enhances distrust and establishes an mysterious tone. When the poet uses the phase ‘is a child who looks like mine’ suggest emotive imagery (innocence and vulnerability). When the poet uses the phase ‘one word for you’, it is directly addressed to the figure outside the door. The word ‘come in’, it represents an inviting, welcoming tone.  The poet uses the controversial noun terrorist to establish the tone of an emotive opening. The poet utilizes the same theme(idea) of someone being outside the door lurking in the shadows. When the poet uses an adverb ‘carefully’, it suggests gentleness while the symbolic act of the figure removing shoes show respect. The activist seems to be just a harmless child.

GCSE exams should be reduced significantly in order to save the fragile minds of young students. The pressure to revise and do well in exams is very stressful.

Thousands of pressured students who are not fully ready to take an exam, must prove what they have learned to examiners. Those who fail are left to dry out in the world, to be taunted for doing miserable on that one day, not being given another try. Exams deteriorate us and oppress our very lives making our everyday routine revising and reiterating for an exam that can determine our whole life. The pressure put on the fragile mind only gives the student one choice under the stress leading to the examination. If you do well, you are fine, but with the ever-changing mark scheme it’s very difficult to do well. Students who fail lose complete self-confidence, feeling like they ruined there only last chance to shine. It’s exhausting having to prepare for an examination when the end result is marked so harshly on a student, it puts the only courage you have down.

The pressure from our teachers and parents to do well in our exams is brainwashing, students are being taunted by the amount of homework, coursework and assessments that we have to face. Teachers and parents should try to support teenagers in the situation where exams can determine their lives. Overwhelming pressure on stressed pupils to do well at exams is putting their mental health at risk. Specialists say, eating disorders, self-harm and even suicidal tendencies are some of the consequences as pupils struggle to cope with the enormous pressure to succeed. Dr Deema Sihweil (clinical psychologist) quoted “students experience higher levels of stress, anxiety, depression, fear, hopelessness and rage than ever before and exam time can be painful for so many”. Recently, a bullied schoolgirl committed suicide after she was told she couldn’t take top maths exam. Exams are damaging teenagers minds.

In 2010 and 2011, a children’s mental health group, received 6,332 calls to its helpline. Of these, 884 calls were from young people aged 16 and 17, 39% were about exam stress. Parents are suffering when they are aware that their kids are struggling to cope with the pressure to succeed with exams. This can lead to the unfortunate death(suicide) of them. The government should reduce the amount of exams students have to face in order to save them. One alternative to examinations is e-portfolios, this way students are not pressured to do well by their parents and teachers. E-portfolio’s are ideal for supporting coursework and end-of-course assessments. This way, a students work can be assessed, verified, graded and given feedback remotely by the learning provider. This means students have up-to-date interactive representation of their achievements as they develop their skills.

In conclusion, students do have not have the same mind-set as adults. Students are coping with exam anxiety by skipping meals, drinking alcohol and having trouble sleeping. Suzie Hayman( spokesperson for Family Lives) quoted exams can cause conflict in families and crisis of confidence in young people. A child’s right organization in Bengaluru created a programme( Child’s Right Trust, CRT) in order to reach out to teenagers who are suffering with anxiety related to exams. The unique aspect of the programme is that counsellors visit homes of students who need assistance in managing exam stress. This way, students are receiving major support which makes creates a better society for teenagers. All these solutions come as a benefit towards teenagers and should be used around the world.