The Frost/Heaney Poetry Anthology
This page contains links to support the study of this section of the CCEA English Literature A-Level Unit 1(a) Study of Poetry for the Heaney and Frost anthology. Click through for support and information on context, individual poem analysis, links and connections between poems, and ideas to support critical analysis.
Robert Frost
Links to study guide for each poem:
- Into My Own
- Mowing
- Going For Water
- Mending Wall
- After Apple-Picking
- The Road Not Taken
- Birches
- “Out, Out –”
- For Once, Then, Something
- Gathering Leaves
- Acquainted With The Night
- Desert Places
Seamus Heaney
Links to study guide for each poem:
- Personal Helicon
- The Forge
- The Peninsula
- The Wife’s Tale
- Bogland
- The Harvest Bow
- The Railway Children
- The Summer of Lost Rachel
- Postscript
- ‘Had I not been awake’
- The Conway Stewart
- The Baler
Themes across the anthology:
Click the images below to explore the themes which are common across this collection of poems.
Exam information
The examination for this study of poetry is a two hour external written examination.
Section A is the Study of Poetry 1900-present question (Section B is the Study of Drama 1900-present).
Section A is open book – this means that students have access to clean, unannotated copies of the poems from their anthologies.
In Section A, students are only given one question for each poetry anthology. There is no choice of question within the Frost/Heaney collection.
There are equal marks available for the treatment of each poem in your answer.
In Section A you will be marked on your ability to:
- articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology, and coherent, accurate written expression (AO1)
- analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts (AO2)
- demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received (AO3)
- explore connections across literary texts (AO4)
Past Paper Questions
Summer 2024
This question is about journeys.
Read again “The Road Not Taken” by Frost and “Postscript” by Heaney. By close analysis of the poetic methods used, and drawing on relevant external biographical information, compare and contrast how these poets write about journeys.
Summer 2023
This question is about human relationships.
Read again “Mending Wall” by Frost and “The Wife’s Tale” by Heaney. By close analysis of the poetic methods used, and drawing on relevant external biographical information, compare and contrast how these poets write about human relationships.
Summer 2022
This question is about departures.
Read again “Into My Own” by Frost and “The Conway Stewart” by Heaney. By close analysis of the poetic methods used, and drawing on relevant external biographical information, compare and contrast how these poets write about departures.
Summer 2021
This question is about childhood experiences.
Read again “Birches” by Frost and “The Railway Children” by Heaney. By close analysis of the poetic methods used, and drawing on relevant external biographical information, compare and contrast how these poets write about childhood experiences.
Summer 2019
This question is about death.
Read again “Out, Out –” by Frost and “The Summer of Lost Rachel” by Heaney. By close analysis of the poetic methods used, and drawing on relevant external biographical information, compare and contrast how these poets write about death.
Summer 2018
This question is about landscapes.
Read again “Desert Places” by Frost and “The Peninsula” by Heaney. By close analysis of the poetic methods used, and drawing on relevant external biographical information, compare and contrast how these poets write about landscapes.
Summer 2017
This question is about farm work.
Read again “Mowing” by Frost and “The Baler” by Heaney. By close analysis of the poetic methods used, and drawing on relevant external biographical information, compare and contrast how these poets write about farm work.
Useful links and resources:
- CCEA have produced a guide which is a helpful starting point, and can be found on the CCEA website here.
- CCEA have also produced a printable copy of the poetry anthologies, which can be found on the CCEA website here.
Frost Poems:
