All Junior Cert English posts
  • avatar image

    Poetry and novel sample answers available SryanBruen

    I have the following sample answers available

    *The Early Purges

    *Seamus Heaney - a poet you have studied

    *Mid-Term Break

    *Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

    *To Kill A Mockingbird

    *Dulce et Decorum Est

    1. avatar image


      dulce et decorum est pkease

    2. avatar image


      A poem that I have studied that dealt with war was ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’ by Wilfred Owen. I thought this poem was a particularly interesting comment on war because its author both fought and died in the war. Owen was killed tragically in action just a week before the war ended.

      The poem condemns those who glorified the war and tempted young men to enlist with heroic rhetoric. It contrasts the idealistic views that were held about war with the harsh reality of those who actually fought in the front lines.

      Owen uses much of this poem to create a vivid picture of how awful the war was and to show the fiercely detrimental effect it had on the soldiers. The first stanza conveys a picture of exhausted, overburdened and injured men. The soldiers are “Drunk with fatigue”, many are without boots but are forced to limp on. The sounds of the battlefield are brilliantly conveyed through Owen’s alliteration and onomatopoeia.

      Owen describes seeing a man “choking” to death during a poisonous gas raid. The picture of him “drowning” is haunting and very disturbing. He shows the awful indignity of death as the man was “flung” in a wagon as they marched on to their next destination.

      The poet shows the lasting effect of the war on the soldiers who witnessed these deaths. They may have survived but the horrific memories lasted in their “smothering dreams”.

      In the final lines of the poem, Owen utterly rejects the “old Lie” that it is sweet and honourable to die for one’s country. This poem is a brilliant condemnation of war.

    3. avatar image


      Mid Term Break, To Kill a mokingbird please

    4. avatar image


      To kill a mckng bird please ? ☺️

    5. avatar image


      Of all the poems I have explored, Seamus Heaney’s “Mid-Term Break” is the most engaging. This poignant poem recalls an incident in Heaney’s own childhood: The death of his baby brother, Christopher.

      The poem opens with Heaney “counting bells knelling classes to a close”, as he waits in the school to be taken home. The use of the word “knelling” is interesting as usually the word is used to describe a funeral bell: Heaney is obviously thinking of his brother’s passing.

      Heaney skilfully takes the reader with him “In the porch I met my father crying”. The use of the pun “Big Jim” is unfortunate because he metaphorically means a big “blow”. Heaney’s mother is so shocked that she cannot cry, only able to cough out “angry tearless sighs”.

      The use of such personal pronouns such as “him”, “his” and “he” reveals Heaney’s love for his brother. Heaney creates a sad pause at the end of stanza 6: “paler now” before the next stanza. He describes little has changed since Christopher died in his appearance but the difference is his paler complexion and his “poppy bruise”. The line “A four foot box, a foot for every year” is the most heartbreaking line of the poem. Heaney’s brother was only a baby, and his life should have not been cut short when he was so young.

      Death is a sad event for any family to experience. The death of a child is especially tragic. Heaney’s ‘Mid-Term Break’ is certainly a difficult poem to read, due to the poem exploring the death of a child. However, it is a poem that has made me appreciate my family, my childhood and my own life, and for this I am grateful.

    6. avatar image


      Just to let you know, the answers are meant to be 2 pages long in the exam

    7. avatar image


      Yeah I know... these are 2 pages long... I write these in a hardback copy and whilst some are around 1 page and 3 quarters, others are 2 pages or more

    8. avatar image


      These are so helpful! Thanks so much!

      Do you have the 'To Kill A Mockingbird' one?

    9. avatar image


      Oh I'm very sorry. I did not know how To Kill A Mockingbird got on my list of sample answers available. I have the Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and the rest though. A book, however, that I suggest you to get is Shortcuts to Success: To Kill A Mockingbird. It is exactly like the Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry one. It gives you the analysis of chapters, characters, quiz questions, chapter questions, cloze exercise, examination guidelines, useful phrases and past novel exam questions as well with a sample answer for each on the book you have studied.

    10. avatar image


      can you do roll of thunder hear my cry please??

    11. avatar image


      My favourite character and interesting plot twists - past exam question sample answer on Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

      The novel I have studied for my Junior Cert is ‘Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry’ by Mildred D. Taylor. The novel is set during the 1930s in Mississippi at a time of racial segregation. The story revolves around the Logan family, a black farming family. My favourite character in the novel is Cassie Logan. Cassie is around 9 years old and is the second eldest in the Logan family. There are many reasons why Cassie is my favourite character. Firstly, Cassie is protective of her younger siblings. She defends them when in tough moments. We see this when Cassie jumps up to defend Little Man from Ms. Crocker. Cassie tries to intervene and explain why Little Man is so angry and upset. As a result, Cassie herself is punished. However, Cassie’s willingness to put herself on the line for her brothers shows her protective nature and it is for this reason I admire her and she is my favourite character. Secondly, another reason why Cassie is my favourite character is she stands up for what she believes is right. We see this when Cassie, T.J. and Stacey visit the Mercantile in Vicksburg. Cassie stands up to the shopkepper when he refuses to serve them before the white customers. I believe this shows Cassie is brave and stands up for what is right even when it’s hard to do so. It is for this reason she is one of my favourite characters in the novel. Another reason why Cassie is my favourite character is because she is very clever and calculated for a young girl. We see this when she befriends Lillian Jean in order to get revenge on her. Cassie waits patiently, gathers Lillian Jean’s secrets and when the time is right, strikes back. I thought this was a very clever plan for a young girl and this is another reason why Cassie is my favourite character.

    12. avatar image


      are there suppose to be quotes in the roll of thunder hear my cry question? thanks for the answer

    13. avatar image


      No, for poetry you are required to remember quotes. For fiction, you don't have to remember quotes. Although, you can put quotes in your answer if you want. Like you could not get full marks in a situation where you forgot something or can't think of anything to add but some quotes could get your full marks in a situation like this!

    14. avatar image


      When all the other by seamus heaney

    15. avatar image


      dulce et decorum est

    16. avatar image


      nevermind, its up there sorry hahaha

    17. avatar image


      do you have the notes to mean girls 2? Hope this helps:)............

    18. avatar image


      omg ^

    19. avatar image


      Sarah2014 I know she thinks she is hilarious, doesn't she...

    20. avatar image


      yeah im pretty funny i guess haha. But seriously does anyone have the notes to mean girls 2? Its part of my leaving cert comparative! Hope this helps:)............

    21. avatar image


      OMG please stop saying "hope this helps;)......." when it's nothing relatable to your scenario

    22. avatar image


      thats bullying. No need for those poisonous words. Hope this helps:).......

    23. avatar image


      I said "please" in my sentence

    24. avatar image


      what did i do to you? youre really hurting my feelings. Hope this helps:(..........

    25. avatar image


      You're annoying me by posting non-helpful tips and some things by you make no sense or relatable whatsoever. No this is not called bullying - in fact that's just you being dumb. Stop being an amateur and make yourself actually useful. Try and pick up on examples of things that I post for example. i.e. actually helping the students

    26. avatar image


      Sorry was just trying to help. Hope this helps:)...

    27. avatar image


      The Early Purges

    28. avatar image


      can you do early purges

    29. avatar image


      Of all the poems I have examined, Seamus Heaney's 'The Early Purges' is the most disturbing. This poem recalls an incident in Heaney's own childhood: The drowning of kittens. However, what makes this more horrific is the change of Heaney's attitude towards the cruelty of animals as he grows up.

      As a caring, innocent youngster, Heaney is appalled by Dan Taggart drowning the kittens. I understood his horror at hearing the kittens' "soft paws scraping" in the bucket of war; they were struggling to survive. Ironically, Taggart tries to persuade the young Heaney that the kittens are better off dead: "Sure isn't it better for them now". Like me, Heaney does think so, and throughout his childhood, his revulsion is felt at such times of cruelty as when Taggart broke hens' necks "with a sickening thug". The child truly understands how cruelty can never be justified.

      However, a very disturbing element of the poem is that while the child saw cruelty as unacceptable, when the child becomes an adult, he regards cruelty as a necessity. Just as Dan Taggart felt no sympathy for the animals he killed, the adult is indifferent. "When shrill pups.... drown, I just shrug "Bloody pups". As an adult, his former pity is replaced by the view that some animals are merely pests and that killing them "makes sense". I cannot help but feel utterly disturbed by how the speaker's views changed from those of compassion to beliefs that animal cruelty is essential.

      'The Early Purges' is a distinctive poem. Certainly it examines many issues that appear in many poems; Nature, childhood, growing up. However, the extreme change in the person's views on animal cruelty is disturbing. Life has truly hardened this person and I hope life never affects me in such a negative way.

    30. avatar image


      ya were also doing dulce est

    31. avatar image


      It's already typed above Maria

    32. avatar image


      @SryanBruen Don't forget you can attach files such as word docs to any post on this board. Just make sure you are the creator of the content and therefore own the copyright : )

    33. avatar image


      I am the creator of the content. These sample answers are all mine as I did them for homework once and are all corrected.

    34. avatar image


      Cool , They look good. Just needed to double check : )

    35. avatar image


      Share files from your computer

Going to College