Poetry is infamously one of the most challenging questions on the Leaving Cert English paper. With such a vital question, it’s important to spend lots of time preparing. Not having a fundamental understanding of a wide array of poems can lead you to a disappointing grade. Your study materials for poetry must be succinct, relevant, and focused on the exam.
 
If you only need to brush up on one of the five poets Clodagh has chosen, you can buy them individually. This version of the audio guide includes ALL FIVE of the most likely poets to come up including Plath, Dickinson, Mahon, Smith, and Boland.
 
With so much to learn, it’s hard to optimize your study specifically for your exam preparation. McAndrew Books is delighted to announce our latest addition to the Vital Leaving Cert Audio Guide Series! Listen along as Clodagh Havel, English teacher at the Institute of Education, dives in with you, tackling the poetry question. The audio guide includes all the vital materials you need:
 
- Walkthrough on structuring your essay
- Teaching you how to effectively learn quotes, and when to use them
- The subject of synaesthesia, and how it can earn you top marks when understood
- A guide on tackling the unseen poetry question
- A full breakdown of five poems from five of the most likely poets to come up on your 2025
paper including Plath, Dickinson, Boland, Mahon, and Smith.
 
All of this is included in an easily digestible audio guide that you can listen to wherever you are, whether you’re on the go, or sat at your desk. Get the fundamentals right, and maximise your grade with our latest audio guide!
 
Full Episode List:
 
1. Introduction - the concept of poetry, the importance of passion in your answers, understanding technique.
2. Structuring an essay - structure, layout, word count, how the poet has affected you, key words
3. How to Learn Quotes - learning quotes, the importance of evidence, answer solidification, ‘the magic number’
4. Synaesthesia - a discussion on synaesthsia, and how to use it in your answer
5. Sylvia Plath - detailed analysis, question breakdown, five poem analysis
6. Emily Dickinson - detailed analysis, question breakdown, five poem analysis
7. Eavan Boland -  detailed analysis, question breakdown, five poem analysis
8. Derek Mahon - detailed analysis, question breakdown, five poem analysis
9. Tracy K. Smith - detailed analysis, question breakdown, five poem analysis
10. Tackling the Unseen Poetry - discussion on strategy for tackling the unseen poetry question
11. Conclusion