Unseen poetry and prose — IGCSE World Literature (0408) questions by topic
Unseen poetry and prose gives you a poem or passage you have never studied and asks you to explain, describe or explore how the writer vividly portrays a scene, a feeling such as anger, or a relationship such as the distance between a mother and son. Because nothing here can be pre-learned, every question rewards close, immediate reading of imagery, structure and shifts of tense within the given lines.
Marked at 30 marks per response, this page draws on 15 real questions from papers set between 2023 and 2025. Draft answers under timed conditions and submit for instant marking to see how the scheme rewards spotting typographical and structural detail, such as an isolated line or a change of tense, over general comment on the subject matter.
What examiners look for
- Examiners praised responses that commented precisely on lines such as 'No one can be in two places at once' as marking the start of separate journeys with growing distance.
- Strong answers discussed not just physical distance but emotion conveyed through detail such as communication by late letters and contrasting seasons.
- Reports note the best scripts picked out typography, including an isolated phrase and a single-line final stanza, as deliberate structural choices.
- On a poem about fruit and family memory, examiners praised answers that explored imagery of heart, blood and jewels alongside the repeated absolute 'Never', and speculated convincingly on deeper meaning.
May–June 2025, Paper 21
Read carefully the poem 'Horses', in which the poet describes seeing a group of horses in Berlin, the capital city of Germany. In what ways does the poet vividly describe the…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2025, Paper 22
Read carefully the poem 'The Surfer' in which the poet describes a man surfing in the ocean. How does the poet vividly portray the surfer in the first stanza? [15]
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2025, Paper 23
Read carefully the poem 'Anger', in which the poet describes feelings of anger. How does the poet vividly portray anger in the first two stanzas? [15]
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2024, Paper 21
How does the poet vividly portray life in cities?
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How does the poet vividly describe the river in the past in lines 1-14?
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How does the poet movingly portray his feelings about leaving his country in lines 1-20?
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How does the poet vividly describe the setting?
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How does the poet vividly describe the setting?
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How does the poet create powerful impressions of her father?
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2023, Paper 21
How does the poet strikingly portray the huge distance between mother and son?
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In what ways does the poet vividly describe a pomegranate?
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In what ways does the poet create striking impressions of modern life?
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2023, Paper 21
How does the poet vividly describe the scene?
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How does the poet vividly describe the scene?
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How does the poet vividly describe the house?
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