Study Hub for CXC English A & B

ABOUT THE POET Wilfred Owen (1893-1918) had first hand experience with the the trauma associated with war. As a result, he wrote a number of poems based on his own experiences and those he witnessed. Owen would have suffered shell shock and eventually died on the battlefield of World War 1 at the young age of 25. THE POEM The poem 'Dulce Et Decorum Est' was one of the many poems he wrote to dispel the notion that sending soldiers to fight in a war was a glorious experience. He calls it an 'old lie' which is fed to soldiers to give them a sense of ease and encourage patriotism as they embrace the idea of sacrificing their lives for their country. The reality is quite different as many soldiers either die or are left physically and mentally damaged. Owen does not hold back in his presentation of the horrors of war. He employs graphic language to portray the discomfort, despair and death. By the end of the poem, readers are left reeling by the devastating real...

I hope the information that I have provided below on the poem will prove useful in helping you to understand it.  Poet:  Martin Carter(1927-1997) Historical Context:   This poem is based on events that took place in British Guiana during the 1950s when British troops were sent to restore order during the unrest that resulted after the calls from the people for self-governance. Their presence upon the land resulted in great resentment, resistance and devastation. Martin Carter was arrested for three months because he defied orders that had been enforced by the British government. The poem was written in response to these events. Setting:   British Guiana( a colony of England), 1950s Themes:  War, Oppression, Human Suffering, Patriotism, Power and Authority, Lack of Freedom Tone:   warning, melancholic, lamenting Key Vocabulary:   vulnerable, landscape, subjugation, militia, dominate, suppression, resistance, deprive, re...

STANZA 1: Ol’ Higue expresses her feelings of resentment for having to perform some very uncomfortable actions because of the appeal of baby’s blood. This stanza gives us details that are associated with the folklore about Ol’Higue. For example, the readers learn that Ol' Higue has to fly around at night without skin. She eventually burns out 'like cane fire'. She also alludes to other aspects of the superstition associated with her as she mentions having to count thousands of rice grains.  Note: In the folklore surrounding Ol' Higue, if one wants to catch her, one has to throw rice grains around the house. She is obligated to count all the rice grains. This leaves her open to being caught because she will find it difficult to count all the grains before dawn. STANZA 2: Here it is seen that she finds the smell of baby’s blood irresistible and explains that its appeal is due to the promise of life that it offers to an dying, old woman. Baby's blood i...

A multiple choice paper forms a part of the assessment for the CXC English A examination. It is valued at 21% of the total assessment and comprises of 60 items. The paper is divided into two sections. Section A:  It comprises of 25 discrete items based on synonyms, antonyms, grammar, spelling, construction shift, error recognition and equivalent sentences. Section B: It usually comprises of five stimuli that can be based on: a poem, a literary extract, one expository extract, one argumentative extract and one visual extract. What abilities are tested on Paper 1? According to the English A syllabus, you will be tested on your ability  to: - understand meaning conveyed through word choice grammar and syntax(word order), sentence structure, punctuation and paragraphing. - obtain information accurately - grasp insights from reading literature - recognise and evaluate information expressed in various forms. Now that you have been reminde...