This comprehensive revision booklet is designed specifically for Ordinary Level Leaving Certificate English students preparing for the 2026 exam.

The resource includes clear, accessible notes and sample answers for all prescribed poets and poems, structured to reflect how poetry is assessed at Ordinary Level.

What’s included:

• An overview of how poetry is examined at Ordinary Level
• Analysis of common question types (impression, tone, imagery, personal response, creative tasks)
• Detailed notes for each prescribed poem
• Clear explanation of key themes, ideas, tone, and imagery
• Key quotes selected and explained
• Structured sample answers modelled on past exam questions
• Exam-style practice questions

Poets covered:

• Paula Meehan
• Seamus Heaney
• Elizabeth Bishop
• Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin
• W.B. Yeats
• John Donne
• T.S. Eliot
• Tracy K. Smith

Each poem is broken down into:

• What the poem is about
• Setting and situation
• Key ideas and themes
• Tone and mood
• Imagery
• Key quotes
• Poet’s message
• Sample exam answers

The language is student-friendly and focused on helping learners explain rather than simply identify techniques — exactly what examiners reward at Ordinary Level.