This resource provides a full, exam-focused support pack for the 2024 Leaving Certificate Higher Level poetry question on Seamus Heaney:
“Heaney uses a deceptively simple style to convey profound observations about people and places.”

Inside, you will find a complete H1-standard sample essay, written in a clear, fluent style and fully aligned with LC marking expectations. The essay includes the official (S) and (O) coding used by examiners to show where the response demonstrates Heaney’s deceptively simple style and his profound observations about people and places. This ensures students can visibly track how marks are earned and how to structure their own analysis effectively.

Also included is a student self-assessment sheet, designed to guide learners through reviewing their own work using the PCLM framework. The checklist helps students identify strengths and areas for improvement in relevance, coherence, language, use of evidence, and overall engagement with the question. It encourages independent learning and reflective practice, making it a valuable tool for homework, revision sessions, or targeted intervention.

What’s Included

• A full Higher Level sample essay responding directly to the 2024 question
• Clear (S) and (O) codes integrated throughout
• Detailed coverage of six poems: The Forge, Bogland, A Constable Calls, The Harvest Bow, A Call, and The Tollund Man
• A comprehensive PCLM-aligned self-assessment sheet
• Clean, student-friendly layout suitable for printing or digital use

This resource complements my Essay Builder pack
This Heaney sample essay and self-assessment sheet work perfectly alongside my Essay Builder resource, which guides students step-by-step through planning and constructing exam-standard LC poetry responses. Together, the two resources provide a complete toolkit: the Essay Builder teaches them how to write it; this sample shows them what an A-standard version looks like.