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O-LevelLiterature in EnglishPoetry2010/11 · May/June 2013 · Q1325 Marks

Read these two parts of In Memoriam, and then answer the question that follows: L Be near me when my light is low, When the blood creeps, and the nerves prick And tingle; and the heart is sick, And all the wheels of Being slow. Be near me when the sensuous frame Is rack’d with pangs that conquer trust; And Time, a maniac scattering dust, And Life, a Fury slinging flame. Be near me when my faith is dry, And men the flies of latter spring, That lay their eggs, and sting and sing And weave their petty cells and die. Be near me when I fade away, To point the term of human strife, And on the low dark verge of life The twilight of eternal day. LXVII When on my bed the moonlight falls, I know that in thy place of rest By that broad water of the west, There comes a glory on the walls: Thy marble bright in dark appears, As slowly steals a silver flame Along the letters of thy name, And o’er the number of thy years. The mystic glory swims away; From off my bed the moonlight dies; And closing eaves of wearied eyes I sleep till dusk is dipt in gray: And then I know the mist is drawn A lucid veil from coast to coast, And in the dark church like a ghost Thy tablet glimmers to the dawn.

  1. Explore the ways in which Tennyson vividly conveys his feelings in these two parts.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2013). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

  1. [N/A] The mark scheme for Literature papers typically uses holistic band descriptors rather than specific marking points for individual questions.
  2. [N/A] Candidates are assessed on their detailed knowledge, understanding of meanings and context, appreciation of language/structure/form, and sensitive personal response (AO1-AO4).
  3. [N/A] All questions carry equal marks (25 marks each).

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About this question

Topic
Poetry, O-Level Literature in English (syllabus 2010). Structured question, 25 marks.
Source
O-Level Literature in English, May/June 2013 Paper 1 Variant 1, question 13.

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