SECTION A: POETRY GILLIAN CLARKE: from Collected Poems Remember to support your ideas with details from the writing. Read this poem, and then answer the question that follows it: My Box My box is made of golden oak, my lover's gift to me. He fitted hinges and a lock of brass and a bright key. He made it out of winter nights, sanded and oiled and planed, engraved inside the heavy lid in brass, a golden tree. In my box are twelve black books where I have written down how we have sanded, oiled and planed, planted a garden, built a wall, seen jays and goldcrests, rare red kites, found the wild heartsease, drilled a well, harvested apples and words and days and planted a golden tree. On an open shelf I keep my box. Its key is in the lock. I leave it there for you to read, or them, when we are dead, how everything is slowly made, how slowly things made me, a tree, a lover, words, a box, books and a golden tree. How does Clarke movingly convey the relationship between the lovers in this poem?

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (Oct/Nov 2019). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. All questions are marked out of 25.
2. AO1 show detailed knowledge of the content of literary texts, supported by reference to the text
3. AO2 understand the meanings of literary texts and their context, and explore texts beyond surface meaning to show deeper awareness of ideas and attitudes
4. AO3 recognise and appreciate ways in which writers use language, structure, and form to create and shape meanings and effects
5. AO4 communicate a sensitive and informed personal response.
6. Band 8 [23-25] demonstrates knowledge by incorporating well-selected reference to the text skilfully and with flair (AO1)
7. Band 8 [23-25] sustains a critical understanding of the text showing individuality and insight (AO2)
8. Band 8 [23-25] responds sensitively and in considerable detail to the way the writer achieves her / his effects (AO3)
9. Band 8 [23-25] sustains personal and evaluative engagement with task and text (AO4)