45 exam-style questions on Unseen Prose Poetry Analysis — topic SK.Unseen_prose_poetry_analysis of Skills in the IB English A: Literature syllabus — with answers and explanations. Samples below; the full set is free with an account.
Identify the term for a comparison that uses 'like' or 'as', e.g. 'her hands were cold as marble'.
Answer: Simile
A simile makes an explicit comparison using 'like' or 'as'; a metaphor states the comparison directly without such words.
Determine the metrical foot in the word 'balloon' (an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one).
Answer: Iamb
An iamb is an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed one (bal-LOON); a trochee is the reverse (stressed–unstressed).
Distinguish tone from mood in the analysis of an unseen extract. Which pairing is correct?
Answer: Tone is the writer's or speaker's attitude; mood is the atmosphere the reader feels
Tone is the attitude conveyed by the speaker or writer; mood (atmosphere) is the emotional effect created in the reader.
Identify the narrative point of view in: 'I never told them what I saw that night; the memory was mine alone.'
Answer: First-person
The pronoun 'I' and the restriction to the narrator's own memory signal a first-person point of view.
Determine the effect most directly created by a shift from long, flowing sentences to short, clipped ones in a prose extract.
Answer: An acceleration of pace, heightening tension or urgency
Short, abrupt sentences quicken the pace and typically intensify tension, urgency or shock, contrasting with the earlier flow.
Explain the purpose of the guiding question provided with an unseen text in Paper 1.
Answer: To offer a possible focus that helps the student begin an analysis of how the text creates meaning
The guiding question is a supportive prompt suggesting one productive focus; it helps students structure an analysis without dictating the whole response.
That was 6 of 45 Unseen Prose Poetry Analysis questions.
Practise all 45 free45 Unseen Prose Poetry Analysis questions — free with an account. Spaced repetition, streaks and full exam simulations included.
Practise them freeThis platform is independently developed and is not endorsed by, affiliated with, or sponsored by the International Baccalaureate Organization. “International Baccalaureate” and “IB” are registered trademarks of the IBO.