Below is a poem that you can use to practice unseen poetry for English Paper 2. A few hints: look out for the structure (the rhyming scheme and the volta) and a good example of alliteration. Aine is one of the contributors to our LC English guides. More by Aine here

It became a sort of tombstone

Where I’d often sit and mourn,

Reminiscing on the freedom,

That from me had been torn.

The birds continued their song

And the sun did everyday rise

But here, within these four walls

Was a place I did despise.

No pages, puzzle or paintbrush

Could free me from my head,

And glimpsing toward the future

I felt a sense of impending dread.

It allowed the light to pour in,

to shine upon this tiny room

It let me see the seasons change,

As summers footsteps signalled doom.

When open it brought a breeze,

That lay a coolness on my skin,

When closed it caused a burning,

and felt like flames flickering within.

And suddenly they said we could leave,

we could venture beyond the glass,

My face could finally feel the sunshine,

And my feet could touch the grass.

I looked one last time beyond the window

before it would return to its normal state-

I released myself from this prison,

Running, before it was too late.

I looked back at it’s shining reflection,

And stared deep into its glassy eyes,

It was then that I seen thousands more,

And hundreds of prisoners playing spies.

I remembered then that it wasn’t just me,

I wasn’t the only victim of this plight,

I realised then that the window wasn’t my enemy –

It was my shield throughout this fight.

Photo by Nicolas Solerieu on Unsplash