Section B · Anthology PoetryD.H. Lawrence · Pre-1900 / early 20th century (1918)
Piano
D.H. Lawrence · Edexcel IGCSE anthology poem · 30-mark comparison question · Poems provided in the exam.
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Mrs Rumsey · Edexcel IGCSE AnthologyAnalysis of Piano
Key analysis
⚡ Section B — 30-mark comparison: AO2 (analyse language, form, structure) + AO3 (compare two poems throughout — not one then the other). Both poems are given in the exam. Quote precisely and explain the effect of specific word choices.
Themes
Childhood nostalgia and involuntary memory
Grief and loss
The power of music to trigger memory
Masculinity and the shame of emotion
Betrayal by one's own past
Form & Structure
3 stanzas of 4 lines — control that is broken by the emotion in the final stanza
Rhyming couplets — regular, controlled, suggesting the speaker's attempt to maintain composure
Involuntary memory triggered by music — not chosen, it happens despite the speaker's resistance
The shift in tense: present → past → present at the last line, surrendering to the past
The word "weep" in the final line — the breakdown of masculine composure
Key quotes to memorise
"A woman is singing to me, taking me back down the vista of years" — involuntary pull into the past
"In spite of myself, the insidious mastery of song / Betrays me back" — memory as betrayal
"The glamour of childish days is upon me" — glamour in its archaic sense: spell or enchantment
"My manhood is cast down in the flood of remembrance" — grief overcoming masculine restraint
"I weep like a child for the past." — the final surrender
Exam questions — 2 questions · 17 marks
1 markInsidious mastery
What does "the insidious mastery of song / Betrays me back" suggest?
A The woman is deliberately trying to make the speaker cry
B Music works on the speaker without his conscious consent, dragging him into the past despite his resistance — "betrays" suggests he is ambushed by his own emotions
C The pianist is playing badly and the speaker is embarrassed
D The speaker is in control of his emotions throughout the poem
15 marksComparison paragraphSection B style
Write two comparative paragraphs exploring how Piano and Remember both deal with the relationship between love, memory and loss, but adopt different attitudes.
Hint: Compare throughout. Cover: what each speaker's relationship to memory and grief is + how form creates the emotional experience + the moment of surrender in each poem + key difference.