When it comes to poetry, there is quite a difference between the Honours and Ordinary level questions. The entire poem is published at Ordinary Level but not at Higher Level. 







                                           


                                            Higher Level

                            ***Eight poets must be studied***
               *** You must study at least six poems from each poet***

BISHOP, Elizabeth

The Fish 
The Bight 
At the Fishhouses 
The Prodigal 
Questions of Travel 
The Armadillo Sestina 
First Death in Nova Scotia 
Filling Station 
In the Waiting Room

DICKINSON, Emily

“Hope” is the thing with feathers 
There’s a certain Slant of light 
I felt a Funeral, in my Brain 
A Bird came down the Walk
I Heard a fly buzz – when I died 
The Soul has Bandaged moments 
I could bring You Jewels – had I a mind to 
A narrow Fellow in the Grass 
I taste a liquor never brewed 
After great pain, a formal feeling comes

HEANEY, Seamus

The Forge 
Bogland 
The Tollund Man 
Mossbawn: Two Poems in Dedication (1) Sunlight 
A Constable Calls 
The Skunk 
The Harvest Bow 
The Underground 
Postscript 
A Call 
Tate’s Avenue 
The Pitchfork 
Lightenings viii. (The annals say...)

KINSELLA, Thomas

Thinking of Mr D. 
Dick King 
Mirror in February 
Chrysalides
from Glenmacnass VI Littlebody
Tear 
Hen Woman 
His Father’s Hands from Settings Model School, Inchicore
from The Familiar VII
from Belief and Unbelief Echo

LARKIN, Philip

Wedding-Wind 
At Grass 
Church Going 
An Arundel Tomb 
The Whitsun Weddings 
MCMXIV
Ambulances 
The Trees 
The Explosion 
Cut Grass

MAHON, Derek

Grandfather 
Day Trip to Donegal 
Ecclesiastes 
After the Titanic 
As It Should Be 
A Disused Shed in Co. Wexford 
Rathlin 
The Chinese Restaurant in Portrush 
Kinsale 
Antarctica

PLATH, Sylvia

Black Rook in Rainy Weather 
The Times Are Tidy 
Morning Song 
Finisterre
Mirror 
Pheasant 
Elm 
Poppies in July 
The Arrival of the Bee Box 
Child

YEATS, William Butler


The Lake Isle of Innisfree 
September 1913 
The Wild Swans at Coole 
An Irish Airman Foresees his Death 
Easter 1916
The Second Coming 
Sailing to Byzantium 
from Meditations in Time of Civil War: 
VI, The Stare’s Nest by My Window 
In Memory of Eva Gore-Booth and Con Markiewicz 
Swift’s Epitaph 
An Acre of Grass from Under Ben Bulben: V and VI 
Politics
________________________________________________________

                                           Ordinary Level

                     ***The poems will be divided into two lists***                             
                        ***One list of poems must be studied***

BEER, Patricia                       The Voice

BISHOP, Elizabeth                 The Fish
                                           The Prodigal
                                           Filling Station

DICKINSON, Emily                I felt a Funeral, in my Brain
                                           I heard a fly buzz — when I died

DUFFY, Carol Ann                  Valentine

GALLAGHER, Tess                 The Hug

HARDIE, Kerry                      Daniel's Duck

HEANEY, Seamus                  A Constable Calls
                                           The Underground
                                           A Call

HERBERT, George                 The Collar

KENNELLY, Brendan              Night Drive

KINSELLA, Thomas               Thinking of Mr. D
                                          Mirror in February

LARKIN, Philip                      Ambulances
                                          The Explosion

LOCHHEAD, Liz                   Kidspoem/ Bairnesang
                                         
MAHON, Derek                    Grandfather
                                         After the Titanic
                                         Antarctica 

NEMEROV, Howard              Wolves in the Zoo

O’CALLAGHAN, Julie            The Net

PIERCY, Marge                    Will we work together?
 
PLATH, Sylvia                      Poppies in July
                                          Child
                                          The Arrival of the Bee Box

SHUTTLE, Penelope              Zoo Morning

SIRR, Peter                         Madly Singing in the City

THOMAS, Dylan                   Do not go gentle into that good night

WHEATLEY, David                Chronicle

WILLIAMS, William Carlos     This is just to say...

WYLEY, Enda                       Poems for Breakfast

YEATS, William Butler          The Wilde Swans at Coole
                                         An Irish Airman Forsees his death

_______________________________________________________


Marking Scheme

1. Honours Level -
    
    35% of Paper Two    ***Unseen poem = 10% Prescribed poetry = 25%***   
    17.5% overall          ***Unseen poem = 5% Prescribed poetry = 12.5%***      



2. Ordinary Level - 

    35% of Paper Two    ***Unseen poem = 10% Prescribed poetry = 25%***
    17.5% overall          ***Unseen poem = 5% Prescribed poetry = 12.5%***


 

For the comparative question, students must compare either two texts or a text and a film. During the course of the two years, we will study three texts (may include one film). The following are the options available to us. The original document can be found here. 


***Higher level MUST study one Shakespearean play***

ABRAHAMSON, Lenny (Dir.)            Garage (Film)
ADIGA, Aravind                             The White Tiger
AUSTEN, Jane                                Pride and Prejudice
BALLARD, J. G.                              Empire of the Sun
BINCHY , Maeve                             Circle of Friends
BRANAGH, Kenneth (Dir.)               Much Ado About Nothing (Film)
BRONTË, Emily                              Wuthering Heights
CUARÓN, Alfonso (Dir.)                   Children of Men (Film)
CURTIZ, Michael (Dir.)                    Casablanca (Film)
FRIEL, Brian                                  Translations
HAMILTON, Hugo                           The Sailor in the Wardrobe
HARRIS, Robert                             Pompeii
HEMINGWAY, Ernest                       The Old Man and the Sea
IBSEN, Henrik                                A Doll's House
ISHIGURO, Kazuo                           Never Let me Go
JOHNSTON, Jennifer                        How Many Miles To Babylon?
JONES, Lloyd                                  Mister Pip
KAY, Jackie                                     Red Dust Road
KEANE, John B.                               Sive
KEEGAN, Claire                               Foster
LEVY, Andrea                                  Small Island
LEONARD, Hugh                              Home Before Night
LESSING, Doris                               The Grass is Singing
McCARTHY, Cormac                         The Road
McGUINNESS, Frank                        Observe the Sons of Ulster  
                                                     Marching Towards the Somme
MILLER, Arthur                               All my Sons
NGOZI ADICHIE, Chimamanda         Purple Hibiscus
ORWELL, George                             Nineteen Eighty-Four
PICOULT, Jodi                                 My Sister's Keeper
ROSOFF, Meg                                  How I Live Now
SALVATORES, Gabriele (Dir.)            I'm Not Scared (Film)
SALINGER, J.D.                               The Catcher in the Rye
SANSOM, C.J.                                 Dissolution
SCOTT, Ridley (Dir.)                        Blade Runner (Film)
SHAKESPEARE, William                    Macbeth
                                                     Othello
TÓIBĺN, Colm                                  Brooklyn
TREVOR, William                             The Story of Lucy Gault
TWAIN, Mark                                   Huckleberry Finn
____________________________________________________

The texts must be studied under the following modes:

Higher Level -

(i)   The cultural context
(ii)  The general vision and viewpoint
(iii) Theme or issue 

Ordinary Level - 

(i)   Relationships
(ii)  Social setting
(iii) Theme
___________________________________________________


Marking Scheme

1. Honours Level - 

   35% of Paper Two
   17.5% overall 

2. Ordinary Level - 

    35% of Paper Two
    17.5% overall 

So it's our first day back at school and we're already talking about the layout of the Leaving Cert paper! "Seriously Miss?!", I can hear you all saying. In order for us to commit to either the honours or the ordinary level course, it is important that we familiarise ourselves with the syllabus. 

So here it is:


Stand alone text

H = Appropriate for honours
O = Appropriate for ordinary
H/O = Appropriate for both

AUSTEN, Jane                      Pride and Prejudice (H/O)              
BINCHY, Maeve                    Circle of Friends (O)
BALLARD, J.G.                     Empire of the Sun (H/O)
FRIEL, Brian                        Translations (H/O)
ISHIGURO, Kazuo                Never Let Me Go (H/O)
JOHNSTON, Jennifer             How Many Miles to Babylon? (O)
KEANE, John B.                    Sive (O)
LEONARD, Hugh                  Home Before Night (O)
SHAKESPEARE, William        Macbeth (H/O)


- Students must study ONE text from above. 

Marking Scheme


1. Honours Level - 


   30% of Paper Two 
   15% overall 

2. Ordinary Level - 

    30% of Paper Two
    15% overall