Question 11
Discuss the defects of a summer’s day as highlighted by the poet in Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day?
Observation
This was a popular question with the candidates. However, it seemed like candidates had a shallow understanding of the question. Most candidates simply dwelt on mere account of the poem with only slight references to the defects of a summer’s day.
Candidates were expected to discuss the following points:
- Statement of theme of a lover’s beauty as eternal and immortal.
- Summer’s inherent qualities.
- Defects of summer in comparison.
- Juxtaposition of a summer’s day and the lover’s beauty.
- Consequences of a summer’s day’s defects.
Candidates’ performance was poor.