Pearson Edexcel · A-Level · English Literature
Course version: 9ET0 · Version from Sept 2015
Poetry – Section A: Post-2000 Poetry – Poems of the Decade: An Anthology…
Full specification wording
Component 3: Poetry – Section A: Post-2000 Poetry – Poems of the Decade: An Anthology of the Forward Books of Poetry 2002–2011: An Easy Passage Julia Copus
Copus's 'An Easy Passage' captures a fleeting moment of transition as a young girl sneaks back into her house through a window.
Checked against the Pearson Edexcel 9ET0 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 5 of 20
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
Copus's 'An Easy Passage' captures a fleeting moment of transition as a young girl sneaks back into her house through a window. The poem serves as an extended metaphor for the liminal space between childhood and adulthood. Written in a single, continuous stanza with heavy enjambment, the structure mimics the fluid, unstoppable momentum of growing up and the physical balancing act of the girl on the roof.
What earns the marks
- Analyse the use of a single, unbroken stanza to represent the continuous, fluid transition from childhood to adulthood.
- Evaluate the contrast between the young girl's physical precariousness and the older secretary's grounded, yet restricted, life.
- Explore the motif of light and colour, such as gold and silver, to symbolise the fleeting, precious nature of youth.
- Discuss the significance of the title 'An Easy Passage' as an ironic or literal reflection on the rites of passage and female adolescence.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Treating the poem merely as a narrative about a girl breaking into a house.
Put it right: The physical act must be analysed as a metaphor for the transition into adulthood.
Ignoring the presence of the secretary.
Put it right: The secretary is crucial for providing a contrasting perspective of adulthood and lost youth.
Misinterpreting the tone as purely dangerous.
Put it right: While precarious, the tone also conveys a sense of awe, grace, and the natural progression of life.
Exam tips
- Link the theme of childhood transition to other poems in the anthology, such as 'To My Nine-Year-Old Self' or 'The Furthest Distances I've Travelled'.
- Analyse the cinematic quality of the poem, noting how the narrative perspective shifts from the girl to the secretary and back.
- Pay close attention to the use of enjambment and how it creates a sense of breathlessness and continuous motion.
Try the lesson
The start of the Component 3: Poetry – Section A: Post-2000 Poetry – Poems of the Decade: An Anthology of the Forward Books of Poetry 2002–2011: An Easy Passage Julia Copus lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
How does the physical structure of Julia Copus's poem 'An Easy Passage' primarily reflect its central theme of transition?
Listen
Copus's 'An Easy Passage' captures a fleeting moment of transition as a young girl sneaks back into her house through a window. The poem serves as an extended metaphor for the liminal space between childhood and adulthood. Written in a single, continuous stanza with heavy enjambment, the structure mimics the fluid, unstoppable momentum of growing up and the physical balancing act of the girl on the roof. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Analyse the use of a single, unbroken stanza to represent the continuous, fluid transition from childhood to adulthood. Evaluate the contrast between the young girl's physical precariousness and the older secretary's grounded, yet restricted, life. Explore the motif of light and colour, such as gold and silver, to symbolise the fleeting, precious nature of youth. Discuss the significance of the title 'An Easy Passage' as an ironic or literal reflection on the rites of passage and female adolescence. Exam tip: Link the theme of childhood transition to other poems in the anthology, such as 'To My Nine-Year-Old Self' or 'The Furthest Distances I've Travelled'.
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Transition and growing up
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Youth versus adulthood
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Identity and female experience
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
The passage of time
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
See every definition
- Transition and growing up
- The movement from childhood to adulthood, presented as a fleeting moment and an extended metaphor for the liminal space between the two.
- Youth versus adulthood
- The contrast between the vibrant, precarious energy of youth and the static, mundane reality of the older secretary observing the girl.
- Identity and female experience
- Themes of female development and freedom explored through the girl and the secretary, highlighting female adolescence and rites of passage.
- The passage of time
- The inevitable passage of time, mirrored by the single, continuous stanza and heavy enjambment that mimic the fluid, unstoppable momentum of growing up.
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