Set texts for examination in 2026 – Paper 1 - Section A: Poetry - Kayo Chingonyi — Cambridge International IGCSE English Literature
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Set texts for examination in 2026 – Paper 1 - Section A: Poetry - Kayo Chingonyi explained
This poem by Kayo Chingonyi is a set text for Paper 1 Section A (Poetry) in 2026, so learners must be ready to write an extended critical response to an unseen question on it.
Read the full explanation
Teach learners to read the poem closely and repeatedly, tracing how the speaker explores sound, voice and racial identity through the figure of James Brown's scream. Build analysis from the poem's own language: imagery of colour and noise, the speaker's shifting perspective, and the way form and line breaks shape the scream's energy. Learners should select short, precise evidence and explain how each technique creates meaning and effect, then connect details to the poem's wider concerns. Practise planning timed responses that answer the exact question asked rather than retelling the poem.
Your focus
- Analyse how Chingonyi uses imagery of colour and sound to create meaning and effect.
- Explain how form, rhythm and line breaks shape the reader's response to the poem.
- Construct a focused extended response that answers a specific question on the poem using precise evidence.
Set texts for examination in 2026 – Paper 1 - Section A: Poetry - Kayo Chingonyi exam tips
Marking Points
- Explains how the poem's imagery of colour and sound conveys the speaker's response to James Brown's scream.
- Analyses how the poet's use of form, line breaks and rhythm shapes the reader's sense of the scream's energy.
- Discusses how the speaker's voice and perspective develop the poem's exploration of identity.
- Supports points with short, precisely chosen quotations and comments on their effect.
- Connects detailed observations to the poem's wider concerns rather than listing techniques.
- Sustains a focused argument that answers the specific question set on the poem.
Examiner Tips
- 💡Read the question twice and underline the key focus before planning your response.
- 💡Plan for a few minutes, choosing three or four strong moments from the poem to analyse in depth.
- 💡Keep quotations short and always follow them with analysis of effect.
- 💡Leave time to check that every paragraph answers the question set.
Common Mistakes
- Retells the poem's content without analysing how language creates effect; select evidence and explain its impact.
- Offers feature-spotting lists of techniques with no link to meaning; tie every technique to the poem's concerns.
- Ignores the exact wording of the question and writes everything known about the poem; address the question directly.
- Uses long quotations with little comment; choose brief evidence and analyse it closely.