Reaction to Leaving Certificate 2026 English Paper 2 (H) by Liam Dingle, English teacher at The 91制片厂.
- The paper challenged candidates to navigate the specifics of the question while also offering them a movable feast of material.听
- A paper that required students to keep an eye on the moving parts of the question听in order to听stay purposeful.听
On receiving their papers most candidates will have quickly听flipped to the back to see whether their preferred poets appeared. The names 鈥淏ishop鈥� and 鈥淢eehan鈥� have been on everyone鈥檚 lips in the run up to this afternoon and so students will听likely have听started the exam on a little moment of triumph before venturing further.听
Turning back to the beginning, candidates were met by a choice of Macbeth questions that were听more fair听than foul. Many students will have opted for the second question on order and disorder which placed them on steady ground. Those who knew their nature imagery or kingship will have found plenty of scope to integrate that work into their answers. The first question on dramatic techniques had a little twist as it specifies the effect on the audience, 鈥渟ympathy for the central character听Macbeth鈥�.听Students who remembered their听soliloquies听will have been able to adjust but the听specificity听of the question will be what听differentiates听candidates鈥� results.听听
Moving into the Comparative, the appearance of all three modes will have let candidates select the听option听that best suits them. While many of the questions had quite specific requirements, candidates who kept a constant eye on the verb 鈥渃ompare鈥� will have been able to integrate their most different texts effectively. For Cultural Context students could focus on either social mobility or patriarchal power structures, with many听likely finding听the latter more accessible. The General Vision and Viewpoint section reflected a very human perspective for both authors and readers: the oft contrasting forces of rationality and emotion. Students were given the space to dive into the characters in听really interesting听ways, so those you really reflected on the ideas present will have enough for substantive answers. The Literary Genre questions were reminiscent of the previous years, only with the spin of focusing on beginnings rather than conclusions. Exactly where the beginning ends will be open to the candidate to argue and they will still be able to draw upon later events to make their arguments robust. If candidates took the time to note out the elements of the questions and contextualise them within their own revision, this was a movable feast of topics,听ideas听and moments.听
The poetry section starts with unseen poetry. While Alvy Carragher鈥檚 鈥淟ibrary鈥� might be unfamiliar to candidates, the questions鈥� approaches were not. Of the eight prescribed poets, five appear on the paper. Few will have had their fingers crossed for Smith or Eliot after their appearance last year, but those who preferred Heaney might be disappointed. Yet the other three Irish poets did appear, so students will have been gladdened by the familiar names of Meehan,听Yeats听and N铆听Chuillean谩in. These were joined by Bishop and Donne to provide a spread that will have offered something for everyone. The questions were laid out in the consistent manner of concerns and styles that students will be听familiar听with and there were no peculiar twists that will send them scrambling to reassess their understanding. If you studied听Yeats听you听will听have the personal and political material ready to go. If you knew听Bishop听you will already know what her 鈥減recise鈥� style is and how it builds to a 鈥渙ften troubling鈥� mood. All questions were invitations to discuss statements and so passionate candidates to calibrate their responses to really show off their appreciation with a flourish.听