'Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts.' (With unseen passages to choose from, as seen on OCR English Literature A Level)

[As seen on the examples board, I'm giving instructions on how to write these types of questions rather than an example answer as the answer always depends on which new text is given in the exam. I hope this is not a problem - please let me know and I will do an example answer.] When answering a question with an 'unseen' passage, it's really important to read the passage or poem more than once. The first time you read the passage, read for general gist and overall meaning and jot down a few notes. Start thinking about narrative voice and structure: is it written in the first or third person? Is it an emotive setting, or a descriptive one? What emotions are evoked in these sentences?Then, it's useful to read the passage again but this time a little more closely. Use a coloured pen or highlighter and mark out any interesting parts of the text you notice. How is the passage structured overall? How are the sentences structured individually? Are there any patterns in the language you can see? Are there any specific rhetorical devices you recognise and could identify? Next, you can start to link these two together. How does the language, form and structure you've identified in the text create the overall tone and meaning that you first made note of? Write yourself a plan, splitting up your points into three parts. An adequate answer - perhaps if you're struggling to decipher the text thematically - could split these sections into form, structure and language. A really good answer will use three general thematic points, and use examples of the text's language, form and structure to back up their argument. It's important to always use examples from the text to demonstrate the point you are making. That way, if you have perhaps misinterpreted the text, you can show your marker clearly why you've read it in that way.Your introduction will outline the three sections of your essay, and give a general overview of the point you are arguing. Writing a strong, clear introduction is a great way to make things easy for your marker: they're given a clear road map of where you're going with your analysis. It also means that in the worst case scenario, if you do run out of time, you have at least shown that you have garnered enough material from the text to write a complete essay rather than not having enough to say. You should finish your essay with a brief conclusion summarising your points and perhaps pointing to any new, more developed aspects of the text you have noticed through the process of you writing the paper. As this is a timed exam scenario, your conclusion doesn't need to be extensive - just enough to round off your argument and briefly summarise.