Welsh Poetry: Metre, Cynghanedd and Meaning

Reading a Welsh poem closely

Unit 3 asks you to respond to Welsh poems: what they say, how they say it, and what you think of them. Welsh poetry has a special richness, because it can be written in strict metre using cynghanedd, an old system of repeated sound within a line, as well as in free metre and in free verse. To do well you analyse a poem rather than just summarise it: you name the poetic methods, link them to the meaning and mood, quote briefly to prove your point, and compare one poem with another. This module teaches those transferable skills, so you can apply them to whatever poems your centre studies.

Words for Welsh poetry

Learn these before you study any poem. They name the forms and methods you will point to again and again.

Match the poetic method to its effect

Strict metre against free metre

Welsh poems come in different forms, and naming the form is part of a strong answer. Two of the main kinds sit side by side here.

Name the technique

A Welsh poet fills a line with repeated consonant sounds and a careful pattern of stress, so the line rings and sticks in the memory. What is this system called?

• Cynghanedd
• Free verse
• A simile
• A theme

Method, meaning, quotation

A strong response never just retells the poem. It makes a point about a method the poet uses, supports it with a short quotation, and explains the effect on the reader. Name the method, such as cynghanedd or a metaphor, quote a few words, and say what it makes the reader feel or understand. Point, quotation, effect: that chain turns a summary into analysis, and it is what the mark scheme rewards.

Pick the poetic methods

Select every item below that is a method a poet uses to create meaning.

• Cynghanedd
• A metaphor
• Repetition
• The price of the book
• The number of pages

Order writing a poetry response

Put the steps of writing one paragraph about a poem in order.

• Make a point about a method the poet uses
• Choose a short quotation as evidence
• Name the poetic method in the quotation
• Explain the effect on the reader
• Link it to the theme of the poem
• Compare it briefly with another poem

Complete the poetry facts

The Welsh system of repeated sound within a line is _____. Poetry that follows fixed rules of sound and syllable is in _____. The pictures a poem creates in the mind are its _____. An idea a poem explores, such as loss, is a _____.

One line, many methods

Imagine a single line of Welsh poetry about the sea. A weak answer would say it is about the sea and stop. A strong reader finds the methods. If the line rings with repeated consonants and a patterned stress, that is cynghanedd, and it makes the sea feel restless and alive. If the waves are called grey soldiers, that is a metaphor, giving them threat and order. If a word for cold is repeated, that repetition drives home the chill. Each method is named, quoted briefly, and tied to how it makes the reader feel. That is analysis, and it works on any poem.

Spot the analysis

Tap the TWO sentences that ANALYSE a poem, rather than just retell it.

• The repeated harsh consonants of the cynghanedd make the storm feel violent
• Calling the hills sleeping giants makes them feel ancient and still
• The poem is about a walk in the mountains
• There are four verses in the poem

Answer the poetry question

You are answering a question on Welsh poetry. Make the best choice at each step.

• The question asks how the poet creates a mood. Where do you start?
• You have made a point about the cynghanedd. What comes next?
• You must compare two poems on the same theme. What is the best move?

Build a poetry point

Choose the word for each gap to complete one strong analysis point.

Quick-fire poetry check

Answer each question. You have three lives, and losing them all restarts the run.

Explain how to study a Welsh poem

A friend has to study Welsh poetry for the first time and does not know where to begin. Explain how to analyse a poem and write about it well.

• Explain what poetic methods to look for, including cynghanedd
• Explain the difference between strict metre and free metre
• Explain how to use a short quotation as evidence
• Explain the point, evidence and effect structure
• Explain why analysing beats retelling the poem