Songs of Ourselves Volume 1: Study Guides, Analysis and Teaching Resources

Songs of Ourselves Volume 1 is a core poetry anthology studied in CIE IGCSE English Literature (0475) and Cambridge International AS & A Level English Literature (9695). Bringing together a diverse selection of poets, the anthology explores themes such as identity, conflict, power, nature, memory, and human experience, offering students a broad and challenging introduction to poetry.

At IGCSE level, students focus on analysing how writers use language, structure, and form to create meaning and effects. At AS & A Level, this develops into more conceptual and comparative analysis, requiring students to explore multiple interpretations, connect poems across the anthology, and construct more developed critical arguments.

This page brings together analysis, study guides, and teaching resources for each poem in the collection, supporting both classroom teaching and independent revision. For more literature resources and text guides, explore the Literature Library.

IGCSE English Literature (0475)

The following poems from Songs of Ourselves Volume 1 are set for CIE IGCSE English Literature (0475) and are covered in the 2026 and 2027 examinations. This is the prescribed selection for Paper 1 (Section A: Poetry), where candidates answer on one poem from the anthology.

These poems are studied with a focus on how writers use language, structure, and form to shape meaning and create effects. Students are also expected to explore key ideas and develop clear, supported interpretations in response to the question.

Each poem below links to a detailed analysis, including summary, themes, key quotes, and exam-focused insights, designed to support both classroom teaching and independent revision:

The Chimney Sweeper - William Blake
A powerful critique of child labour, innocence, and religious hypocrisy, exposing the suffering hidden beneath comforting beliefs about duty and salvation.

Where I Come From – Elizabeth Brewster
A reflective exploration of identity, memory, and place, showing how environments shape the self and continue to influence thought, feeling, and perspective over time.

The Cockroach - Kevin Halligan
A seemingly simple encounter becomes a reflection on control, uncertainty, and the human tendency to impose meaning, as the speaker watches the insect’s unpredictable movement.

Follower - Seamus Heaney
A personal exploration of family, admiration, and role reversal, tracing the shift from childhood pride to adult responsibility.

Carpet-Weavers, Morocco – Carol Rumens
A reflective exploration of child labour, beauty, and cultural tradition, revealing how intricate craftsmanship and spiritual value are shaped by repetition, control, and hidden inequality.

Sonnet 18 - William Shakespeare
A well-known meditation on beauty, time, and immortality, suggesting that poetry has the power to preserve what would otherwise fade.

Hunting Snake – Judith Wright
A vivid exploration of nature, instinct, and human perception, capturing a fleeting encounter that shifts from fear to awe, revealing the fragile boundary between control and the untamed power of the natural world.

Close-up of a cockroach walking on a sandy surface against a concrete wall, with handwritten text reading 'The Cockroach' at the bottom.
A person driving a horse-drawn plow in a field under an overcast sky, with the caption 'Follower' at the bottom.
Cover of a book titled 'The Chimney-Sweeper' with a photograph of a person with a chimney brush, standing on rooftops against a cloudy sky.
Close-up of a polaroid photo with a person in a dark dress standing among flowering bushes during sunset, with handwritten text at the bottom reading 'Sonnet 18: shall I compare...'.
Photo of people sitting on Persian rugs on the rooftops of buildings in Morocco, with a cityscape and the minaret of a mosque in the background.
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Blog Posts and Lit Tiles (35).png

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