At first, comparing two texts of different genres might seem difficult. If comparing two poems is like comparing two varieties of apple — a Golden Delicious and a Pink Lady, say — isn’t comparing poetry and a novel a bit like comparing two distinct varieties of food — like comparing apples with a chicken tikka masala? When done badly, the result might be as fanciful as that analogy, but, as this article argues, when done thoughtfully comparing across genres can be meaningful, productive and sophisticated. What’s more, by inviting cross-genre comparisons, examiners are offering you plenty of opportunities to make perceptive comments. If you ignore this invitation, you are likely to comment only on the more superficial levels of topic and content, but if you accept it you are likely to get to the very heart and soul of the task.
Questions that invite cross-genre comparisons are often relatively open and draw on a wider area of study, such as an aspect of ‘Love through the ages’ or an element of ‘Crime writing’. Rather than simply list and work through examples from each text, a well-prepared student selects those that offer meaningful comparisons across the two texts. In addition, such a student will outline an argument in his or her introduction. This might take the form of a thesis (a theory to be tested), or it might signpost the main areas that the essay will explore. All this would be difficult to achieve if you were to begin writing straight away, so spend around 15 minutes per exam hour thinking and planning.
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