‘Snowflake’ pupils are demanding the Government stop making them learn poems off by heart for GCSE exams – as it is too hard.

Teenagers are required to remember poems by writers such as Lord Byron following a drive to improve standards.

But youngsters say learning the verses is causing too much of a ‘struggle’ and is responsible for some students failing.

The new closed-book exams were introduced last summer by former education secretary Michael Gove

The verses they see as a 'struggle' THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE By Alfred, Lord Tennyson Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them Cannon in front of them Volleyed and thundered FOLLOWER By Seamus Heaney I was a nuisance, tripping, falling, Yapping always. But today It is my father who keeps stumbling Behind me, and will not go away. Advertisement

A petition calling for pupils to be allowed to take texts into English Literature exams has garnered almost 160,000 signatures. It means MPs may have to debate the issue in Parliament.

The new closed-book exams were first sat by pupils last summer after reforms pioneered by former education secretary Michael Gove.

Pupils are required to study and ‘recollect’ no fewer than 15 poems by at least five poets, and a minimum of 300 lines of poetry.

Before the change, pupils were provided copies of the poems they had studied when they sat their exams.

The petition states: ‘How can they expect us to remember quotes from 15 poems, plus how to analyse them, plus remembering the whole plot, themes, characters and quotes from another book?’

Irish poet Seamus Heaney is among the poets 'snowflake' pupils say it is too hard to memorise

The petition has been shared widely on Facebook by both pupils and parents, with mother-of-two Claire Tilley posting: ‘I’m just stunned at what they are supposed to remember.’

But Andy Bradshaw commented: ‘Fancy nasty old examiners expecting you to learn things and remember them like we had to do when we took English Lit. Snowflake generation!’

A spokesman for the Department for Education said: ‘Pupils are not required to memorise passages of texts and will not receive good marks simply by writing out chunks of the poems or books they have studied.’