English Literature

Course summary

In the first year (first year A Level) there will be a scheme studying modern poetry, another scheme studying modern drama (A Streetcar Named Desire) and another scheme comparing a theme in two novels (Tess of the D’Urbervilles) and (A Thousand Splendid Suns). In the first year there will be a scheme studying modern poetry, another scheme studying modern drama (A Streetcar Named Desire) and another scheme comparing a theme in two novels (Tess of the D’Urbervilles) and (A Thousand Splendid Suns). Students also study a collection of poems from the last decade taken from the The Forward Book of Poetry, alongside a collection of poems from The Romantics movement. The second year will revise and develop the first year and complete a scheme on a Shakespeare tragedy (Othello). Students will also complete a piece of written coursework comparing two texts—the choice of which depends on their class teacher but can range from Baldwin and Fitzgerald, to Carter and Duffy. English Literature can be studied as a single subject in higher education or combined with a wide variety of other subjects – it is a good basis for study in combination with history, media studies, philosophy, law, politics, or languages. Students with A Level English Literature have a wide range of possible higher education or career opportunities – you will learn and use a wide variety of transferable skills during the course.