English Literature

Course summary

As part of your studies in English Literature, you will have the opportunity to study a variety of plays, poems and novels from the 14th Century to the present day. You will participate in tutorial and whole class discussions about literature and examine the views and interpretations of others as well as forming a personal response to the set texts. The course is not as constrained as the English GCSE. In Year 1, the focus is ‘Love through the Ages’ where you will study a Shakespeare text, The Great Gatsby and a collection of ‘Poetry Across Time.’ There is also an unseen critical component. In Year 2, you will examine ‘Texts in Shared Contexts’ analysing literature from 1945 to the present day. You will study prose, drama and poetry texts. There is also a non-examined element (Independent Critical Study). This takes the form of a comparative study of two texts of your choice from any period or genre. This element is worth 20% of your total mark for the course.