This is a great port of call for this stage of your studies. Whether you are writing an essay or revising for the exams this website has a fairly wide coverage of literary texts. Remember to credit them in bibliographies.
http://www.gradesaver.com/
Showing posts with label Revision. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Revision. Show all posts
Wednesday, 31 March 2010
Sunday, 17 May 2009
How about revising with word clouds?
Click on the image to enlarge.What about a whole new way to revise your AOs 1-3? Why not produce a few word clouds on poetic terms or for particular poems? You could do the same for the theme of home and links between the poems.
http://www.wordle.net/
http://www.wordle.net/
Tuesday, 29 April 2008
A Revision Time-table that you can fill in and print off
If you need a revision time-table in which you can allocate the time and topics that you intend to revise. Try this:
http://www.routledge.com/textbooks/9780415454339/revisiontimetable.asp#navigation
http://www.routledge.com/textbooks/9780415454339/revisiontimetable.asp#navigation
Wednesday, 12 December 2007
AS Drama and Poetry Past Questions for Revision
AS ENGLISH PAST PAPERS
Unit 1 Drama and Poetry
The Edexcel Poety Anthology (Section One: Post – 1770)
June 2001
Either:
(a) ‘Poetry allows poets to give form to experiences and feelings which are difficult to put into words’.
Do you agree with this view? You should base your answer on a detailed examination of two of the following: “Remember”; “All the Things You Are Not Yet”; an appropriate poem of your choice. Your two poems must cover two groups.
Or:
(b) From your reading of poems in this anthology do you agree that ‘a poem charts a developing thought’?
You should base your answer on a close examination of two or three poems, covering at least two groups.
TENNESSE WILLIAMS: A Streetcar Named Desire
(a) Using the opening stage directions of SCENE THREE as your starting point, explore the variety of Williams’s dramatic uses of colour and symbolism in the play as a whole.
Or:
(b) Stanley says to Stella in SCENE EIGHT ‘I am the king round here, so don’t forget it!’
Explore the ways in which Williams presents dramatically the relationships between men and women in the play as a whole. In your answer you should make detailed reference to at least two sequences from the play.
Unit 1 Drama and Poetry
January 2002
TENNESSE WILLIAMS: A streetcar named Desire
Either:
(a) It has been said that Williams deliberately sets up a patterns of tensions and conflicts in the play which culminate in the ending.
Do you agree? In your answer you should include a detailed examination of SCENE ELEVEN.
Or:
(b) ‘Blanche is. . . given to illusion, alcohol, dim lights and muted colours in the effort to make the harsh world bearable.’ (Elmer Andrews, 1996)
In the light of this comment, explore the varied means by which Williams presents the character, motivations and significance of Blanche. I your answer you should refer in detail to at least two scenes from the play.
The Edexcel Poety Anthology (Section One: Post – 1770)
Either:
(a) Do you agree that ‘a poet’s choice of form for their subject –matter can be surprising?
You should base your answer on a detailed examination of two of the following: ‘London’; ‘O What is That Sound’; an appropriate poem of your choice. Your two poems must cover two groups.
Or:
(b) Consider the various poetic means by which poets in this anthology explore the passage of time in their word.
You should base your answer on a detailed examination of two or three poems, covering at least two groups.
Unit 1 Drama and Poetry
June 2003
TENNESSE WILLIAMS: A streetcar named Desire
Either:
(a) Remind yourself of SCENE FIVE, from ‘BLANCHE: Ah me, ah, me, ah, me . . .’ to the end of the scene (pages 172-174 in the prescribed edition.)
‘Blanche deludes herself throughout the play’. Using an examination of the end of the SCENE FIVE as a starting point, explore Williams’s presentation of Blanche.
Or:
‘Death is my best theme, don’t you think?’ (Tennessee Williams)
Explore the varied dramatic uses Williams makes of death and dying in the play. In your answer you should refer to at least two extracts form the play.
The Edexcel Poety Anthology (Section One: Post – 1770)
Either:
(a) A poet claimed that he wrote poems, ‘to preserve things’ that he had seen, thought and felt.
Explore the things that poets in this anthology have preserved and the ways in which they have preserved them in their poetry. You should draw your appropriate material from at least two of the following: ‘Kubla Khan’; ‘An Arundel Tomb’; an appropriate poem of your own choice.
Your choice of poems must cover at least two groups.
Or:
(b) ‘Poetry is the best words in the best order.’
Explore at least two poems from the anthology where the poets’ choice of words and word order have made a particular impression on you as a reader or listener.
You choice of poems must cover at least two groups.
Unit 1 Drama and Poetry
The Edexcel Poety Anthology (Section One: Post – 1770)
June 2001
Either:
(a) ‘Poetry allows poets to give form to experiences and feelings which are difficult to put into words’.
Do you agree with this view? You should base your answer on a detailed examination of two of the following: “Remember”; “All the Things You Are Not Yet”; an appropriate poem of your choice. Your two poems must cover two groups.
Or:
(b) From your reading of poems in this anthology do you agree that ‘a poem charts a developing thought’?
You should base your answer on a close examination of two or three poems, covering at least two groups.
TENNESSE WILLIAMS: A Streetcar Named Desire
(a) Using the opening stage directions of SCENE THREE as your starting point, explore the variety of Williams’s dramatic uses of colour and symbolism in the play as a whole.
Or:
(b) Stanley says to Stella in SCENE EIGHT ‘I am the king round here, so don’t forget it!’
Explore the ways in which Williams presents dramatically the relationships between men and women in the play as a whole. In your answer you should make detailed reference to at least two sequences from the play.
Unit 1 Drama and Poetry
January 2002
TENNESSE WILLIAMS: A streetcar named Desire
Either:
(a) It has been said that Williams deliberately sets up a patterns of tensions and conflicts in the play which culminate in the ending.
Do you agree? In your answer you should include a detailed examination of SCENE ELEVEN.
Or:
(b) ‘Blanche is. . . given to illusion, alcohol, dim lights and muted colours in the effort to make the harsh world bearable.’ (Elmer Andrews, 1996)
In the light of this comment, explore the varied means by which Williams presents the character, motivations and significance of Blanche. I your answer you should refer in detail to at least two scenes from the play.
The Edexcel Poety Anthology (Section One: Post – 1770)
Either:
(a) Do you agree that ‘a poet’s choice of form for their subject –matter can be surprising?
You should base your answer on a detailed examination of two of the following: ‘London’; ‘O What is That Sound’; an appropriate poem of your choice. Your two poems must cover two groups.
Or:
(b) Consider the various poetic means by which poets in this anthology explore the passage of time in their word.
You should base your answer on a detailed examination of two or three poems, covering at least two groups.
Unit 1 Drama and Poetry
June 2003
TENNESSE WILLIAMS: A streetcar named Desire
Either:
(a) Remind yourself of SCENE FIVE, from ‘BLANCHE: Ah me, ah, me, ah, me . . .’ to the end of the scene (pages 172-174 in the prescribed edition.)
‘Blanche deludes herself throughout the play’. Using an examination of the end of the SCENE FIVE as a starting point, explore Williams’s presentation of Blanche.
Or:
‘Death is my best theme, don’t you think?’ (Tennessee Williams)
Explore the varied dramatic uses Williams makes of death and dying in the play. In your answer you should refer to at least two extracts form the play.
The Edexcel Poety Anthology (Section One: Post – 1770)
Either:
(a) A poet claimed that he wrote poems, ‘to preserve things’ that he had seen, thought and felt.
Explore the things that poets in this anthology have preserved and the ways in which they have preserved them in their poetry. You should draw your appropriate material from at least two of the following: ‘Kubla Khan’; ‘An Arundel Tomb’; an appropriate poem of your own choice.
Your choice of poems must cover at least two groups.
Or:
(b) ‘Poetry is the best words in the best order.’
Explore at least two poems from the anthology where the poets’ choice of words and word order have made a particular impression on you as a reader or listener.
You choice of poems must cover at least two groups.
Wednesday, 5 December 2007
Revision study questions and essay topics for Jane Austen's "Emma"
Revision Study Questions and Essay Topics for Jane Austen’s Emma
Edexcel’s Assessment Objectives for this novel are broken down by marks awarded as follows:
10% 5i
Edexcel’s Assessment Objectives for this novel are broken down by marks awarded as follows:
10% 5i
You need to show understanding of the contexts in which literary texts are written and understood. (The literary context, position of women, pertinent themes, historical events, the importance of marriage, status, duty, folly, the big houses, theme of self knowledge, renewal of important families for political stability, etc.)
5% 1
5% 1
Write in a manner that show knowledge, understanding and insight appropriate for literary study, using appropriate literary terms and accurate written expression.
5% 2i
5% 2i
Show that you can respond with knowledge and understanding to literary texts of different types and periods. ( Show that you can write about “Emma”.)
5% 3
5% 3
Show detailed understanding of Austen’s use of form, structure and language and how this can shape meanings. (That is narrative stance, development of characterisation, contrasts between chapters, plot construction and the arrangement of events within the novel for emotional or artistic effects, the narrator’s use of irony, how chapters help develop chapters or themes, the use of “penetration”, climax or turning point, openings and endings, narration verses enactment, tone, etc.)
5% 4
5% 4
Be prepared to give independent opinions and judgements, informed (influenced) by interpretations of the novel by other readings/readers of the novel. See my cards!)
Study Questions
1. Emma experiences several major revelations in the novel that fundamentally change her understanding of herself and those around her. Which revelation do you think is most important to Emma’s development, and why?
Remember that you would need brief, killer quotations to support your points so you can then make sustained comments on your evidence where appropriate.
Answer for Study Question #1
One way to answer this question would be to recognize that Emma undergoes her most decisive transformation when Mr. Elton proposes to her. At this point, she realises that she has been completely misguided in her interpretation of Elton’s behaviour, and she also realises that she herself is implicated in the courtship games that she believed she was manipulating from the sidelines. Another possible answer would focus on Emma’s revelation when Mr. Knightley reprimands her after she has insulted Miss Bates. At this moment, Emma understands that her vain pleasure in Frank’s flirtations and her sense of superiority to others in the community have been wrong. She also realises how much Knightley’s opinion means to her. One might also argue that Emma’s decisive transformation takes place when she realises that she loves Knightley, or when she agrees to marry him. A successful answer would consider the intensity of Austen’s language together with plot developments. For example, the episode in which Knightley reprimands Emma for insulting Miss Bates seems relatively unimportant in terms of the plot, but this scene includes some of the most emotional and dramatic language in the book.
2. In what ways, if at all, might Emma be considered a feminist novel?
Answer for Study Question #2
Emma may be considered a feminist novel because it focuses upon the struggles and development of a strong, intelligent woman. Though Emma’s activities—visits, parties, courtship, and marriage—are limited to the traditional sphere, the novel implicitly -critiques these limitations, and implies that Emma deserves a wider stage on which to exercise her powers. Furthermore, the novel -criticises the fact that women must be financially dependent by sympathetically depicting the vulnerability of Jane and Miss Bates.
Alternatively, the novel could be considered antifeminist because it seems to suggest that Emma reaches the pinnacle of her development when she accepts the corrections of a man, Mr. Knightley. Not only does Emma give up her former vow of celibate independence, but she marries an older man who is a father figure.
3. Frank Churchill and Mr. Knightley represent two different sets of values and two different understandings of manhood. Describe the values that each character represents, and explain how the novel judges these values.
Answer for Study Question #3
Frank Churchill is seen by many of the characters as an ideal man because of his good looks, warmth, and charm. He focuses most of his attention on determining what will please each person, and he makes his compliments with wit and style. However, the novel demonstrates that Frank is also flighty, unstable, and able to put his own wishes above social and moral propriety. Mr. Knightley, conversely, is Frank’s opposite in many ways. Though also polite and affectionate with those he cares for, Knightley is dignified and reserved. When he expresses an opinion, it is always the correct one and is stated with simplicity and firmness. The novel clearly values Knightley’s qualities above Frank’s. But the fact that Frank is forgiven at the end and rewarded with the love of a superior woman suggests that the book cannot entirely renounce its infatuation with Frank’s charms.
Suggested Essay Topics
1. To what extent does the narrator express approval of Emma, and to what extent does the narrator criticise her? Choose a passage from the novel and analyse the sympathy and/or ironic judgment the narrator expresses in relation to the protagonist.
One way to answer this question would be to recognize that Emma undergoes her most decisive transformation when Mr. Elton proposes to her. At this point, she realises that she has been completely misguided in her interpretation of Elton’s behaviour, and she also realises that she herself is implicated in the courtship games that she believed she was manipulating from the sidelines. Another possible answer would focus on Emma’s revelation when Mr. Knightley reprimands her after she has insulted Miss Bates. At this moment, Emma understands that her vain pleasure in Frank’s flirtations and her sense of superiority to others in the community have been wrong. She also realises how much Knightley’s opinion means to her. One might also argue that Emma’s decisive transformation takes place when she realises that she loves Knightley, or when she agrees to marry him. A successful answer would consider the intensity of Austen’s language together with plot developments. For example, the episode in which Knightley reprimands Emma for insulting Miss Bates seems relatively unimportant in terms of the plot, but this scene includes some of the most emotional and dramatic language in the book.
2. In what ways, if at all, might Emma be considered a feminist novel?
Answer for Study Question #2
Emma may be considered a feminist novel because it focuses upon the struggles and development of a strong, intelligent woman. Though Emma’s activities—visits, parties, courtship, and marriage—are limited to the traditional sphere, the novel implicitly -critiques these limitations, and implies that Emma deserves a wider stage on which to exercise her powers. Furthermore, the novel -criticises the fact that women must be financially dependent by sympathetically depicting the vulnerability of Jane and Miss Bates.
Alternatively, the novel could be considered antifeminist because it seems to suggest that Emma reaches the pinnacle of her development when she accepts the corrections of a man, Mr. Knightley. Not only does Emma give up her former vow of celibate independence, but she marries an older man who is a father figure.
3. Frank Churchill and Mr. Knightley represent two different sets of values and two different understandings of manhood. Describe the values that each character represents, and explain how the novel judges these values.
Answer for Study Question #3
Frank Churchill is seen by many of the characters as an ideal man because of his good looks, warmth, and charm. He focuses most of his attention on determining what will please each person, and he makes his compliments with wit and style. However, the novel demonstrates that Frank is also flighty, unstable, and able to put his own wishes above social and moral propriety. Mr. Knightley, conversely, is Frank’s opposite in many ways. Though also polite and affectionate with those he cares for, Knightley is dignified and reserved. When he expresses an opinion, it is always the correct one and is stated with simplicity and firmness. The novel clearly values Knightley’s qualities above Frank’s. But the fact that Frank is forgiven at the end and rewarded with the love of a superior woman suggests that the book cannot entirely renounce its infatuation with Frank’s charms.
Suggested Essay Topics
1. To what extent does the narrator express approval of Emma, and to what extent does the narrator criticise her? Choose a passage from the novel and analyse the sympathy and/or ironic judgment the narrator expresses in relation to the protagonist.
2. Emma is filled with dialogue in which characters misunderstand each other. Choose a scene from the novel and describe the mixture of knowledge and ignorance that each character possesses, and how their situations influence the way they interpret each other’s statements. To what extent are we positioned to correct the misunderstanding, and to what extent do we share the misunderstanding until we have more information?
3. How does humour work in the novel? Select a speech made by Mr. Woodhouse, Miss Bates, or Mrs. Elton and describe the techniques Austen uses to make these characters look foolish. What contradictions, hypocrisies, or absurdities are put in their mouths? To what extent do we judge these characters negatively when we see that they are laughable?
4. Emma both questions and upholds traditional class distinctions. What message do you think the novel ultimately conveys about class?
5. Emma is clever but continually mistaken, kind-hearted but capable of callous behaviour. Austen commented that Emma is a heroine “no one but myself will much like.” Do you find Emma likable? Why or why not?
For more active exam practice
Try a timed answer or two using questions from past papers. You should also practice by unpacking questions' key words and phrases to get at their underlying assessment objectives and make brief essay plans.
(Take 10 minutes or so to compose a plan either as a spidergram or in bullet points. Either will help you impose a structure on your essay.)
Why not compose a question or two using the assessment criteria? If you revise with a friend you can set each other a question. This would be a very useful exercise and make you think about the text in an active manner. With luck you might even forecast the question that you will get in the Exam! There are only so many types of questions they can ask you.
Good luck – but I am sure that you can make your own!
Dog!
Good luck – but I am sure that you can make your own!
Dog!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)