English Literature

Course summary

Studying English Literature is all about developing an interest in and enjoyment of literature. It gives opportunities for reading widely and for making creative and informed responses to poetry, prose and drama. As a result, students learn how to think critically and question what they read. In addition, analysis of themes, characters and perspectives in texts will require them to define their own moral and ethical viewpoints. This specification is based on a conviction that the study of Literature should encourage enjoyment of literary studies based on an informed personal response to a range of texts. It provides learners with an introduction to the discipline of advanced literary studies and presents opportunities for reading widely and for making creative and informed responses to each of the major literary genres of poetry, prose and drama. This specification offers three components in discrete genres of study: poetry, drama and prose to allow learners to focus on the conventions and traditions of each genre in turn. A further component offers unseen prose and poetry to allow learners to focus separately on applying the skills of literary analysis acquired during the course as a whole.