English Literature

Course summary

A Level English Literature is a fascinating blend of literature, history, and philosophy. If you’re interested in exploring how historical events, philosophical and moral questions are explored by writers, you’ll enjoy English Literature. This is a subject that rewards pupils with inquisitive minds and encourages independent thought. There are numerous opportunities to have a strong personal engagement with the texts and issues being studied which will suit pupils with a creative or interesting perspective on the world. Pupils study a variety of texts (poetry, drama, and prose) from a variety of time periods and explore the contextual factors that influence writers and their audiences for both examination and coursework. Pupils will learn to express complicated ideas in a way which demonstrates a balanced appreciation of a variety of viewpoints having considered critical appreciation and alternative interpretations ranging through Marxist, Feminist, and Freudian theories to name but a few. Pupils complete a study of a specific literary genre (the Gothic, Women in Literature, Dystopia, and American Literature have been popular study areas), coursework, worth 20%, focusses on more modern contemporary textual choices and the Drama and Poetry Pre-1900 component includes a Shakespeare text and less well-known plays and poetry collections.