English Literature

Course summary

What attracts you to an A-level English course? Do you like reading and developing your ideas about texts, joining in discussions, and finding out more about people and ideas through literature? English Literature in the Sixth Form gives you a chance to appreciate literature rather than simply study ‘set books’. The study of English Literature will also provide you with lifelong critical reading skills. The texts you study will depend on your teachers’ selections, but during the course, you are likely to study some of the following: Shakespearean tragedy, such as ‘Hamlet’ or ‘King Lear’; novels by writers such as Shelley, Dickens, Hardy, Bronte, McEwan or Atwood; other drama, such as twentieth-century American tragedy; and the poetry of the Victorians, Romantics or Metaphysical poets. In this A-level course, students will study four units: • Drama (examined unit): including the study of one Shakespeare play, critical responses, and the study of one other set text play • Poetry (examined unit): including the study of a collection of modern poetry, unseen poetry analysis and the study of a set text poet or poetic movement • Prose (examined unit): including the study of two novels from different periods, linked by a common theme • Coursework: a comparative study of two texts chosen freely The A-level connections between English and Art, History of Art, Modern and Classical Languages, and Classical Civilisation are clear, but English Literature can also be successfully combined with Geography, Economics or Science. This is because it develops high-level analytical, critical thinking, and communication skills. English Literature at A-level is a valuable foundation for further study in a very wide range of subjects and is regarded highly by university admissions panels.