English Literature

Course summary

This course enables students to: build on the knowledge, understanding and skills established at GCSE; develop an interest and enjoyment in literature by reading widely; gain an understanding of the traditions of English Literature; make informed opinions and judgements on literary texts; gain an understanding of cultural, historical and other influences on texts. Students study The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, the Shakespearean play Antony and Cleopatra, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, as well as a selection of 21st century poems from a range of poets published in Poems of the Decade: An Anthology of the Forward Books of Poetry, 2002–2011, and a body of works by The Movement poet Philip Larkin, entitled The Less Deceived. There is also a coursework element. Students study The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, completing a 2,500-3,000 word extended essay on a topic and question set by the student themselves.