English Literature

Course summary

The lifeblood of this course is reading and discussion, building a critical interpretation of a text in the light of interpretations of others, considering the context in which it was written. What is tragedy? How do you define poetry? Is a writer’s life important when studying their writing? These and many other questions will be part of your study in the first year of the course. You will follow three main strands: - How writers tell stories, particularly in novels - How writers craft poems, through a study of modern poetry - How playwrights use dramatic forms and genres, explored via a Shakespeare play and a modern drama text. You will learn about the contexts of your texts and we will encourage you to develop your own opinions about how and why writers write. In the second year, you will develop your understanding of genre and narrative further, honing the skill of comparing texts through an extended coursework essay and learning how to apply critical theory to literary texts. You will also study some classic poetry, such as Chaucer or the Romantic Poets. We are great believers in learning beyond the classroom, whether this is in form of watching live theatre, coming to a workshop with a leading writer or attending a poetry conference with five modern poets. We support your work on the texts with a range of our own study guides and online resources, including our own set of video tutorials, and a well-stocked English Literature section in the college library.