English Literature

Course summary

Why study English Literature at William Farr? Studying English Literature is one of the most rewarding choices you can make at sixth form. It develops far more than your ability to read books; it strengthens the way you think, argue, communicate and understand the world. Through a rich range of texts from Shakespeare to modern novels, poetry and plays – you learn to analyse language with precision, explore complex themes and ideas, and form confident, independent interpretations. What will you study? AQA’s specification is designed to help you become a sharper critical thinker. You’ll engage deeply with themes such as power, identity, conflict and society, discovering how writers shape meaning and how literature reflects and explores human experiences. The course encourages discussion, debate and creativity, giving you the opportunities to develop your own thoughts and ideas about the texts studied. Key areas of focus explore the presentation of love and relationships through texts from across several centuries focusing on Elizabethan ideas but also 19th century and modern contexts. In Year 13, study moves onto texts since 1945 exploring the impact of the twentieth and twenty-first century on modern writers. The non-examined assessment also allows you to choose and compare texts that genuinely interest you, exploring your own area of focus, be it science-fiction, crime, thrillers, fantasy, classical plays or post-modern feminist poetry. This allows you to make your work both personal and academically rigorous.