Welcome to the whirligig world of AS Level Literature. We hope your stay here is challenging, confusing, demanding, stimulating and, ultimately, intellectually enlightening.
The first lesson began with the students being offered three poems:
1. The Old Fools by Philip Larkin
2.To His Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell.
3. Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare.
Poems by Dorothy Parker, Charles Bukowski and Ted Hughes were also offered to the class but Larkin,Marvell and Shakey Bill were the texts that were used to generate class discussion. Discussion centred upon the use of metaphor and how this use of metaphorical language is used by the author to shape meaning. This was a very gentle introduction to the intellectual rigour of GCE Literature.
Homework: Read all the texts that were handed to you in this session and I also expect you to read the Kurt Vonnegut short story 'Harrison Bergeron'. The focus of your reading should be how each author uses metaphor to shape meaning. For example how does Larkin represent life and death? How do Larkin, Marvell and Shakespeare represent time through their choice of metaphor? To what extent can Vonnegut's short story be considered a fable? Is it an allegory? Is it didactic?Is Vonnegut's story a surreal adult fairy tale?
Remember, use this method to help identify textual meaning:
What ideas are being expressed?
Why are the ideas being expressed?
What is the aim of the author?
Which words are the key words within the poem and why?
H
O
W are the ideas being shaped by the author through use of form, structure and language?
You have a lot of reading folks. Don't forget, you also need to begin your reading of Fitzgerald's 'The Great Gatsby'.
Click on link to access a reading of The Old Fools:
Click on link to access a reading of To His Coy Mistress:
Click on link to access a reading of Sonnet 18:
These poetry readings are not wonderful but I know some students enjoy listening to a reading rather than digesting a poem via their own silent reading of a text.
Click on link to access a previous BE CURIOUS entry that navigates students towards a fine documentary that concerns itself with the work and influence of the great Kurt Vonnegut:
Lots to do. See you next week.
MLR.
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