Books, books and more books

I have copies of The Great Gatsby for you to read (this must be finished before the holidays - we will provided some limited time for you to read in lessons).

I have order the other two texts, Oranges are not the only fruit, should be read over the holidays and finished for the first lesson back.

History boys, we will listen to the play in lesson, but you could read it through once at home - this will take no more that 2 hours.

You each owe the English Department £10, half the cost of books and postage. The should be given to me before Xmas. Please see me directy is this is an issue for you.

Mr. D

Programme and times of study...

Please enter the following arrangements and times of study for the next two weeks into your diaries in order for us to catchup on work missed.

Monday 15th November 3:10 - 4:10pm
Friday 19th November 4:00 - 5:00pm
Monday 22nd November 3:10 - 4:10pm (Milestone completed in this hour)
Friday 26th November 4:00 - 5:00pm

You will remain on Monday's for this hour. Attendance on Friday's is compulsory until we are back on track.

Mr. D

Sonnets – A Very brief history

Review the following information on Sonnets - you will be tested on this and if you don't know expect some extra research. You will need to know the poetic devices at work within the two sonnets rather than the historical information.

Sonnets are poems that usually explore one idea. The early sonnets used love as their theme. It is a very old form of poetry imported into England by Sir Thomas Wyatt in the early part of the sixteenth century. The name sonnet came from the Old French word for 'little song'. It has remained a popular form with poets because it is long enough to explore one idea, yet remains a challenge to the poet's craft.

Sonnets always have fourteen lines and usually rhyme.

They are usually written in iambic pentameter – ten syllables to each line arranged in 'feet' - a 'foot' is an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. It sounds like a heartbeat:

The cur-few tolls the knell of par-ting day. (the bold means a stress)

There are two main forms of sonnet. They both have fourteen lines and rhyme. The difference is in the pattern of the rhymes, this pattern is known as the rhyme scheme.

Modern poets still use the sonnet form but they often break the rules. They use half-rhymes or no rhyme at all and use different rhythms; sometimes the only thing that makes them sonnets is the fact that they have fourteen lines.

The Two Main Types Of Sonnet

The Petrarchan, or Italian sonnet:

- 8 lines (an octave) asking a question, posing a problem, stating a difficulty or conveying a mood
- 6 (a sestet) lines answering the problem, resolving the problem or concluding the mood
- a rhyme scheme of a-b-b-a-a-b-b-a in the octave and c-d-e-c-d-e or c-d-c-d-c-d in the Sestet.

The Shakespearean, or English sonnet:

- 3 four-line chunks or quatrains. Each four-line quatrain adds a new point to an argument. A quatrain is often just one sentence.
- 1 two-line rhyming couplet. The couplet usually resolves the problem or argument, sometimes it reverses it.
- A rhyme scheme in the quatrains of a-b-a-b, c-d-c-d, e-f-e-f and g-g in the rhyming couplet.

Poetry Preparations...

Here's the order of poems you'll need to have completed in preparation before the lesson.

Anthem for Doomed Youth
Insensibility
Arms and the Boy
Apologia Por Poemate Meo
Futility
The Last Laugh
Strange Meeting
The Sentry
Disabled
Mental Cases
The Show
A Terre

• Don't forget it's the diction column (in full detail with connotation and denotation)
• The poets intended meaning
• Anything else is welcome too!

Mr. D

AS Literature Enrichment and Research Trip

Can you please leave a comment acknowledging that you have read this blog post. Please transfer any relevant details into your planner.

As part of your AS Literature Studies, we have organised a trip to central London for some literary enrichment and an opportunity to continue your research and understanding of World War 1 (and how it influenced Owen’s poetry).

On the day of the trip, 15/10/10, you will either meet Mr. Donovan and Mr. Leamon at Becontree Tube Station at 11.30am or travel to Tower Hill station by 12:30pm by yourself if you have lessons at any of the other consortium schools.

It is compulsory for you to attend as it is part of your Literature course; however, it may run slightly later than school hours. We envisage being back at Becontree Station no later than 6:00pm.

The first part of our trip will be a to attend a performance of, Not About Heroes, a play exploring the friendship of Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen. It will be performed at the Unicorn Theatre, and as the seating is unreserved we need to be there at least 30 minutes (1:00pm) before the performance to ensure we get decent seats. On this leg of the trip, there will be opportunities to grab a bite to eat if you haven’t had lunch.

From the theatre we will take the tube to Elephant & Castle station and then walk to the Imperial War Museum in Lambeth where we’ll spend about and hour and a half. There is no entry cost for the museum and whilst there we will visit the permanent First World War Galleries and Trench Experience. You will be given one of the following areas to research and your work will be collated for display upon our return to school.

The Origins and Outbreak of the War The Trenches
War in the Air The War at Sea
The Western Front Poets and Painters
The War on Other Fronts The Home Front

The Imperial War Museum also houses a large collection of art works, including the original, and full size, canvas Gassed, by John Stringer Sergeant. You will be required to complete a reflection on this whilst in attendance.

Things to bring:

A clip board (or something to lean on)
Some paper to take notes
An understanding that this is part of your course of study rather than an opportunity to mess around in public
A small amount of money to purchase a lunch
Your Oyster Card (or sufficient means to purchase a return ticket)

Mr. Donovan
Head of English

Welcome to prospective AS student...

Hope you enjoy the session today and it gives you a clear sense of what the study of literature is about...and also, what we are about as teachers - this is equally important!!

A few ground rules:

• Don't talk when I'm talking and I won't talk when you are;
• If you want to be treated like an adult - act like one;
• You're here to study Literature - not just to read books;
• If you don't like reading books, or reading at all, ask yourself, 'Why are you here?'
• Entry Requirement GCSE Lit B (Lit C by interview only).

If Literature is still for you, see you in September!

Mr. D & Mr. L

Novel...

If you are intending to continue with A2 Literature you'll need to secure a copy of Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, for our A2 lesson after the exam period.

I have ordered 10 copies at £2.50. First in best dressed othewise you'll have to order your own!

If you don't have it for the lessons you won't have access!!

Mr. D

Run up to the exams....

Here are the details of our class discussions on exam preparations...

Week Beginning 24/5/10: Lessons as normal as possible
29/05/10: Revision Day 9:00-till when we last (3-4ish?)
Week Beginning 07/06/10: Seminar in Hospitality Suite (with morning tea and lunch)

If you need extra support please see me directly!!!

Mr. D

Gatsby DVD

For those of you who are still struggling with the text, I found a copy of the DVD on Amazon that only costs £3.55 with postage. It be worth some of you getting hold of a copy.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Great-Gatsby-DVD-Robert-Redford/dp/B0000A5BT1/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1273662948&sr=1-1

Thanks
Mrs Gibbons

English and Media Centre...

As mentioned in lesson, I've purchased a subscription to the English and Media centre's website.

Here are our login details for www.emagazine.org.uk

These will be active until August 31st 2010 and can be used on you home computers.

username - emagazine7
password - z94k33

Please scan old issues for pertinant reading materials for your coursework and exam studies!

Mr. D

Friday night coursework session...

Having trouble finalising your plan? Can't polish your introduction? Pulling your hair out and want to avoid looking like Mr.D?

Friday night after school this week and every week till Easter if needed...coursework help in EN1.

I'll talk to you about it in lessons...

Link to map for Westbury centre...

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=The%20Westbury%20Centre&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-US&oe=utf8&redir_esc=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl

A LEVEL ENGLISH LITERATURE REVISION COURSE

All sessions are on Level 3 at The Westbury Centre, Ripple Road, Barking IG11
7PT. I will post a map to show where to find the centre.

Make sure you know when your sessions are:

1. 
   Gatsby Wed 24/03/10 1.00 - 4.00pm with Ian Starling – WARREN + JRCS
2. Owen Thursday 25/01/10 9.00am - 12.00pm – Rob Deeney JRCS + DP
   

Please arrive on time; the teachers have worked hard to make the sessions useful for you.

It is compulsory that you attend the sessions that have been arranged for you. A register will be taken and faxed back to your school the same day. You will need to see me with a moving story of woe not to be able to attend.

Please tale a copy of the texts that you are studying as well as a pen and a notepad.

There will be a 20 minute break half way through each session. If you are there for the whole day please bring a packed lunch.

The canteen on Level 5 will be open at break times and at lunchtime. You may buy soft drinks or crisps etc but should return to Level 3 straightaway.

Please remember that The Westbury Centre is an adult workplace, but enjoy the sessions and learn as much as you can from them.