English Applicants 2012

Hello!

Lots of other subjects seem to have this, so I thought I'll create one for the best subject!

To kick things off, what are you all reading atm? I've just finished Hamlet and am starting The Great Gatsby.

Also where are you thinking of applying? I'm thinking of Oxford/Cambridge (still not sure yet ) Bristol and Warwick.

Just wondering, what a-levels did you take?

Excellent choice. Any idea where you'll apply to?

Thanks. I am going to apply to Oxford (because I only live once), Durham, Leeds, Royal Holloway (possibly) and Kent (perhaps).

...

What would you recommend for someone who hasn't really explored the Renaissance? I've only really read Shakespeare and don't know what to start with

Well, my personal fave is Christopher Marlowe. He's most famous for Dr. Faustus, which I am actually doing for A2, luckily enough, but it's all pretty good stuff - 'Tamburlaine the Great' is a pretty hilariously weird subversion of the old medieval morality plays, and his sort-of-epic poem 'Hero and Leander' has some great lines. He's also quite interesting as the person to make blank verse famous, so there's scope for possible PS/interview musing about the development of that form too. Apart from that there's Donne, who's a big dog, but whom I haven't really read that much of - I think his big thing is his 'Holy Sonnets' but don't quote me on that.

However, I don't really think I am that qualified to talk about the period since I am only really getting started myself!

Oh, cool, we have (possibly) two in common then! I have a terrible feeling I might be overdoing the 'you only live once' philosophy with my choices :§

Ok thanks! I'm doing Faustus for A2 as well, and I'll probably go and see the current production at the Globe

Well, my personal fave is Christopher Marlowe. He's most famous for Dr. Faustus, which I am actually doing for A2, luckily enough, but it's all pretty good stuff - 'Tamburlaine the Great' is a pretty hilariously weird subversion of the old medieval morality plays, and his sort-of-epic poem 'Hero and Leander' has some great lines. He's also quite interesting as the person to make blank verse famous, so there's scope for possible PS/interview musing about the development of that form too. Apart from that there's Donne, who's a big dog, but whom I haven't really read that much of - I think his big thing is his 'Holy Sonnets' but don't quote me on that.

However, I don't really think I am that qualified to talk about the period since I am only really getting started myself!

I havent really read much from that period, looked at a little bit of Chaucer and Marlowe because like you, I'm doing Dr Faustus for A2 as well. Am I the only one here that struggles to understand the texts? It feels like learning a different language to me...

It's definitely not as easy as, say, The Great Gatsby was last year. I find you just have to concentrate and focus a lot - they're def. not the sorts of things I could read with the TV on. (Oh, and Chaucer really is tricky - I have only read a bit before deciding that I will wait until we do it in class...)

What would you recommend for someone who hasn't really explored the Renaissance? I've only really read Shakespeare and don't know what to start with

Staying with playwrights, Webster's Duchess of Malfi and Middleton's The Revenger's Tragedy are well worth reading - massively entertaining although they lack something of Shakespeare's subtlety
As someone else mentioned, Donne is a huge one, his Holy Sonnets are amazing but also check out Valediction: Forbidding Mourning - it really give you a sense of what the metaphysicals are all about.

Hope this helps, its a period I absolutely love, and I'm wondering whether i've slightly overdone it in my personal statement - the rest is either modern novels (Cormac McCarthy, Kazuo Ishiguro) and Spanish writers (Borges, Marquez). I'm considering throwing in Dickens as well, who has a special place in my heart, as this will just balance out the time periods, although then I think I'm strapped for space :/ Oh dilemma!

I love Ishiguro! We did 'Never Let Me Go' last year, but I think 'The Remains of the Day' may be my favourite book

Me too He's great although he's really only getting a name drop - so at least I might get to talk about him at interview I like those too the best as well - have you read when we were orphans? not so good I don't think...

I've decided to leave my personal statement over heavy on the Elizabethans+Jacobeans, as I think it shows I know what I like

Anyway, I'm applying to Cambridge, Durham, UCL, Exeter and St. Andrews I know they're all big-hitters but I've got the benefit of A2 grades in hand

Unfortunately I haven't read anything else by him.

That's my problem for my PS, I've read bit of different periods/ authors, but nothing in-depth

How did your A2s go?