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AQA English Lit Love Through the Ages June 2012 EXAM

Was browsing through TSR and noticed there wasn't a thread for the exam this year so thought I'd start one. We can share revision methods, discuss WR, swap notes etc or just have a general chat about the exam.

Here is what I am doing:

I'm just going over my wider reading notes and trying to do as much exam practice as I can up to the exams right now. Using the spec to make sure I am hitting the AO's and taking tips from past exam reports.

if you haven't finished wider reading yet, I'd say get it out the way as it can be time consuming if left till the end. Also, if you need to practice unseen analysis I would recommend the Oxford Student Text for Love Through the Ages- just go through it and analyse as much as you can, really helps :smile:

How are you guys feeling about the exam?

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Haven't even started revision for it yet :eek: I've still got my Unit 2 exam to do first!
Can you not use the Oxford Student Text for wider reading examples too?

I'll start revising for it after my AS exams, I have read through previous exam reports though which are amazingly useful and definitely should be used by everyone taking English exams!
Reply 2
Yeah you can, got Tis Pity She's a Whore from there, and haha I feel like a loser now. Predicted to get an A* in lit and really want to get it.

Is that unit 2 Economics? (OCR)
Original post by evelynevelyn
Yeah you can, got Tis Pity She's a Whore from there, and haha I feel like a loser now. Predicted to get an A* in lit and really want to get it.

Is that unit 2 Economics? (OCR)



I'll probably take a fair bit from that book to be honest as I'm honestly so plagued for time for it. I'd love to get an A* :biggrin: I've been self-studying three AS & A2 subjects this year so I don't really know how realistic it is though! Did you get A* at GCSE and A in AS? :smile:


Oops! I got confused as to which unit is coursework :colondollar: Unit 1 LitA 1B exam* World War I poetry. I have got U1-4 politics and U1-4 business studies upcoming too though if you do either of those? :cool:
Reply 4
A at GCSE and A at AS :smile: and yeah that book is helpful!! also there is a Cambridge book on Love in Literature which has also got useful WR suggestions and extracts, its like a dark blue colour.
Reply 5
i am petrified about this exam!
Reply 6
Really hope we get 2 drama extracts, can never be able to say more than 2 sides and a 1/2 on poetry :s-smilie:
Reply 7
I'm trying to make a list of super-texts that have loads of potential links. Stuff like Much Ado About Nothing that is good for gender roles and covers lots of themes such as adultery (Hero's "affair"), courtly love etc.

Any ideas of other super-texts that cover lots of themes at once?
Because we've covered so much I can't remember any D: I need to focus on a smaller selection.
Reply 8
Original post by LoveToday
I'm trying to make a list of super-texts that have loads of potential links. Stuff like Much Ado About Nothing that is good for gender roles and covers lots of themes such as adultery (Hero's "affair"), courtly love etc.

Any ideas of other super-texts that cover lots of themes at once?
Because we've covered so much I can't remember any D: I need to focus on a smaller selection.


Streetcar Named Desire - gender roles, sister relationships, class, disillusionment, Blanche is a very sexual suggestive character, marriage vs sex in scene 1, act 4 etc

Wuthering Heights - obsessive/destructive love, society vs love Cathy gives up being with Heathcliff to become ''the greatest woman in the neighbourhood'', passion

Also both The Great Gatsby and The Scarlet Letter cover a lot of themes and are short texts.
Reply 9
This is my only exam where I think that the final result will be determined on the quality of my 'instinctive' ideas in the exam hall rather than simply memorised or regurgitated ideas. It's one of those exams where if you misinterpret an extract or only make superficial links you may end up with a low mark but if you spot links, have awesome WR and utilise context effectively you'll end up with a top grade. Hopefully, practice will make perfect!

Anyone have any ideas for texts (of each genre) that fit with the theme of eternal love? Also, when you compare between the unseen texts and WR, do you go for thematic or literary technique links?
Reply 10
Original post by Choppyy
This is my only exam where I think that the final result will be determined on the quality of my 'instinctive' ideas in the exam hall rather than simply memorised or regurgitated ideas. It's one of those exams where if you misinterpret an extract or only make superficial links you may end up with a low mark but if you spot links, have awesome WR and utilise context effectively you'll end up with a top grade. Hopefully, practice will make perfect!

Anyone have any ideas for texts (of each genre) that fit with the theme of eternal love? Also, when you compare between the unseen texts and WR, do you go for thematic or literary technique links?


Totally agree with your point about the nature of this exam.

Hmm, I interpreted eternal love as unchanging love in which case Keat's Bright Star would be relevant. He is envious of the star because it is ''steadfast'' as things come and go but it resides in the sky each night. Wishes love could be like that.

Also, Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff begs for Cathy's ghost to haunt him when she has died.
Reply 11
i am so scared for this exam!! literaly never been so worried!
Reply 12
Original post by sophxox
i am so scared for this exam!! literaly never been so worried!


Same ! I need to learn quotes I know none! I feel we should have 3 hours for this exam


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Reply 13
'supertext' - the winter's tale - covers many aspects of love, eg. the effect of lost love, the 'other' side to love, young love etcetc
Reply 14
Original post by Choppyy


Anyone have any ideas for texts (of each genre) that fit with the theme of eternal love? Also, when you compare between the unseen texts and WR, do you go for thematic or literary technique links?


I'd also recommend Wuthering Heights for eternal love because there's an extract in which Cathy says something like her love for Linton will change with the seasons but her love for Heathcliff is like 'the eternal rocks beneath' < I'm trying to remember it for the exam haha. For poetry about eternal love you can't not use Shakespeare's Sonnet 116...he says love is an 'ever-fixed mark' which will never change. It also has other really good lines you can use for quotes
Reply 15
Still having problems with timing, sigh :frown:
I really don't know how to revise for this exam :/
Quick question, when analysing do we always have to relate the question back to love or do we just compare and contrast the extracts in any way we see fit?
Reply 18
Original post by confused dot com
Quick question, when analysing do we always have to relate the question back to love or do we just compare and contrast the extracts in any way we see fit?


Always relating back to love would seem too repetitive and boring, but would seem justified in seaction B (theme one). this is just my opinion btw, don't think there is a set rule.
Original post by confused dot com
Quick question, when analysing do we always have to relate the question back to love or do we just compare and contrast the extracts in any way we see fit?


Always relate it back to what the question refers to. If you drift away from the question, you will run the risk of becoming vague and unfocused. The question gives you a framework to stick to to avoid becoming irrelevant.

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