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AQA English Lit Love Through the Ages June 2012 EXAM

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Original post by carnationlilyrose
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.



Original post by evelynevelyn
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.


Thanks to both of you! I did mean the first question though as I know the second normally has a more specific focus e.g. forbidden love.
Original post by confused dot com
Thanks to both of you! I did mean the first question though as I know the second normally has a more specific focus e.g. forbidden love.


The whole paper is on Love Through The Ages, so yes.
Original post by carnationlilyrose
The whole paper is on Love Through The Ages, so yes.


Sorry of all the questions :colondollar: Okay, so I'm guessing that despite there being no specific question for the first question, it's best to find a common themes relevant to love (e.g. the transient nature of love or the power of love) and make those the focus of the first question rather than love in general?
Original post by confused dot com
Sorry of all the questions :colondollar: Okay, so I'm guessing that despite there being no specific question for the first question, it's best to find a common themes relevant to love (e.g. the transient nature of love or the power of love) and make those the focus of the first question rather than love in general?


Not a problem at all. Yes, the texts will have been chosen with a common theme because it's only fair to give you a hand in structuring an essay and it's much easier to compare apples and apples, rather than apples and pears. This is a ***** of a paper, so be prepared for it to be hard and don't be thrown by it. The up side of it seems to be that the board knows that and marks leniently, as far as we have been able to see in our department from our students' results over the past few years since the syllabus changed. Even if you don't understand every word of the texts, you could never say everything there is to be said about them in the time available, and there is always going to be something you CAN say, so focus on the positive. Say a lot about a little. Keep your nerve. Good luck!
Original post by carnationlilyrose
Not a problem at all. Yes, the texts will have been chosen with a common theme because it's only fair to give you a hand in structuring an essay and it's much easier to compare apples and apples, rather than apples and pears. This is a ***** of a paper, so be prepared for it to be hard and don't be thrown by it. The up side of it seems to be that the board knows that and marks leniently, as far as we have been able to see in our department from our students' results over the past few years since the syllabus changed. Even if you don't understand every word of the texts, you could never say everything there is to be said about them in the time available, and there is always going to be something you CAN say, so focus on the positive. Say a lot about a little. Keep your nerve. Good luck!


Thanks for this! I've just been preparing by doing essays on unseen extracts and making comparisons/contrasts based on similarities on the presentations of the different aspects of love and fsl that the texts might cover, so was a little worried that I had been going off what was required by the examiners. Just hope I get an A now!
Original post by confused dot com
Thanks for this! I've just been preparing by doing essays on unseen extracts and making comparisons/contrasts based on similarities on the presentations of the different aspects of love and fsl that the texts might cover, so was a little worried that I had been going off what was required by the examiners. Just hope I get an A now!


I hope you do.:smile:
Hi everyone! I'm really stressing over this exam! I was wondering how you all linked your wider reading extracts to the extracts- connectives you used, how you link them (theme/device), and how you create an argument. I have recently been told by my teacher that I write too much analysis of wider reading extract rather than extracts ( so hard to find a balance!)

Also, what type of planning process do you all use? I really struggle to get all my ideas down in such a short period of time, and I did a past paper the other day (the one with Carter's The magic toyshop and A sentimental journey by Sterne I think, and it was horrendous!)

And finally, sorry for all these questions- Are Chaucer's 'The Canterbury Tales' classed as prose or an epic poem? Thank you in advance :smile:
Original post by never too late
Hi everyone! I'm really stressing over this exam! I was wondering how you all linked your wider reading extracts to the extracts- connectives you used, how you link them (theme/device), and how you create an argument. I have recently been told by my teacher that I write too much analysis of wider reading extract rather than extracts ( so hard to find a balance!)

Also, what type of planning process do you all use? I really struggle to get all my ideas down in such a short period of time, and I did a past paper the other day (the one with Carter's The magic toyshop and A sentimental journey by Sterne I think, and it was horrendous!)

And finally, sorry for all these questions- Are Chaucer's 'The Canterbury Tales' classed as prose or an epic poem? Thank you in advance :smile:

Chaucer is poetry. The focus must be on the texts on the paper and a ratio of 70% analysis of the extracts and 30% wider reading is a good balance to aim for. Remember to cover each genre once across the paper, but don't overdo it. A couple of really relevant, focused WR extracts tied in closely to the extracts is all you really need. You can make connections in any way you feel is relevant, but ensure at some point that you make comments about form and structure as well as theme. The WR extract is as good a place to do this as any, since you can choose something that either compares or contrasts with the texts on the paper. If you use too much wider reading, you are avoiding the kind of deeper analysis which you need to be doing to get the marks.
Original post by carnationlilyrose
Chaucer is poetry. The focus must be on the texts on the paper and a ratio of 70% analysis of the extracts and 30% wider reading is a good balance to aim for. Remember to cover each genre once across the paper, but don't overdo it. A couple of really relevant, focused WR extracts tied in closely to the extracts is all you really need. You can make connections in any way you feel is relevant, but ensure at some point that you make comments about form and structure as well as theme. The WR extract is as good a place to do this as any, since you can choose something that either compares or contrasts with the texts on the paper. If you use too much wider reading, you are avoiding the kind of deeper analysis which you need to be doing to get the marks.


Sorry to butt in, but could you be penalised if for WR, you used one prose, one play and small range of poetry from one writer, but included in-depth connections and analysis of the three?
Original post by confused dot com
Sorry to butt in, but could you be penalised if for WR, you used one prose, one play and small range of poetry from one writer, but included in-depth connections and analysis of the three?


One of each genre is all you really need as long as you use them in the right places. I find that students are desperate to use as much WR as they can because they want to prove they've put the time in, and that's a perfectly understandable reaction given the work they've done, but the function of WR in the main is to inform the student about the stylistic/cultural/historical background of the extracts on the paper. It shouldn't be the driving force of the answer. It's always better to say a lot about a little in A2 LTTA English. Depth of analysis is better than breadth. (In AS, though, they seem to be shifting the boundaries a little in WW1 lit, where they now seem to be saying they want a lot more contextual material.)
Original post by carnationlilyrose
One of each genre is all you really need as long as you use them in the right places. I find that students are desperate to use as much WR as they can because they want to prove they've put the time in, and that's a perfectly understandable reaction given the work they've done, but the function of WR in the main is to inform the student about the stylistic/cultural/historical background of the extracts on the paper. It shouldn't be the driving force of the answer. It's always better to say a lot about a little in A2 LTTA English. Depth of analysis is better than breadth. (In AS, though, they seem to be shifting the boundaries a little in WW1 lit, where they now seem to be saying they want a lot more contextual material.)


That's good news for me :biggrin: I tend to analyse a few different interpretations of 1 aspect of form and structure, then do word level analysis for language rather than make sweeping statements about quotes etc. Any tips for approaching the unseen extracts?
Original post by confused dot com
That's good news for me :biggrin: I tend to analyse a few different interpretations of 1 aspect of form and structure, then do word level analysis for language rather than make sweeping statements about quotes etc. Any tips for approaching the unseen extracts?


Just don't panic. Read the background info really carefully, especially for the drama extract, where just getting your head round what's happening can be really hard. Don't ignore the stage directions and be ready to talk about it as a piece of theatre, not just words on a page. Spend a good part of your time reading and re-reading the extracts, with a pen in your hand. My heart sinks when I collect in question papers that haven't been annotated. There's too much going on and it's too stressful to be able to carry it all in your head. Plan first before writing. Make sure you know where you're going and in what order you are going to discuss the different aspects. It's far too easy to write yourself into a corner and jump desperately onto a random point to escape and then end up writing crap. Don't be surprised if you don't understand every word. You're not at university yet. It's perfectly possible to make some very valid points even if you don't really know what's happening. Providing alternative readings is what the examiners are looking for and you can skillfully hide uncertainty here! Compare the extracts frequently. Use discourse markers to flag up the progress of your argument, build in checking time at the end (at least 5 minutes - no point in just giving yourself time to read it and not enough to correct the mistakes you find, because that's just depressing) and make sure you write a polished conclusion. Don't just abandon it.
(edited 11 years ago)
What are everybody's ideas as to what the genre of question one will be? I praying that it won't be a drama question!!
I started a thread for WR quotes for revision purposes on this exam a day or so ago, if any of you would like to contribute or take quotes, feel free :smile: ; http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2019950
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.


Tender Is The Night is a good one; you've got the themes of transgressive love, familial love, marital love, love and gender, destructive love, love and madness, and because of the way it relates to Fitzgerald's life, you can (tentatively) get in autobiographical context- unfortunately can't currently remember which school of criticism argues that an author should be examined alongside the text, and which argues that they must be treated as separate entities.
Reply 35
Original post by carnationlilyrose
Just don't panic. Read the background info really carefully, especially for the drama extract, where just getting your head round what's happening can be really hard. Don't ignore the stage directions and be ready to talk about it as a piece of theatre, not just words on a page. Spend a good part of your time reading and re-reading the extracts, with a pen in your hand. My heart sinks when I collect in question papers that haven't been annotated. There's too much going on and it's too stressful to be able to carry it all in your head. Plan first before writing. Make sure you know where you're going and in what order you are going to discuss the different aspects. It's far too easy to write yourself into a corner and jump desperately onto a random point to escape and then end up writing crap. Don't be surprised if you don't understand every word. You're not at university yet. It's perfectly possible to make some very valid points even if you don't really know what's happening. Providing alternative readings is what the examiners are looking for and you can skillfully hide uncertainty here! Compare the extracts frequently. Use discourse markers to flag up the progress of your argument, build in checking time at the end (at least 5 minutes - no point in just giving yourself time to read it and not enough to correct the mistakes you find, because that's just depressing) and make sure you write a polished conclusion. Don't just abandon it.


Does the conclusion have to be lengthy?

Timing is my major issue in which I just about finish each time and if I'm lucky I can do a line or two that quickly links the two in the 'larger sense' (which isn't really even a conclusion).
Original post by evelynevelyn
Does the conclusion have to be lengthy?

Timing is my major issue in which I just about finish each time and if I'm lucky I can do a line or two that quickly links the two in the 'larger sense' (which isn't really even a conclusion).


No, it should be pretty short, because there should be no new material in a conclusion. It just draws the threads of your argument together. Anything new should be in the main part of your essay.
If you make a point on meter (i.e. iambic pentameter, given its extensive use in epic poems gives 'Isabella' a heroic feel which...) would this be a point on form or structure?
Original post by confused dot com
If you make a point on meter (i.e. iambic pentameter, given its extensive use in epic poems gives 'Isabella' a heroic feel which...) would this be a point on form or structure?


Form, but with structural overtones. It's not necessary to worry about it in such fine detail, though. As my old head of department used to say, the categories are porous. You're ticking the right kind of boxes.
Original post by carnationlilyrose
Form, but with structural overtones. It's not necessary to worry about it in such fine detail, though. As my old head of department used to say, the categories are porous. You're ticking the right kind of boxes.


Great, thanks :biggrin: I've just been reading an essay that got an A* last year and for question 1, she seems to just analyse aspects of the extracts rather than have a specific direction (e.g. instead of exploring forbidden love of transient love in each paragraph, the girl just wrote about how dialogue gives the text a 'voyeuristic quality' or how 'free indirect discourse' enables readers to empathise with characters). This confused me a little as I thought we were meant to be addressing love as a broad umbrella topic in the first question, or is it okay to just analyse and compare the texts as it seems she has done :confused:

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