Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

English Lit - Context question. Please help!

English Literature exam tomorrow - Old Man and the Sea, Journey's End (Re-take) & Post 1914 Poems.

Any tips for the context question? I got a C on my Journey's End first time round & I don't know why. I came out of the exam thinking I put in all of the relevant points etc.

Any help for the context question would be greatly appreciated!

Reply 1

chemkid

just try and focus on what the question's asking... if its about how the writer makes it DRAMATIC then keep saying... this makes it dramatic by... this will help you to focus your answer
also try and cover each of these points (not all of them will be relevant - depends on the passage you're given)
- Context - what just happened? And what's about to happen… how does that add to the effect of this extract
- Compare - attitudes/features/etc.. That are different earlier or later in the play e.g. Osborne's bed.. when raleigh sat on it first stanhope was angry but places Raleigh on it later when he's dying
- Stage Directions - how do these add to the effect - remember it's a play.. Going to be viewed
- Individual words - as well as the general conversation, focus on some key words or actions that add to the atmosphere - pauses and silences can make it more moving
- What isn't being said - what do the characters really feel - are they just talking about trivial things to get their minds off the reality of the situation - consider the subtleties
- What are the characters responses/intentions - colonels insensitivity to Osborne's death - Stanhope's hostility towards him - is one character trying to console/protect the other?
- Discuss what actually happens - state why this is significant in making it moving/dramatic
- How is it being said? - are the characters drunk - if so why? Is the character angry, why? Is it being said sarcastically, why??? What is the intention of this?

Reply 2

chemkid

also for the poetry question try and mention:
- Structure and type
- Literary devices
- Words and phrases
- Rhyme
- Sounds
- Rhythm
- Punctuation
- Length of sentences
- Imagery

Reply 3

Windsor01

Thanks for this! Is it worth knowing all of the poems and all of the keypoints etc? Or should I just rely on seeing them and picking the stuff up tomorrow?
Thanks alot!

Reply 4

chemkid

no worries.
yeh just try and learn the main points for each poem and some good things you can say about them, but it's not that hard to pick out stuff from the poem once you've got the question, as long as you know what you're looking for