The Student Room Group

AQA A English Lit. A2 - Love Through The Ages 2015

Heyy
So I don't know about you guys but I'm freaking out about this exam. But I thought that making a forum where everyone can post stuff would be helpful for each other.
So feel free to post anything and good luck!
:smile:

Scroll to see replies

Hiya!

I'm re-taking last years exam because I was ill and totally tanked it - I got a D :frown: - and I wondered how you were all structuring your revision so I can attempt to combine the two where I can!

Good luck guys!!
Original post by Schlexicles
Hiya!
I'm re-taking last years exam because I was ill and totally tanked it - I got a D :frown: - and I wondered how you were all structuring your revision so I can attempt to combine the two where I can!

Good luck guys!!


Hey!

I'm doing A2 this year, I did AS last year. So far I have written quotes for topics such as Illicit love, Unconditional love, Love after death, Wuthering Heights, Romantic/passionate love, transgressive love, Betrayal/affairs, Marriage, Familial love and a few random ones.

Have you got the AQA Nelson Thornes revision book?
I've started putting together some notes/quotes based on the themes and topics but haven't bought any revision books because my teachers have said I have enough resources to not need them. I still have all of my revision notes from last year as well as my wider reading and I have copies of the York Notes Advanced for Wilde, Ibsen and Conrad because of my coursework last year.

I take it you have been told otherwise? Would you (or anyone else) recommend any particular revision books/wider reading books?
Reply 4
'Love and Longing' Introduced by Jacqueline Wilson is a really good wider reading book for romantic love, as there are loads of poems AND prose texts, which are split into six clear topics.
Original post by Schlexicles
I've started putting together some notes/quotes based on the themes and topics but haven't bought any revision books because my teachers have said I have enough resources to not need them. I still have all of my revision notes from last year as well as my wider reading and I have copies of the York Notes Advanced for Wilde, Ibsen and Conrad because of my coursework last year.

I take it you have been told otherwise? Would you (or anyone else) recommend any particular revision books/wider reading books?


I think I've just about got all the quotes I need to remember now, I'm just writing some rough ideas on the lexis used, form etc. Ohh, well that's good then. Have you got any non-fiction texts?

If you have enough material then I'm not sure whether you'd need a revision book. I used the Nelson Thornes one, as it helps me know what to look for. :smile:
Reply 6
Original post by Schlexicles
Hiya!

I'm re-taking last years exam because I was ill and totally tanked it - I got a D :frown: - and I wondered how you were all structuring your revision so I can attempt to combine the two where I can!

Good luck guys!!


Ah, I'm retaking it as well! I've managed to get 100% in every unit, but they gave me a D too! After it was remarked, only up to a C, the whole class was given a remark free of charge because how poorly it had been marked initially! A C still isn't great though, hence the retake.

Last year, I went for loads of loads of texts because I thought having a really big breadth would be good to cover lots of themes, but it definitely took its toll on me. Saying that, if you are consistently reading you'll still remember key quotes from some of your favourites.

I think it's all abut picking great texts. By 'great', I mean ones which cover a large number of themes. So in 'Othello', you've got familial (especially, paternal) love, betrayal, rumours, affairs, voyeurism, arguable homosexuality, martyrdom (arguably...), animalism.
Really, any Shakespeare text is great for covering themes, and seeing as you had to use one for your coursework, you may as well stick with that one. Other great ones are 'King Lear', 'Hamlet', 'Much Ado'. Although 'Macbeth', 'Twelfth Night' and 'Midsummer Night's Dream' are good too, my teacher's always said they're on some GCSE specs. so to avoid them.

I think the same can apply for prose and poetry too. Choose long, epic/narrative poems, like 'Goblin Market', or some Chaucer if you're feeling particularly brave. Poetry is a great place to show off contextual variation: Metaphysics, Cavalier, Romantics, Victorian...

I've always found prose tricky, so I think I'm just going to stick to texts I like. I would go more Modernist with prose, purely because it's perhaps more interesting. (I can't even begin to imagine re-reading anything Austen!!!)

Umm, that's all I can come up with, but I'm definitely open to suggestions, because I'm still not sure whether just doing one drama text is too risky...I really don't want a bad grade in the exam, again, especially as I'm on an A overall, it will be quite sad to see 'A' again, rather than an A*! :P

Good luck revising guys! Maybe we could say what themes we've currently done, and what texts we're thinking of using? We could always bounce ideas off each other? Last year, the examiner didn't understand what I meant with 'the corrupted idyll', literally writing 'what does this mean?' in the margin :mad: Misreads seem to be big for some markers, even though as long as it's argued well, you can get credit...

To avoid this, look at Henry Vaughan's 'The Retreat'. Without knowing it was written by a man, it could easily be from the perspective of a maturing woman...it's actually about him mourning over his brother. No idea how I got an offer from UCL this year considering they gave me that to write an essay on, ha!

Anyway, I'll shut up now... :P
Reply 7
My teacher recommended we know the synopsis and themes of 5 Shakespeare Tragedies and Comedies, and possibly a few Histories. I have made a folder with each play, brief summaries, themes, then an extract of a monologue (from shakespeare-monologues.com, best thing ever!) annotated. I know this is a bit much, but it is great to have to refer to and at least practice with.

Also, I have tried to do this with modern, Victorian and female written plays as well - so I am not limited to just Shakespeare.
Does anyone know a good Neo-classical text (Drama or Poem) that covers different types of love? I don't have much for this period other than one Aphra Behn poem and one Anne Bradstreet Poem, both are quite restricted to one theme. Thanks :smile:
Reply 9
Hi guys, have you all finished your coursework essays?
Really struggling to find a place to start revising for this exam. Any help much appreciated. Thanks
any predictions for what exam will be about this year?
do you know what question 1 last year was (prose / drama / poetry)?
Original post by bobthemob
any predictions for what exam will be about this year?
do you know what question 1 last year was (prose / drama / poetry)?


Question 1 was poetry two years in a row. And I think there have only ever been 2 drama and 2 prose ones. So good chance of being drama or prose.

Posted from TSR Mobile
Reply 13
Really hoping question one is poetry, not really good with poetry and since I find question 2 harder, it would be better to get it out of the way in question one. Has anyone found any good revision techniques for this exam?
Original post by katiercxx
My teacher recommended we know the synopsis and themes of 5 Shakespeare Tragedies and Comedies, and possibly a few Histories. I have made a folder with each play, brief summaries, themes, then an extract of a monologue (from shakespeare-monologues.com, best thing ever!) annotated. I know this is a bit much, but it is great to have to refer to and at least practice with.

Also, I have tried to do this with modern, Victorian and female written plays as well - so I am not limited to just Shakespeare.


Was your teacher having a joke? That's the worst thing ever. You don't need to know that much. One play from the Elizabethan or Renaissance era is more than enough. That makes no sense whatsoever!
Posted from TSR Mobile

My teacher said that aswell, it is because Shakespeare comes up alot and that will help to contextualise the play and think about the overall message. However, I haven't done it yet...
Hello

can anyone recommend any specific texts for all three genres ?

Is there any interesting quotes anyone's come across, and lastly where can I get some sample answers?

thank you
Original post by studdybuddy101
Posted from TSR Mobile

My teacher said that aswell, it is because Shakespeare comes up alot and that will help to contextualise the play and think about the overall message. However, I haven't done it yet...


Literally do not do that. I would dissuade you from that. Any teacher knows this isn't necessary!
Original post by The Empire Odyssey
Literally do not do that. I would dissuade you from that. Any teacher knows this isn't necessary!


Well she's not talking about all 35 or so plays, just the main ones. I don't see any harm in spending an hour or so looking up the plot of 'As You Like it' or 'Troilus and Cressida', plays that I should of probably have read at A-level anyways or at least know.
My teacher has predicted two drama for question 1 and poetry and prose for question 2. She also expects a Shakespeare play or one from that era, so I have ensured I am good at all Shakespeare comedies/tragedies/histories, memorising several quotes from each type. Also, I have got a few feminist/Marxist readings on Shakespeare and memorised the quotes, just in case the question regards something along those lines.

Original post by bobthemob
any predictions for what exam will be about this year?
do you know what question 1 last year was (prose / drama / poetry)?

Quick Reply

Latest