GCSE grades

I didn't imagine you being so blunt

Most of it was fine, it was just the line (probably misquoting, but something like...) "And worms shall take thy long preserv'd virginity"

That was one of my crowning moments of English lessons, asking the teacher (with whom I was supposedly having a torrid affair according to my friends ) "So basically this poem is a 17th century version of 'If you really loved me you'd sleep with me?' "

(Try instead of take but never mind )

The whole seduction poem is pretty common for metaphysical poets, but that's Marvell's only real stab at it. Instead he prefers plants: 'And ivy with familiar trails,/ Me licks and clasps,'.

Most of it was fine, it was just the line (probably misquoting, but something like...) "And worms shall take thy long preserv'd virginity"

Whatever does it for you

When we were taught To His Coy Mistress (year 10) our teacher took great joy in telling us that when Marvell writes "quaint", it's a hilarious joke, and it's meant to be "cunt".

Which was surprising.

When we were taught To His Coy Mistress (year 10) our teacher took great joy in telling us that when Marvell writes "quaint", it's a hilarious joke, and it's meant to be "cunt".

Which was surprising.

I can't imagine our teacher telling us that. Or even me, star pupil that I was

Yummmm, plants. And naked man, all on his own - what more could Marvell want? Clearly his coy mistress was too coy and he gave up.

Clearly.

It seems you haven't been exposed to the sex-craved minds out our English teachers. One looks for blatant innuendoes absolutely everywhere, aided and abetted by someone of a similar persuasion in my set. Even so some of the things she comes up with are just too far fetched....

Apparently an A level marker once said that 'two things are required for A level English: a good knowledge of the Bible and a dirty mind'.

Looks like I should go and find my Old Testament

Well, I dropped it after GCSE, so my exposure (and my torrid affair) were cut short. I think the rest of the class who stayed on got quite traumatised - reading Angela Carter for one thing

Awww why? Up here at least it's a lovely subject. It requires practically no talent and even less effort.

Because I didn't want to do 5 subjects, and already had 4 definites. Not that it didn't stop some bribery from the teacher anyway.

Ah right, you were around before all the AS level nonsense then.

So what did you do? Chemistry, Biology, Physics & Maths?

No, I was the first year to do ASs, but doing 5 would have meant no free timetable. I did Bio, Chem, Maths and German. Technically I was in the Further Maths class in L6th, but that was just so I could finish Maths early and drop it

Or to allow yourself several goes at the modules before the normal class had even done one (Not saying that you would need to )

Nah, twas to get out of chain-smoking dragon (Head of Maths) classroom before I developed lung cancer! (and no, I didn't need to resit )

True, the Further teachers were mostly better than the normal ones. One of ours was a great mathmatician...and really into it, but couldnt teach Hence my slightly "blemished" record..

Cant remember any teachers smoking....but there was a language teacher who was really camp and wore purple suits and orange shirts..... It was a running joke that if you got detention with him......