Edexcel AS Poetry and Drama: 20/5/16

Okay I don't normally freak out over exams but I've suddenly got kinda nervous about this one...

I feel like I only know a few of the poems in enough detail, like if I was presented with something like "A Minor Role" I'd freak out because I don't know enough about it?? Plus with Streetcar I know my themes and characters, but sometimes there's so much to say about it I panic and can't make my ideas cohesive...

Anyone else feel like this?? Just looking for some people to share my anxiousness with :s-smilie:

Reply 1

Englishlit2016x

Original post by Merlinnn

TOTALLY!! I feel this is a really tough exam and with 28 poems to learn ANYTHING could come up with me it's the war correspondent I'm clueless!! And with streetcar I'd recommend just trying to use as much writers craft as you can so techniques etc and context and try and stay calm !! Any idea what grade 22/48 is that's all I'm getting help !!

Reply 2

Merlinnn

Original post by Englishlit2016x

Omg same if the war correspondent or the map woman come up I am so screwed honestly

Agree with the writers craft - Plastic theatre!!!!

Reply 3

Englishlit2016x

Original post by Merlinnn

Omg same if the war correspondent or the map woman come up I am so screwed honestly

Agree with the writers craft - Plastic theatre!!!!

How do you think it went?? Do you think the grade boundaries are going to be really high?

Reply 4

Merlinnn

Original post by Englishlit2016x

How do you think it went?? Do you think the grade boundaries are going to be really high?

I really don't know - like it could've gone either way! I did "The Deliverer" and "Giuseppe" for poetry, and the death question for streetcar - what questions did you do?

Fingers crossed the grade boundaries will be low because its a new spec - though the exam board may decide they'll be harsh cos its a new spec :/

Reply 5

Remaine

I also linked Giuseppe and The Deliverer, although I opted for the vulnerability question instead.

Reply 6

Merlinnn

Ah good

Legit all of my friends compared the deliverer and eat me and I thought I might've messed up somewhere lol

I started the vulnerability question but like half way through planning I just ran out of ideas and started panicking so yeah...

How do you think you did??

Reply 7

Englishlit2016x

Original post by Merlinnn

I went for eat me and the deliverer and chose vulnerability, as I thought I could link more into that and include more plastic theatre etc and I'm paying they'll be low so I can get my C :frown:

Reply 8

Merlinnn

Original post by Englishlit2016x

I went for eat me and the deliverer and chose vulnerability, as I thought I could link more into that and include more plastic theatre etc and I'm paying they'll be low so I can get my C :frown:

I'm sure you did great! According to my teachers (who are also markers this year so know all the insider goss) it's all about like, how the response feels and how well they "feel" the student knows text so there's plenty of opportunity to gain marks :u:

Reply 9

Englishlit2016x

Original post by Merlinnn

Yeah hopefully! I hope you did really well too, and that's good to know!! :smile:

Reply 10

Merlinnn

Original post by Englishlit2016x

Yeah hopefully! I hope you did really well too, and that's good to know!! :smile:

Thank you!! Fingers crossed :smile:

Reply 11

student9898

Omg same, I compared 'The Deliverer' and ''Giuseppe' and completed the Streetcar question on death.

What things did you talk about for both question?

For poetry, I spoke about how they both create disturbing responses from the reader due to the graphic imagery and how they undermine woman as in Giussepe, they say something like "she screamed like a woman" giving an impression that woman are weak, frail, fragile etc. Also in 'The Deliverer', they use "collected children" which is an odd verb and other harsh verbs. Also, hints of racism to "black, coloured girls" and discrimination of genders (females). Towards the end, I said how in 'The Deliverer' they show the ongoing promisicous life cyle of women as they go off to sleep with another man creating a disturbing imagery whereas in 'Giusseppe' it kind of leaves it at a cliffhanger and leaves the reader clueless on what really happend maybe creating a sense of relief for them instead of disturbance

For drama, I spoke about references to elysian fields (greek mythology), Belle Reve (beautiful dream) and the fact that blanches old boss at belle reve was called "Mr Grave" foreshadowing the idea of death from early before. Also Stanley's animalistic behaviour towards stella as if he were a predator looking to kill. Then, i said that the idea of death is a reminder throughout the play as it isnt only physically, but emotionally dead too for some characters are there mental state goes unstable aka blanche.
Death of sisterhood when Stella chooses Stanley over Blanche
Death of Blanches sanity when Stanley rapes her
Death of Blanches honesty through her continuous lies
Also, Alan Grays suicide/Context about Williams homosexuality etc

Hope we all did well and my points actually linked to the questions :smile:

What else did you guys say?

Reply 12

Remaine

Original post by Merlinnn

Ah good

This is my assessment of the exam from a different thread:

Original post by Remaine

I think that it went well for me.

The Streetcar question I answered was based on Blanche, meaning there's a hell of a lot to talk about (how she's central to the play, her complicity, "gay reading" - quoting from various articles and documentaries, the use of disguises to hide her vulnerability, and questioning the statement, by defining vulnerability.)If I recall correctly, "death" was a question on one of the old Edexcel papers - "Death is my best theme, don't you think?" was the statement used, and that wasn't too bad a question either.

I lucked out on the poetry as well in the sense that I was able to link The Deliverer with Giuseppe, which aforementioned, is one of my favourite poems, in terms of analysis. Most of my friends did similar, whilst others went for Eat Me or History; however, none of us linked it with Out of the Bag.

Overall, I think there was a good performance - let's hope that the grade reflects that.