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Offer of help with English Lit.

Calling all A-Level Eng. Lit. students.

I have just finished school and I'm waiting for a Cambridge interview for English. Basically I want to keep my brain ticking over literature-wise.

If you need help with analysis of poetry post here or PM. I will also consider writing the odd essay if I am interested in the subject.

This does not mean I will write every essay I am asked about!

Obviously I am not going to read a text especially for you, so poetry questions are your best bet. Although I've read a fair bit so ask anyway.

Adam

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Reply 1

sarah_999

hello i was wondering if you could help me with my poetry!
i need to understand/make notes on what i think Seminar: Felicity and Mr Frost is about. maybe you would be able to kindly offer some guidence..cos i cant understand it for the life of me! Thankyou

Reply 2

Tyler Durden

sarah_999

Sure, find me a link with the poem or copy and paste it in if not too long.

Reply 3

sarah_999

i cant find a link..arghh how annoying haha ah well dont worry, thankyou anyway

Reply 4

Tyler Durden

Come on - surely someone got some homework for Eng. Lit. that they can't be bothered doing! :tongue:

Reply 5

grace

englishstudent

Why don't you just write your own essays?! I'm on my gap year and, similarly, don't want my brain to die so for every few books/poems i read i write an analysis. Useful+legal.

Reply 6

Tyler Durden

grace

Why don't you just write your own essays?! I'm on my gap year and, similarly, don't want my brain to die so for every few books/poems i read i write an analysis. Useful+legal.

It's a good idea but for some reason I just can't.

I need to have a reason if you see what I mean. It's weird.

Also I'm not gonna do anything illegal. Give ideas on poetry mainly.

Reply 7

horus2003

hello
i am studying elegy in a churchyard by thomas gray
tall nettles by edward thomas
and thistles by ted hughes
would apprciate it alot if u help me analyse these thanks
add me to msn messnher if u hav it since it wil b easier or email me
[email protected]

Reply 8

Everdawn

Why dont they just ask the Literature society?

Reply 9

Tyler Durden

horus2003

http://www.thomasgray.org/cgi-bin/display.cgi?text=elcc

try that for Thomas Gray. I can't be bothered to read the whole thing now - sorry.

But I'll help with the Ted Hughes.

You should talk about the contrast between what the poem seems to be talking about (nature) and what the poem is actually talking about (the human virtue of endurance and persistence).

It seems as though Hughes regards this quality of persistence as positive. I say this because generally nature is used in poetry as (just that) - something natural. If you wanted a contrast to something more delicate in nature look at some Wordsworth (mostly about nature).

If you feel it's not positive, it as very least inevitable. For a good cross reference look at the portrayal of Cromwell in Marvel's "An Horatian Ode" - it's not entirely positive but it does suggest that Cromwell is a force of nature - beyond morality.

Look at language:

The contrast between the soft sounds of "rubber tongues" / "hoeing hands" and the words "revengeful burst."

The penultimate line is very clever:

"Mown down, it is a feud. Their sons appear"

Before the line is over, the new generation "appear." This adds to the immediacy of the "resurrection".

Talking of resurrection - it may be worth bringing in a quick mention of Christ who died and (so it goes) rose. The reference to thorns is also appropriate in this context.

I'll have a quick look at the other one too...

Reply 10

Tyler Durden

If anyone else wants any help I am around evenings but you can post in the day.

Hope the stuff I wrote today helped the people concerned.

Reply 11

Hatster707

Hi student!
When I was on my gap year I did a couple of evening classes (on lit theory and on contemporary European writing) at the local university - they were great and a real help when I got to Cambridge. Could you try doing something similar?

Reply 12

Tyler Durden

Hatster707

That's a really good idea - I might look into that. Thanks! :smile:

Reply 13

mxox

englishstudent

Hey im an A level english lit student too and am applying for English at university for 2005. Wow you got an interview at cambridge for english.. congrats!! Neway was wondering if u could have a look at my 2nd draft of personal statement , criticise and review? Im sure u must have had a kickass one yourself to get an interview at camb :tongue:

if you pm me ure email address ill send it to you ! :biggrin:

thanks a bunch!

x

Reply 14

Tyler Durden

No problem. I've pm'ed you my address.

Reply 15

Tyler Durden

By the way getting an interview at Cambridge isn't too hard at all :tongue:

Reply 16

Miriam_StarGirl

englishstudent

By the way getting an interview at Cambridge isn't too hard at all :tongue:

I've just finished an English Access course, a fella on the course was going to apply to cam or Ox just to see how far he'd get with an Access certificate rather than A-levels. I wish he had, I would've been fascinated to seen the results.

Anyone else?

Heya, i have to write an essay about wordsworth and how his poetry reflects nature and his feelings towards it. Any tips on which of his many poems would be best for this? Thank u if u can help at all!
:smile:

Reply 19

Mrs Rickman

Jenfer

Composed upon Westminster Bridge is a good one to analyse - lots to say about it in terms of Wordsworth using nature to express the typical romantic notions of freedom etc ie nature has escaped the restraints that the authorities have placed over people.

Any essay on Wordsworth i try and quote from his 'All good poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings' speech - makes a good introduction.

:smile: