!! English HL 2015 - ALL things HL English, predictions, discussion etc.

StoneRed

Do You Even Squat wrote: »

This is painful to read. The whole spiel from the SEC is that "we're trying to be unpredictable". That means anyone can come up. Trends could be thrown out the window and they just picked the names of the poets out of a hat. Predicting is an endless cycle.
-"Yeats came up last year, so he can't come up this year"
-"Nah that's too predictable, so he has to come up this year. Plus it's his 150th anniversary so that means he has to come up"
-"But since it's the 150th anniversary, it would be really obvious to study him, so they won't put him on"
-"That's what most people will think, so it would be unpredictable to put him on"
-"But......"
You get my point.
Just spend the time that you would predicting on studying 5-6 poets really well.

DO YOU EVEN STRATEGY?

LeeLee97

My predictions

Paper 1 - Theme of equality
Something about WB Yeats as an extract

Paper 2 -
Poetry
1. Dickinson
2. Yeats
3. Frost
4. Hardy/Donne

Literary Genre
Theme & Issue

Othello
Symbolism & Imagery
Character of Iago

Unseen Poem
"When you are old" - WB Yeats

oktplz

What's the general vision of the opening of TGG? Is it pessimistic or optimistic?

fin709

Why are people not studying Hardy, just out of curiosity? I'm preparing Hardy, Frost and ENC. But we glanced over every poet at some stage over the past two years in class and I found Hardy the easiest by far and also he is probably the most likely to come up considering he wasn't on in years and isnt examinable next year. So why is he so unpopular?

oktplz

fin709 wrote: »

Why are people not studying Hardy, just out of curiosity? I'm preparing Hardy, Frost and ENC. But we glanced over every poet at some stage over the past two years in class and I found Hardy the easiest by far and also he is probably the most likely to come up considering he wasn't on in years and isnt examinable next year. So why is he so unpopular?

u messsssin, he's such a difficult poet to study! Personally, I find that it's very difficult to catagorise and summerise his work, which makes for a mad difficult essay to prep.

LeeLee97

fin709 wrote: »

Why are people not studying Hardy, just out of curiosity? I'm preparing Hardy, Frost and ENC. But we glanced over every poet at some stage over the past two years in class and I found Hardy the easiest by far and also he is probably the most likely to come up considering he wasn't on in years and isnt examinable next year. So why is he so unpopular?

People aren't studying Hardy because they can't find sample essays to learn and regurgitate in the exam. His poems arent very good but there's great meaning and depth in them

fin709

oktplz wrote: »

u messsssin, he's such a difficult poet to study! Personally, I find that it's very difficult to catagorise and summerise his work, which makes for a mad difficult essay to prep.

His main themes are the destructive force of nature (During wind and rain, drummer hodge), and also The Darkling Thrush is extremely similar to Frost's The Tuft of Flowers if that helps because it shows nature reversing the poets earlier despondent mood. Channel Firing is about the futility of war (which is a principal theme in Drummer Hodge too) and condemning mankind and then you have a nice respite from all the heavy themes and you have When i Set out For Lyonesse which is a gorgeous lyrical poem about how love can change a man.
There is a plethora of things to write about concerning Hardy, this is just off the top of my head and i havent looked at him in months. He's fantastic

randylonghorn

Do You Even Squat wrote: »

This is painful to read. The whole spiel from the SEC is that "we're trying to be unpredictable". That means anyone can come up.

You mean students would be left with no choice but to study the full curriculum as set down for the LC?

Surely not, the SEC couldn't be that cruel!!

Could they ... ?!


:pac:

Digital Solitude

randylonghorn wrote: »

You mean students would be left with no choice but to study the full curriculum as set down for the LC?

Surely not, the SEC couldn't be that cruel!!

Could they ... ?!


:pac:

I heard the Chief Examiner eats babies

fin709

Are people actually learning off whole essays?
Would it not make more sense just to learn quotes and then weave them into an answer on the day after seeing the question? It would save a lot of study time and would actually engage with the whole purpose of English as a subject

JohnDunne

I had a bit of a scary thought that maybe no female poets will come up. (2 last year, maybe a hint that they're having a break this year to "break" the old saying). Anyways: Faaaaaaackk.

DarraghF197

fin709 wrote: »

Why are people not studying Hardy, just out of curiosity? I'm preparing Hardy, Frost and ENC. But we glanced over every poet at some stage over the past two years in class and I found Hardy the easiest by far and also he is probably the most likely to come up considering he wasn't on in years and isnt examinable next year. So why is he so unpopular?

He's my second favourite poet on the curriculum and I also strongly believe he will come up. He's probably the one I can most relate to, he's more philosophical than other poets. Poems such as Channel Firing tell us that he believes that God has yet to intervene in war and suggests religion has failed. Then you have The Self-unseeing and During Wind and Rain which tell us that we should be appreciative of the moments we share with our loved ones as they will not last.

Him and Plath I can write about for ages! I'd probably be able to write a whole essay on just During wind and rain or Channel firing alone!

LeeLee97

During Wind and Rain is possible the most sombre, upsetting and harrowing poem I have ever read.

Peg14

hoping for Frost but I will settle for Montague! But I will learn all 5, there's no guarantee. Othello is my favourite part of the course. Hated it at the start though.

SB22

Anybody willing to share a lit gen essay? doesn't matter what three texts they are just looking to see how you write one.

DarraghF197

Peg14 wrote: »

hoping for Frost but I will settle for Montague! But I will learn all 5, there's no guarantee. Othello is my favourite part of the course. Hated it at the start though.

Yeah I'm really starting to like Othello as well! I find that Shakespeare portrays his characters so perfectly. Not only do the characters have to go in sync with the plot, but, in each scene they are present in, they epitomise the type of character they are. I only really realised this when studying Othello properly.

Comparative has to be my least favourite part of paper two. I like analysing the texts, and my novel is really good 'Catcher in the Rye', but I find it a bit ridiculous that we analyse one character and then compare them to a completely different characters from a completely different text. It feels like you write an essay pondering if one moment of a scene is in any way related to another one and then write two paragraphs on how they are supposedly supporting the exact same outlook on life or theme.

oktplz

JohnDunne wrote: »

I had a bit of a scary thought that maybe no female poets will come up. (2 last year, maybe a hint that they're having a break this year to "break" the old saying). Anyways: Faaaaaaackk.

Judging by your username I would've said you'd be banking on a different poet

randylonghorn

oktplz wrote: »

Judging by your username I would've said you'd be banking on a different poet

Now you've Gonne and Donne it ....

Lune

What structure should a theme and issue essay take?

oktplz

randylonghorn wrote: »

Now you've Gonne and Donne it ....

Aw goodonne.
I'montayue randy...

Digital Solitude

Someone ban her, please

oktplz

Digital Solitude wrote: »

Someone ban her, please

Don't do that, I have a Plathora of puns to come :P

leavingcert15

Does anyone have any sample short stories or personal essays or any sample answer on literary genre or Othello or even any good notes on them. Text back if ye have anything at all.

randylonghorn

Digital Solitude wrote: »

Someone ban her, please

Then I'd have to ban myself as well in the interests of fair play ... >_>

Moyo

Digital Solitude wrote: »

We've done Montague and Donne...

One of my friends has a theory that Montague's "The Trout" is about him masturbating in the bath. I know.

Hahahahahahahaha that's so funny

Does anyone know what is essential to know for Othello?

LeeLee97

See when you're writing a short story and there's internal dialogue, how do you write that on the page? In the short stories I've written this year, I've typed them so i just used italics... any suggestions?

Moyo

I'm so stuck for the composition, any ideas for short story or any advice

lc2015x

Can someone tell me if I have myself fully covered for the comparative study?
I'm studying two essays on Literary genre; one on narrative/storytelling writing used & the other on symbols, metaphors to create atmosphere etc.
The other essay is on Theme of isolation; to form both personal & universal reflections of the theme with the use of symbols & key moments.
I don't think I've time to study GV+V, and my teacher said it's okay to study 2 out of 3

Peg14

lc2015x wrote: »

Can someone tell me if I have myself fully covered for the comparative study?
I'm studying two essays on Literary genre; one on narrative/storytelling writing used & the other on symbols, metaphors to create atmosphere etc.
The other essay is on Theme of isolation; to form both personal & universal reflections of the theme with the use of symbols & key moments.
I don't think I've time to study GV+V, and my teacher said it's okay to study 2 out of 3

Sure lots of schools only do two of the three modes anyways! To me you seem sorted

OMGeary

If the comparative question states it must be key moment can you allude tho something that isn't in that moment as a sort of intro to the paragraph or must it only be from that moment

i.e. While Cathy and Heathcliff's relationship was initially one of friendship, Cathy became "much too fond of Heathcliff".
Their loving relationship is through the moment when Cathy confesses her plans to marry Linton to Nelly.
and then just talk about that key moment.

Anyone know ?