english literature b coursework

• Search UNH.edu
• Search College of Liberal Arts

Commonly Searched Items:

• Academic Calendar
• Programs of Study
• Undergraduate Information
• Graduate Information
• Faculty & Staff Directory
• Faculty Emeriti
• English Spotlight
• English Graduate Student Profiles
• MFA Writing Alumni Books
• Composition Ph.D. Alumni
• Literature Ph.D. Alumni
• Journalism Alumni
• Internships
• Research Opportunities
• NH Literacy Institutes
• Learning Through Teaching
• Research Activities and Initiatives
• Master of Science for Teachers
• Visiting Journalist Series
• Writers Series
• UNH English PhD 50th Anniversary Conference
• Why Hire an English Major?
• Resources and Ideas
• Tips and Resources for Journalists
• REvisions: English Department Newsletter

English Literature (B.A.)

What is English literature?

English literature is the study of literature written in the English language. In this degree program, you’ll become a skilled reader and interpreter of literary works, films, media creations and cultural phenomena. Understanding literature is multidimensional, and includes the consideration of the artistic, historical, cultural and theoretical contexts that inform imaginative creations. The literature major is especially well suited for students interested in graduate studies in English or law school, but it is also an excellent program for those who want to develop an in-depth knowledge of literature in English in all its formal, historical, cultural and theoretical dimensions.

Why study English literature at UNH?

Our small class sizes allow you to work closely with faculty while exploring English literature in depth. We also offer a variety of special programs, including opportunities abroad studying literature at Cambridge University and travel writing in London. In our Writers and Speakers Series, you’ll hear published writers and prominent literary scholars from around the country talk about their work.

Potential careers

• Business executive
• Government consultant

Curriculum & Requirements

Program description.

The English literature major serves those students who want to focus particularly on the study of literature — its many forms and styles, its rich history and the range of approaches to its analysis. The English literature track is an especially attractive major for those who plan to go on to graduate school. 

As an English literature major, a student will learn about various literary traditions, both British and American literature as well as traditions organized around other principles, such as post-colonial literature, women's literature, African-American literature and genres like poetry and drama. Courses are designed to expose students to many different sorts of works and to help them develop questions and strategies of critical thinking that will make all kinds of literary expression meaningful. And the works students will study will provide many ways of looking at the world and enrich their quality of life. What's more, students have many opportunities to hone critical writing and research skills and to practice the art of presenting research findings to a group, all skills in high demand in today's workplace. The English literature major is an excellent way to combine development of interpretive and writing skills with an exciting, in-depth encounter with some of the very best writing ever produced in the English language. 

Students interested in majoring in English literature should consult Carla Cannizzaro, Senior Academic Advisor, Department of English, 230F Hamilton Smith Hall, (603) 862-1313 or the director of the English literature program.

Requirements for the Program

Degree requirements.

All Major, Option and Elective Requirements as indicated. *Major GPA requirements as indicated.

Major Requirements

As an English literature major, you must complete a minimum of 40 credits of major coursework with a grade of C- or better, with the exception of ENGL 419 How to Read Anything , which you must complete with a grade of C or better. You may not use  ENGL 401 First-Year Writing , ENGL 415s, "Literature and..." courses, or ENGL 444 classes to satisfy major requirements.

A minimum of six courses must be completed at the 600 level or higher. 

This must be completed with a minimum grade of “C.”   ENGL 419 How to Read Anything is the only 400-level class that may count towards the English literature major.

With the exception of ENGL 533 Introduction to Film Studies

Please see your advisor if you have questions about other courses that might fulfill these requirements.

Candidates for a degree must satisfy all of the University Discovery Program requirements in addition to satisfying the requirements of each individual major program. Bachelor of arts candidates must also satisfy the foreign language proficiency requirement.

The required minimum overall GPA in major coursework is 2.0.

English Literature majors may use one major-required course to satisfy one Discovery category requirement.

Majors may only count one online course toward their English major requirements.

Student Learning Outcomes

All undergraduate English majors acquire the same core skills. These include:

• Proficiency in analytical writing, critical thinking, and public-speaking.
• Knowledge of important literary genres and subgenres
• Fluency in literary terminology,
• A broad understanding of British-and-American literature, from the medieval period in England and the moment of first contact in America to the present day.
• Demonstrated proficiency in writing an analytical essay that offers a sophisticated close-reading or explication of a literary text. This essay will have a clear thesis and proceed in a logical fashion, with interpretive claims supported by evidence from the text.
• Demonstrated proficiency in literary research and in writing an extended thesis-driven research paper in which sources are correctly and responsibly cited.
• Demonstrated understanding of how to read across the color line in the US and /or how to analyze literary works written in English from outside the UK and the US--from India, Africa, and the Caribbean, for example. 

Explore Program Details

Why study english literature.

Reading literature encourages the mind to enter new, and sometimes improbable, spheres of experience. Some literary texts inspire us to feel admiration and compassion for unlikely heroes or heroines: a son overwhelmed by the sudden death of his father and his mother's quick remarriage to his despicable uncle, a woman who loses her social standing and whose subsequent humiliation and poverty drive her to suicide, a wife trapped in a loveless marriage, or a daughter who accidentally encounters her birth parents. Others confront us with perplexing concepts: the "ineluctable modality of the visible," "fearful symmetry," and that it can "be very, very dangerous to live even one day." Still others ask us to consider the wondrous properties of the very, very small (a grain of sand, leaves of grass) or the very, very large (a white whale, the Congo); or to observe the world from a multitude of perspectives, from above or below, earlier or later, male or female, east or west, black or white, all at the same time. Literature, too, grants access to scenes or sights that can be neither diagrammed nor charted nor otherwise pictured. How are two lovers like a pair of compasses? How is life like a loaded gun, or love without hope like a hat full of larks? Magnificent new microscopes and telescopes have brought human beings, standing somewhere between the stars and sub-atomic particles, a little closer to both. Literature transports the cosmos into our most private and personal reflections; yet it also shows us how everyday things, the objects and scenery we hardly notice as we trudge through our routines, can be made radiant with a strange beauty. "Poetry," a poet wrote, "purges from our inward sight the film of familiarity which obscures from us the wonder of our being." Literature is not a physical instrument; it is a purely intellectual one. But, like an unfamiliar piece of computer technology, we need to learn how to use it—or we will be left behind; our lives will be seriously diminished. How literature works is what the English major can teach you.

Rachel Trubowitz and Michael Ferber Professors of English, University of New Hampshire

More to Explore

• Scholarships
• Study Abroad

Take the Next Step

College of Liberal Arts

• Undergraduate Courses
• Introductory Courses
• English 401: First Year Writing
• Double & Dual Major Options in English
• Interdisciplinary Minors Including English Department Coursework
• Declaring a Major
• Departmental Honors
• Student Handbook for Undergraduate Majors
• Graduate Courses
• Financial Aid
• Graduate Student Deadlines
• Graduate Student Handbook
• Current Internship Opportunities
• NH Literacy Institutes Mailing List
• Director Commentary Collection
• Director's Welcome
• Summer Workshops
• Keynote Speakers
• Registration Information
• Instructors
• Collaborative for Writing Research, Engagement, and Teaching (C-WRET)
• School-University Dialogues
• TILDE: Transformational Inquiry in Literacy and Digital Environments

• Sustainability
• Embrace New Hampshire
• University News
• The Future of UNH
• Campus Locations
• Calendars & Events
• Directories
• Facts & Figures
• Academic Advising
• Colleges & Schools
• Degrees & Programs
• Undeclared Students
• Course Search
• Career Services
• How to Apply
• Visit Campus
• Undergraduate Admissions
• Costs & Financial Aid
• Net Price Calculator
• Graduate Admissions
• UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law
• Housing & Residential Life
• Clubs & Organizations
• New Student Programs
• Student Support
• Fitness & Recreation
• Student Union
• Health & Wellness
• Student Life Leadership
• Sport Clubs
• UNH Wildcats
• Intramural Sports
• Campus Recreation
• Centers & Institutes
• Undergraduate Research
• Research Office
• Graduate Research
• FindScholars@UNH
• Business Partnerships with UNH
• Professional Development & Continuing Education
• Research and Technology at UNH
• Current Students
• Faculty & Staff
• Alumni & Friends
• Request Information

• International
• Schools directory
• Resources Jobs Schools directory News Search

NEA Coursework Poetry Recommendations - A Level English Lit B

Subject: English

Age range: 16+

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

Last updated

17 July 2023

• Share through email
• Share through twitter
• Share through linkedin
• Share through facebook
• Share through pinterest

I have researched a range of poets and collections of poetry for the NEA Coureswork for AQA A Level English Literature B - focusing on the critical perspectives of Feminism, Postcolonialism, Ecocriticism and Marxism. From this, I have collated a list of poets, collections, a brief overview and key themes. I have included about 30 poets in total, which should be plenty to get any A Level Literature class started on their coursework with some guided choices. This is a pdf file and 6 pages in total.

Tes paid licence How can I reuse this?

Your rating is required to reflect your happiness.

It's good to leave some feedback.

Something went wrong, please try again later.

This resource hasn't been reviewed yet

To ensure quality for our reviews, only customers who have purchased this resource can review it

Report this resource to let us know if it violates our terms and conditions. Our customer service team will review your report and will be in touch.

Not quite what you were looking for? Search by keyword to find the right resource:

English Language and Literature

• Admissions Requirements
• Fees and Funding
• Studying at Oxford

Course overview

UCAS code: Q300 Entrance requirements: AAA Course duration: 3 years (BA)

Subject requirements

Required subjects:  English Literature or English Language and Literature Recommended subjects: Not applicable Helpful subjects: A language, History

Other course requirements

Admissions tests: None Written Work: One piece

Admissions statistics*

Interviewed: 66% Successful: 23% Intake: 220 *3-year average 2021-23

Tel: +44 (0) 1865 271055 Email:  [email protected]

Unistats information for this course can be found at the bottom of the page

Please note that there may be no data available if the number of course participants is very small.

About the course

The English Language and Literature course at Oxford is one of the broadest in the country, giving you the chance to study writing in English from its origins in Anglo-Saxon England to the present.

As well as British literature, you can study works written in English from other parts of the world, and some originally written in other languages, allowing you to think about literature in English in multilingual and global contexts across time.

The course allows you a considerable degree of choice, both in developing your personal interests across core papers, and in choosing a topic for your dissertation and for a special option in your final year.

Options have included:

• Literature and revolution
• Postcolonial literature
• Writing lives
• Film criticism.

Studying literature at Oxford involves the development of sophisticated reading skills and of an ability to place literary texts in their wider intellectual and historical contexts. It also requires you to:

• consider the critical processes by which you analyse and judge
• learn about literary form and technique
• evaluate various approaches to literary criticism and theory
• study the development of the English language.

The Oxford English Faculty is the largest English department in Britain. Students are taught in tutorials by an active scholar in their field, many of whom also give lectures to all students in the English Faculty. You will therefore have the opportunity to learn from a wide range of specialist teachers.

Library provision for English at Oxford is exceptionally good. All students have access to the Bodleian Library (with its extensive manuscript collection), the English Faculty Library, their own college libraries and a wide range of electronic resources.

In your first year, you will be introduced to the conceptual and technical tools used in the study of language and literature, and to a wide range of different critical approaches. At the same time, you will be doing tutorial work on early medieval literature, Victorian literature and literature from 1910 to the present.

In your second and third years, you will extend your study of English literary history in four more period papers ranging from late medieval literature to Romanticism. These papers are assessed by three-hour written examinations at the end of your third year. You will also produce:

• a portfolio of three essays on Shakespeare, on topics of your choice
• an extended essay (or occasionally an examination) relating to a special options paper, chosen from a list of around 25 courses
• and an 8,000-word dissertation on a subject of your choice.

Submitted work will constitute almost half of the final assessment for most students.

Alternatively, in the second and third years, you can choose to follow our specialist course in Medieval Literature and Language, with papers covering literature in English from 650-1550 along with the history of the English language up to 1800, with a further paper either on Shakespeare or on manuscript and print culture. Students on this course also take a special options paper and submit a dissertation on a topic of their choice.

Astrophoria Foundation Year

If you’re interested in studying English but your personal or educational circumstances have meant you are unlikely to achieve the grades typically required for Oxford courses, then choosing to apply for English with a Foundation Year might be the course for you.

Visit our Foundation Year course pages for more details. 

Unistats information

Discover Uni  course data provides applicants with Unistats statistics about undergraduate life at Oxford for a particular undergraduate course.

Please select 'see course data' to view the full Unistats data for English Language and Literature.

Visit the Studying at Oxford section of this page for a more general insight into what studying here is likely to be like. 

A typical week

Although details of practice vary from college to college, most students will have one or two tutorials (usually two students and a tutor) and one or two classes (in groups of around 8 to 10) each week. A tutorial usually involves discussion of an essay, which you will have produced based on your own reading and research that week. You will normally be expected to produce between eight and twelve pieces of written work each term. Most students will also attend several lectures each week.

Tutorials are usually 2-3 students and a tutor. Class sizes may vary depending on the options you choose. In college, there would usually be 6-12 students and in the department there would usually be no more than 15 students. There might be specific circumstances in which some classes contain around 20 students. 

Most tutorials, classes, and lectures are delivered by staff who are tutors in their subject. Many are world-leading experts with years of experience in teaching and research. Some teaching may also be delivered by postgraduate students who are usually studying at doctoral level.

To find out more about how our teaching year is structured, visit our  Academic Year  page.

Course structure

The content and format of this course may change in some circumstances. Read further information about potential course changes .

Academic Requirements

Wherever possible, your grades are considered in the context in which they have been achieved.

Read further information on  how we use contextual data .

Subject requirements 

If a practical component forms part of any of your science A‐levels used to meet your offer, we expect you to pass it.

If English is not your first language you may also need to meet our English language requirements .

Please note that creative writing qualifications, regardless of awarding body, are not accepted and will not help you meet the academic requirements for this course.

If your personal or educational circumstances have meant you are unlikely to achieve the grades listed above for undergraduate study, but you still have a strong interest in the subject, then applying for English with a Foundation Year might be right for you.

Visit the  Foundation Year course pages for more details of academic requirements and eligibility.

All candidates must follow the application procedure as shown on our  Applying to Oxford  pages.

The following information gives specific details for students applying for this course.

Admissions test

You do not need to take a written test as part of an application for this course. 

Written work

Visit  our written work page  general guidance and to download the cover sheet.

What are tutors looking for?

Successful candidates will give evidence of wide, engaged, and thoughtful reading.

Written work helps us to gauge your analytical skills and your writing.

Interviews allow us to explore your enthusiasm for literature, your response to new ideas and information and your capacity for independent thought. We are not looking for any particular reading, or particular answers: we are interested in your ideas and in how you engage with literature.

Shortlisted candidates may also be asked to discuss an unseen piece of prose or verse given to you before or in the interview. Tutors appreciate that you may be nervous, and will try to put you at ease.

Visit the English website for more detail on the selection criteria for this course.

Our students go on to succeed in a very wide range of careers: the analytical and communication skills that develop during this course equip them for many different paths.

Popular careers and fields include:

• advertising
• librarianship
• public relations
• further research
• management consultancy

The Telling Our Stories Better project ran throughout 2021, bringing together alumni and current students of the English Faculty to talk about their time at Oxford and their career paths. Led by Dr Sophie Ratcliffe and Dr Ushashi Dasgupta , and managed by Dr Dominique Gracia, Stories aims to challenge misconceptions about who studies English and the career paths they take.

Note: These annual fees are for full-time students who begin this undergraduate course here in 2024. Course fee information for courses starting in 2025 will be updated in September.

We don't want anyone who has the academic ability to get a place to study here to be held back by their financial circumstances. To meet that aim, Oxford offers one of the most generous financial support packages available for UK students and this may be supplemented by support from your college.

Further details about fee status eligibility can be found on the fee status webpage.

For more information please refer to our  course fees page . Fees will usually increase annually. For details, please see our  guidance on likely increases to fees and charges.

Living costs

Living costs at Oxford might be less than you’d expect, as our  world-class resources and college provision can help keep costs down.

Living costs for the academic year starting in 2024 are estimated to be between £1,345 and £1,955 for each month you are in Oxford. Our academic year is made up of three eight-week terms, so you would not usually need to be in Oxford for much more than six months of the year but may wish to budget over a nine-month period to ensure you also have sufficient funds during the holidays to meet essential costs. For further details please visit our  living costs webpage .

• Financial support

**If you have studied at undergraduate level before and completed your course, you will be classed as an Equivalent or Lower Qualification student (ELQ) and won’t be eligible to receive government or Oxford funding

Fees, Funding and Scholarship search

Additional Fees and Charges Information for English Language and Literature

There are no compulsory costs for this course beyond the fees shown above and your living costs.

Contextual information

Unistats course data from Discover Uni provides applicants with statistics about a particular undergraduate course at Oxford. For a more holistic insight into what studying your chosen course here is likely to be like, we would encourage you to view the information below as well as to explore our website more widely.

The Oxford tutorial

College tutorials are central to teaching at Oxford. Typically, they take place in your college and are led by your academic tutor(s) who teach as well as do their own research. Students will also receive teaching in a variety of other ways, depending on the course. This will include lectures and classes, and may include laboratory work and fieldwork. However, tutorials offer a level of personalised attention from academic experts unavailable at most universities.

During tutorials (normally lasting an hour), college subject tutors will give you and one or two tutorial partners feedback on prepared work and cover a topic in depth. The other student(s) in your tutorials will be doing the same course as you. Such regular and rigorous academic discussion develops and facilitates learning in a way that isn’t possible through lectures alone. Tutorials also allow for close progress monitoring so tutors can quickly provide additional support if necessary.

Read more about tutorials and an Oxford education

College life

Our colleges are at the heart of Oxford’s reputation as one of the best universities in the world.

• At Oxford, everyone is a member of a college as well as their subject department(s) and the University. Students therefore have both the benefits of belonging to a large, renowned institution and to a small and friendly academic community. Each college or hall is made up of academic and support staff, and students. Colleges provide a safe, supportive environment leaving you free to focus on your studies, enjoy time with friends and make the most of the huge variety of opportunities.
• Porters’ lodge (a staffed entrance and reception)
• Dining hall
• Lending library (often open 24/7 in term time)
• Student accommodation
• Tutors’ teaching rooms
• Chapel and/or music rooms
• Green spaces
• Common room (known as the JCR).
• All first-year students are offered college accommodation either on the main site of their college or in a nearby college annexe. This means that your neighbours will also be ‘freshers’ and new to life at Oxford. This accommodation is guaranteed, so you don’t need to worry about finding somewhere to live after accepting a place here, all of this is organised for you before you arrive.
• All colleges offer at least one further year of accommodation and some offer it for the entire duration of your degree. You may choose to take up the option to live in your college for the whole of your time at Oxford, or you might decide to arrange your own accommodation after your first year – perhaps because you want to live with friends from other colleges.
• While college academic tutors primarily support your academic development, you can also ask their advice on other things. Lots of other college staff including welfare officers help students settle in and are available to offer guidance on practical or health matters. Current students also actively support students in earlier years, sometimes as part of a college ‘family’ or as peer supporters trained by the University’s Counselling Service.

Read more about Oxford colleges and how you choose

FIND OUT MORE

• Visit the faculty's website

Our 2024 undergraduate open days will be held on 26 and 27 June and 20 September.

Register to find out more about our upcoming open days.

English Faculty State School Open Day  - 9 March 2024

RELATED PAGES

• Which Oxford colleges offer my course?
• Your academic year
• Foundation Year

Related courses

• English and Modern Languages
• Foundation Year (Humanities)
• History and English
• Classics and English

Feel inspired?

Why not have a look at the University's collection of literary resources on our  Great Writers Inspire site .

You may also like to listen to radio programs such as BBC Radio 4's In Our Time , or one of the University's podcast series .

Alternatively magazines like The New Yorker , or journals like London Review of Books and The Paris Review , contain lots of fascinating long-read articles and essays. 

Follow us on social media

Follow us on social media to get the most up-to-date application information throughout the year, and to hear from our students.

AP® English Literature and Composition B

Course description.

The AP English Literature and Composition course aligns to an introductory college-level literary analysis course. The course engages students in the close reading and critical analysis of imaginative literature to deepen their understanding of the ways writers use language to provide both meaning and pleasure. As they read, students consider a work’s structure, style, and themes, as well as its use of figurative language, imagery, symbolism, and tone. Writing assignments include expository, analytical, and argumentative essays that require students to analyze and interpret literary works.

Advanced Placement (AP ® ) courses are equivalent to college-level courses. We highly recommend that you read the College Board’s  AP English Literature and Composition Course and Exam Description   before beginning this course.

Required Course Materials

You will need to purchase a textbook because the course involves reading text:

Literature & Composition: Essential Voices, Essential Skills for the AP® Course, Third Edition ©2022 by  Renee H. Shea; Robin Dissin Aufses; Lawrence Scanlon; Katherine E. Cordes; Carlos Escobar; Carol Jago

• ISBN-13 : 9781319281144
• ISBN-10 : 1319281141

You will also need access to the following works:

• The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
• Lord of the Flies by William Goldsmith
• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
• Death of Salesman by Arthur Miller

Course Organization

This semester course consists of:

• 4 Units with 2 – 5 Lessons per Unit
• 12 Graded Assignments
• 1 final exam

You must take and pass each semester’s final exam to receive credit for the course. After taking the semester B exam, you may take the AP ®  English Language and Composition exam offered by the CollegeBoard, but it is not required to receive credit for the course from UT High School.

Final Examination

The final examination is comprehensive; it covers the material from all units. To pass the course, you must receive a grade of 70 percent or better.

Format:  Multiple-choice and essay, online Time Allowed:  3 hours Materials Allowed:  None

Semester Topics

• Exploring Suffering and the Human Condition
• Exploring Life and Death:  The Dichotomy of the Human Experience
• Exploring Peace and War through Literature
• Understanding and Developing the Free-Response Essay for Poetry and Prose

Finished Papers

(415) 520-5258

Finished Papers

What Can You Help Me With?

No matter what assignment you need to get done, let it be math or English language, our essay writing service covers them all. Assignments take time, patience, and thorough in-depth knowledge. Are you worried you don't have everything it takes? Our writers will help with any kind of subject after receiving the requirements. One of the tasks we can take care of is research papers. They can take days if not weeks to complete. If you don't have the time for endless reading then contact our essay writing help online service. With EssayService stress-free academic success is a hand away. Another assignment we can take care of is a case study. Acing it requires good analytical skills. You'll need to hand pick specific information which in most cases isn't easy to find. Why waste your energy on this when they're so many exciting activities out there? Our writing help can also do your critical thinking essays. They aren't the easiest task to complete, but they're the perfect occasion to show your deep understanding of the subject through a lens of critical analysis. Hire our writer services to ace your review. Are you struggling with understanding your professors' directions when it comes to homework assignments? Hire professional writers with years of experience to earn a better grade and impress your parents. Send us the instructions, and your deadline, and you're good to go.

If you can’t write your essay, then the best solution is to hire an essay helper. Since you need a 100% original paper to hand in without a hitch, then a copy-pasted stuff from the internet won’t cut it. To get a top score and avoid trouble, it’s necessary to submit a fully authentic essay. Can you do it on your own? No, I don’t have time and intention to write my essay now! In such a case, step on a straight road of becoming a customer of our academic helping platform where every student can count on efficient, timely, and cheap assistance with your research papers, namely the essays.

There are questions about essay writing services that students ask about pretty often. So we’ve decided to answer them in the form of an F.A.Q.

Is essay writing legitimate?

As writing is a legit service as long as you stick to a reliable company. For example, is a great example of a reliable essay company. Choose us if you’re looking for competent helpers who, at the same time, don’t charge an arm and a leg. Also, our essays are original, which helps avoid copyright-related troubles.

Are your essay writers real people?

Yes, all our writers of essays and other college and university research papers are real human writers. Everyone holds at least a Bachelor’s degree across a requested subject and boats proven essay writing experience. To prove that our writers are real, feel free to contact a writer we’ll assign to work on your order from your Customer area.

Is there any cheap essay help?

You can have a cheap essay writing service by either of the two methods. First, claim your first-order discount – 15%. And second, order more essays to become a part of the Loyalty Discount Club and save 5% off each order to spend the bonus funds on each next essay bought from us.

Can I reach out to my essay helper?

Contact your currently assigned essay writer from your Customer area. If you already have a favorite writer, request their ID on the order page, and we’ll assign the expert to work on your order in case they are available at the moment. Requesting a favorite writer is a free service.

Business Enquiries

This website works best with JavaScript switched on. Please enable JavaScript

• Centre Services
• Associate Extranet
• All About Maths

AS and A-level English Literature A

• Specification
• Planning resources
• Teaching resources
• Assessment resources
• Introduction
• Specification at a glance
• 3.1 Love through the ages
• 4.1 Love through the ages
• 4.2 Texts in shared contexts

4.3 Independent critical study: texts across time

• Scheme of assessment
• Non-exam assessment administration (A-level only)
• General administration

In Texts across time, students write a comparative critical study of two texts.

This specification is committed to the notion of autonomous personal reading and Texts across time provides a challenging and wide-ranging opportunity for independent study. Possible themes for the comparison are indicated below, but this is not a set list and students are free to develop their own interests from their own wider and independent reading.

Texts chosen for study must maximise opportunities for writing about comparative similarity and difference and must allow access to a range of critical views and interpretations, including over time . Students should take an autonomous approach to the application and evaluation of a range of critical views.

The title 'Independent critical study' highlights the important idea that, within a literature course, students should have the opportunity to work independently. Although one common text could, if required, be taught to a whole cohort, at least one text should be studied independently by each student. Texts should always be chosen with your guidance and support. Students should also individually negotiate their own task.

In Texts across time, students write a comparative critical study of two texts on a theme of their choice. Possible themes include, but are not limited to:

• the struggle for identity
• crime and punishment
• minds under stress
• nostalgia and the past
• satire and dystopia
• war and conflict
• representations of race and ethnicity
• representations of sexuality
• representations of women
• representations of men
• representations of social class and culture.

The spirit of this component is for independent study, with schools and colleges submitting work on a range of texts and tasks. Schools and colleges are encouraged to check the appropriateness of texts and tasks with their non-exam assessment adviser, especially where there may be some uncertainty on the approach being taken, either by the school or college as a whole or by individual students.

• The word count is 2,500 words.
• Tasks should be designed to ensure that students address all assessment objectives in their essay response.
• An appropriate academic bibliography (not included within the 2,500 word count) must be included.
• An appropriately academic form of referencing must be used.

The following conditions apply to the texts chosen:

• one text must have been written pre-1900
• two different authors must be studied
• set texts listed for the A-level exam components cannot be used for non-exam assessment, even if they will not be used in the exam
• the essay is comparative and connective so equal attention must be paid to both texts
• a poetry text could be either one longer narrative poem or a single authored collection of shorter poems. If using a collection of poetry, students must have studied the whole text and select at least two poems to write about in detail as examples of the wider collection
• single authored collections of short stories are permissible. If using a collection of short stories, students must have studied the whole text and select at least two stories to write about in detail as examples of the wider collection
• texts chosen for study may include texts in translation that have been influential and significant in the development of literature in English. The translated text should be treated as the original writer's own words for assessment purposes. Therefore, schools and colleges should ensure that they use a version recognised by academia as being a high quality translation which supports the original author's writing appropriately.

Recommended texts

Texts listed in the A-level core set text and comparative set text lists in Sections 4.1 and 4.2 cannot be studied for non-exam assessment. Texts chosen for study may include texts in translation that have been influential and significant in the development of literature in English.

Possible pre-1900 texts include, but are not limited to:

NEA prohibited texts

Students cannot use the following texts for non-exam assessment as they appear on the exam set text lists.

Examples of choices of non-exam assessment texts and possible connections

Compare and contrast the presentation of British attitudes to race and ethnicity in The Moonstone and in Zadie Smith’s White Teeth in the light of this view.

In what ways do you think the Gothic settings of these texts help the writers to shape their presentation of heroines in peril?

Compare and contrast the presentation of Sue Trinder in Fingersmith with Marian Halcombe in The Woman in White in the light of this view.