Hia folks I am doing Advanced Higher English. I am also one of the youngest ever to do the course in Scotland *awaits applause* But the Advanced course is really daunting. What i would like advice on is the first part of the course- the personal study. I have done personal book studies before, but this is to a completly diffrent level and i have no idea what i want to study. It is a comparison/discussion of 3 books, 3 plays or 3 poems, or a mixture of genres. 2000-4000 words. I was planning on doing Robert Browning's "My Last Duchess" as my first piece as I love his poetry and it's a great example of dramatic monologue. I was going to compare this to two other dramatic monologues (which ones i have no clue ) and discusss how effective the technique of dramatic monologue is in conveying the mind of a character, moreso than say third person poetry (i doubt that is the right term) But i would like to see if anyone can give me advice on any other sets of texts I could do, it doesn't have to be of the same author.
I don't have specific pieces to suggest, but probably what you should look for is three works with a similar theme or purpose, and compare and contrast the ways that the different authors approach that theme. Similarly, you could write about how three different works portray female lead characters on their own (for example). The key is to choose the three pieces in light of some commonality you want to center your discussion around. I hope this helps.
Good choice! Robert Browning is a genius I'm not too keen on that particular poem (bad experiences at GCSE) but if you have a few weeks, you might want to check out Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came. Anyway, on topic, I had to do a similar thing as part of the IB- a 4000 word extended essay, on any subject I was studying, and on anything I wanted within that subject. The sheer scope of choice daunted me for a long time. Anyway, interesting works I would suggest: Poems The Wasteland by TS Eliot (a great poem, but a bit confusing at times) The Second Coming by WB Yeats The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe Books Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (which has the added bonus of being quite short...). 1984 by George Orwell (even if you don't choose it, you should read it). Lord of the Flies by William Golding To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Plays Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett Macbeth/Hamlet/Othello/Henry V by William Shakespeare The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe Antigone by Jean Anouilh That's all I can think of for the time being.
Also, given the length of the study, you probably don't want to compare and contrast works that are too short.
I can give you the applause and do so willingly. The help is beyond me but I will be part of the rooting for you crowd.
Applause duly presented! Two of my daughters were in Advanced Placement college English during high school and they were never subjected to such rigorous academic standards. I find your schooling impressive and I wish more US schools would return to the "days of expectation", when teens were respected for their inherent capabilities and challenged to excel. Sorry I have else nothing to offer but praise and recognition. Good luck...somehow, I don't think you need it. LOL! .....NaCl
Lol, i've no idea why my post is entitled with a sad face anyway 3 books, 3 plays or 3 poems, or a mixture of genres. 2000-4000 words Some of my suggestions, having studied them at university- Books Hard Times- Charles Dickens This way for the gas ladies and gentlemen- Tadeusz Borowski To the Lighthouse- Virginia Woolf Frankenstein- Mary Shelley (I highly reccomend this one, it's an extremely interesting novel to study) The Handmaid's Tale- Margaret Atwood Sophie's World- Jostein Gaarder Plays Twelfth Night/Much ado about nothing/Macbeth- Shakespeare Poems The Eemis Stane- Hugh Macdiarmid Dulce et Decorum Est- Wilfred Owen Mental Cases- Wilfred Owen The Love Song of J.Alfred Prufrock- T.S Eliot Sonnet 19 (When I consider how my light is spent) - John Milton Easter 1916- W.E Yeats
You could always do Paradise Lost... Or The Divine Comedy That could count as three, if you take the sections individually.
Lol. What i am considering, after reading all your advice is to compare the diffrent ways evil is discusssed in three diffrent authors eyes. "My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning will probably be one becuase I already know it so well and enjoy a good dramatic monologue. "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee I read a few years back for standard grade and loved, I think the idea of evil there is more subtle and might be interesting to look for. And I'm lost for a last text. I could study the character of Sauran in LotRs, but that could be too much compared to the other two pieces. Any ideas for evil? Can be of any genre now I think I have two!
Don't do to Kill a Mockingbird, it's overkill, do something that'll challenge you. I suggest A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, if you can figure that text out you'll well impress.
Wow, I don't have much advice to give you but i'm definitely impressed with the english skills there. I stopped doing literature at GCSE even though I got an A* because I didn't like the look of the A level syllabus. My friend does English Literature though and they spent almost a year studying Harry Potter and Tom Brown's schooldays or something like that... I did read My Last Duchess at GCSE, but i'm not a huge lover of poetry anyway... it never seems to make sense or speak to me in the way it does other people.
