Developing Close Textual Analysis Skills

Good afternoon AS Lang Litters!

The aim of this lesson is to get you thinking about how to really delve into an extract and explore its linguistic and literary features.

KEY VOCAB FOR THIS LESSON: discourse, adjacency pairs, interrogatives, declaratives,  power, ellipsis, humour, subtext, vocatives, fricatives, syndetic listing, reported speech, (extended) metaphor, stage directions, sarcasm, connotations, wider refererences

In the exam, one of the questions on The History Boys will be based on an extract for you to analyse.

Here are the key things you need to do in order to complete this task successfully:

1. Locate the extract in the context of the whole play: what has just happened and what will happen after. You could explore what has happened and what will happen to your characters (is there any character development?)  or you could look at dramatic tension. Why is your scene placed where it is?

2. You must read the extract very carefully - you should be able to make a comment about every line. It helps if you annotate the text with your ideas.

3. Begin by looking at who is involved in the conversation. Explore the discourse structure and the dynamics of the converstion. Is there someone speaking more or holding the floor? What is the subject of their conversations? Who takes the lead? What are their motivations for speaking?

4. Identify as many language and linguistic techniques as you can. What do the features show us about the character, their ideas, their attitudes? How is the writer making the audience understand the character?

So, you now need to read pages 33 - 34 of The History Boys. This is the conversation between Rudge and Mrs Lintott. Follow instructions 1,2 & 3. Click here to take you to a framework to help you explore the linguistic and literary devices used.

Write a detailed analysis of the scene and post on your blog or email to me.

EXT: read the article on Rudge from EMagazine. This will help you to develop your ideas.

Next Lesson: we will go through developing a comparative analytical style for your poetry work and you will have feedback on your essays. You will also complete an assessment based on Song by Christina Rossetti - make sure you read through your notes and understand the key linguistic and literary features. For more information about the poem go to here. There is lots of useful information on this website. Also revise the key features and our expectations of a feature article from an online newspaper.

Language and Literature Lesson 9th October

A happy Friday to all of you!

First of all, we need to continue developing our thoughts on the patterns of language in Plath's poem 'Daddy'.

1. After our discussion, put your ideas about the patterns you were working on last lesson onto a padlet post Link to Padlet Page. Feel free to add images, particularly if you are exploring patterns of images. You can also refer to the shmoop guide here.

Aim to link your points to the themes and ideas presented in the poem: death, oppression, mental illness, patriarchy and female submissiveness, power, authority, betrayal, breakdown of communication, broken relationships, parental relationships.

2. Copy the discussion point given to you onto the padlet page and make a comment on whether you agree with it or not and where there is evidence in the poem to support such an idea.

3. Next, I would like you to start exploring 'Ambulances' by Philip Larkin Ambulances You can write a line by line analysis of the poem, aiming to link your language points to Larkin's ideas about death and his presentation of our relationship with death.  If you would like a little more support, you can complete the framework attached here 

4. Extension Task: Read this interview with Philip Larkin from The Paris Review Larkin Interview in The Paris Review This will be brilliant reading for anyone who will be writing about Larkin as he discussed his use of poetic form.

The History Boys

Hello All :)

Today we are going to reviewing the scene where Irwin first teaches the boys, building on your points from the previous lesson.

Remember, we need to explore the text in terms of the discourse structure (what do the conversations show us about characters, relationships and attitudes); this links to the grammar used (types of sentences used, modality of sentences and what do they tell us about characters, relationships and attitudes); we also need to explore the lexis and semantics used throughout. This is just what words and images have been used and why - what do they tell the reader or the audience about the characters, relationships and attitudes? How do they link to the themes of the play?

Here is an overview of the language levels: Language Levels Prompt Sheet

Make sure you have notes on key points through the scene.

Now, you are going to explore some of the wider historical and textual references in the next scene we see Irwin teaching the boys (pages 23-27)


Wilfred Owen / reference to donkeys / General Haig /  / Ruhr and Rhineland / Weimar Republic / Hitler / Cenotaph / the Last Post / the Unknown Soldier / Siegfried Sassoon/  Kipling (why does Akhtar respond to this) / quote from Kipling  / Rembrandt  / Larkin's MCMXIV

You will each be given a reference to a historical event or a literary figure. Research what / who it is and comment on:

• the significance to Irwin's argument about History / knowledge / education
• what it demonstrates about the boys
• what themes are raised

Make sure you consider your reference within the context it is used.

Post your response on PADLET:  Padlet War References

EXTENSION TASK: Start reading and making notes on Alan Bennett's Introduction to The History Boys. Post your notes on your blog. This can be done over the next couple of weeks.

Thank you! Enjoy!

Nina

Hamlet Work

Good Afternoon.

I know that you are all raring to go on this Friday afternoon!

TASK 1

Review Hamlet's first soliloquy. You will each be given a very small section on Hamlet's soliloquy from Act 1 Scene 2. You need to analyse the quotation very carefully and explain how the language shapes our understanding of Hamlet as a character and his attitudes towards his mother. Post the quotation, with your analysis, onto Padlet The first one has been done for you.


TASK 2

Read the attached notes giving some historical and social context. Notes

TASK 3

Complete the task attached here exploring how the relationship between Hamlet and Gertrude is presented in Act 3 Scene 4 Act 3 Scene 4 Gertrude and Hamlet


EXTENSION TASK:

Watch the RSC interpretation of Act 3 Scene 4 with David Tennant. How have Hamlet and Gertrude been presented? Write a paragraph on this interpretation.

Representing Speech in Drama

Good afternoon. Are you ready for some hard work?

You have a few tasks to complete this lesson as we start to explore the The History Boys in a little more detail.

• First of all I would like you to work on the quotation you have chosen to represent your character. You are going to write the quotation and explain what you understand about the character from the quotation. You could explore the very first thing they say, explore the very first conversation they have, or explore what is said about them.

You are going to post this work onto a virtual noteboard called padlet:

www.padlet.com/nst/thehistoryboys 

Have a look at what I have written about Posner.

• Next, I would like you to consider the following transcripts which show natural, spontaneous speech. What are the key features of the transcripts? What makes spoken language different from written language? Annotate the transcripts with your ideas. Example Transcripts

• Now look at pages 4 & 5 in your copy of The History Boys. How does Bennett represent speech? How does he use dramatic dialogue to create speechlike effects? How do we know through the dialogue that the setting is a school? Who has the power and authority in their speech and how do we know? Is there a power shift anywhere? What do we learn about about any of the characters through the opening dialogue (your main focus will be Hector!) Post a response on your blog.

• EXTENSION WORK / HOMEWORK: Read the article on the dramatic structure of The History Boys from the emagazine. See me for login details. Make notes picking out the key points the writer makes about dramatic structure and post onto your blog. Completed by Friday please.

Nick and the Candlestick by Sylvia Plath

In today's lesson you are going to explore the poem 'Nick and the Candlestick' by Sylvia Plath. This poem continues the theme of parenthood. It has quite a different tone from the other two Plath poems you have studied so far. Nick and the Candlestick

Work through some of the exercises to help you explore the poem before writing a commentary on the whole of the poem. You can go through stanza by stanza or take a framework approach. Watching the video in the link below might help (see extension task).

If you feel confident to write a commentary without the prompts and exercises below - go for it!

Exploring some of the imagery in the poem

Look at these images. What are they? What do they make you think about?

Now read the poem, copy the images and find a line that could go with each image e.g.'waxy stalactites / Drip and thicken' and then explain what effect the line has. Where is it set? What are the connotations with the specific lexical choices used in your quotation?

Now look at these images. What are they? What do they make you think about? How are they different to what you have explored already? Why is there a shift in tone? Find a line that could go with the image.

Exploring the narrative voice

Who is the I of the poem? Where is the narrator? What sort of world is she in? Who is the poem addressing? How do we know this? How does Plath create a sense of horror and panic in the first half  of the poem?

Exploring the structure

The poem is written in free verse. Why is this effective for this poem? How is the poem split into two distinct parts? Where is the change? What happens? Find two examples of repetition? What effect do they have?

Exploring the sounds and rhythm of the poem

Count the number of monosyllabic words used.  What do you notice? What effect is Plath trying to create?

The sounds of the poem are important. Say these out loud. What do you notice?

Black bat
cave of calcium
vice of knives
newts are white
blood booms

Click here for some sound terminology: Phonology Terminology


Wider reading and extension work

 A discussion of Plath and the impact of the poem

Paris Review Text

Preparation for next week - we are going to focus on this poem and scene, exploring maternal relationships.

Look on Moodle for an overview of 'Reference Back' by Philip Larkin
Read Act 3 Scene 4 until line 100.

Analysing Characters from The History Boys

Example of an analytical paragraph

 

Irwin does not believe in learning or knowledge for its own sake; for him it always has a purpose and therefore learning and knowledge should be manipulated to ensure you obtain what you want, whether it is a job, an exam or entrance to Oxbridge. Our very first impression of Irwin as a government advisor is that he is a manipulator of truth. He encourages the use of paradox as it “mists up the windows” as he advises the government ministers how to present a problematic piece of legislation. The mist imagery used suggests purposefully clouding and confusing an issue. This links to his opinion about history which he suggests “is not a matter of conviction” but a “performance” and “entertainment” where there is clear juxtaposition between the idea of the abstract idea of an absolute truth and a façade of truth. He has a cynical approach to the learning and teaching of history and we later find out that he has used it in his own life in order to become a successful television historian. Again, he uses a paradox to suggest that “the wrong end of the stick is the right on”. The declarative statement emphasises his belief in his viewpoint.

 

TASK: Copy the example paragraph into a word document. Annotate the paragraph explaining what each sentence does, highlighting the examples in yellow and the terminology in blue.