Oh Tess...

So hopefully you are enjoying and getting considerably outraged by Hardy's tale of Tess.
Here is a link to an online text version of the novel: http://www.online-literature.com/hardy/tess_urbervilles/

If you are aiming for an A at A2 next year I would seriously consider using Tess or Persuasion for your coursework. These texts will give you the depth you need to gain the higher marks.

Useful stuff about Victorian literature and the novels:
http://www.victorianweb.org/vn/litov.html

particularly this article about 'fallen women': http://www.victorianweb.org/gender/fallen.html

Hypocrisy was rife in Victorian society and Hardy was a controversial writer as he was defending the 'fallen women' in the character of Tess. However you might have your own opinions about this.


This website is perhaps more user friendly...http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/H/history/guide19/part10.html

You essentially need to decide which side you are on - do you think Tess made far too many mistakes and therefore deserves the consequences, or do you feel that Tess is a victim of circumstances far bigger than a single person. I think you know what I think :).


Other fallen women in literature include:
Rossetti's poems 'Sister Maude' and 'Goblin Market', Ophelia in 'Hamlet', Mad Bertha in 'Jane Eyre', Charlotte Temple in 'Charlotte Temple'.

Homework and catch ups...

How to structure your fabulously amazing exam answer...

• Introduce the question – 2/3 statements about the issues raised in the question.

• Poem 1 – theme – quotation(s) – explain this

• Next poem 2 – link to previous poem if you can – themes – feminism if relevant – quotation(s) – explain

• Poem 3 – focus on language used (this can go in poem 2 or 1 if more relevant you need to decide this!) – QUOTATION(S)

• Present alternative viewpoint/ argument – quotation(s) – explain this fully – techniques Duffy uses

•  Focus on structure with poem 4 – quotation(s) + explanation

• Poem 5 – terminology – link back to question – explain how

• Poem 6 – techniques, quotation(s) and explain.

• Conclusion – sum up link back to the question – state if you agree/disagree etc

 January 2011

“Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.”How far do you agree that Duffy presents only angry women in the collection?

In your answer you should either refer to two or three poems in detail or a range more widely through the whole collection. 45 marks

A critic has said, “The articulate and witty voices heard in ‘The Kray Sisters’ reveal strong women at the height of their power.” 

To what extent do you agree that this poem presents the strongest women in the collection?

In your answer you should consider form, structure and language, as well as subject matter.

    45 marks

 

Exam questions - just in case you wanted to write me an essay :D

http://www.scribd.com/doc/55034372/Exam-Questions-Duffy

Feminist poets

An interesting fact I read today was that in the 70s there was not one actual case of women burning their bras - in was in fact a fallacy generated by the newspapers in order to sell more copies - it was also to try and denigrate the feminist movement.

Indeed. Anyway here are some links and suggestions of feminist poets...

Christina Rossetti
Background:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/christina-rossetti/11534.html


Links to her poetry:http://www.poetry-archive.com/r/rossetti_christina.html   - you may recognise 'Remember'

Charlotte Perkins Gilman - wrote poetry as well as the short novel 'The Yellow Paper' - A scary insight into the way they treated women with depression in the 1800s.

And of course - Margaret Atwood...
http://www.poemhunter.com/margaret-atwood/   - I particularly like 'You fit into me'

You fit into me
like a hook into an eye

a fish hook
an open eye

Sylvia Plath is similarly as brilliant - http://www.angelfire.com/tn/plath/

Not a poet but a feminist playwright - Muriel Spark
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/muriel-spark-two-plays/10697.html


And a fantastic video about advertising, women and sexism:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/equality-for-women/3516.html

Grouping the poems - exam advice

In order to make comparisons for your exam, it's useful to be clear about which poems might be grouped in different ways in order to write a clear and coherent argument. Poems might be grouped by e.g. their source, their themes and ideas, their mood and tone or their style and form.

Try to group and make connections between the poems under the following headings:

Mythology

Historical figures

Biblical figures

Literature/Film

Make mind-maps - with key quotations and points that you draw between the poems. That way you will be able to apply this work to which ever question comes up (hopefully!)

If you have done this now see which poems actually could be classified as 'wives'. Under that you have conventional 'wives' (married etc) and unconventional ones.

Good luck - and remember you can post your thoughts here to help you share and formulate your ideas.

Circe...a whole new meaning to the phrase 'man-eater'....?

Circe background

• Some versions state that she is the mother of the Minotaur  and wife to King Minos.

• Other accounts say she is the daughter of Hecate (a great witch – Shakespeare uses her as the ‘Head’ witch in Macbeth)

• Circe transformed her enemies, or those who offended her, into animals through the use of magical potions. She was known for her knowledge of drugs and herbs.

Questions

How does the Circe address the reader? What  is unusual about this? 

How does she use the pigs? What is Duffy alluding to here? (allusion)

Find if you can examples of double entendre, metaphor and rhetorical devices. 

Where does Duffy use repetition and to what effect?

Can you identify the puns used to describe the men? What does this show? 

What other poems could you compare this to? Why?

How does the poem differ to the myth? Why has Duffy done this?

 Homework due next Wednesday:

1.Read and annotate the following poems: Frau Freud and Eurydice.

2.Answer the questions (from the website) on the Kray Sisters.

3.Complete the ‘Top Ten Features’ chart and then formulate an exam question – plan and answer it.

 

 

Kray Sisters follow-up

I hope you are all enjoying the sunshine!

Here's some follow up questions to ensure that your Kray Sisters is annotated fully

Initial thoughts..

• What issues or events is the poem about?
• What themes does the poem explore?




1.How does Duffy present the twins? How do they speak? What do you think of them?
2.What does Duffy mention about the twins childhood? Who had a particular impact on them?
3.What is the tone of the poem and why do you think this?
4. What do the twins want? Why?
5. Why does Duffy mention the famous names?
6. How does Duffy use the structure of the poem to create a powerful ending?

7. Identify the examples of alliteration and comment on their effect.
8. Find and comment upon the hyperbole used.
9. Highlight the words that are indicative of the twins’ power.

The Kray Sisters

Only poem in WW that is not a dramatic monologue –it has two narrators.

It is also 1 of only 3 poems based on real characters from the 20thcentury; the other two being ‘Elvis’s Twin Sister’ and ‘The Devil’s Wife’.

Duffy's says....she wanted to “supply the missing female perspective” to the Krays’ story. 

Why?

How many have you read?

From the list published on this blog, the BBC thinks that most people will only have read 6 of these 'classic' titles.

http://biochemgradstudent.blogspot.com/2009/02/as-seen-everywhere-bbc-book-list.html

How many have you read?

Do you think they are classics?

What would you like to see on there instead?

Happy holidays,

Miss Colley

ps - we're not responsible for anything anyone else has posted on their blog... if anything on that link offends you, I am very sorry!

King Kong...

Update your King Kong knowledge....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuRQH_hLcTw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXsWJb-99tE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5j_2sRUTbU