Individual Oral commentaries

11th December.  Sorry for the breakdown in communication!  As you know, we have finished our study of ‘King Lear’.  We have also listened to more sample IOCs and you have been pretty good in your assessment of them.  You have also studied some examples of written commentaries.  You are now preparing to deliver an analysis of an extract from ‘King Lear’ with a partner next lesson.  After that, you will be working on individual analyses in the final run up to the IOCs on Tuesday, 17th January.

‘King Lear’

15th November.  For our lesson tomorrow, you should have prepared to the end of Act III in detail.  Be prepared to comment on characters, themes, motifs and language.  We will also watch Act II on DVD and study dramatic effect and the ways in which the tension is varied.

‘King Lear’

2nd November.  Hwk.  After our detailed analysis of the first scene in terms of structure (plot and sub-plot and language), character, themes and language, please analyse the rest of act 1 in detail for discussion next lesson.

The Poetry of John Donne

22nd August.  Hwk.  ’The Flea’ – analyse and make notes on the content, structure and literary devices.  What kind of poem is this?

24th August.  Hwk.  ’Sun Rising’ – answer the questions on the worksheet as a guide towards understanding.  Does anything strike you as unusual about this poem?  How does it compare with ‘The Flea’?

30th August.  Hwk.  Make notes on ‘Love’s Alchemie’.  How does this poem compare with the poems you have studied so far?

7th September.  Work on preparing your assigned poem for oral presentation.

13th September.  Now that you have listened to, and assessed a sample of commentaries by students from other schools, finish preparing your own oral presentation.

Please remember that you are expected to continue working independently on the poems we are analysing in class if no specific task is assigned for homework.

5th October.  Prepare your assigned poem for a further oral presentation.  Remember, you must always comment on the effect – do not simply play ‘spot the literary device’. Always comment on how the language, literary devices, structure etc. contribute to the overall theme, effect, tone etc.  What is typical of Donne in terms of content, structure, literary devices and anything else you can think of?   You are likely to need to use the term ‘conceit’!  You are likely to need to refer to the ‘super lunary’ and the ‘sub lunary’, wit, religious references etc and do not forget, finally, to compare and contrast with other poems.  What is a ‘palinode’?  An ‘aubade’?

12th October.  Hwk.  Written oral commentary due after the October Break.  Read ‘King Lear’.

Welcome back grade 12.  I hope you have had good holidays and are ready to get to work on the next part of the IBDP Course, the Detailed Study, in preparation for  your Individual Oral Commentaries, or IOCs. We shall be studying a selection of the poetry of John Donne and ‘King Lear’ by William Shakespeare, in that order.  You may begin by doing some research on John Donne, his life and times.