Literature: Ask Me Anything

[EvangelionZeta]

Hey guys,

Having entered uni exams period, but also having gotten heaps of crazed requests lately, I've decided to come out of hiding and help people out a bit. For the next few days or so post as many questions as you want and I'll do my best to answer them. My credentials:

-50 in Lit/Premier's Award
-Tutored multiple kids to get scores between 47-50
-Lectured VCE Lit for three years
-Three years of uni literature/lit theory study

Gogogo

[brightsky]

how profound do the passage analysis paragraphs need to be? should we strive to make our passage analyses sound as complex and wanky as possible, or should we leave the wankiness to the argued reading paragraphs? a certain someone has not been giving me very high marks for my practice exam essays, but not really telling me where I need to improve...today he told me to "write more", but my essays are usually around 6-7 pages...which is 1000+ in my handwriting. the same person mentioned you and told me how 20/20 are reserved for students who gush - yes, he used that word - and write like there is no tomorrow. should I gush?

[enwiabe]

Would you prefer to fight 100 duck-sized horses, or 1 horse-sized duck?

[maree271]

Lit is my weakest subject. Have not done much exam prep as im focusing more on other classes. Sac average is about a B...any tips on how to tackle the exam and how to revise for it until the lead up? My teacher is not the best so it is hard to get practice pieces marked
Congrats on ur achievements

[Russ]

Tangentially related to VCE lit/poetry; Which reindeer is Emily Dickinson's favourite?

(getting this should actually be the metric for awarding 50s)

[EvangelionZeta]

how profound do the passage analysis paragraphs need to be? should we strive to make our passage analyses sound as complex and wanky as possible, or should we leave the wankiness to the argued reading paragraphs? a certain someone has not been giving me very high marks for my practice exam essays, but not really telling me where I need to improve...today he told me to "write more", but my essays are usually around 6-7 pages...which is 1000+ in my handwriting. the same person mentioned you and told me how 20/20 are reserved for students who gush - yes, he used that word - and write like there is no tomorrow. should I gush?

Gush in the argued reading paragraphs, but don't gush so much in the passage analysis bits IMO.  In fact, I prefer clarity in the passage analysis, and the climax to be in the argued readings.

Would you prefer to fight 100 duck-sized horses, or 1 horse-sized duck?

Your mum.

Lit is my weakest subject. Have not done much exam prep as im focusing more on other classes. Sac average is about a B...any tips on how to tackle the exam and how to revise for it until the lead up? My teacher is not the best so it is hard to get practice pieces marked
Congrats on ur achievements

Do lots and lots of practice essays and try to get a tutor to mark them (lots of people on this forum will help!).  Also do lots of notes - think a lot about the themes of the texts and WRITE WRITE WRITE about them, even if it's not in strict essay form.  Consider also investing in a study guide!

Tangentially related to VCE lit/poetry; Which reindeer is Emily Dickinson's favourite?

(getting this should actually be the metric for awarding 50s)

Your mum.

[Russ]

Wrong, the answer is Dasher. (hurr)

[achre]

Say something about T.S. Eliot.

[thecreeker]

Intro or no intro?
I've heard some examiners say yes, some say no.
Most of the VCAA examples seem to have at least a short one. So which is it?

[EvangelionZeta]

Say something about T.S. Eliot.

He is a massive wanker.  Also, he has poor taste in Shakespeare (his favourite play is Corialanus).

...his poems are about the modernist human experience and he derives a lot from Nietzschean thought, IMO.  :p

Intro or no intro?
I've heard some examiners say yes, some say no.
Most of the VCAA examples seem to have at least a short one. So which is it?

It doesn't really matter.  I don't use them at all personally, but some teachers advocate them.  You won't get marks for having them or for not, it's really just about how clear your essay is!

[catnus]

How did you personally structure your essays? Would you base your paragraphs on the ideas presented in the passage or on the actually passages themselves? Does it really matter? Freaking out :p

[brenden]

He is a massive wanker.

Amen to that.

[EvangelionZeta]

How did you personally structure your essays? Would you base your paragraphs on the ideas presented in the passage or on the actually passages themselves? Does it really matter? Freaking out :p

Sorry for late response!  Do both - just make sure you quote extensively from the passages!

[thecreeker]

Might I ask, what was the opening line of your analysis in the exam? I feel a bit hesitant to begin with "Passage one portrays..." and feel as if I should tend towards something a little more flowery on Friday just to start well, or does it really not matter?

[EvangelionZeta]

Might I ask, what was the opening line of your analysis in the exam? I feel a bit hesitant to begin with "Passage one portrays..." and feel as if I should tend towards something a little more flowery on Friday just to start well, or does it really not matter?

I did the "Passage One *verb*" intro and got two 20/20 essays.  It's fine.