I am a loud observer
In the eyes of others
I feel the pressure to perform
but really I'd like to be a spectator
a performer must at some point retire from the stage
so allow me
to observe these small faint gestures exchanged through the aligned hearts of others
to catch glances thrown across rooms
to watch as fingertips intertwine in corridors
to be seen observing others
rather than the others observing me
allow me to retreat from the sight of the audience
allow me to fade temporarily
give me a break,
I hate being on stage.
Another quick post this week, I’m afraid. In the run of to the Streetcar Named Desire mock next week, I figured I’d compile some interesting interpretations of the play. These are just bullet points from longer essays the Bloom’s Guide to Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire if you want to pursue some further reading. Note, however, that whilst AO5 critical interpretations are not required of this question; they can be a useful way of supplementing your understanding of the text.
Please enjoy the article below from ex-Wymondham College student, Emoefeoghene (Efé) Akpofure Imoyin-Omene
How These Viral Sensations are Honouring the Past and Rocketing into the Future
Anyone who knows me or has taken a glimpse at my Instagram stories for more than three seconds knows that I’m a card carrying FloLifer (the affectionate honorific for loyal members of the FLO fandom).
Like they say, it was love at first harmony.
21-year-old Stella Quaresma, Jorja Douglas and 20 -year-old Renée Downer have a chemistry that can’t be formulated, and their smash debut showed the world just that. Their early 2000s dancehall inspired hit Cardboard Box gained virality through Instagram, Twitter and TikTok in April 2022 and is currently sitting pretty at over 5.6 million YouTube views. Irreplaceable’s sassy little sister. Co-written by the talented three, Savannah Jada and the ASCAP Vanguard Award winning MNEK (Years & Years, Zara Larson, Kylie Minogue, Sugababes, Dua Lipa, H.E.R., Beyoncé etc.)- the latter of whom produced the song- their refreshing brand of forward thinking yet nostalgic Y2K inspired R&B/Urban Pop was established and their subsequent releases solidified it.
Following on from their debut, they released the song and sleek music video for Immature and their first EP The Lead in July. From the deftly placed samples of babies crying in Immature, reminiscent of innovative hitmaker Timbaland’s idiosyncratic production on Aaliyah’s Are You That Somebody,the addicting uplift ofSummertimethat conjures memories of girl power anthems by Destiny’s Child, The Cheetah Girls, and 702, the seductive innuendos, honey-soaked harmonies and stuttering staccato on Feature Me and the forlorn and contemplative atmosphere of Another Guy- Acoustic, FLO use their influences as a guide to new sonics. Their 3 voices blend into one goal: making their mark in Girl Group herstory.
Don’t just take my word for it.
Take Complex’s that called The Lead“an essential listen” or Hype Magazinethat commended the project and FLO’s overall industry presence as representing a revival of girl group sounds in the British R&B scene or The Bulletin that exulted their vocal and lyrical ‘nuance’, ‘pristine harmoniesand effortless charisma’ or Rolling Stone who predicted that the EP would vault them into superstardom.
What is amazing about FLO is their considerable creative input and unmatched determination to put their vision forward. They have writing credits on three of the five tracks on The Lead as well as their two separate 2022 releases Not My Job and the seasonal December ballad Losing You, which has a cosy music video similar to Destiny Child’s Emotions (2001).
It wasn’t until the second Destiny’s Child album TheWriting’s on The Wall (1999) that Beyoncé started receiving significant production, composing and songwriting credits, giving her the supported confidence to (once again) vocally lead, co-write, produce and arrange the entirety of Survivor (2001) with Michelle and Kelly helping her write the final track Outro (DC-3) Thank You. And it wasn’t until their final album Destiny’s Fulfilled (2004) that each member appeared to have had equal contributions in songwriting with Beyoncé at the vocal producing helm.
In FLO’s partnership with Coach they shared their vision for the future of music, a future that will shine brighter because of them.
They are not simply mining nostalgia but have a deep desire to get in the metaphorical ring with their contemporaries, creating timeless bops. This is what sets them apart. Their calculated sartorial choices are stitched for the millennial memory runway. The references in their song lyrics (‘Changing my number and I’m changing the locks. Never liked your mama, so I guess she’s blocked’) and enthusiastic participation in social media trends (I Just Wanna Rock Challenge, Squirrels in My Pants Challenge, covering Chloë’s Surprise, stitching fans that create dances to their catchy hooks etc.) make it known that they are indisputable Gen Z divas.
Moreover, their willingness to make musical magic with Black American artists presents a possibility for a cross African diaspora musical exchange. With Afrobeats, Afropop and Alté holding the mainstream in a chokehold thanks to the endless work of glass ceiling breakers like Burna Boy, Wizkid, Tems, Amaarae, Yemi Alade, Shatta Wale, Tiwa Savage and many others, the world might just be ready for a British R&B explosion as well. (Black) British Invasion, anyone?
‘Always lift you up and never let you down’– FLO, Losing You
At the end of the year, many of us get contemplative, reminiscing about what we loved and loathed about these 12 months. As I look back on this year, I’m so glad I had FLO soundtracking my experiences and making history.
With a recent studio session with songwriter and Grammy Award Winning Superproducer Rodney Jerkins (Brandy, Beyoncé, TLC, Destiny’s Child, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, Mary J Blige, Leona Lewis, Justin Bieber, Sam Smith, SZA etc.), a plethora of industry co-signs, the attention of critics and the general public, over two million Spotify monthly listeners and two sold out shows already announced, 2023 better brace itself for FLO
FLO emerged at the perfect time. A month before Cardboard Box, Little Mix- Britain’s preeminent Girl Group- announced a hiatus after a ten-year reign. After the release of Ungodly Hour where they put in a compelling bid for the Queens of Quarantine Performances title, Chlöe X Halle pressed pause on their group endeavours to focus on solo aspirations. Fifth Harmony split up in 2018 on the very foreseeable red bottoms of their swansong Fifth Harmony (2017). And despite their best-efforts Boys World, June’s Diary, Love Dollhouse, GLAMOUR and countless other acts just couldn’t hack it when it came to cracking the Western Girl Group market.
FLO are crucial in this moment of drought, looking to revive the allure of Pop/R&B girl groups on both sides of the pond. In a world that is so divided, a group of three diverse black women of various shades and ethnic origins is so important. It symbolises unity and sets an important example.
We must come together not in spite of our differences, but because of them.
Renée is of Nigerian and Jamaican heritage, raised in North London and grew up listening to R&B, house and church gospel.
Jorja was born in Eastern Germany and moved to Hertfordshire at eight months old and she grew up listening to R&B introduced to her by her mum, former sprinter Stephi Douglas. In 2017, she competed in and won the second series of the CBBC competition show Got What It Takes?.
Stella is Mozambiquan and schooled in London where she attended the Sylvia Young Theatre School. There she met bandmate Renée. She grew up listening to African musical artists and her mother later introduced her to British musicians like Amy Winehouse.
Imagine a world where little black girls get to hear FLO heating up their playlists and blazing their tv screens. Imagine a world where they can copy their dance moves in concert and watch a Black Ariel (Halle Bailey) in 4D. In 2023 we won’t have to.
Read ‘Along the Coast’ (page 124) by Deborah Moffatt and re-read ‘Eat Me’ by Patience Agbabi. Compare how both poets explore the concept of consumption.
In both poems- “Along the coast” and “Eat me”, Agbabi and Moffatt use the theme of consumption to identify how a disconnect form society leads to an indulgence of harmful vices that destroy people. Shown through the lustful relationships that is portrayed in both poems. Furthermore, Agbabi and Moffatt present consumption as a theme caused by the disconnect, we have from society as well as a means to show how the embrace of consumption seen via the reluctance of the speakers to escape their relationships and rejoin society, leads to the demise of individuals and further ostracization and loneliness.
In both poems, consumption is used to show how the indulgence in vices leads to destruction. In “Eat me”, Agbabi’s use of alliteration, “broad belly wobble, hips judder like a juggernaut” shows how the literal consumption leads to the disfigurement of the speaker- her destruction. The use of the verb ‘judder’ and adjective ‘juggernaut’- present the speaker as a merciless metaphorical force that makes the reader uncomfortable, the effects of these literary devices are further emphasized through their use in the simile ‘judder like a juggernaut’, this comparison emphasizes the speaker’s difference. Hence, presenting how her overindulgence in her vice- the relationship and how literal consumption has led to the speaker’s destruction. Similarly, Moffatt uses alliteration to present the similar idea of how the speaker’s indulgence in his lustful relationship has led to the speaker indulgence in his lustful relationship has led to the speaker being consumed by this feeling of loneliness and isolation. Seen through “Roam from room to room, from bed to bed”- showing how the speaker has developed a futile routine. The verb ‘Roam’ emphasizes the dejection that the speaker feels from his consumption in these lustful relationships. Furthermore, the verb ‘roam’ gives the speaker anamorphic qualities, showing the speakers primal side and thus isolating him from society, Agbabi and Moffatt show that through the overindulgence in lustful and damaging relationships, individuals are disconnected from society leading to these individuals being consumed by loneliness.
In conclusion, consumption is used by both Agbabi and Moffatt as a means to communicate with their audiences on the dangers of the disconnect from society. The theme of consumption is presented as a warning about the overindulgence in vices.
For this week’s post, we have an interview with Efe, an ex-wymondhiam and one of the brilliant members of the English blog team last year. His novel, Ese: The Misadventures of Moving Forward was released on the 30th November and is available in retailers in the link below.
Hi Efe, we’ve all been looking forward to the publishing of your first novel. Now, what were your inspirations when writing it?
Efe: So many things. Definitely my life experiences and wanting to create the representation I so deeply crave/craved. I know what reading books and watching media created by incredible Black and Brown and Queer visionaries like Michaela Coel, Jackie Kay, Nicola Yoon, Angie Thomas, James Baldwin, Chinua Achebe and so many others did for me, I guess I wanted to pay it forward. The moment you finally see yourself reflected in all your magnificently flawed and divinely made glory is irreplaceable.
‘Let no one be fooled by the fact that we may write in English, for we intend to do unheard things with it.’- Chinua Achebe
Also, the precarity of life inspired me. I started writing this novel in March 2020, the Sunday after we broke up due to the pandemic. Because of the crisis I wasn’t able to sit my GCSE’s and showcase my hard work. I figured that if years of dedication, sacrifice and planning could be seized from me (from us) in a blink of an eye, I needed to make something to call my own. Something that nothing could take away.
*Enter Ese and all their shenanigans*
Previously, you released How Far: A series of Complicated Answers (which we’d also recommend readers to take a look at). What made you want to write a novel this time?
Efe: The timeline of my books always makes me chuckle because while How Far? was published first, it’s technically my second book. I started working on Misadventures of MovingForward at the start of 2020 and I didn’t even start How Far? until the summer of 2021 but I didn’t get my official publishing deal for Misadventures of Moving Forward until October 2021. Who’s mother? Who’s daughter? I don’t even know sometimes.
I’ll say the story I was trying to tell with my upcoming release naturally lent itself to a novel. With the short stories I write, I usually don’t have too many characters, moving parts or themes/issues I want to explore. It’s usually vignettes. Ese is doing far too much for a short story.
During Fresher’s Week, I wrote an anthology/novella called So Sweet It Stings that I’m really excited about. I don’t know when it will be released but it has some crossover with How Far? and Misadventures of Moving Forward. It’s like that big crossover event Disney did with The Suite Life of Zach and Cody, That’s So Raven and Hannah Montana.
Someone who has never encountered my work before can definitely find enjoyment in it but there are little easter eggs embedded all up and through for the peeps that have been down since How Far? or even read some of the writing I did on the blog or my Insta.
Following on from our previous question, what was the differences of the writing processes between this novel and your previous anthology?
Efe: Since How Far? is an anthology when putting the poems, short stories and essays together, I didn’t have to think about worldbuilding, consistency or character motivations in the same way I had to when writing my novel. While How Far? is cohesive and a journey can be mapped out, there is no plot structure it needs to follow. With my novel, I had to reconcile with my characters on and off the page. What are their idiosyncrasies and what pathology could that reveal? Why does she talk like that? Why would he react like that? Also, I had to keep a list of rules I created for Ese’s universe to make sure I didn’t contradict them and if I broke it, there needed to be a good reason. Because of these differences it took me two years and a bit to complete Ese: The Misadventures of Moving Forward whereas How Far? took me 3 weeks.
Fun Fact: Ese using He/They pronouns started off as an error on my part but instead of editing it, I decided to keep it and make it a part of the story. A perfect mistake.
Would you say that the writing process with Ese was easier or harder than when writing How Far?
Efe: Harder for all the reasons I outlined previously but it is such a rewarding experience to see something you started at 16 come to fruition like this.
But no matter how hard it gets I always have my best friend and my confidant Trifling Taurus a call or a text away. He’s like a cool breeze on a summer’s day, a shelter from the pouring rain, my comfort even before the pain. I’m always sending him my WIPs for school and myself and whenever Chlöe X Halle do as much as breathe, he knows his DMs are about to get flooded. I appreciate him so much because while most people know my loves, he’s the one person to take the extra step and love them with me. Shout out to my boy TT!
Are there any groups within your audience who will particularly enjoy this book?
Obviously, I want this book to have universal appeal. I think the themes of love, loss, crushes, moving forward and trying to find an independent identity can resonate across any barrier inequity has constructed.
But I definitely want Black people (especially Black Brits) to go up for this book. There are a lot of references and language I use that anyone can understand with an open mind and a bit of exploration, but it will hit extra for us.
They say write what you know, which is why I wrote from a Black British perspective. There is so much beautiful work from Black British writers like Bolu Babalola, Zadie Smith, Warsan Shire and so many more are carving new space for us. I’m excited to be strutting on the trails they’ve blazed.
I also want this book to resonate with BAME queer teens and young adults. They’re incredible. Eric from Sex Ed, anyone? Freaking icon and I won’t hear no backtalk! Ese embraces his culture and language while being their unabashedly femuline self. There are so many people existing and thriving like Ese and the other characters in the book.
I hope that they read this and realise that they are brilliant as they are and as long as they continue to be their authentic selves, they’ll only get better.
It have been quite an ordeal in terms of producing a novel like this. How long was the writing process?
Efe: It’s a bit of a sticky one still. Lol.
I completed the 1st draft in my notebook in four months (March to July 2020) because I didn’t have a laptop at the time. Then it took me two months to type it all up and make improvements just in time for school to start. After that I sent it to my mum to read. That lady stays busy, so it took her five months to read it. She would send me feedback every time she would finish a chapter and once I got my publishing deal, I spent another year editing in collaboration with the team.
In the immortal words of the Ponytail Lady ‘Math class, never was good’ but I think that’s two years.
Whilst all writing is influenced by the authors that produced it, to what extent, would you say, is this novel autobiographical?
Efe: Another awesome question. You all are really doing your thang with this interview.
The novel started off really autobiographical. It was a cathartic way of channelling the rage I had about my relationships, the state of the world and the precarity of life. A way of getting the thoughts too explosive to articulate out of my system. However, as I got deeper into the writing, I focused more on creating a quality story people would be invested in. Building a realistic world. Constructing relatable and morally ambiguous characters. Some of the book is biographical as well (writing about people I’ve known) and some of the book is invented from scratch. It’s kinda a combo. The relationship between Ese and Jason is definitely a combo of all three. Loosely based on someone my close friends in Wymcol know as ‘Boy from Back Home’. I told him, and he was chill.
What was the biggest challenge of writing this novel?
Efe: Ironically enough, feeling guilt when I wasn’t writing. There were glorious days where I could write thirteen pages without a second thought but then there were days where the prospect of writing three words felt like pulling teeth and weeks where I couldn’t write anything at all. Writer’s block is a difficult thing and when it happens, I usually go out on a walk or a run or be in community with my friends. Because of the mandates, that was not possible. I’m happy I was able to get through and now when I get blocked, I don’t take it as an indictment on my worth as an artist, I just take it as opportunity to explore other interests and relax. Then I return to the work and feel much better.
You wrote part of this novel whilst attending Wymondham College. Do you any advice for aspiring young authors at Wymondham College?
Efe: Always write. In a funk? Write. Mad? Write. Heartbroken? Write. Confused? Write. It is such a freeing outlet and the more you write, the stronger you’ll get in your craft. Share your work. That could mean entering competitions, sharing your work on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Medium or whatever.
I also recommend finding writing community. In 2021 I joined The Lit from The Inside program with the National Centre for Writing and to be around other writers even virtually was such a blessing. We did writing prompts and some of the work that started there are now in my portfolio.
Another piece of advice is to save everything. The good, the bad and even the incomplete. I enter competitions and awards and it’s always nice to have a rotation of work to call on.
Although you’ve just published Ese: The Misadventures of Moving Forwards, we want to ask —is there any chance of a sequel?
Efe: A sequel? Girl bye. I got a whole quadrilogy planned. We’re taking the crew all the way to Sixth Form and if we’re feeling spicy, maybe uni. I started working on the sequel in November 2020. I’ve only got to the end of Chapter 2 because of A-Levels and other responsibilities. I’ve written two anthologies in that time but for some reason I’m afraid to touch a follow-up. Fear of the Sophomore Slump, I guess. But my debut ain’t even out yet. I have had the plan, soundtrack and title for almost two years now. It’s now just for me to find the time to get back into it. My dream is for the Ese series to be adapted for the small screen. I think the way I wrote it lends itself to that because as for as many books as I read during that time, I was watching just as much, if not more TV.
Prayers are encouraged (I’mma need all of ‘em).
What have you learnt along this process of writing?
Efe: Trusting my voice. As I started writing it at 16, I had no idea about different theories about structure and narrative, I just did what felt good. Then I went into A-Levels where I had to analyse quality books of different genres from different times. It affirmed me. I was like ‘I did that. Maybe I’ve found my stride with this writing thing.’ Now taking Creative Writing at Uni, I’m learning to put a name to everything I do intuitively and acquiring new skills like an ability to reflect on my work. Every Thursday we have a practical lecture based on the theory we learnt about during the Tuesday lecture. I keep a journal to reflect on the prompts and how I felt about my engagement with them.
What, to you, are the most important elements of good writing?
Efe: That’s a tough one. For me, there needs to be round characters that we can root for and against. As an aspiring professional liar, I want to create fiction that feels real. If I can’t close my eyes and see the characters in motion, it ain’t really hitting like that. I don’t know if it’s just me but I do talk back to my book or dramatically chuck it to the ground if a character does something wild enough to give me second hand embarrassment.
We understand you had a part in influencing the design of your book cover. What would you say to any authors who wanted to design their own covers?
Efe: Do it! If you’re artistically inclined like an Alison Bechdel or Alice Oseman (I’m jealous) it will be amazing. And even if you’re like me and struggle to draw stickmen, having a clear idea of what you want your cover to look like and communicating that is so important. Even though you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, a lot of us do. If someone has a limited budget going into a bookstore (online or offline), a book cover may the thing that helps them decide to buy your work. Ultimately, you want the cover to be representative of your work and nobody knows your work better than you do.
If you had to say, what is the overall message you’d like to send out to your readers?
Efe: I dunno, you know. I’ll say that: You’re not going to be everybody’s cup of tea, you gotta save some for yourself.
What perspectives or beliefs have you challenged with this work?
Efe: My own or others? I’ll do my own. I can’t get into it too much but what I will say that there is a part in Chapter 3 Black is Beautiful that is completely different from the first draft. 16-year-old Efe really thought he was eating; I took that plate away from him. Ese was being really judgemental of one of the character’s choices, not understanding the immense pressures young black girls are under growing up. The narrative was on his side. I had to cut pages worth of dialogue when I returned to it at 18. Through listening to the voices of black women like Kimberley Foster of For Harriet, Tee Noir and my worldbuilding friendship with my sista and the Netball Queen Jade, I learnt to be more understanding.
Instead of condemning people for the choices they make with their bodies or life, Ese and I are beginning to interrogate the conditions that make those choices seem viable in the first place.
How important was professional editing to your book’s development?
Efe: Very important. My first draft had a lot of tell where an evocative scene or biting piece of dialogue would have shown it in a much more engaging way. I’ve never written a novel before yet alone edited one, so it was paramount I had much more experienced eyes helping me.
What was your hardest scene to write, and why?
Probably the last scene of Chapter 11 Free Zone. Without venturing into the forbidden land of Spoilers, I will say that as the last scene in the penultimate chapter there was an intricate choreography I had to do, ensuring that I was laying the groundworks for a good final chapter without the reader seeing all the seams.
You’ve always been fairly musical from listing to your favourite artists to participating to the school production. What’s your favourite music to listen to while you write?
Efe: Ooh, somebody knows loving music is my personality.
From the way I freaked out in your comment section when you mentioned Chlöe X Halle, definitely them. Ungodly Hour came out June 12th, 2020, and my entire life changed. After the murder of George Floyd and the global protests, I needed a reprieve. Ungodly Hour was a world to escape to. Every song slaps (even Catch Up). Listening to their ethereal and haunting harmonies and melting in the sonic landscapes they engineered was like Spring Cleaning for the soul. Plus, it was when they started getting mainstream recognition and the pandemic gave them an opportunity to be innovative with the promotion of their music. They performed on their Tennis Court. Geniuses. As someone who has been a stan since their YouTube covers, it was nice to see my girls get a little bit of their flowers.
I mostly listened to the soundtrack I created for my book. Each chapter in my book is named after a song in the soundtrack. Every experience deserves a soundtrack and when I read I always imagine it as a TV show or a movie anyways, so curating a soundtrack is my way of adding another layer to the experience.
I listened to The Velvet Rope by Janet Jackson a lot too. I love the interludes and the seamless transitions as well as how avant garde it is. She was talking mad stuff about bisexuality, intimate partner violence, homophobia, online relationships and so much more in 1997. The album still goes hard today. I also listened to a lot of Rina Sawayama, Solange, Victoria Monet and throwback soul music. When I was feeling down, I listened to a lot of Gospel too. Michelle Williams, Mary, Mary, Nigerian Praise and Worship, songs by Brandy and Destiny’s Child that embody the essence of Gospel without technically fitting into that genre.
As my music palette widened, my writing became much more experimental and inventive. While Ese is primarily a YA Romance, it is not constrained by the tropes or formulas of the genre. It introduces stereotypes just to deconstruct them. I was inspired by so much, but I didn’t feel the need for the book to be another version of X work.
Did you derive inspiration from any other authors? If so, who were they and what parts of your writing did they influence?
Efe: Most definitely. I was inspired by Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. It manged to explore so many themes like racism, sexuality, gender and adoption without making me feel lost as a reader. There is a handoff of perspective in Chapter 6, 7 and 8 of my book that was inspired directly by Trumpet by Jackie Kay as well. While Ese is the chief narrator, it was important for me to show how people see them and in what ways that juxtaposes and aligns with his sense of self.
I also read Honey & Spice by Bolu Babalola over the summer. It was comedic and the description of the romance was deliciously decadent. She writes yearning and desire so well. And she weaved in music as well. At first, I was bit intimidated by her work. ‘She’s hitting similar beats to me. What’s actually going on in the House of Commons?!’
Then I realised that instead of getting furious, I should get curious. I started following her on Twitter and Instagram and I’m now making my way through Love in Colour by her. She devours.
I hope to one day join my good sis and my other Naja brethren in the illustrious canon of Pop Culture obsessed Millennial/ Gen Z Nigerian writers.
Finally, looking to the future, are there any genres you hope to write within one day?
Efe: So many. Even though I call this book ‘YA Romance with comedic and socially conscious twists’ there are elements of mystery and drama in it. I would love to one day write fantasy. I’ve tried to write it before, but it’s rarely gone well. I bought myself Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Blood and Bone and Children of Virtue and Vengeance for my birthday so maybe inspiration will strike.
In September I visited my old school friends from Shaftesbury, and I joked with ‘Boy from Back Home’ that I would ghost-write his memoir but on the highest of keys I think I could be an excellent memoir writer. When Jade makes it big (I mean bigger), I’m going to be all over that.
The great thing about studying Creative Writing is that I’m surrounded by so many different types of writers so through osmosis (is that what it’s called? Science was never my thing) I will pick up different skills.
Emoefeoghene (Efe): The bestselling Romance writer
Emoefeoghene (Efe): The bestselling Crime writer
Emoefeoghene (Efe): The bestselling Gothic Fiction writer.
All sound iconic to me.
Time is of the essence, so I guess we’re just going to have to read and see.
Speaking personally on behalf of the Wymcol English Blog team, we’re all really proud of Efe in the release of his first novel. I’ve seen the hard work that he dedicates to his writing and as a writer, he has such a unique narrative voice that is full of so much warmth and exuberance. For all aspiring readers at the college, I’d really recommend having a look at his writings.
Here’s another essay in this recent batch of posts. The following essay was marked at 26/30 (A*1) that could have been improved by the employment of techniques and consideration of these to support ideas.
In ‘Look we Have Coming to Dover’ and ‘History,’ both poems depict the hardships involved in forming and maintaining one’s self-identity within modern society; specifically, the challenge of reconciling one’s past present, and future. Within Dover, we observe the difficulties of British immigrants in maintaining their cultural identities amongst the hostility of anti-immigrant attitudes. Whereas in History, Burnside explore the self and the tender balance between existence, beauty and tragedy. Both poets use their poems to explore the various paradoxes that we find ourselves within, such as a resistance to the natural but also offering readers solace in opportunities to escape these paradoxes. Nagra highlights the hypocrisy and irony inherent in xenophobic attitudes against immigrants; indeed, he questions the purpose of holding onto nationalist British values that only exclude migrants. Burnside, thereby, questioning, what of history can we preserve so as to make progress and benefit the future? Nagra and Burnside explore these intentions and various ideas of identity in order to find comfort in the present.
Both poets introduce the idea that the conception of the self is in continuing and moving forwards in spite of external conflict. The identities of migrants, in Dover, are reduced by xenophobic perceptions of having entered the country in an illegal, clandestine manner for which they are persecuted. The abrasiveness of the nautical language, describing this journey from the ‘alfresco lash’ to ‘ratcheting speed’ reveals the difficulty in making the journey across the channel. equally the harshness and destruction of these waves may also act as a metaphor for the unjustified prejudice that they continue to face, even long after arrival. These prejudices turn individuals into criminals, degrading them as ‘invade[rs]’ rather than comprehending their backgrounds of economic collapse, victims of war, or of nations ruined by Western nations through colonialisation. This renewed prejudice is established in the dramatic increase in sentence length in each stanza; the ever present wave of intolerance. However, we also find a certain irony in the relationship of xenophobia and migration. There arguably exists a natural ebb and flow of immigrants, whereby people come and go carried by the global tide. To individuals that protest of the ruination of their nation by migrants: they are affronted by the futility of resisting this natural migratory phenomenon. All the while, Nagra emphasises the difficulty of immigrants who make these journeys for which they must forsake everything as their lives and past identities must be forged anew, abandoning the unfortunate circumstances of their native origin, with hopes towards opportunity in the future. Identity, in ‘History, ‘ is formed of having survived preceding global tragedies — the individual speaker must find harmony in the minutiae of the world, like ‘sifting wood’ and ‘dried weed’ in spite of the chaos of the global world occurring of the periphery. There exists a similar semantic field of the nautical push and pull of the tide in ‘History.’ The setting of the beach, between the land and sea, places the speaker in a liminal location of intemperance and transition; this comes to reveal the abstract intermesh of reality and philosophical introspection for the speaker to come to terms with their own self-conception. The ‘leuchars’ threaten the parent of ‘Lucas’ with the chaos and fear of modern progress that also promises tragedy, like that of 9/11. However, this contrasts with the purity fo his child who can find joy and satisfaction by interacting with nature, ‘gathering shells’ — to him, the memory of father and son will be immeasurably precious in the construction of his own identity. This influence is reflected structurally, replicating the gentle ebb of the tide. The sense of disorganisation disorganisation, without regular sentence length, illustrates the conflict between these forces: of past and present, nature and man, joy and tragedy within which the individual must reconcile their own presence. In having survived all historical tragedies before us, we can adopt these lessons to address the future. What of our history can we preserve so as to make progress and thrive? Both poets thus explore how identities are formed and hardened through survival, overcoming hardship posed to them despite mounting external conflicts.
In both poems, we explore the perpetual challenge in grasping a solid understanding of the self between contrasting ideas such as those of culture, reality, and security. In Dover, Nagra shows that regardless of formal nationalisation, the identities of immigrants will always be marred by the distrustful perceptions of natives. Knowing of this tension, those seeking refuge can never be fully integrated into the national identity of the UK. Whilst there is a sense of growth from ‘we reap inland,’ this is undercut by a sense of intimidation and fragile integration into Britain is threatened by potential ‘stabs’ in the back. Although they have been ‘unclocked by the National Eye,’ there is always the potential to be deported and thrust back to their countries of origin. We see hints of this threat as sentence lengths are cut short each stanza. These immigrants thus remain stuck in grey zone where they are neither British or of their native countries, resulting in a sense of alienation at the global scale. To Burnside’s ‘History,’ ‘What makes us who we are’ is our desire to find understanding; in knowledge, we find comfort. This security is expressed through the metaphor of the kite, where we find secure and dependable ‘lines,’ yet the winds always threaten us astray. In this sense, the kite comes to refer to reality. The enjambed rushing of sentences into another all form the opportunities for individuals to come to their own conclusions for freedom and understanding, as the kite is a symbol for liberation and freedom. As in Dover, there is always a prescient prospect for danger, but concentration upon this fear inevitably ostracises us. ‘We trade so much to know the virtual’ that we forsake the natural connections we could have forged. We lose the present of life itself, that we lose the beauty of nature. This paradox of reality is well-represented in Dover, because in the safeguarding of British culture, we ignore the other cultural influences that shaped English linguistically in ‘Alfresco’ and ‘diesel.’ Perhaps, the question that Nagra poses is why should we isolate Britain from other cultural identities when Britain itself is an accumulation and intermingling of national influences? This paradoxical futility is always present in ‘History’ for in philosophical introspection to better understand reality. we lose the present so ‘we scarcely apprehend the moment as it happens.’ Our efforts to justify the undefinable become futile. The in-concreteness of these philosophies are physically opposite the regularity of stanza structure. Therefore, we need not struggle fruitlessly to understand and appreciate the world around us, whilst fearful of the potential for chaos. In such a task, we lose only ourselves. Both poets choose to explore what it means to understand ourselves and the world, finding only endless futility rather than asking for an acceptance of reality.
Both poets hold hope towards the for the future for the individual pursuit to strive onwards in march for moral progress. The immigrant speaker seems to find optimism for a more progressive society, where their cultural heritage will be celebrated to a promising, broader spectrum of diversity. Admittedly this is undermined by their struggle to the present. Whilst ‘burdened and ennobled,’ they may take pride and responsibility in their economic independence, but the cost of this is that they are independent from any state. Only, one day however, may it be ‘human to hoick [themselves] bare-faced from the clear,’ when they will be integrated, nationalised and supported. Unfortunately, the speculative tone, couple with enjambed sentence and late appearance in the poem, imply this will not happen for a long time. Until then, they will be in a perpetual present tense of ‘coming’ to Dover — it cannot be their home. In ‘History,’ the speaker finally has their meaning in their self-purpose: ‘how to be alive in all this gazed-upon and cherished world and do no harm.’ All that he can do is be ‘attentive to the irredeemable,’ observing but not intervening in the forever beauty of nature. This idea is only foregrounded by the cyclical structure of the toddler upon the beach and it is this symbolised purity and goodness which fuels Burnside’s hope. ‘Patient; afraid’ is the oxymoron of human nature and a state in which the reader is suspended: ‘afraid’ of the dangers brought of man’s own hands (warfare, terror, eco-destruction), yet ‘patient’ that others will realise that we don’t need absolute certainties for the world. The tercet structure of the poem: past, present, and future ends with the future remaining indeterminable, but with us living in the present. What is humanity’s future if we disregard the potential in the present. These poems therefore suggest that some individuals have reconciled their identities of present and past, and although a difficult path are looking to a more equitable ‘cherished world.’
To conclude, in ‘History’ and ‘Dover,’ Nagra and Burnside study identity through largely different paradigms, suggesting the eternal condition of the individual being powerless to change the world in which they inhabit, whilst remaining hopeful. Through their poetry, they reconcile with the world. Burnside underlines the imperative to observe rather than intervene as the sole path to preventing global tragedies. Nagra asks for progress in a different form. If we are to aspire ourselves towards a more progressive, accepting society shouldn’t we discard nationalist identities to rather be inclusive of diversity in its entirety? For both poets, it is absolute that through all, we move onwards through hardship: never looking behind, but onwards.
Wordsworth and Blake present humanity as diametrically opposed to the earth due to humanities inherent corruption and misery. Through a similarly skeptical view on the industrial revolution and the French revolution that subsequently leads to a loss of individualism and sacred connection to other people and to nature.
In Holy Thursday, Blake explores humanities loss of individualism through his direct criticism of Britain at the time. Blake portrays this through the ABAB rhyme scheme, to highlight the inescapability of the loneliness and the lack of emotional connection in England; the poem also contains an inconsistent rhyme scheme- making the reading of the poem uncomfortable and may be an attempt by Blake to show how cold and unforgiving society is. An ideology shared by his Romantic contemporaries such as: Jean Jacques- Rousseau, that rather than improving them- a direct comment on the industrial revolution; where the progress of the country was put above humanity and in turn humanity had lost their individualism. The harsh alliterative sound of ‘bleak and bare’ shows the miserable conformity of society. Blake goes on to capitalize on this idea through his constant use of pathetic fallacy, “it is eternal winter”- Blake uses this technique to portray how sad England at the time was. Blake uses his poem as a cry to the people of England to regain their individualism that has been lost. Wordsworth, on the other hand, appeals to the human senses through his use of sensory, musical imagery to overcome the loss of humanities connection to nature by “using the real language of men through communication of vivid sensation” as a means to communicate to the common man as he appeals to the rustic and humble lifestyle to remind men of their roots, emphasized through his preface to lyrical ballads- “passions of men are incorporated with the beautiful and permanent forms of nature ”. This acts as a reminder to humanity of the harmony that exists in nature.
Wordsworth goes on in Lines written in early spring to remind humanity of the earths healing and nurturing nature “primrose turfs… the periwinkle”. Wordsworth uses his pantheistic lenses to show that nature’s restorative power is from God dwelling within them, just like Jean Jacque- Rousseau acts to condemn the industrial revolution- “human life on earth has been a history of decay”- Rousseau. Wordsworth further goes on to urge humanity to heal or reclaim its lost connection to nature as depict the small detail as the corruption of man leads to the ignorance of the natural world due to the pursue of industrialization due to enlightenment as man abandoned the natural world in pursuit of science and knowledge.
Wordsworth and Blake further go on to explore the frustration of the lack of human connection and the inability to be one with nature leads to humanities misery. Wordsworth recognizes man’s misery, “what has man made of man?”- the rhetoric questioning alludes to the French revolution where oppression, enslavement and cruelty juxtapose the harmonious intention of nature. Due to this humanity has been cast out of nature- “grieved…Have I not reason to lament”. Now humanity will experience misery rather than the nurture of the of the earth or understanding of the sublime and so Wordsworth tries to combat this by giving “other enjoyments of power, more lasting and more exquisite than nature”- by writing poetry as a plea from him to society to go back to their roots where humanity and nature were one. To heal us from the frustration and misery humanity has accumulated. While Blake highlights this misery through his use of anaphora; he paints a continuous cycle of inescapability of the usurious hands of society. Blake’s repetition of rhetorical questions shows this frustration “is that a trembling cry a song? can it be a song of joy”- humanity has lost their connection to one another where joy is now on in the same as misery. The absence of God in the poem could be a direct comment from Blake about God’s decision to allow for all the suffering and misery he witnesses to happen- “the destruction of human connection” which should be the worst sin.
In conclusion, Humanity is portrayed as a pitiable species consumed be misery. Due to the loss of human connection and the connection to nature.
Examine the view that human desire is a powerful and destructive force in “A Streetcar Named Desire”
In a Streetcar named desire, Tennessee Williams portrays human desire as an enabler for his characters to reflect his contemporary audience’s inherent ambition to adhere to their societies norms and values. Seen when Blanche’s desire to be part of new American Society to escape death and herself; but remains reluctant, clinging to her southern norms, leading to her demise.
In the play, A Streetcar named desire, Williams portrays human desire to his audience as they observe Blanche’s efforts to escape her past. “They told me to take a Streetcar named desire, and then transfer, to one called cemetery, and ride six blocks to get off on Elysian fields.” In this, Williams presents desires an enabler and a force that brings about change, as well as present the idea that desires directly linked to downfall, as desire leads to death, “take a Streetcar named desire, and transferred to one called cemetery”. The reference to cemetery reinforces this idea as the morbid imagery associated with death suggest to the readers this may be a form of foreshadowing by predicting what happens in the play. William further demonstrates how human desire can lead to our downfall through personalistic desires that act as little nuances in the grand scheme of the destruction of the character Blanche seen through Blanche’s desire to remain a pure, textbook version of the southern Belle, “Something about her white clothes that suggest a moth”- ‘white clothes’, the adjective paints a picture of innocence liking to the image that all southern belles strived for, the use of a ‘moth’ to describe her shows how fragile she is which mirrors that of a southern Belle.
As the play progresses the common motif of Blanche’s obsessive desire to look younger than her peers and be perceived as a perfect, innocent person consumes her, “when she comes in, be sure to say something nice about her appearance… And admire her dress and tell her she’s looking wonderful. That is important with Blanche. Her little weakness!”- due to Blanche’s desire to remain in the past she is bound to focus on superficial things; such as her clothes to retain the image and idea of remaining a southern-Belle, “Her delicate beauty must avoid strong light”- the use of feministic adjectives “delicate” shows how important beauty is the Southern belles; in turn Blanche .Remaining Blanches primary human desire that ultimately brings about her down fall.
Williams further emphasizes this idea of the degradation of the character Blanche desire to stop progression and the erosion of her norms using plastic costume. “She is daintily dressed in a white suit with a fluffy bodice, earrings and necklace of pearl”. The alliteration, “daintily dress” creates an image of innocence in the readers minds and also highlights that at this moment at the start of the play Blanche is at the height of her desire- a southern belle ; the sematic field of frivolous accessories, shows her genteel aura feeding into the idea that Blanche is perfect in this moment and also shows the dichotomy between the south and the progressing America. However due to her desire to change everything around her to fit the same aesthetic she believes is the way forward it leads to her downfall. “She has decked herself out in a somewhat soiled and crumpled white satin evening gown ” – at the end of the play after Blanche has lost and failed her human desire to accomplish her goal she unravels; the sematic field of disjointed adjectives “soiled and crumpled” mirror her psychological state juxtaposing her appearance at the beginning of the book where Blanche has not failed her human desire, the quote emphasizes the tragedy and reflects her downfall as her human desire to accomplish her goal brought her to her downfall.
In conclusion, Williams presents human desire as a means that leads to one’s downfall, through desires compelling power that diminishes one’s personality and ostracizes them. A comment to his contemporary audience about the pursues of inadequate personal desire as a means to succeed.
For this week’s post, the editorial team has put together a list of tips and tricks for getting through your first year of A-levels. We hope these will be of some help. Good luck to all! If you’re looking for help, please send us a message on our instagram @wymcolenglishblog
Make thorough notes for each unit. Revision strategies like chapter summaries, quote banks, and theme analyses are so useful for when exams roll around for review.
Try to revise in your ‘study periods.’ Make use of that time for prep and revision. Be sure that you don’t spend it watching various seasons of the Great British Bake-Off.
Equally, it is fine to idle some time away. Believe it or not, but your future will not be irrevocably ruined by just takings some time to talk with friends. It’s important that you pace yourself; whilst you might be eager and enthusiastic to get triple A*s, you also don’t want to burn out within the first few months.
For the poetry units, in Poems of the Decade and Romanticism, summary sheets that note language techniques, themes, and key quotations are a great strategy to organise revision.
In preparation for assessments, try making essay plans according to practice exam questions . In timed conditions, form a potential line of argument, notable quotations, and formal devices (e.g., metre, asyndetic listing, figurative language).
Organise your folder over the course of the year.
Consider your teacher’s feedback in a green pen responses to your essays. This is a great way to reflect on points of improvement. Additionally, when your teacher asks to check your folder, you’ll be relieved to not have to do it in one burst.
For some light revision, watch Massolit lectures. Make notes according to the Durrant (1981) method of WAMBAM; that is, watch-a-minute, bullet (point)-a-minute. We recommend this strategy for condensing your notes into short, summarised sections.
Read critical essays for some additional ideas for your own essays.
Understand the requirements and meaning of each assessment objective. We’ve broken them down for you in the attached table.
Exam Board Description
Meaning
AO1
Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology, and coherent, accurate written expression.
You can sustain a coherent argument in relation to the question posed, applying relevant terms from the genre to which the set text belongs. You are able to write with clarity and sophistication to get across your viewpoint
AO2
Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts.
How do literary and dramatic techniques contribute to the writer’s message? This is about how the writer evokes a certain sentiment on the audience/reader by manipulating form, structure or language. This is not just about identifying techniques the writer uses but actually acknowledging their role in the set text in terms of thematic, structural significance or what it tells us about the characters. To achieve higher marks, you’ll want to use form/structural analysis in conjunction with language analysis; thus, recognising the influence of their combination and effects.
AO3
:Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received.
You understand the role played by the historical, social, political or literary events at the time and how this affects the writing of your set text. This also requires you to think about a contemporary audience (if a play) and how the audience would have reacted, bearing in mind the circumstances at the time.
AO4
Explore connections across literary texts
As long as the question is being answered, you will automatically engage in this AO which seeks to evaluate how well the students are able to interconnect with the genre in which a set text is written. Where this AO is most valued is when comparing two set texts, either thematically, structurally, in terms of character analysis or contexts at the time (e.g., Poems of the Decade, Romanticism, Prose unit)
AO5
Explore literary texts informed by different interpretations
This includes different ways of examining the set-text in relation to the question. This could be through a lens, such as Marxism, Post-Colonial, Eco-Critical or Feminism or it could be through what critics have said or based on an alternative reading of the set-text.
It can be difficult to access critical texts. However, Zlibrary and JSTOR are great places to find literary essays. We’d recommend Cambridge Companions that provide contextual information and various interpretations on the works of different writers and Bloom’s guides for modern texts.
Practice unseen analysis. This may seem imposing, but you will only get better with practice. Using 15 minutes, try analysing some of the other poems in the Poems of the Decade anthology — noting themes, language techniques, and author’s intentions.
Ensure that you always refer back to the text with quotations. Don’t be like some of the silly Y13s that made the creative choice of not including quotations in their mock exams.
Join Miss Rendall’s book club.
Do your prep on time. Additionally, just do your prep.
Ensure that you have read your assigned texts before studying them. It’s good to know the general plot before you begin.
Be careful that you don’t plagiarise from Sparknotes or Cliffnotes. Somehow, the English department will find out. And then you will be in deep trouble.
Set aside time to write your English essays. This will then prevent you from pulling all-nighters to get the job done.
Be careful that you don’t leave your holiday prep to the day prior to your return to school. Else, you might find yourself in cardiac arrest from the sheer quantity that must be completed.
A Guide to Winning the Heart of your English Teacher
Warning: satire. To our beloved English teachers, we love you lots and are very grateful for your constant attention.
1. Light-Hearted Banter Targeted at the 30-(pushing)60 Age Demographic
Although the English department think of themselves as youthful, sprightly beings (judging from the contents of their nights-out), they are all born before the dawn of the 21st century. In order to win them over, you’ll have to make use of your toolbox of Gen X/ millennial humours.
Consider the topics that you might discuss with your aged neighbour, and then employ as necessary. If you have made good use of your free periods and watched all thirteen seasons of Bake off, maybe try a well-timed comment about that. Maybe even have some light political discourse to tap into their deeply contained rage about the state of the world. Or, why don’t you strike a personal note by asking about their kids? If successful, you should soon find yourself an addition on the family register.
2. Request Refreshments
A-levels are a highly demanding vocation and when half-term is so far away, you might find yourself simply exhausted at the thought of another essay to be completed. Try tapping into the human heart of your english teacher; it exists deep down. They will certainly pity you if you wail and complain upon walking into their classroom. In British fashion, they might even break out the beloved kettle in a pitied offering of tea and coffee. (And even if you happen to be afflicted by a lactose intolerance, never fear for even you will be accommodated).
Of course, ensure you have brokered a rapport with your English teacher by following our previous tip before making beverage demands.
3. Validation
Teachers, often the targets for students’ much-needed validation, also require it for themselves. Rather, they might even repress the validation that they so need.
So, if feeling charitable, try sprinkling a few kind platitudes and generic compliments throughout your English essays, both to subconsciously raise their spirits (reminding them why they chose this profession) and to assuage their dismay at the quality of your muddled argument.
See below from a contributor’s essay:
“In stanza 3 of Either/Or, the simile “sharp as the blade that guts the goat” (You are loved and valued) shows how violent and evil our minds can be. (You can. You will. End of story)At first, the “horns” are described as “little” showing how little worry is given but only when the speaker acknowledges the danger (Open your heart) it becomes too late to stop the act of killing the goat.“
Through this clever subliminal method, your grade should jump up one whole boundary. And through considerable practice, you should be able to pass your English Literature and Psychology A-level at the same time!
We hope some of these tips come in handy. Always remember that, despite its difficulty, an English Literature A-level is one of the most rewarding subjects that you can take in the topics you will be forced to tackle and the genuine improvement of your writing skills. And, above all, you have some of the most hard-working and personable teachers around. Please enjoy the two years that lie ahead.
WymCol English Blog 