Form and structure
What Form and structure means in English Literature A-Level, as defined for OCR, Pearson Edexcel.
Definitions of Form and structure
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Reference: Pearson Edexcel
Structural features should be integrated with linguistic analysis rather than treated as an afterthought, since form and language actively construct the reader's experience.
Elements the writer uses, alongside language, to create meaning, explored through microscopic textual details in the chosen section or poem.
Structural form, such as a sonnet, kept distinct from genre yet often carrying inherent genre expectations to be analysed together.
The deliberate choices in form and structure that an author makes, which must be examined when analysing how meanings are shaped.
The distinct structural and formal conventions of a single text, which are identified and analysed in Task 1.
Structural and formal dramatic elements, such as metre, stage directions, and dialogue exchanges.
Topics that use Form and structure
- Drama and poetry pre-1900 (Component 01) - Section 1 set texts: Shakespeare (OCR A-Level)
- Literature post-1900 (Component 03) - Literary texts requirements: (OCR A-Level)
- Literature post-1900 (Component 03) - Task 1: Close reading (OCR A-Level)
- Literature post-1900 (Component 03) - Task 1: Close reading OR Re-creative writing with commentary (OCR A-Level)
- Component 3: Poetry (Pearson Edexcel A-Level)
Related terms
- Linguistic analysis
- Audience reception
- Historical context
- Literary terminology
- Textual evidence
- Textual selection
- Thematic development
- Academic expression
Using Form and structure in the exam
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