2c. Content of Verse Literature (H443/04) - Group 4 - For examination in 2027, 2028 and 2029 (fifth set text cycle) — OCR A-Level Latin
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2c. Content of Verse Literature (H443/04) - Group 4 - For examination in 2027, 2028 and 2029 (fifth set text cycle) explained
2c. Content of Verse Literature (H443/04) - Group 4 - For examination in 2027, 2028 and 2029 (fifth set text cycle) covers 6 specification points, including Virgil, Aeneid Book 4, lines 259–396, 416–503 and Virgil, Aeneid 1 lines 613–722 and rest of….
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Open a point below for its explanation and revision guidance.
Virgil, Aeneid Book 4, lines 259–396, 416–503
This row sets the prescribed Virgil passage for Group 4 in the 2027–2029 cycle: Aeneid 4.259–396 and 4.416–503. Read both extracts in Latin and know them well enough to discuss language, character and theme. The first extract (259–396) contains Mercury's descent and warning to Aeneas, Aeneas's reaction, and the confrontation in which Dido accuses him and he replies; keep that confrontation in the first extract when you revise. The second extract (416–503) follows Dido after Aeneas's departure preparations, including her despair and the beginnings of her plan for death. Build a scene map for each extract, note who speaks and acts in order, and mark key Latin words you would use as evidence. Prepare by re-reading each extract aloud, annotating speakers and turning points, and drafting short analytical points you can support with precise references.
English: Virgil, Aeneid 1 lines 613–722 and rest of Book 4
This row prescribes Virgil's Aeneid for study in English translation, as the label 'English:' shows. You read Aeneid 1.613–722, where Dido receives Aeneas and his men at Carthage, and then the whole of Book 4, which traces the affair, Aeneas's departure and Dido's death. Work from a good modern English version and keep a note of which translation you use, because wording differs between versions. Read for character, motive, theme and structure rather than for Latin construing: no translation of Latin, scansion or Latin quotation is required here. Build a scene-by-scene map of Book 4 and track how Virgil shapes sympathy for Dido and duty for Aeneas.
Lucretius, De Rerum Natura Book 1, lines 1–224
This row sets the prescribed Latin verse text for Group 4 in the fifth set text cycle, examined in 2027, 2028 and 2029. The learner reads Lucretius, De Rerum Natura 1.1–224, the opening of the poem: the invocation to Venus, the praise of Epicurus and the attack on superstition, introducing Epicurean physics and the atomic theory. Read the Latin closely, note Lucretius's use of imagery, rhetoric and verse form to convey philosophy, and build a vocabulary and comment bank. Prepare translation and comprehension of the set lines and literary analysis, using the Latin as evidence.
English: Lucretius, De Rerum Natura Book 1, lines 225–796
This row prescribes Lucretius's De Rerum Natura Book 1, lines 225–796, for study in English translation, as the 'English:' label shows. In this stretch Lucretius argues against rival physical theories and sets out Epicurean principles: nothing comes from nothing, nothing is destroyed into nothing, and the universe consists of atoms and void. Read a good modern English version and record which translation you use, since wording varies. Work for argument, imagery and persuasive method rather than Latin construing: no translation of Latin, scansion or Latin quotation is required. Map the sequence of arguments and note how Lucretius uses analogy and vivid imagery to make abstract physics persuasive.
Ovid, Metamorphoses Book 7, lines 1–227
This row prescribes Ovid, Metamorphoses Book 7, lines 1–227 for study in Latin and examination through the English commentary route in the Verse Literature paper for 2027–2029. The passage opens Book 7 with Medea's inner conflict and her decision to help Jason, so read it as a continuous narrative in Ovid's hexameters. Build vocabulary and construal skills first, then examine how Ovid presents Medea's divided mind, his use of direct speech and rhetorical question, and the pace of the narrative. Prepare by translating short sections, marking speaker changes and noting where the narrator reports Medea's thoughts rather than quoting her directly.
English: Ovid, Metamorphose Book 7
This row is course guidance, not an assessed answer target. It tells you that for the 2027, 2028 and 2029 examinations, Group 4 of the Verse Literature unit (H443/04) prescribes an English translation of Ovid, Metamorphoses Book 7. Because the text is studied in English, your work centres on content, character, theme and narrative technique rather than on translating Latin. Read the whole of Book 7 in the set translation, keeping a running log of each episode, who acts, and how Ovid links one story to the next. Note where the translation signals a shift of speaker or a summary of events, and mark passages you could analyse closely. Check your own copy against the prescribed edition named by OCR before you rely on line or page references.
Your focus
- Locate the prescribed extracts and identify their speakers, actions and turning points in order
- Annotate key Latin words and phrases as evidence for analysis
- Explain how Virgil's language shapes character and theme within the prescribed lines
Show all 18 objectives
- Read Aeneid 1.613–722 and Book 4 in a named English translation and map the sequence of events.
- Explain how Virgil presents Dido's and Aeneas's motives using evidence from the English text.
- Discuss themes and structure across the prescribed English passage and Book 4 without translating or scanning Latin.
- Translate and comprehend De Rerum Natura 1.1–224 from the Latin.
- Analyse Lucretius's use of language, imagery and rhetoric with Latin evidence.
- Relate the set text to Epicurean philosophy and its literary context.
- Read De Rerum Natura 1.225–796 in a named English translation and map its sequence of arguments.
- Explain how Lucretius uses reasoning, analogy and imagery to persuade the reader.
- Discuss the philosophical claims of the passage using evidence from the English text without translating or scanning Latin.
- Translate and construe passages from the prescribed lines accurately.
- Explain how Ovid characterises Medea across the set passage.
- Analyse stylistic and metrical effects with reference to the Latin.
- Identify the prescribed text and examination cycle for Group 4 from the specification row.
- Map the episodes of Metamorphoses Book 7 in narrative order, naming the agent of each key action.
- Select and annotate passages from the set translation for close analysis of theme and technique.
2c. Content of Verse Literature (H443/04) - Group 4 - For examination in 2027, 2028 and 2029 (fifth set text cycle) exam tips
Examiner Tips
- 💡Draw a scene map for each extract showing speakers, actions and turning points in order
- 💡Re-read the Latin aloud and mark words whose sound or position you could analyse
- 💡Prepare two or three short analytical points per extract, each tied to a precise line reference
- 💡Check the exact line range before revising so you do not study material outside the prescription
- 💡Keep a running scene map of Book 4 with line references from your English edition so you can locate evidence quickly.
- 💡Record the translator and edition at the top of your notes and cite it whenever you discuss specific wording.
- 💡Practise turning each observation into a point about character, theme or structure rather than retelling events.
- 💡Re-read Aeneid 1.613–722 alongside Book 4 to trace how the welcome at Carthage sets up the later tragedy.
- 💡Annotate the Latin for rhetorical figures, imagery and philosophical vocabulary as you read.
- 💡Build a list of Latin quotations with brief analytical comments for essays.
- 💡Check comprehension against a commentary and note how Lucretius adapts Epicurean ideas into verse.
- 💡Build an argument map of lines 225–796, labelling each major claim and the reasoning that supports it.
- 💡Note the translator and edition at the top of your notes and cite it when discussing specific wording.
- 💡Collect examples of analogy and vivid imagery and explain what each makes persuasive.
- 💡Practise linking Lucretius's physical claims to the ethical aim of freeing the reader from fear.
- 💡Keep a character and speaker map beside your text so you can identify instantly who speaks or is described.
- 💡Annotate rhetorical questions, apostrophe and emphatic word order in the Latin, then practise explaining their effect on the reader.
- 💡Practise timed translation of short extracts and check verb forms and cases before finalising your version.
- 💡Build a one-page episode map of Book 7 with the order of events and the agent of each action, so you can trace narrative sequence accurately.
- 💡Keep a vocabulary of theme and technique terms (metamorphosis, embedded narrative, apostrophe) and attach one checked example from the set translation to each.
- 💡Re-read the OCR prescription for your examination year to confirm the exact edition and cycle before revising, since set texts rotate between cycles.
Common Mistakes
- Places Dido's direct confrontation with Aeneas in the second extract; locate that confrontation in the first extract, lines 259–396
- Treats the two extracts as one continuous block without noting the gap; study each extract as a separate prescribed unit
- Revises only plot summary without noting Latin words for evidence; annotate key phrases you can quote and analyse
- Assumes the passage runs beyond line 503; keep your study within the prescribed lines
- Treats the passage as Latin set text and practises construing and scansion; read the English translation instead, since the row is labelled 'English:' and assesses study in translation.
- Quotes a striking English phrase without recording which translation it comes from; note the translator and edition so any wording can be checked.
- Reads Aeneid 1.613–722 in isolation and ignores Book 4; connect the arrival scene to the later affair, departure and death as one continuous study.
- Summarises plot only and never comments on character, motive or theme; pair each event with an analytical point about what Virgil is doing.
- Treats the passage as prose philosophy; read it as Latin verse and comment on poetic technique.
- Ignores the Epicurean context; connect the imagery and argument to Epicurean physics and ethics.
- Assumes the cycle dates are examinable content; treat 2027–2029 as the assessment window, not a fact to learn.
- Treats the passage as Latin set text and practises construing and scansion; read the English translation instead, because the row is labelled 'English:' and assesses study in translation.
- Quotes English wording without naming the translator; record the edition so any phrase can be checked.
- Lists Lucretius's conclusions without tracing the arguments that support them; follow each claim through its supporting reasoning.
- Ignores the persuasive purpose and reads the passage as neutral science; comment on how imagery and analogy work on the reader.
- Treats the passage as a set of isolated purple passages; follow the narrative sequence so each extract is read in its place.
- Confuses who is speaking; mark clearly whether a line is Medea's direct speech or the narrator reporting her thoughts.
- Relies on an English translation for stylistic points; ground comment in the Latin wording, word order and sound.
- Assumes the English set text is examined by translating Latin; read the prescription as study of the set translation and prepare analysis of content and technique instead.
- Treats the whole of Metamorphoses as prescribed; confine study to Book 7 as the row states.
- Relies on remembered quotations without checking them against the prescribed translation; verify exact wording in your own copy before using any quotation.