English Literature

Discover the power of words, from the earliest times to the present day, as you delve deep into new worlds.<br/><br/>You will study an exciting variety of novels, poems and plays. You might find yourself looking for the psychological undercurrents in a fantasy novel, applying feminist theory to a Renaissance courtly sonnet, studying the motif of the vampire in Gothic horror or exploring the treatment of love in the comedies of Shakespeare.<br/><br/>There’s the chance to write a dissertation on a topic of your choosing, exploring your interests. You will develop key skills for the future; our students learn how to frame a convincing argument, express it in discussion, analyse writing in all styles and work independently.<br/><br/>We offer an engaging and supportive atmosphere in which ideas about literature are shared. Group discussion is at the heart of the degree, making the study of literature exciting, varied and dynamic. You can customise your degree as you progress, so by the third year you might be taking several optional modules as well as working on a dissertation that you have created, where you will work individually with a lecturer to complete the project.