2 November 2024
It’s time to do a bit of catching up. I save all the email notifications about forum posts, and I put them in a separate folder. Before moving towards looking into the detail of the TMA question, I’m going through them all, just to get a sense of what they’re all about. Before making this post, I’ve made four short posts: a comment about The Spanish Tragedy (mostly saying that I don’t yet understand it), one about Julius Caesar, one saying something about Love’s Labour’s Lost, and another one about As You Like it. I really had to struggle to remember what happened in Love’s Labour’s Lost, but I remember adding some notes in the bit of the module website.
Our tutor has posted some FAQ notes, which are helpful. Some points that I’ve noted down are: look at the English Literature Toolkit for guidance about close reading, look the Renaissance Rhetoric document, the module glossary, the Oxford English Dictionary and some OpenLearn resources. The three resources that are relevant are: Approaching plays, Approaching poetry and Approaching prose fiction.
5 November 2024
I’ve started to prepare for my TMA 1, albeit quite late.
I’ve clicked through to the independent study, and I’ve looked at the suggested options: exploring a 2012 film adaptation (which I’ve watched whilst working through the module materials), read two critical essays (some suggestions are offered), something about Plutarch’s Lives (which are at the back of our set text), and the role of women in Julius Caesar. Although I’ve kind of done the first activity (but not really thought about the setting and direction much), I’m interested in the final activity. This said, what I’m probably going to do, is to quickly read through the introduction of the set text (I’m sure that alternative option is okay!)
Before I get there, I’m just going to remind myself by doing a quick re-read of Chapter 4: Julius Caesar and the shape of Shakespearian tragedy, and have a good look through the additional notes about Renaissance Rhetoric.
7 November 2024
Well, I think I’ve written a reasonable draft of my TMA. I compiled a whole lot of notes together when I was in London yesterday morning. I then continued my reading, writing, and editing this morning, from deepest Lincolnshire.
Whilst on one hand, I have felt that this one has been a bit of a struggle, I quite enjoyed how it has all come together after putting in the groundwork. I’ve emailed a PDF to myself, so I can do some proofreading on my Kindle in the morning, before making some final edits.
There isn’t much of a break. The next TMA is due to be submitted by mid-December.
8 November 2024
Well, it has gone in. My first TMA for my first level 3 literature module.
I’ve looked ahead: the next chapter is all about Hamlet. I’ve eyeballed the independent study options, and whilst I might have a look at some other sources, I’m quite drawn to the activity of looking at the different versions of the text. At this point, more importantly, I need to make sure I get my head around the chapter of the module materials.
11 November 2024
Slightly worried the next deadline, I got stuck into Hamlet. I began with a video that I found on the module website, followed by a document that highlighted differences in one of Hamlet’s speeches. I then discovered an In Our Time Podcast which I thought was brilliant. The guests spoke about differences between the texts, and the different characters. I’m going to give it another listen. Now that we’ve done an exercise in close reading, I’m going to do my own exercise in close listening.
I’m up to act 4 of the set text, which is Q2, rather than the FF (if you know about this stuff; I didn’t know about this stuff until very recently). I’m surprised at how well I’m following it all. Looking back, I remember seeing two film versions of Hamlet (one with Laurence Olivier, another with Mel Gibson), a recording of an RSC performance, and a live performance in Catford. Each one was, of course, pretty different. A question I’m toying with is: why is there no clown? There are bits of the play which suggests that, perhaps, Hamlet is the clown? I should be done reading it in a couple of days. I’m actually reading it out loud to myself.
The side effect of all this is that I feel as if I’m now talking in iambic pentameter.
A final note for today: my tutor has sent a note encouraging me to start thinking about the EMA question, encouraging me to make notes whilst I do the various independent study option (I’ll share a top level summary of what I’m doing in this blog). It’s a useful reminder. I need to find a few moments to look at the EMA options.
16 November 2024
Catch up day. I’ve chosen independent study option 1 for chapter 5. To make it easy for myself, I’ve put the text in a Word document, adjusted the font to make it bigger, and I’ve emailed it to my Kindle, so I can read it a bit more easily; my eyes are getting old. Plus, I can scribble on it with a digital pen, which will help with understanding the text.
I’ve realised that I’ve already done independent study option for chapter 6: watch a production of Hamlet. You could say I’ve watched quite a few of them.
My plan for today: read The Story of Amleth by Saxo Grammaticus, read chapter 6 of the book, and look at both the TMA and the EMA question.
Okay, I’ve chosen which TMA option I’m going to go with, and I’ve had a first go at finding some sources. I’ve found about five so far. I’m going to email these to my Kindle and hope to read these over the week.
My final bit of work for the day: I know which EMA option I’m going to do. I just need to make a choice about which set texts to choose. There’s quite a bit of time between now and the end of May so I have a bit of time to choose, but I do know that there’s quite a bit of pace to it all.
I’m starting to feel a difference between level 2 and level 3 study. I have a feeling I’m going to puzzle over TMA 2 (and the EMA).
22 November 2024
I’ve fallen off the study train since I’ve had to focus on my day job, where I’ve been going through other module materials. This said, I have been to one interesting and related event; an annual digital humanities workshop, which was facilitated by some colleagues who have been involved with the writing of the modules I’ve been studying.
Yesterday I received my TMA 1 result. I’m pleased with it, but I would have liked a higher score. I’ll be really happy if I can keep this up, but I know it’s going to be a hard slog. There has been loads of chatter on the module WhatsApp group from other students about the return of their TMA results.
The biggest learning point I’m taking away from my TMA is: be more secure in your own opinions, and try to get different sources to play off against each other. Good advice, which I need to remember.
Before delving into my day job in a lot of depth, I’m going to listen to a tutorial that I missed. There was chatter on the WhatsApp forum about that too.
25 November 2024
I feel I’m making a bit of progress, in terms of starting to organise my thoughts for the next TMA. I’ve downloaded about four or five different papers that relate to the TMA theme, and I’ve scribbled on all of them using my Kindle Scribe (or whatever it is called). One of the papers offers a set of useful definitions which I can work with. Another paper articulates the exact same idea that I had about Hamlet. I guess that is encouraging, since that might suggest that I’m starting to think like a critic?
On Wednesday I may have a bit of time to transcribe my annotations and thoughts, so I can begin to order them. In doing this, I hope to crystalise my opinions.
I’m slightly behind on the module planner, but not too behind.
There are some rumours on the WhatApp group about what is in TMA 3. I haven’t looked yet. I feel I can do TMA 2, but the rest are complete mysteries to me.
28 November 2024
I didn’t manage to do any note taking yesterday despite the best of intentions. I hauled all my books to a medical appointment, but there was no way I could find a quiet corner.
I’ve listened to two tutorials this morning. The first was recorded by my own tutor, and the second was by another tutor, which was all about Spencer. Both tutorials were really helpful, even though I’m not doing the Spencer TMA option. It was especially helpful since I’m a bit behind the reading; it shared a framework that will help me understand more clearly the reading.
Next steps? Over the next couple of days there are some really long ‘composite’ tutorials, which should be interesting. When I’ve been to one of those, I’ll be ready to start my TMA. I still need to keep up with the reading, though.
In my day job, I’ve got some tasks where I need to find some headspace some writing that also requires a bit of problem solving.
29 November 2024
Another day, another set of tutorials.
Today we had one about Hamlet, one about Donne, one about Spencer, and one about independent study. The study session focussed more on rhetoric, which I’m quite comfortable with. I recognised all the techniques that were mentioned, but I don’t know the names for everything.
I think I would like to do the earlier independent study option which was to read some essays by Michel de Montaigne.
Now that I’ve attended two tutorials on Hamlet, have written a bunch of notes, I feel I need to write my notes up, pick a few passages and then start to pull everything together.
The module calendar says that I’m now officially behind.