To His Coy Mistress - Andrew Marvell

Great Expectation vs Macbeth

'Kid' - Robin's Revenge

Are we meant to laugh at Batman's downfall or cry? And what is a trochaic rhythm? This podcast raises some issues around the Simon Armitage poem 'Kid'. There is a real tension in the poem created by the humorous form and structure which contrast so strongly with the sad theme.

'On My First Sonne' - Form vs Content

The structure of this noble, controlled poem is very different to the emotions that this poem creates in the reader. This podcast is a general introduction, as well as being an explanation of some of the ideas (conceits) of the poem.

'The Laboratory' - Poison! Poison!

Need help with The Laboratory? It's tricky sometimes! This is not a stanza by stanza guide - you'll get that in class. This is a discussion of some of the themes.

'Anne Hathaway' - The Power of Love!

What a poem! Elsewhere in the collection we have psychotic killers, lady-killers, man-killers, jealousy and hatred. Here we have a beautiful poem about the power of love. Ahhhhh...

This poem used to be an A Level poem, because of the full range of ideas it invokes. Here love (or physical love) is as powerful an act of creation as the creating of a literary text. Also, here the female persona (of Anne Hathaway - Shakespeare's wife)is a co-creator: they appear as equals. Also, there's more sexual innuendo than you can shake-a-pear at (fnah fnah!).

'Havisham' - Mean Love!

Whether you're starting 'Havisham', or coming back to it, there are some interesting ideas here to think about. How shocking is 'Havisham'? You have to have an iron stomach NOT to be appalled by this!

What act is being described in the fourth stanza? Is the mirror in the second stanza symbolic? You need to decide...