Help me decide what to read for english class

[student08]

hi

I will be writing a research paper in english class and need some help. The paper must include critizisms(sp?) from external sources. It can be a short story, very short novel or maybe even a poem. It just has to be british. I'm looking for somthing thats pretty straight forward and easy to understand. I dont know literature so any suggestions are welcomed. This is for a 12 grade AP English

Thanks in advance

[Dori]

How long do you have to do this? If you have a while, then I suggest buying this: The Politically Incorrect Guide to English and American Literature (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&EAN=9781596980112&itm=1). Perhaps it will help if all else fails.

If there's a literature I'm not somewhat acquainted with, it is British lit.

[bluelightstar]

Do you only want short stories, novellas, or poems, or are you open to novels as well?

Though not novellas, Nineteen Eighty-Four and Dorian Gray are good choices and it's fairly easy to find criticism.

[JBI]

Pride and Prejudice.
I'm not sure if Dorian Gray is considered British.
Anything by George Eliot
A Christmas Carrol
Through the looking glass

If you are going for a poem, try Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress"

[FacialFracture]

I second the suggestion of "To His Coy Mistress," it's good, but not difficult to understand, and there's a ton of criticism available.

When I was in high school, we compared William Blake's "The Lamb" and "Tyger, Tyger" and their themes of innocence vs. experience. Believe me, there is a wealth of information to be found on both of those.

If the paper's due before the winter break, Dylan Thomas' "A Child's Christmas in Wales" is a good choice.

[B-Mental]

Does Kipling count as British? "I don't know I've never Kipled" is a great joke from the Muppet Show. Anyways, the Man Who Would Be King, is my reccomendation, if he counts. The short story is about 2 British Soldiers of the Crown that go AWOL, and end up in Afghanistan or Pakistan, where the people there believe them to be Gods, and make them Kings until they realise they are mere mortals. The people then attack them for their duplicity. Great short story with criticism to be found for sure, and you could tie it into current world events, which teachers really love. I'm speaking about the forein forces in the region fighting the Taliban/Al-Quieda. Might even find some references in college sites on the topic, not sure.

[mayneverhave]

Try W.B. Yeat's "The Second Coming"

It's short, interesting, and there is plenty of criticism available.


- Though Yeats is Irish, my Norton Anthology of British literature includes him (and all other irish writers) so that's good enough for me.

[bluelightstar]

In terms of poetry, I would definitely agree that "To His Coy Mistress" would be an excellent choice. John Donne's poetry is also rich with meaning and I think it's fairly easy to analyze and discuss - you could try "The Broken Heart" or Holy Sonnet X.

[hellsapoppin]

When you say the book must include criticisms, do you mean it must be annotated? Or are you referencing external notes??

A British novel from the 1930s that remains as relevant today as it did back then is The Road To Wigan Pier by Orwell.

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/x2/x11216.jpg

Here is a brief analysis:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Road_to_Wigan_Pier


And the book itself:

http://www.george-orwell.org/The_Road_to_Wigan_Pier/index.html