We know what butterflies are but why do so many writers fill their pages with them? Let's make sure we have something interesting to say about that butterfly i... Read More...
14 lines, written in iambic pentameter and inextricably linked to feelings of love - the short and sweet sonnet packs as much punch as your favourite three-min... Read More...
Ankor are the most exciting metal band on the planet right now. Let them help you prep for your English Language GCSE!!
https://youtu.be/UEw-G3JlsJA?si=xIE_xF7KtwXApBI7
ACTIVITY 1
Read the review below. Highlight any words/phrases tha... Read More...
Given that winter means a world without festivals, it's hard to not be constantly looking forward to summer! Let's listen to the artists we most want to see ou... Read More...
The best poetry is BEAUTIFUL. And while it's true that songs and poems do have lots in common, there aren't many lyrics that you would mistake for poems. Here,... Read More...
Coldplay's music is the sound of LOVE.
ACTIVITY 1
Watch the video clips below. It will become clear that Coldplay made 'Moon Music' with LOVE. How do Coldplay demonstrate that LOVE? Make a list of the different ways in which Coldplay try t... Read More...
Assonance is a literary technique where the same or similar vowel sound is repeated. It creates a flow between words - which sounds lovely. And if we're writin... Read More...
So many of our favourite songs are as multi-layered as any of the texts we study in school. For proof, look no further than the startling 'Life In Slow Motion'... Read More...
If you’re looking to develop your understanding of allusion, you’re in the right place!
So, what do we mean by allusion?
An allusion is a reference, typically brief, to a person, place, thing, event, or other literary work. If th... Read More...
Bright Star is locked in her manager’s office, Cynthia is locked in a friend’s basement and Ayley is locked in her bedroom. Sound of Pen’s ‘fTrE’ novel explore... Read More...
Maybe you already dance (and, yes, dancing around the bedroom with your headphones on does count!). If you don’t, you should start. Mainly, because it will mak... Read More...
Like Shakespeare, Wilde, Stevenson and so many of our course authors, Chrissy Costanza frequently writes about Hell. But why? And when we come across that Hell motif, what can we say about it? Let's find out...
It's impossible not to love Aga... Read More...
Taylor Swift is a feminist icon. Let's listen to 'folklore' and have a think about how the singer uses language to ensure her ideas about equality hit as hard ... Read More...
What do pop icon Britney Spears and Tennessee Williams' Blanche DuBois have in common? Uh, how about A LOT! Raised in Southern America, forced to adhere to a r... Read More...
When DJing, Andy C puts his whole heart into creating the most mind-blowing mixes. You should take the same approach to your creative writing. When you pack your prose with personality and passion, your writing hits way harder!
https://youtu... Read More...
Use YONAKA's ideas to develop your understanding of 'A Streetcar Named Desire', light imagery and gender inequality!
Listen to Theresa talk on the Sound of ... Read More...
We delved back into our favourite albums of 2022. Then we matched the best 20 records of that year with the best 20 words of all-time!!
Listen to our pl... Read More...
Explore the significance of disappointment in SZA’s ‘Kill Bill’.
ACTIVITY 1
Read the 'Kill Bill' lyrics and prep by considering the 3 questions directly below.
Decide how significant SZA's disappointment is? You will use your introduct... Read More...
Let's listen to some brilliant songs and then write a poem with real focus on rhyming for effect!
ACTIVITY 1
We can start by hearing what the experts... Read More...
When we read a text, we have to consider the time at which it was written. We need to understand whether the author's ideas aligned with the majority - or if t... Read More...
Let's make sure that practising the skills needed to complete AQA's Language Paper 2 is fun for us!! Today, we're going to listen to Louis Dunford's 'North London Forever' anthem while simultaneously prepping for our GCSE English exam!
ACTIVI... Read More...
Madonna's music a made an enormous impact. Let's think about how her songs hit even harder than they might have otherwise because of the world - Ronald Reagan'... Read More...
Here's a list of our favourite Against The Current tracks! See if you agree with our choices, then have a go at using the different techniques used in each sho... Read More...
Back in 2023, there were soooo many albums that made our hearts whoosh! Here's a list of our favourite releases of that year. Within the mini-reviews you'll find 20 words that you can use to light up your own writing!
Listen to Sound of Pen's... Read More...
Bright Star is locked in her manager’s office, Cynthia is locked in a friend’s basement and Ayley is locked in her bedroom. Sound of Pen’s ‘fTrE’ novel explore... Read More...
Bright Star is locked in her manager’s office, Cynthia is locked in a friend’s basement and Ayley is locked in her bedroom. Sound of Pen’s ‘fTrE’ novel explore... Read More...
Bright Star is locked in her manager’s office, Cynthia is locked in a friend’s basement and Ayley is locked in her bedroom. Sound of Pen’s ‘fTrE’ novel explores what happens next. Read the story/watch the video, press pause when you reach each activ... Read More...
Bright Star is locked in her manager’s office, Cynthia is locked in a friend’s basement and Ayley is locked in her bedroom. Sound of Pen’s ‘fTrE’ novel explore... Read More...
Read this story inspired by Linkin Park and practise your Language Paper 1 skills.
https://youtu.be/uOJRx5GEDu0
Music has the power to make us feel... Read More...
So many of our favourite songs are as multi-layered as any of the texts we study in school 'The Cave' is a perfect example. Let's look at how To Kill Achilles ... Read More...
When you're asked to explore the 'significance' of something, what are you being asked to think about? This is a chance to figure that out. With a little help ... Read More...
Listen to the brilliant Andrew McMahon and then have a think about your own brilliant life!
For lots of my generation, Something Corporate and Jack's Mannequin (two bands with singer/songwriter/piano player Andrew McMahon at the helm) created... Read More...
Let's spend today's session thinking about exactly why we would love to live at Glastonbury Festival FOREVER AND EVER - and why we would rather never go to Gil... Read More...
Ellie Goulding lit up Camden's KoKo with a kaleidoscopic show! Now she can help you add some spark to your own GCSE Language Paper 1 work!
ACTIVITY 1
... Read More...
Like so many of our course writers, Ellie Goulding is OBSESSED with love. Which makes her the perfect person to lead a study of our favourite, conundrum-filled... Read More...
To rhyme or not to rhyme, that is the question!
ACTIVITY 1
Match each of the lyrics below with the relevant type of rhyme. Choose from:
absent: no rhyme.
assonant: rhyming vowel sounds.
rhyming couplet: a rhyming pair of successi... Read More...
Before going on, you could listen to this clip from the session I ran with in 'real life' with the Sound of Pen students. It goes some way to summarising w... Read More...
Language Paper 2 is TOUGH - in large part because it revolves around extracts written in that more challenging Victorian style. For now, then, let's concentrat... Read More...
The Sound of Pen students spent a session exploring the significance of love in Taylor Swift's 'dorothea'. Here's an essay built from the ideas discussed during that hour!
MUSIC FOCUS: Taylor Swift.ACTIVITY FOCUS: Sharpen your ability to define ... Read More...
Both Louis Dunford and William Blake write about London in a way that makes us feel so strongly about the city. Let's compare 'The Angel (North London Forever)... Read More...
In recent years, rock music may have been buried out of sight. Thankfully, it's likely to return to the frontline at just about the same time as you perfect yo... Read More...
Of course, both our reviews of 'Suicide and Sunshine' focus on the fact that it's an utterly brilliant album! But let's look more closely at how Daisy and JC convey their thoughts in different ways...
MUSIC FOCUS: Trophy Eyes.ACTIVITY FOCUS: Expl... Read More...
Trophy Eyes, ‘Suicide and Sunshine’ (Hopeless Records)
Think about the truly important albums: Nirvana’s raw yet resplendent ‘Nevermind’; Biffy Clyro’s hear... Read More...
We went to Slam Dunk and it was the PERFECT day. Read our review, then write about your own perfect experience.
MUSIC FOCUS: Enter Shikari; Malevolence; PVR... Read More...
Today, the best Australian band of modern times are going to help you with your 'Power & Conflict' poetry. How lovely of them.
MUSIC FOCUS: Trophy Eyes.ACTIVITY FOCUS: Listen to our Trophy Eyes playlist and let the band's lyrics illuminate yo... Read More...
Our New Favourite Band Injects Us With (Greased) Lightning!
MUSIC FOCUS: Beauty School Dropout.ACTIVITY FOCUS: Practise the skills needed to answer question... Read More...
Let's think about how the final moments of Slam Dunk will hit harder because of the songs you've enjoyed during the earlier parts of the day!
MUSIC FOCUS: M... Read More...
Accelerate your ability to analyse poetry - and deepen your appreciation of the female position - with a quick study of 'Better Man'.
MUSIC FOCUS: Ellie Goulding.ACTIVITY FOCUS: Answer some quickfire questions about 'Better Man'.
ACTIVITY 1... Read More...
Sound of Pen classes use music as a doorway to a deeper understanding of GCSE & A-Level English texts.
Sound of Pen is home to original, unique free les... Read More...
Favourite artists: Against The Current, Holding Absence, Dua Lipa, Trophy Eyes, YUNGBLUD, Kim Petras
Favourite album: Blind Melon: Blind Melon
Favourite song: The Used: Taste of Ink
Best gig: Coldplay @ Glastonbury Festival
Lyric worth remembering: Live right now, just be yourself; it doesn't matter if it's good enough for someone else
Most likely to feel: Inspired and determined
Favourite month and why: June – the start of festival season
