AS
ENGLISH LITERATURE B
Paper 2A Literary genres: Prose and Poetry: Aspects of tragedy
AQA AS ENGLISH LITERATURE B Paper 2A Literary genres: Prose and Poetry: Aspects of tragedy QP
MAY 2025
Friday 23 May 2025 Morning Time allowed: 1 hour 30
minutes
Materials
For this paper you must have:
an AQA 12-page answer book
a copy of the set text(s) you have studied. These texts must not be annotated and must
not
contain additional notes or materials.
Instructions
Use black ink or black ball-point pen.
Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference is
7716/2A.
Do all rough work in your answer book. Cross through any work you do not want to be
marked.
You must answer one question from Section A and one question from Section B.
Information
The maximum mark for this paper is 50.
The marks for questions are shown in brackets.
You will be marked on your ability to:
– use good English
– organise information clearly
– use specialist vocabulary where appropriate.
In your response you need to:
– analyse carefully the writers’ methods
– explore the contexts of the texts you are writing about
– explore the connections across the texts you have studied
– explore different interpretations of your texts.
IB/G/Jun25/G4003/
7716/2A
E2
, 2
Section A
Answer one question from this section.
Either
0 1 John Keats selection
Explore the significance of the endings of Keats’ poems in relation to aspects of
tragedy. You must refer to The Eve of St Agnes and at least one other poem.
In your answer you need to analyse closely Keats’ authorial methods and include
comments on the extract below.
[25 marks]
From The Eve of St Agnes
XL
She hurried at his words, beset with
fears, For there were sleeping dragons
all around,
At glaring watch, perhaps, with ready spears
– Down the wide stairs a darkling way they
found. In all the house was heard no
human sound.
A chain-drooped lamp was flickering by each
door; The arras, rich with horseman, hawk,
and hound, Fluttered in the besieging wind’s
uproar;
And the long carpets rose along the gusty floor.
XLI
They glide, like phantoms, into the wide
hall; Like phantoms, to the iron porch,
they glide; Where lay the Porter, in
uneasy sprawl, With a huge empty
flaggon by his side:
The wakeful bloodhound rose, and shook his
hide, But his sagacious eye an inmate owns.
By one, and one, the bolts full easy slide
– The chains lie silent on the footworn
stones –
The key turns, and the door upon its hinges groans.
XLII
And they are gone – ay, ages long ago
These lovers fled away into the storm.
That night the Baron dreamt of many a
woe, And all his warrior-guests, with
shade and form Of witch, and demon,
and large coffin-worm, Were long be-
nightmared. Angela the old Died palsy-
twitched, with meagre face deform; The
Beadsman, after thousand aves told,
IB/G/
Jun25/7716/2A
ENGLISH LITERATURE B
Paper 2A Literary genres: Prose and Poetry: Aspects of tragedy
AQA AS ENGLISH LITERATURE B Paper 2A Literary genres: Prose and Poetry: Aspects of tragedy QP
MAY 2025
Friday 23 May 2025 Morning Time allowed: 1 hour 30
minutes
Materials
For this paper you must have:
an AQA 12-page answer book
a copy of the set text(s) you have studied. These texts must not be annotated and must
not
contain additional notes or materials.
Instructions
Use black ink or black ball-point pen.
Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference is
7716/2A.
Do all rough work in your answer book. Cross through any work you do not want to be
marked.
You must answer one question from Section A and one question from Section B.
Information
The maximum mark for this paper is 50.
The marks for questions are shown in brackets.
You will be marked on your ability to:
– use good English
– organise information clearly
– use specialist vocabulary where appropriate.
In your response you need to:
– analyse carefully the writers’ methods
– explore the contexts of the texts you are writing about
– explore the connections across the texts you have studied
– explore different interpretations of your texts.
IB/G/Jun25/G4003/
7716/2A
E2
, 2
Section A
Answer one question from this section.
Either
0 1 John Keats selection
Explore the significance of the endings of Keats’ poems in relation to aspects of
tragedy. You must refer to The Eve of St Agnes and at least one other poem.
In your answer you need to analyse closely Keats’ authorial methods and include
comments on the extract below.
[25 marks]
From The Eve of St Agnes
XL
She hurried at his words, beset with
fears, For there were sleeping dragons
all around,
At glaring watch, perhaps, with ready spears
– Down the wide stairs a darkling way they
found. In all the house was heard no
human sound.
A chain-drooped lamp was flickering by each
door; The arras, rich with horseman, hawk,
and hound, Fluttered in the besieging wind’s
uproar;
And the long carpets rose along the gusty floor.
XLI
They glide, like phantoms, into the wide
hall; Like phantoms, to the iron porch,
they glide; Where lay the Porter, in
uneasy sprawl, With a huge empty
flaggon by his side:
The wakeful bloodhound rose, and shook his
hide, But his sagacious eye an inmate owns.
By one, and one, the bolts full easy slide
– The chains lie silent on the footworn
stones –
The key turns, and the door upon its hinges groans.
XLII
And they are gone – ay, ages long ago
These lovers fled away into the storm.
That night the Baron dreamt of many a
woe, And all his warrior-guests, with
shade and form Of witch, and demon,
and large coffin-worm, Were long be-
nightmared. Angela the old Died palsy-
twitched, with meagre face deform; The
Beadsman, after thousand aves told,
IB/G/
Jun25/7716/2A
