You all seemed to do pretty well in the earlier translation exercises. Have a go at it again, and pay attention to how this activity is suited to help you understand the underlying themes and morals that come across in character speech.
Please translate three of the following lines from the first two scenes in Act III.
due Thursday, December 18, 2008 by class-time on blog!
Be sure to indicate your name and partner's name in the properly formatted heading of your submission. Please indicate which scene you choose and character names as well.
Lord Chamberlain's Man.
III.i.52-72 (Shylock's dialogue that begins, "To bait fish withal")
III.ii.1-24 (Portia's opening dialogue)
III.ii.42-74 (Portia's dialogue that begins, "Away then. I am locked in one of them...")
III.ii.75-110 (Bassanio's dialogue that begins, "So may the outward shows bet least themselves;")
III.ii.118-152 (Bassanio's dialogue that begins, "What find I here?")
III.ii.153-178 (Portia's dialogue the begins, "You see me, Lord Bassanio, where I stand...")
III.ii.261-282 (Bassanio's dialogue that begins, "O sweet Portia, / Here are a few of the...")
Monday, December 15, 2008
Monday, December 8, 2008
Translating Shakespeare: The Merchant of Venice, Act I
Brothers,
By reading closely and carefully the work of literary masters such as Shakespeare, we learn how to write well ourselves. I know that it has been difficult and tedious work for you to understand the archaic English of Shakespeare's play. But hopefully the experience of interpreting his work will give you a greater appreciation for the richness of language and the many ways we can manipulate it to suit some greater, poetic purpose. That is at least my hope for you, anyway.
That said, I would like to have you flex your creative brain muscles once again: Please translate one of the following bits of dialogue from each scene of ACT I of The Merchant of Venice into plain, everyday speech.
Pay attention to how this activity is suited to help you understand the underlying themes and morals that come across in character speech.
I.i.1-56
I.i.80-104
I.i.122-185
I.ii.27-101
I.iii.71-97
I.iii.101-132
I.iii.156-177
You may work individually or in a group of two. These will be due on the blog by class-time Friday, Dec. 12, 2008.
Now have a go with this fair dealing, lads.
Please be sure to head your translation properly, indicating name(s), my name, class, date due. Also, where appropriate, indicate character names involved in dialogical exchange. Be sure to title each translation with the given act and scene from the text. Post only your translation.
By reading closely and carefully the work of literary masters such as Shakespeare, we learn how to write well ourselves. I know that it has been difficult and tedious work for you to understand the archaic English of Shakespeare's play. But hopefully the experience of interpreting his work will give you a greater appreciation for the richness of language and the many ways we can manipulate it to suit some greater, poetic purpose. That is at least my hope for you, anyway.
That said, I would like to have you flex your creative brain muscles once again: Please translate one of the following bits of dialogue from each scene of ACT I of The Merchant of Venice into plain, everyday speech.
Pay attention to how this activity is suited to help you understand the underlying themes and morals that come across in character speech.
I.i.1-56
I.i.80-104
I.i.122-185
I.ii.27-101
I.iii.71-97
I.iii.101-132
I.iii.156-177
You may work individually or in a group of two. These will be due on the blog by class-time Friday, Dec. 12, 2008.
Now have a go with this fair dealing, lads.
Please be sure to head your translation properly, indicating name(s), my name, class, date due. Also, where appropriate, indicate character names involved in dialogical exchange. Be sure to title each translation with the given act and scene from the text. Post only your translation.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Chaucer and the Human Condition: A Quest
In his satirical[1] The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer takes us with twenty-nine random characters for a little dialogical[2] trip to the shrine of the unfortunately assassinated Thomas a Becket.[3] While the initial motive of these “cats” is to touch the shrine of the martyr-saint, they are challenged to tell some tall tales by the host of Tabard Inn—the place of rest before they begin this “divinely inspired” pilgrimage to an area outside of London. In his prologue to these tales, Chaucer, or the narrator, takes the role of an at once distant and close observer, absorbing details about these idiosyncratic[4] characters whose true colors show not only in their outfits, but in their words and actions as well. It is through such indirect characterization that Chaucer enters into a subtle dialectic[5] with the world, displaying through character and dialogue truths about the human condition.
The MISSION
First of all: re-write the thesis statement and back it up with three developing paragraphs that involve a synopsis of three characters in the prologue and what each “cat” represents as regards the human condition.
Pinpoint any, shall we say, “ironies”[6] in the characters.
For instance, consider the monk’s character (cf. ii 169-211). He is truly a man of great hypocrisy—a type of irony. For a man who is supposed to be living simply and humbly, the monk flaunts an outfit with “sleeves…garnished at the hand / with fine gray fur, the finest in the land, / and on his hood, to fasten it at his chin / He had a wrought-gold cunningly fashioned pin; Into a lover’s’ knot it seemed to pass” (ii 197-201). Such a display suggests contradiction; what he practices is not the austere way of monastic, cloistered living, but “the modern world’s more spacious way” (ii 180). And so it is by way of such subtle observations that Chaucer’s narrator pinpoints a truth of the human condition called, hypocrisy.
footnotes
[1] Adjective, exposing human folly to ridicule
[2] Adjective, of or pertaining to dialogue
[3] In case you didn’t know, Becket was commissioned by King Henry II in the 1160’s CE to rock the diocese of Canterbury in true shepherd style. However, his friendship with the king was strained by a mutual struggle for power—you know the deal: church vs. state. Apparently, though it is not verified by reliable data, KHII voiced some desire to have Becket killed—a threat voiced in conversation with four of his supposedly noble knights one day. So the four armored men took KH literally and, shall we say, “finished the job,” killing Becket, who, as a quasi-martyr, was canonized a saint by Pope Alexander III in 1173 CE.
[4] Adjective, of or pertaining to idiosyncrasy: a characteristic, habit, mannerism, or the like, that is peculiar to an individual.
[5] Adjective, of, pertaining to, or of the nature of logical argumentation; noun, the art or practice of logical discussion as employed in investigating the truth of a theory or opinion.
[6] Noun, plural: “ies” a technique of indicating, as through character or plot development, an intention or attitude opposite to that which is actually or ostensibly stated.; (esp. in contemporary writing) a manner of organizing a work so as to give full expression to contradictory or complementary impulses, attitudes, etc., esp. as a means of indicating detachment from a subject, theme, or emotion.
The MISSION
First of all: re-write the thesis statement and back it up with three developing paragraphs that involve a synopsis of three characters in the prologue and what each “cat” represents as regards the human condition.
Pinpoint any, shall we say, “ironies”[6] in the characters.
For instance, consider the monk’s character (cf. ii 169-211). He is truly a man of great hypocrisy—a type of irony. For a man who is supposed to be living simply and humbly, the monk flaunts an outfit with “sleeves…garnished at the hand / with fine gray fur, the finest in the land, / and on his hood, to fasten it at his chin / He had a wrought-gold cunningly fashioned pin; Into a lover’s’ knot it seemed to pass” (ii 197-201). Such a display suggests contradiction; what he practices is not the austere way of monastic, cloistered living, but “the modern world’s more spacious way” (ii 180). And so it is by way of such subtle observations that Chaucer’s narrator pinpoints a truth of the human condition called, hypocrisy.
footnotes
[1] Adjective, exposing human folly to ridicule
[2] Adjective, of or pertaining to dialogue
[3] In case you didn’t know, Becket was commissioned by King Henry II in the 1160’s CE to rock the diocese of Canterbury in true shepherd style. However, his friendship with the king was strained by a mutual struggle for power—you know the deal: church vs. state. Apparently, though it is not verified by reliable data, KHII voiced some desire to have Becket killed—a threat voiced in conversation with four of his supposedly noble knights one day. So the four armored men took KH literally and, shall we say, “finished the job,” killing Becket, who, as a quasi-martyr, was canonized a saint by Pope Alexander III in 1173 CE.
[4] Adjective, of or pertaining to idiosyncrasy: a characteristic, habit, mannerism, or the like, that is peculiar to an individual.
[5] Adjective, of, pertaining to, or of the nature of logical argumentation; noun, the art or practice of logical discussion as employed in investigating the truth of a theory or opinion.
[6] Noun, plural: “ies” a technique of indicating, as through character or plot development, an intention or attitude opposite to that which is actually or ostensibly stated.; (esp. in contemporary writing) a manner of organizing a work so as to give full expression to contradictory or complementary impulses, attitudes, etc., esp. as a means of indicating detachment from a subject, theme, or emotion.
Monday, October 27, 2008
The Quest for the Green Knight
Ok bros,
It’s that time again.
What’s the theme gonna be? Chauvinism, Lust, Courtly Love, Chivalry, Heroism, Courage, Bravery, Humanity, Imperfection, Christianity? You tell me…in five paragraphs or more to get that high score.
You may use help from another source, just be sure to cite it appropriately—whether by paraphrase or direct quotation--with the author’s last name and page number in parentheses, followed by the period.
Be sure to make reference to specific parts of the plot to back up your main points regarding the theme of your choice. Be sure to incorporate at least three examples taken directly from the story.
You should underline Sir Gawain and the Green Knight when referring to it as a title.
Word up. Questions? As ‘em. If need be, you may take this home and give it to me tomorrow.
God love you as you journey through the dark forest en route to that Green Chapel.
Lord Peach
It’s that time again.
What’s the theme gonna be? Chauvinism, Lust, Courtly Love, Chivalry, Heroism, Courage, Bravery, Humanity, Imperfection, Christianity? You tell me…in five paragraphs or more to get that high score.
You may use help from another source, just be sure to cite it appropriately—whether by paraphrase or direct quotation--with the author’s last name and page number in parentheses, followed by the period.
Be sure to make reference to specific parts of the plot to back up your main points regarding the theme of your choice. Be sure to incorporate at least three examples taken directly from the story.
You should underline Sir Gawain and the Green Knight when referring to it as a title.
Word up. Questions? As ‘em. If need be, you may take this home and give it to me tomorrow.
God love you as you journey through the dark forest en route to that Green Chapel.
Lord Peach
Sunday, October 12, 2008
JSTOR, Sir Gawain, and the Green Knight
Bros:
I would like each of you to:
I would like each of you to:
- print out one scholarly article chosen from the following list of articles and
- submit a one-paragraph “abstract”—a summary of a text, scientific article, document, speech, etc.—on that article to the blog or on hard copy, being sure to indicate the title of the article as well as its author.
Article List
(you can find and print in full any one of these articles by clicking the title and, once in the new window, the PDF link):
(you can find and print in full any one of these articles by clicking the title and, once in the new window, the PDF link):
- Christian Significance and Romance Tradition in "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight"
M. Mills The Modern Language Review, Vol. 60, No. 4 (Oct., 1965), pp. 483-493 - The Passing of the Seasons and the Apocalyptic in "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight"
S. L. Clark, Julian N. Wasserman
South Central Review, Vol. 3, No. 1 (Spring, 1986), pp. 5-22 - The Significance of the Pentangle Symbolism in "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight"
Gerald Morgan
The Modern Language Review, Vol. 74, No. 4 (Oct., 1979), pp. 769-790 - The Folk-Tale Element in "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight"
Claude Luttrell
Studies in Philology, Vol. 77, No. 2 (Spring, 1980), pp. 105-127 - The Source of the Beheading Episode in "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight"
Larry D. Benson
Modern Philology, Vol. 59, No. 1 (Aug., 1961), pp. 1-12 - Sin, Psychology, and the Structure of "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight"
Louis Blenkner
Studies in Philology, Vol. 74, No. 4 (Oct., 1977), pp. 354-387 - Knight in Tarnished Armour: The Meaning of "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight"
Gordon M. Shedd
The Modern Language Review, Vol. 62, No. 1 (Jan., 1967), pp. 3-13 - Gawain's Fault in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
David Farley Hills
The Review of English Studies, New Series, Vol. 14, No. 54 (May, 1963), pp. 124-131
- The Validity of Gawain's Confession in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Gerald Morgan
The Review of English Studies, New Series, Vol. 36, No. 141 (Feb., 1985), pp. 1-18 - The Hunting Scenes in 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight'
J. D. Burnley
The Yearbook of English Studies, Vol. 3, (1973), pp. 1-9 - The Saints in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Ronald Tamplin
Speculum, Vol. 44, No. 3 (Jul., 1969), pp. 403-420 - Laughter and Game in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Martin Stevens
Speculum, Vol. 47, No. 1 (Jan., 1972), pp. 65-78 - The Medieval Mind in "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight"
Dean Loganbill
The Bulletin of the Rocky Mountain Modern Language Association, Vol. 26, No. 4 (Winter, 1972), pp. 119-126 - The Meaning of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Alan M. Markman
PMLA, Vol. 72, No. 4 (Sep., 1957), pp. 574-586 - The Lady's 'Blushing' Ring in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Jessica Cooke
The Review of English Studies, New Series, Vol. 49, No. 193 (Feb., 1998), pp. 1-8 - Gawain and the Gift
Britton J. Harwood
PMLA, Vol. 106, No. 3 (May, 1991), pp. 483-499 - Feminine Knots and the Other Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Geraldine Heng
PMLA, Vol. 106, No. 3 (May, 1991), pp. 500-514
- Disorientation, Style, and Consciousness in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
John M. Ganim
PMLA, Vol. 91, No. 3 (May, 1976), pp. 376-384 - Medieval Misogyny and Gawain's Outburst against Women in "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight"
Gerald Morgan
The Modern Language Review, Vol. 97, No. 2 (Apr., 2002), pp. 265-278
DUE DATE: Monday, October 20, 2008
Please be sure to submit your article with the proper format (as with the previous abstract assignment).
Thursday, October 9, 2008
An Elegy for a Hero: Beowulf Essay Quest
An Elegy for a Hero:
An In-class Essay on Beowulf
During the last three weeks, we have gone into some depth picking out themes of Beowulf.
With your scholarly article from JSTOR in hand, your Beowulf fun-pack, your “Writing about Fiction” fun-pack and your weapon of choice (pen or pencil):
- Construct a well-developed, five paragraph essay in which you consider a theme discussed in your research and its application to the story of Beowulf.
- Make a thesis statement in which you form a general assumption that can branch into three specific ideas or examples from the poem that address or demonstrate the overall issue (be it about Christianity in Beowulf, the historical roots of Beowulf, the language used in Beowulf, or otherwise).
- Make your claims regarding the theme by using the scholarly article to back you up. You can do this by quoting directly from, paraphrasing, or summarizing your article of choice.
- Remember that with each claim you make regarding the theme and its application to Beowulf, you should construct a respective paragraph that revolves around that claim.
- Each of your body paragraphs should include a specific example from the poem that demonstrates the theme on which your thesis statement is based.
- If you are quoting or paraphrasing an instance from the text or from your article, you can begin with a transitional phrase such as: For example, For instance when, As [last name of scholar] states, etc.
- Be sure to refer to all events from the poem in the present tense (i.e. Beowulf fights the she-monster…, rather than, Beowulf fought the she-monster…).
- Lastly, end with a conclusion—this can be your fifth paragraph—that further illustrates the theme you discussed with the help of a scholarly article/author.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Beowulf Criticism
Bros:
Available now in the library is an internet research database called JSTOR. As noted on the website, http://www.jstor.org/:
JSTOR is a not–for–profit organization dedicated to helping the scholarly community discover, use, and build upon a wide range of intellectual content in a trusted digital archive. Our overarching aims are to preserve a record of scholarship for posterity and to advance research and teaching in cost–effective ways. We operate a research platform that deploys information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. We collaborate with organizations that can help us achieve our objectives and maximize the benefits for the scholarly community.
The goal of JSTOR is to introduce students and scholars to the wide world of literary criticism.[see footnote below]
It is also ideal for modeling how to write works of literary criticism. To familiarize yourself with how to use the system, I would like each of you to search and print out one scholarly article pertaining to Beowulf and submit a one-paragraph “abstract”—a summary of a text, scientific article, document, speech, etc.—on that article to the blog, being sure to indicate the title of the article as well as its author.
You can access JSTOR from the library or from home by clicking the link to the left. Each of you will have to register individually with an easy-to-remember personal username and password (record them in your journals so that you do not lose them).
DUE DATE: Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Please be sure to submit your article with the proper heading:
Your Name
My Name
ENG 141 / British Lit
Due Date
Article Title:
Article Author:
Abstract
[footnote]
literary criticism
noun
1. a written evaluation of a work of literature [syn: criticism]
2. the informed analysis and evaluation of literature
Available now in the library is an internet research database called JSTOR. As noted on the website, http://www.jstor.org/:
JSTOR is a not–for–profit organization dedicated to helping the scholarly community discover, use, and build upon a wide range of intellectual content in a trusted digital archive. Our overarching aims are to preserve a record of scholarship for posterity and to advance research and teaching in cost–effective ways. We operate a research platform that deploys information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. We collaborate with organizations that can help us achieve our objectives and maximize the benefits for the scholarly community.
The goal of JSTOR is to introduce students and scholars to the wide world of literary criticism.[see footnote below]
It is also ideal for modeling how to write works of literary criticism. To familiarize yourself with how to use the system, I would like each of you to search and print out one scholarly article pertaining to Beowulf and submit a one-paragraph “abstract”—a summary of a text, scientific article, document, speech, etc.—on that article to the blog, being sure to indicate the title of the article as well as its author.
You can access JSTOR from the library or from home by clicking the link to the left. Each of you will have to register individually with an easy-to-remember personal username and password (record them in your journals so that you do not lose them).
DUE DATE: Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Please be sure to submit your article with the proper heading:
Your Name
My Name
ENG 141 / British Lit
Due Date
Article Title:
Article Author:
Abstract
[footnote]
literary criticism
noun
1. a written evaluation of a work of literature [syn: criticism]
2. the informed analysis and evaluation of literature
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Recreating Beowulf
After having signed in, click on "Post a Comment" at the bottom of the blog screen in order to submit your response!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DO NOT click "New Post" at the top right!!!!
Brothers,
You have three options so as to guarantee the peaceful fate of this Viking-land we call Central Catholic. Should you choose to accept one or the other, know that the task is of epic proportions; the destiny of Oakland rests on your shoulders. You must choose to live despite the reality of your own mortality--by doing so, you are worthy of the highest praise and the greatest of elegiac sympathies. The surmountable obstacles are as follows:
OPTION ONE: Choose any passage of at least 20 lines from the epic Beowulf and recreate it, using your own words, your own, modern-day idiom to spice things up. Be sure to type in the original, line-for-line, before transliterating it into your own dialect.
OPTION TWO: Imitate the alliterative style of at least 20 lines from the epic Beowulf and recreate the passage using your own subject matter. Be sure to type the original, line-for-line, before imitating it with your own subject matter in place of the original.
OPTION THREE: Choose any passage of at least 20 lines from the epic Beowulf and create a "spin-off" passage in which your write 20 lines of your own verse that extend the story as you see fit. Be sure to type the original, line-for-line, before spinning-off of it into a fiction of your own (using, of course, characters and themes from the poem itself).
This is due TUESDAY, September 30, 2008 by class time. Remember to head your submissions with MLA format and indicate the lines you are using for the chosen option above:
Your Name
My Name
ENG 141 / British Lit
Due Date
A Centered Title
In peace,
BRobPeachFSC
P.S. After having signed in, click on "Post a Comment" at the bottom of the blog screen in order to submit your response!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DO NOT click "New Post" at the top right!!!!
DO NOT click "New Post" at the top right!!!!
Brothers,
You have three options so as to guarantee the peaceful fate of this Viking-land we call Central Catholic. Should you choose to accept one or the other, know that the task is of epic proportions; the destiny of Oakland rests on your shoulders. You must choose to live despite the reality of your own mortality--by doing so, you are worthy of the highest praise and the greatest of elegiac sympathies. The surmountable obstacles are as follows:
OPTION ONE: Choose any passage of at least 20 lines from the epic Beowulf and recreate it, using your own words, your own, modern-day idiom to spice things up. Be sure to type in the original, line-for-line, before transliterating it into your own dialect.
OPTION TWO: Imitate the alliterative style of at least 20 lines from the epic Beowulf and recreate the passage using your own subject matter. Be sure to type the original, line-for-line, before imitating it with your own subject matter in place of the original.
OPTION THREE: Choose any passage of at least 20 lines from the epic Beowulf and create a "spin-off" passage in which your write 20 lines of your own verse that extend the story as you see fit. Be sure to type the original, line-for-line, before spinning-off of it into a fiction of your own (using, of course, characters and themes from the poem itself).
This is due TUESDAY, September 30, 2008 by class time. Remember to head your submissions with MLA format and indicate the lines you are using for the chosen option above:
Your Name
My Name
ENG 141 / British Lit
Due Date
A Centered Title
(line numbers from poem)
In peace,
BRobPeachFSC
P.S. After having signed in, click on "Post a Comment" at the bottom of the blog screen in order to submit your response!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DO NOT click "New Post" at the top right!!!!
+++
Below is a link to a few student examples from last year's class:
or
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Criticism on BEOWULF
Bros:
Available now in the library is an internet research database called JSTOR.
As noted on the website, http://www.jstor.org/:
JSTOR is a not–for–profit organization dedicated to helping the scholarly community discover, use, and build upon a wide range of intellectual content in a trusted digital archive. Our overarching aims are to preserve a record of scholarship for posterity and to advance research and teaching in cost–effective ways. We operate a research platform that deploys information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. We collaborate with organizations that can help us achieve our objectives and maximize the benefits for the scholarly community.
The goal of JSTOR is to introduce students and scholars to the wide world of literary criticism.[see footnote below]
Available now in the library is an internet research database called JSTOR.
As noted on the website, http://www.jstor.org/:
JSTOR is a not–for–profit organization dedicated to helping the scholarly community discover, use, and build upon a wide range of intellectual content in a trusted digital archive. Our overarching aims are to preserve a record of scholarship for posterity and to advance research and teaching in cost–effective ways. We operate a research platform that deploys information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. We collaborate with organizations that can help us achieve our objectives and maximize the benefits for the scholarly community.
The goal of JSTOR is to introduce students and scholars to the wide world of literary criticism.[see footnote below]
It is also ideal for modeling how to write works of literary criticism.
To familiarize yourself with how to use the system, I would like each of you to search and print out one scholarly article pertaining to Beowulf and submit a one-paragraph “abstract”—a summary of a text, scientific article, document, speech, etc.—on that article to the blog, being sure to indicate the title of the article as well as its author.
To familiarize yourself with how to use the system, I would like each of you to search and print out one scholarly article pertaining to Beowulf and submit a one-paragraph “abstract”—a summary of a text, scientific article, document, speech, etc.—on that article to the blog, being sure to indicate the title of the article as well as its author.
You can access JSTOR from the library or from home by clicking the link to the left. Each of you will have to register individually with an easy-to-remember personal username and password (record them in your journals so that you do not lose them).
DUE DATE: Friday, October 3, 2008
Please be sure to submit your article with the proper heading:
Your Name
My Na me
ENG 141 / British Lit
Due Date
Article Title:
Article Author:
Abstract
[footnote]
literary criticism
noun
1.
a written evaluation of a work of literature [syn: criticism]
2.
the informed analysis and evaluation of literature
DUE DATE: Friday, October 3, 2008
Please be sure to submit your article with the proper heading:
Your Name
My Na me
ENG 141 / British Lit
Due Date
Article Title:
Article Author:
Abstract
[footnote]
literary criticism
noun
1.
a written evaluation of a work of literature [syn: criticism]
2.
the informed analysis and evaluation of literature
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Jekyll/Hyde: From Prose to Poetry
Alright my Brothers,
It is time to flex your creative muscles and commit to some verse.
Pick a format: hip-hop, slam, stream of consciousness, free verse, blank verse, rhyme, or no rhyme scheme (if you don't know what the different poetic styles are, then look them up).
Then write an at least 14-line poem in which you incorporate at least 10 vocabulary words in context (that is, using their intended meanings) with a theme from the novel as we discussed (or perhaps did not discuss) in class.
Your heading format is as follows:
Your Name
Teacher's Name
Course
Date Due
Play around with the idea of the theme, but do not be explicit as to what the theme actually is with which you are dealing in the poem. Let the reader guess.
It is time to flex your creative muscles and commit to some verse.
Pick a format: hip-hop, slam, stream of consciousness, free verse, blank verse, rhyme, or no rhyme scheme (if you don't know what the different poetic styles are, then look them up).
Then write an at least 14-line poem in which you incorporate at least 10 vocabulary words in context (that is, using their intended meanings) with a theme from the novel as we discussed (or perhaps did not discuss) in class.
Your heading format is as follows:
Your Name
Teacher's Name
Course
Date Due
Title of Poem
Play around with the idea of the theme, but do not be explicit as to what the theme actually is with which you are dealing in the poem. Let the reader guess.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Breaking Out of the 'Prisonhouse'
The End of Jekyll and Hyde: An In-Class Essay Quest
During the last three weeks, we have gone into some depth picking out themes of Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
That said, I call to mind our lost friend, Dr. Jekyll (a.k.a. Mr. Hyde), suffering from an identity crisis that ultimately consumes his entire being. Keeping in mind all that we have read, all that we have discussed, and all that we have written in or out of class:
- Construct a well-developed, five paragraph essay in which you consider the nature of some theme we’ve discussed—be it the psychology of addiction, adolescence, the Oedipus complex, identity confusion, etc.—and its application to the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
- Make a thesis statement in which you form a general assumption that can branch into three specific ideas or examples from the novel that address or demonstrate the overall issue (be it addiction, adolescence, the Oedipus complex, etc.).
- Make your claims regarding the theme by using whatever materials are appropriate as your guide.
- You are more than free to paraphrase from the articles I administered and use them as your own.
- Remember that with each claim you make regarding the theme and its application to The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, you should construct a respective paragraph that revolves around that claim.
- Each of your body paragraphs should include a specific example from the novel that demonstrates the theme on which your thesis statement is based.
- If you are quoting or paraphrasing an instance from the text, you can begin with a transitional phrase such as: For example, For instance when, etc.
- Be sure to refer to all events from the novel in the present tense (i.e. Jekyll drinks the potion…, rather than, Jekyll drank the potion…).
- Lastly, end with a conclusion—this can be your fifth paragraph—in which you consider your own adolescent experience and how your life ties in with Jekyll/Hyde struggle.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
The Journey
Welcome to this dramatic field of existence called, British Literature--the backdrop of which is a land once known as Britannia, a faraway country discovered and conquered by invaders from persent-day Ireland, italy, Germany, France, and Scandinavia. It is a land, green and gentle, that is rich in culture and history, a history that sets us on the road, a journey of exploration that will have us map the human experience as written about through the ancient ages in poetry, song, drama, and of course the novel.
It is an epic story of sorts, and you are the protagonists, the heroes engaging the authors and their works in a dialogue for truth, beauty, and for mystery. Be prepared to enter into and discover eternity through the literature of England, spanning a vast timeline from the Old English and Medieval Periods, through the Renaissance and Enlightenment, the Romatnic and Victorian periods, and on to the present-day stuff of the Modern and post-Modern world.
It will be good, my fellow wanderers, but only so long as you choose to enter this arena willingly and with the intention to LIVE!
It is an epic story of sorts, and you are the protagonists, the heroes engaging the authors and their works in a dialogue for truth, beauty, and for mystery. Be prepared to enter into and discover eternity through the literature of England, spanning a vast timeline from the Old English and Medieval Periods, through the Renaissance and Enlightenment, the Romatnic and Victorian periods, and on to the present-day stuff of the Modern and post-Modern world.
It will be good, my fellow wanderers, but only so long as you choose to enter this arena willingly and with the intention to LIVE!
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