Agincourt

Check out the battle! This is a pivotal event in the play.

For those who were out on field trips, we read and discussed two important soliloquy's in Act IV.1. These speeches follow the long discussion about who is responsible for the sin of those who die on the battlefield. This discussion points to the importance of Henry having justified his actions via the Church - it helps motivate his men. The first soliloquy has Henry describing the weight of power, the problems of a king. Other men can sleep while the king is awake. The second is a poignant prayer that God not punish Henry for the sins of his father during this battle. This is a clear example of the theme of God and Justification and the impact of the Universal Order. In these two speeches we see the real Henry V.

The quiz scheduled for today will be postponed until tomorrow.

Henry V Act I - II

We continue to see Shakespeare deftly develop Henry's character and shape the important themes of the play. In Act I the bishops tell us that Henry has changed. It's important to understand the context of the discussion to determine its believability. Henry has changed and that is proven when he responds to the Dauphin's tennis ball insult. He turns the mock back onto the Dauphin and uses it as a reason that he must invade France. The themes of God and Justification, Henry's Growth and his leadership are evident in these acts. Henry uses the Bishops and insult to claim that God is on his side. The Bishops and Henry's handling of the Dauphin's insult show that he has changed and all this supports the idea that he is a leader.

We see a rough side of Henry's character with the way he plays the traitors. We also see his strength and leadership in his decision to destroy the traitors even though they were his friends.

Finally, remember the roles the Bardolph, Nym, Pistol and Falstaff play as symbols of Henry's youth.

While I'm away...

My expectation is that you will be quiet and work hard while I am away.
Thank you!

May 11th

Students will read Act II, Scenes 2 & 4 * and create a:
1. Character list for the acts and identify character type for the character (see below for example)
2. summary of the act and scene
3. Identify themes in the act and support with reference to text

(we are skipping scenes that I will review in class. They are not needed for your understanding of the scenes you will review)

Make a chart like below for the assignment:

Characters Type Theme(s) with line numbers (Act, scene, line(s))


Summary of action

Students may view the movie after they read the text, but only after they’ve read


May 14th

Lesson: Writing workshop

Student will select a college essay prompt from the Common Application (copies included) and write a draft essay

The draft is due tomorrow.

Students will work quietly

Sonnets

I love sonnets - they are perfect structures of artistic beauty. They are challenging and creative. In the last few days we've reviewed two types of sonnets, the Italian (Petrarchan) and English (Shakespearean) sonnets.
Both have 14 lines, but the Italian consists of an octave and a sestet. The English has 3 quatrains and ends with a rhyming couplet. Keep this in mind as you craft your own sonnets and prepare for tomorrow's quiz.

English sonnet
14 lines in iambic pentameter
10 syllables –accent on second syllable
3 stanzas of four lines (quatrains) each and a final unit of two lines (couplet)
ABAB CDCD EFEF GG

Italian Sonnet
•Consists of an octave (an eight-line stanza)
•Rhyme is abbaabba
• a sestet (a six-line stanza)
•Rhyme is cdcdcd, or cdecde--or using some other variation of the cd or cde patterns
•No final rhymed couplet as in English sonnet
Volta = turning point

Unit Test

I was pleased with most of the canto presentations. Thank you for your work.

Your essay is due on Monday. We will finish the Inferno and begin to review for Wednesday's unit test. Begin by looking at the previous posts on this site; you'll find what I've stressed in class and will probably ask on the unit test. There will be many questions from the first six cantos. I tend to ask about mythical characters and sinners and the punishments that seem well connected. The cantos to review are 11,12,13,17,19,20,23,24,25,27, 32,33,34. Review your presentation notes and the summary for each canto. Make sure you review the material covered in the beginning of the unit on Dante's life, the use of numbers, the literary concepts from the text, and the theological connections. Even if you missed a canto presentation, or we did not read it in class, I expect that you will take the time to read it yourself and understand the basics. Use the format of the canto organizer as a tool to help you.

Some more thoughts:

Review notes from the beginning of the unit. Look on Student Public for the Dante PowerPoint presentations for fun facts that might appear on tests. Look at definitions for free will, allegory, parody, satire, imagery, King of Time. Review facts such as:

Dante goes to the Inferno to recognize sin
He goes to Purgatorio to renounce sin
This journey is a quest and his 'neukia'
The long list of mythical creatures (Centaurs, Minos, Minotaur, Charon, Styx)
Minos condemns sinner to their circle by wrapping his tail
Why the number 3 is important (Trinity)
That Dis is Lucifer and a parody of the Trinity
Dante starts his journey in the 'Dark Wood of Error'
His journey is an allegory

No voice today

How appropriate - my punishment in the Inferno is to have so much to say to you but to then cough so much I lose my voice.

Start with the SAT schema. You will have 10 minutes to complete the reading and questions.

After, you will have the rest of class to complete the outlines due tomorrow and begin the draft essay due on Friday. These dates are firm and no late work will be accepted.

The outlines will look something like this (which we discussed before)

I. Thesis Statement (I'd also suggest you develop your opening sentence)
II. Topic Sentence
A. Supporting quote - (canto. lines) example - X.23-24 (I'd suggest you write out the quote)
III. Topic sentence
A. Supporting quote
IV. Topic sentence
A. Supporting quote
V. Conclusion

Again, a good outline will also have more detail such as introductions to the quotes and followup sentences. Also, because of the blog format, the outline is not exactly as we discussed. Use the format with which you are most comfortable -just make sure you have the information necessary to complete the draft.

Your outline is easily expanded into your essay.

Welcome back!

Dis and the final ring of the Inferno, Cocytus

We will continue with the Dante Canto PowerPoint presentations. You are responsible for keeping notes since the Unit Test will include information from the student presentations. I will point out the more important sins, sinners, and punishments. I will review the final cantos with you. We finally reach Cocytus this week, the area of the great traitors and Dis.

Now, we have a lot on our plate for the remaining weeks of school. This week you will work on you essays. the outline is due on Thursday, the draft is due for peer review on Friday, and the final draft is due Monday. Please see me if you have questions.

The keys to a strong essay are a strong thesis, strong topic sentences, and supporting you ideas with references and quotes from the text. I will review thesis statements and topic sentences early this week. I know we've done this before, but it is still worth reviewing again.

The Unit test will be on Tuesday. We will review later this week and on Monday.

We start Shakespeare next week - Henry V and her sonnets. I hope you're as excited as I am.

Canto projects

Now it is your turn to teach Dante!
Make sure you read the Canti before and after the canto you are going to teach. Many of the canti merge and mesh into each other. Make sure you follow the rubric, provide all the information and address all the issues. Connect the text to the ideas we discussed . Finally, create a PowerPoint that is clear and effective.

Dante's Inferno

Minos - by Michelangelo

So we begin another descent into the underworld - Dante's nekuia. In this case it the underworld of a Catholic/Christian mind. Dante takes us on a journey of discovery. In the Inferno, Dante takes on a journey to recognize sin. The second step of the journey, Purgatorio, is to renounce sin, and then we are fit for Paradiso. The three books make up Dante's great opus, The Divine Comedy.

Canto I finds Dante lost in the Dark Wood of Error. He see a light on a hilltop and walks toward it only to be blocked by the three beasts of worldliness: leopard, lion and she-wolf. He is saved by the Roman poet, Virgil, who was sent by Dante's great love, Beatrice.

Canto II is the descent to and through the Gate of Hell - ABANDON ALL HOPE YE WHO ENTER HERE.

Canto III is where we meet out first group of sinners, The Opportunist, who are so bad they aren't allowed in the Inferno, but are in the Vestibule of Hell. We see our first major sinner, a Pope of all people, Celestine V. Celestine's placement here is an example of irony and satire. Keep in mind the punishment of bees, wasps, maggots, and the wavering banner.

In Canto IV we meet the Virtuous Pagans in Limbo. They are not physically punished but are never to see the light of God, which leaves them hopeless. Homer is here along with many other ancient philosophers and characters.

Homework: Read Canti VI and VII and complete the reading worksheets. Use the Danteworld website for help.

Quiz on reading tomorrow.

Set-up

The books that all of you are diligently reading and presenting take place in a short period of time, some 48 hours. The concept of xenia as a tool to judge the quality and future of a character is fully realized. Loyal servant are always good xenos. To not be a good xenos is to not respect the gods and your masters, so you are disloyal. All these books present evidence that the suitors and bad servants should be punished.

Keep in mind the servants - Melantho, Melantios, Euryklea, Eumaeus. They are opposites of each other - the bad and the good. Their fates are tied directly to their actions - a universal lesson for all of us.

The actions of the suitors also lead to their destruction. The battle is a model of intelligence, skill, courage, loyalty, and divine intervention.

Background

Most of the books you are reading take place in Odysseus' palace on Ithaka. He removes his disguise in Book XV to reveal his true identity to Telemachos, but no one else knows who he is. Again, birds, thunder and lightening tend to be symbolic. Look for Antinoos, Eurymakhos, Eumaeus, Melantho, Mealnthios, Eurykleia, and Philotios and how they act towards Odysseus.

Reading

When you are reading for this assessment, try to do a couple of things. Take a piece of paper and make notes - talk to the text. Make a list of the characters from the reading. Keep a chronology of events, and then connect the events to symbolism, xenia, loyalty, or simply story and plot elements. You might read quickly the first time and then make careful notes at the second reading, or do everything at once.

While reading, see if the story elements connect to past events or foreshadow future events. Try to predict what is going to happen.

I encourage the use of quotes - sometimes the author's words are the best. However, do not overuse this technique.

Odyssey XV - XXI

Each person will be assigned a book and they will read the book independently. They will write a brief summary of the book noting examples of symbolism, xenia, loyalty. Bird imagery is important and note the actions of the characters towards Ulysses/Odysseus and each other. The summary will be single space and no longer than a page.

Individual groups will then form to create a PowerPoint to teach the book. Compare notes as to your observations and come to a consensus as to how to present. I expect an easy to read,visually appealing presentation. Images that relate to your Book are expected.

I am available as a consultant - for a modest fee

Summaries will be handed in before the groups meet and will be graded for content and grammar. PowerPoint can be presented by one person or all. PowerPoint will be graded for content and presentation.

Books XII -XIV Going to Ithaka

The early and difficult part of Odysseus's journey is coming to an end. Book XII is full of adventure. They return to bury Elpenor, sail by the Sirens (the men put beeswax in their ears and tie Odysseus to the mast), lose six men to Skylla, skirt Charybdis, and end on Helios's island. The men disobey Odysseus for the last time, eat the holy cattle, and then die at sea; Odysseus survives and lands on Kalypso's island (where he stays for 7 years). Two ideas are reinforced in this book. One is that Odysseus is a man of the mind, so eager to learn that he must hear the Siren's song. The other idea is that Odysseus's men die because they do not listen to him. He does not fail as a leader/hero, his men fail to follow his leadership and they die.

Book XIII is a transition from the journey to the homecoming. Odysseus gets lots and lots of gifts and a ship home. It also features a reversal of the xenia idea because the Phaiakians are punished for being good xenos. However, this might simply be an extension of the idea that the gods are capricious - even when you do what is asked they get you. Please note the familiar lines about the nature of the islands natives: " Alas, 'he exclaimed, ' among what manner of people am I fallen? Are they savage and uncivilized or hospitable and humane?" He does not even know that he is home. Also note that Minerva/Athena helps by changing his appearance to that of an old man. She does this because he is in danger as a result of the suitors.

The theme of xenia is joined with that of loyalty in Book XIV. We meet "O swineherd Eumaeus," the loyal swineherd and slave of Ulysses/Odysseus. The book cements Eumaeus as a good xenos and slave, and a person whom Odysseus can trust to help with the suitors.

Out Sick

Schema: From memory, create and complete the order of events, In Media Res and Chronologically up through Book XI. Do this on your computers, print it, and then someone should volunteer to put them in alpha order.

Lesson: Read Book XII and write a summary of the events (one page or less). Then complete the Chronology listing the new events. You will work alone on this reading and be absolutely quiet. I want you to try to read and connect to the text on your own. Do not give up. You can do it!

If you have time, you may take advantage of my weak condition to spruce up your Myth PowerPoint presentations.

Homework: We will have a reading check for Book XII, with the complete Chronology through Book XII on Wednesday.

Circe - Kirke Book X

Book X is Odysseus’ visit to Kirke/Circe. She is the opposite of Kalypso – Circe begins as a bad xenos and ends as a good xenos (Kalypso ends as a bad xenos). She begins by turning Odysseus’ men into pig (maybe this is where we get the idea that all men are pigs). Hermes helps Odysseus protect himself and he outwits Circe. Odysseus and Circe become lovers. This is the continuation of the issue of seductive women preventing Odysseus from completing his homecoming. He stays for a year and then Circe gives him advice on how to get home – he must visit Hades and speak with Teiresias. Before they leave, Eleanor falls off Circe’s roof and dies.

Go to Hades

Homework: Read Book XI and visit Tiresias in Hades.

In addition to the reading, please identify two Greek heroes I've discussed at length and how they reflect nostos and kleos (based on their description in Hades). Also, look for the comments of one of these heroes and what the comments say about Homer's image of nostos, kleos and Odysseus.

Write a response (paragraph) on what Homer is telling us about kleos and nostos. Which is most important and cite the text to prove your point.

Polyphemus

Schema: The Dreaded Chronology - as we read the Odyssey, we will continue to add events to the chronology and as they appear in the text, in medias res.

In medias res: Telemachus, Phaiakians, Calypso

Chronology: Troy, Kikones, Lotos Eaters, Cyclopes (Polyphemus)

Please note the number of times in the epic Homer points out how Odysseus's' men disobey him and how this leads to their deaths. The first example is with the Kikones. This explains why our hero has lost all his men.

The other reason he loses all his men is that Odysseus makes a mistake and reveals himself to Polyphemus, who curses him and causes all his travelling woes. He turns Neptune/Poseidon against Odysseus.

Also note how how Polyphemus is punished for his bad xenia. He is a host, stranger, foreigner. The final point is how crafty Odysseus is in out witting the Cyclopes.

Books 1-8, xenia, nostos, kleos

Telemachos and Mentor



Schema: several of the SAT questions of the day had to do with tense agreement. One technique you need to think about developing is a plan for attacking questions. Look for obvious and typical: subject-verb agreement and pronoun antecedent agreement.

A lot of ground has been covered. We are looking at the concept of xenia as a theme in the Odyssey. Xenia is the Greek ideal of hospitality, the guest-host relationship. There are five persons, types, or xenos: guest, host, stranger, foreigner, friend. Every situation features a guest and host and they are either one or two the other xenos, as well.

Remember that the Odyssey is an epic of nostos (homecoming, peace) while the Iliad is an epic of kleos (name, reputation, war). Achilles is a hero of violence and body, a hero of kleos. Odysseus (Ulysses) is a hero of both nostos and kleos. Homer makes this clear when Odysseus announces himself to Alkinoos and his court.

Some notes on the text: Books 1-4 are the Telemachy, about Telemachus and his mother, Penelope. He goes on a quest to find his father and experiences the archetypes of loss of innocence, initiation and water. We see Penelope as similar to Ulysses in her cunning ploy with the tapestry. We meet our hero, Odysseus, in Book V. He is a captive of Kalypso but is set free at the request of Zeus (via Mercury/Hermes). Neptune sees him on the open ocean and makes trouble for him (he hates Odysseus) He washes up on the land of the Phaiakians, meets Nausikaa in Book VI, King Alkinoos and Queen Arête in Book VII, and they have games and a banquet in book VIII (where we see Homer as Demodokos, the blind poet).

Xenia

Quiz tomorrow on xenia, types of epics, vocabulary, Books 1- 4 and Book V, which you need to read this evening.

Greek to Roman Book 1

Schema: SAT

We covered a lot of preliminary ground today. Our current text is the Odyssey, by Homer. Homer also wrote the epic poem, the Iliad, which is about the Trojan War. Homer is generally described as a blind poet. One difficulty, but also a learning opportunity, is that we will read two translations of the text. One translation is from Latin (the Internet version), while the other is from the Greek. Remember that the Romans simply took the Greek gods as their own and renamed them. Here is a chart for your use:

Greek Roman

Odysseus Ulysses
Zeus Jove/Jupiter
Athena Minerva
Poseidon Neptune
Hades Pluto

Names spelled with a ‘C’, Calypso, are from a Latin translation, while names spelled with a ‘K’, Kalypso, and are Greek translations.

Book 1 starts with the classic call to the “muse’ for inspiration and a brief on Ulysses’ position and troubles. We find Minerva working Jove to help Ulysses escape from his kidnapper, Calypso. She is doing so because Neptune is off at a festival in Ethiopia (the end of the world). Neptune is Ulysses’ nemesis because Ulysses blinded Neptune's son, Polyphemus. Also, note that Neptune won't kill Ulysses, only torment him. Jove speaks of Agamemnon and his death and his son’s revenge. The importance of Agamemnon is to remind the audience of his poor homecoming (nostos) and the problems resulting from Helen’s kidnapping and the Trojan War. Minerva is off to help Telemachus, Ulysses’ son with the nasty suitors besieging his home (note what bad guests, xenos, they are). Please note how good a host, xenos, Telemachus is to the disguised Minerva. We also meet Ulysses’ wife, Penelope, model of the Greek faithful wife. The book ends with Telemachus calling an assembly a thinking about finding his father.

Interestingly, the first four books of the Odyssey are not about Ulysses, but his son Telemachus, Penelope, and the suitors. We will not meet our hero until Book V.

Answer for bonus question - Helen of Troy was often referred to as the face that launched a 1000 ships since her kidnapping by Paris lead to a 1000 Greek ships being launched for war.

Please comment on what you've read so far.

Odyssey - Book 1

By now you should have finished Book 1. Now, what is it that is unusual about the text and its characters? Let's begin by looking at the presentation of the gods. Remember that Greece at this time was a polytheistic society. Do the gods seem"godlike"? Are they omniscient and omnipotent (two vocabulary words you will see of the quiz)? Who is the hero of the epic? These are several of the questions we'll examine on Monday and Tuesday. In addition, we'll examine a major theme of the Odyssey, and that is the Greek concept of hospitality, or xenia(1), and how it marks or drives much of the action of the story. To get a head start - examine the text and find examples of when hospitality is discussed and highlighted. What does it say about the characters? Finally, we'll look for evidence of foreshadowing in the text, so I suggest you take out your notes and make sure you can identify foreshadowing.

Essays are due on Monday and make sure you include your outlines, and drafts.

(1) You'll notice this link is to a Wikipedia post, which is very unusual for me. I wanted to point out that you need to be very, very careful with Wikipedia because it is constantly changing and is not always reliable. I would prefer you not use this as a source unless you verify its content elsewhere (you 'd probably be better off using this other source), are absolutely confident you know its content is correct (as I do from my past work on this issue), and note the date you cited it. Wikipedia post can be changed at anytime and there is an issue with pranks and malicious changes, so the Wiki entry you cite might be different the next hour, day, week...you get the message. Having said all this, I thought the Wiki post I read on this date was excellent and I doubt this is an entry that is a focus for pranks.

The Odyssey

Today and Friday will be writing days. The bulk of the two days will be spent writing and reading about writing. I suggest that you use this time in working on your thesis and looking for appropriate quotes to support your thesis. Equally important, you should be fine tuning your topic sentences and making sure your paragraphs flow and make sense.

Over the holiday, the A and B Block will read the first book of Homer's Odyssey. A and B Blocks will write a summary paragraph for Book 1. Here is a link for the Odyssey.

There will be a reading check on the Monday we return from vacation.

Because of the two lost days, essays may be handed in the Monday after vacation.

Essay

For those who don't have a copy of the Bible at home, here is a link to the Genesis flood narrative. Scroll down to Genesis 6 and 7.

Please be creative in your research. Look to outside sources for additional ideas and support.

The Test and essay

Schema: Quiz

Today was a review for tomorrow’s unit test. The test will cover all that we’ve done in the past three weeks. Please review previous blogs and compare to the notes you took today. The test will cover Gilgamesh and the concepts we discussed in class. These include but are not limited to: Parts of Speech and the ability to identify them in a sentence; genres (poetry, prose, drama) and subgenres; the four myth types and their focus; archetypes and the ability to identify and apply them to the text; the stages of grief and Dr. Kubler-Ross; and important element in the Gilgamesh epic. There will a little about Genesis and the flood narrative.

The short answers will be have to do with the image of god(s) in the Gilgamesh and Genesis flood narratives and how this reflects the different cultures; the role of the harlot and Ninsun in Gilgamesh; and the genres and subgenres for Gilgamesh – poetry, epic and Mesopotamian. Even though our text is in prose form, the original was a poem.

While you are studying, look for ideas and support for your essays. Here is a link to one on-line version of the text. You’ll have time this week to work on the essay in class.

Schema: Quiz on Stages of Grief

I really enjoyed the work many of you did on your ark drawings. Many showed that they understood the text and were able to creatively demonstrate their understanding.

We finished our reading, comparing and contrasting of the flood narratives in Gilgamesh and Genesis. One can see why there was such a uproar in the Biblical world when the Mesopotamian narrative was discovered. The similarities are startling: both have detailed descriptions of how to build the ark (Noah’s is a rectangle, Utnapishtim’s a square); both save their immediate families and the animals of the world (Utnapishtim includes craftsmen as well, very practical); both use birds to confirm dry land (raven and doves); and both finally end up on a mountaintop.

There are also differences, the days it rained, the names of the mountain, etc. The most telling differences reflect the cultures that eventually wrote down the stories. Gilgamesh comes from a polytheistic culture where the gods are more feared than loved and represent natural phenomenon. The gods of Gilgamesh are not attractive at all – they are compared to ‘curs’ and ‘flies’ and even become afraid of the flood they created. They decide to destroy humanity because they are too loud and interrupt Enlil's sleep. Ea does not tell Utnapishtim directly to prepare for the disaster (some say he was scared of Enlil) but through a dream. In the end, they all regret the decision to kill everyone and make Utnapishtim immortal.

The God of Genesis (a monotheistic deity) feels that mankind is wicked and that this wickedness and evil needs to be destroyed. He is portrayed as a just God, one who spares Noah because he is a good man. He walks with Noah and tells him to prepare. He is direct and has a personal relationship. There is a different, loving, respectful relationship than seen in Gilgamesh. After the flood, God decides that there is evil in all men and makes a covenant with Noah not to destroy mankind again, and He puts a rainbow in the sky as proof and a reminder.

The final sections have Gilgamesh failing the test for immortality to stay awake for six nights and seven days (remember that bread is used to measure the time he sleeps). The wife of Utnapishtim suggests that Gilgamesh be given a break and Utnapishtim tells him about the flower of everlasting life at the bottom of a clear pool (water archetype = rebirth). The serpent steals the flower, and sheds his skin, and Gilgamesh loses his last shot at immortality. Keep in mind that it was a serpent that tricked Adam and Eve and they lost their immortality. I guess the message is to stay away from serpents.

We watch the Noah video tomorrow and you get an essay assignment. Unit test on Monday or Tuesday.

Noah and Utnapishtim

Utnapishtim's ark

Schema: SAT

The class created a summary and character list for Gilgamesh. The key characters are Gilgamesh, Enkidu, Ninsun (Gilgamesh's Mom), the sun god Shamash, Enlil, father of gods, Humbaba, Ishtar and the harlot. This will be used in tomorrow's quiz (along with the Stages of Grief). The archetypes are: hero, Enkidu's loss of innocence and initiation into society, and Gilgamesh's task of killing Humbaba, which is spurred on by Shamash and irritates Enlil.

We read Part 4, Gilgamesh's search for everlasting life. This search is an example of the quest archetype. Gilgamesh overcomes several tasks on his quest - killing lions, getting past the Scorpion men, the tunnel of darkness, and crossing the water of death. He finally meets Utnapishtim who tells him the story of the flood. The class read from the Genesis version of the Flood for comparison purposes.

Homework: draw the two arks based upon the description in each text.

Stages of Grief

Schema: What is your image of the afterlife? Mortality is a central issue in Gilgamesh, and one can see why with Enkidu's fearful dream of death. The first three texts we will read have death and the afterlife as important themes. Literature is the primary vehicle for passing on cultural values and a societies' view of the afterlife is very important to the way people lives their lives.

Nice work of the skits.

We reviewed Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross' Stages of Grief. It is interesting how we can see her theory and research in action in Gilgmesh. Gilgamesh experiences all the stages: anger at Enkidu's death, denial of his own mortality, bargaining to avoid the inevitable, depression, and then acceptance (we know this since we read he turned out to be a great king). Please note that not everyone reaches all the stages - many do not reach acceptance. As you experience life, you will meet and see people who never leave the denial, anger or depression stage. One reason to be aware of the research is to learn to accept the process and hopefully reach the final stage.

Enkidu must die

Part 3 begins with Ishtar's proposal to Gilgamesh and his ungentlemanly rejection. Lesson One - don't dis the goddess or else. She releases the Bull of Heaven, a symbol of earthquake, and it wreaks havoc on Uruk until Gilgamesh and Enkidu kill it. Afterward, Enkidu insults Ishtar and that is the final straw. The gods decide that one of them must suffer for the killing of Humbaba and the Bull - they decide it will be Enkidu. His death scene and dreams are horrific. He dreams of death a a place of vampires, toil and dust (dust to dust). He enters death as a conscious being who is seen and spoken to. It is clear that the afterlife holds everyone in the same place - servant, prince, and priest. Enkidu dies, Gilgamesh grieves and then begins his quest for immortality.

Today, the class worked in small groups and read Part Three. They wrote a paragraph summarizing Part 3. Each group was assigned a major action and they created a skit in modern voice. The scenes were: Ishtar's rejection, Bull of Heaven, Enkidu's dream, Enkidu's death.

Narrative poems were due today - put in the EP and printed copy given to me.

Homework: Read War and Peace, write a 5 page essay or watch the Super Bowl :)

Humbaba

Humbaba and Gilgamesh

Gilgamesh is not only the oldest epic, it is the first "buddy" adventure. Gilgamesh and Enkidu are bored. Gilgamesh is also beginning to worry about his reputation and his mortality. He needs to have his named stamped in brick. So what do they do? Well, naturally, they go off to harass and slaughter some poor monster minding his business and guarding the Cedar Forest for Enlil, father of the gods. The second section tells us about their adventure to fight and kill Humbaba, Enlil's guardian of the Cedar Forest. They are helped by the god, Shamash. Off they go in this odd example of fear and bravery. In the end, they prevail with the help of Shamash. Even though he begs for his life, Gilgamesh decapitates Humbaba and gives the head to Enlil, who is very upset about their action. This sets the stage for the next adventure and the eventual death and quest.

Gilgamesh

Gilgamesh is ancient but its themes are universal and similar to issues we deal with in today's world. It is about friendship, love, loss, man's relationship with divinity and the struggle to deal with mortality. The first tablet begins by describing the greatness of Gilgamesh and the city he built, Uruk. It then discusses the young Gilgamesh, who is arrogant and as much a menace to his people as a help. He is so troublesome, his people ask for help and the gods create Enkidu. However, Enkidu is a savage and it takes his union with the harlot to civilize him. This union is an example of the archetypes, loss of innocence and initiation. The harlot initiates him to civilization and makes him a man. At the end of the the first section, Enkidu prevents Gilgamesh from violating another woman; they fight; Gilgamesh wins, but they end up as friends.

It is interesting to note the similar images of Enkidu being made from clay while Adam is made of dust. Both are innocent and are given or lured into knowledge by women. Also note the role of dreams and that of Gilgamesh's mother, Ninsun, in interpreting the dreams.

Archetypes

While we are working on archetypes and reading Gilgamesh, make sure you are working on your narrative poem. I will attempt to get your draft narratives to you by Friday.

Archetypes are a common form of literary analysis. The are offspring of the work done by Carl Jung - literary types noticed that as with dreams literature had patterns that were re-occurring. Archetypes are universal and primordial - they result from what Jung called the collective unconscious. Make sure you know the two categories, character and symbol/situation, and the five archetypes in each category. There will be a quiz on Thursday. The two brief articles we read today will also be on the quiz. Remember that Gilgamesh was eventually written in cuneiform after developing in an oral tradition for a 1000 years. The epic is the first recorded epic and its conventions were followed by successors. In an epic the hero is the center of the story. Epics are about a person/people not a culture or kingdom. Epics are also designed to be entertaining - with all the violence and sex that you see in today's movies and TV. Please remember that Gilgamesh was a real king and the dreams he had were interpreted as messages from the gods. Keep in mind that we are dealing with a polytheistic culture.

For an extra two points toward a quiz - define poly and monotheism in the comments section. This is only good until tomorrow's class. No credit unless if you use your real name - use the one you gave me.

Our featured artist was Peter Bruegel and his painting "Landscape with the Fall of Icarus."

Myth, Genre

Are myths true or false? This was the initial question discussed today. Myths are generally rooted in some historical event or person and are then exaggerated for entertainment or to fit the purpose of the culture. Myths often explain the world around us and are used to explain the unanswerable. There are four types f myth: Divine, with gods as the central characters; Legend, with heroes (many times partially divine) at the center; folklore, with average people as the focus; and fables, with animals having human characteristics.

We also discussed Genre, which means type or sort. There are used to categorize literature and allow us to organize, analyze and make judgments as to quality. The main genres are: poetry, prose and drama, with multiple sub genres.

Your personal narrative drafts should have been handed in. The poem will be due on Friday - a day later than I said earlier. I'll give you the weekend for the narratives.

Homework: study, work on final narrative and poem

Our featured sculpture is the Laocoon, which you must keep in mind when we read Homer.

Langston and the Lady with an Ermine

We ended the week by reading about personal narratives in Element of Language. Students were given copies of a brief biography of Langston Hughes and his wonderful, narrative poem, “Theme for English B.”

Your task over the weekend is to write the draft of your personal narrative. I want you to focus on one or two events that influenced who you are today. In the biography of Hughes, the writer focused on several events that seemed to define the writer. I’m asking you to do the same thing with your narrative.

The narrative is to be at least two pages, double space, 12 font, Arial or Times.

We will edit on Monday and begin preparing for our first text, Gilgamesh.

Homework: Draft of personal narrative.

For your viewing pleasure, I’ve included “Lady with an Ermine.” I was pleased to find new information about one of da Vinci’s work. You will find that I always show and discuss painting and sculpture in my class. I do so because art is an important part of my life and because it is simply another expression of the art that we are reading. Feel free to introduce new artists you love to me and I will give you the opportunity to discuss their work in class.

Week one

OK…so much for week one. Sorry for the lack of blogs -this should not happen again.

By now, you should understand the purpose and expectations of the course. You have read and signed the Procedures and have a copy of the syllabus.

We discussed the purpose of literature and how some define literature. Literature is written art. It is any piece of writing that can claim that is has “artistic beauty.” The big issue, as we discussed, is who defines what is artistic and what is beauty. That is where you come in – you need to be able to apply standard concepts to define what is artistic and beautiful.

We also read a brief history of writing. Early works were not written but part of the ‘oral’ tradition – they were composed and presented orally. Then the best works were stamped in clay tablets. Cultures evolved and Papyrus became common, them paper arrived, and then Gutenberg perfected movable type and the world was off and running with reading, writing and democracy. We discussed if television was the next great frontier, and what effect will the Internet have on literature. It’s all very exciting and unfolding before us.

Welcome to Literature in the New Global Age.

The purpose of this course is to explore the great literature of our world. We will read major works from different eras and cultures - texts that provide a basis of much of the world’s literature. While we are reading the texts, we will also look at literary terms, ideas, and concepts and then apply them to the texts. Every week, we will work on SAT questions, grammar, and writing. We will read poetry, short stories, and novel(s). You will write a resume, an autobiography, sonnets, haiku, essays, and create and present PowerPoint presentations on myths and Dante’s Inferno.

We begin by reviewing class procedures. The basis of the procedures is to treat others as you would wish to be treated. ‘Others’ include your classmates and me. Please be on time and prepared to learn. Please act respectfully in class. Please open your mind to the wonderful words that will rush out of our readings and wash over you. If you allow them, the words will change you and help you in the pursuit of your future dreams.

We will begin to build an understanding of each other. You will learn about me by looking around the classroom. I will learn about you via your writing assignments this week and next.

Today, you will begin to build a resume (when you see a word highlighted, click on it), and this resume will be the outline for your autobiography. The activity includes interviewing each other and developing an organizer that will build your resume. Think about the way you think and use that in your writing.

Welcome and good luck…

Homework: Parent/guardian sign Procedure form (5); complete resume for publication (10); make up a short name for yourself and leave a one line comment with the name of your favorite book (3). Do not use your real name. The comment name must be less than 6 letters.

Tests and tasks

Mr. Little and his students, oops...I mean Charon, boatman of the Acheron

Welcome to Finals Week. Class is winding down and it is time to prepare for the final assessment, make sure everything owed is delivered, and bring everything we’ve learned together. It is also a time of reflection.

We will review the texts we’ve read and concepts studied today via PowerPoint reviews. Please take notes on those items you do not know. The final covers a lot: genre, characterization, plot, archetypes, grammar, point of view, setting, Gilgamesh, Genesis, Odyssey, Inferno, Henry V and the poems and short stories we read. Keep special note of the vocabulary and special terms associated with each text such as nostos, kleos, xenia, etc.

Review your electronic portfolio. We’ll sit down and look at it together. It should have your: autobiography, resume, sonnets, haiku, essays and, if desired, the Myth and Dante PowerPoint presentations. I will grade the portfolio based on its completeness.

Short Story

Sorry for the short story confusion.

I fixed the link for Classic Short Stories. Go to the previous post and select one of the stories, or see me if you want to select another story. The purpose of this assessment is to read the story, identify point of view, complication, climax and characterization, and write an organized, interesting response concerning the concepts. I want you to take your time and be careful with your writing - my interest is quality vs. quantity. I would like you to create a one page gem, as opposed to several pages of mush.

The answer should be one page, single space. Please use quotes and references to the text to support your answers.

Direct and Indirect characterization

In working on your Shakespeare essays, I keep finding misunderstandings regarding direct and indirect characterization.

When a character describes another character, as the Chorus or bishops describe Henry and his maturity, it is direct characterization. The author is using a character to directly tell the audience about the other character. [In a work in which there is a narrator, such a novel or short story, direct characterization is often provided by the narrator, not another character.] Now, you must be careful to make sure that character who is speaking is believable. For example, when the Dauphin speaks of Henry being weak, other characters contradict him, so we know that he is not to be believed. Both bishops agree that a change has occurred and there is no reason to doubt them since they are scheming together.

When we make judgments about a character because their words or action, it is indirect characterization. Shakespeare reinforces the bishops comments with multiple examples of Henry's strong character (tennis ball response, traitors and Bardolph's execution, speeches). Another example of indirect characterization is the conversation the bishops have between themselves. Their desire to keep their wealth, even to the extent of bribing the king, speaks volumes about their character.

The other issue concerns your understanding of character types. Round, Flat, Static and Dynamic are literary terms, not actual descriptions of people. Many appear to confuse the literary idea that Shakespeare crafted Henry as a round (i.e. complex and contradictory) character with the historical Henry V. Keep in mind that we use these terms as literary analysis tools.

Paragraph and Short Story

While I am out today...

E-mail or print the weekend’s homework.

Read pages 346-369 in Elements of Language. Complete exercises 1, 3 and 4 and hand in today.

Review the Opening paragraph and the first body paragraph of your Dante essay and edit and revise based on the Elements of Language chapter’s information (i.e. what you read today). See if you can improve the essay’s opening. Please don’t e-mail - make a copy and hand it in. If you prefer, you may use your Shakespeare essay instead. The idea is to apply the ideas of the chapter to your own writing.

You may work in pairs for the purpose of reviewing answers or peer editing.

You must work in silence - do not distrupt others who are trying to work.

Go to the link for Classic Short Stories, select one of the following: “The Cask of Amontillado,” “Death Makes a Comeback,” or “The Sniper.” Read the story and, in paragraph form, identify the point of view, the complication and climax of the story, and one example of characterization.

We will continue this tomorrow, have a quiz on plot elements and point of view, and start the review of the Dante section of the final exam.

Weekend work

Schema: SAT and quiz on xenia

Lesson: We followed up on our recent sentence fragment and run on sentence study by correcting real life sentences found in student papers. I was pleased with how adept most of you were at this task. As Emily stated, the issue is not your ability to edit, it is the fact that most students do not allocate enough time to edit properly. Nice job by many in A Block for good work on this assessment. C Block also did a great job with sentence revision.

We discussed the different characters in “A Jury of Her Peer.” Even though they are not present in the house during the story, we know a lot about Mr. and Mrs. Wright. One could argue that Minnie Wright, nee Foster, is the central character, even though we don’t meet her. Please note the use of direct and indirect characterization to develop the characters. Mrs. Hale and Peters are our primary source of information about Mrs. Wright; this is direct characterization. The state of her house, cloths, and the canary are forms of indirect characterization.

Homework: What is the point of view of “A Jury of Her Peers?” Identify examples of direct and indirect characterization. Explain whether setting is important to the story. Please type your response and email to me on Monday

Be prepared for a quiz on plot elements and story elements.

Odyssey

Schema: Archetype/Genre quiz
SAT

Lesson: Review Odyssey and xenia. Xenia is the ancient Greek idea of hospitality. The concept is different than ours. The five xenos are: guest, host, friend, foreigner and stranger. The god of xenia is Zeus, which tells you how important it was to the Greeks. We examined how understanding xenia helped us understand the characters and what happens to them. The other concepts discussed were the epic ideas of nostos and kleos. Achilles is a hero of kleos, war and reputation, while Odysseus is a hero of kleos and nostos, peace and homecoming. The Iliad is and epic of war, kleos, and the Odyssey is an epic of peace, nostos. Keep in mind some of the famous characters, Kalypso, Kyklopes, Kirke, Telemachos and Penelope. Also, keep in mind that Agamemnon is a mirror of Odysseus, a hero of kleos who returned to a bad homecoming.

Archetype

Today we reviewed archetypes and the five stages of grief. Some points to remember: we look at archetypes as a form of literary analysis; they are universal patterns that are copied and are primordial; they were identified by Carl Jung and exist in the collective unconscious. We have broken them into two categories, character and symbol/situation and we looked at five archetypes in each category.

The most common archetypes in the texts we’ve read were hero, quest, task and water. Try to attach these archetypes to plot events.

We also reviewed Kubler-Ross’ 5 Stages of Grief. The must be put in order: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance. The clearest example of these stages is found in Gilgamesh, after Enkidu’s death. Gilgamesh is driven to a quest for immortality, but he fails. The message is that his failure teaches him to accept his fate, and he turns for a selfish brute to the wise king that inspired the epic.

Homework: finish “A Jury of Her Peers” and complete the character and plot event tasks. Also, study for the quiz on genre and archetype.

Death on Wright's Farm

Yesterday, we reviewed the three major genres (poetry, drama and prose) and multiple sub-genres. Our focus was the short story. For the final exam, I will expect you to be able to identify genre and sub-genre. I will also expect you to be able to correctly categorize the texts we've read this semester, as well as other texts or writing.

Continue to create your character and event lists for "A Jury of Her Peers." Some questions to ponder: Do we ever meet John and Minnie Wright? Do we have a good portrait of them? Why are Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale important to the story? What is their relationship? What about the canary - is it important?

Our exam review will be on literary archetypes and stages of grief. We will also look at the Odyssey.

Today we will review the parts of speech and then examine sentence structure. Please go to page 320 of Elements of Language and read to page 329. As always, keep notes on the definitions and we will review the examples as a class.

Final days.

Schema: SAT

Genre - short story

Lesson: There are only 10 days before final exams begin. We will do a number of things in this period. First, we will look at the prose genre, short story. Second, we will review sentence structure and mechanic issues related to sentences. Third, we will review the texts we’ve read this semester and the literary concepts used to examine the texts; this will be for the final exam. While we are doing this, you will complete your electronic portfolio. For some students, it will be necessary that they revise and edit their Dante essays. I will have the Shakespeare essays graded by next Monday, and I suspect there will be a need for some students to revise and edit this essay. I will be available to meet after school this week to work with you on essay edits.

Today, let’s look at the short story. This will be independent work. Go to “What Makes a Good Short Story” and follow the instructions. The site uses a short story to explore five elements of a short story. Your task is to read the story, create a list of characters and plot events, and take notes on the story elements explained in the site. Provide character detail and description when you make your character list. I suggest you begin by reviewing the elements of a short story and then read the story. As you read the story, the site will allow you to link to the elements to reinforce your learning.

I will be available if you wish to discuss your Dante essays during class. This lesson will continue tomorrow.

Homework: Work on character list and plot events. Revise and edit Dante essay. Organize notes and begin final exam review.