4/24
Discu
Major Romanticism Essay
Thoroughly REVISE your rough draft (your in class essay from 3/27) and transform it into an exemplary piece of polished, academic writing.
Preserve the four paragraph structure (Intro with thesis, two argumentative body paragraphs, and conclusion).
Include PROPER MLA formatting (header, works cited)
Due Dates:
Printed copy for peer edits: Wednesday, 4/4
Final submission to turnitin.com: Thursday, 4/5 by 9:59 pm POSTPONED TO SUNDAY AT 9:59 PM
This will be assessed as a 100 point writing grade (5 times the value of an in class essay).
In Class Essay: Romanticism 3/27
Choose ONE poem from Group A and compare that poem to ONE poem in Group B. How do the two poems employ imagery to convey their respective themes? What can one learn about Romanticism, nature, and poetic inspiration from an analysis of these poems?
Your essay should offer a short intro and thesis statement, TWO argumentative body paragraphs with incisive, argumentative topic sentences and rich, trenchant analysis. You may also include a brief concluding paragraph that does more than simply restate the ideas you have articulated above. Remember, your writing should be driven by incisive, argumentative insights, and not summary or repetition.
Group A:
“Lines Written in Early Spring” (Wordsworth 280)
“Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey” (Wordsworth (288)
"Kubla Khan" (Coleridge 459)
Group B
“Frost at Midnight” (Coleridge 477)
“La Belle Dame sans Merci” (Keats 923)
“Ozymandias” (Shelley 776)
“Ode to a Nightingale” (Keats 927)
Submit your essay to turnitin.com before the end of class.
Creative Writing: Paradise Lost
Imitating the grandiose style of Milton’s great epic, choose an aspect of life here at Strake Jesuit and write your own “epic to end all epics.”
This is a creative assignment, and as such, you should drawn on your imagination. You are free to depict any aspect of life here at SJ. How would John Milton describe penance hall? How would he describe a swim or basketball practice? You may have fun with this, but remember to be respectful at all times.
You should also imitate the bombastic and allusive character of Milton’s epic style. This means you should make references to many things (perhaps from popular culture, music, or video games) that may elude the grasp of the average reader. If you choose to follow Milton's example of alluding to the Old Testament and Greco-Roman mythology, then you are free to do that also!
You need to also use at LEAST 20 vocabulary words from units 1-10 of your vocabulary book. You are free to choose these words.
You will be assessed on your success in imitating Milton's style, your creativity, and your vocabulary.
Please Note: You do NOT need to compose this in iambic pentameter but you should have line breaks like Milton.
Your “epic” must be at least 350 words. Submit it by Monday evening by 9:59 pm on turnitin.com
2/15 In Class Essay
Carefully read the passage below at least twice.
Pay close attention to the imagery and language choices of the passage. Why does the author employ a particular image or word? How does this word or image augment the dramatic effect of the passage and reinforce an overarching theme in the work?
Then compose ONE argumentative body paragraph in which you argue how this passage illuminates a central theme from the work from which it is chosen. As always, you will begin this paragraph with an original, arguable claim about how this passage highlights a prominent theme in the work. You will use two quotes from the passage to support your argument and provide rich, thoughtful analysis of how the imagery and diction (word choices) of the passage support the themes of the work. You should follow the model of the argumentative body paragraph that you have learned in your SJ English classes.
You will be assessed on your ability to create original, argumentative insights centered around the images and language employed by the author.
Note: You MAY use your anthology for this assignment, especially to consult the footnotes. You may also consult a dictionary to look up words. You MAY also review the argumentative body paragraphs PowerPoint on my website (See English I Power Points). However, you may NOT use any other online resources.
You do NOT need a Works Cited but you SHOULD double space your essay and include a proper MLA header. Parenthetical citations of the line numbers are NOT needed for this assignment.
Your work is due at the end of class to turnitin.com
Passage 2 (Period 2)
“Is this the region, this the soil, the clime,”
Said then the lost Archangel, “this the seat
That we must change for Heav’n, this mournful gloom
For that celestial light? Be it so, since he
Who now is sov’reign can dispose and bid
What shall be right: farthest from his is best
Whom reason hath equaled, force hath made supreme
Above his equals. Farewell happy fields
Where joy forever dwells: Hail horrors, hail
Infernal world, and though profoundest Hell
Receive thy new possessor: one who brings
A mind not to be changed by place or time.
The mind is its own place, and in itself
Can make a Heav’n of Hell, a Hell of Heav’n.
What matter where, if I be still the same,
And what I should be, all but less than he
Whom thunder hath made greater? Here at least
We shall be free; th’Almighty hath not built
Here for his envy, will not drive us hence:
Here we may reign secure, and in my choice
To reign is worth ambition though in Hell:
Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heav’n.
But wherefore let we then our faithful friends,
Th’associates and copartners of our loss
Lie thus astonished on th’oblivious pool,
And call them not to share with us their part
In this unhappy mansion, or once more
With rallied arms to try what may be yet
Regained in Heav’n, or what more lost in Hell? (Book 1 243-270)
Passage 1 (Period 1)
Space may produce new worlds; whereof so rife
There went a fame in Heav’n that he ere long
Intended to create, and therein plant
A generation, whom his choice regard
Should favor equal to the sons of Heaven:
Thither, if but to pry, shall be perhaps
Our first eruption, thither or elsewhere:
For this infernal pit shall never hold
Celestial Spirits in bondage, not th’abyss
Long under darkness cover. But these thoughts
Full counsel must mature: peace is despaired,
For who can think submission? War then, war
Open or understood must be resolved
He spake: and to confirm his words, out flew
Millions of flaming swords, drawn from the thighs
Of mighty Cherubim; the sudden blaze
Far round illumined Hell: highly they raged
Against the Highest, and fierce with grasped arms
Clashed on their sounding shields the din of war,
Hurling defiance toward the vault of Heav’n.
There stood a hill not far whose grisly top
Belched fire and rolling smoke; the rest entire
Shone with a glossy scurf, undoubted sign
That in his womb was hid metallic ore,
The work of sulphur. Thither winged with speed
A numerous brigade hastened. (Book 1, 650-675)
1/25 In Class Essay
Carefully read the passage below at least twice.
Pay close attention to the imagery and language choices of the passage. Why does the author employ a particular image or word?
Then compose ONE argumentative body paragraph in which you argue how this passage illuminates a central theme from the work from which it is chosen. As always, you will begin this paragraph with an original, arguable claim about how this passage highlights a prominent theme in the work. You will use two quotes from the passage to support your argument and provide rich, thoughtful analysis of how the imagery and diction (word choices) of the passage support the themes of the work.
You will be assessed on your ability to create original, argumentative insights centered around the images and language employed by the author.
Note: You MAY use your anthology for this assignment, especially to consult the footnotes. You may also consult a dictionary to look up words. However, you may NOT use any other online resources. You do NOT need a Works Cited but you SHOULD double space your essay and include a proper MLA header. Parenthetical citations of the line numbers are NOT needed for this assignment.
Your work is due at the end of class to turnitin.com
FIFTH PERIOD
2.3
Edgar: I heard myself proclaimed
And by the happy hollow of a tree
Escaped the hunt. No port is free; no place,
That guard, and most unusual vigilance,
Does not attend my taking. Whiles I may ‘scape,
I will preserve myself; and am bethought
To take the basest and most poorest shape
That ever penury, in contempt of man,
Brought near to beast. My face I’ll grime with filth,
Blanket my loins, elf all my hair in knots,
And with presented nakedness outface
The winds and persecutions of the sky.
The country gives me proof and precedent
Of Bedlam beggars, who, with roaring voices,
Strike in their numbed and mortified bare arms
Pins, wooden pricks, nails, sprigs of rosemary;
And with this horrible object, from low farms,
Poor pelting villages, sheep-cotes, and mills,
Sometime with lunatic bans, sometime with prayers,
Enforce their charity. Poor Turlygod! Poor Tom!
That’s something yet! Edgar I nothing am.
FOURTH PERIOD
2.4
Lear: I prithee, daughter, do not make me mad.
I will not trouble thee, my child; farewell.
We’ll no more meet, no more see one another.
But yet thou art my flesh, my blood, my daughter;
Or rather a disease that’s in my flesh,
Which I must needs call mine. Thou art a boil,
A plague-sore, an embossed carbuncle,
In my corrupted blood. But I’ll not chide thee;
Let shame come when it will, I do not call it.
I do not bid the Thunder-bearer shoot,
Nor tell tales of thee to high-judging Jove.
Mend when thou canst; be better at thy leisure.
I can be patient, I can stay with Regan
I and my hundred knights.
Poetry Video Project (Shakespeare)
1)You are to MEMORIZE a sonnet by Shakespeare. Any of the sonnets in the anthology may be chosen.
2) You are to create a video in which you recite the poem in a way that highlights the poem’s meaning or message. You are encouraged to be CREATIVE here.
3) Your grade for the project will be broken down as follows:
60% Proper memorization of the poem: You are NOT allowed to read your poem in the video. Memorization of your poem is an essential component of the project. If you try to pretend to memorize and simply read your poem, you may be prompted to recite your poem. If you are unsuccessful in this endeavor, this will be considered a case of academic dishonesty and will be reported to the Dean.
20% Creative video production: The visual component. The video production should highlight some important theme of the poem. This may involve props, costumes, or backdrop, camerawork/editing.
20% Proper audio quality and dramatic gravitas: The auditory component. The poem may be memorized, but if you recite your poem in a pedestrian and humdrum manner, then you will lose points. Make a special effort to endow your recitation with some dramatic force. Accentuate key words in the poem.
You MAY use a voiceover in your video and show scenes or images in your video that highlight the meaning of the poem. You may also include background music. However, it is essential that you MEMORIZE THE POEM and be ready to recite it on demand (see above).
This video will be assessed as a 20 point writing grade in the Papers/Projects category in the grade book. Take it seriously!
Your video needs to be uploaded to Youtube and a link should be emailed to me no later than Sunday, January 21 at 9:59 pm.
We will watch the videos in class on Monday January 21.
12/14 In Class Essay
Carefully read the passage below at least twice.
Pay close attention to the imagery and language choices of the passage. Why does the author employ a particular image or word?
Then compose ONE argumentative body paragraph in which you argue how this passage illuminates a central theme from the work from which it is chosen. As always, you will begin this paragraph with an original, arguable claim about how this passage highlights a prominent theme in the work. You will use two quotes from the passage to support your argument and provide rich, thoughtful analysis of how the imagery and diction (word choices) of the passage support the themes of the work. In this analysis, you should relate the specifics of this passage to larger themes of the work. You may even choose, in your analysis, to draw contrasts to other works we have read this year, though this is not essential.
You will be assessed on your ability to create original, argumentative insights centered around the images and language employed by the author.
Note: You MAY consult a dictionary to look up words but you may NOT use any other online resources. You do NOT need a Works Cited but you SHOULD double space your essay and include a proper MLA header. Parenthetical citations of the line numbers are NOT needed for this assignment.
Submit your work by the end of class to turnitin.com!
Passage Two (Third Period)
[Enter Faustus in his study]
Faustus: Now Faustus, must thou needs be damned,
And canst thou not be saved.
What boots it then to think of God or heaven? (boots=avails, helps)
Away with such vain fancies, and despair,
Despair in God, and trust in Belzebub.
Now go not backward: no, Faustus, be resolute;
Why waverest thou? O, something soundeth in mine ears:
“Abjure this magic, turn to God again.”
Ay, and Faustus will turn to God again.
To God? He loves thee not:
The god thou servest is thine own appetite,
Wherein is fixed the love of Belzebub.
To him I’ll build an altar and a church,
And offer lukewarm blood of newborn babies.
Passage One (2nd period)
[Enter a Devil]
Faustus: I charge thee to return and change thy shape,
Thou art too ugly to attend on me;
Go and return an old Franciscan friar,
That holy shape becomes a devil best. [Exit Devil]
I see there’s virtue in my heavenly words! (virtue=power)
Who would not be proficient in this art?
How pliant is this Mephastophilis,
Full of obedience and humility,
Such is the force of magic and my spells.
Now Faustus, thou art conjurer laureate (laureate=preeminent, consummate)
That canst command great Mephastophilis.
Quin redis, Mephastophilis, fratris imagine! (Return, Mephastophilis, in the shape of a friar)
Drawing on your knowledge of satire in general and the narrative technique of The Canterbury Tales in particular, compose your own version of a Canterbury Tale. You may choose to add a character to Chaucer’s framework and have that character narrate his or her tale. Or you may change the locale altogether and rechristen the work as “The Sugar Land Tales” or the “Sharpstown Tales,” featuring a familiar face from contemporary society.
Requirements:
At least 70 lines of rhyming couplets (pairs of rhyming lines)
Creative and original work that is funny BUT in good taste (Don’t be bawdy like Chaucer!) Don’t write anything you wouldn’t want the Dean to read!
20 vocabulary words from units 1-5 of the Vocabulary book.
A firm understanding of satire, comedy, and the general style of Chaucer’s work so that you can creatively imitate it.
Be creative. Have fun. Be clean.
Due on Sunday 11/5 at 9:59 pm on turnitin.com for a 20 point writing grade
Comparative Essay on Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
In an essay with an intro paragraph and thesis, TWO argumentative body paragraphs (that follow proper argumentative body paragraph structure we will have discussed in class), and a concluding paragraph, address ONE of the following topics.
Remember: This is an argument-driven analysis, not a book report or plot summary. Use specific examples to generate your argument. Rely on the specific images of the text to help you analyze the larger themes. Don’t simply regurgitate broad themes that you may have heard in class.
No outside sources besides your anthology may be consulted, and as always, MLA formatting is expected throughout! Points will be deducted for improper formatting of any sort. As always, use 12 point Font, Times New Roman.
It goes without saying that any attempt to use outside sources or include uncited material or ideas will result in Academic Dishonesty charges and will be reported to the Dean.
1) Christianity and Paganism in Beowulf and Sir Gawain. What role do Christian and pagan elements play in Beowulf and how can one meaningfully contrast these to the religious aspects of Sir Gawain? Are these elements mutually exclusive or do they represent a kind of synthesis? What attitude does the narrator adopt towards Christianity and paganism? How do the poem’s principal characters embody Christian or pagan virtues? Identify specific examples of each to support your original, argumentative thesis.
2) Heroism, Values, and Fate in Beowulf and Sir Gawain. Contrast the notions of heroism in these two very different works. What defines heroism in the Anglo-Saxon Age and how does this contrast to the notion of heroism in the Age of Chivalry typified by Sir Gawain? Also, do the contrasting notions of fate in these works have implications for the hero? In other words, if a hero’s acts are affected by larger forces (divine intervention, fate, destiny, etc.), does that undermine the notion of heroism itself? Incorporate your historical knowledge of these contrasting periods, their cultures, values and beliefs, and construct a convincing argument about how heroism is defined in these respective societies.
3) The Monster and the Green Knight. That Grendel and his mother are abhorrent creatures is clear enough, but what precisely makes these creatures so abhorrent? What is a monster and how does a monster defy the norms, rules, and expectations of “civilization”? How does the presentation of Grendel and his mother contrast markedly from that of the Green Knight? Using specific examples from Beowulf and Sir Gawain, construct a dichotomy between “monstrous” and “civilized”. Consider the positive models of comportment in the poem. How do Grendel, his mother, or even the dragon represent values antithetical to those endorsed by Beowulf? Does the Green Knight endorse or violate the cultural principles of Camelot?
4) Nature and Civilization: How do these works present contrasting images of the dichotomy between nature and civilization? How is nature depicted in each poem? What images predominate and what significance can you find in these depictions? What do Heorot and Camelot represent and what can you say about the respective “civilizations”with which they are associated? Trace the motif of civilization (in any its manifestations – craftsmanship, kinship, power structures, etc.) through the two texts. What do the poets seem to value about civilized society?
Rough Draft: (20 point Papers Grade)
Due Thursday 10/19 at 9:59 pm to turnitin.com
Peer Editing (10 point participation grade)
Due Friday 10/20 in class. Bring a HARD COPY of your rough draft for peer editing. Failure to bring a printed copy will result in a 0 for this activity in the gradebook.
Final Version (100 point Papers Grade)
Due Monday 10/23 at 9:59 pm on turnitin.com
In Class Writing 9/29
Read closely the lines below. Then write an argumentative essay in which you relate the language and images of the passage to the larger themes of Beowulf.
Remember that it is insufficient to merely discuss themes without a close, analytical reading of the passage. How do the specific images here illuminate themes of the epic? What do they reveal to us about the work? Can you relate this passage to other specific moments in the text?
There is no specific minimum word count, but you are expected to work diligently for the duration of today's class and submit your work by the end of the period. An exemplary answer will be lucid, well-edited, and attentive to both the language of the passage and the themes that the language illuminates.
You MAY use your anthology AND your class notes but you MAY NOT use any other outside sources whatsoever. Any use of outside sources will be reported as academic dishonesty to the Dean. You are welcome to quote other pertinent passages from the epic if you choose but this is not a requirement.
Please include a proper MLA header and an original title. You do NOT need a Works Cited for this assignment but you MUST cite the line numbers of any lines you choose to quote elsewhere in the anthology.
Submit your work to turnitin.com before the bell rings. Anything submitted after the bell is LATE work.
Passage 1:
Then out of the night
came the shadow-stalker, stealthy and swift.
The hall-guards were slack, asleep at their posts,
all except one; it was widely understood
that as long as God disallowed it,
the fiend could not bear them to his shadow-bourne.
One man, however, was in fighting mood,awake and on edge, spoiling for action.
In off the moors, down through the mist-bands
God-cursed Grendel came greedily loping.
The bane of the race of men roamed forth,
hunting for a prey in the high hall.
Under the cloud-murk he moved toward it
until it shone above him, a sheer keep
of fortified gold. Nor was that the first time
he had scouted the grounds of Hrothgar's dwelling--
although never in his life, before or since,
did he find harder fortune or hall-defenders.
Spurned and joyless, he journeyed on ahead
and arrived at the bawn. The iron-braced door
turned on its hinge when his hands touched it.
Then his rage boiled over, he ripped open
the mouth of the building, maddening for blood,
pacing the length of the patterned floor
with his loathsome tread, while a baleful light,
flame more than light, flared from his eyes.
He saw many men in the mansion, sleeping,
a ranked company of kinsmen and warriors
quartered together. And his glee was demonic,
picturing the mayhem: before morning
he would rip life from limb and devour them,
feed on their flesh; but his fate that night
was due to change, his days of ravening
had come to an end.
Video Project (1984)
In lieu of writing a standard argumentative analytical essay, you will work on a creative propaganda project.
The project, undertaken in randomly assigned groups of three, will have two basic components:
1) You create your own version of "Big Brother." You imagine that you and your partners are party leaders of a new society. You create a location for that society and develop principles of societal organization. You then create a video of 2-3 minutes that is an example of the kind of propaganda witnessed in Orwell's novel. This will be done as a group and members will be assessed on their contribution to the group video. In essence, you are convincing your imaginary audience of "proles" as to why they should live in your dystopian society and you should appeal to the kind of heavy-handed propaganda evident in the novel.
You will upload this video to a private Youtube account so that it can be viewed in class.
2) An objective description of how your unique society functions. This will be done individually and should be between 500-700 words. This will be turned in on turnitin.com
Each of these elements will be assessed on a 20 point scale in the Papers/Projects category of the gradebook.
REVISED DUE DATE:
Thursday 9/21 at 9:59 pm
By this deadline, you need to do two things: 1) Send a link to your video to my email; 2) Submit your written description on turnitin.com
This project should be fun and creative, but it should also respect the basic mission of our school. You are to demonstrate your knowledge of how propaganda works and your rhetorical aptitude here in a creative and engaging way.
See the full Grading Rubric here:
Discu
Major Romanticism Essay
Thoroughly REVISE your rough draft (your in class essay from 3/27) and transform it into an exemplary piece of polished, academic writing.
Preserve the four paragraph structure (Intro with thesis, two argumentative body paragraphs, and conclusion).
Include PROPER MLA formatting (header, works cited)
Due Dates:
Printed copy for peer edits: Wednesday, 4/4
Final submission to turnitin.com: Thursday, 4/5 by 9:59 pm POSTPONED TO SUNDAY AT 9:59 PM
This will be assessed as a 100 point writing grade (5 times the value of an in class essay).
In Class Essay: Romanticism 3/27
Choose ONE poem from Group A and compare that poem to ONE poem in Group B. How do the two poems employ imagery to convey their respective themes? What can one learn about Romanticism, nature, and poetic inspiration from an analysis of these poems?
Your essay should offer a short intro and thesis statement, TWO argumentative body paragraphs with incisive, argumentative topic sentences and rich, trenchant analysis. You may also include a brief concluding paragraph that does more than simply restate the ideas you have articulated above. Remember, your writing should be driven by incisive, argumentative insights, and not summary or repetition.
Group A:
“Lines Written in Early Spring” (Wordsworth 280)
“Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey” (Wordsworth (288)
"Kubla Khan" (Coleridge 459)
Group B
“Frost at Midnight” (Coleridge 477)
“La Belle Dame sans Merci” (Keats 923)
“Ozymandias” (Shelley 776)
“Ode to a Nightingale” (Keats 927)
Submit your essay to turnitin.com before the end of class.
Creative Writing: Paradise Lost
Imitating the grandiose style of Milton’s great epic, choose an aspect of life here at Strake Jesuit and write your own “epic to end all epics.”
This is a creative assignment, and as such, you should drawn on your imagination. You are free to depict any aspect of life here at SJ. How would John Milton describe penance hall? How would he describe a swim or basketball practice? You may have fun with this, but remember to be respectful at all times.
You should also imitate the bombastic and allusive character of Milton’s epic style. This means you should make references to many things (perhaps from popular culture, music, or video games) that may elude the grasp of the average reader. If you choose to follow Milton's example of alluding to the Old Testament and Greco-Roman mythology, then you are free to do that also!
You need to also use at LEAST 20 vocabulary words from units 1-10 of your vocabulary book. You are free to choose these words.
You will be assessed on your success in imitating Milton's style, your creativity, and your vocabulary.
Please Note: You do NOT need to compose this in iambic pentameter but you should have line breaks like Milton.
Your “epic” must be at least 350 words. Submit it by Monday evening by 9:59 pm on turnitin.com
2/15 In Class Essay
Carefully read the passage below at least twice.
Pay close attention to the imagery and language choices of the passage. Why does the author employ a particular image or word? How does this word or image augment the dramatic effect of the passage and reinforce an overarching theme in the work?
Then compose ONE argumentative body paragraph in which you argue how this passage illuminates a central theme from the work from which it is chosen. As always, you will begin this paragraph with an original, arguable claim about how this passage highlights a prominent theme in the work. You will use two quotes from the passage to support your argument and provide rich, thoughtful analysis of how the imagery and diction (word choices) of the passage support the themes of the work. You should follow the model of the argumentative body paragraph that you have learned in your SJ English classes.
You will be assessed on your ability to create original, argumentative insights centered around the images and language employed by the author.
Note: You MAY use your anthology for this assignment, especially to consult the footnotes. You may also consult a dictionary to look up words. You MAY also review the argumentative body paragraphs PowerPoint on my website (See English I Power Points). However, you may NOT use any other online resources.
You do NOT need a Works Cited but you SHOULD double space your essay and include a proper MLA header. Parenthetical citations of the line numbers are NOT needed for this assignment.
Your work is due at the end of class to turnitin.com
Passage 2 (Period 2)
“Is this the region, this the soil, the clime,”
Said then the lost Archangel, “this the seat
That we must change for Heav’n, this mournful gloom
For that celestial light? Be it so, since he
Who now is sov’reign can dispose and bid
What shall be right: farthest from his is best
Whom reason hath equaled, force hath made supreme
Above his equals. Farewell happy fields
Where joy forever dwells: Hail horrors, hail
Infernal world, and though profoundest Hell
Receive thy new possessor: one who brings
A mind not to be changed by place or time.
The mind is its own place, and in itself
Can make a Heav’n of Hell, a Hell of Heav’n.
What matter where, if I be still the same,
And what I should be, all but less than he
Whom thunder hath made greater? Here at least
We shall be free; th’Almighty hath not built
Here for his envy, will not drive us hence:
Here we may reign secure, and in my choice
To reign is worth ambition though in Hell:
Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heav’n.
But wherefore let we then our faithful friends,
Th’associates and copartners of our loss
Lie thus astonished on th’oblivious pool,
And call them not to share with us their part
In this unhappy mansion, or once more
With rallied arms to try what may be yet
Regained in Heav’n, or what more lost in Hell? (Book 1 243-270)
Passage 1 (Period 1)
Space may produce new worlds; whereof so rife
There went a fame in Heav’n that he ere long
Intended to create, and therein plant
A generation, whom his choice regard
Should favor equal to the sons of Heaven:
Thither, if but to pry, shall be perhaps
Our first eruption, thither or elsewhere:
For this infernal pit shall never hold
Celestial Spirits in bondage, not th’abyss
Long under darkness cover. But these thoughts
Full counsel must mature: peace is despaired,
For who can think submission? War then, war
Open or understood must be resolved
He spake: and to confirm his words, out flew
Millions of flaming swords, drawn from the thighs
Of mighty Cherubim; the sudden blaze
Far round illumined Hell: highly they raged
Against the Highest, and fierce with grasped arms
Clashed on their sounding shields the din of war,
Hurling defiance toward the vault of Heav’n.
There stood a hill not far whose grisly top
Belched fire and rolling smoke; the rest entire
Shone with a glossy scurf, undoubted sign
That in his womb was hid metallic ore,
The work of sulphur. Thither winged with speed
A numerous brigade hastened. (Book 1, 650-675)
1/25 In Class Essay
Carefully read the passage below at least twice.
Pay close attention to the imagery and language choices of the passage. Why does the author employ a particular image or word?
Then compose ONE argumentative body paragraph in which you argue how this passage illuminates a central theme from the work from which it is chosen. As always, you will begin this paragraph with an original, arguable claim about how this passage highlights a prominent theme in the work. You will use two quotes from the passage to support your argument and provide rich, thoughtful analysis of how the imagery and diction (word choices) of the passage support the themes of the work.
You will be assessed on your ability to create original, argumentative insights centered around the images and language employed by the author.
Note: You MAY use your anthology for this assignment, especially to consult the footnotes. You may also consult a dictionary to look up words. However, you may NOT use any other online resources. You do NOT need a Works Cited but you SHOULD double space your essay and include a proper MLA header. Parenthetical citations of the line numbers are NOT needed for this assignment.
Your work is due at the end of class to turnitin.com
FIFTH PERIOD
2.3
Edgar: I heard myself proclaimed
And by the happy hollow of a tree
Escaped the hunt. No port is free; no place,
That guard, and most unusual vigilance,
Does not attend my taking. Whiles I may ‘scape,
I will preserve myself; and am bethought
To take the basest and most poorest shape
That ever penury, in contempt of man,
Brought near to beast. My face I’ll grime with filth,
Blanket my loins, elf all my hair in knots,
And with presented nakedness outface
The winds and persecutions of the sky.
The country gives me proof and precedent
Of Bedlam beggars, who, with roaring voices,
Strike in their numbed and mortified bare arms
Pins, wooden pricks, nails, sprigs of rosemary;
And with this horrible object, from low farms,
Poor pelting villages, sheep-cotes, and mills,
Sometime with lunatic bans, sometime with prayers,
Enforce their charity. Poor Turlygod! Poor Tom!
That’s something yet! Edgar I nothing am.
FOURTH PERIOD
2.4
Lear: I prithee, daughter, do not make me mad.
I will not trouble thee, my child; farewell.
We’ll no more meet, no more see one another.
But yet thou art my flesh, my blood, my daughter;
Or rather a disease that’s in my flesh,
Which I must needs call mine. Thou art a boil,
A plague-sore, an embossed carbuncle,
In my corrupted blood. But I’ll not chide thee;
Let shame come when it will, I do not call it.
I do not bid the Thunder-bearer shoot,
Nor tell tales of thee to high-judging Jove.
Mend when thou canst; be better at thy leisure.
I can be patient, I can stay with Regan
I and my hundred knights.
Poetry Video Project (Shakespeare)
1)You are to MEMORIZE a sonnet by Shakespeare. Any of the sonnets in the anthology may be chosen.
2) You are to create a video in which you recite the poem in a way that highlights the poem’s meaning or message. You are encouraged to be CREATIVE here.
3) Your grade for the project will be broken down as follows:
60% Proper memorization of the poem: You are NOT allowed to read your poem in the video. Memorization of your poem is an essential component of the project. If you try to pretend to memorize and simply read your poem, you may be prompted to recite your poem. If you are unsuccessful in this endeavor, this will be considered a case of academic dishonesty and will be reported to the Dean.
20% Creative video production: The visual component. The video production should highlight some important theme of the poem. This may involve props, costumes, or backdrop, camerawork/editing.
20% Proper audio quality and dramatic gravitas: The auditory component. The poem may be memorized, but if you recite your poem in a pedestrian and humdrum manner, then you will lose points. Make a special effort to endow your recitation with some dramatic force. Accentuate key words in the poem.
You MAY use a voiceover in your video and show scenes or images in your video that highlight the meaning of the poem. You may also include background music. However, it is essential that you MEMORIZE THE POEM and be ready to recite it on demand (see above).
This video will be assessed as a 20 point writing grade in the Papers/Projects category in the grade book. Take it seriously!
Your video needs to be uploaded to Youtube and a link should be emailed to me no later than Sunday, January 21 at 9:59 pm.
We will watch the videos in class on Monday January 21.
12/14 In Class Essay
Carefully read the passage below at least twice.
Pay close attention to the imagery and language choices of the passage. Why does the author employ a particular image or word?
Then compose ONE argumentative body paragraph in which you argue how this passage illuminates a central theme from the work from which it is chosen. As always, you will begin this paragraph with an original, arguable claim about how this passage highlights a prominent theme in the work. You will use two quotes from the passage to support your argument and provide rich, thoughtful analysis of how the imagery and diction (word choices) of the passage support the themes of the work. In this analysis, you should relate the specifics of this passage to larger themes of the work. You may even choose, in your analysis, to draw contrasts to other works we have read this year, though this is not essential.
You will be assessed on your ability to create original, argumentative insights centered around the images and language employed by the author.
Note: You MAY consult a dictionary to look up words but you may NOT use any other online resources. You do NOT need a Works Cited but you SHOULD double space your essay and include a proper MLA header. Parenthetical citations of the line numbers are NOT needed for this assignment.
Submit your work by the end of class to turnitin.com!
Passage Two (Third Period)
[Enter Faustus in his study]
Faustus: Now Faustus, must thou needs be damned,
And canst thou not be saved.
What boots it then to think of God or heaven? (boots=avails, helps)
Away with such vain fancies, and despair,
Despair in God, and trust in Belzebub.
Now go not backward: no, Faustus, be resolute;
Why waverest thou? O, something soundeth in mine ears:
“Abjure this magic, turn to God again.”
Ay, and Faustus will turn to God again.
To God? He loves thee not:
The god thou servest is thine own appetite,
Wherein is fixed the love of Belzebub.
To him I’ll build an altar and a church,
And offer lukewarm blood of newborn babies.
Passage One (2nd period)
[Enter a Devil]
Faustus: I charge thee to return and change thy shape,
Thou art too ugly to attend on me;
Go and return an old Franciscan friar,
That holy shape becomes a devil best. [Exit Devil]
I see there’s virtue in my heavenly words! (virtue=power)
Who would not be proficient in this art?
How pliant is this Mephastophilis,
Full of obedience and humility,
Such is the force of magic and my spells.
Now Faustus, thou art conjurer laureate (laureate=preeminent, consummate)
That canst command great Mephastophilis.
Quin redis, Mephastophilis, fratris imagine! (Return, Mephastophilis, in the shape of a friar)
Drawing on your knowledge of satire in general and the narrative technique of The Canterbury Tales in particular, compose your own version of a Canterbury Tale. You may choose to add a character to Chaucer’s framework and have that character narrate his or her tale. Or you may change the locale altogether and rechristen the work as “The Sugar Land Tales” or the “Sharpstown Tales,” featuring a familiar face from contemporary society.
Requirements:
At least 70 lines of rhyming couplets (pairs of rhyming lines)
Creative and original work that is funny BUT in good taste (Don’t be bawdy like Chaucer!) Don’t write anything you wouldn’t want the Dean to read!
20 vocabulary words from units 1-5 of the Vocabulary book.
A firm understanding of satire, comedy, and the general style of Chaucer’s work so that you can creatively imitate it.
Be creative. Have fun. Be clean.
Due on Sunday 11/5 at 9:59 pm on turnitin.com for a 20 point writing grade
Comparative Essay on Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
In an essay with an intro paragraph and thesis, TWO argumentative body paragraphs (that follow proper argumentative body paragraph structure we will have discussed in class), and a concluding paragraph, address ONE of the following topics.
Remember: This is an argument-driven analysis, not a book report or plot summary. Use specific examples to generate your argument. Rely on the specific images of the text to help you analyze the larger themes. Don’t simply regurgitate broad themes that you may have heard in class.
No outside sources besides your anthology may be consulted, and as always, MLA formatting is expected throughout! Points will be deducted for improper formatting of any sort. As always, use 12 point Font, Times New Roman.
It goes without saying that any attempt to use outside sources or include uncited material or ideas will result in Academic Dishonesty charges and will be reported to the Dean.
1) Christianity and Paganism in Beowulf and Sir Gawain. What role do Christian and pagan elements play in Beowulf and how can one meaningfully contrast these to the religious aspects of Sir Gawain? Are these elements mutually exclusive or do they represent a kind of synthesis? What attitude does the narrator adopt towards Christianity and paganism? How do the poem’s principal characters embody Christian or pagan virtues? Identify specific examples of each to support your original, argumentative thesis.
2) Heroism, Values, and Fate in Beowulf and Sir Gawain. Contrast the notions of heroism in these two very different works. What defines heroism in the Anglo-Saxon Age and how does this contrast to the notion of heroism in the Age of Chivalry typified by Sir Gawain? Also, do the contrasting notions of fate in these works have implications for the hero? In other words, if a hero’s acts are affected by larger forces (divine intervention, fate, destiny, etc.), does that undermine the notion of heroism itself? Incorporate your historical knowledge of these contrasting periods, their cultures, values and beliefs, and construct a convincing argument about how heroism is defined in these respective societies.
3) The Monster and the Green Knight. That Grendel and his mother are abhorrent creatures is clear enough, but what precisely makes these creatures so abhorrent? What is a monster and how does a monster defy the norms, rules, and expectations of “civilization”? How does the presentation of Grendel and his mother contrast markedly from that of the Green Knight? Using specific examples from Beowulf and Sir Gawain, construct a dichotomy between “monstrous” and “civilized”. Consider the positive models of comportment in the poem. How do Grendel, his mother, or even the dragon represent values antithetical to those endorsed by Beowulf? Does the Green Knight endorse or violate the cultural principles of Camelot?
4) Nature and Civilization: How do these works present contrasting images of the dichotomy between nature and civilization? How is nature depicted in each poem? What images predominate and what significance can you find in these depictions? What do Heorot and Camelot represent and what can you say about the respective “civilizations”with which they are associated? Trace the motif of civilization (in any its manifestations – craftsmanship, kinship, power structures, etc.) through the two texts. What do the poets seem to value about civilized society?
Rough Draft: (20 point Papers Grade)
Due Thursday 10/19 at 9:59 pm to turnitin.com
Peer Editing (10 point participation grade)
Due Friday 10/20 in class. Bring a HARD COPY of your rough draft for peer editing. Failure to bring a printed copy will result in a 0 for this activity in the gradebook.
Final Version (100 point Papers Grade)
Due Monday 10/23 at 9:59 pm on turnitin.com
In Class Writing 9/29
Read closely the lines below. Then write an argumentative essay in which you relate the language and images of the passage to the larger themes of Beowulf.
Remember that it is insufficient to merely discuss themes without a close, analytical reading of the passage. How do the specific images here illuminate themes of the epic? What do they reveal to us about the work? Can you relate this passage to other specific moments in the text?
There is no specific minimum word count, but you are expected to work diligently for the duration of today's class and submit your work by the end of the period. An exemplary answer will be lucid, well-edited, and attentive to both the language of the passage and the themes that the language illuminates.
You MAY use your anthology AND your class notes but you MAY NOT use any other outside sources whatsoever. Any use of outside sources will be reported as academic dishonesty to the Dean. You are welcome to quote other pertinent passages from the epic if you choose but this is not a requirement.
Please include a proper MLA header and an original title. You do NOT need a Works Cited for this assignment but you MUST cite the line numbers of any lines you choose to quote elsewhere in the anthology.
Submit your work to turnitin.com before the bell rings. Anything submitted after the bell is LATE work.
Passage 1:
Then out of the night
came the shadow-stalker, stealthy and swift.
The hall-guards were slack, asleep at their posts,
all except one; it was widely understood
that as long as God disallowed it,
the fiend could not bear them to his shadow-bourne.
One man, however, was in fighting mood,awake and on edge, spoiling for action.
In off the moors, down through the mist-bands
God-cursed Grendel came greedily loping.
The bane of the race of men roamed forth,
hunting for a prey in the high hall.
Under the cloud-murk he moved toward it
until it shone above him, a sheer keep
of fortified gold. Nor was that the first time
he had scouted the grounds of Hrothgar's dwelling--
although never in his life, before or since,
did he find harder fortune or hall-defenders.
Spurned and joyless, he journeyed on ahead
and arrived at the bawn. The iron-braced door
turned on its hinge when his hands touched it.
Then his rage boiled over, he ripped open
the mouth of the building, maddening for blood,
pacing the length of the patterned floor
with his loathsome tread, while a baleful light,
flame more than light, flared from his eyes.
He saw many men in the mansion, sleeping,
a ranked company of kinsmen and warriors
quartered together. And his glee was demonic,
picturing the mayhem: before morning
he would rip life from limb and devour them,
feed on their flesh; but his fate that night
was due to change, his days of ravening
had come to an end.
Video Project (1984)
In lieu of writing a standard argumentative analytical essay, you will work on a creative propaganda project.
The project, undertaken in randomly assigned groups of three, will have two basic components:
1) You create your own version of "Big Brother." You imagine that you and your partners are party leaders of a new society. You create a location for that society and develop principles of societal organization. You then create a video of 2-3 minutes that is an example of the kind of propaganda witnessed in Orwell's novel. This will be done as a group and members will be assessed on their contribution to the group video. In essence, you are convincing your imaginary audience of "proles" as to why they should live in your dystopian society and you should appeal to the kind of heavy-handed propaganda evident in the novel.
You will upload this video to a private Youtube account so that it can be viewed in class.
2) An objective description of how your unique society functions. This will be done individually and should be between 500-700 words. This will be turned in on turnitin.com
Each of these elements will be assessed on a 20 point scale in the Papers/Projects category of the gradebook.
REVISED DUE DATE:
Thursday 9/21 at 9:59 pm
By this deadline, you need to do two things: 1) Send a link to your video to my email; 2) Submit your written description on turnitin.com
This project should be fun and creative, but it should also respect the basic mission of our school. You are to demonstrate your knowledge of how propaganda works and your rhetorical aptitude here in a creative and engaging way.
See the full Grading Rubric here:
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