British Poetry Quiz: 1600-1800

Well, I first need to thank all of you for singing "Happy Birthday" to me; it truly was an amazing day. It's actually gotten me thinking about all sorts of birthdays, including the birthdays of great countries like England and Scotland, and the new birthdays that are celebrated over the passing of time and the merging of territories. One thing that I am disappointed about is the fact that my birthday always lands around junior prom. Who knew I would need to compete against such a well-known day in Davis. If only Cromwell and his puritans were in charge, they would outlaw dancing; leaving the celebration of my birth as a truly unforgettable day on the calendar. On the downside, the puritans probably would have outlawed any performing of Shakespeare, so that would mean good-bye to British Literature at DHS. Oh well.

Remember to study for your poetry quiz tomorrow, and be on the look-out for some extra credit questions concerning the time period. Take care!

-Mr. Achimore

British Literature Take-Home Midterm

Complete a literature analysis essay on one of the following Pride and Prejudice prompts.

   1)      Satire and Social Status: Social class is an important marker of the characters’ conditions and the quality of their relationships in Pride and Prejudice. Austen seems to reserve her satire and wit for her critical treatment of wealthier characters. Choose one or more of these characters and compare how Austen treats the characters from other social statuses. Explain whether the outcomes of the novel support an overall statement with respect to Austen’s opinion about the wealthy.

   2)     Wedding Bells: Examine the various female characters and the marriages they become a part of (Charlotte, Elizabeth, Jane, or Lydia). Analyze how these characters approach their role in society and their expectation to wed. (For example, you can discuss the ways in which they challenge, or don’t challenge, the strict social roles that have been assigned to them as women expected to wed). What ultimately were Austen’s motives in presenting these female characters in these particular ways? (For example, through these characters, what is Austen trying to say about marriage?)

   3)     Best Friends Forever: In a literary work, more minor characters will often possesses traits that emphasize the distinctive characteristics and qualities of a main character. For example, the ideas or behavior of a minor character might be used to highlight the weaknesses or strengths of the main character. In Pride and Prejudice, Bingley serves as a foil to Darcy and Jane serves a foil to Elizabeth (especially when it comes to the two main characters’ of pride and their prejudice against others). Pick one of these pairs and  write an essay in which you analyze how the relation between the minor character and the major character brings to light a message of the novel (such as the importance of overcoming one’s own prejudice or pride, or becoming more independent in 19^th century British society). For what purpose is Austen using this particular pair/ foil?

   4)     So Typical: Although literary critics have tended to praise the unique in literary characterizations, many authors have employed the stereotyped character successfully. In a well-written essay, show how the conventional or stereotyped character or characters in Pride and Prejudice (ex: Mrs. Bennet or Mr. Collins)  function to achieve the author’s purpose.

   5)     Man vs. Society: Choose a character from Pride and Prejudice and write an essay in which you a) briefly describe the standards of the fictional society in which the character exists, and b) show how the character is affected by and responds to those standards. Do not merely summarize the plot and make sure to incorporate thematic purpose in the essay.

   6)     Awkward Times: Compare two or three of the proposal scenes that Elizabeth experiences (for example, the successful one with Darcy and the unsuccessful one with Darcy). You can choose to focus on Elizabeth and Darcy’s personalities and demeanors in the first proposal and how they have transformed by the last one. Decide on what purpose you want to incorporate into the essay (For example, what message might Austen be sending about human relations, reciprocity of love, or marital expectations?)

   7)     Free Choice Prompt: If you believe that you can think of a prompt for the novel that can cover the three P’s of an essay’s argument, tell me about it and I might approve it!

Requirements:

·         At least 3 complete pages.

·         MLA Format and Citations.

·         Use formal voice (no “I,” “me,” or “us;” do not refer to the reader either).

·         Final Draft Due Friday 12/19 at 3:00pm to Turnitin.com (Turn in hard copy that day if you want written feedback).

·         Optional read-through of intro paragraph on Monday or Tuesday 12/15 & 12/16

Pride and Prejudice Reading Quiz on 12/5

Remember to finish Volume 2 (Chapter 43) in Pride and Prejudice. There will be a reading quiz for this section. I'm always getting those Bennet sisters mixed up; I'll make sure to straighten out who is who by the time I write the quiz...

Jane Austen: The Third Part of the Trinity

Just like the trinity of the Justice League, Shakespeare, Chaucer, and Austen make up the "Big Three" of British Literature. Although Pride and Prejudice has an excellent plot, Austen really demonstrates her mastery of the English language and her keen observations of British society through the easily forgotten conversations and moments that occur in her characters' lives. It is this attention to her characters' mannerisms, peculiarities, and their subtle interactions with one another that give her novels so much depth as readers often find the characters and the situations they find themselves in very relatable.

For this unit, we will focus on three main topics:
1) Gender and Marriage
2) Social Status
3) The Use of Pairings and Foils

The first reading quiz will take place on Friday 11/21. You will want to read through chapter 23rd.

17th and 18th Century Poet Project

For this project your team will become experts on your poet and will perform a close reading of one of their poems. You will create a PowerPoint presentation which will include one brief, interactive activity with the class. The PowerPoint must have at least 15 slides and must do its best to cover the following categories:

o   Background of the poet’s early years and their entry into writing.

o   The poet’s public life and societal views (views on society, religion, and politics).

o   The poet’s personal life and how this may have impacted their writing.

o   The poet’s style and approach to writing (what themes were they interested in? What messages did they use their poems to express?)

o   A breakdown and analysis of the selected poem (s) (minimum of 5 slides).

o   The poet’s later years and a possible evolution of his or her poetry.

o   An explanation for why this poet is remembered today. Impact on Poetry.

o   A Works Cited Page in MLA format.

For the poetry analysis portion of the project, you will want to do a close reading of specific sections of the poems. Make sure to analyze not only the topics and themes of the poem as well as the diction, but also the poetic devices present (figurative language, alliteration, rhyme scheme, meter, imagery, repetition, etc.). Speak to how these poetic devices are used to enhance the meaning of the work. Your group will be graded based on the depth of your analysis and the overall knowledge your members have on the poet’s life and works. Your delivery of the presentation will also be part of the grade.

You will want to take notes during these presentations.

Poets:

·         John Donne (The Flea and Holy Sonnet 10).

·         Ben Jonson (To Celia and Still to Be Neat)

·         George Herbert (Man)

·         Robert Herrick (The Night-Piece, to Julia and His Return to London)

·         John Milton (When I Consider… and On His Having Arrived…)

·         John Dryden (A Song for St. Celia’s Day)

·         Alexander Pope (The Dying Christian to his Soul and The Riddle of the World)

·         Jonathan Swift (A Description of a City Shower)

·         William Collins (Ode to Evening)

·         Charlotte Smith (To the Moon and To Melancholy)

·         Joanna Baillie (London)

Julius Caesar: Final Essay

Remember that the final draft of your Julius Caesar essay is due on turnitin.com at 11:59pm on Thursday, November 6th.

A hard copy of the essay must be turned in on Friday, November 7th.

Rough Draft of Julius Caesar Essay: Due 10/31

Make sure to type up and print your intro paragraph and first body paragraph for your essay.

Body Paragraphs: The Meat and Potatoes of Your Essay

The number one rule to remember is to stay away from plot summary. Instead of writing a book report, we want to write a literature analysis essay. 

One helpful way to accomplish this is to follow the TREAT model:

T- Topic sentence (Make sure this connects with your Thesis Statement)

R- Reasoning (This is basically the transition into your quote as you show the reasoning behind your claim in the topic sentence.  This can be some plot summary- but make it short, include only what is necessary.)

E- Evidence (direct quote)

A- Analysis (see steps A, B, and C below).

T- Tie it together 

All Literature Analysis essays follow the TREAT model in some form. The most important part of this model is the “Analysis” step- this is what you will be graded on most heavily in lit analysis essays. 

When analyzing direct quotes, you want to try and accomplish three steps:

A.    Consider what is said in the actual quote through its subtleties of the topics and ideas expressed. Basically, what is the author saying without directly saying it? (Ultimately, what is the point of including this quote? What is Shakespeare really trying to say or express? What are the larger ideas shown in this specific part of the text?) 

B.    Assess how the quote is said, considering how the word choice, the ordering or ideas, sentence structure, etc., contribute to the meaning of the passage. What specific words is that character using? (I’ve shown this to you many times when I point out examples of figurative language and imagery in the play).

C.    Connect this analysis of the passage back to the significance of the text as a whole. What were you originally trying to say in your thesis statement, and how does this point you are making with the quote help contribute to your original argument? 

Make sure to never tell the reader simply what is occurring in the quote- this is just plot summary.  

Feel free to change up the formula. Often, writers will include two quotes per paragraph (this is especially true when your prompt involves two different characters). If this is the case, repeat the middle three sections (Topic Sentence-> Reasoning->  Evidence ->     Analysis ->   Reasoning->  Evidence -> Analysis) before tying it back together.

Introduction Paragraphs

Follow these four easy steps in creating a concise and clear introductory paragraph:

   1)      The Hook: Make sure you begin your introduction with a sentence that is not overly dramatic, but also not too boring (This is a difficult task).

Do not use overly broad or generic hooks:

—  “Throughout human history…”

—  “According to Webster’s dictionary definition of…”

—  “Every individual on this planet is unique…”

   2)     Concepts: Make sure you introduce the concepts you will be talking about. Define any specific terms/ concepts in the essay prompt that may be difficult to understand. Elaborate on them briefly (a sentence or two) if it will help the clarity of your essay.

·         For example: Explain the term “allusion.” Explain why people feared authoritarian forces in the 40s, 50s, and 60s. Explain how female characters are typically portrayed by men before the women’s rights movement. Discuss the use of first person narration.

   3)     Context: Set up the context for the essay. Introduce the author and text you will be discussing. Name drop, title drop, and theme drop. Do not give a summary of the plot!

   4)     Thesis: The end of your introductory paragraph should be your thesis statement which should be the general argument and purpose of your paper.