Prior Exposure

In my high school British Literature class, I studied a slightly abridged version of Beowulf.

Preparations for Class

Day 1 (9 January 2009): Prior to class, I read the first section of the epic in addition to the other required texts introducing the work and the time period in which it was written.

Day 2 (12 January 2009): I continued reading through the end of section two, marking important passages in the text as suggested by the instructor.

Day 3 (14 January 2009): In preparation for class, I completed reading the required text, but did not consult other materials, for I was confident in the knowledge that I had gained throughout my prior studies.

Initial Responses

Day 1: Although this reading was not my first exposure to the text of Beowulf, I noted several interesting characteristics. Just based upon the flow of the plot, it seemed apparent that the many references to the Christian God were not original to the text. In many cases, it felt as though the story was put on hold while the writer interjected praises to make the text more acceptable to the church. In addition, the pagan ideals of fame and lasting honor seem to clash with the Christian ideal of selflessness. One of Beowulf’s primary motives for fighting Grendel was personal fame, and yet immediately after besting the beast, he gave all the glory to God.

Day 2: The second section of Beowulf revealed the story’s mythical nature in much more explicit language. Although in the first section, the story certainly did not seem like a biographical account of a real person, it could easily have been the exaggerated account of a hero of old. Beowulf’s fight with Grendel may have just been a somewhat typical match against a previously unbeatable foe, exaggerated to make Grendel appear more beastly. The second section’s plot, including the magic sword and sustained underwater battle are of a highly fictitious nature.

Day 3: The final section of the epic poem signals a shift in the story. Although the first two sections occurred within a short period of time, the last part exists many years later. As part of this change, Beowulf himself is seen in a newer, less heroic light. The change of fortune associated with his downfall suggests that the poem could have been used as a moral lesson, teaching that all people, regardless of importance and fame, are mortal.

Learning Activities

Day 1: As a class, we discussed the historical events surrounding the writing of Beowulf. Of note was the spread of Christianity northward. As the Romans pushed throughout the island, the ideals of Christianity followed, melding with the existing pagan religions. Throughout later conquests by other ethnic groups, the religious landscape of the island was varied. In addition to historical discussion, we began to watch the Robert Zemeckis’ film adaptation of the text. Despite a short viewing, already significant departures from the text are evident, such as the reason for Grendel’s murder spree.

Day 2: Class discussion revolved around key points of the text. Particularly, the apparent death wish that Beowulf’s uncle held for the hero, gladly allowing him to journey to the Danes’ rescue, but then seeming upset when he returned alive. In addition to the textual discussion, we continued to view the film. In this part, the defeat of Grendel was shown, which was somewhat similar to the text. However, additional plot elements, such as the importance of the Hrothgar’s wife, were completely fabricated, somewhat distracting from the original tale.

Day 3: Today, the class opted to finish watching the film, rather than further studying the text of the epic. In the final section of the film, Beowulf goes to fight with Grendel’s mother, and instead is seduced by her. This is a radical departure from the text. From that point in the story onward, very little corrolated, even remotely, with the textual presentation.

Reflections

Day 1: What lingers in my mind most about today’s readings and activities is the importance of culture on the development and presentation of a text. Beowulf’s textual form appears to be shaped by many years of revisions, making the text more acceptable to a changing culture. From what appears to be a primarily pagan origin, references to the Christian God were added when culture moved from their older religion. Watching the film adaptation reinforces this ideal; the film has significant departures from the text, in order to make the story more palatable to a modern audience and to take advantage of more modern story-telling methods. The presentation of a text is intimately linked to the culture of the intended audience.

Day 2: Today, I discovered a flaw with my previous argument. In the transition from the pagan text to the Christianized text, the core of the story was kept essentially intact, even to the point of contradiction. For instance, the mystical power of the sword, which leads Beowulf to downplay Hrunting’s failure, conflicts with the Christian God’s power, praised for the defeat of Grendel’s mother. Both depictions are left in the text which modern society has inherited. The film, however, has significant departures from the original story, neglecting a lot of the original story.

Day 3: The differences between the film adaptation and the original text have become irreconcilable. Aside from using the same character’s, the modern version is essentially a different story. The lesson of mortality posed in the text is completely lost, in favor of a modern love story and action scenes. The film lost the connection with the past; the text remains indicative of the early medieval culture. For this reason, the text is valuable. Beowulf allows us to peer into the foundations of English culture.

Prior Exposure

In my high school British Literature class, I studied the general prologue, but none of the individual tales.

Preparations for Class

Day 1 (21 January 2009): I was significantly underprepared for the in-class presentation today. I read the assigned reading in the prologue, and also reread the individual description of the friar to prepare for the presentation. I did not, however, read the Friar’s tale.

Day 2 (23 January 2009): For today’s class I read the required materials, and also read the Friar’s tale, despite the fact that my group had already presented.

Initial Responses

Day 1: The travelers on the pilgrimage to Canterbury are a diverse and interesting group of individuals. The friar, whose tail I looked at in the most depth, is nearly the opposite of the expectation for a friar. My definition, a friar is supposed to be a poor, humble man of God, traveling throughout his limited area, doing good works and generally being a good person. Chaucer’s friar is the opposite: a so-called man of God who uses his position to obtain wealth from the penitent, sexual favors from the ladies of town, a well-off life. The other characters in the first half of the prologue are represent a vivid picture of late medieval life. The knight is a fitting symbol of the code of chivalry, and the rest of this party clearly shows the hierarchy of the noble classes.

Day 2: The friar’s tale, which I read today, is indicative of the friar’s personality. The tale revolves around the evilness of the summoner, whose job is essentially the same as the friar’s assumed role. Basically, it appears as though the friar is attempting to place the blame for his lifestyle on another character, as is consistent with the character’s description. At the same time, though, he seems to inadvertently incriminate himself to some degree, for the friar in his story readily travels with the devil of the summoner.

Learning Activities

Day 1: Today, the first part of the class presented their characters and tales. Characters were introduced in the order of their appearance in the general prologue. The knight’s party, the clergy, and some of the merchant-class pilgrims were presented. Several other students had also neglected to read the required tales for their presentations. For our presentation, I presented the background on the Friar and his description in the prologue and the other student assigned to this character presented the Friar’s Tale.

Day 2: Today, most of the rest of the class presented their characters and tales. The narratives began with a review of the tales which had been skipped from the previous class. Then the new characters, including the Wife of Bath and other members of the lower classes, were presented.

Reflections

Day 1: Most of the presentations and readings for today dealt with members of the first two estates, nobility and clergy. Already, the distinction between them is readily apparent, indicating the existence of sharp class divisions in real life. The people portrayed provide not only a cross-section of the population of England, but also a commentary on those groups. The upper class, represented by the the knight’s party, shows the large gap between classes in wealth and power. The clergy class, unlike expectations, contains nearly no pious members. Chaucer’s lineup of characters is a criticism of unjustness, corruption and hypocrisy in his world.

Day 2: The presentations given today were primarily views of the lower classes of society. Just as there was significant variation within the types of tales and characters in the upper classes, so too was there in the lower class, representing the breadth of Chaucer’s abilities. From tales of deception and adultery, to tales of the virtues of an honest day’s work, the author captures a powerful cross-section of late medieval society.

Prior Exposure

I have not had any prior exposure to the work of Robert Burns.

Preparations for Class

26 January 2009: To prepare for class, I read each of the required poems twice, trying to absorb both the dialect and meanings of each poem. In addition, I searched for information about Burns on the internet to acquaint myself with his life and history.

Initial Responses

The readings from these poems were unlike just about anything which I have read in a British literature class before. The strong dialect with which the poems were written amazed me by how the language itself told stories on its own. To fully understand the meanings of the poems, I found myself reading them in my best, albeit still terrible, Scottish accent. Once I read the works in a voice more similar to its writing, I was able to leave my life in this century and be fully immersed in the text. This technique was quite effective for me, and I plan to work with it in the future.

Learning Activities

We examined the spectacle of the Burns’ Night Supper. As a class, we learned that the order of elements in these dinners is vital to the meaning. The Selkirk Grace at the beginning of the meal is a connective speech, for it connects God and the people, the people and their food, and even people with others less fortunate. The address and toast to the haggis, although seemingly a strange tradition in our culture, helps to show that blessings of nourishment are truly blessings. The various entertainments and poetic readings throughout the rest of the meal each have very specific meanings and symbolism. The Toast to the Lassies now serves as a reminder of how times change and yet strangely stay the same; hundreds of years later, the tradition still continues of honoring the ladies, but the methods of honoring them have changed significantly.

Reflections

The works of Robert Burns, combined with his lasting memory through the tradition of Burns’ Night suppers, are a unique compilation which I am pleased to have experienced. In modern culture, it seems as though literature is focused upon less and less, yet the Burns traditions show that the words of poetry contain deeply human truths that exist beyond time. Even today, these universal arts move people to step outside of their lives to “tak[e] a cup o’ kindness yet, for auld lang syne” (“Auld Lang Syne”); the past lives on because of voices such as Burns.

Prior Exposure

In high school, my British Literature class briefly looked at some of the themes found in Paradise Lost.

Preparations for Class

Day 1 (28 January 2009): I read the first half of Book IX of the text of the epic, and reviewed the supplementary materials given.

Day 2 (30 January 2009): I completed the assigned readings, and searched through the text to find a passage of somewhat masked meaning upon which to ask a question.

Initial Responses

Day 1: The first half of Book IX examines begins the scene of the fall of mankind into sin. What sticks out most in my mind of this section is the innate struggle for independence. Long before Satan tempted Eve, the desire to explore and have an individual existence manifested itself in her petition to work apart from Adam in the garden. Despite Adam’s objections, she went out in what became the first real act of independence on humankind. Milton seems to argue that the rebellious spirit exists before the temptation to sin becomes apparent.

Day 2: When reading this section, I found a passage which I found especially interesting. Just prior to tempting Eve to take an apple from the Tree of Knowledge, Satan found himself completely awestruck by her perfection. Milton’s Eve was nearly able to stop the first conspiracy against humanity simply because of her beauty and innocence. Upon further thought, it seems as though the author is suggesting that despite humans are, to an extent, capable of defeating sin by remaining innocent.

Learning Activities

Day 1: The class meeting today focussed on the traits of an epic. The great epics of history include Homer’s The Odessey, Virgil’s The Anead, and Milton’s Paradise Lost. Each of these are long narrative poems, focussing on a serious, yet larger-than-life subject, and are writing in an elevated style. In addition, eight secondary characteristics of epics were discussed. The class then began to discuss the so-called “modern epic.” The definition given assumes that a modern epic, such as Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings and Lucas’s Star Wars may deviate from the principle characteristics, but instead carry on the spirit of the epic form.

Day 2: Class today was primarily a question and answer session, with each member supplying a question for another student to answer. The question which I received dealt with Satan’s reasons for wanting to tempt mankind. This question, honestly, had never truly been resolved in my mind, and my examination of the text aided me little. The interpretation which I supplied was that Satan disliked the attention being taken away from himself. The interpretation suggested by the professor was that Satan was jealous of the perceived perfection in humanity and his own inferiority. This explanation made a lot more sense, and following class, I reread parts of the text with this idea in mind.

Reflections

Day 1: After looking at the qualities of an Epic, this work truly fulfills their requirements. The entire story, from the first book, to even the specific book discussed by the class is in a grand style featuring the battle for the fate of human history. The discussion in class helped me to better understand the remnants of epic tales that exist in modern culture. The Narnia tales by C.S. Lewis and many of the film productions of the past few decades carry on the epic tradition to the modern world.

Day 2: Looking at the text from the standpoint that Satan was jealous of humanity provided an interesting shift in the story. The passage which I discussed above regarding Eve’s beauty suddenly fits in with the character of the serpent better, for he was stricken not just by her beauty but also by the sheer perfection of her existence. This point of view casts Satan as a much more pitiable character too, making his role as epic hero all the more complete.

Prior Exposure

I have had no prior experience with any of Pope’s works.

Preparations for Class

Day 1 (2 February 2009): Prior to class, I read the assigned readings from Pope’s work, and read through the additional information posted on Blackboard to help gain a better understanding of the material.

Day 2 (4 February 2009): I finished reading the required text for the day.

Initial Responses

Day 1: Pope’s description of this work as a “Heroi-Comical Poem” is certainly fitting, as it seems to combine the epic form of Paradise Lost and the Odyssey with a humorous commentary on the state of the elite in society. In the first sections, the author describes the lazy morning of an upper-class woman with such elevated language that it takes on an importance far beyond its real worth.

Day 2: The final sections of this mock-epic poem continue the look into the superficial nature of upper class society. As was mentioned in class last meeting, the poem was designed to smooth over a feud between two families. If these events, such as the epic battle (seen by simple card game), and the violent rape scene (or rather, a snipping of a curl of hair), were sufficient to disrupt the civility between two families, the upper class was amazingly superficial.

Learning Activities

Day 1: Class started with a discussion on the Restoration period of literature. In this period, social power was derived for the first time by money over land. Throughout the period, it was felt that progress was inevitable, along with the good and bad which came with it. Literature of the period was highly satirical. Pope’s work, as a mock epic, makes the excesses of the upper class come in to sharp focus by contrasting it with the heroic epic of ages past. The class discussed the first canto of the work.

Day 2: Today was spent analyzing the remaining cantos of the poem. Of note was the grand battle at the end of the poem. The epic fight suitable for a mighty warrior was brought down to a pepper-throwing, glare-sending farce. The characters were so preoccupied with their own pride that all problems were blown completely out of proportion. The ending, wherein the lock of hair becomes a brightly shining star, is the ultimate in self-aggrandizing ideals conceived by the characters, for if a strand of hair becomes that important, how much more important are they themselves.

Reflections

Day 1: Studying The Rape of the Lock right after a study of Paradise Lost seems rather fitting. Milton’s epic dealt with the fall of humanity to sin and pride. This work satirizes the pride of the upper classes, elevating it to the level of the superhuman. The existence of sylphs to act as intermediaries and protectors of the rich lifestyle is ludicrous, and further serves to point out the worthlessness of the obsession with the self.

Day 2: Despite its epic nature, the content of the poem is purely comedic. The comedy that exists in this work really does preclude the epic form’s later use. For such a trivial and pointless story to be raised to such a high level of thought indicates that there is both something wrong with the actions described, but also the form in which it is written. Pope’s Rape of the Lock makes all epics seem over-aggrandized, spoiling any future developments in the form.

Prior Exposure

I have had no prior experience with any of Byron’s works.

Preparations for Class

6 February 2009: To prepare for class I read the poem and its accompanying material online.

Initial Responses

As appears to me to be commonplace in the Romantic period, this poem was incredibly symbolic. I had to read the poem several times and was still somewhat lost about what the poem was saying. However, the pieces that I did glean were full of rich imagery. The scene of the thunderstorm splitting the mountains with a river and illuminating them with the flashes of lightning was quite intriguing, and I hope that the discussion in class will help shed more light on the meaning.

Learning Activities

The discussion of this work introduced a method interpreting poetry which I had never seen before. We looked at the poem line by line, illustrating the action presented. By having a visual framework for the poem, fewer of the literally ideas had to be stored in my thoughts, leaving more space for deeper analysis of the work’s meanings. The class discussed the symbolic meanings of Byron looking out over this scene and attaching his personal thoughts and feelings to nature. By using the visual illustration, it was much easier to understand that the poem dealt with the poet’s feelings of loss.

Reflections

The rich imagery, when captured by chalk on the blackboard, no longer shrouds the poet’s true meaning, but instead seems to enhance it. Rereading the poem, I found that element presented, from the lightning to the waters, correlates with a facet of the human existence, not just with their literal counterparts. The framework discussed in class provided a very useful method for explicating poems, one which I hope to use when discussing additional poetry.

Prior Exposure

I have had no prior experience with any of Browning’s works.

Preparations for Class

9 February 2009: To prepare for class, I read the text of Browning’s poem, including the footnotes, and looked online for more information about Alfonso II, on whom the poem is based.

Initial Responses

After reading over the text, I found the poem to be quite disturbing. Unless I misunderstood what I read, it appears as though the speaker is a very jealous who married a young girl for political gain, and then was sent into a murderous rage when he discovered that she was more attracted to people her own age than to him. The manner in which this information was revealed shoes the mastery of language which Browning possessed. The poem begins with just a discussion of a painting hanging on the wall, and slowly reveals the story through a reminiscence.

Learning Activities

After a discussion of the dramatic monologue, of which this poem is an example, the class split into groups to answer questions regarding this poem. The general consensus was that the speaker did indeed murder his wife. What our group found most disturbing, though, is near the end, when it is revealed that this story is being recounted to a messenger helping to arrange for the speaker’s next marriage. This character must be quite sick if he is able to speak so plainly about this terrible plot, especially to his bride-to-be.

Reflections

This dramatic monologue seems to be of a different style than, for instance, Byron’s work from the last class. In that poem, there was very little action, but more a detailing of Byron’s feelings and internal thoughts. In this poem, despite the lack of action in the present, a more complete story is told through more concrete language. The relationship and subsequent parting of the speaker and his last duchess are much easier to understand because of the more narrative form of the poem.

Prior Exposure

In my high school British Literature, I studied this work by Tennyson.

Preparations for Class

11 February 2009: To prepare for class, I read the required text, and review my notes on this poem from high school to given me a solid point of comparison.

Initial Responses

This poem is in effect the last stand of a formerly great person. The great Ulysses, originally Odysseus from the works of Homer, was a great lead and voyager. This poem shows the frailty of his life. Unlike the former days of glory, the hero finds himself lost and needing an adventure. Passing the crown to his son, with whom he is both pleased and disappointed, Ulysses feels compelled to journey onward, knowing that he is destined to die at sea. Rather than face the cruel reality of his dwindling significance, he decided to bravely fade into the sunset.

Learning Activities

The class was given a series of questions to answer to help better understand the poem. The questions, and subsequent discussion, helped reveal more about the plot. The poem, despite its reminiscence and speculation of future voyages is not a narrative poem. In it, Ulysses speaks with the ghosts of his former crew mates, none of whom survived to return home. Looking at his life, he sees his more politically-savvy son ready to take the throne, but is disappointed that his life will be memorialized by a mere public servant, not another great hero. Seeing the end of his life approaching, Ulysses, who shares much in common with the poet, decided that his final act shall be to progress onward, knowing that he will never return, but acting regardless.

Reflections

In class, there was a debate over whether or not this poem represented a call to action or a sigh of resignation. I had never considered both of these viewpoints as possible interpretations. In high school, we had studied the work and shown how Ulysses wanted to end his life with another great work, knowing that he would die before he could gain the glory. In this regard, the work is a call to action, for he endeavors to brave the seas one last time in search of glory. In my reading of the poem this time and the in-class discussion, it seems more like the last words of an old man who wants to die alone, not in search of glory.

Prior Exposure

In my high school British Literature class, we studied The Waste Land in fairly extensive detail.

Preparations for Class

Day 1 (13 February 2009): Prior to class, I read the assigned readings from the text of the poem and looked over some of the history of the Modern time period.

Day 2 (16 February 2009): I read the assigned part of the poem and studied the footnotes

Day 3 (18 February 2009): I read the remainder of the poem and looked at the additional resources provided online.

Initial Responses

Day 1: In high school, we discussed in reasonably great detail the allusions present in this work. Rereading the poem this time, I found myself unable to remember a lot of the references. What I did remember though was the importance of the Tarot set. Many of the cards, as noted in the text are incorrect, and the Hanging Man, symbolic of good fortune, is missing. The symbolism of a superficial world without any good fortune is quite powerful and helps to set the stage for the entire text.

Day 2: The middle sections show the desolation of the modernist world. This section begins with a scene of the upper classes, showing the descent of a married couple from loving bliss into partners for an impersonal game of chess. The second half of the section shows an equally bleak fate for the lower classes, in which interpersonal relationships are dominated solely by sex without love or strong connections. In this world, all relationships are essentially pointless endeavors and society is in a state of dire disrepair.

Day 3: These sections contain many references to water, and the lack thereof makes the scene seem dead. The last part of the text makes even lass sense than the rest of the poem, and it seems as though the amount of allusion increases, causing my comprehension of meaning to be significantly compromised.

Learning Activities

Day 1: On this first day of discussion, the class was given background information on the Modern period in which The Waste Land was written. Central to this era was a backlash against the moral uprightness and the social expectations of the Victorian period. As such, many works, such as this one, dealt with the failure of society. In addition, this poem was directed towards an educated audience, and is written to be purposefully difficult to understand. The history of the Fisher King, on which this poem was apparently based, helped to make the text’s scattered narrative more coherent.

Day 2: Today, we began a discussion about the failure of love. In the third section, the comparison to the Fisher King tale helped to illuminate the meaning. The lovelessness shown the the neutered king is a direct comparison to the lovelessness exhibited by a cruel world, wherein sex and primal pleasures are all that really are considered.

Day 3: Today we discussed the last two sections of the poem, and looked at the overarching message of the work. These sections use water to describe both death and renewal. In the world that Eliot describes, there is a constant barrage of lovelessness, with seemingly no hope of refreshing or rebirth. The main point of the poem, as described in class, was that mankind has a single chance for love, a single chance to make life worth living.

Reflections

Day 1: Despite my previous study of this poem, I was not aware of the tale of the fisher King. Throughout the rest of the poem, I will have to look at the text in light of this new framework. I found our class’s discussion to be interesting, for it interpreted the poem differently than I had previously. The class’s interpretation of the Tarot deck signaling the dearth of spirituality differs significantly from the interpretation I had developed before, and helps to show the many possibilities which Eliot leaves in the understanding of his poem.

Day 2: The lovelessness of the world falls in line with the story of the Fisher King. Once again, using that tale as an interpretive framework makes the plot fall in place more easily. Eliot’s additions to the story, namely the loveless sexual and non-sexual relationships are indicative of the scope of society’s problems. The Victorian prudishness has left the upper class starved for affection and the lower class is starved for meaning.

Day 3: I find it interesting that Eliot argues about redemption in the midst of moral and societal decay. The symbolism of the repetition of three implies that there is something holy about that single chance at love. The final line, “shantih shantih shantih,” describing the “peace which passeth understanding” shows that the reconciliation caused by a meaningful love is akin to the salvation brought about by religion, bringing hope into a waste land on Earth.

Prior Exposure

I have never read this play prior to this course.

Preparations for Class

Day 1 (23 February 2009): Prior to class, I read the assigned reading and looked over the auxiliary materials provided online.

Day 2 (25 February 2009): I read Act 2 of the play.

Day 3 (28 February 2009): Before class, I read act 3.

Day 4 (2 March 2009): I read Act 4 in order to prepare for class, which was later cancelled.

Day 5 (4 March 2009): I finished reading the required text.

Initial Responses

Day 1: Act one of the play serves as an introduction to the characterization and, to some degree, the conflict of the work. In this section, all of the major characters are introduced, from the dramatic ones such as Viola and Orsino to the comedic ones like Sir Toby and Maria. Viola’s masculine disguise as Ceseario and Orsino’s task for her/him to court his lover seems to be central to the development of the plot.

Day 2: The second act of the play revolved around the deepening of the love triangle plot and the fooling of Malvolio. I found the practical joking subplot to be interesting in its intricacy. Malvolio’s augmentation of himself into the convoluted love shape does a lot to benefit the comedic value of Shakespeare’s work. In addition, the irony of the balance of power has made itself more apparent. For instance, Viola as an orphan had very little estate, but disguised, she holds great power over both Olivia and Orsino.

Day 3: In the middle act, Feste rises to greater prominence as described in the first day’s discussion of the play. Although always acting as the designated fool, Feste holds great power over the other characters. He is able to move freely between them, gaining insight into the real nature of the characters’ lives, and is also able to manipulate the feelings and emotions of the people to whom he performs. In another appearance of irony, the fool is actually the least foolish character in the work.

Day 4: In Act 4, the shortest act in the play, all of the coverups created in the previous sections begin to unravel with the appearance of Sebastian to Olivia’s court. Thinking that he is Cesario, Olivia carries on with their previous relationship, much to the confusion of the newly arrived man. Strangely, at the send of the act, Sebastian runs off with Olivia to be married to the lady he barely even knows.

Day 5: The last of of the play is a fitting conclusion for this comedy. The long-lost siblings are reunited in a very tense and ironic scene. In the end, everyone is united with their rightful lover. Viola finds her way with Orsino and Olivia with Sebastian. The play then closes with a song by Feste, which seems fitting.

Learning Activities

Day 1: Today’s discussion began with an overview of the principal characters of the play. Notable characters mentioned were Viola, the girl who must act as a man after a shipwreck, Sebastian, her brother, Lady Olivia and Duke Orsino. In addition, the strange love triangle formed by this group was discussed in preparation for watching Trevor Nunn’s 1996 film adaptation of the play. Also discussed was the role of Feste, the fool, who ironically acts as the all-seeing wise man throughout the course of the drama.

Day 2: The class today consisted of continuing to watch the film version. Despite this text being much easier to understand than most of Shakespeare’s works, the film version makes the plot a lot more interesting and understandable.

Day 3: The class again watched the film. This adaptation, unlike that of Beowulf, maintain strong parity with the original text. In certain cases, two concurrent scenes are interwoven for better cinematic effect. However, the cinematic liberties do not significantly detract from the presentation of the original story.

Day 4: Today’s class was cancelled due to snow.

Day 5: Today’s discussion following the conclusion of the film dealt with some of the themes in the play. For instance, the appearances of repressed homosexuality in Orsino’s crush on Viola/Cesare and Antonio’s comments regarding Sebastian. In addition, as I have mentioned before, dramatic irony abounds throughout the play.

Reflections

Day 1: The plot of Twelfth Night is already showing its intricacies. By separating the two siblings and having Viola essentially take the place of her brother, a tension is created which will most likely explode violently when the two are reunited. The vast quantity of characters are already seeming to fall into two distinct groups: those who are important to the central plot, and those whose importance may either not exist or be for a different plot.

Day 2: The comedy of Shakespeare's plays often comes from the placing of character into highly ironic and slightly absurd situations. The manipulation of the lesser characters by Feste to transform Malvolio into the fool shows a mockery of traditional balances of power, with a servant professing his love to the lady of the manor, and lesser servants gaining the upper hand over an apparently insane boss.

Day 3: The complete psychological breakdown of Malvolio illustrates the completeness of the power roles in the play. This microcosm is indicative of the greater power shifts in the play. Viola, for instance, has risen beyond her typical power role of a woman in this time period to gain significant power over both Orsino and Olivia. The court fool has been elevated to a powerful, omniscient state, and the usual heads of the household suffer from their own forms of insanity for the sake of love.

Day 4: I would love to say that I reflected deeply on the play during my time out of class today, but alas, such a claim would be a lie.

Day 5: In these last sections, the tension built up throughout the play is finally broken. The balance of power suddenly shifts back towards normality. The women again become women, with masculine figures dominating their lives, just as typically seen. The bumbling Andrew is left loveless, just as expected by a normal live. In whole, despite the feeling of satisfaction from a return to normality, the vigor seen in the life of all of the character appears lost, begging the viewer/reader to question to question if the status quo really is the most correct interpretation of life.

Prior Exposure

I have had no prior exposure to this play.

Preparations for Class

6 March 2009: As my group presented this play to the class, extensive preparations were conducted. I read the assigned play and a contemporary translation of it. In addition, I researched the character of Gib extensively, looking specifically at the use of puns in the text. To prepare for the presentation, I also made a costume an worked to prepare a brief summary of the history of the play.

Initial Responses

Upon first reading this play, I was struck by how primitive its language and form were. The medieval English used in the play was very difficult to understand, masking the intended meaning of the play. In addition, the format was decidedly non-standard. Essentially divided into two parts, the text’s first mystery section felt completely isolated from the religiously-based second section. Upon further research, I learned that the archaic language was actually filled with puns which are lost by modern translations.

Learning Activities

Discussion today was in the form of out group’s presentation. The group began with a brief overview of the history of the medieval period and the Wakefield Master, the author of the play. The group then acted out a simplified, modern translation of the play in order to hep the class better understand the plot of the play and get a feeling for the play. Then, each of us presented information about the character we portrayed in the presentation, focussing on the power shifts which abounded in the play.

Reflections

Although I originally discounted the play as early literature without much substance. However, after looking much more deeply at the text, I understood why this play was so influential. Despite its very simple structure, its use of language is quite sophisticated. The puns and political satire exhibited in the play are more reminiscent of the early modern period, not the early medieval period in which it was written.

Prior Exposure

I have never read any of the works of Sheridan.

Preparations for Class

9 March 2009: To prepare for the presentation today I read the assigned play.

Initial Responses

On my first reading of this play, I noticed that the names are the characters are vital to an understanding of their natures. Just like the medieval morality plays such as Everyman, the names are many of the characters represent how they act and live. For instance, the Surface brothers are very much superficial; on the surface, hence their names, they portray one set of values, but in private they exhibit a completely different set of morals. Other characters such as Lady Teazle, the tease, and Lady Sneerwell follow a similar pattern.

Learning Activities

The group presentation of this play began with a Powerpoint presentation of the characters and the convoluted love shape that they form through their interactions. A copy of the flowchart provided is reproduced here, showing the complicated relationships that exist within the play. In addition, the group acted out the scene in which the double-crossing relationships are exposed.

Reflections

This play is a sort of exposé on the life of the upper class. The life that is portrayed is neither productive nor moral, for the characters spend all of their time courting those that they cannot have, loving those that they should not love, and breaking up relationships in which they have no business. This ‘school for scandal’ really is only good for the promotion and perpetuation of unnecessary drama.

Prior Exposure

Despite having heard of Oscar Wilde a lot, I have not actually read any of his works.

Preparations for Class

11 March 2009: I read the required text and looked at the auxiliary materials online in preparation for class.

Initial Responses

I am beginning to believe that I personally have a qualms with the superficiality and hypocrisy in society, which may explain the prevalence of works in which I find this theme. Wilde’s work is no exception. Throughout this entire play both characters claiming to be Ernest are using the pseudonym to mask their real lives. The women in the play fall in love with Ernest not because of a deep personality but because of the name. It seems that throughout history authors have been commenting on the same perpetual problems with human society.

Learning Activities

The presentation of Wilde’s play began with an overview of the author’s life and works, including his penchant for satire and societal critique. The group then presented the final portion of the play. Finally a character-by-character discussion was presented looking at the power structures that existed within the society portrayed. As part of this discussion, a character map was provided, which I reproduced here.

Reflections

It turns out that my perceptions of social critique were actually intentional in this work. In addition, I found the discussion of the styles of writing and their correlation to the characters to be interesting. By looking not just at the typical members of society and instead broadening the focus to include members of his own field, Wilde opened all people to the same scrutinous eye, enhancing the power of his argument.

Prior Exposure

I had not read this work by Shaw prior to this course.

Preparations for Class

13 March 2009: To prepare for class I read the play, as assigned.

Initial Responses

The situations in which Eliza is placed throughout Shaw’s play seem rather cruel, at least to my postmodern American sensibilities. The men who place a bet on their ability to “civilize” her seem to be rather hypocritical. Their attitude assumes that their own culture is the epitome of society, when in fact, their wager and subsequent ruining of a young flower girl show that they are perhaps the more barbaric of the cultures.

Learning Activities

The presentation of the group today was certainly the best so far. The group began by introducing the life and socialist ideology of Shaw. They then described the general plot of the play, mentioning its loose basis in the ancient myth of Pygmalion. They then acted Act 4, in which Eliza rebels, knowing that in her civilization she is left without a class, as neither the lower nor upper class will accept her. Finally, the group concluded by playing selected clips from the 1964 film adaptation, George Cukor’s My Fair Lady.

Reflections

Knowing more about Shaw’s socialist leanings, the class struggle inherent to this play makes more sense. The readers are supposed to see the injustice of the upper class’s treatment of the supposedly inferior lower class. Indeed, by initial analysis that the upper class unfairly treats those lower in estate is right along the line of reasoning desired by the author.

Prior Exposure

I had never read this poem before.

Preparations for Class

23 March 2009: I read the required poem.

Initial Responses

When reading this poem, I was surprised by the apparent modernity in its style. The spics of the medieval period have a decidedly ancient feel. This poem, however, feels much more modern. The rhythmic construction of lines, combined with a lack of strict rhyme scheme, seems much less archaic. In addition, the level of mourning and emotion seems much more comparable to later works than the heroic stoicism of Beowulf.

Learning Activities

To begin discussion of this medieval poem, the form of the elegy was introduced. This form begins with a state of sorrow, then turns around to a resolution of grief. The line by line discussion of the poem broke the lines into three sections. The first section introduces a man in exile, without standing in the world. The second section, the man struggles to express his emotions, but is unable to communicate with anyone. The final section contains the elegiac turn-around.

Reflections

The concepts discussed in class were quite interesting. The idea that literature provides an outlet for personal emotions regardless of personal background makes a lot of sense. I have always found good literature to be quite cathartic, but tend away from outward expression of emotion normally. The feeling of isolation experimented by the speaker of this poem has been solved in my own life through the use of literature.

Prior Exposure

My high school British Literature course examined “Tintern Abbey.”

Preparations for Class

25 March 2009: I read the required poem and supplementary materials online.

Initial Responses

This poem has a different feel to it than other works of the same type of style. Many American authors, particularly Henry David Thoreau, see nature as a sort of god, and find the love of nature to be the highest and most noble goal. This poem, however, shows nature in a different light; Wordsworth recognizes that nature provides a background for introspection and self-improvement, but does not wish to seclude himself in an eternal pursuit of nature. Instead, he argues for a life in the real world with the appreciation of nature as a temporary retreat.

Learning Activities

The class discussion today consisted of a group of questions which were to be discussed and answered. A summary of the class’s answers is recorded here. The first sections of the poem show the speaker viewing many aspects of nature, and imagining people whose lives are solely in this natural realm. Observing this natural scene, much like my own experiences walking down the town’s bike path, is a serene moment, allowing him to restore his soul. Throughout the rest of the poem, the speaker reflects that the experience of his youth is now being passed on to his sister, in whom he sees himself as a younger man.

Reflections

When reading this poem, I felt a strong connection with the author. The shared experience of solitude with nature is one of the ways that I personally recharge. This escape, however, is temporary, as I eventually must rejoin civilization. Likewise, Wordsworth recalls the solace he felt at his first visit to this place while he simultaneously realizes that he will no longer be able to experience the same emotions again.

Prior Exposure

Despite having read works by Coleridge before, I have had no experience with this particular poem.

Preparations for Class

27 March 2009: Prior to class I read the required assignment.

Initial Responses

This partial poem is rather confusing in its scope. The vision described is quite fanciful, with vivid descriptions of both a peaceful world and a warlike one. The repeated referenced to a pleasure dome paint a peaceful, albeit unclear, image in my mind. The image of a chasm and war breaks into this serene scene, reshaping the metaphorical landscape.

Learning Activities

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The class began with a discussion of the circumstances surrounding the authoring of this poem. The opium-induced dream which Coleridge experienced combined with the sudden awakening from his stupor explains the fragmented state of the poem. This poem, as discussed, serves as an illustration of the imagination, and so a more free-form analytical tool is needed. The partial mind-map which I created in class is reproduced here.

Reflections

As a record of a vision granted within a drug-induced dream, Coleridge’s work is admirable. The feel of this poem is that of a dream, with all of the confused and scattered thoughts which follow. However, as a work of poetry, I find this poem lacking. Perhaps it is the incomplete state of the poem, but it feels as though, to paraphrase Shakespeare, Coleridge built up a scene full of sound and fury, yet failed to argue anything.

Prior Exposure

I did not read this poem prior to this class.

Preparations for Class

30 March 2009: I read the required poem.

Initial Responses

This poem seem to be a fairly simple work expressing an appreciation of nature. The season of autumn, describes the speaker, is neglected as a lesser season. It has neither the joy of summer or despair of winter, but just sits there pointlessly. In the end though, the season is elevated to a more substantive role, containing the same good “music” as spring.

Learning Activities

This poem was used as the means of discussing eleven categories of poetic explication. This poem’s form is that of an ode, with a natural description, meditation, and resolution. The history surrounding a poem is often enlightening, though not in this, though looking at the author’s life is somewhat insightful. Looking at unusual punctuation or diction and syntax can help guide an explication. Gendering, as in nature personified as an inept woman, also refines the understanding of poetry. Lineation, rhyme, layout, and meter are also often important to the meaning of a work, though not in this particular case.

Reflections

After looking at all of these characteristics to guide explication, I do not feel any greater understanding of the poem or see any real deeper meaning. Unlike “Tintern Abbey,” this poem seems to lack any connection with the real world, existing solely in the abstract realm of nature. Using rational tools to derive meaning from an apparently abstract idea yields some interesting results, but does not add a greater understanding of the human experience where one does not exist.