ALSO...here's the Paper #1 assignment I passed out, which you'll definitely want to start thinking about as it's due the week after Monday.
Paper #1: A MIRROR OF THE PAST
Choose ONE of the following...
OPTION 1 (LITERARY RETELLINGS):
In Beowulf and most of The Canterbury Tales,
poets (or storytellers) use stories of the past as a way to re-imagine the
present. For example, the Beowulf poet embellishes a pagan tale of monsters and
heroes with Christian values, while pilgrims such as the Knight, the Wife of
Bath, and the Oxford Scholar use other times/lands to speak of their values.
Why tell stories of the past from a modern perspective? What do these retellings
allow the poets to say/explain to their audience that simply setting a story in
the present wouldn’t do? How can the past be a literary device to aid in a
storyteller’s quest? Consider, too, the modern craze for fantasy literature
from The Lord of the Rings to The Game of Thrones. These are all
modern stories set in an imagined past, and however realistic these might seem,
it’s still our world and our ideas that make us read the story.
Be sure to discuss both Beowulf
and one or more of the Canterbury Tales in your discussion. QUOTE
from each one and discuss how poem ‘works’ on the level of language. Summarize
as little as possible, and help us appreciate how the manner in which a poem is
written affects how we read it and what it actually says.
OPTION 2 (MEDIEVAL
HUMANISM)
In the 14th century, there was an artistic movement that
led to the Renaissance called “Humanism,” where artists attempted to reflect
the realities of the secular world. This meant painting people as they truly
looked, as well as using the actual language of the common people, and in the case
of our class, English. Even though Beowulf was written well before the
14th century, the poet still humanizes the poem much more than we would expect:
instead of a black and white story of heroes and monsters, we get glimpses of
real psychological depth and humanity. So for this option, I want you to
discuss how each work attempts to show us a true portrait of humanity in its
story and characters. What might be seen as new or novel about these works:
where do we hear ‘real’ voices speaking out from the ages? Where do we see true
portraits of men and women emerge on the page? What effect does ‘humanism’ have
on the work that makes it more ‘literary’?
Be sure to discuss both Beowulf
and one or more of the Canterbury Tales in your discussion. QUOTE
from each one and discuss how poem ‘works’ on the level of language. Summarize
as little as possible, and help us appreciate how the manner in which a poem is
written affects how we read it and what it actually says.
REQUIREMENTS
- 4-5 pages, double spaced
- Must quote from both books, and respond to
these quotes: make sure we understand why you’re quoting them and how they
affect your argument
- Use MLA Format (see handout) and provide a
Works Cited page
- DUE MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19th BY
No comments:
Post a Comment