Weeks 10-12
Modernism:
What does 'The Wasteland' mean?
1) how has it been interpreted? (cite examples)
2)what are some of the key features
3) In what way has it been influential
Post-Modernism
1) What common qualities do 'the beats' share? Why 'beats'?
2) How is beat poetry linked to rap?
3) How was Bob Dylan's 'Masters of War' involved in controversy during the Bush administration?
4) On what grounds was 'Howl' accused of being obscene - grounds for the defense?
5) What kind of protest song/rap other media have come out in the last decade? Is there a spirit of protest anymore?
What does 'The Wasteland' mean?
1) how has it been interpreted? (cite examples)
2)what are some of the key features
3) In what way has it been influential
Post-Modernism
1) What common qualities do 'the beats' share? Why 'beats'?
2) How is beat poetry linked to rap?
3) How was Bob Dylan's 'Masters of War' involved in controversy during the Bush administration?
4) On what grounds was 'Howl' accused of being obscene - grounds for the defense?
5) What kind of protest song/rap other media have come out in the last decade? Is there a spirit of protest anymore?
Weeks 7-9
1. How is the Romantic notion of the Sublime reflected in the ideological, conceptual and linguistic construction of the texts under consideration in this Romanticism reader? Discuss one or two examples...
2. Go online and see if you can find out anything about what really happened at the Villa Diodati that fateful summer in 1816...
3. How many fictional accounts (film and other narrative media) can you find about that? Provide some useful links, including Youtube clips (hint: for a start try Ken Russel Gothic on Youtube).
4. Discuss the links between the Villa Diodati "brat-pack" and the birth of Gothic as a modern genre with reference to specific texts by the authors who gathered there and subsequent texts (e.g. The Vampire >> Dracula, etc).
3. How many fictional accounts (film and other narrative media) can you find about that? Provide some useful links, including Youtube clips (hint: for a start try Ken Russel Gothic on Youtube).
4. Discuss the links between the Villa Diodati "brat-pack" and the birth of Gothic as a modern genre with reference to specific texts by the authors who gathered there and subsequent texts (e.g. The Vampire >> Dracula, etc).
Weeks 4-6
1. Cite some variations in the Loathly Lady fabula across the three tales in your Reader. Focus on the conditions by which the lady is either beautiful or ugly, and the actions of the knight/king/"hero"...
2. The Wife of Bath's Tale is considered by some critics to indicate that Chaucer may have been a feminist. Why might they believe this? Do you agree? Remember to cite evidence from the text or some other source.
3.Hahn's essay (see critical reader)on The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnelleidentifies the motif of the loathly lady, but arguesit has a different purpose than asserting the feminine. What does he think the function of the story is?
4. In the context of Elizabethan and Jacobean sonnets, how can we define "conceits"?
5. Discuss what you think is the most striking or outrageous example.
6. What does Revard (1997) suggest about the relationship between language, sex, power and transgression in the English Renaissance?
2. The Wife of Bath's Tale is considered by some critics to indicate that Chaucer may have been a feminist. Why might they believe this? Do you agree? Remember to cite evidence from the text or some other source.
3.Hahn's essay (see critical reader)on The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnelleidentifies the motif of the loathly lady, but arguesit has a different purpose than asserting the feminine. What does he think the function of the story is?
4. In the context of Elizabethan and Jacobean sonnets, how can we define "conceits"?
5. Discuss what you think is the most striking or outrageous example.
6. What does Revard (1997) suggest about the relationship between language, sex, power and transgression in the English Renaissance?
Weeks 1-3
1. What genres do the following texts belong to?
Voluspa, Volsunga Saga, Beowulf, The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.
Give some examples from these texts that support your identification (for example: "Voluspa is an example of the _____ genre, as the following references to gods from the poem illustrate: "Hear my words / you holy gods' (l.1) "By Odin's Will I'll speak the ancient lore" (l.3), etc).
2. What are some possible features of residual (or "secondary") orality preserved in Voluspa, according to the criteria Ong (1982) advances?
3. Identify a central incident that happens in at least four of the above texts, and discuss how it is both similar and different in each example (remember to site from the original texts).
4. How did Tolkien draw on the Old Norse and Old English texts in his Hobbit and Lord of the Rings fantasy novels? Provide some concrete examples.
5. Discuss how Tolkien's use of "tradition" (e.g. older literary sources) differs from the techniques and agendas of modernism (see Week 7 in your Reader).
6. What place do the old myths have in the modern world?
7. How does the film Beowulf and Grendel "problematise" the hero-myth of Beowulf ?
8. Discuss what you think any of these texts desire (in the sense of their intention, how they wish to be received, what pleasures they offer).
Voluspa, Volsunga Saga, Beowulf, The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.
Give some examples from these texts that support your identification (for example: "Voluspa is an example of the _____ genre, as the following references to gods from the poem illustrate: "Hear my words / you holy gods' (l.1) "By Odin's Will I'll speak the ancient lore" (l.3), etc).
2. What are some possible features of residual (or "secondary") orality preserved in Voluspa, according to the criteria Ong (1982) advances?
3. Identify a central incident that happens in at least four of the above texts, and discuss how it is both similar and different in each example (remember to site from the original texts).
4. How did Tolkien draw on the Old Norse and Old English texts in his Hobbit and Lord of the Rings fantasy novels? Provide some concrete examples.
5. Discuss how Tolkien's use of "tradition" (e.g. older literary sources) differs from the techniques and agendas of modernism (see Week 7 in your Reader).
6. What place do the old myths have in the modern world?
7. How does the film Beowulf and Grendel "problematise" the hero-myth of Beowulf ?
8. Discuss what you think any of these texts desire (in the sense of their intention, how they wish to be received, what pleasures they offer).
Time for a comment!
ReplyDeleteOk I'm struggling with this at the moment, but seeing as no one else has posted yet, I figured I'd just post my answer to one of the questions and see if I'm on the right track:
ReplyDelete‘Hear my words you Holy Gods’ (other references about speaking TO an audience, also repeating phrases would make it stick in the listener’s heads (possibly so they could further pass it on) and be pleasant to listen to, and it would make it easier for the orator to learn and remember it as well.
Voluspa uses short, non-complex sentences because that is how people speak and it allows for pauses for the orator.
The text also uses phrases such as ‘Hear my words, you holy gods’ (as opposed to ‘read this’ etc) as well as ‘I remember’, as orality is based around memory.
(sorry, this is in response to Q2. What are some possible features of residual (or "secondary") orality preserved in Voluspa, according to the criteria Ong (1982) advances?)
DeleteWhat genres do the following texts belong to? Voluspa, Volusunga saga, Beowulf, The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. Give some examples from these texts that support your identification.
ReplyDeleteThe hobbit is a story about a young hobbit named Bilbo Baggins and other hobbits and their journeys through their adventures. This text involves a lot of magic as it is set in a magical world which makes the text a children fantasy novel. This novel also leads to the lord of the rings saga and a example of this text being a children fantasy novel is that the story is set in a fictional world with fantastical creatures and one important feature about this fictional world that it is not the same as our world that we live in. From my own perspective I found the hobbit and the lord of the rings were very interesting because the text allowed me to imagine a world of full of magic which shows the power of the fantasy novel. The Beowulf poem is about a hero who is eager for battle and who strives of his victories. He is known for slaying monsters and was known as a legend because of his heroic actions which is similar to the Volusunga saga because both describe stories that are based on heroes. Volusunga saga is based on the mythology myths where gods such as odin and thor are mention. It describes how the heaven and earth were created by describing it in mythological methods. A good example of this is “ The sun turns black/ the earth sink I below the sea/ no bright star now/ shines from the heaven” which relates to descriptions of the mythology features. The hobbit and lord of the Rings relate together because they are both based on the same idea of a magical fantasy that best suits a children’s interests. However Beowulf and Volusunga saga is based more on a heroic idea or legend myths that is very interesting. What are your guys thoughts on this?
Reference
Heaney, S. (1999) (trans). Beowulf: a new translation. London: Penguin.
Terry, P. (trans). (1990, 1966). Poems of the Elder Edda. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press
What Place Do These Texts Have In The Modern World?
ReplyDelete- These texts are the inspiration for much of modern fantasy and many of the archetypal stories and characters that our culture is in part built upon.
The hero-myth is present in almost all action movies today. It seems people inherently enjoy the notion of a superman. In fact we have taken the hero and have turned him into something of a god - in recent times especially (with the success of superhero movies) - god's being a mainstay of the ancient myths. The character of 'Thor' has even been directly borrowed for a few such modern day films. Denying their influence is impossible and the fact that the their archetypes still exists, almost untouched thousands of years later means they are still very relevant.
I would also add that they explain how older/different cultures see the world, inspire more recent works of literature/art (as you said... although in some cases 'inspire' might be putting it lightly).They also offer morals (eg. if you are brave you will be rewarded handsomely) and this concept is still apparent in children's books, movies etc.They can also demonstrate the way information is passed down until it becomes unclear what the original truth is.
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Delete7. How does the film Beowulf and Grendel "problematise" the hero-myth of Beowulf?
DeleteBeowulf and Grendel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1QDTFFmqKg
The above movie compromised the original portrayal of Beowulf as being the 'only' gallant hero (though heroes are not infallible). In the original epic poem, there's only one hero, Beowulf. Grendel was nothing more than a villain. The movie portrays Beowulf (Gerard Butler) as heroic and fearless but at the same time he is depicted with some character flaws which can appeal to an audience enabling them to more easily identify with him (though a hero, he was a mere mortal) he shows a vulnerability and that he is not invincible, eg; he sought the witch's counsel, visiting Selma on several occasions wanting to know what she foresaw... what would come to pass (scene 52:50). At times, concerned and anxious regarding the final outcome... what would become of him, the king and Grendel... (45:57).
In the epic poem, Grendel is the antagonist, portrayed as a murderous troll, eg: "in the fight with Grendel. He out-grappled the monster and his evil kin". This movie gave an opposing view, that he wasn't just a mindless killer and was capable of emotions; from the torment he felt after the Danes killed his father to showing that he had a sense of humor, eg; when he stood urinating outside the entrance to the mead hall in the middle of the night, leaving a foul stench (36:26). Also when Grendel amuses himself by playing a 'bowling' game with several human skulls. He'd throw a rock knocking them and laugh gleefully while doing a jig.
In the movie, Grendel is depicted in a more sympathetic light. It shows him as a youngster watching helplessly as his father was killed right before his eyes. Later, the son clambers down from the cliff to his fathers slain body, lifeless on the beach. There is a poignant moment where he tries to 'wake up' his father and then realises he's dead (5:47). Because of his small stature, he was unable to drag the body back and therefore decapitates it. He is seen cradling his father's head in his arms as he walks back home to the cave (6:42) Another scene depicts him as an adult sitting, grieving for his father, by the homemade shrine (7:30). Though this movie is an Icelandic and Canadian production, Hollywood and modern movies tend to shift their focus towards the underdog or disadvantaged in life, portraying them as a type of unsung hero. Selma (also a Dane) is sympathetic towards Grendel believing he is justified in his revenge, the Danes reaped what they sowed (46:24). It is interesting to see Beowulf is at times, conflicted in his views. He questions the angst behind Grendel's murderous rampage. Towards the end of the movie, Beowulf spares Grendels' child's life and the child watched as Beowulf even built a rock monument for Grendel before setting sail for Geatland. The movie was a good portrayal of Beowulf as a hero and allowing him to show a vulnerable side and humanistic qualities; concern for other people's welfare, being kind, having empathy and compassion for those that suffered or endured some misfortune. He was aware of his own mortality. The movie is a nice departure from the usual offer where a hero /warrior goes off to battle, defeats the enemy, brags about his feats, then the usual banquet and drunken debauchery.
Many passages in the epic poem references Beowulf as the hero;
" He had scant regard for the dragon as a threat, no dread at all of its courage or strength, for he had kept going at dangerous times and in tight corners often in the past, after he had purged Hrothgar's hall, triumphed in Heorot in the fight with Grendel".
"Beowulf spoke, made a formal boast for the last time: 'I risked my life often when I was young. Now I am old, but as king of the people I shall pursue this fight for the glory of winning",
Reference
Heaney, S. (1999) (trans). Beowulf: a new translation. London: Penguin.
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ReplyDeleteSome good ideas starting to flow. no real conversation yet. Some have not posted yet. Good description of texts Lavu.
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DeleteThe function of the story as Hahn sees it is to normalize the unknown. Bring the wild and un-chivalrous “into line with the legitimate...” (Hahn). A major theme of his essay is the woods. They represent the unknown and the dangerous while supplying a place to cultivate honor. The unexplored is necessary for an adventure to take place, for glory to be gained. However, the unknown, or the ugly (as it occurs in this story) cannot be reconciled with the world in which that honor has value; the world of the civilized. The loathly lady provides a backdrop, a connection to hang a story upon and her change shows the valor of mens' deeds.
ReplyDeleteThe story is moved forward by a series of compacts which are linked together by the loathy lady. Hahn uses this to suggest that that is her purpose. To hold together these great tales of knights and give them an unknown to conquer and make into their version of things. Which is in a way a statement about the culture itself, that theirs is the “...idealized, chivilric society” (Hahn).
There is an excitement in the duality of the loathly lady “Her double role - both
Beauty and the Beast - endows her with a deep ambiguity” (Hahn). This again shows duplicity and changing nature to be at the heart of the theme. This can be viewed as a blanket suggestion for the nature of all woman. Hahn states that this “...express interests that are typically male” (Hahn), and I agree, the quest to answer the question”What ar ye?” can be seen as mens' eternal trying to understand the unknown and the strange, often with ambitions of conquest and glory. The function of the loathly lady story is to turn fear into glory through bravery and the conquering of the unknown.
Reference
Hahn, T. (Ed.). (1995). The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnelle. In Sir Gawain: Eleven Romances and Tales. Kalamazoo, Michigan: Medieval Institute Publications.
(Q.3)
ReplyDeleteThis is my blog on what the word 'conceits' means and I used the readings to find out the definition and also looked up my own definition of the word. tell me what you guys think?
ReplyDeleteAbrams (1993) states that conceits is a poetic metaphors laced into stanzas as ways to revealing deeper significance within poems. However before the 17th centenary and also it is to “ display the poet’s own cunning with the words.” According to Elliot (1923) Jacobean conceits means “leap continually in a restless orbit from the personal to the cosmic and back again.” I have searched up the actual definition of conceits from an online dictionary and therefore conceits can mean that it is an excessive expression of ones owns worth or virtue. However there are a lot of definitions of conceits but stating the definition given from the readings is more effective for this blog because it relates to the question, however I looked up another definition of conceits because it could be interesting to see what other meanings that conceits have and as shown above the two meaning are different.
Abrams, M.H. (1993). The Norton Anthology of English Literature, 6th ed. New York: W.W. Norton and Comapany, Inc, p. 1081.
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ReplyDeleteWhat really happen in Villa Diodati that fateful summer in 1816?
ReplyDeleteThe Villa Dioti is a manor, which is near by Lake Geneva and is mostly recognise for the summer of residence of Lord Byron. Lord Byron had invited Percy Shelley, John Polidori and Mary Shelley to his house so that they may have sex and drugs. Lord Byron was very good friends with Percy and Mary and John was actually his doctor. Lord Byron was inspired to write a poem by a tragic natural disaster when Mt. Tambora in Indonesia erupted which lead to a large amount of deaths. During the volcanic eruption it forced the weather to create spooky conditions, which lead to Byron, write about his poem “Darkness”. The title of the poem related to the situation that Byron and his friends were in because of the eruption of the volcano the weather outside was so bad that the sun its self was blocked and the it gave the impression that the world was dark on that day. In saying this, it put Lord Byron and his friend in the mood to write up horror stories. This was an opportunity to witness great writers with nothing but each other to tell stories and come up with brilliant ideas to write about. An important and very famous and popular idea was creates during this time, which was Frankenstein. Frankenstein was inspired by German gothic stories and from these stories came out the character of Frankenstein.
Reference
Bargain Travel Europe (2011). LORD BYRON & VILLA DIODATI-Switzerland's Gothic Summer of 1816 on Lake Geneva. Retrieved on June 8, 2014 from http://www.bargaintraveleurope.com/08/Switzerland_Villa_Diodoti_Geneva.htm
Bob Dylans song Masters of War was one of his most famous songs. The song was a protest song that protests against wars. The song is a old song whish was first heard of in the 1960s however the song has so much meaning that the song still has a huge effect towards wars today. The main message that Bob Dylan was trying to imply through his song is that war is bad. The song made Dylan career where he was awarded a gammy award and was announced a life achievement. Audiences around the world were affected by the song and made the song that much special. Bob Dylans performance in Madison square garden was to protest against president George Bush when Bush announced that there would be a war against Iraq. When Bob Dylan performed the whole world got to witness his performance and was so amazed by the performance. The song was very strong and it influenced a lot of people around the globe. In my opinion I found this song very touching. Bob Dylan has become a great singer because he sings songs that have meaning. Masters of Wars was song that describes the suffering of people in the world. When I first heard the song it was very interesting and the lyrics were very deep and meaningful. What do you guys think about the song?
ReplyDeleteMarcus, G. (2006). Stories of a Bad Song. Retrieved June 8, 2014, from http://www.threepennyreview.com/samples/marcus_w06.html