Dr. Joy Myrick

BRIT. LIT. ROMANTIC POETRY ASSIGNMENT



1. You must either address an element of the natural world or become an element of the natural world.



2. If you are observing the natural world, the poem will be an apostrophe that also includes personification. If you are participating, you will include observations of the human world and its interactions with the natural world. Rhetorical questions should appear in the poem.



3. Your poem does not have to rhyme, but it must have form, such as stanzas with the same number of lines.



4. Your poem must have a title, and it must be somewhere between 30 and 50 lines.



5. As the other Romantic poems read and discussed, your poem must make a functional connection between the two worlds. Consult “To a Mouse,” “To a Louse,” “To a Mountain Daisy” (online), “To a Skylark,” “Ode to the West Wind” and “Ode to a Nightingale” for examples.



POEM DUE WHEN YOU COME TO CLASS MONDAY, APR. 25.

3/31/11

Finish reading Frankenstein   There will be a quiz on Monday when we come back from spring break.

The Frankenstein test will be Thursday.

English

BRIT. LIT -- William Hogarth poster project

You will construct a poster project from the following choices. For the first list, you will choose works that add up to at least FOUR paintings/illustrations. From the second list, you will choose any ONE series and present AT LEAST four illustrations on your poster, even though there are more than four in most of them.

You will place your reading material on the back of the poster so that you can hold up your poster and discuss it at the same time. Be prepared to speak for AT LEAST two minutes about your project -- NOT 20 or 30 seconds!!!!! This counts as a major project grade.

ONES OR TWOS, MOSTLY FROM THE THEATER
1. Beer Street and Gin Lane
2. Strolling Actresses Dressing in a Barn
3. The Beggar's Opera
4. Falstaff Examining His Recruits
5. Before and After
6. The Indian Emperor -- or -- The Conquest of Mexico
7. A Laughing Audience
8. David Garrick as Richard III


FOURS, SIXES, ETC., EXPOSING HUMAN BEHAVIOR
1. A Harlot's Progress
2. Marriage a la Mode
3. A Rake's Progress
4. Industry and Idleness
5. Four times of the Day
6. Four Stages of Cruelty

Your grade will be mostly based on how well you have researched your material. Remember that Hogarth's works always tell a story -- the more you know about the story or message, the more informed you will be!!!

Individuals: minimum of 4 paintings
Partners: minimum of 6 paintings

3/2/11

Diary of Samuel Pepys  Due March 9

Write a report explaining what life was like during the restoration period as told by Samuel Pepy's diary.

Choose one month and read 7 days of the month (not consecutive days) to gather the information that you need.

2/15/11

BRIT.LIT.  --  Nifty-swifty Hamlet essay handout


1. Hamlet’s delay  --  Was it legitimate? What caused it? What were the underlying factors? Were there any internal conflicts for Hamlet? Were all his decisions and actions rational? Were any of them illogical? Was religion involved?

2. How did religion impact the events of the play? Why did Hamlet not kill Claudius when he was praying? What was he waiting for? Why did Hamlet not commit suicide? What was the debate over Ophelia’s death? In what location was the ghost of Hamlet’s father? What about Polonius’ death in regard to Hamlet’s afterlife chances?

3. Hamlet’s mental state  --  Was there stability throughout the duration of the play? Did he forget that he was merely pretending to be insane? Did he cross the line from sanity into insanity and not cross back over?

4. Analyze a major speech from the play. Major passages reveal much about character of the speaker, and an essay on the speech should focus on how what is said reflects on the speaker, and how it applies to what happens in the play. Other passages may be quoted.

5. Use and importance of foils. A dramatic foil reflects upon the central character either through similar or dissimilar actions. How do Ophelia, Laertes, Fortinbras, the ghost, Claudius serve as foils to Hamlet?

6. Innocence of Gertrude  --  Assess how much guilt or innocence falls upon Gertrude, based on what she says, what she does (or has done), and what others say about her.

7. The two definitions of the word “act”  -- Specifically, how do both definitions apply to Hamlet, who seems to be more expert at one of them than the other? Provide examples from the text that appear to prove this point.

8. How do soliloquies and asides provide critical character development information?

9. Let’s pretend there is no heinous fencing exhibition plan in Act V. What most likely is Hamlet’s plan of “action” after his return to Elsinore? Base your suppositions on your knowledge of Hamlet’s personality and decisions earlier in the play.

Requirements: 6 pages handwritten, blue or black ink, front only. You must include a minimum of 15 quotes from the play.  No online research is allowed; primary text and your in-class notes are your only sources.

2/10/11

We will finish reading Hamlet tomorrow.  Essay topics will be discussed.  The essay will be written in class and is due on 2/18/11.

There will be a test on Hamlet        2/17/11

Research Project 2/8/11

Research Project – Finished Documented Essay – Due Date Feb. 28
Using the preliminary components you have gathered and developed from first semester, you will now write the finished product – a documented essay.
1. This paper will be a minimum of 600 words, or approximately 2.5 typed, double-spaced pages.
2. Thesis statement must be incorporated into an introductory paragraph of 4-5 sentences.
3. Three sources will be cited (direct quotes or paraphrases). There will be a minimum of five citations throughout your paper.
4. The sources must be parenthetically documented in proper MLA format.
5. You must have Works Cited entries, either on a separate page or at the bottom of your last page, in proper MLA format.
6. All preliminary materials from last semester must be included in your folder with the final copy.
7. If you need help, see me during WEB or any morning I do not have bus duty.
CHECKLIST:
A. Use the Writing Commandments handout to avoid typical grammatical errors.
B. Do not use informal language, slang, incomplete sentences or text-speak.
C. Do not use meaningless phrases such as “in this quote” or “this quote means.”
D. Do not wait until the last minute to ask for help.
REMINDERS:
• If you didn’t write the research paper last semester, you’re starting at a disadvantage – but you have the same assignment.
• If you wrote a series of “mini-essays,” you will choose one of those topics and expand it into a complete paper. You probably will have to find at least one additional source.

2/3/11

There will be a quiz on Hamlet on Friday.   2/4/11

The quiz will be open book and open notes.

BRIT. LIT. – Sonnet writing assignment

BRIT. LIT. – Sonnet writing assignment

Topic for your sonnet:
passionate love for something inanimate (favorite food, sleeping late on weekends, television show, electronic assistance devices, reading, traveling, etc.); how you just can’t wait to participate in this activity, how nothing else can compare (and then include comparatives that just can’t measure up), how rewarding this is for you; and you can describe in detail all the benefits of whatever this is.

Requirements for your sonnet:
1. must be exactly 14 lines
2. must have exactly 10 syllables (NOT 10 words!!!) per line
3. must have specific rhyme scheme
    a. ABAB CDCD EFEF GG
    b. ABBA ABBA CDE CDE
    c. ABAB ABAB CDCD EE
    d. ABAB CDCD EFG EFG
4. must have at least one example of a poetic device
    a. inverted word order
    b. simile or metaphor
    c. personification
    d. exclamation or interjection (such as the poetic O!)
5. if final copy typed, hand-written rough draft must be included

VOCAB. STORY TOPICS
1. your most outstanding sports/athletic achievement            23. weekend visit to the farm
2. soap opera script                        24. How to explain coming home
3. a 1 a.m. visit to Waffle House                     an hour after curfew
4. your parents’ favorite memory story, told many times 25. What is the most difficult part
5. advice to freshmen                             of high school?
6. if dreams could come true, what would yours be?      26. What are your fears/anticipations
7. a true outdoor adventure                       about college?
8. best made-up story you’ve ever told your parents     27. What freedoms about being an
9. courtroom drama                            American do you value most?
10. castaway story                      28. What is your favorite road trip?
11. how to get into a concert/game without a ticket     29. Grocery shopping game plan
12. best/worst first date you ever had              30. Late-night visit to Kroger
13. best/worst family vacation
14. best way to ask someone for a date
15. what are the pros and cons of cloning
16. best/worst trip you have made outside the country
17. circus soap opera
18. how is high school different from the way you imagined it would be?
19. why do teenagers argue with their parents and other authority figures?
20. best/worst camping trip
21. how to solve having two dates to the prom
22. is cheating the best policy? Why or why not?