1. To what extent are the members of the Wingfield limited by their disappointment and isolated from one another?
2. Clearly, there is love in the Wingfield home. Why isn't there happiness? What or who is at the root of the family dysfunction?
3. a. How does the design of the play (i.e. staging, lighting...) illustrate the theme of illusion vs. reality?
b. If the gentleman caller is a symbol, how might Tom, Laura, and Amanda also be symbols?
4. a. Why does Jim "forget himself"?
b. What are the symbolic applications of the glass unicorn in the play?
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Some Thoughts on "Threes" by Carl Sandburg
As you prepare your informal explication, remember the three fundamental questions (according to Lawrence Perrine) that should guide your analysis:
1. Who is the speaker?
2. What is the purpose of the poem?
3. By what means is the purpose achieved?
In the case of "Threes" by Carl Sandburg, we have already established through our discussion that the identity of the speaker is somewhat tricky. The key thing to keep in mind is to keep your interpretation simple. Ask yourself: what is the most logical answer to the question? Good poetry may require you to read, re-read, and read again as it slowly reveals its purpose, but good poetry does not try to obfuscate its purpose. To do so would to defeat the basic purpose of poetry: to communicate experience. Keep in mind that poetry is condensed language; every word and phrase is deliberately constructed and deliberately placed. Consequently, the most detailed and length answer in your explication is your response to question #3. The collection of rhetorical devices, oftentimes wrapped in rhyme and metre, represent the pure elements of colour through which the writer seeks to communicate his or her purpose. Your contemplation of the use of these elements will heighten your awareness of how the author uses language to guide the reader to understanding. Thus, you must be patient with the thought process; if you rush it, you will end up writing either a summary of the poem or a "what if" narrative about the poem in a parallel universe. Neither trajectory will yield an effective explication.
1. Who is the speaker?
2. What is the purpose of the poem?
3. By what means is the purpose achieved?
In the case of "Threes" by Carl Sandburg, we have already established through our discussion that the identity of the speaker is somewhat tricky. The key thing to keep in mind is to keep your interpretation simple. Ask yourself: what is the most logical answer to the question? Good poetry may require you to read, re-read, and read again as it slowly reveals its purpose, but good poetry does not try to obfuscate its purpose. To do so would to defeat the basic purpose of poetry: to communicate experience. Keep in mind that poetry is condensed language; every word and phrase is deliberately constructed and deliberately placed. Consequently, the most detailed and length answer in your explication is your response to question #3. The collection of rhetorical devices, oftentimes wrapped in rhyme and metre, represent the pure elements of colour through which the writer seeks to communicate his or her purpose. Your contemplation of the use of these elements will heighten your awareness of how the author uses language to guide the reader to understanding. Thus, you must be patient with the thought process; if you rush it, you will end up writing either a summary of the poem or a "what if" narrative about the poem in a parallel universe. Neither trajectory will yield an effective explication.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
A Note About the YouTube Posts
While the summaries of plot and character may be useful to you as a quick preview or review of the play, the real reason I want you to see these is because of the quality of the presentation. The young woman presenting the synopses does an excellent job. She is personable and engaging to watch. Note the changing inflection and use of emphasis in her tone. More importantly, she maintains direct contact with her audience through the medium of the camera lens. If you want a model of how you should speak and present yourself when you deliver your oral presentation, this is an excellent model. Naturally, your style will reflect your personality, but this is a good example of poise and skill.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
My Pedagogical Truths
1. Inquiry and experimentation drive good teaching and good curriculum design.
2. "The opposite of creativity is cynicism" (Saarinen), but "the cynics are right nine times out of ten" (Mencken); even so, "In the end we shall have had enough of cynicism, skepticism and humbug, and we shall want to live more musically" (Van Gogh).
3. The success of good teaching and good program is not measured by those who have kept up the pace all the way to the finish line; rather, it is measured by the success of those for whom one has gone back because they fell down along the way.
4. I am no longer a teacher of English; I am a teacher of students through the medium of English language and literature.
5. Beware of one’s own ego. It may be the biggest impediment to a one's learning and success.
2. "The opposite of creativity is cynicism" (Saarinen), but "the cynics are right nine times out of ten" (Mencken); even so, "In the end we shall have had enough of cynicism, skepticism and humbug, and we shall want to live more musically" (Van Gogh).
3. The success of good teaching and good program is not measured by those who have kept up the pace all the way to the finish line; rather, it is measured by the success of those for whom one has gone back because they fell down along the way.
4. I am no longer a teacher of English; I am a teacher of students through the medium of English language and literature.
5. Beware of one’s own ego. It may be the biggest impediment to a one's learning and success.
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