PSAT review in the ensemble theatre. The exam itself is in a fortnight (two weeks today).
reminders: vocabulary 2 due on Friday
Patrick Henry speech material due Friday
test on ethos, pathos and logos on Friday
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
September 30 2009
Phyllis Wheatley poem covered in class on Tuesday. Please familiarize yourself with her work, if you were absent.
"Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, Taught my benighted soul to understand That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too: Once I redemption neither sought nor knew. Some view our sable race with scornful eye, "Their colour is a diabolic die." Remember, Christians, Negros, black as Cain, May be refin'd and join th'angelic train.
"Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, Taught my benighted soul to understand That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too: Once I redemption neither sought nor knew. Some view our sable race with scornful eye, "Their colour is a diabolic die." Remember, Christians, Negros, black as Cain, May be refin'd and join th'angelic train.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Tuesday September 29
1. Again: vocabulary 2 is due on Friday
2. Please be diligent and begin working on the Patrick Henry speech and accompanying questions. There is a test Friday on the material.
3. Begin thinking about next week's paper in which you will employ logos, ethos and pathos to make your arguments. The topic should be serious, not frivolous.
4. Ms. Anderson is working with you this Tuesday and Thursday on the poetry of Phyllis Wheatley. Please familiarize yourself with the following information.
Phyllis Wheatley
Poet
Born 1753 — Died December 5, 1784
Phillis Wheatley was America's first black poet.
Born in Senegal, Africa in 1753, she was kidnapped on a slave ship to Boston and sold at the age of seven to John and Susannah Wheatley of Boston as Mrs. Wheatley's personal servant. Phillis, however, was soon accepted as a member of the family, and was raised and educated with the Wheatley's other two children.
Phillis soon displayed her remarkable talents by learning to read and write English. At the age of twelve she was reading the Greek and Latin classics, and passages from the Bible. At thirteen she wrote her first poem.
Phillis became a Boston sensation after she wrote a poem on the death of the evangelical preacher George Whitefield in 1770. Three years later thirty-nine of her poems were published in London as "Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral." It was the first book published by a black American.
In 1775 she wrote a poem extolling the accomplishments of George Washington and sent it to the commander-in-chief. Washington responded by praising her talents and inviting her to his headquarters.
After both of her benefactors died, Phillis was freed as a slave. She married Dr. John Peters in 1778, moved away from Boston and had three children. After an unhappy marriage, she moved back to Boston, only to die in poverty alone in her apartment at the age of 30.
Years later her "Memoir and Poems of Phillis Wheatley" was published in 1834. "The Letters of Phillis Wheatley, the Negro Slave Poet of Boston" appeared in 1864.
2. Please be diligent and begin working on the Patrick Henry speech and accompanying questions. There is a test Friday on the material.
3. Begin thinking about next week's paper in which you will employ logos, ethos and pathos to make your arguments. The topic should be serious, not frivolous.
4. Ms. Anderson is working with you this Tuesday and Thursday on the poetry of Phyllis Wheatley. Please familiarize yourself with the following information.
Phyllis Wheatley
Poet
Born 1753 — Died December 5, 1784
Phillis Wheatley was America's first black poet.
Born in Senegal, Africa in 1753, she was kidnapped on a slave ship to Boston and sold at the age of seven to John and Susannah Wheatley of Boston as Mrs. Wheatley's personal servant. Phillis, however, was soon accepted as a member of the family, and was raised and educated with the Wheatley's other two children.
Phillis soon displayed her remarkable talents by learning to read and write English. At the age of twelve she was reading the Greek and Latin classics, and passages from the Bible. At thirteen she wrote her first poem.
Phillis became a Boston sensation after she wrote a poem on the death of the evangelical preacher George Whitefield in 1770. Three years later thirty-nine of her poems were published in London as "Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral." It was the first book published by a black American.
In 1775 she wrote a poem extolling the accomplishments of George Washington and sent it to the commander-in-chief. Washington responded by praising her talents and inviting her to his headquarters.
After both of her benefactors died, Phillis was freed as a slave. She married Dr. John Peters in 1778, moved away from Boston and had three children. After an unhappy marriage, she moved back to Boston, only to die in poverty alone in her apartment at the age of 30.
Years later her "Memoir and Poems of Phillis Wheatley" was published in 1834. "The Letters of Phillis Wheatley, the Negro Slave Poet of Boston" appeared in 1864.
Monday September 28
Please remember that vocabulary 2 is due this Friday, October 2. You may turn it in early, but send along the responses if you are out.
We are looking at the techniques employed by Patrick Henry in his speech to the Virginia Convention. You will receive a copy in class for you to mark up as needed, but there is a copy posted last Thursday, as well. As Ms. Anderson is working with you folks on the poetry of Phyllis Wheatley on this Tuesday and Thursday- and there is a counselor review for the PSAT that will take place in a fortnight this Wednesday- most of the Patrick Henry material is independent work or homework.
Speech notes: the speech is a model of how to employ three rhetorical devices to persuade an audience of your point: ethos, logos and pathos. In short, these are language techniques that use ethics, logic or emotion to move a listener or reader to your cause.
Familarize yourself with the following for a test on Friday.
Logos, Ethos and Pathos
Whenever you read an argument you must ask yourself, "is this persuasive? And if so, to whom?" There are seveal ways to appeal to an audience. Among them are appealing to logos, ethos and pathos. These appeals are prevalent in almost all arguments.
a. To appeal to LOGIC, use the following.
Theoretical, abstract language
Denotative meanings/reasons
Literal and historical analogies
Definitions
Factual data and statistics
Quotations
Citations from experts and authorities
Informed opinions
b. To develop ETHOS, use the following:
Language appropriate to audience and subject
Restrained, sincere, fair minded presentation
Appropriate level of vocabulary
Correct grammar
c. To appeal to pathos or emotion, use the following:
Vivid, concrete language
Emotionally loaded language
Connotative meanings
Emotional examples
Vivid descriptions
Narratives of emotional events
Emotional tone
Figurative language
SUMMARY INFORMATION:
1. Vocabulary due Friday
2. Test on the Patrick Henry's Speech on Friday. Be able to identify the three rhetorical devices he uses within the speech. Prepare ahead and this is easy - no surprises.
3. Analysis worksheet on his speech due on Friday. This is your week's homework. If you misplace the class handout, there is a copy below entitled
Accompanying work for Patrick Henry’s Speech in the Virginia Convention
Please write out your responses on a separate sheet of paper. DUE FRIDAY OCTOBER 2
Recalling: (USE TEXTUAL EVIDENCE FOR YOUR RESPONSES)
1. What comment does Henry make about the delegates who have just addressed the
House?
2. What does Henry say he would be guilty of if he holds back his opinion?
3. How does Henry say that he judges the future?
4. (a) What does Henry say is the reason for the British military build-up in
America? (b) What course of action must the colonials take?
5. What does Henry say “the next gale that sweeps from the north” will bring?
6. To what does Henry compare the colonists’ situation?
Interpreting:
7. Why do you think Henry begins his speech by stating the opinions of the
previous speakers?
8. Why does Henry believe that compromise with the British is not a workable
solution?
9. How does Henry answer the objection that the colonists are not ready to
fight?
Recognizing Oratory:
Oratory is the art of formal public speaking. A skilled orator uses such devices
as rhetorical questions, restatement, repetition and parallelism to emphasize
points. For example, Henry uses resteent in his speech, repeating his
declaration, “We must fight!”
10. (a) Find one instance where Henry answers a possible objection to his
argument with a series of rhetorical questions. (b) What purpose does this
series of questions serve?
11. List two ideas that Henry repeats, using different words.
12. Find one example of parallelism.
An effective orator may use a number of persuasive techniques to try to convince
an audience to think or act in a certain way. For example, Patrick Henry uses a
blend of logical arguments and emotional appeals in his speech.
13 Considering the purpose of Henry’s speech, why do you feel these two
techniques were appropriate.
14. Why do you think Henry chose to end his speech with an emotional appeal?
We are looking at the techniques employed by Patrick Henry in his speech to the Virginia Convention. You will receive a copy in class for you to mark up as needed, but there is a copy posted last Thursday, as well. As Ms. Anderson is working with you folks on the poetry of Phyllis Wheatley on this Tuesday and Thursday- and there is a counselor review for the PSAT that will take place in a fortnight this Wednesday- most of the Patrick Henry material is independent work or homework.
Speech notes: the speech is a model of how to employ three rhetorical devices to persuade an audience of your point: ethos, logos and pathos. In short, these are language techniques that use ethics, logic or emotion to move a listener or reader to your cause.
Familarize yourself with the following for a test on Friday.
Logos, Ethos and Pathos
Whenever you read an argument you must ask yourself, "is this persuasive? And if so, to whom?" There are seveal ways to appeal to an audience. Among them are appealing to logos, ethos and pathos. These appeals are prevalent in almost all arguments.
a. To appeal to LOGIC, use the following.
Theoretical, abstract language
Denotative meanings/reasons
Literal and historical analogies
Definitions
Factual data and statistics
Quotations
Citations from experts and authorities
Informed opinions
b. To develop ETHOS, use the following:
Language appropriate to audience and subject
Restrained, sincere, fair minded presentation
Appropriate level of vocabulary
Correct grammar
c. To appeal to pathos or emotion, use the following:
Vivid, concrete language
Emotionally loaded language
Connotative meanings
Emotional examples
Vivid descriptions
Narratives of emotional events
Emotional tone
Figurative language
SUMMARY INFORMATION:
1. Vocabulary due Friday
2. Test on the Patrick Henry's Speech on Friday. Be able to identify the three rhetorical devices he uses within the speech. Prepare ahead and this is easy - no surprises.
3. Analysis worksheet on his speech due on Friday. This is your week's homework. If you misplace the class handout, there is a copy below entitled
Accompanying work for Patrick Henry’s Speech in the Virginia Convention
Please write out your responses on a separate sheet of paper. DUE FRIDAY OCTOBER 2
Recalling: (USE TEXTUAL EVIDENCE FOR YOUR RESPONSES)
1. What comment does Henry make about the delegates who have just addressed the
House?
2. What does Henry say he would be guilty of if he holds back his opinion?
3. How does Henry say that he judges the future?
4. (a) What does Henry say is the reason for the British military build-up in
America? (b) What course of action must the colonials take?
5. What does Henry say “the next gale that sweeps from the north” will bring?
6. To what does Henry compare the colonists’ situation?
Interpreting:
7. Why do you think Henry begins his speech by stating the opinions of the
previous speakers?
8. Why does Henry believe that compromise with the British is not a workable
solution?
9. How does Henry answer the objection that the colonists are not ready to
fight?
Recognizing Oratory:
Oratory is the art of formal public speaking. A skilled orator uses such devices
as rhetorical questions, restatement, repetition and parallelism to emphasize
points. For example, Henry uses resteent in his speech, repeating his
declaration, “We must fight!”
10. (a) Find one instance where Henry answers a possible objection to his
argument with a series of rhetorical questions. (b) What purpose does this
series of questions serve?
11. List two ideas that Henry repeats, using different words.
12. Find one example of parallelism.
An effective orator may use a number of persuasive techniques to try to convince
an audience to think or act in a certain way. For example, Patrick Henry uses a
blend of logical arguments and emotional appeals in his speech.
13 Considering the purpose of Henry’s speech, why do you feel these two
techniques were appropriate.
14. Why do you think Henry chose to end his speech with an emotional appeal?
Friday, September 25, 2009
Friday September 25
As we ran out of time yesterday, you are working on the Dialogue responses in class today. They are due at the end; otherwise they are homework. There is no more class time. It is strongly suggested that you complete the vocabulary over the weekend, as there will be homework next week. Plan accordingly! And, of course, have a safe and lovely weekend.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Friday September 25
We are finishing up the Dialogue between Franklin and the Gout...then...
vocabulary charades! Weekend reading handout: Patrick Henry's Speech to the Virginia Convention. Please read for Monday. See copy below, if you are absent.
Patrick Henry -- Speech to the Virginia Convention March, 1775
No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as abilities, of the very worthy gentlemen who have just addressed the House. But different men often see the same subject in different lights; and, therefore, I hope it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen if, entertaining as I do opinions of a character very opposite to theirs, I shall speak forth my sentiments freely and without reserve.
This is no time for ceremony. The question before the House is one of awful moment to this country. For my own part, I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery; and in proportion to the magnitude of the subject ought to be the freedom of the debate. It is only in this way that we can hope to arrive at truth, and fulfill the great responsibility which we hold to God and our country. Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my country, and of an act of disloyalty toward the Majesty of Heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings.
Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number of those who, having eyes, see not, and, having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it.
I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past. And judging by the past, I wish to know what there has been in the conduct of the British ministry for the last ten years to justify those hopes with which gentlemen have been pleased to solace themselves and the House. Is it that insidious smile with which our petition has been lately received?
Trust it not, sir; it will prove a snare to your feet. Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed with a kiss. Ask yourselves how this gracious reception of our petition comports with those warlike preparations which cover our waters and darken our land.
Are fleets and armies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation? Have we shown ourselves so unwilling to be reconciled that force must be called in to win back our love? Let us not deceive ourselves, sir. These are the implements of war and subjugation; the last arguments to which kings resort. I ask gentlemen, sir, what means this martial array, if its purpose be not to force us to submission? Can gentlemen assign any other possible motive for it? Has Great Britain any enemy, in this quarter of the world, to call for all this accumulation of navies and armies? No, sir, she has none. They are meant for us: they can be meant for no other. They are sent over to bind and rivet upon us those chains which the British ministry have been so long forging. And what have we to oppose to them? Shall we try argument? Sir, we have been trying that for the last ten years.
Have we anything new to offer upon the subject? Nothing. We have held the subject up in every light of which it is capable; but it has been all in vain. Shall we resort to entreaty and humble supplication? What terms shall we find which have not been already exhausted? Let us not, I beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves.
Sir, we have done everything that could be done to avert the storm which is now coming on. We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne, and have implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and Parliament. Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the throne!
In vain, after these things, may we indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation. There is no longer any room for hope. If we wish to be free -- if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending -- if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged,and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained -- we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms and to the God of hosts is all that is left us! They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction?
Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot? Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. Three millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave.
Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston!
The war is inevitable -- and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come.
It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace -- but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God!
I know not what course others may take but as for me: give me liberty or give me death!
vocabulary charades! Weekend reading handout: Patrick Henry's Speech to the Virginia Convention. Please read for Monday. See copy below, if you are absent.
Patrick Henry -- Speech to the Virginia Convention March, 1775
No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as abilities, of the very worthy gentlemen who have just addressed the House. But different men often see the same subject in different lights; and, therefore, I hope it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen if, entertaining as I do opinions of a character very opposite to theirs, I shall speak forth my sentiments freely and without reserve.
This is no time for ceremony. The question before the House is one of awful moment to this country. For my own part, I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery; and in proportion to the magnitude of the subject ought to be the freedom of the debate. It is only in this way that we can hope to arrive at truth, and fulfill the great responsibility which we hold to God and our country. Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my country, and of an act of disloyalty toward the Majesty of Heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings.
Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number of those who, having eyes, see not, and, having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it.
I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past. And judging by the past, I wish to know what there has been in the conduct of the British ministry for the last ten years to justify those hopes with which gentlemen have been pleased to solace themselves and the House. Is it that insidious smile with which our petition has been lately received?
Trust it not, sir; it will prove a snare to your feet. Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed with a kiss. Ask yourselves how this gracious reception of our petition comports with those warlike preparations which cover our waters and darken our land.
Are fleets and armies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation? Have we shown ourselves so unwilling to be reconciled that force must be called in to win back our love? Let us not deceive ourselves, sir. These are the implements of war and subjugation; the last arguments to which kings resort. I ask gentlemen, sir, what means this martial array, if its purpose be not to force us to submission? Can gentlemen assign any other possible motive for it? Has Great Britain any enemy, in this quarter of the world, to call for all this accumulation of navies and armies? No, sir, she has none. They are meant for us: they can be meant for no other. They are sent over to bind and rivet upon us those chains which the British ministry have been so long forging. And what have we to oppose to them? Shall we try argument? Sir, we have been trying that for the last ten years.
Have we anything new to offer upon the subject? Nothing. We have held the subject up in every light of which it is capable; but it has been all in vain. Shall we resort to entreaty and humble supplication? What terms shall we find which have not been already exhausted? Let us not, I beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves.
Sir, we have done everything that could be done to avert the storm which is now coming on. We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne, and have implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and Parliament. Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the throne!
In vain, after these things, may we indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation. There is no longer any room for hope. If we wish to be free -- if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending -- if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged,and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained -- we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms and to the God of hosts is all that is left us! They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction?
Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot? Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. Three millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave.
Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston!
The war is inevitable -- and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come.
It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace -- but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God!
I know not what course others may take but as for me: give me liberty or give me death!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Thursday September 24
Nag: vocabulary 2 is due Friday October 2. Get it in early, if you wish, but none accepted after that time. Send along responses if you are absent.
In class work: you are being assigned groups to work on Franklin's Dialogue. You will note that we have moved into the Age of Reason. (see class handout and copy below). This ties directly into our critical thinking skills: say something, prove it and analyze it. This should sound familiar, as that is how we should be writing. To demonstate your understanding of this process, you will work with partners, ripping apart the dialogue, hopefully not destroying its inherent humor. This is due at the close of class; be prepared to share your work with the class.
As well, each of you will provide an individual assessment for each member of your team. Make them honest and private. The grade will go under homework.
The Literature of 1750-1800
During the years from 1750-1800, almost all writing in America was influenced by the revolutionary spirit or the spirit of the new nation. Recognizing this spirit and the ideas of this period will enable you to understand better the purpose and techniques of the writer of the period.
It was during these years that the American colonists reached the point where they were no longer able to tolerate the British rule. The colonies united and took a stand against Britain. The revolution was successful, and a proud and practical new nation emerged.
This was the Age of Reason. The ideas of reason and discipline prevailed in the writing of the time. Because the attention of the nation was on political events surrounding the revolution, the literature was mostly political also. There was some personal writing—poetry and letters, for example, but most writing was public—pamphlets, speeches, and other documents—advocating and supporting a break with England.
Logical reasoning is the major technique used by the writers of this period. Public writing offered sound clear arguments in support of the causes. Personal writing too showed the reasoning process.
Class assignment: You have been assigned to a group (some are repeated). Using specific textual evidence respond to the following four questions. Be prepared to share your responses.
The Dialogue Between Franklin and the Gout by Ben Franklin shows his interest in self-improvement; he was a thoughtful, forthright, practical representative of the period.
Three questions:
1. How does Franklin’s dialogue reflect a belief in reason?
2. How does the dialogue reflect a belief in moderation and self-restraint?
3. How does the dialogue reflect an interest in science?
4. Understanding Reasoning: In his dialogue Franklin uses the process of reasoning to analyze his condition. First he assesses the causes of his condition, then he provides a body of evidence to support his assessment and ends his dialogue by presenting possible solutions.
Names of group participants
_______________________________________ _____________________________________
___________________________________ __________________________________
1. How does Franklin’s dialogue reflect a belief in reason?
2. How does the dialogue reflect a belief in moderation and self-restraint?
3. How does the dialogue reflect an interest in science?
4. a. Causes of his condition: ____________________________________________
b.Evidence to support his assessment ______________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
c. Possible solutions______________________________________________________
Group assessment. Give your partner a score of 1-5 based upon the following criteria. Do not share with others.
1= a physical presence only; did not really participate 2.= rode on the tails of the working team mates; did not contribute anything original
3= make a good faith effort, stayed focused, but did not provide material
4= actively participating; found material to support the assignment; shared with group
5= actively participating; clearly demonstrated they had read the material and could offer reasons
for their choices.
Your name:______________________________/_____________________
Partner name;_____________________________/____________________
Partner name:_____________________________/____________________
Partner name: ____________________________/ ____________________
In class work: you are being assigned groups to work on Franklin's Dialogue. You will note that we have moved into the Age of Reason. (see class handout and copy below). This ties directly into our critical thinking skills: say something, prove it and analyze it. This should sound familiar, as that is how we should be writing. To demonstate your understanding of this process, you will work with partners, ripping apart the dialogue, hopefully not destroying its inherent humor. This is due at the close of class; be prepared to share your work with the class.
As well, each of you will provide an individual assessment for each member of your team. Make them honest and private. The grade will go under homework.
The Literature of 1750-1800
During the years from 1750-1800, almost all writing in America was influenced by the revolutionary spirit or the spirit of the new nation. Recognizing this spirit and the ideas of this period will enable you to understand better the purpose and techniques of the writer of the period.
It was during these years that the American colonists reached the point where they were no longer able to tolerate the British rule. The colonies united and took a stand against Britain. The revolution was successful, and a proud and practical new nation emerged.
This was the Age of Reason. The ideas of reason and discipline prevailed in the writing of the time. Because the attention of the nation was on political events surrounding the revolution, the literature was mostly political also. There was some personal writing—poetry and letters, for example, but most writing was public—pamphlets, speeches, and other documents—advocating and supporting a break with England.
Logical reasoning is the major technique used by the writers of this period. Public writing offered sound clear arguments in support of the causes. Personal writing too showed the reasoning process.
Class assignment: You have been assigned to a group (some are repeated). Using specific textual evidence respond to the following four questions. Be prepared to share your responses.
The Dialogue Between Franklin and the Gout by Ben Franklin shows his interest in self-improvement; he was a thoughtful, forthright, practical representative of the period.
Three questions:
1. How does Franklin’s dialogue reflect a belief in reason?
2. How does the dialogue reflect a belief in moderation and self-restraint?
3. How does the dialogue reflect an interest in science?
4. Understanding Reasoning: In his dialogue Franklin uses the process of reasoning to analyze his condition. First he assesses the causes of his condition, then he provides a body of evidence to support his assessment and ends his dialogue by presenting possible solutions.
Names of group participants
_______________________________________ _____________________________________
___________________________________ __________________________________
1. How does Franklin’s dialogue reflect a belief in reason?
2. How does the dialogue reflect a belief in moderation and self-restraint?
3. How does the dialogue reflect an interest in science?
4. a. Causes of his condition: ____________________________________________
b.Evidence to support his assessment ______________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
c. Possible solutions______________________________________________________
Group assessment. Give your partner a score of 1-5 based upon the following criteria. Do not share with others.
1= a physical presence only; did not really participate 2.= rode on the tails of the working team mates; did not contribute anything original
3= make a good faith effort, stayed focused, but did not provide material
4= actively participating; found material to support the assignment; shared with group
5= actively participating; clearly demonstrated they had read the material and could offer reasons
for their choices.
Your name:______________________________/_____________________
Partner name;_____________________________/____________________
Partner name:_____________________________/____________________
Partner name: ____________________________/ ____________________
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Wednesday September 23
Vocabulary 2 is passed out. We are reviewing the first page together.
NOTE: below is a copy of Benjamin Frankin's dialogue with the Gout that was previously handed out in class. Make sure you have read this by Thursday- expect a review quiz!
Dialogue Between Franklin and the Gout
Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790)
Midnight, 22 October, 1780.
FRANKLIN. Eh! Oh! eh! What have I done to merit these cruel sufferings? 1
GOUT. Many things; you have ate and drank too freely, and too much indulged those legs of yours in their indolence. 2
FRANKLIN. Who is it that accuses me? 3
GOUT. It is I, even I, the Gout. 4
FRANKLIN. What! my enemy in person? 5
GOUT. No, not your enemy. 6
FRANKLIN. I repeat it, my enemy; for you would not only torment my body to death, but ruin my good name; you reproach me as a glutton and a tippler; now all the world, that knows me, will allow that I am neither the one nor the other. 7
GOUT. The world may think as it pleases; it is always very complaisant to itself, and sometimes to its friends; but I very well know that the quantity of meat and drink proper for a man, who takes a reasonable degree of exercise, would be too much for another, who never takes any. 8
FRANKLIN. I take—eh! oh!—as much exercise—eh!—as I can, Madam Gout. You know my sedentary state, and on that account, it would seem, Madam Gout, as if you might spare me a little, seeing it is not altogether my own fault. 9
GOUT.in life is a sedentary one, your amusements, your recreation, at least, should be active. You ought to walk or ride; or, if the weather prevents that, play at billiards. But let us examine your course of life. While the mornings are long, and you have leisure to go abroad, what do you do? Why, instead of gaining an appetite for breakfast, by salutary exercise, you amuse yourself with books, pamphlets, or newspapers, which commonly are not worth the reading. Yet you eat an inordinate breakfast, four dishes of tea, with cream, and one or two buttered toasts, with slices of hung beef, which I fancy are not things the most easily digested. Immediately afterwards you sit down to write at your desk, or converse with persons who apply to you on business. Thus the time passes till one, without any kind of bodily exercise. But all this I could pardon, in regard, as you say, to your sedentary condition. But what is your practice after dinner? Walking in the beautiful gardens of those friends with whom you have dined would be the choice of men of sense; yours is to be fixed down to chess, where you are found engaged for two or three hours! This is your perpetual recreation, which is the least eligible of any for a sedentary man, because, instead of accelerating the motion of the fluids, the rigid attention it requires helps to retard the circulation and obstruct internal secretions. Wrapt in the speculations of this wretched game, you destroy your constitution. What can be expected from such a course of living, but a body replete with stagnant humors, ready to fall prey to all kinds of dangerous maladies, if I, the Gout, did not occasionally bring you relief by agitating those humors, and so purifying or dissipating them? If it was in some nook or alley in Paris, deprived of walks, that you played awhile at chess after dinner, this might be excusable; but the same taste prevails with you in Passy, Auteuil, Montmartre, or Sanoy, places where there are the finest gardens and walks, a pure air, beautiful women, and most agreeable and instructive conversation; all which you might enjoy by frequenting the walks. But these are rejected for this abominable game of chess. Fie, then, Mr. Franklin! But amidst my instructions, I had almost forgot to administer my wholesome corrections; so take that twinge,—and that. 10
FRANKLIN. Oh! eh! oh! Ohhh! As much instruction as you please, Madam Gout, and as many reproaches; but pray, Madam, a truce with your corrections! 11
GOUT. No, Sir, no,—I will not abate a particle of what is so much for your good,—therefore— 12
FRANKLIN. Oh! ehhh!—It is not fair to say I take no exercise, when I do very often, going out to dine and returning in my carriage. 13
GOUT. That, of all imaginable exercises, is the most slight and insignificant, if you allude to the motion of a carriage suspended on springs. By observing the degree of heat obtained by different kinds of motion, we may form an estimate of the quantity of exercise given by each. Thus, for example, if you turn out to walk in winter with cold feet, in an hour’s time you will be in a glow all over; ride on horseback, the same effect will scarcely be perceived by four hours’ round trotting; but if you loll in a carriage, such as you have mentioned, you may travel all day and gladly enter the last inn to warm your feet by a fire. Flatter yourself then no longer, that half an hour’s airing in your carriage deserves the name of exercise. Providence has appointed few to roll in carriages, while he has given to all a pair of legs, which are machines infinitely more commodious and serviceable. Be grateful, then, and make a proper use of yours. Would you know how they forward the circulation of your fluids, in the very action of transporting you from place to place; observe when you walk, that all your weight is alternately thrown from one leg to the other; this occasions a great pressure on the vessels of the foot, and repels their contents; when relieved, by the weight being thrown on the other foot, the vessels of the first are allowed to replenish, and, by a return of this weight, this repulsion again succeeds; thus accelerating the circulation of the blood. The heat produced in any given time depends on the degree of this acceleration; the fluids are shaken, the humors attenuated, the secretions facilitated, and all goes well; the cheeks are ruddy, and health is established. Behold your fair friend at Auteuil; a lady who received from bounteous nature more really useful science than half a dozen such pretenders to philosophy as you have been able to extract from all your books. When she honors you with a visit, it is on foot. She walks all hours of the day, and leaves indolence, and its concomitant maladies, to be endured by her horses. In this, see at once the preservative of her health and personal charms. But when you go to Auteuil, you must have your carriage, though it is no farther from Passy to Auteuil than from Auteuil to Passy. 14
FRANKLIN. Your reasonings grow very tiresome. 15
GOUT. I stand corrected. I will be silent and continue my office; take that, and that. 16
FRANKLIN. Oh! Ohh! Talk on, I pray you. 17
GOUT. No, no; I have a good number of twinges for you to-night, and you may be sure of some more tomorrow. 18
FRANKLIN. What, with such a fever! I shall go distracted. Oh! eh! Can no one bear it for me? 19
GOUT. Ask that of your horses; they have served you faithfully. 20
FRANKLIN. How can you so cruelly sport with my torments 21
GOUT. Sport! I am very serious. I have here a list of offenses against your own health distinctly written, and can justify every stroke inflicted on you. 22
FRANKLIN. Read it then. 23
GOUT. It is too long a detail; but I will briefly mention some particulars. 24
FRANKLIN. Proceed. I am all attention. 25
GOUT. Do you remember how often you have promised yourself, the following morning, a walk in the grove of Boulogne, in the garden de la Muette, or in your own garden, and have violated your promise, alleging, at one time, it was too cold, at another too warm, too windy, too moist, or what else you pleased; when in truth it was too nothing, but your insuperable love of ease? 26
FRANKLIN. That I confess may have happened occasionally, probably ten times in a year. 27
GOUT. Your confession is very far short of the truth; the gross amount is one hundred and ninety-nine times. 28
FRANKLIN. Is it possible? 29
GOUT. So possible, that it is fact; you may rely on the accuracy of my statement. You know M. Brillon’s gardens, and what fine walks they contain; you know the handsome flight of an hundred steps, which lead from the terrace above to the lawn below. You have been in the practice of visiting this amiable family twice a week, after dinner, and it is a maxim of your own, that “a man may take as much exercise in walking a mile, up and down stairs, as in ten on level ground.” What an opportunity was here for you to have had exercise in both these ways! Did you embrace it, and how often? 30
FRANKLIN. I cannot immediately answer that question. 31
GOUT. I will do it for you; not once. 32
FRANKLIN. Not once? 33
GOUT. Even so. During the summer you went there at six o’ clock. You found the charming lady, with her lovely children and friends, eager to walk with you, and entertain you with their agreeable conversation; and what has been your choice? Why, to sit on the terrace, satisfy yourself with the fine prospect, and passing your eye over the beauties of the garden below, without taking one step to descend and walk about in them. On the contrary, you call for tea and the chess-board; and lo! you are occupied in your seat till nine o’clock, and that besides two hours’ play after dinner; and then, instead of walking home, which would have bestirred you a little, you step into your carriage. How absurd to suppose that all this carelessness can be reconcilable with health, without my interposition! 34
FRANKLIN. I am convinced now of the justness of Poor Richard’s remark, that “Our debts and our sins are always greater than we think for.” 35
GOUT. So it is. You philosophers are sages in your maxims, and fools in your conduct. 36
FRANKLIN. But do you charge among my crimes, that I return in a carriage from M. Brillon’s? 37
GOUT. Certainly; for, having been seated all the while, you cannot object the fatigue of the day, and cannot want therefore the relief of a carriage. 38
FRANKLIN. What then would you have me do with my carriage? 39
GOUT. Burn it if you choose; you would at least get heat out of it once in this way; or, if you dislike that proposal, here’s another for you; observe the poor peasants, who work in the vineyards and grounds about the villages of Passy, Auteuil, Chaillot, etc.; you may find every day among these deserving creatures, four or five old men and women, bent and perhaps crippled by weight of years, and too long and too great labor. After a most fatiguing day, these people have to trudge a mile or two to their smoky huts. Order your coachman to set them down. This is an act that will be good for your soul; and, at the same time, after your visit to the Brillons, if you return on foot, that will be good for your body. 40
FRANKLIN. Ah! how tiresome you are! 41
GOUT. Well, then, to my office; it should not be forgotten that I am your physician. There. 42
FRANKLIN. Ohhh! what a devil of a physician! 43
GOUT. How ungrateful you are to say so! Is it not I who, in the character of your physician, have saved you from the palsy, dropsy, and apoplexy? one or other of which would have done for you long ago, but for me. 44
FRANKLIN. I submit, and thank you for the past, but entreat the discontinuance of your visits for the future; for, in my mind, one had better die than be cured so dolefully. Permit me just to hint, that I have also not been unfriendly to you. I never feed physician or quack of any kind, to enter the list against you; if then you do not leave me to my repose, it may be said you are ungrateful too. 45
GOUT. I can scarcely acknowledge that as any objection. As to quacks, I despise them; they may kill you indeed, but cannot injure me. And, as to regular physicians, they are at last convinced that the gout, in such a subject as you are, is no disease, but a remedy; and wherefore cure a remedy?—but to our business,—there. 46
FRANKLIN. Oh! oh!—for Heaven’s sake leave me! and I promise faithfully never more to play at chess, but to take exercise daily, and live temperately. 47
GOUT. I know you too well. You promise fair; but, after a few months of good health, you will return to your old habits; your fine promises will be forgotten like the forms of the last year’s clouds. Let us then finish the account, and I will go. But I leave you with an assurance of visiting you again at a proper time and place; for my object is your good, and you are sensible now that I am your real friend. 48
NOTE: below is a copy of Benjamin Frankin's dialogue with the Gout that was previously handed out in class. Make sure you have read this by Thursday- expect a review quiz!
Dialogue Between Franklin and the Gout
Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790)
Midnight, 22 October, 1780.
FRANKLIN. Eh! Oh! eh! What have I done to merit these cruel sufferings? 1
GOUT. Many things; you have ate and drank too freely, and too much indulged those legs of yours in their indolence. 2
FRANKLIN. Who is it that accuses me? 3
GOUT. It is I, even I, the Gout. 4
FRANKLIN. What! my enemy in person? 5
GOUT. No, not your enemy. 6
FRANKLIN. I repeat it, my enemy; for you would not only torment my body to death, but ruin my good name; you reproach me as a glutton and a tippler; now all the world, that knows me, will allow that I am neither the one nor the other. 7
GOUT. The world may think as it pleases; it is always very complaisant to itself, and sometimes to its friends; but I very well know that the quantity of meat and drink proper for a man, who takes a reasonable degree of exercise, would be too much for another, who never takes any. 8
FRANKLIN. I take—eh! oh!—as much exercise—eh!—as I can, Madam Gout. You know my sedentary state, and on that account, it would seem, Madam Gout, as if you might spare me a little, seeing it is not altogether my own fault. 9
GOUT.in life is a sedentary one, your amusements, your recreation, at least, should be active. You ought to walk or ride; or, if the weather prevents that, play at billiards. But let us examine your course of life. While the mornings are long, and you have leisure to go abroad, what do you do? Why, instead of gaining an appetite for breakfast, by salutary exercise, you amuse yourself with books, pamphlets, or newspapers, which commonly are not worth the reading. Yet you eat an inordinate breakfast, four dishes of tea, with cream, and one or two buttered toasts, with slices of hung beef, which I fancy are not things the most easily digested. Immediately afterwards you sit down to write at your desk, or converse with persons who apply to you on business. Thus the time passes till one, without any kind of bodily exercise. But all this I could pardon, in regard, as you say, to your sedentary condition. But what is your practice after dinner? Walking in the beautiful gardens of those friends with whom you have dined would be the choice of men of sense; yours is to be fixed down to chess, where you are found engaged for two or three hours! This is your perpetual recreation, which is the least eligible of any for a sedentary man, because, instead of accelerating the motion of the fluids, the rigid attention it requires helps to retard the circulation and obstruct internal secretions. Wrapt in the speculations of this wretched game, you destroy your constitution. What can be expected from such a course of living, but a body replete with stagnant humors, ready to fall prey to all kinds of dangerous maladies, if I, the Gout, did not occasionally bring you relief by agitating those humors, and so purifying or dissipating them? If it was in some nook or alley in Paris, deprived of walks, that you played awhile at chess after dinner, this might be excusable; but the same taste prevails with you in Passy, Auteuil, Montmartre, or Sanoy, places where there are the finest gardens and walks, a pure air, beautiful women, and most agreeable and instructive conversation; all which you might enjoy by frequenting the walks. But these are rejected for this abominable game of chess. Fie, then, Mr. Franklin! But amidst my instructions, I had almost forgot to administer my wholesome corrections; so take that twinge,—and that. 10
FRANKLIN. Oh! eh! oh! Ohhh! As much instruction as you please, Madam Gout, and as many reproaches; but pray, Madam, a truce with your corrections! 11
GOUT. No, Sir, no,—I will not abate a particle of what is so much for your good,—therefore— 12
FRANKLIN. Oh! ehhh!—It is not fair to say I take no exercise, when I do very often, going out to dine and returning in my carriage. 13
GOUT. That, of all imaginable exercises, is the most slight and insignificant, if you allude to the motion of a carriage suspended on springs. By observing the degree of heat obtained by different kinds of motion, we may form an estimate of the quantity of exercise given by each. Thus, for example, if you turn out to walk in winter with cold feet, in an hour’s time you will be in a glow all over; ride on horseback, the same effect will scarcely be perceived by four hours’ round trotting; but if you loll in a carriage, such as you have mentioned, you may travel all day and gladly enter the last inn to warm your feet by a fire. Flatter yourself then no longer, that half an hour’s airing in your carriage deserves the name of exercise. Providence has appointed few to roll in carriages, while he has given to all a pair of legs, which are machines infinitely more commodious and serviceable. Be grateful, then, and make a proper use of yours. Would you know how they forward the circulation of your fluids, in the very action of transporting you from place to place; observe when you walk, that all your weight is alternately thrown from one leg to the other; this occasions a great pressure on the vessels of the foot, and repels their contents; when relieved, by the weight being thrown on the other foot, the vessels of the first are allowed to replenish, and, by a return of this weight, this repulsion again succeeds; thus accelerating the circulation of the blood. The heat produced in any given time depends on the degree of this acceleration; the fluids are shaken, the humors attenuated, the secretions facilitated, and all goes well; the cheeks are ruddy, and health is established. Behold your fair friend at Auteuil; a lady who received from bounteous nature more really useful science than half a dozen such pretenders to philosophy as you have been able to extract from all your books. When she honors you with a visit, it is on foot. She walks all hours of the day, and leaves indolence, and its concomitant maladies, to be endured by her horses. In this, see at once the preservative of her health and personal charms. But when you go to Auteuil, you must have your carriage, though it is no farther from Passy to Auteuil than from Auteuil to Passy. 14
FRANKLIN. Your reasonings grow very tiresome. 15
GOUT. I stand corrected. I will be silent and continue my office; take that, and that. 16
FRANKLIN. Oh! Ohh! Talk on, I pray you. 17
GOUT. No, no; I have a good number of twinges for you to-night, and you may be sure of some more tomorrow. 18
FRANKLIN. What, with such a fever! I shall go distracted. Oh! eh! Can no one bear it for me? 19
GOUT. Ask that of your horses; they have served you faithfully. 20
FRANKLIN. How can you so cruelly sport with my torments 21
GOUT. Sport! I am very serious. I have here a list of offenses against your own health distinctly written, and can justify every stroke inflicted on you. 22
FRANKLIN. Read it then. 23
GOUT. It is too long a detail; but I will briefly mention some particulars. 24
FRANKLIN. Proceed. I am all attention. 25
GOUT. Do you remember how often you have promised yourself, the following morning, a walk in the grove of Boulogne, in the garden de la Muette, or in your own garden, and have violated your promise, alleging, at one time, it was too cold, at another too warm, too windy, too moist, or what else you pleased; when in truth it was too nothing, but your insuperable love of ease? 26
FRANKLIN. That I confess may have happened occasionally, probably ten times in a year. 27
GOUT. Your confession is very far short of the truth; the gross amount is one hundred and ninety-nine times. 28
FRANKLIN. Is it possible? 29
GOUT. So possible, that it is fact; you may rely on the accuracy of my statement. You know M. Brillon’s gardens, and what fine walks they contain; you know the handsome flight of an hundred steps, which lead from the terrace above to the lawn below. You have been in the practice of visiting this amiable family twice a week, after dinner, and it is a maxim of your own, that “a man may take as much exercise in walking a mile, up and down stairs, as in ten on level ground.” What an opportunity was here for you to have had exercise in both these ways! Did you embrace it, and how often? 30
FRANKLIN. I cannot immediately answer that question. 31
GOUT. I will do it for you; not once. 32
FRANKLIN. Not once? 33
GOUT. Even so. During the summer you went there at six o’ clock. You found the charming lady, with her lovely children and friends, eager to walk with you, and entertain you with their agreeable conversation; and what has been your choice? Why, to sit on the terrace, satisfy yourself with the fine prospect, and passing your eye over the beauties of the garden below, without taking one step to descend and walk about in them. On the contrary, you call for tea and the chess-board; and lo! you are occupied in your seat till nine o’clock, and that besides two hours’ play after dinner; and then, instead of walking home, which would have bestirred you a little, you step into your carriage. How absurd to suppose that all this carelessness can be reconcilable with health, without my interposition! 34
FRANKLIN. I am convinced now of the justness of Poor Richard’s remark, that “Our debts and our sins are always greater than we think for.” 35
GOUT. So it is. You philosophers are sages in your maxims, and fools in your conduct. 36
FRANKLIN. But do you charge among my crimes, that I return in a carriage from M. Brillon’s? 37
GOUT. Certainly; for, having been seated all the while, you cannot object the fatigue of the day, and cannot want therefore the relief of a carriage. 38
FRANKLIN. What then would you have me do with my carriage? 39
GOUT. Burn it if you choose; you would at least get heat out of it once in this way; or, if you dislike that proposal, here’s another for you; observe the poor peasants, who work in the vineyards and grounds about the villages of Passy, Auteuil, Chaillot, etc.; you may find every day among these deserving creatures, four or five old men and women, bent and perhaps crippled by weight of years, and too long and too great labor. After a most fatiguing day, these people have to trudge a mile or two to their smoky huts. Order your coachman to set them down. This is an act that will be good for your soul; and, at the same time, after your visit to the Brillons, if you return on foot, that will be good for your body. 40
FRANKLIN. Ah! how tiresome you are! 41
GOUT. Well, then, to my office; it should not be forgotten that I am your physician. There. 42
FRANKLIN. Ohhh! what a devil of a physician! 43
GOUT. How ungrateful you are to say so! Is it not I who, in the character of your physician, have saved you from the palsy, dropsy, and apoplexy? one or other of which would have done for you long ago, but for me. 44
FRANKLIN. I submit, and thank you for the past, but entreat the discontinuance of your visits for the future; for, in my mind, one had better die than be cured so dolefully. Permit me just to hint, that I have also not been unfriendly to you. I never feed physician or quack of any kind, to enter the list against you; if then you do not leave me to my repose, it may be said you are ungrateful too. 45
GOUT. I can scarcely acknowledge that as any objection. As to quacks, I despise them; they may kill you indeed, but cannot injure me. And, as to regular physicians, they are at last convinced that the gout, in such a subject as you are, is no disease, but a remedy; and wherefore cure a remedy?—but to our business,—there. 46
FRANKLIN. Oh! oh!—for Heaven’s sake leave me! and I promise faithfully never more to play at chess, but to take exercise daily, and live temperately. 47
GOUT. I know you too well. You promise fair; but, after a few months of good health, you will return to your old habits; your fine promises will be forgotten like the forms of the last year’s clouds. Let us then finish the account, and I will go. But I leave you with an assurance of visiting you again at a proper time and place; for my object is your good, and you are sensible now that I am your real friend. 48
Monday, September 21, 2009
Tuesday September 22
Here is a the contemporary and archaic pronoun information. Please review.
Grammar: me and ?; correct John and I or my mother and I
Subject Pronouns / Object Pronouns
Singular 1st person I I kicked the ball me John kicked the ball to me.
2nd person you You like to study. you John wants to talk to you.
3rd person (male) he He eats green cheese. him Mary doesn't like him.
3rd person (female) she She likes ice cream. her John kissed her.
3rd person (non-person) it It bit John. it John smashed it.
Plural 1st person we We enjoy going to the movies. us The politician lied to us.
2nd person you You are the best students. you I wouldn't lie to you.
3rd person they They are not happy. them Mary didn't invite them.
Archaic grammar- just for your perusal. You will encounter this when we read Miller’s The Crucible, which uses the late 17th century for setting and Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
"Thou", "thee", "thine" and "thy" are pronouns that have dropped out of the main dialects of Modern English. During the period of Early Modern English (~1470-1700), they formed the Second Person Singular of the language, and were standardized by the time of the King James Bible as shown below.
Subjective Objective Possessive Present Tense
Verb Ending
1st Pers. Sing. I me my/mine[1] None
2nd Pers. Sing. thou thee thy/thine[1] -est
3rd Pers. Sing. he/she/it him/her/it his/her/its -eth
1st Pers. Plural we us our None
2nd Pers. Plural ye/you[2] you your None
3rd Pers. Plural they them their None
[1]: "Mine" and "thine" were used before "h" and vowels, much as "an" was.
[2]: "You" had replaced "ye" for most plural uses by 1600.
Here are the conjugations from that era of two common irregular verbs:
to be - Present tense to have - Present tense
I am I have
thou art thou hast
he/she/it is he/she/it hath
we are we have
ye are ye have
they are they have
You may have been told that "thou" and "thee" were for familiar use, and "you" and "ye" were formal. This was not true originally, but it was true for about two centuries, roughly 1450-1650, including Shakespeare's time. The previously plural "you" was used in the singular to signify politeness and respect, which left "thou" and "thee" for all the other singular uses, ranging from endearing intimacy to bitter rudeness. Eventually, the politer "you" drove out nearly all uses of "thee" and "thou"; they survived mostly in poetry and religion.
Thou wast in the next room. (one person, subject)
Ye were in the next room. (several people, subject)
I saw thee in the next room. (one person, object)
I saw you in the next room (several people, object)
That is thy room. (one person, possessive)
That is your room. (several people, possessive)
That room is thine. (one person, predicate possessive)
That room is yours. (several people, predicate possessive) We use subject pronouns as subjects of sentences and object pronouns as objects.
If you were absent Tuesday, please take the following quiz. Write down the number and correct letter.
Pronouns Quiz
1. Choose the sentence with the correct pronoun.
A) Her went to the store.
B) She went to the store.
2. Choose the sentence with the correct pronoun.
A) It was her.
B) It was she.
3. Choose the sentence with the correct pronoun.
A) We talked to him.
B) We talked to he.
4. Choose the sentence with the correct pronoun.
A) It is I.
B) It is me.
5. Choose the sentence with the correct pronoun.
A) Talk to they before making a decision.
B) Talk to them before making a decision.
6. Choose the sentence with the correct pronoun.
A) Can you go with we?
B) Can you go with us?
7. Choose the sentence with the correct pronoun.
A) Saleha and she have quit the team.
B) Saleha and her have quit the team.
8. Choose the sentence with the correct pronouns.
A) They asked him and I to join the staff.
B) They asked he and me to join the staff.
C) They asked him and me to join the staff.
D) They asked he and I to join the staff.
9. Choose the sentence with the correct pronouns.
A) That call was for I, not he.
B) That call was for me, not him.
C) That call was for me, not he.
D) That call was for I, not him.
10. Choose the sentence with the correct pronouns.
A) You didn't tell we that they were here first.
B) You didn't tell us that them were here first.
C) You didn't tell us that they were here first.
D) You didn't tell we that them were here first.
11. Choose the sentence with the correct pronouns.
A) I wonder what he could have said to she.
B) I wonder what him could have said to her.
C) Me wonder what him could have said to she.
D) I wonder what he could have said to her.
Grammar: me and ?; correct John and I or my mother and I
Subject Pronouns / Object Pronouns
Singular 1st person I I kicked the ball me John kicked the ball to me.
2nd person you You like to study. you John wants to talk to you.
3rd person (male) he He eats green cheese. him Mary doesn't like him.
3rd person (female) she She likes ice cream. her John kissed her.
3rd person (non-person) it It bit John. it John smashed it.
Plural 1st person we We enjoy going to the movies. us The politician lied to us.
2nd person you You are the best students. you I wouldn't lie to you.
3rd person they They are not happy. them Mary didn't invite them.
Archaic grammar- just for your perusal. You will encounter this when we read Miller’s The Crucible, which uses the late 17th century for setting and Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
"Thou", "thee", "thine" and "thy" are pronouns that have dropped out of the main dialects of Modern English. During the period of Early Modern English (~1470-1700), they formed the Second Person Singular of the language, and were standardized by the time of the King James Bible as shown below.
Subjective Objective Possessive Present Tense
Verb Ending
1st Pers. Sing. I me my/mine[1] None
2nd Pers. Sing. thou thee thy/thine[1] -est
3rd Pers. Sing. he/she/it him/her/it his/her/its -eth
1st Pers. Plural we us our None
2nd Pers. Plural ye/you[2] you your None
3rd Pers. Plural they them their None
[1]: "Mine" and "thine" were used before "h" and vowels, much as "an" was.
[2]: "You" had replaced "ye" for most plural uses by 1600.
Here are the conjugations from that era of two common irregular verbs:
to be - Present tense to have - Present tense
I am I have
thou art thou hast
he/she/it is he/she/it hath
we are we have
ye are ye have
they are they have
You may have been told that "thou" and "thee" were for familiar use, and "you" and "ye" were formal. This was not true originally, but it was true for about two centuries, roughly 1450-1650, including Shakespeare's time. The previously plural "you" was used in the singular to signify politeness and respect, which left "thou" and "thee" for all the other singular uses, ranging from endearing intimacy to bitter rudeness. Eventually, the politer "you" drove out nearly all uses of "thee" and "thou"; they survived mostly in poetry and religion.
Thou wast in the next room. (one person, subject)
Ye were in the next room. (several people, subject)
I saw thee in the next room. (one person, object)
I saw you in the next room (several people, object)
That is thy room. (one person, possessive)
That is your room. (several people, possessive)
That room is thine. (one person, predicate possessive)
That room is yours. (several people, predicate possessive) We use subject pronouns as subjects of sentences and object pronouns as objects.
If you were absent Tuesday, please take the following quiz. Write down the number and correct letter.
Pronouns Quiz
1. Choose the sentence with the correct pronoun.
A) Her went to the store.
B) She went to the store.
2. Choose the sentence with the correct pronoun.
A) It was her.
B) It was she.
3. Choose the sentence with the correct pronoun.
A) We talked to him.
B) We talked to he.
4. Choose the sentence with the correct pronoun.
A) It is I.
B) It is me.
5. Choose the sentence with the correct pronoun.
A) Talk to they before making a decision.
B) Talk to them before making a decision.
6. Choose the sentence with the correct pronoun.
A) Can you go with we?
B) Can you go with us?
7. Choose the sentence with the correct pronoun.
A) Saleha and she have quit the team.
B) Saleha and her have quit the team.
8. Choose the sentence with the correct pronouns.
A) They asked him and I to join the staff.
B) They asked he and me to join the staff.
C) They asked him and me to join the staff.
D) They asked he and I to join the staff.
9. Choose the sentence with the correct pronouns.
A) That call was for I, not he.
B) That call was for me, not him.
C) That call was for me, not he.
D) That call was for I, not him.
10. Choose the sentence with the correct pronouns.
A) You didn't tell we that they were here first.
B) You didn't tell us that them were here first.
C) You didn't tell us that they were here first.
D) You didn't tell we that them were here first.
11. Choose the sentence with the correct pronouns.
A) I wonder what he could have said to she.
B) I wonder what him could have said to her.
C) Me wonder what him could have said to she.
D) I wonder what he could have said to her.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Monday September 21
Late work:
Any vocabulary turned in today begins at 20 points off. See
previous blog entries if you have a question.
Myths: worth only 50 points at this time, as they were due
last Tuesday..again, see previous blogs, if there is a question.
dialogue final assessment for pre 1750 unit. These were due
at the close of last Friday. If you missed a day in the lab, you had an extra
day to mail to me. Thank you to all who did. For anyone else, again these
are starting at 20 points off.
All received material will be passed back in class. Please hold on to it; I should have grade reports tomorrow and if I have neglected to give you credit for something, this will be rectified.
In class: the dialogues were fun to read. On the whole they showed a solid understanding of narrative stucture, as well as an understanding of time period. Today we perform some of them.
Any vocabulary turned in today begins at 20 points off. See
previous blog entries if you have a question.
Myths: worth only 50 points at this time, as they were due
last Tuesday..again, see previous blogs, if there is a question.
dialogue final assessment for pre 1750 unit. These were due
at the close of last Friday. If you missed a day in the lab, you had an extra
day to mail to me. Thank you to all who did. For anyone else, again these
are starting at 20 points off.
All received material will be passed back in class. Please hold on to it; I should have grade reports tomorrow and if I have neglected to give you credit for something, this will be rectified.
In class: the dialogues were fun to read. On the whole they showed a solid understanding of narrative stucture, as well as an understanding of time period. Today we perform some of them.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Friday September 18
Yes, it's Friday. Finish up your dialogues. Employ vivid adjectives for those nouns. Create a sense of time and place. If you have time, explore some 17th or early 18th century history or vocabulary.
And: vocabulary 1 is due today
And: have a fun and safe weekend!
And: vocabulary 1 is due today
And: have a fun and safe weekend!
Thursday September 17
Vocabulary 1 is due tomorrow. As you will have had (note that verb tense) 8 days, please remember (check pevious blogs, if you do not) that whether you are in school or not, the material is due. Send just the responses along for full credit. By Monday you are looking at 20 points off for each page.
In class today: you are continuing to work on your dialogues. As some people are having a hard time, I have arranged for an extra day in the lab. As I said yesterday, you are working at a very high thinking level; you are synthesizing material, taking the pre 1750 readings and your background knowledge of the time period to create a scene and conversation that could realistically have occurred.
Some students did not turn in their myths. They were due Tuesday; by the end of today you are running 30 points off....hmmmmm
In class today: you are continuing to work on your dialogues. As some people are having a hard time, I have arranged for an extra day in the lab. As I said yesterday, you are working at a very high thinking level; you are synthesizing material, taking the pre 1750 readings and your background knowledge of the time period to create a scene and conversation that could realistically have occurred.
Some students did not turn in their myths. They were due Tuesday; by the end of today you are running 30 points off....hmmmmm
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Wednesday Sept 16
Lab work for Wednesday and Thursday.
Last night's assignment was to have read the excerpts from William Boyd's The History of the Dividing Line and Smith's General History of Virginia. Now as a final assessment for unit, you will demonstrate that you understand the cultural and philosphical conflict that existed between the indiginous peoples and Europeans that came to North America. How will this be accomplished? Based upon all the readings from prior to 1750, create a dialogue between one of the European groups (Plymouth, Jamestown, Boyd's) and the Indians. Stick with only two characters. Who wants what from whom? And how will you convince or compromise? Your dialogue should reflect their attitudes and belief systems. Remember to keep this within the context of their time.
Length: 2 typed pages, double spaced, size 12 font. MLA heading
This is due at the close of class on Thursday. If you decide to work on it at home, please use your flash drive.
Remember: vocabulary 1 is due Friday.
Last night's assignment was to have read the excerpts from William Boyd's The History of the Dividing Line and Smith's General History of Virginia. Now as a final assessment for unit, you will demonstrate that you understand the cultural and philosphical conflict that existed between the indiginous peoples and Europeans that came to North America. How will this be accomplished? Based upon all the readings from prior to 1750, create a dialogue between one of the European groups (Plymouth, Jamestown, Boyd's) and the Indians. Stick with only two characters. Who wants what from whom? And how will you convince or compromise? Your dialogue should reflect their attitudes and belief systems. Remember to keep this within the context of their time.
Length: 2 typed pages, double spaced, size 12 font. MLA heading
This is due at the close of class on Thursday. If you decide to work on it at home, please use your flash drive.
Remember: vocabulary 1 is due Friday.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Tuesday September 15
We are working on the second day of the critical lens essay. These are due at the close of class.
Evil origin tales are due in class. Ten points off each day late.
In class handout: excerpt from The History of the Dividing Line by William Boyd and the chapter What Happened Till First Supply from The General History of Virginia (1624) by John Smith
Please read the above for tomorrow. On Wednesday go to the 3rd floor computer lab. Bring your flash drives.
Evil origin tales are due in class. Ten points off each day late.
In class handout: excerpt from The History of the Dividing Line by William Boyd and the chapter What Happened Till First Supply from The General History of Virginia (1624) by John Smith
Please read the above for tomorrow. On Wednesday go to the 3rd floor computer lab. Bring your flash drives.
Monday September 14
Critical lens essay in class.
Origination tale due tomorrow. The assignment was as follows: read both The Walum Olum and the Navajo creation stories. Write down three evils in the world. Develop an origination story for one of them. Use MLA format, 250 words (approximately one page).
vocabulary 1 due Friday.
Origination tale due tomorrow. The assignment was as follows: read both The Walum Olum and the Navajo creation stories. Write down three evils in the world. Develop an origination story for one of them. Use MLA format, 250 words (approximately one page).
vocabulary 1 due Friday.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Friday September 11
We are looking at two Native American works today: The Navajo creation legend and The Walum Olum. Make sure you get copies if you are absent.
Reminder that vocabulary 1 is due a week from today. You may, of course, turn it in early. Please see me, if you are having difficulties
On Monday you are writing your critical lens on the two summer reading books. Come prepared with your genre, title and author. The following is a copy of the model passed out in class.
As (insert the author’s name or write as someone once said if you do not know the author’s name) once said, “ (insert quote). In other words (this is where you paraphrase the quote.) Use words that are not part of the quote. You may write two to three sentences. This is supported in the (insert first genre: novel, autobiography, play, memoir, epic poem) (insert first title) by (insert author) and the (insert second genre) (insert second title) by (insert second author) through the literary elements of (choose two:character, plot, setting, theme, tone).
Paragraph 2: support the above with book 1
Give two detailed, specific examples
Paragraph 3: support the above with book 2
Give two detailed, specific examples.
Conclusion: do not repeat the quote, but make a general, universal statement that ties the two books into the writer’s words.
Reminder that vocabulary 1 is due a week from today. You may, of course, turn it in early. Please see me, if you are having difficulties
On Monday you are writing your critical lens on the two summer reading books. Come prepared with your genre, title and author. The following is a copy of the model passed out in class.
As (insert the author’s name or write as someone once said if you do not know the author’s name) once said, “ (insert quote). In other words (this is where you paraphrase the quote.) Use words that are not part of the quote. You may write two to three sentences. This is supported in the (insert first genre: novel, autobiography, play, memoir, epic poem) (insert first title) by (insert author) and the (insert second genre) (insert second title) by (insert second author) through the literary elements of (choose two:character, plot, setting, theme, tone).
Paragraph 2: support the above with book 1
Give two detailed, specific examples
Paragraph 3: support the above with book 2
Give two detailed, specific examples.
Conclusion: do not repeat the quote, but make a general, universal statement that ties the two books into the writer’s words.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Thursday September 10
Handout of vocabulary 1 today. Each exercise counts for 100 points. It is due on FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 18 in class. Ten points off each day for lateness. If you are absent, e-mail the answers only; you need not write out the sentences. This material is 20% of the grade and should be an opportunity for everyone to do well. If you have difficulty, see me soon.
The first couple will seem difficult, until you get used to working with the exercise.
In class: performance of Jonathan Edwards' 1741 sermon Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.
Get a hard copy, if you are absent.
Be able to respond to the following:
1. Why do you think Edwards begins his semon with a vivid description of Hell?
2. Describe God's wrath.
3. How does this impact the speech?
4. What is the purpose of the sermon?
5. Do you think the approach Edwards takes would be effective in today's society? Be ready to explain your answer.
The first couple will seem difficult, until you get used to working with the exercise.
In class: performance of Jonathan Edwards' 1741 sermon Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.
Get a hard copy, if you are absent.
Be able to respond to the following:
1. Why do you think Edwards begins his semon with a vivid description of Hell?
2. Describe God's wrath.
3. How does this impact the speech?
4. What is the purpose of the sermon?
5. Do you think the approach Edwards takes would be effective in today's society? Be ready to explain your answer.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Wednesday September 9
The class is working in pairs to respond to the Bradstreet's poem we read yesterday in class.
If you are absent, please see yesterday's blog for the questions. This counts as a project grade.
If you are absent, please see yesterday's blog for the questions. This counts as a project grade.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Tuesday September 8
Missing criteria sheets; please bring in
Shanay, Miller, Shaquille
Kristian, Keyana, Joe, Deid're, Aldin, Katie,
Quiz today on the background information for American Literature prior to 1750
If you forgot to bring your handout home or were absent the material is available on the blog for Friday September 4.
In class, we are reading and analyzing Anne Bradstreet's poem. See copy below and questions for which you will reponsible for as class work. If you are absent, be prepared on your own and discuss with me any questions you might have.
Here followes some verses upon the burning of our house, July 10th, 1666.
By Anne Bradstreet
In silent night when rest I took,
For sorrow neer I did not look,
I waken'd was with thundring nois
And Piteous shreiks of dreadfull voice.
That fearfull sound of fire and fire,
Let no man know is my Desire.
I, starting up, the light did spye,
And to my God my heart did cry
To strengthen me in my Distresse
And not to leave me succourlesse.
Then coming out beheld a space,
The flame consume my dwelling place.
And, when I could no longer look,
I blest his Name that gave and took,
That layd my goods now in the dust:
Yea so it was, and so 'twas just.
It was his own: it was not mine;
Far be it that I should repine.
He might of All justly bereft,
But yet sufficient for us left.
When by the Ruines oft I past,
My sorrowing eyes aside did cast,
And here and there the places spye
Where oft I sate, and long did lye.
Here stood that Trunk, and there that chest;
There lay that store I counted best:
My pleasant things in ashes lye,
And them behold no more shall I.
Under thy roof no guest shall sitt,
Nor at thy Table eat a bitt.
No pleasant tale shall 'ere be told,
Nor things recounted done of old.
No Candle 'ere shall shine in Thee,
Nor bridegroom's voice ere heard shall bee.
In silence ever shalt thou lye;
Adieu, Adeiu; All's vanity.
Then streight I gin my heart to chide,
And didst thy wealth on earth abide?
Didst fix thy hope on mouldring dust,
The arm of flesh didst make thy trust?
Raise up thy thoughts above the skye
That dunghill mists away may flie.
Thou hast an house on high erect
Fram'd by that mighty Architect,
With glory richly furnished,
Stands permanent tho' this bee fled.
It's purchased, and paid for too
By him who hath enough to doe.
A Prise so vast as is unknown,
Yet, by his Gift, is made thine own.
Ther's wealth enough, I need no more;
Farewell my Pelf, farewell my Store.
The world no longer let me Love,
My hope and Treasure lyes Above.
Text notes:
Line 5: fire and fire, Fire! and Fire!
Line 11: beheld a space, watched for a time
Line 14: I blest his name that gave and took, see Job 1:21
Line 24: Sate, sat
Line 40: Arm of flesh, see 2 Chron. 32:8; Isa. 9:18-20; Jer. 17:4-7
Line 42: Dunghill mists, see Ezra 6:9-12.
Line 43: House on high erect, see 2 Cor. 5:1; Heb. 11:10
Line 48: Enough to doe, ie. enough to do it
Line 52: Pelf, property, possessions
Line 54: Treasure lyes Above, see Luke 12:34
Upon the Burning of Our House
July 10th, 1666
What does the speaker do when she can no longer look at her burning house?
What does the speaker see when she passes by her house?
In the end, where do the speaker’s “hope and treasure” lie?
Interpreting:
Why does the speaker bless God as her house is burning down?
With what emotions is the speaker filled when she passes by the ruins of her house?
To what is the speaker referring when she speaks of the “house on high”?
On the basis of this poem, what generalization would you make about the Puritan attitude toward worldly goods?
What is the theme of the poem?
Point out three basic, plain words referring to everyday items.
Point out three examples of more vivid, colorful words.
11. Find a line that is a direct example of Puritan beliefs.
Shanay, Miller, Shaquille
Kristian, Keyana, Joe, Deid're, Aldin, Katie,
Quiz today on the background information for American Literature prior to 1750
If you forgot to bring your handout home or were absent the material is available on the blog for Friday September 4.
In class, we are reading and analyzing Anne Bradstreet's poem. See copy below and questions for which you will reponsible for as class work. If you are absent, be prepared on your own and discuss with me any questions you might have.
Here followes some verses upon the burning of our house, July 10th, 1666.
By Anne Bradstreet
In silent night when rest I took,
For sorrow neer I did not look,
I waken'd was with thundring nois
And Piteous shreiks of dreadfull voice.
That fearfull sound of fire and fire,
Let no man know is my Desire.
I, starting up, the light did spye,
And to my God my heart did cry
To strengthen me in my Distresse
And not to leave me succourlesse.
Then coming out beheld a space,
The flame consume my dwelling place.
And, when I could no longer look,
I blest his Name that gave and took,
That layd my goods now in the dust:
Yea so it was, and so 'twas just.
It was his own: it was not mine;
Far be it that I should repine.
He might of All justly bereft,
But yet sufficient for us left.
When by the Ruines oft I past,
My sorrowing eyes aside did cast,
And here and there the places spye
Where oft I sate, and long did lye.
Here stood that Trunk, and there that chest;
There lay that store I counted best:
My pleasant things in ashes lye,
And them behold no more shall I.
Under thy roof no guest shall sitt,
Nor at thy Table eat a bitt.
No pleasant tale shall 'ere be told,
Nor things recounted done of old.
No Candle 'ere shall shine in Thee,
Nor bridegroom's voice ere heard shall bee.
In silence ever shalt thou lye;
Adieu, Adeiu; All's vanity.
Then streight I gin my heart to chide,
And didst thy wealth on earth abide?
Didst fix thy hope on mouldring dust,
The arm of flesh didst make thy trust?
Raise up thy thoughts above the skye
That dunghill mists away may flie.
Thou hast an house on high erect
Fram'd by that mighty Architect,
With glory richly furnished,
Stands permanent tho' this bee fled.
It's purchased, and paid for too
By him who hath enough to doe.
A Prise so vast as is unknown,
Yet, by his Gift, is made thine own.
Ther's wealth enough, I need no more;
Farewell my Pelf, farewell my Store.
The world no longer let me Love,
My hope and Treasure lyes Above.
Text notes:
Line 5: fire and fire, Fire! and Fire!
Line 11: beheld a space, watched for a time
Line 14: I blest his name that gave and took, see Job 1:21
Line 24: Sate, sat
Line 40: Arm of flesh, see 2 Chron. 32:8; Isa. 9:18-20; Jer. 17:4-7
Line 42: Dunghill mists, see Ezra 6:9-12.
Line 43: House on high erect, see 2 Cor. 5:1; Heb. 11:10
Line 48: Enough to doe, ie. enough to do it
Line 52: Pelf, property, possessions
Line 54: Treasure lyes Above, see Luke 12:34
Upon the Burning of Our House
July 10th, 1666
What does the speaker do when she can no longer look at her burning house?
What does the speaker see when she passes by her house?
In the end, where do the speaker’s “hope and treasure” lie?
Interpreting:
Why does the speaker bless God as her house is burning down?
With what emotions is the speaker filled when she passes by the ruins of her house?
To what is the speaker referring when she speaks of the “house on high”?
On the basis of this poem, what generalization would you make about the Puritan attitude toward worldly goods?
What is the theme of the poem?
Point out three basic, plain words referring to everyday items.
Point out three examples of more vivid, colorful words.
11. Find a line that is a direct example of Puritan beliefs.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Friday September 4
Quiz today on French words that show up in English. If you are absent, you may make it up before / after school or periods 2, 5, 6 or 8. See me. We are beginning a short unit on American literature prior to 1750. From a series of quotes from that time period, we will come to an understanding of the conflict between the Europeans and indigineous peoples.
Don't forget: critical lens essay on September 14th on the two books your read over the summer!
Hand out in class on general information on American Literature prior to 1750. Read over the weekend for a quiz on Tuesday.
The following is the reading material handed out in class.
The New Land to 1750
Let England know our willingnesse,
For that our worke is good:
Wee hope to plant a nation,
Where none before hath stood
Thomas Dale
Governor of the Jamestown Colony
More than a century after European explorers discovered North America, there were no permanent settlements in the New World north of St. Augustine, Florida. By 1607, however, a small group of English settlers was struggling to survive on a marshy island in the James River in the present state of Virginia. In 1611, Thomas Dale, governor of the colony, wrote a report to the king expressing the colonist’s determination to succeed. Despite disease and starvation, Jamestown did survive.
The first settlers were entranced by the presence and, to them, the strangeness of the native inhabitants. They did not at first realize that these earlier Americans, like Europeans, had cultural values and literary traditions of their own. The literature was entirely oral, for the tribes of North America had not yet developed writing systems. This extensive oral tradition, along with the first written works of the colonists forms the beginning of the American literary heritage.
The Historical Setting:
When Christopher Columbus reached North America in 1492, the continent was already populated, though sparsely, by several hundred Native American tribes. Europeans did not encounter these tribes all at once. Explorers from different nations came into contact with them at different times. As we now know, these widely dispersed tribes of Native Americans differed greatly from one another in language, government, social organization, customs, housing and methods of survival.
What we do know is that the Native Americans usually, but by no means always, greeted the earliest Europeans as friends. They instructed the newcomers in New World agriculture and woodcraft, introduced them to maize, beans, squash, maple sugar, snow shoes, toboggans and birch bark canoes.
A small group of Europeans sailed from England on the Mayflower in 1620. The passengers were religious reformers, who were critical of the Church of England. Having given up of or “purifying” the church from within, they chose instead to withdraw from the church. This action earned them the name Separatists. We know them as Pilgrims. They established a settlement at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts. Eventually, it was engulfed by the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the much larger settlement to the north.
Religion affected every aspect of Puritan life, although the Puritans were not always as stern and otherworldly as they are sometimes pictures. Their writings occasionally reveal a sense of humor, and the hardships of daily life forced them to be practical. In one sense, the Puritans were radical, since they demanded fundamental changes in the Church of England. In another sense, however, they were conservative. They preached a plain, unadorned Christianity that contrasted sharply with the cathedrals, vestments, ceremony and hierarchy of the Church of England.
What exactly did the puritans believe? Their beliefs were far from simple, but they agreed that human beings exist for the glory of God and the Bible is the sole expression of God’s will. They believed in predestination--John Calvin’s doctrine that God has already decided who will achieve salvation and who will not. The elect, or saints, who are to be saved, cannot take election for granted, however. Because of that, all devout Puritans searched their soul with great rigor and frequency for signs of grace. The Puritans believed in original sin and felt that they could accomplish good only through continual hard work and self-discipliner. When people speak of the “Puritan ethic,” that is what they mean.
It was an oddly assorted group that established the foundations of American literature: the Native Americans with their oral traditions, the Puritans with their preoccupation with sin and salvation and the Southern planters with their busy social lives. Indeed, much of the literature that the colonists read was not produced in the colonies. It came from England. Yet by 1750 there were the clear beginnings of a native literature that would one day be honored throughout the English-speaking world.
Note: The Puritans in general had a theory of literary style. They believed in the plain style of writing, one in which clear statement is the highest goal. An ornate or clever style would be a sign of vanity and, as such, would not be in accordance with God’s will.
The important literature of the pre-Revolutionary South can be summed up in one name-William Byrd. Byrd lived at Westover, a magnificent plantation on the James River bequeathed to him by his wealthy father. Commissioned in 1738 to survey the boundary line between Virginia and North Carolina, he kept a journal of his experiences. That journal, never intended for publication, was found among his papers after his death. Published nearly a century later as The History of the Dividing Line, it was immediately recognized as a minor humorous masterpiece,
Don't forget: critical lens essay on September 14th on the two books your read over the summer!
Hand out in class on general information on American Literature prior to 1750. Read over the weekend for a quiz on Tuesday.
The following is the reading material handed out in class.
The New Land to 1750
Let England know our willingnesse,
For that our worke is good:
Wee hope to plant a nation,
Where none before hath stood
Thomas Dale
Governor of the Jamestown Colony
More than a century after European explorers discovered North America, there were no permanent settlements in the New World north of St. Augustine, Florida. By 1607, however, a small group of English settlers was struggling to survive on a marshy island in the James River in the present state of Virginia. In 1611, Thomas Dale, governor of the colony, wrote a report to the king expressing the colonist’s determination to succeed. Despite disease and starvation, Jamestown did survive.
The first settlers were entranced by the presence and, to them, the strangeness of the native inhabitants. They did not at first realize that these earlier Americans, like Europeans, had cultural values and literary traditions of their own. The literature was entirely oral, for the tribes of North America had not yet developed writing systems. This extensive oral tradition, along with the first written works of the colonists forms the beginning of the American literary heritage.
The Historical Setting:
When Christopher Columbus reached North America in 1492, the continent was already populated, though sparsely, by several hundred Native American tribes. Europeans did not encounter these tribes all at once. Explorers from different nations came into contact with them at different times. As we now know, these widely dispersed tribes of Native Americans differed greatly from one another in language, government, social organization, customs, housing and methods of survival.
What we do know is that the Native Americans usually, but by no means always, greeted the earliest Europeans as friends. They instructed the newcomers in New World agriculture and woodcraft, introduced them to maize, beans, squash, maple sugar, snow shoes, toboggans and birch bark canoes.
A small group of Europeans sailed from England on the Mayflower in 1620. The passengers were religious reformers, who were critical of the Church of England. Having given up of or “purifying” the church from within, they chose instead to withdraw from the church. This action earned them the name Separatists. We know them as Pilgrims. They established a settlement at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts. Eventually, it was engulfed by the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the much larger settlement to the north.
Religion affected every aspect of Puritan life, although the Puritans were not always as stern and otherworldly as they are sometimes pictures. Their writings occasionally reveal a sense of humor, and the hardships of daily life forced them to be practical. In one sense, the Puritans were radical, since they demanded fundamental changes in the Church of England. In another sense, however, they were conservative. They preached a plain, unadorned Christianity that contrasted sharply with the cathedrals, vestments, ceremony and hierarchy of the Church of England.
What exactly did the puritans believe? Their beliefs were far from simple, but they agreed that human beings exist for the glory of God and the Bible is the sole expression of God’s will. They believed in predestination--John Calvin’s doctrine that God has already decided who will achieve salvation and who will not. The elect, or saints, who are to be saved, cannot take election for granted, however. Because of that, all devout Puritans searched their soul with great rigor and frequency for signs of grace. The Puritans believed in original sin and felt that they could accomplish good only through continual hard work and self-discipliner. When people speak of the “Puritan ethic,” that is what they mean.
It was an oddly assorted group that established the foundations of American literature: the Native Americans with their oral traditions, the Puritans with their preoccupation with sin and salvation and the Southern planters with their busy social lives. Indeed, much of the literature that the colonists read was not produced in the colonies. It came from England. Yet by 1750 there were the clear beginnings of a native literature that would one day be honored throughout the English-speaking world.
Note: The Puritans in general had a theory of literary style. They believed in the plain style of writing, one in which clear statement is the highest goal. An ornate or clever style would be a sign of vanity and, as such, would not be in accordance with God’s will.
The important literature of the pre-Revolutionary South can be summed up in one name-William Byrd. Byrd lived at Westover, a magnificent plantation on the James River bequeathed to him by his wealthy father. Commissioned in 1738 to survey the boundary line between Virginia and North Carolina, he kept a journal of his experiences. That journal, never intended for publication, was found among his papers after his death. Published nearly a century later as The History of the Dividing Line, it was immediately recognized as a minor humorous masterpiece,
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Thursday Sept 3
This is a free write day, so that I might begin to know you as individuals and as writers.
Prompt: Vis a vis one's humanity, there are two levels to which we may approach people: the superficial and the substantive, that is what is obvious and what is not. Take the class period and write two paragraphs that discuss both of these aspects.
Due at the end of class. Please remember that we are not texting here!
QUIZ TOMORROW ON THE FRENCH WORDS THAT ROUTINELY SHOW UP IN ENGLISH
Prompt: Vis a vis one's humanity, there are two levels to which we may approach people: the superficial and the substantive, that is what is obvious and what is not. Take the class period and write two paragraphs that discuss both of these aspects.
Due at the end of class. Please remember that we are not texting here!
QUIZ TOMORROW ON THE FRENCH WORDS THAT ROUTINELY SHOW UP IN ENGLISH
french words that show up in English:
There is a quiz Friday September 4 on the following
French words / phrases that commonly show up in English writing
Avante-guarde- a group that develops innovative or experimental techniques,
intelligentsia, vanguard
communiqué – a bulletin or official announcement
de rigueur - required by the prevailing fashion or custom, indispensable
ensemble - a group composed of complementary parts or elements that contribute
to a single effect.
joie de vivre- a keen or carefree enjoyment of life; joy in living
nom de plume- a pseudonym used by an author; pen name
tete-a-tete - something private, between two persons only; a private conversation
vis-à-vis - face to face with; in relation to
French words / phrases that commonly show up in English writing
Avante-guarde- a group that develops innovative or experimental techniques,
intelligentsia, vanguard
communiqué – a bulletin or official announcement
de rigueur - required by the prevailing fashion or custom, indispensable
ensemble - a group composed of complementary parts or elements that contribute
to a single effect.
joie de vivre- a keen or carefree enjoyment of life; joy in living
nom de plume- a pseudonym used by an author; pen name
tete-a-tete - something private, between two persons only; a private conversation
vis-à-vis - face to face with; in relation to
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