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Now that our Renaissance poetry unit is coming to a close, you will need to choose a poem discussed in class for your "holiday gift" assignment -- the AP essay. Take a moment to consider all the poems we have read:
*"The Flea*
*"The Bait"
*"A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning"
*"Sonnet 18" and "Sonnet 130"
*"To His Coy Mistress"
*"To the Virgins: To Make Much of Time"
*"Celia" and "Cecilia"
*"The Passionate Shepherd to His Love"
*"The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd"
Which was your "class favorite"? In writing your response, please explain 1)why the chosen poem is your favorite and 2)what made it a unique experience for you (at least over the other choices).

What is Love (Baby Don't Hurt Me)?

First off, that's a song reference for those of you who didn't get the cleverness of this blog post title. Someone needs to pat me on the back once and awhile...

Back to business. In "Celia" and "Cecilia" we see two men rejected but not dejected over women who refuse them. Jonson pledges his unwavering love and, despite a negative response, sends a wreath of roses to his lady love. Even though it's sent back to him, he relishes the fact that the wreath "breathes" of his love's scent. In the Simon and Garfunkel version of "Cecilia", the man gets out of bed to wash his face and comes back to bed to find someone has taken his place. Despite the obvious unfaithfulness of his lover, he is filled with "jubilation" when she "loves" him again.

What can we make of this love? Is it love? Should we respect these men for being perseverant and true to their own feelings or are they stalker blockhead types (as someone suggested in class) who need to move on and move out? Would the situation be any different if the singer of these songs was a woman pining away over an adulterous male lover? Or is this a refreshing difference to have the stereotypical roles reversed?

Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day...

Sonnet 18 is arguably the most famous love poem ever written. Sonnet 130 may be the most infamous. Is it preferable to have a lover describe you in exaggerated romantic terms, seemingly blind (or ignorant) of your imperfections (a la Gatsby's love of Daisy); or is it preferable to have a love who describes you in realistic terms, aware and accepting of your superficial flaws? Our discussion today on Sonnet 18 vs. Sonnet 130 was so riveting, I've decided to post the question on our blog for continuation: Which sonnet would you prefer being the subject of -- Sonnet 18 or Sonnet 130?

Blood-Sucking Pest!

Donne uses a flea to persuade a woman to commit the ultimate Renaissance sin -- to have premarital sex with him. Although a flea may be an unlikely "wooing" tool, Donne makes a logical argument and also demonstrates skill in modifying his argument based on the female's actions. "The Flea" concludes, however, before we "hear" from the woman. Do you think Donne was effective at wooing his lady friend? Was she simply playing "hard to get"? Or do you think the female was repulsed by his crude attempts at flattery and simply gave him the cold shoulder? Explain your response in detail.

Generosity

Inspired by Grace, Marvi, Marielle and Justyna's presentation:

In "The Franklin's Tale", Aurelius, Dorigen, Averagus and the Magician (or the meth dealer depending on which "tale" you remember most) all sacrifice something of worth to do the "honorable" thing. Aurelius sacrifices his love for Dorigen, Dorigen is willing to sacrifice her life to save her honor, Averagus is willing to sacrifice his marriage to Dorigen, and the Magician is willing to sacrifice money he is owed. Who do you think had to make the most significant sacrifice in the story, or, as the Franklin asks the pilgrims at the end of his tale, who do you think is the most generous? And...what would you be willing to sacrifice for a loved one (and choose something more significant than an iPod or cupcake!)?

Is Black Comedy Really Comedy?

(This one is for you, Erik.) "The Reeve's Tale" is considered black comedy -- a genre of comedy that pokes fun at serious issues. In "The Reeve's Tale", rape becomes the subject of the "comedy". In contemporary society, we similarly have television shows, movies, and even comedians that use a version of this same brand of comedy; race, religion, ethnicity, age, gender, and sexual orientation among other subjects replace the subject of rape. Can this and should this be considered comedy? Why or why not?

Schooled!

The Reeve responds to the Miller's tale with an equally offensive tale; the Miller ridicules a carpenter in his tale and the Reeve ridicules a miller in his. Cristina, Carl, Andrea and Nick asked the question today: who "schooled" the other? Which man wins the honor of the most offensive tale?

What Men Want: The Ideal Woman

In "The Franklin's Tale" we meet Dorigen, "the truest and the best wife that [Aurelius] ever yet knew in all [his] life". Unlike the bawdy Wife of Bath who has had five husband and admittedly enjoys an active sex life, and Alison the carpenter's wife in "The Miller's Tale" who grossly cheats on her husband while demonstrating her uninhibited sexual nature by hanging her "arse" out a window for Absalom to kiss, or even Maius from "The Merchant's Tale" who lifts her smock in a tree for her husband's squire, Dorigen remains loyal to her husband and "would rather lose [her] life than be shamed in [her] body". As discussed during our class presentations, some scholars argue that the crude women are "modern" and illustrate Chaucer's feminist beliefs in a still patriarchal male-dominated society. But do you think that these values -- the values of the Wife, Alison, and Maius -- are feminist values we should embrace as a society, or do these women actually reinforce sexual and social stereotypes of women? Is Dorigen simply a "Debbie-downer" who should "get with the Medieval times" or does she represent the female ideal?

What Women Want: Part 2 (without Mel Gibson)

According to "The Wife of Bath's Tale", "generally women desire to have dominion over their husbands as well as their lovers, and to be above them in mastery." The queen, her ladies-in-waiting, and all the females in the kingdom support this -- do you? Centuries later, women have finally gained the same rights (although this is arguable) as men. Do you think that women still desire to have "dominion over their husbands" or have female priorities changed over time?

It's a Flood!

"The Miller's Tale" is the most notorious of all the Canterbury Tales because of its witty humor, clever characters, and its debauchery and crudeness. As Max, Molly, Abdallah and Alyssa discussed during their presentation, the Miller gets away with his very inappropriate tale by using his drunkenness as an excuse (although his drunkenness is questionable -- his tale is logical AND he has managed to stay securely on his horse) and because of his lowly social standing. Based on the tales you have read, does "The Miller's Tale" deserve it notoriety? How did you react to its plot and cast of characters -- were you appalled (like the Knight), offended (like the Reeve), or laughing your "arse" off?

January sure is chilly...

As discussed in our first Canterbury Tales presentation today, "The Merchant's Tale", January is depicted as an old bachelor of sixty desperate for a young wife (not yet 18) and even more desperate to prove that his "loins" are still in working order. Inspired by Karolina, Adrianna and Isabel's discussion question, I'd like to continue our thoughts for this post: Who is the greatest villain in this tale? Is the true villain January, a man who cannot wait to do Maius "injury" at his "leisure perfectly"; Maius, a young nymph who plots against her husband, crawls up a tree and lifts her smock for Damien before cleverly outwitting her husband; or Damien, a man who dishonors his knight and "without warning...pulled up the smock" and...well, you know the rest. I guess I'm not as admittedly blunt as the merchant. Consider the relationship between the teller (the merchant) and the tale while pondering this question.

Is Everyman Every man?

Everyman is a straight-forward Medieval morality play -- the allegorical character, Everyman, teaches the audience that we are all transitory beings. Death is inevitable. Because of this reality, it is essential that we abandon materialistic needs to live a life of "good deeds". But Everyman also asks us to abandon our other human needs, including friendship and kinship, to focus on our relationship with God. As an allegorical character, Everyman is representative of every man...but does the character accurately portray the part? If Everyman was a modern-day morality play, who....or what....would he represent? Who is "everyman"??

All Humanity Runs Through Its Pages...

Nevill Coghill argues that Chaucer's General Prologue "is the concise portrait of an entire nation, high and low, old and young, male and female, lay and clerical , learned and ignorant, rogue and righteous, land and sea, town and country, but without extremes." He continues that "apart from the stunning clarity...of the characters presented, the most noticeable thing about them is their normality." Of all of his characters presented -- from the Prioress to the Wife of Bath, from the Merchant to the Parson, from the Knight to the Miller -- which character do you most relate to? Explain why this character is the truest to your own humanity.

Breaking Stereotypes

The Medieval period introduced the concept of courtly love as we see expressed in the Knight and Squire in Chaucer's General Prologue. The Knight is the most highly regarded in the narrator's eyes: "Though so strong and brave, he was very wise and of temper as meekly as a maid. He never yet had any vileness said, in all his life to whatsoever wight. He was a truly perfect, noble knight." The Squire, the Knight's 20-year-old son, the "lover and lively bachelor", is described "as fresh as May" and is skilled in composing songs and poetry. These Medieval men embrace the codes of chivalry, a great departure from the ultra-masculine image of the warrior in Beowulf. React to this more sensitive male character -- is he an appreciated departure from the Anglo-Saxon warrior or simply a sissy who cannot hack it with the real men? And what does this say about our stereotypes today about men? Have we continued to progress as a society and embrace the "knights" and "squires" of today...or have we regressed, idolizing the new Beowulf?

Election Day: Which Anglo-Saxon for President?

In spirit of the upcoming Election Day (and to celebrate the ending of our reading of Beowulf), vote for our new president: Beowulf, the Slayer of Monsters, or Wiglaf, the (Only) Loyal Geat. We have analyzed Beowulf's convincing speech to gain Hrothgar's trust and to defame Unferth, and have taken a closer look at Wiglaf's speech to Beowulf's troops. Although Wiglaf fails where Beowulf succeeds, Wiglaf does prove himself -- unselfishly -- by being "the one left standing" at the end of the epic. Make sure you examine character, past accomplishments (military experience included), and mastery at persuading an audience, all essential qualities the American people look for in a reputable president. Cast your ballot -- Beowulf or Wiglaf for President? And...what would this mean for the American people (Obama and McCain -- look out!)?

Grendel's Villiany

Beowulf's Grendel is a monster who repeatedly attacks Herot in a murderous rage. Since you have read Gardner's Grendel, however, you should be approaching Grendel's "monstrosity" with an altered perspective. Is Grendel a monster who mindlessly destroys Herot and its courageous warriors, or is he simply a misunderstood and unloved creature searching for approbation?

The Values of a Hero

Beowulf is the archetypal epic hero -- he is the embodiment of the Anglo-Saxon ideals of bravery, loyalty, and self-sacrifice. Today we have our own brand of heroes. A firefighter, a Holocaust survivor, a mother are merely a few examples of today's heroes. One could argue that these heroes are the embodiment of our societal values. Do you think, however, that societal values determine heroes, or is it our heroes who determine societal values?