Week 6 9/26-9/30

In 1809, the English poet and artist William Blake made the following observation: "Chaucer's pilgrims are the characters which compose all ages and nations...Some of the names or titles are altered by time, but the characters themselves forever remain unaltered."

Do you agree or disagree that Chaucer's characters seem timeless and universal? Support your opinion with the text and your own experience.

Week 5- September 19-23

Reflect on the following quote.

"You cannot dream yourself into a character: you must hammer and forge yourself into one."
-Henry D. Thoreau

Week 4- September 12-16

Everything old is new again and we're not so different from the ancient scops who sought to mourn their losses and to immortalize their heroes. Drawing upon the heroic tradition, write an original poem to a relevant current event. You might choose the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building bombing (April 19, 1995), The Ma y 3 Tornado (1999), or the many tragedies of September 11, 2001. You may use whatever form seems most appropriate ­ traditional or free verse, but try to capture the appropriate tone. Post your poem here.

Respond to two other poems written by your classmates. What mood does their poem convey? Why?

http://www.oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org/

The September 11 Digital Archive

Examples of poems, you don't HAVE to use these. It can be free verse.

http://homepage.mac.com/mseffie/handouts/formulapoems.html

Writing a Period Ballad

Week 9/6-9/9 Beowulf

Respond to reading- After reading Beowulf -
Beowulf is able to defeat evil in the form of Grendel and Grendel’s mother, yet he loses his life when he battles the dragon. What theme does this suggest about the struggle between good and evil? Think of your own life, how do you deal with the concept of good and evil?