Literature 7-8
Read "Ben Stout's Mistake" and respond in complete sentences. Due Thursday, May 28. Do not turn it in until then.
1. Explain what is going on with Jessie, the Captain, and the trunk. 50 words.
2. Write out a sparkle that relates to this scene.
3. Describe the final "dance" that took place before the storm hit. 50 words.
4. Write out a sparkle that relates to this scene.
5. What was Ben Stout's mistake?
6. The storm adds more chaos to an already chaotic scene. Write out a sparkle that gives a vivid sense of the storm.
7. Jessie and the African boy take shelter in the hold. Describe their experience. 50 words.
8. Describe the scene they witness when they emerge from the hold. 50 words.
9. Write out a sparkle that captures a sense of this final scene.
American Literature
Here is "i thank You God" exactly as Cummings published it. Read it aloud or listen to it again. Read the notes below also and respond thoughtfully. Due Thursday, May 28. Do not turn it in until then.
i thank You God for most this amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes
(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun's birthday;this is the birth
day of life and of love and wings:and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)
how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any--lifted from the no
of all nothing--human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?
(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)
It is easy to get distracted by the quirkiness of the punctuation and such, which we will consider later. For now, notice the strong emotional force of the poem and where this power comes from.
1. What would you say is the primary emotion of the poem? 2. What is the origin of this feeling?
Although Cummings was not an orthodox Christian, Christians can naturally appreciate much of what this poem says. Indeed, in this poem and many others he reminds us of his fellow Massachusetts poet, Emily Dickinson--especially in linguistic quirkiness and love for nature. Like Dickinson, Cummings doesn't just want to describe his own feelings, he wants us to share them.
Investigating the technical features of this poem will not ruin it, as some have claimed. We do not "murder to dissect." A close reading of the poem does not kill the poem, but may in many ways give it more life and deepen our appreciation for it and for the God-given artistry of the poet. 4. How is
Cummings like Dickinson? 5. Why is reading a poem closely a good thing?
Let's begin by looking at the overall structure of the poem. For all its modern feel, it is a traditional form--a sonnet. 6. Find this term in your glossary and write out the basic definition. 7. What is the rhyme pattern of this sonnet? Sonnets are traditionally love poems. 8. In what sense is this a love poem? 9. State in one brief sentence the main idea of each of the 4 sections of the poem.
10. The speaker is urging us to "read" the world differently from the way Wallace Stevens does. Briefly explain.
Tomorrow we will look at some of the poetical techniques Cummings uses in this poem.
British Literature
Be prepared for the Zoom session today at 2:00pm.
C.S. Lewis
Be prepared for the Zoom session today at 2:30 pm.
Luke and Acts
Read Acts 27:27-44 and respond in complete sentences.
Providentially, this story may remind you some of your reading of The Slave Dancer--storms at see, people in great danger, a flurry of activity, and lots of nautical vocabulary.
A. Find out the meaning of the following terms in context and write them out: 1. to sound (take soundings); 2. the bow; 3. the rudder; 4. the foresail; 5. a sandbar.
B. State how each of the terms above relates to the story Luke is telling here.
C. In the midst of all the confusion, there is a meal. 1. Why does Paul urge the people to eat? 2. How does he encourage everyone during this dangerous time?
Meals are an important motif in Luke and Acts. 3. Read Luke 9:10-17 and name at least 3 significant ways in which the 2 stories are similar. 4. What meal takes place in Luke 22? 5. What meal takes place in Luke 24? 6. What does Acts 2:42-47 say about meals?
Poets and Prophets
Read Isaiah 62 and the notes below. Either write out the question before answering, or answer in complete sentences. Due Thursday, May 28. Do not turn it in until then.
1. In Isaiah 40-66, the prophet often speaks to those who will go into captivity to Babylon years after his death, and he speaks to us as well. In Is. 62, he often "recycles" language and images that he has used before: light/glory, marriage, restoration/wealth, the highway of return (Is. 35), and the banner-signal (Is. 11). Why do you suppose he does this instead of coming up with entirely new images?
2. One prominent feature of this chapter is the idea of naming and renaming. It isn't exactly new, either, but we haven't seen it in a while. a. List all of the names which will no longer be used of the Lord's people. b. List the new names by which they will be known. Translate them, if necessary.
3. Naming and renaming are major motifs in the Bible, and we can only devote a little time to reflect on them here. Many of the patriarchs had meaningful names. a. Abraham's (new) name commemorates the Lord's promise to him. What does it mean? b. His son Isaac's name commemorates his unusual birth story. What does his name mean? c. Isaac's son was known both as Jacob (his birth name) and Israel (the name the Lord later gave him. Both names reflect (positively and negatively) something of his character. Briefly explain. d. Jesus' name is also significant. What does it mean?
4. As we have seen, Isaiah has two sons whose names are tied to their father's prophecies. a. One son, mentioned in ch. 7, has a name that speaks to the disasters that will befall the Lord's people. What is the unusual name, and what does it mean? b. Is. 7 speaks of another child, not Isaiah's, whose name points very clearly to Jesus. What is the name, and what does it mean? c. Another son of Isaiah's, mentioned at the beginning of ch. 8, has a name that speaks to the distant future of the Lord's people. What is the unusual name, and what does it mean?
5. Other prophets make use of the same motif. For example, Hosea has 3 sons by his faithless wife. Each son has a name that reflects the relationship between God and the people of Israel. What are the 3 names, and what do they mean?
6. The apostle Peter alludes to Hosea 1 in I Peter 2:10 and applies it to Christian believers. Write out the verse.
7. Rev. 2:17 also fits this motif. Briefly explain.
Introduction to French
Summer vacation is just around the corner! Let's explore some ways of spending time not doing schoolwork. Click on the link here. Learn the words you don't know and suggest a mem. Due Thursday, May 28. Do not turn it in until then.
Intermediate French
See yesterday's post.
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