river oaks [english]

What better way to spend Halloween than reading a story that begins with a beheading? For the next week or so, we'll be discussing Arthurian Literature, beginning with a look at " Sir Gawain and the Green Knight ," the anonymous tale of a test of courtly love, involving a supernatural green knight and a bet. For more information on the poem, read this introduction . I've also included a prose translation that you can compare with the verse translation we have in our book.

Congratulations, Mustangs! Now, for your weekend homework: Seniors -- You're reading the remainder of the Anglo-Saxon unit, from Gilgamesh to the discussion of the language. There are questions to answer after the poem. Juniors -- You're reading Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and answering the "Analyzing the Poem" questions after each selection. Freshmen -- You're responsible for Chapters 12 through 16. Answer the questions for each chapter and write your "masterpiece" sentences with the vocabulary from each, as well. By "masterpiece," I mean write sentences that illustrate the meaning and usage of the vocabulary words. Remember to underline the vocab word in each sentence.

After the performance today of Beowulf , I was thinking how refreshing it is to hear Beowulf in its original language ( Old English ). Considering the fact that I am guilty of occasionally mangling the language myself, I thought I'd provide a link to the real thing . Also, several have wondered out loud what Beowulf and Grendel, especially, might look like. In addition to paintings on the subject, interestingly, there have been several comic books based on the poem. One of the best I've seen is Gareth Hinds' recent graphic novel. Finally, I just learned that Neil Gaiman -- author of the Sandman series of graphic novels and Good Omens (on the Senior list) -- just co-wrote the screenplay for a film version of Beowulf. Cool.

Hello Everyone... As you all know, independent reading essays for the Juniors and Seniors are due next week. ALL Juniors are required to turn in essays this nine weeks. Non-Honors Seniors get a break until the end of the semester. Requirements: All essays should be at least two typed pages, formatted according to MLA. Seniors -- Your paper should be a critical essay using one outside source. Pick an article from the Internet that relates to your topic, not necessarily your book. For example, if you were discussing 1984 , then you might find an article about some schools' decision to put cameras in classrooms. Juniors -- Your paper is a character analysis, tracing one character's development throughout the novel. Below is a suggested organization: Start out by introduce your topic, including the title of the book, the author, and the character you are examining. Next, continue by stating how and why you think the character has changed. Finally, try to find your thesis in