Skip to main content

Seniors ~ Romantic Period Review

Your test is on Monday and will cover English Romanticism, beginning with the introduction to the period (622-638).  The period includes two revolutions -- French (for freedom and equality, but which lead to disillusionment) and Industrial (for scientific and economic progress, but which lead to skepticism and degradation).  Note the chart that outlines the developments and concerns of the period, including the reverence for youth and role of the imagination.  We also talked a bit about some of the paintings of the period.

The major writers of the period can be divided into three groups: early, late and women.
  • First, the poets who defined the period -- William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge.  Their collection Lyrical Ballads includes two of the period's most famous poems, Rime of the Ancient Mariner & "Tintern Abbey."  We also studied "Kubla Kahn".  Note the form for these poems as well as the content.  
  • William Blake is also of the earlier generation of writers, composing Songs of Innocence & Songs of Experience before and after the French Revolution.  Together, they demonstrate "the two contrary states of the human soul."  We studied "The Lamb" and "The Tyger" first, and then the two versions of "Chimney Sweeper."  Note the differences between the "before" and "after" perspectives of these poems.
  • The second generation includes Lord Byron whose "byronic hero" is at the center of "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage".  His pilgrimage to the ocean echoes Wordsworth's trek to Tintern Abbey.  Next, Percy Shelley and John Keats both wrote about "truth" and "beauty" as timeless contributions of the artist.  Again, note the form of these poems and their connection in theme.
  • We also studied two very different female authors, Mary Wollestonecraft Shelley (and her famous,  if radical, parents) and Jane Austen, whose very measured novels of love and manners are very different from Shelley's wildly adventurous Frankenstein.  They are connected through their struggles as women (lack of formal education and opportunities), but also through their romantic sensibilities (idealism, in particular).
  • I know I mentioned Charles Dickens, albeit briefly, but he won't be on the test.
Study, and you should do fine.  I know you're almost done, and that you have a paper due, and that you'd like to be doing anything rather than re-reading Romantic poets this weekend.  Don't slack.  You're too close to the end to give up.  We'll discuss the "memory book" assignment next week, and you can all rest your brains.

Popular posts from this blog

Homework

English II Read the selections from the Exeter Book, and answer the following questions, using complete sentences and citing from the text: #1-4 on p89 #1-4 on p93 Comp Check, 2-3, and 7 on p96 Try to guess these Anglo-Saxon riddles without looking at the answers... English IV This week, we are working on the "problem" portion of your research paper. Your topic should be a typical problem that is solved by a person in your profession. For example, if I were writing this about being a high school English teacher, I could write about the problem of plagiarism . I would research the problem thoroughly and present statistics and examples. Next week , we will write the "solution" portion of the paper. Until you fully understand the problem (whatever it is), you cannot hope to solve it. In fact, most of your education will consist of these two sides of every issues - the existence and prevalence of various "problems" and the methods and strategie...
Read more

Homework

Sophomores Answer questions #2-5 on 190. Use complete sentences and cite specifics from the text. Juniors Answer questions #3-5 on 137. Use complete sentence and cite specifics from the text. Also, I have posted the Chaucer notes under "assignments" on your Edline page. Seniors You are writing the " This I Believe " essay in class tomorrow. Think about your topic before you come to class, but please do not pre-write it. You will have the chance to revise.
Read more

Senior End-of-Year Schedule!

Seniors, the end is near, and there are a few assignments left to schedule. Here is a list of everything due in the next two weeks: Career Update - a one-page addendum to your research paper, updating your plans for college and beyond. Be sure to include what you originally planned and if that's changed. Whether plans have changed or not, please explain why and what steps you've taken towards reaching your goal -- i.e. where you've decided to attend and what major you've declared. This is due WEDNESDAY 4/24. Letter to Future Self - this is an OPTIONAL assignment, but I encourage you to take it seriously. As discussed in class, this letter will be sent to you in about five years. Think about what you'd like to tell yourself five years from now. For example, maybe it would be interesting to reflect on your plans at the time, what values you held dear, what you wanted to remember. In addition, you might think about your current likes/dislikes related to pop cultur...
Read more