Tag: Woolf

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AP Lit: Big Brewings Dallowinian Style

Today we further prepared for our Dallowinian party next week.  The success of this whole endeavor rests on how well the characters and the interconnected relationships are communicated over the next week.  Folks should be reading one another’s blogs and reading, checking against their own work, and then discussing ways to make it all fit.

Most of today, however, was devoted to the second synthesis essay and completing a speed-dating style writer’s workshop around it.  It seemed to be quite effective with only five minutes per pairing to read, comment, and discuss.  To make it manageable, at each rotation, the focus shifted to the next paragraph in the essay.  During the debriefing of the experience, folks seemed to enjoy it and even said things like, “I felt like I really got a chance to talk about my essay” and “I got a lot of really great ideas” and “Mr. Ryder is exceptional as a human being.”

The first submission draft of the second synthesis essay is due Thursday.  That should clear the calendar to prepare all weekend for the party on Monday.  And lest the casual reader think this is just a little “post-reading pre-vacation gathering” — get yourselves to the Food Court at MBC on December 17th and be prepared to be amazed.

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AP Lit: Mrs. Dalloway & the Heat O’ the Sun

Tuesday, November 20th, we tackle yet another chunk of Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, but do so by first grabbing a hold of some poetry.

Shakespeare’s “Fear No More, the Heat O’ the Sun”

In more modern verse here

In old English here

Analyze: Discern the tone the speaker takes toward life.  What evidence leads you here?

Consider: Why would Woolf make such use of this poem early in Dalloway and what implications does it have through the rest of the novel?

Then . . . consider this poem, a sonnet this time, also by Shakespeare

Shakespeare’s “Sigh No More” 

The sonnet itself here

And a song that bears the same title below:

Look up the lyrics using your preferred lyric posting site.  (Be discerning.)

Analyze:  Identify the tone in each of the above.  Consider the attitude the speakers take toward love in each poem.  Use the tone map from several classes ago if necessary.

Consider: If Woolf seems drawn to Shakespeare’s words for inspiration, and Marcus Mumford seems drawn to Shakespeare’s words for inspiration, might there be some connection between Mrs. Dalloway  and the music of Mumford & Sons?  You’ve now some meat for a blog later in the week.

And then . . . for some close reading looking for motifs once more.