Recap from Class on 9/27/12

We had class in the computer lab today so that we could revise our first papers. The essays had some great ideas and wonderful interpretations! I do think there are some areas, as a class, that we can improve upon through revision, so that's what we're going to do. The paper hasn't been assigned a formal "grade," yet, but will be after revision. I will give you a copy of the rubric in class so that you can see where points come from. Today, we focused on revising only the introductions to the essays. I have posted the lecture notes that I displayed on the overhead. If you have questions, please ask me or ask a classmate. The assignment for today was to revise ONLY the introduction to your essay. If you need to pick up your graded essay, you may pick it up from the Writing Center by asking at the front desk during business hours (7:30 a.m - 9:00 p.m. M-Th and 7:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. on Fridays). I will see you in class on Thursday, and we will meet in the computer lab on the first floor of RCB, room 127. Please bring your essay, handouts from class regarding revision and citation, a Wadsworth Handbook if you still have one, and also a jump drive or log-in for your e-mail so you have a way to save your work. Let me know if you have any questions. I look forward to helping you revise your papers.

Lecture Notes from 9/27 Lab Day

·    Academic Writing:

·    Do not state the obvious.

·     Do not retell the story.

·     Do not use first or second person.

·     Do not use slang.

·     Do not use an empty sentence as the opener to the paper.

Thesis Statement: Claim or argument that controls the essay. Must be a debatable point. Must convey an opinion. MUST MAKE A POINT.

è Be as specific as possible.

è Form + Content = Meaning

“The Dream of the Rood” is a dream vision poem. The poem shows that God is a strong, heroic, warrior-like figure who is capable of saving mankind. =

 

This dream-vision poem presents a heroic God in a prophetical, mystical way that appeals to the values brotherhood and unity that defined Anglo-Saxon culture.

Don’t tell what happens. Tell what you think about what happens.

Introduction to a Literary Analysis Essay

è Effective opening sentence. Do not state the obvious. Do not be boring. It happens with old literature.

è Background is necessary. Context is necessary. Don’t leave either of them out.

è 2 sentence summary – hit the highlights.

è Historical/literary context

o Date (estimation)

o Author (unknown/anonymous)

o What’s goin’ on?

o Relate these things. So what?

Work towards a point.

       1-2 sentences

*The best thesis in the world is the one that makes a point. And it’s your point.

è Do not open with a quote. (lit is okay)

è Do not piggyback quotes. (dropped quotes)

è Leave out first and second person (I, me, my, you, your, you’re)

è “one” à the reader – he/she, his/her

Extra Credit Opportunity

Extra Credit Opportunity for ENG 241 Students: Attend this event for points to be added to Take-Home Test #1. Ask for a Blue Sheet from any Writing Coach. More points to be added if you read something, preferably from our textbook (Shakespeare's sonnets are always a hit!)

The Writing Center invites the campus community to attend Poetry Viva Voce, our monthly open-mic event, on Thursday, 9/27 at 6:00 p.m. in RCB 236. Our featured reader this month is Mike Farmer, who serves as an adjunct English Instructor in the Department of Arts and Communications. A drama enthusiast, he has several years of performing experience, including work with The Shenandoah Shakespeare (now The American Shakespeare Center).  The event is free and open to the public, and everyone is encouraged to participate, either by sharing an original work or reading a piece by a favorite author. 

Assignment for 9/25/12 Class

I will be out today due to illness. Please sign the roll sheet that Ms. Jordan from the Dean's Office will bring up to the classroom. Your assignment is as follows:

• Make sure you have read the entire General Prologue to The Canterbury Tales. 
• "Translate" the lines you were assigned for oral reading as best as you can into PDE (Present Day English) without using any help. This is not graded! This is just practice, so no worries if it isn't perfect! This is just like what we did with the recipe for the marzipan - just try to re-word it in modern speech as closely as you can without using any help except for footnotes provided in your text. Write your "translation" in your class notes.
• "Card" the General Prologue as we have done other texts in class.
•  Find Chaucer's death date and list it on your timeline, as well as the date for The Canterbury Tales. 
• Skim read "The Pardoner's Tale" and "The Wife of Bath's Tale" and identify any examples of cap-a-pie that you can find. Read "The Wife of Bath's Tale" carefully for general understanding of plot. If you need to, you may use plot summarizes to support your reading but PLEASE read through the tale on your own first. Even if you struggle to understand, it is important that you push yourself through and read each word. It won't kill you - it will only make you stronger!
• I will see you in class on Thursday and hand your papers back.
• Feel free to e-mail me with any questions that you may have.

Test #1 Due Date

I did not put a due date on Take-Home Test 1, and that seems to have caused some confusion. My apologizes! Because this is a take-home test that requires written responses, as I mentioned in class, I would be giving you adequate time to work on completing it. The test will be due on October 4th. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Reminder

Lobby of the Hilton Portland, where Ms. O will be staying this week. 

I will be in Portland, OR from Wednesday, 9/19 through Sunday, 9/23. I will still have access to my GC e-mail and will be checking the blog daily. Feel free to send any questions to me by e-mail or post them as a comment here on the blog. I will try to post some pictures from my trip - one of the places I am going is Powell's City of Books, the world's largest bookstore, which occupies a whole city block! The store specializes in rare and out-of-print books, so who knows what I may find there.

Tuesday this week we will begin our study of Chaucer and will prepare for oral reading of The General Prologue to The Canterbury Tales. We will also view some of the other tales, including The Wife of Bath's Tale and The Pardoner's Tale.

On Thursday, a writing coach will visit our classroom and show you the documentary film In Search of the Holy Grail. Please take good notes while watching this film as you will be able to use them on your Take-Home Exam #1 and for Short Essay #2. On this day, you will receive copies of your take-home exam as well as some assigned homework reading, a handout titled "Medieval Literature: Chaucer and the Alliterative Tradition." You should read this handout prior to class next Tuesday, 9/25.

Papers due next class!

Your papers are due 9/13 (Paper 1: OE). Please print them BEFORE class and turn them in inside a folder labeled with your name and our class name. Please, no large binders, and do not worry about stapling your papers. A simple, two-pocket folder (no prongs) is good.

How to Cite Textbook

Thank you for this example, Cassi! Here is a quick snapshot of how to cite our textbook for your first paper. Remember to enclose "Dream of the Rood" and "The Wanderer" in quotation marks (with period inside the quotation marks) and italicize Beowulf since it is a long poem. The title of the textbook should be in italics. I forgot, in class, to indicate putting the page number at the end (page numbers of the text you used). If you write on both "Rood" and "Wanderer," you must include a citation for both. Yes, go ahead and groan- it won't kill you, but it will make you stronger! ;)

Homework Assigned 9/4

No reading assigned - make sure you have paper topics (either from your e-mail or from this site). Choose ONE of the three topics and begin planning your essay. Read the guidelines and instructions thoroughly. Essays are due 9/13 (next Thursday).

In class on Thursday, we will discuss Sir Gawain & The Green Knight and continue reading orally in class.

Have a great day!

Overhead Notes from 9/4

You have three minutes.

Take out a blank sheet of paper in notes.

This is not a quiz. Or a test. Or anything bad. ;)

You have three minutes – list everything you know about King Arthur/or the Arthurian legend. Go!

·       He was a kingà Artorius, 5^th C. king of the Britons (Brunanburgh) uniting the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes

·       Legend – he pulled the sword from the stone. He was the only one who could do it! Fated to become king.

·       Merlin (wizard/magician/sorcerer) à Druid, advisor to Arthur

·       Arthur is betrayed by Lancelot (Knight of the Round Table)à known as “the knight of the cart”

·       The round table? No one at the head of the table. Everyone is equal when they sit down together.

o  MEDIEVAL ESTATE

§  Men who work

§  Men who fight

§  Men who pray

Guinevere  - “gentle queen”

Arthur is symbolic of Christ.

EPIC and ROMANCE