Themes Across Genres: Nature Poetry Nature as a Reflection of Humanity

Announcements! Happy St. Padraig’s Day!  The adjunct office was MOVED from Room 16 to Room 1 Still in same building : INST, over by the English secretary’s desk SELL YOUR 8TH EDITION TEXTBOOKS BACK TO THE BOOKSTORE. I just found out I will be teaching 102 again this fall! While I could choose a new textbook after everything that has happened, that would mean you guys would not be able to see your textbooks back. So I am going to stick with this textbook. THIS MEANS THE BOOKSTORE WANTS YOUR BOOKS. Even if you bought your book somewhere else, the bookstore will buy your 8th edition textbook back: GURANTEED. Please sell it back to our bookstore. We need as many copies as we can get. ALSO: REGARDING HOMEWORK: I KNOW THAT SOME OF YOU ARE DOING YOUR HOMEWORK IN CLASS. STOP IT. IF YOU KEEP IT UP, I WILL FORCE EVERYONE TO WRITE THEIR READ/RESPOND ASSIGNMENTS ON THE COMPUTER.

Attitudes Towards Nature If you had to describe these authors' attitudes toward nature, what would you say about each of them? For example: In “How to Build a Fire”, how does the relationship between the man and the dog change over the course of the short story, and what do you think that says about London’s attitude towards “human” intelligence?

Nature as a source of Self-Knowledge and Connection In all of these works, the speaker or main character experiences an epiphany, a moment of realization. Connection with Nature, Connection with the Self OR Nature as Metaphor for human spirit

Faith and Doubt in "Dover Beach” p. 656 (7th 677) In this poem: Nature, especially the sea, is a metaphor. What does it stand for? Do you think that this poem is ultimately pessimistic? About faith? About life? Why or why not? Why do you make of the allusion to Sophocles in lines 15-20? Why do you think he includes this? What else can we say about Arnold's use of nature in this poem?

Langston Hughes: “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” p. 686 (7th 702) Our friend Langston again! How is this poem similar to “Negro”? Why does this poem focus on a geographical feature? How does that give focus to the poem? Can this poem meant to be seen as a companion to “Negro”? How so? How do we know? What evidence do you see for this?

Mary Oliver “Wild Geese” p. 634 and “Sleeping in the Forest” p. 654 This poem expresses a view of nature that is a little different than the other’s we have looked at. This poem expresses nature and humanity as one. Where do we find evidence of this in these poems? This poem views the relationship between humanity and nature as one of inspiration, oneness, and healing. That although we rush around and worry and think of ourselves as so separate and isolated from the world, we are part of a greater whole, and that realizing that, noticing nature and seeing ourselves as a part of it and not apart from it, we can heal.

Robert Frost: “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” p. 680 This is probably one of the most famous nature poems in the world, but is it really about nature? Many people argue it is not. What is it about? Anyone want to give us their interpretation of this poem? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfOxdZfo0gs

Questions About Essay 2? Now that you have all had a chance to think about the Essay 2 prompt, do you have any questions? Resources in Your Textbook: Chapter 23 – Discovering Themes in Poetry (p. 620) Chapter 22 in the 7th Edition (p. 645) Chapter 1, page 6-19 “Writing About Literature” Same in 7th Edition!!! Example Student Paper – “Digging for Memories” p. 22 P.26 in 7th

Next Week’s Theme: War Tuesday, March 22 - War Poetry Homework Due: Read 3 Poems and Choose 2 to Respond: Richard Lovelace “To Lucasta: Going to the Wars” p. 527, Wilfred Owen “Dulce et Decorum Est” p. 642, and Wislawa Szymborska “The End and the Beginning” p. 648 Thursday, March 24 – War as a Theme Across Genres Read Short Story and Respond: Tim O’Brian’s “The Things They Carried” p. 269-281 Read 2 Poems and Respond: Denise Levertov “What Were They Like?” and Yusef Komunyakaa “Facing It” (Handout) Note: all of these works are about the same war—make sure you understand which one.