Welcome to Seminar Unit 5 ‘Literature’ DQs for the Week Seminar

“The Lost Beautifulness” by Anzia Yezierska—available online and in Doc Sharing ed/people/text6/yezierska.pdf DQ1: In Anzia Yezierska’s short story, “The Lost Beautifulness,” the protagonist Hannah Hayyeh longs for something to call her own.

DQ 1: In Anzia Yezierska’s short story, “The Lost Beautifulness,” the protagonist Hanneh Hayyeh longs for something to call her own. Does the piece give you sympathy for any of the characters? Do you dislike any of the characters? How can a writer add a "universal appeal" for their piece of literature and create a strong link to their audience?

DQ 2: Choose two of the poems here for your analysis, or you may also use Poets.org to search for other poems, or review the resources in My Humanities Kit.Poets.orgMy Humanities Kit. Langston Hughes. Let America Be America Again June Jordan. A Poem about Intelligence for my BrothersLet America Be America AgainA Poem about Intelligence for my Brothers and Sistersand Sisters. (audio only) Ted Kooser. Happy Birthday Billy Collins. The Lanyard Elaine Sexton. Public TransportationHappy BirthdayThe LanyardPublic Transportation

List the titles and authors of the two poems you chose to analyze. Research the authors to learn a bit about their lives. Discuss the two poems/authors one at a time. Was the poem difficult to understand? How did you interpret it? What do you think is the idea of the poem beyond the descriptions? What does the biographical information add to an understanding of the poem? Be sure to cite sources in APA format.

How many books have you read this year? (not counting textbooks or books for your job) Seminar

What kind of books were they?

Are all books equal?

In 2004, the National Endowment for the Arts put out a study about “Reading at Risk” about the decline of reading in America. In 2007, another study showed that 1 of 4 adults read no books in However, recent studies show reading is trending up from the 2006 figures.

“One in Four Read No Books Last Year.” dyn/content/article/2007/08/21/AR html dyn/content/article/2007/08/21/AR html “Unexpected Twist: Fiction Reading is Up” dyn/content/article/2009/01/11/AR html dyn/content/article/2009/01/11/AR html

What might account for the change in reading trends?

What does a decline or increase in reading of literature say about a culture? Why is reading literature important?

In our unit we discussed poetry, which is rarely a best-seller. Why might poetry be less popular than fiction? Where are some places that poetry does exist and thrive in our culture? What are some of the unique benefits poetry can offer to the reader or listener?

Harlem Renaissance an arts movement - mid to late-1920s Famous African-American artists including Langston Hughes Gwendolyn Brook Zora Neale Hurston Jean Toomer major concept – the portrayal of contemporary African-American life

Romare Beardon

‘Quilting Time’

“Let America be America Again” by Langston Hughes Let it be the dream it used to be. Let it be the pioneer on the plain Seeking a home where he himself is free. (America never was America to me.) Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed– Let it be that great strong land of love Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme That any man be crushed by one above. (It never was America to me.) O, let my land be a land where Liberty Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath, But opportunity is real, and life is free, Equality is in the air we breathe. (There's never been equality for me, Nor freedom in this "homeland of the free.") Say, who are you that mumbles in the dark? And who are you that draws your veil across the stars? I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart,

I am the Negro bearing slavery's scars. I am the red man driven from the land, I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek-- And finding only the same old stupid plan Of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak. I am the young man, full of strength and hope, Tangled in that ancient endless chain Of profit, power, gain, of grab the land! Of grab the gold! Of grab the ways of satisfying need! Of work the men! Of take the pay! Of owning everything for one's own greed!

I am the farmer, bondsman to the soil. I am the worker sold to the machine. I am the Negro, servant to you all. I am the people, humble, hungry, mean-- Hungry yet today despite the dream. Beaten yet today--O, Pioneers! The millions on relief today? The millions I am the man who never got ahead, The poorest worker bartered through the years. Yet I'm the one who dreamt our basic dream In the Old World while still a serf of kings, Who dreamt a dream so strong, so brave, so true, That even yet its mighty daring sings In every brick and stone, in every furrow turned That's made America the land it has become.

References “The Lost Beautifulness” by Anzia Yezierska—available online and in Doc Sharing Langston Hughes. Let America Be America Again June Jordan. A Poem about Intelligence for my BrothersLet America Be America AgainA Poem about Intelligence for my Brothers and Sistersand Sisters. (audio only) Ted Kooser. Happy Birthday Billy Collins. The Lanyard Elaine Sexton. Public TransportationHappy BirthdayThe LanyardPublic Transportation “One in Four Read No Books Last Year.” dyn/content/article/2007/08/21/AR html dyn/content/article/2007/08/21/AR html “Unexpected Twist: Fiction Reading is Up” dyn/content/article/2009/01/11/AR html dyn/content/article/2009/01/11/AR html