Be sure to address three different works of literature: two original posts, one "reply" to a peer. Blog writing is an informal genre, but I do expect that you will make yourself clear. Discussions are graded on clarity, thoroughness, and originality of ideas.
1.Choose a selection and explain how the concept of romantic love is treated. Does it offer a traditional take or challenge typical conventions (i.e., we should date/marry for romantic love rather than security; everyone should find/have a "soulmate"; "true" love lasts forever; romantic love should be reserved for a man and a woman, etc.)
2. What broader statement (theme) is the text making about romantic love? Why do you think so? (Theme is NOT a one-word answer but a complete idea. You need to read the lecture on theme to answer this question. You will need to read it anyway to complete your first essay, so you might as well read it now!)
3. Does the selection you chose challenge the definition/beliefs you have about romantic love? How so? Does it correspond to your definition/beliefs? How so?
4. Choose one of the "critical contexts" selections based on "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufock. This is a beautiful but highly complex and difficult to understand poem, so reading the context literature will really help you make some sense of it. Keep in mind also that Eliot, who headed the theory of interpretation referred to as either formalism or New Criticism believed that good literature should be highly complex and difficult to understand, that readers would benefit from having to work to achieve meaning. You'll read about this theory later on in the class. To the question: what did you get from the contextual article you read? Do you agree with the author? Disagree? How do you feel about the poem having read this interpretation? (Hint: do not assume the author is automatically "right" -- he/she offers an interpretation -- yes, a scholarly, professional one, but this by no means makes the interpretation the only valid one out there.
5. Discuss your interpretation of "My Last Duchess" before you read the annotated copy and after. Are these interpretations widely divergent? Which aspects of the poem intrigued you upon your first reading? Does the narrator's diction and/or tone lead you to a possible interpretation?
6. How does the filmed reading (re-enactment or recitation, below) compare to your reading of "Duchess"? Did you emphasize certain elements similarly? Does something about the interpretation of the poem differ drastically from how you read it? Did you find the film useful?
7. Compare/contrast the two versions of "True Love". You can go a number of places with this question, but you should focus on the effect that each poem produces given its use of diction, tone, general structure, imagery, and the like.
8. Our text categorizes Othello as a play about "jealous" love -- why do you think this (very general) thematic idea is the best/most ideal lens through which to look at Othello? How does Shakespeare introduce/develop the notion of jealousy?
***************************************************************************************
Othello's final speech, delivered by Lawrence Fishburne (Othello in Kenneth Branaugh's 1995 film version.
Filmed Re-enactment of "Duchess". Might be useful in getting at the cadence, tone and emphasis in the poem.
Recitation (monologue) of "Duchess"
Hearing a writer talk about his/her text, in multiple contexts, is a rare treat. Obviously, we don't have access to this kind of contextualization for so many works of literature, including many of those that we study in this course. I think you'll get a lot out of the interview -- and you can always listen to the transcript while you are working on something else.
Interview with John Updike (part 1): Here he talks about his inspiration for the story, characteristics he shares with the protagonist, Sammy, explanation of characters
Interview with John Updike (part 2): Continue of his discussion on "A&P" and how people conform (or don't) socially. Discusses how the reader "should" read the story. He also reads an excerpt (the beginning) as the story is visually re-enacted. Very interesting!
Just for fun:
Music Video: deus's "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love".
Sharon Olds reading some of her work (unfortunately, not "True Love", but fortunately enough, she's quite amusing. An honest homage to what happens as the body ages . . .and falls).
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
week 1 question 1
ReplyDeleteIn the story “What we talk about when we talk about love,” American author Raymond Carver portrait the life of two couples that discuss the topic of “real love.” Both couples discuss about the different kinds of love experienced in their life. We can barely see romantic love in this reading. In fact, Mel who is one of the main personages believes that “real love was nothing less than spiritual love.” This text suggests that romantic love may not be the goal for a solid marriage. Instead, communication and security between couples is the key for a successful and happy marriage. Laura and Nick did not show any romantic love signs but they were happy and together until the end of the reading.
Title: "What We Talk When We Talk About Love"
ReplyDeleteThe story connects the essential value of "true love" by showing all kinds of it through spiritual, sensual, idealistic, possessive, brutal, obsessive, and even having unreturn love. The concept of romantic love is greatly felt in the story as a powerful feeling that provides a deep ecstasy and a deep suffering when frustrated. In the story, Mel and Terri connected love with time as has occurred in our modern culture. The two couples in the story tells love as the contemporary world they live in which is a world of continuous relationship where you first feel love and next thing you know is that your relation will eventually lead to courtroom adversary. In addition, romantic love is deceiving for Mel's monologue while he was drunk in the story. However, I do believe that romantic love does not deceive consistently in our everyday existence in this world. It is a matter of how people must treat romantic love to be able to have a successful marriage. Romantic love should be treated as a sacred treasure of all that whatever effort or risk you put into it, will eventually be well rewarded.
The theme of the story "What We Talk When We Talk About Love" expresses bewilderment about a whimsical and battered condition of romantic love in the modern world that we live in. In the story, Mel and Terri has a different view on what is a real love by basing it from their past relationship. In this case, their insights somehow differ.
The story moved me and made me think of what romantic love is. Somehow the characters in the story does have a point about love. Love is not perfect for any people in a relationship and people does have different views with regards to love. In addition, Mel in the story does show a different perspective on what is love for him. In this case, we can only know what romantic love is if we know how to treat it correctly and that is why we should treat romantic love as a sacred treasure of all so that it will lead to a rewarding relationship.
On page 679 Mel describes physcial and sentimental love but as he kept on talking i came to believe that he really does not know what love is. Even though he gave a positive example of the men that was depressed because he could not see his wife, he still turned that relationship into something negative by saying, "I mean it was killing the old fart just because he couln't look at the f-ing woman." Do you think Mel knows what real love is? or anyone in the story? We can assume that Laura and Nick were happy but there is really no evidence to support that relationship except whan they told how long they were married.
ReplyDeleteweek 1 question 3
ReplyDelete“What we talk about when we talk about love,” does not challenge my beliefs about romantic love. I believe that marriage does not create or keep romantic love. In order to love someone, and for that love to endure, one requires the ability to see his or her couple with clarity. Also, I believe that love does not teach couples to communicate or to keep their love going for the rest of their life but why is that? I think the answer is simple most couples never learn to keep a loving marriage. Romantic love produces any kind of excitement for most people who fall in love. In the short reading, we can identify two couples. One couple has been married for one year and their love is still young full of joy and happiness. In the other hand, the couple represented by Mel and Terri has been married for five years. This couple has been married for a long time now. As we can see, personages of this couple feel alone and they usually find faults on each other becoming jealous, angry and cynical to each other. So, romantic love is the one that keeps couples united the rest of their life no matter the time or the experience if two individuals love each other they will keep love alive for the rest of their life.
Discussion Question #5
ReplyDeleteBefore reading the annotated version of "The Duchess" I saw the duke as a bad husband he was mean,selfish,prideful,jealous and controlling.He talked of his wife as if she was a burden.He could never figure her out.He did not know how much she cared for him or if he was important to her.He never told her that she disgusted him and that at times she missed or exeeded her boundries.He was not the only one who made her happy, which made him jealous. She treated him with the same respect that she would treat anyone else which made him feel unspecial.He knew that he could never change who she was despite his efforts.
After reading the annotated version I saw the duchess as a bad wife instead of the duke as a bad husband.The duchess seemed like an unlively,secretive,and busy women who had no time for her husband.She appreciated other people perhaps more than her husband.
I saw the poem very differently after reading the annotated version.It seemed like it was the duchess' fault the marriage was falling a part, before I thought it was the duke's fault.
When I first read the poem I felt sorry for the characters. They did not communicate with each other. They treated each other badly, but never talked about how to resolve the problem.
The annotated version gave the idea that duke may have murdered his wife.I think that there was a good chance that he did. He seemed so uhappy and disgusted with his wife that could have murdered her.
Reply to Hennie Jones
ReplyDeleteMel does not know what true love is, he thinks he does but he does not. He hates his former wife,yet he misses her. What kind of love is that? I do not think that anyone one of them knows what love is. Nick and Laura are newly weds and Mel and Terri are still young,they all have a lot to learn. The old couple is a good example of love. They truly cared for each other.Mel did not understand the love they had for each other.
Week One, Question #7
ReplyDeleteThe two poems entitled “True Love” show two very different ideals on what true love is. Szymborskas’ poem shows us the ideals placed upon us by fairytales and Hallmark cards on what true love is supposed to be. On the opposite side, Olds shows us what the reality of true love is. Szymborskas’ poem seems to shed light on the impracticality of the fairytale side of true love while Olds poem describes the true beauty and imperfection that true love is. The concept of love that is portrayed in Szymborskas’ poem is almost unattainable in reality. The critical tone placed on true love in the poem seems to tell the reader that true love is waste of time and energy. What comes through the most though is the desire to have true love and to live the life that is being criticized. The last line, “Their faith will make it easier for them to live and die.”(Line 35) tells the reader the lack of belief in the idea of true love will make it easier to live without it, but that it is impossible to really live without it. On the other side of true love, Olds poem describes a simple and yet poignant reality to what true love is. The friendship involved, the ability to see the lover without their eyes open, and the bond the couple has is beautiful, and a real description of what love is.
Week 1 Question#5
ReplyDeleteThe interpretations of the poem are widely divergent from my own interpretation when I first read the poem of "My Last Duchess". The poem does not mean to connote the duchess about her death. I myself first thought that the speaker (duke) did an unforgiving crime because of jealousy. The interpretation of the poem confuses me and deceives any reader to any possible motives of the poem. In addition, I find an intriguing line that says, "Nay, well go together down, sir. Notice Neptune, though". Line 53-54 seems that the duke is envious because he cannot be as dominant as he can be to make the duchess smile. The duke seems to be demanding too towards the actions of the person he is referring or commenting to.
The speaker's use of tone in the poem is quite similar in making ballads and songs. The tone used improves the sarcasm of the duke's motives such as the line that says, "This sort of trifling? Even had you skill in speech--which I have not--to make you will" (line 35-36). Reading the line 35-36 also tells that the skipping of lines gives an idea that the speaker is losing time to tell more about a part in the poem. However, the whole composition of the poem made me understand in the end that the whole idea of it is about the duke remembering the duchess for her shameful behavior towards him.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe Play Othello revolved very heavily on the theme that jealousy blinds. Some would point to the jealousy that caused the Moor to murder his wife as the primary jealousy of the story, however, the true driving jealousy of Othello is Iago’s lust for power and the jealousy he feels for the Moor’s positions of authority.
ReplyDeleteThe story begins with a conversation between Iago and Roderigo that delivers the exposition. Their dialogue shows us the intense contempt that Iago bears for the Moor based solely on his being passed up for promotion and the jealousy that Iago feels for the position. The playwright uses this introduction to intentionally set the dark brooding jealous tone for the entire play.
The jealous love theme is the best theme to examine Othello with as jealousy is so prevalent in the work. Iago’s jealousy of power is a primary one, still many others are represented. Roderigo is jealous of the Moor’s relationship with Desdemona and the Moor is jealous of the perceived relationship between Desdemona and Cassio are also distinctive theme identifiers. This story is definitely best viewed through the lens of jealous love as the smaller aspects of loyalty and duty just aren’t nearly as ingrained in Othello.
James Joyce’s Araby presents the story of the protagonist, a young Irish boy, dealing with his first crush. Araby spurns the idea of romantic love in this story as mere physical attraction, something to be purchased. In the story the protagonists describes in vivid detail the physical appearance of his neighbor without ever venturing into any other reasons for his affection. The boy then goes to rather extreme lengths to buy her gifts to earn her affection. In the end the protagonist realizes, to his great disdain, the lengths he had gone in his failed quest for vanity. The story ends there abruptly, it appears that Joyce wanted to impress upon the reader the sense of futility that the young man feels at that moment. The story had to end as abruptly as it did to highlight the sudden loss that resulted from the pursuit of vane love as opposed to true love. Joyce was making a statement about traditional love, and merely pointing out that love based on outward appearances were destined for failure.
ReplyDeleteWeek #1 Question #3
ReplyDeleteIn the poem, "True Love", by Szymborska; I think the author portrays love in a way that is realistic and often occurs in real life. This poem discusses two strangers in a world of millions who go on to find eachother, and ultimately find true and meaningful love. I think that this is something that does happen in everday life and is beautiful. Two individuals who find eachother, and find pieces of themselves in another person; who makes them whole and loves them truly and deeply. I don't think this idea of love is far-fetched. This poem also describes those who are not is this true love and how they feel as though maybe this couple isn't for real, and perhaps it is a show they are putting on for the world around them. I think that this too is true and those who are not or have not experienced this love first hand often look at those who are in the midst of this love and wonder if it's real.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWeek 1 Question 6: How does the filmed reading (re-enactment or recitation, below) compare to your reading of "Duchess"? Did you emphasize certain elements similarly? Does something about the interpretation of the poem differ drastically from how you read it? Did you find the film useful?
ReplyDeletePersonally, I found the film very useful. It help to contextualize the storyline. When I first read it, I was overall confused as to who was at fault. After seeing the video, it help me understand what was actually going on in the storyline. Perhaps I am the only one who was slightly confused by the written version...