Read and Write
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Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to reproduce the material contained herein on the condition that such material be reproduced only for classroom use; be provided to students, teachers, and families without charge; and be used solely in conjunction with the Glencoe Literature program. Any other reproduction, for sale or other use, is expressly prohibited. Send all inquiries to: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill 8787 Orion Place Columbus, OH 43240-4027 ISBN: 978-0-07-889196-0 MHID: 0-07-889196-5 Printed in the United States of America. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 079 14 13 12 11 10 09 08
Contents
Why Use This Book?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi
from Beowulf • Anonymous
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
from The Pardoner’s Tale • Geoffrey Chaucer
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight • Anonymous On Monsieur’s Departure Speech to the Troops at Tilbury • Elizabeth I The Passionate Shepherd to His Love Sonnet 73 Sonnet 29 • William Shakespeare .
Meditation 17 • John Donne
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
• Christopher Marlowe . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act I, Scenes 1–2 • William Shakespeare Eve’s Apology • Aemilia Lanyer .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
from The Diary of Samuel Pepys • Samuel Pepys A Modest Proposal • Jonathan Swift
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
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Contents (continued)
Letter to Her Daughter • Lady Mary Wortley Montagu Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
• Thomas Gray
from A Vindication of the Rights of Woman • Mary Wollstonecraft .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey William Wordsworth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
from The Journals of Dorothy Wordsworth • Dorothy Wordsworth Ode on a Grecian Urn • John Keats TIME: What Is Love? • Paul Gray . Jabberwocky • Lewis Carroll
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Dover Beach • Matthew Arnold
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
To an Athlete Dying Young • A. E. Housman . Sailing to Byzantium The Second Coming • W. B. Yeats
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. . . . . . . . . 207
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Contents (continued)
Preludes • T. S. Eliot
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
from A Room of One’s Own • Virginia Woolf Be Ye Men of Valor • Winston Churchill
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
A Mild Attack of Locusts • Doris Lessing Two Sheep • Janet Frame
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Comparing Literature
Shall We Choose Death? • Bertrand Russell The Tribe with Its Eyes on the Sky • Italo Calvino Political Science • Randy Newman . . . . . . . . Functional Documents
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
Additional Activities
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Pronunciation Guide
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360
My Notes
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
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Why Use This Book? Read for Fun and Read to Learn! The notes and features of Read and Write will help you read and understand each literature and nonfiction selection. As you use these notes and features, you practice the skills and strategies that good readers use when they read.
Before You Read
Connect
Before You Read
The Cask of Amontillado
Before you read, think about your own experiences. Share your knowledge and opinions.
Connect to the Story What kind of injury would make someone want to take revenge? If you think revenge is never an option, explain why. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Circle the number of the response that is closest to your own. 1. If someone does terrible things to you, you should be able to take revenge. 2. Revenge is pointless; it cannot really make up for anything.
Build Background Build on what you know about the selection topic.
Build Background ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
At carnival time, people often wear costumes. The story takes place in an Italian palazzo, or mansion. The mansion has catacombs, which are underground burial chambers. Catacombs could be reached by climbing down narrow staircases. The catacombs were lined with hollowed-out nooks where the remains of the dead were put. A cask of Amontillado is a barrel of Spanish wine.
Now, write a short summary of the facts you just read. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Set Purposes for Reading
____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Set your purpose for reading, so you can plan how you’ll read.
Set Purposes for Reading In this short story, one man exacts a horrible revenge on another who he feels has injured him. Ask yourself what could have offended him so deeply that he needed to take such revenge. Try to find the reasons in the text as you read.
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Literary Element and Reading Strategy Literary Element
Learning about literary elements helps you to learn about important features of literature. Reading skills help you develop good strategies to understand what you read.
Mood
Mood is the overall feeling or emotion that a literary text creates for readers. A writer’s diction, or choice of words, helps to create mood. Knowing that the story is set in a catacomb and involves revenge, what type of mood would you predict the writer wants to create? Write your answer on the line below. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Reading Strategy Paraphrase Paraphrasing is putting a text into your own words. Unlike a summary, a paraphrase does not highlight the main points of the text. It restates a passage to make it clearer. As you read, make a chart like the one below on a separate sheet of paper to help paraphrase difficult sentences with unfamiliar vocabulary in your own words. A sample paraphrase has been done for you. Author’s Words
Paraphrase
A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong.
A wrong isn’t righted if the avenger gets caught. The object of the revenge must know who is taking revenge and why.
Vocabulary
Vocabulary Learning new vocabulary helps prepare you to read.
Context Clues
A word’s context is the sentence or paragraph in which the word appears. Often the context can help a reader understand the meanings of difficult words. Some common context clues include the following: ➤
definitions or synonyms
➤
examples
➤
contrast clues (opposite meanings)
➤
descriptions
➤
modifying words or phrases
In the following example, study the underlined part of the passage from the text. Identify how this context relates to the boldfaced vocabulary word. Then write what type of context clue it is on the line below.
Vocabulary preclude (pri kloodʼ) v. to prevent; to make impossible impunity (im pŪʼ nə tē) n. freedom from punishment, harm, or bad consequences accost (ə kôstʼ) v. to approach and speak to, especially in an aggressive manner explicit (eks plisʼ it) adj. definitely stated, clearly expressed implore (im plorʼ) v. to ask earnestly, to beg
“I must not only punish, but punish with impunity. A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes the redresser.” ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Read, Respond, Interact Notes support you as you read. Interact with and respond to the text by answering questions and reading information.
During Reading The Cask of Amontillado Reading Strategy Paraphrase Rephrase this highlighted sentence in your own words. To whom might Montresor be speaking? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
Vocabulary preclude (pri kloodʼ) v. to prevent; to make impossible impunity (im pŪʼ nə tē) n. freedom from punishment, harm, or bad consequences
Read and Discuss boxes give you a chance to share your thoughts and opinions with a partner.
The thousand injuries of Fortunato1 I had borne as I best could; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge. You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that I gave utterance to a threat. At length I would be avenged; this was a point definitively settled—but the very definitiveness with which it was resolved, precluded the idea of risk. I must not only punish, but punish with impunity. A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong.2 It must be understood, that neither by word nor deed had I given Fortunato cause to doubt my good-will. I continued, as was my wont, to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my smile now was at the thought of his immolation.3 He had a weak point—this Fortunato—although in other regards he was a man to be respected and even feared. He prided himself on his connoisseurship4 in wine. Few Italians have the true virtuoso spirit. For the most part their enthusiasm is adopted to suit the time and opportunity—to practice imposture upon the British and Austrian millionnaires. In painting and gemmary Fortunato, like his countrymen, was a quack—but in the matter of old wines he was sincere. In this respect I did not differ from him materially: I was skillful in the Italian vintages myself, and bought largely whenever I could.
Vocabulary appears on the same page as the new word.
Vocabulary Skill Word Parts The word impunity is related to the word punishment. The prefix im- adds a negative or opposite meaning to the root pun-, so that impunity means “safe from punishment.” On the lines below, rewrite the sentence in which the word impunity appears in your own words. ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________
The Cask of Amontillado 1. Fortunato (fôrˊ too nä̈ʼ tō)̄ 2. [A wrong is . . . done the wrong.] These sentences might be rephrased this way: “A wrong is not avenged if the avenger either is punished for taking revenge or does not make the wrongdoer aware that he is taking revenge.” 3. Here, immolation means “death or destruction.” 4. Connoisseurship is expert knowledge that qualifies one to pass judgment in a particular area.
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Questions about the Reading Strategy allow you to practice this feature.
Footnotes define terms in the text.
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It was about dusk, one evening during the supreme madness of the carnival season, that I encountered my friend. He accosted me with excessive warmth, for he had been drinking much. The man wore motley.5 He had on a tight-fitting parti-striped dress, and his head was surmounted by the conical cap and bells. I was so pleased to see him, that I thought I should never have done wringing his hand. I said to him: “My dear Fortunato, you are luckily met. How 3:27:35 PM remarkably well you are looking today! But I have received a pipe of what passes for Amontillado,6 and I have my doubts.” “How?” said he. “Amontillado? A pipe? Impossible! And in the middle of the carnival!” “I have my doubts,” I replied; “and I was silly enough to pay the full Amontillado price without consulting you in the matter. You were not to be found, and I was fearful of losing a bargain.” “Amontillado!” “I have my doubts.” “Amontillado!” “And I must satisfy them.” “Amontillado!” “As you are engaged, I am on my way to Luchesi.7 If anyone has a critical turn, it is he. He will tell me——” “Luchesi cannot tell Amontillado from Sherry.” “And yet some fools will have it that his taste is a match for your own.” “Come, let us go.” “Whither?” “To your vaults.” “My friend, no; I will not impose upon your good nature. I perceive you have an engagement. Luchesi—” “I have no engagement;—come.” “My friend, no. It is not the engagement, but the severe cold with which I perceive you are afflicted. The vaults are insufferably damp. They are encrusted with niter.”8 “Let us go, nevertheless. The cold is merely nothing. Amontillado! You have been imposed upon. And as for Luchesi, he cannot distinguish Sherry from Amontillado.”
Vocabulary accost (ə kôstʼ) v. to approach and speak to, especially in an aggressive manner
Read and Discuss With a partner, read the dialogue between Fortunato and Montresor aloud. Discuss why you think Montresor repeatedly refuses to take Fortunato into the vaults. ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
5. Motley is the multicolored costume of a court jester or clown. 6. A pipe is a wine barrel that holds 126 gallons. Amontillado is a kind of pale, dry sherry from Spain. 7. Luchesi (loo kāˊ sē) 8. Niter is a salt-like substance found in cool, damp places.
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The Cask of Amontillado
Here I knocked off the neck of a bottle which I drew from a long row of its fellows that lay upon the mold. “Drink,” I said, presenting him the wine. He raised it to his lips with a leer. He paused and nodded to me familiarly, while his bells jingled. “I drink,” he said, “to the buried that repose13 around us.” “And I to your long life.” He again took my arm, and we proceeded. “These vaults,” he said, “are extensive.” “The Montresors,” I replied, “were a great and numerous family.” “I forget your arms.”14 “A huge human foot d’or, in a field azure; the foot crushes a serpent rampant15 whose fangs are imbedded in the heel.” “And the motto?” “Nemo me impune lacessit.”16 coat of arms “Good!” he said. The wine sparkled in his eyes and the bells jingled. My own fancy grew warm with the Medoc. We had passed through walls of piled bones, with casks and puncheons17 intermingling, into the inmost recesses of the catacombs. I paused again, and this time I made bold to seize Fortunato by an arm above the elbow.
Literary Element Mood What mood does Poe create for the reader in this scene? Put a check in the box next to your answer below. ■ The reader feels hopeful about Fortunato’s recovery. ■ The reader wonders what will happen when Fortunato tastes the Amontillado. ■ The reader believes that something bad will happen to Fortunato.
Questions about the Literary Element allow you to practice this feature.
13. To repose is to lie at rest either sleeping or in death. 14. Arms is short for “coat of arms,” an arrangement of figures and symbols on or around a shield that, along with a motto, represents one’s ancestory. 15. The Montresor family’s coat of arms includes a golden foot on a sky-blue background and a snake rising up. 16. The motto is Latin for “Nobody provokes me with impunity.” 17. Casks and puncheons are large containers for storing liquids.
While you read, Reading Check boxes help you to check your comprehension.
READING CHECK Summarize Do you understand what is happening in the first part of this story? Read as far as the sentence beginning “Be it so.” Summarize the beginning part of the story in your own words. What has happened so far? ______________________________________________________
That One Man’s Profit Is Another’s Loss
Note Taking
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
Reread the text on the left. Then record your answers to the items below.
______________________________________________________
1. Montaigne believes that if someone is condemned for profiting from someone’s loss, then The Cask of Amontillado
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_____________________________________________________________________________________________ . This is because _______________________________________________________________________________ .
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2. According to Montaigne, if you look within yourself you will see ____________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ .
3. As I read this page, one thing I learned that I didn’t know before is _________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ .
4. Recap, or write in your own words, what you learned by reading this page. __________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Summarize below what you have learned thus far by reading this page. _____________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________
You can respond to and interact with nonfiction text on special Note Taking pages.
That One Man’s Profit Is Another’s Loss
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Show What You Know After reading activities help you focus your understanding of the text. Here, you apply the skills and strategies you practiced during reading.
After Reading After You Read
Connect, Literary Element, and Reading Strategy allow you to check your responses that you gave before reading to see if your thoughts or opinions have changed after reading.
The Cask of Amontillado
Connect to the Story Look back at the possible reasons for revenge that you suggested on page 2. The chart below lists two facts from the story. Write down a possible reason for revenge that corresponds to each fact. Detail from the Story
Possible Reasons For Revenge
Fortunato considers himself knowledgeable about wines. Fortunato is rich.
Literary Element
Vocabulary shows how well you learned the new vocabulary.
Mood
In what way does the mood of Poe’s story contribute to the story’s effect on the reader? On the lines below, indicate how each detail contributes to the story’s mood. Detail
Mood Created
▲
The two men walk ever deeper into the vaults.
▲
Niter grows on the vault’s walls.
After You Read
Reading Strategy Paraphrase The chart below contains quotations from the story. Paraphrase the quotations and indicate why they are important to the plot of “The Cask of Amontillado.” Quotation
Paraphrase
The Cask of Amontillado
Vocabulary
What it means
“And yet some fools will have it that his taste is a match for your own.”
impunity
“Its walls had been lined with human remains piled to the vault overhead, in the fashion of the great catacombs of Paris.”
preclude
explicit
accost
implore
A. Word Meaning Use the boldfaced vocabulary words to fill in the blanks in the following paragraph.
“The noise lasted for several minutes, during which, that I might hearken to it with the more satisfaction, I ceased my labors and sat down upon the bones.”
1. Montresor should realize he cannot kill with ______________ because the law could catch up with him. 2. Police officers could be waiting outside his palazzo to ______________ him. 3. As the story’s narrator, Montresor is ______________ with the reader about his plans to harm Fortunato.
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______________ his plans for Fortunato. 5. Why didn’t Fortunato ______________ Montresor to spare his life?
After You Read
B. Context Clues Underline the context clues in each of the following sentences that help you to determine the meaning of the boldfaced word. Then explain your choices on the lines below.
The Cask of Amontillado
1. Wanting the lead role, the aggressive actor made plans to accost the director of the school play on his way home.
Sensory Details Chart Sometimes a chart can help you organize facts or details from a text. Sensory details are words and phrases an author uses to help create mood and bring to mind the five senses—seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, and tasting. Sensory details make writing come alive and help the reader imagine what is being described. For each of the senses named below, add details from the story that appeal to that sense. An example has been done for you. Sight
Explanation: ______________________________________________________________________________ 2. Some students felt that Jake’s bad grades should preclude him from being considered for the lead role. Explanation: ______________________________________________________________________________ 3. The director had left no doubt in his students’ minds about his requirements; he had been explicit about them.
Niter like moss on walls
Explanation: ______________________________________________________________________________ 4. Jake was eager to play the part of Montresor in The Cask of Amontillado. In fact, he implored the director to give me the part. Explanation: ______________________________________________________________________________ Sound
The Cask of Amontillado
Touch
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Activities help you to organize what you learned about the selection.
Taste
Smell
Many other activities also appear in the back of your book.
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Learning Objectives For pages 1–18 In studying this text, you will focus on the following objectives: Literary Study: Analyzing literary genres. Reading: Identifying sequence. Analyzing historical context.
from
Beowulf
translated by Burton Raffel
from Beowulf
1
Before You Read
from
Beowulf
Connect to the Epic Beowulf is a hero. How does that make him different from everyone else? What do you think he may have done in the past? What might others expect from him in the future? What might he expect from himself? On the lines below, freewrite for a few minutes about a hero. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Build Background
Read the following information about Beowulf. •
Beowulf is the first great poem in the language that will become English.
•
The poem’s hero, Beowulf, is a great warrior of the Geats (gēts), a people who lived in what is now southern Sweden.
•
The setting of Beowulf is Scandinavia. Beowulf and his followers sail to Denmark to help the Hrothgar (rōthʼ gär), the ruler of the Danes, fight off a monster named Grendel.
•
In the warrior society depicted in Beowulf, a ruler and his followers formed a close-knit group.
•
Rulers rewarded the bravest of their followers with treasure, such as weapons and gold.
Now, in your own words, describe the cultural background of Beowulf. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Set Purposes for Reading Read to find out why Beowulf is the best man for the job of monster-killing and how he plans to fight his enemy, Grendel.
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Literary Element Conflict Conflict is a struggle between two people or things. Sometimes, characters have external conflicts—they struggle with other people, nature, or some other outside force. Sometimes, characters have internal conflicts. An internal conflict takes place within the character’s mind. With a partner, name conflicts that you have viewed, read about, or can imagine. Decide whether each conflict is internal or external.
Reading Strategy Identify Sequence Identifying sequence is recognizing and using time order. When you identify sequence, you tell what happens first, second, next, and last. Imagine you hear about a serious problem facing a friend or relative who lives far away. Use the lines below to list a sequence of three events that might follow in your life, including traveling to the faraway place. Write the events in time order. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Vocabulary Analogies An analogy is a comparison. On a vocabulary test, an analogy item asks you to find a relationship between two words. To solve the analogy, you apply the same relationship to a second set of words. As a result, when you compare the two sets of words, you see that they have the same relationship. Examples of relationships in analogies include the following: •
synonym or antonym
•
part to whole or whole to part
•
person and place, object, or action
•
object and quality, material, characteristic, or use
•
action and result
Vocabulary afflict (ə fliktʼ) v. to cause great suffering and pain to sentinel (sentʼ ən əl) n. a guard; someone who keeps watch purge (purj) v. to cleanse or to rid of whatever is unclean or undesirable shroud (shroud) n. a cloth, sheet, or simple sack that is used to cover a body that is to be buried
Study the vocabulary words to the right. Then identify the kind of relationship that exists between each set of words below. purge : cleanse ________________________________________ afflict : suffering ________________________________________ sentinel : fort __________________________________________ shroud : cloth __________________________________________
from Beowulf
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from Beowulf The following episode, Beowulf, takes place shortly after the beginning of the poem. The monster Grendel has come repeatedly by night to the stronghold of Hrothgar, ruler of the Danes, and slaughtered his men. When Beowulf hears this, he crosses the sea to rescue the Danes.
Literary Element Conflict Reread the headnote and lines 85–97. What struggle is occurring? Write your answer on the lines below.
The Coming of Beowulf
_______________________________ _______________________________
85
_______________________________ _______________________________ 90
Circle the term that identifies the type of struggle or conflict here. • internal conflict
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• external conflict
Read and Discuss As you read, underline details that help you get to know Beowulf. With a partner, decide on the best three words to describe him. Write your response on the lines below.
100
105
____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
4
110
So the living sorrow of Healfdane’s son° Simmered, bitter and fresh, and no wisdom Or strength could break it: that agony hung On king and people alike, harsh And unending, violent and cruel, and evil. In his far-off home Beowulf, Higlac’s Follower° and the strongest of the Geats—greater And stronger than anyone anywhere in this world— Heard how Grendel filled nights with horror And quickly commanded a boat fitted out, Proclaiming that he’d go to that famous king, Would sail across the sea to Hrothgar, Now when help was needed. None Of the wise ones regretted his going, much As he was loved by the Geats: the omens were good, And they urged the adventure on. So Beowulf Chose the mightiest men he could find, The bravest and best of the Geats, fourteen In all, and led them down to their boat; He knew the sea, would point the prow° Straight to that distant Danish shore. Then they sailed, set their ship Out on the waves, under the cliffs. Ready for what came they wound through the currents, The seas beating at the sand, and were borne In the lap of their shining ship, lined With gleaming armor, going safely In that oak-hard boat to where their hearts took them. The wind hurried them over the waves, The ship foamed through the sea like a bird
from Beowulf
Literary Element Conflict Underline the words associated with Grendel in line 93. Keeping these words in mind, how might you describe the conflict between Beowulf and Grendel? Write your answer on the lines below. _______________________________ _______________________________ 85 Healfdane’s son: Hrothgar. _______________________________ _______________________________ 90–91 Higlac’s Follower: Higlac, king of the Geats, is Beowulf’s uncle. Higlac’s follower, then, refers to Beowulf.
104 prow: the bow, or forwardmost part of a ship.
from Beowulf
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from Beowulf
Literary Element Conflict The Beowulf-poet was a Christian writing about a pagan past, and his poem mixes pagan and Christian elements. Which action in lines 120–124 reflects Christianity? Write your answer on the lines below. _______________________________
115
120
125
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
130
_______________________________
135
Reading Strategy Identify Sequence Reread lines 120–132. Then read the events below. Write 1 next to the one that happens first, 2 next to the one that happens second, and 3 next to the one that happens last.
140
145
________ A Danish watcher speaks to the men. ________ The men moor their ship. ________ The men give thanks for their easy crossing.
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150
Until, in the time they had known it would take, Standing in the round-curled prow they could see Sparkling hills, high and green, Jutting up over the shore, and rejoicing In those rock-steep cliffs they quietly ended Their voyage. Jumping to the ground, the Geats Pushed their boat to the sand and tied it In place, mail shirts° and armor rattling As they swiftly moored their ship. And then They gave thanks to God for their easy crossing. High on a wall a Danish watcher Patrolling along the cliffs saw The travelers crossing to the shore, their shields Raised and shining; he came riding down, Hrothgar’s lieutenant, spurring his horse, Needing to know why they’d landed, these men In armor. Shaking his heavy spear In their faces he spoke: “Whose soldiers are you, You who’ve been carried in your deep-keeled ship° Across the sea-road to this country of mine? Listen! I’ve stood on these cliffs longer Than you know, keeping our coast free Of pirates, raiders sneaking ashore From their ships, seeking our lives and our gold. None have ever come more openly— And yet you’ve offered no password, no sign From my prince, no permission from my people for your landing Here. Nor have I ever seen, Out of all the men on earth, one greater Than has come with you; no commoner carries Such weapons, unless his appearance, and his beauty, Are both lies. You! Tell me your name, And your father’s; no spies go further onto Danish Soil than you’ve come already. Strangers, From wherever it was you sailed, tell it, And tell it quickly, the quicker the better, I say, for us all. Speak, say Exactly who you are, and from where, and why.”
from Beowulf
122 mail shirts: a type of flexible body armor usually made of linked metal loops.
134 deep-keeled ship: a ship that possesses a deep bottom—the keel being the main piece of timber that runs the length of the bottom of the ship to support the ship’s frame.
Read and Discuss Reread the highlighted text. Put yourself in the watchman’s place. Would you be friendly to these men in armor who land on your shore? Talk with a partner about what you might say or do. Decide why you would or would not act just as the watchman does. Write your response on the lines below. ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
from Beowulf
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from Beowulf
155
160
165
170
Vocabulary
175
afflict (ə fliktʼ) v. to cause great suffering and pain to
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Literary Element Conflict In lines 173–181, Beowulf says Hrothgar has two choices. What are they? Write your answer on the lines below.
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195
Their leader answered him, Beowulf unlocking Words from deep in his breast: “We are Geats, Men who follow Higlac. My father Was a famous soldier, known far and wide As a leader of men. His name was Edgetho. His life lasted many winters; Wise men all over the earth surely Remember him still. And we have come seeking Your prince, Healfdane’s son, protector Of this people, only in friendship: instruct us, Watchman, help us with your words! Our errand Is a great one, our business with the glorious king Of the Danes no secret; there’s nothing dark Or hidden in our coming. You know (if we’ve heard The truth, and been told honestly) that your country Is cursed with some strange, vicious creature That hunts only at night and that no one Has seen. It’s said, watchman, that he has slaughtered Your people, brought terror to the darkness. Perhaps Hrothgar can hunt, here in my heart, For some way to drive this devil out— If anything will ever end the evils Afflicting your wise and famous lord. Here he can cool his burning sorrow. Or else he may see his suffering go on Forever, for as long as Herot towers High on your hills.” The mounted officer Answered him bluntly, the brave watchman: “A soldier should know the difference between words And deeds, and keep that knowledge clear In his brain. I believe your words, I trust in Your friendship. Go forward, weapons and armor And all, on into Denmark. I’ll guide you Myself—and my men will guard your ship, Keep it safe here on our shores, Your fresh-tarred boat, watch it well, Until that curving prow carries Across the sea to Geatland a chosen Warrior who bravely does battle with the creature Haunting our people, who survives that horror Unhurt, and goes home bearing our love.”
from Beowulf
Read and Discuss As you read, think about how Beowulf reveals that he is someone special. With a partner, talk about how Beowulf gains the watchman’s trust. Write your response on the lines below. ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
from Beowulf
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from Beowulf
Reading Strategy Identify Sequence What happens after Beowulf and his men leave their boat behind? Circle the letter in front of the correct answer.
200
a. Beowulf explains why he has come. b. The watchman says that words and deeds are not the same.
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c. The watchman brings them to Herot. 210
Then they moved on. Their boat lay moored, Tied tight to its anchor. Glittering at the top Of their golden helmets wild boar heads gleamed, Shining decorations, swinging as they marched, Erect like guards, like sentinels, as though ready To fight. They marched, Beowulf and his men And their guide, until they could see the gables Of Herot, covered with hammered gold And glowing in the sun—that most famous of all dwellings, Towering majestic, its glittering roofs Visible far across the land. Their guide reined in his horse, pointing To that hall, built by Hrothgar for the best And bravest of his men; the path was plain, They could see their way.
Vocabulary sentinel (sentʼ ən əl) n. a guard; someone who keeps watch
Vocabulary Skill Analogies Context clues can be used to create the comparison that helps form an analogy. In line 201, what is the relationship between guards and sentinels? Check one.
■ ■ ■
antonyms person and action synonyms
Which pair of terms might follow guards : sentinels ::? Circle it.
READING CHECK
robins : eggs doctors : physicians professors : students
Summarize On the lines below, summarize the events of the epic from the moment when Beowulf and his men reach the shore to this point. Write only the main events in your own words. ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
10
from Beowulf
Literary Element Conflict In this epic, the path to goodness is clear, visible, and repeatedly associated with the light. Underline words on this page that link good people, good places, and good deeds with things that shine.
from Beowulf
11
from Beowulf
215
220
225
Literary Element Conflict Reread lines 230–237. How has Beowulf won the battle against evil in the past? Underline the answers.
230
235
Read and Discuss Reread lines 238–247. With a partner, decide what tone you hear in Beowulf’s voice. Write your response on the lines below. ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
12
240
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Beowulf arose, with his men Around him, ordering a few to remain With their weapons, leading the others quickly Along under Herot’s steep roof into Hrothgar’s Presence. Standing on that prince’s own hearth, Helmeted, the silvery metal of his mail shirt Gleaming with a smith’s high art, he greeted The Danes’ great lord: “Hail, Hrothgar! Higlac is my cousin° and my king; the days Of my youth have been filled with glory. Now Grendel’s Name has echoed in our land: sailors Have brought us stories of Herot, the best Of all mead-halls, deserted and useless when the moon Hangs in skies the sun had lit, Light and life fleeing together. My people have said, the wisest, most knowing And best of them, that my duty was to go to the Danes’ Great king. They have seen my strength for themselves, Have watched me rise from the darkness of war, Dripping with my enemies’ blood. I drove Five great giants into chains, chased All of that race from the earth. I swam In the blackness of night, hunting monsters Out of the ocean, and killing them one By one; death was my errand and the fate They had earned. Now Grendel and I are called Together, and I’ve come. Grant me, then, Lord and protector of this noble place, A single request! I have come so far, Oh shelterer of warriors and your people’s loved friend, That this one favor you should not refuse me— That I, alone and with the help of my men, May purge all evil from this hall. I have heard, Too, that the monster’s scorn of men Is so great that he needs no weapons and fears none. Nor will I. My lord Higlac
from Beowulf
221 cousin: in this case, used broadly to mean any relative.
Vocabulary purge (purj) v. to cleanse or to rid of whatever is unclean or undesirable
Reading Strategy Identify Sequence Read each pair of events below. Circle the letter of the one that happens first. a. Grendel attacks the mead hall. b. Beowulf kills sea monsters. a. News of Grendel reaches the Geats. b. Beowulf greets Hrothgar. a. Beowulf enters Herot for the first time. b. Beowulf asks to fight Grendel with his bare hands.
from Beowulf
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from Beowulf
250
Literary Element Conflict According to the highlighted passage, who truly decides whether good or evil will win? Circle the letter of the correct answer below. a. Grendel
255
260
b. God c. the Danes
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Reading Strategy Identify Sequence In lines 255– 268, what sequence of events does Beowulf think will occur if Grendel wins the battle? Write your answer on the lines below.
Might think less of me if I let my sword Go where my feet were afraid to, if I hid Behind some broad linden° shield: my hands Alone shall fight for me, struggle for life Against the monster. God must decide Who will be given to death’s cold grip. Grendel’s plan, I think, will be What it has been before, to invade this hall And gorge his belly with our bodies. If he can, If he can. And I think, if my time will have come, There’ll be nothing to mourn over, no corpse to prepare For its grave: Grendel will carry our bloody Flesh to the moors, crunch on our bones And smear torn scraps of our skin on the walls Of his den. No, I expect no Danes Will fret about sewing our shrouds, if he wins. And if death does take me, send the hammered Mail of my armor to Higlac, return The inheritance I had from Hrethel, and he From Wayland.° Fate will unwind as it must!”
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READING CHECK
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Clarify Beowulf focuses on some different ideas on this final page than he brings up earlier. What are they? ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
14
from Beowulf
251 linden: made from the wood of a linden tree.
Vocabulary 267–268 inheritance . . . Wayland: The inheritance is the armor that Wayland, a blacksmith of Germanic legend, forged for Hrethel, Beowulf’s grandfather and former king of the Geats.
shroud (shroud) n. a cloth, sheet, or simple sack that is used to cover a body that is to be buried
Vocabulary Skill Analogies Reread lines 259–266 and underline the context clue or clues that suggest a relationship between a shroud and a dead body.
from Beowulf
15
After You Read
from Beowulf
Connect to the Epic Look back at your freewriting about a hero on page 2. Which qualities of a hero did you name that apply to Beowulf? What qualities does Beowulf have that you did not name? Write your answer on the lines below. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________
Literary Element Conflict Beowulf has an external conflict with Grendel and with the evil that Grendel represents. Does Beowulf have any internal conflicts? Put a check in the box next to the best answer below.
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Yes; Beowulf does have internal conflicts, because he’s not sure whether God or Fate rules events.
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No; Beowulf does not appear to have any internal conflicts. He seems very sure of himself.
■
Maybe; Beowulf might have some internal conflicts because he seems a bit troubled about the outcome of the fight.
Reading Strategy Identify Sequence Write the numbers 1–7 before each event to show the order in which they occur in the epic. ______ Beowulf selects fourteen Geats to join him. ______ Beowulf admits that God will decide the battle and that fate must determine what happens. ______ A watchman asks Beowulf to tell who he is, who his father is, where he has come from, and why he has come. ______ Beowulf explains that Higlac is his cousin and asks to be given the task of fighting Grendel. ______ Beowulf hears about Grendel’s attacks. ______ Beowulf sails for the Danish shore. ______ The watchman takes Beowulf and his men to see Hrothgar at Herot.
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After You Read
from Beowulf
Vocabulary A. Word Meaning Circle the answer that best fits the meaning of the boldfaced vocabulary word in each sentence. 1. The diseases that afflict the people of the village can be cured. a cause great suffering for
c affect the future of
b create a challenge for
d defy the wisdom of
2. The sentinel questioned everyone who approached the castle. a politician
c soldier
b guard
d king
3. The dictator decided to purge the news of all criticism of her party. a credit
c influence
b rewrite
d rid
4. The shroud covered the woman from head to toe. a nasty rumors
c burial cloth
b sailing ship
d foggy vapor
B. Analogies For each item below, decide what the relationship is between the first pair of words. Then identify the answer choice that creates the same relationship with the third word. Circle your answer. In each expression, : means “is to” and :: means “as.” The first one has been completed for you. 1. beach : sand :: thicket : branches
Relationship: object/material
a leaves
c lumber
b branches
d fruit
2. shroud : cover :: shovel : ________________ a earth
c garden
b dig
d tool
3. purge : cleanse :: cease : ________________ a stop
c stain
b rid
d infer
4. sentinel : guard :: editor : ________________ a publish
c book
b writing
d proofread
5. afflict : comfort :: depart : ________________ a leave
c arrive
b compassion
d difficulty
Relationship: ________________
Relationship: ________________
Relationship: ________________
Relationship: ________________
from Beowulf
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After You Read
Sequence Chart
from Beowulf
Beowulf provides information about Beowulf’s past and present, and it gives hints to Beowulf’s future. Complete the first two rows of the chart below by listing details from the epic that tell about Beowulf’s past and present. Complete the final row of the chart with a prediction about what will happen to Beowulf. Support your prediction with evidence from the epic. Beowulf’s Past
Beowulf’s Present
Beowulf’s Future
18
Learning Objectives For pages 19–38 In studying this text, you will focus on the following objectives: Literary Study: Analyzing irony. Reading: Analyzing tone.
from The
Pardoner’s Tale
by Geoffrey Chaucer
from The Pardoner’s Tale
19
Before You Read
from The Pardoner’s Tale Connect to the Poem “The Pardoner’s Tale” is about greed—an exaggerated and desperate need or desire for money. Check the following statements you agree with.
■ ■ ■ ■
Greed makes people selfish. Having a lot of money is always a good thing. If you have a lot of money, you should help your friends. Many students will agree with the first and last statements only.
Build Background Underline key words and phrases as you read the following list. •
“The Pardoner’s Tale” is part of The Canterbury Tales, a collection of stories in poem form that Geoffrey Chaucer wrote in the 1300s. This collection begins with “The Prologue,” which is set in a tavern near London.
•
In “The Prologue,” Chaucer describes the chance meeting of about thirty diverse strangers (including the pardoner). These characters agree to compete in a storytelling contest while traveling to Canterbury.
•
Their trip is a pilgrimage—a religious journey to a holy place. Today, people from a variety of religions continue to go on pilgrimages. For example, many Muslims make an annual pilgrimage to Mecca. We may also associate the pilgrims’ journey to Canterbury with the modern “road trip.”
•
Following “The Prologue,” each pilgrim tells his or her tale. This creates a frame story—a plot structure based on the telling of a story within a story.
•
A church representative called a pardoner tells the following story. This pardoner is corrupt; he charges people money on behalf of the church for divine forgiveness and then keeps the money for himself. His tale is an exemplum—a brief story that teaches a lesson about how to behave.
•
Chaucer ran out of time to complete The Canterbury Tales. He didn’t write about the pilgrims’ return journey or say who won the storytelling contest. However, the work remains an incredible literary achievement.
•
Not written in Latin (the language of religion and scholarship) or Norman French (the language of the court), The Canterbury Tales helped develop English as a literary language. It also helped establish the London dialect of English—rather than a regional dialect (such as that of the Gawain poet)—as the dominant form of English.
Set Purposes for Reading Read to find out what happens when greed drives a group of friends to betray one another.
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Literary Element Irony Irony is a contrast or difference between what is expected and what actually happens. It produces a darkly humorous effect. Situational irony occurs when a character expects one thing but the opposite, or something totally different, happens. Verbal irony occurs when a character says one thing but means another. Dramatic irony occurs when the reader knows something that the characters don’t. Write an S next to the item below that is an example of situational irony, a V next to the item that is an example of verbal irony, and a D next to the item that is an example of dramatic irony. ______ Mike never studies for tests, and his teacher is always telling him to work harder. One evening, Mike decides to change his ways, and studies very hard for the next day’s test. However, when he comes to class, he finds that the teacher has canceled the test to give everyone a break. ______ The narrator of a story has revealed that the main character will soon die. A few pages later, the main character says, “I feel invincible, like I could live forever.” ______ When no one in English class is able to answer a question about the assigned reading, the teacher grins and says, “Well, it’s nice to know that everyone was paying attention.”
Reading Strategy Analyze Tone Tone refers to a writer’s attitude toward a subject. It is conveyed through word choice, sentence structure, and figures of speech. When you read literature, think about the tone that characters use as they speak. For example, do they sound angry? hopeful? confused? You can also hear a tone in the narrator’s voice. For example, the narrator may be laughing at, judging, or surprised by the actions of the characters. Write the tone, or attitude that would come through in your voice, in each of the following situations. Situation
Tone
Situation
talking to a scared child
praying for a good outcome for a best friend’s operation
urging your favorite team on to victory at a playoff match
talking with a parent about a problem you caused
Tone
Vocabulary Context Clues You can use context clues to find a word’s meaning. Look at the following lines from the selection: “It’s of three rioters I have to tell/ Who, long before the morning service bell,/Were sitting in a tavern for a drink.” Context clues in this sentence help tell you that rioters are, at minimum, drinkers—and not just any drinkers, but ones who show up before the tavern has even opened. As you read, look for context clues for the vocabulary words that you encounter.
Vocabulary adversary (adʼ vər serʼ ē) n. opponent; enemy prudent (proodʼ ənt) adj. cautious; careful gratify (gratʼ ə fı̄ʼ) v. to satisfy; indulge deftly (deftʼ lē) adj. skillfully; nimbly
from The Pardoner’s Tale
21
from The
Pardoner’s Tale
Reading Strategy Analyze Tone This story is set in a time when a plague, or widespread disease, was killing many people in England. When a coffin passes by, the conversation turns to Death. Note that the characters refer to death with a capital d, as if it were a powerful person. Reread the serving boy’s answer to the question of whose dead body is going by. With the above information in mind, decide what his tone is. a. delighted and enthusiastic
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b. worried and anxious c. matter-of-fact and objective Would you talk about a dead body passing by in the same tone of voice?
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It’s of three rioters° I have to tell Who, long before the morning service bell,° Were sitting in a tavern for a drink. And as they sat, they heard the hand-bell clink Before a coffin going to the grave;° One of them called the little tavern-knave° And said “Go and find out at once—look spry!— Whose corpse is in that coffin passing by; And see you get the name correctly too.” “Sir,” said the boy, “no need, I promise you; Two hours before you came here I was told. He was a friend of yours in days of old, And suddenly, last night, the man was slain, Upon his bench, face up, dead drunk again. There came a privy° thief, they call him Death, Who kills us all round here, and in a breath He speared him through the heart, he never stirred. And then Death went his way without a word. He’s killed a thousand in the present plague,° And, sir, it doesn’t do to be too vague If you should meet him; you had best be wary. Be on your guard with such an adversary, Be primed to meet him everywhere you go, That’s what my mother said. It’s all I know.” The publican° joined in with, “By St. Mary, What the child says is right; you’d best be wary, This very year he killed, in a large village A mile away, man, woman, serf at tillage,°
from The Pardoner’s Tale
Vocabulary adversary (adʼ vər serʼ ē) n. opponent; enemy
1 rioters: people given to unrestrained revelry and debauchery. 2 long before . . . bell: long before 9 .. 4–5 hand-bell . . . grave: During this time, a bell was rung next to the coffin in a funeral procession. 6 tavern-knave: serving boy.
Vocabulary Skill Context Clues Look at the way adversary is used in context. Underline the context clues that help you determine its meaning.
15 privy: secretive.
19 killed . . . plague: In 1348 and 1349 at least a third of the population of England perished from the plague called the Black Death.
Read and Discuss
25 publican: a tavernkeeper or innkeeper.
28 tillage: plowing.
With a partner, take turns rereading what the serving boy and the publican say about Death. Then fill out this organizer with story details about Death.
Who
Where When
What How
from The Pardoner’s Tale
23
from The Pardoner’s Tale
Literary Element 30
Irony What is ironic, or opposite of expectations, about a decision to kill Death? Write your answer on the lines below. 35
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40
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45
Read and Discuss With a partner, reread lines 51–73. Then summarize what happens when the rioters meet the old man. Write your summary on the lines below.
50
____________________________ 55
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60
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65
____________________________ How do you feel about the rioters in this meeting? How do you feel about the old man? Discuss these questions with your partner.
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70
Page in the household, children—all there were. Yes, I imagine that he lives round there. It’s well to be prepared in these alarms, He might do you dishonor.” “Huh, God’s arms!” The rioter said, “Is he so fierce to meet? I’ll search for him, by Jesus, street by street. God’s blessed bones! I’ll register a vow! Here, chaps! The three of us together now, Hold up your hands, like me, and we’ll be brothers In this affair, and each defend the others, And we will kill this traitor Death, I say! Away with him as he has made away With all our friends. God’s dignity! Tonight!” They made their bargain, swore with appetite, These three, to live and die for one another As brother-born might swear to his born brother. And up they started in their drunken rage And made towards this village which the page And publican had spoken of before. Many and grisly were the oaths they swore, Tearing Christ’s blessed body to a shred;° “If we can only catch him, Death is dead!” When they had gone not fully half a mile, Just as they were about to cross a stile,° They came upon a very poor old man Who humbly greeted them and thus began, “God look to you, my lords, and give you quiet!” To which the proudest of these men of riot Gave back the answer, “What, old fool? Give place! Why are you all wrapped up except your face? Why live so long? Isn’t it time to die?” The old, old fellow looked him in the eye And said, “Because I never yet have found, Though I have walked to India, searching round Village and city on my pilgrimage, One who would change his youth to have my age. And so my age is mine and must be still Upon me, for such time as God may will. “Not even Death, alas, will take my life; So, like a wretched prisoner at strife Within himself, I walk alone and wait About the earth, which is my mother’s gate,° Knock-knocking with my staff from night to noon And crying, ‘Mother, open to me soon! Look at me, mother, won’t you let me in?
from The Pardoner’s Tale
49 Tearing . . . shred: Their swearing included such expressions as “God’s arms” (line 32) and “God’s blessed bones” (line 35).
52 stile: a stairway used to climb over a wall or fence.
Reading Strategy 70 mother’s gate: the entrance to the grave.
Analyze Tone Read the highlighted lines. Underline the words and phrases that help you hear how sad, frustrated, and desperate the old man is.
from The Pardoner’s Tale
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from The Pardoner’s Tale
Literary Element 75
Irony What is ironic about a person who wishes to die but cannot die? Write your answer on the lines below. 80
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85
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90
_______________________________ _______________________________ 95
Reading Strategy Analyze Tone Reread the highlighted lines. How does the old man’s tone change here? To decide, first recall his tone earlier. Then write your answer on the lines below.
100
105
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110
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115
See how I wither, flesh and blood and skin! Alas! When will these bones be laid to rest? Mother, I would exchange—for that were best— The wardrobe in my chamber, standing there So long, for yours! Aye, for a shirt of hair° To wrap me in!’ She has refused her grace, Whence comes the pallor of my withered face. “But it dishonored you when you began To speak so roughly, sir, to an old man, Unless he had injured you in word or deed. It says in holy writ, as you may read, ‘Thou shalt rise up before the hoary° head And honor it.’ And therefore be it said ‘Do no more harm to an old man than you, Being now young, would have another do When you are old’—if you should live till then. And so may God be with you, gentlemen, For I must go whither I have to go.” “By God,” the gambler said, “you shan’t do so, You don’t get off so easy, by St. John! I heard you mention, just a moment gone, A certain traitor Death who singles out And kills the fine young fellows hereabout. And you’re his spy, by God! You wait a bit. Say where he is or you shall pay for it, By God and by the Holy Sacrament! I say you’ve joined together by consent To kill us younger folk, you thieving swine!” “Well, sirs,” he said, “if it be your design To find out Death, turn up this crooked way Towards that grove, I left him there today Under a tree, and there you’ll find him waiting. He isn’t one to hide for all your prating. You see that oak? He won’t be far to find. And God protect you that redeemed mankind, Aye, and amend° you!” Thus that ancient man. At once the three young rioters began To run, and reached the tree, and there they found A pile of golden florins on the ground, New-coined, eight bushels of them as they thought. No longer was it Death those fellows sought, For they were all so thrilled to see the sight, The florins were so beautiful and bright, That down they sat beside the precious pile. The wickedest spoke first after a while.
from The Pardoner’s Tale
78 shirt of hair: usually a rough shirt worn as self-punishment; here, a shroud
85 hoary: white with age.
Literary Element Irony Situational irony occurs when the rioters find the gold. Why is finding gold ironic? 109 amend: improve.
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from The Pardoner’s Tale
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from The Pardoner’s Tale
120
Literary Element Irony Do you think the rioter is interpreting the presence of the treasure correctly? Or do you think the reason for finding the treasure might be the opposite of what the rioter thinks? Explain your answer on the lines below. _______________________________
125
130
_______________________________ _______________________________ 135
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140
“Brothers,” he said, “you listen to what I say. I’m pretty sharp although I joke away. It’s clear that Fortune° has bestowed this treasure To let us live in jollity and pleasure. Light come, light go! We’ll spend it as we ought. God’s precious dignity! Who would have thought This morning was to be our lucky day? “If one could only get the gold away, Back to my house, or else to yours, perhaps— For as you know, the gold is ours, chaps— We’d all be at the top of fortune, hey? But certainly it can’t be done by day. People would call us robbers—a strong gang, So our own property would make us hang. No, we must bring this treasure back by night Some prudent way, and keep it out of sight. And so as a solution I propose We draw for lots and see the way it goes; The one who draws the longest, lucky man, Shall run to town as quickly as he can To fetch us bread and wine—but keep things dark°— While two remain in hiding here to mark Our heap of treasure. If there’s no delay, When night comes down we’ll carry it away, All three of us, wherever we have planned.”
READING CHECK Predict Do you think the rioters will find Death? What clues help you make your prediction? Write your answer on the lines below. ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
28
from The Pardoner’s Tale
121 Fortune: fate.
Vocabulary prudent (proodʼ ənt) adj. cautious; careful
Vocabulary Skill 139 keep things dark: act in secret; don’t give us away.
Context Clues Which of the following phrases from the selection are context clues for the meaning of prudent? Check all that apply. ■ our own property ■ make us hang ■ by night ■ keep it out of sight ■ run to town
from The Pardoner’s Tale
29
from The Pardoner’s Tale
145
Literary Element 150
Irony Why is the talk of friendship in lines 150–157 ironic? Write your answer on the lines below. _______________________________
155
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160
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Vocabulary gratify (gratʼ ə fı̄ʼ) v. to satisfy; indulge
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Vocabulary Skill Context Clues Circle the letter of the phrase that gives an example of the way in which the two rioters will gratify their lusts.
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a. dicing at our own sweet will b. to slay/The third and youngest c. Divided equally of course
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He gathered lots and hid them in his hand Bidding them draw for where the luck should fall. It fell upon the youngest of them all, And off he ran at once towards the town. As soon as he had gone the first sat down And thus began a parley° with the other: “You know that you can trust me as a brother; Now let me tell you where your profit lies; You know our friend has gone to get supplies And here’s a lot of gold that is to be Divided equally amongst us three. Nevertheless, if I could shape things thus So that we shared it out—the two of us— Wouldn’t you take it as a friendly act?” “But how?” the other said. “He knows the fact That all the gold was left with me and you; What can we tell him? What are we to do?” “Is it a bargain,” said the first, “or no? For I can tell you in a word or so What’s to be done to bring the thing about.” “Trust me,” the other said, “you needn’t doubt My word. I won’t betray you, I’ll be true.” “Well,” said his friend, “you see that we are two, And two are twice as powerful as one. Now look; when he comes back, get up in fun To have a wrestle; then, as you attack, I’ll up and put my dagger through his back While you and he are struggling, as in game; Then draw your dagger too and do the same. Then all this money will be ours to spend, Divided equally of course, dear friend. Then we can gratify our lusts and fill The day with dicing at our own sweet will.” Thus these two miscreants° agreed to slay The third and youngest, as you heard me say. The youngest, as he ran towards the town, Kept turning over, rolling up and down Within his heart the beauty of those bright New florins, saying, “Lord, to think I might Have all that treasure to myself alone! Could there be anyone beneath the throne Of God so happy as I then should be?”
from The Pardoner’s Tale
149 parley (pärʼ lē): a discussion, as with an enemy.
Read and Discuss 177 miscreants (misʼ krē ənts): evildoers, villains.
Think back to the idea of greed. Recall that for the storyteller and the medieval audience, greed was considered a sin. With a partner, find the youngest rioter’s references to Lord and God. Discuss why they are ironic. That is, think about how mixing up references to God with pleasure in thoughts of murder and greed would be ironic to a medieval audience.
from The Pardoner’s Tale
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from The Pardoner’s Tale
Reading Strategy Analyze Tone On this page, the narrator begins to comment on the action. Check the statement that best describes the narrator’s tone. ■ The tone becomes more excited than before and expresses the thrill of greed. ■ The tone becomes angry and suggests God’s punishment for the sin of greed. ■ The tone becomes philosophical, or matter-offact and objective, about the problem of greed.
Read and Discuss The rioter has gone to buy poison. He says he is going to kill vermin, or small, undesirable pests. What does he really plan to kill? Write your answer on the lines below.
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____________________________ With a partner, discuss why it is ironic that the rioter says he is going to kill “vermin.” Then discuss why it is ironic that he says this is “only right.”
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And so the Fiend, our common enemy, Was given power to put it in his thought That there was always poison to be bought, And that with poison he could kill his friends. To men in such a state the Devil sends Thoughts of this kind, and has a full permission To lure them on to sorrow and perdition;° For this young man was utterly content To kill them both and never to repent. And on he ran, he had no thought to tarry, Came to the town, found an apothecary And said, “Sell me some poison if you will, I have a lot of rats I want to kill And there’s a polecat too about my yard That takes my chickens and it hits me hard; But I’ll get even, as is only right, With vermin that destroy a man by night.” The chemist answered, “I’ve a preparation Which you shall have, and by my soul’s salvation If any living creature eat or drink A mouthful, ere he has the time to think, Though he took less than makes a grain of wheat, You’ll see him fall down dying at your feet; Yes, die he must, and in so short a while You’d hardly have the time to walk a mile, The poison is so strong, you understand.” This cursed fellow grabbed into his hand The box of poison and away he ran Into a neighboring street, and found a man Who lent him three large bottles. He withdrew And deftly poured the poison into two. He kept the third one clean, as well he might, For his own drink, meaning to work all night Stacking the gold and carrying it away. And when this rioter, this devil’s clay, Had filled his bottles up with wine, all three, Back to rejoin his comrades sauntered he.
from The Pardoner’s Tale
192 perdition: damnation.
Vocabulary deftly (deftʼ lē) adv. skillfully; nimbly
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Literary Element Irony Think about what happens to the speaker. Then tell why the highlighted lines are ironic. Write your answer on the lines below.
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Why make a sermon of it? Why waste breath? Exactly in the way they’d planned his death They fell on him and slew him, two to one. Then said the first of them when this was done, “Now for a drink. Sit down and let’s be merry, For later on there’ll be the corpse to bury.” And, as it happened, reaching for a sup, He took a bottle of poison up And drank; and his companion, nothing loth,° Drank from it also, and they perished both. There is, in Avicenna’s long relation° Concerning poison and its operation, Trust me, no ghastlier section to transcend What these two wretches suffered at their end. Thus these two murderers received their due, So did the treacherous young poisoner too.
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READING CHECK Summarize What happens after the rioters find the gold? Summarize the main events on the lines below. ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
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from The Pardoner’s Tale
231 nothing loth: very willingly. 233 Avicenna’s (avʼ ə senʼ əz) long relation: a medieval book on medicine by the Arab physician Avicenna (980–1037), which contains a chapter on poisons.
Reading Strategy Analyze Tone Reread the text on page 34. Underline words or phrases that you think show the narrator’s attitude toward what happened. Now think about whether you would use the same tone to wrap up a story like this one. Explain why or why not on the lines below. _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
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After You Read
from The Pardoner’s Tale
Connect to the Poem Look back at the statements you checked about greed and money on page 20. Decide how two of those statements apply to “The Pardoner’s Tale.” Explain how they apply on the lines below. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________
Literary Element Irony You saw many examples of irony in “The Pardoner’s Tale.” Now complete these sentences about irony in the poem. 1. Reread the old man’s speech in lines 102–109. The old man’s warning that the character of Death is waiting for the rioters beneath the oak tree is ironic because ___________________________________________________ . 2. Recall that the Pardoner is a greedy man who makes a personal profit from forgiving sins. The fact that the Pardoner tells this story is ironic because __________________________________________________________ . 3. Recall that one rioter says that the person who draws the longest straw will be the “lucky man.” This is an example of verbal irony because __________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ .
Reading Strategy Analyze Tone Match each quotation from the poem with the word that names its tone. You may want to refer back to the selection text to recall the context of the quotations. Quotation
Tone
1. The old man says to three rioters, “God look to you, my lords,
a. detached
and give you quiet!” (line 55) _________ b. sorrowful 2. One rioter says to the old man, “Say where [Death] is or you shall pay for it. . . !” (lines 98–99) _________ 3. At the end of the story, the narrator asks, “Why make a sermon of it? Why waste breath?” (line 223) _________
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c. urgent d. humble e. amused
After You Read
from The Pardoner’s Tale
Vocabulary A. Word Meaning Follow the directions for each group of words or phrases. The vocabulary words from the selection are in bold. Use a dictionary or thesaurus if you need help. 1. Write the following words in order from friendliest to least friendly. adversary, friend, acquaintance __________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Write the following words in order from most careful to least careful. prudent, irresponsible, thoughtful __________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Write the following words in order from most satisfying to least satisfying. gratify, fill, suffice __________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. Write the following words in order from most skillful to least skillful. deftly, competently, clumsily __________________________________________________________________________________________
B. Context Clues Underline the context clues in the following sentences that help you determine the meaning of each boldfaced vocabulary word. Then explain your choices. 1. The tennis pro proved to be a more difficult adversary than the people I usually play against. Explanation: ______________________________________________________________________________ 2. Because she was a prudent driver, she regularly checked her mirrors. Explanation: ______________________________________________________________________________ 3. I’m sure the birthday party that I’m planning for my sister will gratify her, because I’m buying all her favorite foods and playing her favorite music. Explanation: ______________________________________________________________________________ 4. It was amazing to watch the woman make lace: her fingers moved so deftly. Explanation: ______________________________________________________________________________
from The Pardoner’s Tale
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After You Read
from The Pardoner’s Tale
Irony Chart Much of the irony in “The Pardoner’s Tale” becomes clear after you finish reading the whole tale. Explain why each detail below is ironic. Detail The tavern boy warns the rioters to be ready to meet Death everywhere they go. (line 23)
The rioters think of themselves as “brothers / in this affair.” (lines 37–38)
The rioters ask the old man, “Isn’t it time to die?” (line 59)
The wickedest rioter says, “I’m pretty sharp although I joke away.” (line 120)
One rioter calls dividing the treasure into two parts, rather than three parts, a “friendly act.” (line 157)
The two rioters drink the wine because they want to “be merry.” (line 227)
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Why It Is Ironic
Learning Objectives For pages 39–76 In studying this text, you will focus on the following objectives: Literary Study: Analyzing archetypes. Reading: Monitoring comprehension.
from
Sir Gawain
and the
Green Knight translated by Brian Stone
from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
39
Before You Read
Sir Gawain
from and the
Green Knight
Connect to the Poem
What do you think honor means? How does an honorable person behave? Complete the web below. Write qualities or actions that you think demonstrate honor. You can add more circles to the web if you need to.
Honor
Build Background As you read this background, check the box for each item you already know.
■ ■ ■ ■ ■
England’s most famous legendary ruler was King Arthur.
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Chivalry also meant courtly love, in which a knight pledged to love and honor a lady.
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In Arthur’s legendary world, magic and strange, magical creatures such as dragons often played a part.
Arthur’s court was at Camelot. Arthur surrounded himself with the Knights of the Round Table. The code of chivalry determined a knight’s life and behavior. Chivalry meant that a knight was expected to be brave in battle, loyal to his lord, faithful to God, and respectful to women.
Set Purposes for Reading In this poem, Sir Gawain, a knight in King Arthur’s court, accepts a deadly challenge from the terrifying Green Knight. As you read, think about which of Gawain’s actions demonstrate his code of honor.
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Literary Element Archetype An archetype is a character type, a setting, an image, or a story pattern that appears often in literature across many cultures. Archetypes are most often characters (the hero and the villain) or plot elements (such as a quest, or search) that serve as models. You probably know many archetypes already. Write a few words to describe each of the archetypes below and add a famous example of the archetype. The first one has been done for you. skillful warrior who performs great feats; Beowulf Hero: brave, ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Villain: _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Quest: _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Magical Object: ____________________________________________________________________________________ Enchanted Place: ___________________________________________________________________________________
Reading Strategy Monitor Comprehension When you read, stop from time to time to check your comprehension, or understanding of the story. To get the most from your reading, you should be able to summarize key ideas, characters, and events. Put a check on the blank following each question below that you think will help you monitor comprehension. 1. Who is this character? ______
5. What has caused this to happen? ______
2. When was this written? ______
6. Who is the author? ______
3. What else might happen because of this? ______
7. How is this character related to the others? ______
4. What is happening here? ______
Vocabulary Synonyms Synonyms are different words that have the same or similar meanings. They are always the same part of speech. To determine whether two words are synonyms, try substituting one for the other in context. On the blank after each sentence, write the vocabulary word from the column that is a synonym for the boldfaced word. 1. I have to admire my grandmother’s sunny attitude toward life, even though her health is failing. ______________________
Vocabulary copiously (kōʼ pē əs lē) adv. plentifully intrepid (in trepʼ id) adj. fearless; courageous dauntless (dôntʼ lis) adj. daring; not easily discouraged blithe (blı̄th) adj. carefree; lighthearted
2. How can you be so determined, buying a weekly lottery ticket even though you never win? ______________________ 3. Dandelions popped up abundantly all around our large front yard. ______________________ 4. It was brave of Joanna to defend her brother against the playground bullies. ______________________
from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
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Sir Gawain
from and the
Green Knight King Arthur is celebrating New Year’s Day with his queen, Guinevere, and all his court. There are entertainments, games, and much feasting and merrymaking. But the party is interrupted by the sudden appearance of a mysterious stranger, who rides his horse right into the banquet hall.
Vocabulary copiously (kōʼ pē əs lē) adv. plentifully 5
Vocabulary Skill Synonyms Circle the word that is a synonym of copiously in this sentence:
The rain fell abundantly that spring and the grass grew lush in the broad meadows.
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Reading Strategy Monitor Comprehension The guests had never seen “Such a horse, such a horseman” (line 18) before. Why? What is so different about them? Write your answer on the lines below. _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
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Yes, garbed all in green was the gallant rider, And the hair of his head was the same hue as his horse, And floated finely like a fan round his shoulders; And a great bushy beard on his breast flowing down, With the heavy hair hanging from his head, Was shorn below the shoulder, sheared right round, So that half his arms were under the encircling hair, Covered as by a king’s cape, that closes at the neck. The mane of that mighty horse, much like the beard, Well crisped and combed, was copiously plaited With twists of twining gold, twinkling in the green, First a green gossamer, a golden one next. His flowing tail and forelock followed suit, And both were bound with bands of bright green, Ornamented to the end with exquisite stones, While a thong running through them threaded on high Many bright golden bells, burnished and ringing. Such a horse, such a horseman, in the whole wide world Was never seen or observed by those assembled before, Not one. Lightning like he seemed And swift to strike and stun. His dreadful blows, men deemed, Once dealt, meant death was done.
from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Read and Discuss With a partner, read aloud the description of the knight in lines 21–24. Then talk about how dangerous this stranger appears to Arthur’s courtiers. (Hint: to deem is “to judge” or “to conclude.”) If you were there, would you agree with the other courtiers? Discuss this question with your partner.
from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
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from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Reading Strategy Monitor Comprehension The sidenotes on the facing page provide the meanings of unusual words and explain references in the text. Review the sidenotes linked to this passage and then answer the following questions:
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1. What is a hauberk? 35
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2. What does the stranger’s holly branch represent? _______________________________ 55
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Yet hauberk° and helmet had he none, Nor plastron° nor plate-armor proper to combat, Nor shield for shoving, nor sharp spear for lunging; But he held a holly cluster° in one hand, holly That is greenest when groves are gaunt and bare, And an axe in his other hand, huge and monstrous, A hideous helmet-smasher for anyone to tell of; The head of that axe was an ell-rod° long. Of green hammered gold and steel was the socket, And the blade was burnished bright, with a broad edge, Acutely honed° for cutting, as keenest razors are. The grim man gripped it by its great strong handle, Which was wound with iron all the way to the end, And graven° in green with graceful designs. A cord curved round it, was caught at the head, Then hitched to the haft° at intervals in loops, With costly tassels attached thereto in plenty On bosses° of bright green embroidered richly. In he rode, and up the hall, this man, Driving towards the high dais,° dreading no danger. He gave no one a greeting, but glared over all. His opening utterance was, “Who and where Is the governor of this gathering? Gladly would I Behold him with my eyes and have speech with him.” He frowned; Took note of every knight As he ramped and rode around; Then stopped to study who might Be the noble most renowned. The assembled folk stared, long scanning the fellow, For all men marveled what it might mean That a horseman and his horse should have such a color As to grow green as grass, and greener yet, it seemed, More gaudily glowing than green enamel on gold. Those standing studied him and sidled towards him With all the world’s wonder as to what he would do. For astonishing sights they had seen, but such a one never; Therefore a phantom from Fairyland the folk there deemed him. So even the doughty° were daunted° and dared not reply, All sitting stock-still, astounded by his voice. Throughout the high hall was a hush like death;
from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 25 hauberk (hôʼ bərkʼ): a long shirt of chain mail worn as armor. 26 plastron: a metal breastplate worn under a hauberk. 28 holly cluster: Holly represents good luck and shows that the knight comes in peace.
32 ell-rod: almost four feet.
35 honed: sharpened.
38 graven: carved. 40 haft: handle. 42 bosses: raised decorations. 44 dais (dāʼ əs): a raised platform.
Literary Element Archetype What does the color of the horseman and horse suggest about them? Check your answer. ■ They are suffering from a disease. ■ They are dressed for a costume party. ■ They are magic or have magical powers. ■ Someone has played a trick on them on their way here.
Read and Discuss 63 doughty (douʼ tē): courageous, valiant. daunted: fearful.
With a partner, read aloud lines 61–62. Talk about why the guests think he is a “phantom from Fairyland.” If he is from Fairyland, what might that mean to the story?
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from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
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Literary Element Archetype Does Arthur prove himself to be a good host? Explain your answer on the lines below.
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Suddenly as if all had slipped into sleep, their voices were At rest; Hushed not wholly for fear, But some at honor’s behest;° But let him whom all revere Greet that gruesome guest. For Arthur sensed an exploit before the high dais, And accorded him courteous greeting, no craven° he, Saying to him, “Sir knight, you are certainly welcome. I am head of this house:° Arthur is my name. Please deign to dismount and dwell with us Till you impart your purpose, at a proper time.” “May he that sits in heaven help me,” said the knight, “But my intention was not to tarry in this turreted hall. But as your reputation, royal sir, is raised up so high, And your castle and cavaliers° are accounted the best, The mightiest of mail-clad men in mounted fighting, The most warlike, the worthiest the world has bred, Most valiant to vie with in virile contests, And as chivalry is shown here, so I am assured, At this time, I tell you, that has attracted me here. By this branch that I bear, you may be certain That I proceed in peace, no peril seeking; For had I fared forth in fighting gear, My hauberk and helmet, both at home now, My shield and sharp spear, all shining bright, And other weapons to wield, I would have brought; However, as I wish for no war here, I wear soft clothes. But if you are as bold as brave men affirm, You will gladly grant me the good sport I demand By right.” Then Arthur answer gave: “If you, most noble knight, Unarmored combat crave, We’ll fail you not in fight.” “No, it is not combat I crave, for come to that, On this bench only beardless boys are sitting. If I were hasped° in armor on a high steed, No man among you could match me, your might being meagre. So I crave in this court a Christmas game, For it is Yuletide and New Year, and young men abound here.
from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Reading Strategy 69 behest: command.
73 craven: coward.
Monitor Comprehension In line 95 the knight demands “good sport.” Think about what you know about knights and the sports they engaged in. What sort of “good sport” do you predict the knight is asking for? Write your answer on the lines below.
75 this house: Arthur’s court at Camelot. _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ 81 cavaliers: knights.
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Read and Discuss With a partner read aloud the speeches between Arthur and the knight in lines 72–100. One important part of chivalry was treating strangers with courtesy. Work with your partner to underline the lines that show how these two characters treat each other courteously.
103 hasped: fastened.
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from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
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Vocabulary intrepid (in trepʼ id) adj. fearless; courageous 115
Vocabulary Skill Synonyms Circle the word that is a synonym of intrepid in this sentence:
The troops made a final, desperate, doomed, but gallant effort to storm the castle, but the defenders were too strong for them.
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If any in this household is so hardy in spirit, Of such mettlesome° mind and so madly rash As to strike a strong blow in return for another, I shall offer to him this fine axe freely; This axe, which is heavy enough, to handle as he please. And I shall bide the first blow, as bare as I sit here. If some intrepid man is tempted to try what I suggest, Let him leap towards me and lay hold of this weapon, Acquiring clear possession of it, no claim from me ensuing. Then shall I stand up to his stroke, quite still on this floor— So long as I shall have leave to launch a return blow Unchecked. Yet he shall have a year And a day’s reprieve,° I direct. Now hasten and let me hear Who answers, to what effect.”
READING CHECK Clarify Describe the “game” that the knight is asking for. Write your answer on the lines below. ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
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from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
108 mettlesome: spirited; plucky.
Literary Element 120 reprieve: a postponement or temporary relief from danger.
Archetype The knight says that he will not return the blow immediately. When will he return it? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
Can you think of any other stories that have time limits like this? Give an example. _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
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from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
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Reading Strategy Monitor Comprehension What does Gawain ask of King Arthur? Write your answer on the lines below.
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“By heaven,” then said Arthur, “what you ask is foolish, But as you firmly seek folly, find it you shall. No good man here is aghast at your great words. Hand me your axe now, for heaven’s sake, And I shall bestow the boon° you bid us give.” He sprang towards him swiftly, seized it from his hand, And fiercely the other fellow footed the floor. Now Arthur had his axe, and holding it by the haft Swung it about sternly, as if to strike with it. The strong man stood before him, stretched to his full height, Higher than any in the hall by a head and more. Stern of face he stood there, stroking his beard, Turning down his tunic in a tranquil manner, Less unmanned° and dismayed by the mighty strokes Than if a banqueter at the bench had brought him a drink Of wine. Then Gawain at Guinevere’s side Bowed and spoke his design: “Before all, King, confide This fight to me. May it be mine.” “If you would, worthy lord,” said Gawain to the King, “Bid me stir from this seat and stand beside you, Allowing me without lese-majesty° to leave the table, And if my liege lady° were not displeased thereby, I should come there to counsel you before this court of nobles. For it appears unmeet° to me, as manners go, When your hall hears uttered such a haughty request, Though you gladly agree, for you to grant it yourself, When on the benches about you many such bold men sit, Under heaven, I hold, the highest-mettled, There being no braver knights when battle is joined. I am the weakest, the most wanting in wisdom, I know, And my life, if lost, would be least missed, truly. Only through your being my uncle, am I to be valued; No bounty but your blood in my body do I know. And since this affair is too foolish to fall to you, And I first asked it of you, make it over to me; And if I fail to speak fittingly, let this full court judge Without blame.” Then wisely they whispered of it, And after, all said the same: That the crowned King should be quit, And Gawain given the game.
from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
127 boon: favor.
Literary Element
136 unmanned: deprived of courage, strength, or vigor.
Archetype What reasons does Gawain give Arthur for letting him strike the knight? Write your answer on the lines below. _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
145 lese-majesty (lēź maʼ jə stē): offense; literally, injured majesty. 146 liege lady: Guinevere, Arthur’s queen. 148 unmeet: improper.
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Read and Discuss With a partner, reread lines 161–165. Discuss why the rest of the courtiers are ready to let Gawain undertake the challenge. Then write you answer on the lines below. ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
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from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
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Literary Element Archetype How does this speech prove that Gawain is a good example of a knight? Write your answer on the lines below. _______________________________
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“By God,” said the Green Knight, “Sir Gawain, I rejoice That I shall have from your hand what I have asked for here. And you have gladly gone over, in good discourse,° The covenant° I requested of the King in full, Except that you shall assent, swearing in truth, To seek me yourself, in such place as you think To find me under the firmament, and fetch your payment For what you deal me today before this dignified gathering.” “How shall I hunt for you? How find your home?” Said Gawain, “By God that made me, I go in ignorance; Nor, knight, do I know your name or your court. But instruct me truly thereof, and tell me your name, And I shall wear out my wits to find my way there; Here is my oath on it, in absolute honor!” “That is enough this New Year, no more is needed,” Said the gallant in green to Gawain the courteous, “To tell you the truth, when I have taken the blow After you have duly dealt it, I shall directly inform you About my house and my home and my own name. Then you may keep your covenant, and call on me, And if I waft you no words, then well may you prosper, Stay long in your own land and look for no further Trial. Now grip your weapon grim; Let us see your fighting style.” “Gladly,” said Gawain to him, Stroking the steel the while. On the ground the Green Knight graciously stood, With head slightly slanting to expose the flesh. His long and lovely locks he laid over his crown, Baring the naked neck for the business now due. Gawain gripped his axe and gathered it on high, Advanced the left foot before him on the ground, And slashed swiftly down on the exposed part, So that the sharp blade sheared through, shattering the bones, Sank deep in the sleek flesh, split it in two, And the scintillating° steel struck the ground. The fair head fell from the neck, struck the floor, And people spurned it° as it rolled around.
from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
168 discourse: speech. 169 covenant: binding agreement.
Read and Discuss How is Gawain supposed to find the Green Knight after a year and a day, as he has promised? With a partner, find the Green Knight’s answer and read it aloud. Discuss what is strange about his claim. Write your answer on the lines below. ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
Reading Strategy Monitor Comprehension Picture the scene. If you were one of the guests, how would you “spurn” the Green Knight’s head as it rolls around on the floor? _______________________________ 202 scintillating: sparkling; brilliant. 204 spurned it: fended it off with their feet.
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from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
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from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Reading Strategy Monitor Comprehension How does the Green Knight act after Gawain cuts off his head? Circle the letter of the correct answer below.
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210
a. He falls dead on the floor. b. He picks up his head. c. His head and body vanish.
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d. His body twitches for a moment.
Literary Element
220
Archetype How does the Green Knight demonstrate that he is, indeed, a magical creature? Write your answer on the lines below. 225
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240
Blood spurted from the body, bright against the green. Yet the fellow did not fall, nor falter one whit, But stoutly sprang forward on legs still sturdy, Roughly reached out among the ranks of nobles, Seized his splendid head and straightway lifted it. Then he strode to his steed, snatched the bridle, Stepped into the stirrup and swung aloft, Holding his head in his hand by the hair. He settled himself in the saddle as steadily As if nothing had happened to him, though he had No head. He twisted his trunk about, That gruesome body that bled; He caused much dread and doubt By the time his say was said. For he held the head in his hand upright, Pointed the face at the fairest in fame° on the dais; And it lifted its eyelids and looked glaringly, And menacingly said with its mouth as you may now hear: “Be prepared to perform what you promised, Gawain; Seek faithfully till you find me, my fine fellow, According to your oath in this hall in these knights’ hearing. Go to the Green Chapel without gainsaying° to get Such a stroke as you have struck. Strictly you deserve That due redemption on the day of New Year. As the Knight of the Green Chapel I am known to many; Therefore if you ask for me, I shall be found. So come, or else be called coward accordingly!” Then he savagely swerved, sawing at the reins, Rushed out at the hall door, his head in his hand, And the flint-struck fire flew up from the hooves. What place he departed to no person there knew, Nor could any account be given of the country he had come from. What then? At the Green Knight Gawain and King Grinned and laughed again; But plainly approved the thing As a marvel in the world of men.
from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Literary Element
221 fairest in fame: Guinevere.
Archetype The Green Knight adds still another condition to his strange “game.” Complete the sentence: If Gawain does not come, after a year and a day, to receive his blow in return, he will be _______________________________ _______________________________
227 gainsaying: contradicting; opposing.
_______________________________ _______________________________
Read and Discuss With a partner, imagine that you are two of the courtiers in Arthur’s hall who have just witnessed these events. As the Green Knight rides out, discuss your reactions to what has happened. Summarize your reaction on the lines below. ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
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from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Literary Element Archetype How does Gawain prove himself a good knight? Write your answer on the lines below. _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
As the end of the next year approaches, Sir Gawain sets out on his horse Gringolet to seek the Green Knight. After fruitless searching and many adventures, he arrives at a castle whose lord, Bercilak, can direct him to the Green Chapel nearby. Gawain is invited to stay until his appointment. The lord proposes a game: he will give Gawain the winnings of his hunt each day in return for whatever Gawain has won while staying in his castle. For two days, while the lord is hunting, the lady of the castle attempts to seduce Gawain, but Gawain nobly rejects her advances. He accepts only a kiss each day which he exchanges with the lord in return for his hunting spoils. On the third day, Gawain continues to resist the lady, but she presses him to accept one small gift by which to remember her.
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
READING CHECK Predict What do you predict will happen when Gawain comes face-toface again with the Green Knight? Will the Green Knight kill him by cutting off his head, or will something save him? Write your prediction on the lines below. ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
56
from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Reading Strategy Monitor Comprehension Bercilak, the lord of the castle near the Green Chapel, invites Gawain to stay. He proposes another game. Complete the sentences describing the conditions of this game. 1. Bercilak will give Gawain _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
2. In return, Gawain will give Bercilak _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
57
from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
245
Literary Element Archetype Why does Gawain refuse the ring the lady offers to give him? Circle the letter of the correct answer. a. He is afraid of the lord of the castle.
250
255
b. He doesn’t want the ring. c. He has nothing to give her in return. d. He has taken a vow of poverty.
260
265
Read and Discuss With a partner, read aloud the speeches between Gawain and the lady on this page (lines 248–249, lines 253–255, lines 265–271, 271–280), each one of you playing one of the characters. Then discuss why you think these characters are acting this way. Write your answer on the lines below.
270
275
280
____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
58
285
She proffered him a rich ring wrought in red gold, With a sparkling stone set conspicuously in it, Which beamed as brilliantly as the bright sun; You may well believe its worth was wonderfully great. But the courteous man declined it and quickly said, “Before God, gracious lady, no giving just now! Not having anything to offer, I shall accept nothing.” She offered it him urgently and he refused again, Fast affirming his refusal on his faith as a knight. Put out by this repulse, she presently said, “If you reject my ring as too rich in value, Doubtless you would be less deeply indebted to me If I gave you my girdle,° a less gainful gift.” She swiftly slipped off the cincture° of her gown Which went round her waist under the wonderful mantle, A girdle of green silk with a golden hem, Embroidered only at the edges, with hand-stitched ornament. And she pleaded with the prince in a pleasant manner To take it notwithstanding° its trifling worth; But he told her that he could touch no treasure at all, Not gold nor any gift, till God gave him grace To pursue to success the search he was bound on. “And therefore I beg you not to be displeased: Press no more your purpose, for I promise it never Can be. I owe you a hundredfold For grace you have granted me; And ever through hot and cold I shall stay your devotee.” “Do you say ‘no’ to this silk?” then said the beauty, “Because it is simple in itself? And so it seems. Lo! It is little indeed, and so less worth your esteem. But one who was aware of the worth twined in it Would appraise its properties as more precious perhaps, For the man that binds his body with this belt of green, As long as he laps it closely about him, No hero under heaven can hack him to pieces, For he cannot be killed by any cunning on earth.” Then the prince pondered, and it appeared to him A precious gem to protect him in the peril appointed him When he gained the Green Chapel to be given checkmate:° It would be a splendid stratagem° to escape being slain. Then he allowed her to solicit° him and let her speak. She pressed the belt upon him with potent words And having got his agreement, she gave it him gladly, Beseeching him for her sake to conceal it always, And hide it from her husband with all diligence.
from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
255 girdle: a belt or sash. 256 cincture: belt; sash.
261 notwithstanding: in spite of.
Reading Strategy Monitor Comprehension Why does Gawain accept the lady’s green belt, when he has already refused her ring? Write your answer on the lines below. _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ 283 checkmate: inescapable defeat. 284 stratagem: a clever, often underhanded scheme. 285 solicit: persuade.
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
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from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Literary Element Archetype A setting may be an archetype as well. Underline the descriptive words and phrases in line 299–303 that define the kind of place that the Green Chapel appears to be. Circle the letter of the item below that best expresses the archetype of which the Green Chapel is an example.
290
295
The time comes for Gawain to keep his appointment with the Green Knight. He dresses carefully, wrapping the green sash around his waist, and sets off with a guide, who leaves him as they near the Green Chapel.
a. underworld b. crossroads c. garden d. wasteland
300
305
Reading Strategy Monitor Comprehension Review the sidenote that is linked to line 308. Describe the barrow:
310
_______________________________ _______________________________
315
_______________________________ _______________________________ 320
Describe the stream: _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
60
That never should another know of it, the noble swore Outright. Then often his thanks gave he With all his heart and might, And thrice by then had she Kissed the constant knight.
Then he gave the spur to Gringolet and galloped down the path, Thrust through a thicket there by a bank, And rode down the rough slope right into the ravine. Then he searched about, but it seemed savage and wild, And no sign did he see of any sort of building; But on both sides banks, beetling° and steep, And great crooked crags, cruelly jagged; The bristling barbs of rock seemed to brush the sky. Then he held in his horse, halted there, Scanned on every side in search of the chapel. He saw no such thing anywhere, which seemed remarkable, Save, hard by in the open, a hillock of sorts, A smooth-surfaced barrow° on a slope beside a stream Which flowed forth fast there in its course, Foaming and frothing as if feverishly boiling. The knight, urging his horse, pressed onwards to the mound, Dismounted manfully and made fast to a lime-tree The reins, hooking them round a rough branch; Then he went to the barrow, which he walked round, inspecting, Wondering what in the world it might be. It had a hole in each end and on either side, And was overgrown with grass in great patches. All hollow it was within, only an old cavern Or the crevice of an ancient crag: he could not explain it Aright. “O God, is the Chapel Green This mound?” said the noble knight. “At such might Satan be seen Saying matins° at midnight.”
from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
301 beetling: overhanging.
308 barrow: a mound of earth, often over a grave.
Literary Element Archetype How does Gawain respond to the appearance of the Green Chapel? Write your answer on the lines below. _______________________________ _______________________________ 324 matins (matʼ inz): a liturgical prayer traditionally beginning at midnight.
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
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from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 325
Literary Element Archetype How does Gawain now feel about the Green Knight? Write your answer on the lines below. _______________________________
330
335
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
340
_______________________________ _______________________________ 345
_______________________________ _______________________________
350
Reading Strategy Monitor Comprehension Describe the strange noise. What does it sound like? Write your answer on the lines below.
355
_______________________________ _______________________________
360
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
365
_______________________________ _______________________________ 370
_______________________________
62
“Now certainly the place is deserted,” said Gawain, “It is a hideous oratory,° all overgrown, And well graced for the gallant garbed in green To deal out his devotions in the Devil’s fashion. Now I feel in my five wits, it is the Fiend himself That has tricked me into this tryst, to destroy me here. This is a chapel of mischance—checkmate to it! It is the most evil holy place I ever entered.” With his high helmet on his head, and holding his lance, He roamed up to the roof of that rough dwelling. Then from that height he heard, from a hard rock On the bank beyond the brook, a barbarous noise. What! It clattered amid the cliffs fit to cleave° them apart, As if a great scythe° were being ground on a grindstone there. What! It whirred and it whetted like water in a mill. What! It made a rushing, ringing din, rueful° to hear. “By God!” then said Gawain, “that is going on, I suppose, as a salute to myself, to greet me Hard by. God’s will be warranted: ‘Alas!’ is a craven cry. No din shall make me dread Although today I die.” Then the courteous knight called out clamorously, “Who holds sway here and has an assignation° with me? For the good knight Gawain is on the ground here. If anyone there wants anything, wend your way hither fast, And further your needs either now, or not at all.” “Bide there!” said one on the bank above his head, “And you shall swiftly receive what I once swore to give you.” Yet for a time he continued his tumult° of scraping, Turning away as he whetted,° before he would descend. Then he thrust himself round a thick crag through a hole, Whirling round a wedge of rock with a frightful weapon, A Danish axe duly honed for dealing the blow, With a broad biting edge, bow-bent along the handle, Ground on a grindstone, a great four-foot blade— No less, by that love-lace gleaming so brightly! And the gallant in green was garbed as at first, His looks and limbs the same, his locks and beard; Save that steadily on his feet he strode on the ground, Setting the handle to the stony earth and stalking beside it. He would not wade through the water when he came to it, But vaulted over on his axe, then with huge strides Advanced violently and fiercely along the field’s width On the snow. Sir Gawain went to greet The knight, not bowing low. The man said, “Sir so sweet, You honor the trysts you owe.”
from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
326 oratory: a place of prayer.
337 cleave: split. 338 scythe (sı̄th): a tool used for mowing or reaping, consisting of a long curved blade and a long bent handle. 340 rueful: mournful.
349 assignation: an appointment for a meeting.
Read and Discuss 355 tumult (tooʼ məlt): a noisy commotion; disturbance. 356 whetted: sharpened.
With a partner, review the conversation between Gawain and the Green Knight in lines 348–374. Then use the sentences frames below to describe what these two characters say to each other. Gawain calls out ____________ ________________ and requests ____________________________ Green Knight asks ___________ _____ and __________________ ____________________________
from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
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from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 375
380
385
Reading Strategy Monitor Comprehension What does Gawain now promise the Green Knight? Fill in the sentence frame below. Gawain promises to ____________
390
“Gawain,” said the green knight, “may God guard you! You are welcome to my dwelling, I warrant you, And you have timed your travel here as a true man ought. You know plainly the pact we pledged between us: This time a twelvemonth ago you took your portion, And now at this New Year I should nimbly requite° you. And we are on our own here in this valley With no seconds° to sunder° us, spar° as we will. Take your helmet off your head, and have your payment here. And offer no more argument or action than I did When you whipped off my head with one stroke.” “No,” said Gawain, “by God who gave me a soul, The grievous gash to come I grudge you not at all; Strike but the one stroke and I shall stand still And offer you no hindrance; you may act freely, I swear.” Head bent, Sir Gawain bowed, And showed the bright flesh bare. He behaved as if uncowed,° Being loth° to display his care.
and let the Green Knight ________ _______________________________
READING CHECK Question What questions about the characters or the story do you have at this point? Write one question about Gawain and one question about the Green Knight on the lines below. Sir Gawain: ____________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ The Green Knight: ______________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
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from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
380 requite: repay. 382 second: an official attendant of a contestant in a duel. sunder: separate. spar: fight.
393 uncowed: not frightened by threats. 394 loth: reluctant.
Literary Element Archetype How does Gawain here display his knightly qualities? Check the box of the adjective that best describes his behavior. ■ angry ■ stubborn ■ courteous ■ deceitful ■ unafraid ■ truthful
from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
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from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 395
Vocabulary dauntless (dôntʼ lis) adj. daring; not easily discouraged
400
Vocabulary Skill Synonyms Underline all the words and phrases in lines 395–413 that are synonyms of dauntless or that show dauntless behavior.
405
410
Reading Strategy Monitor Comprehension What happens here? Complete the following sentence frame.
415
As Gawain sees the axe coming down on his neck, he ___________ 420
______________________________ .
425
430
435
66
Then the gallant in green quickly got ready, Heaved his horrid weapon on high to hit Gawain, With all the brute force in his body bearing it aloft, Swinging savagely enough to strike him dead. Had it driven down as direly as he aimed, The daring dauntless man would have died from the blow. But Gawain glanced up at the grim axe beside him As it came shooting through the shivering air to shatter him, And his shoulders shrank slightly from the sharp edge. The other suddenly stayed the descending axe, And then reproved the prince with many proud words: “You are not Gawain,” said the gallant, “whose greatness is such That by hill or hollow no army ever frightened him; For now you flinch for fear before you feel harm. I never did know that knight to be a coward. I neither flinched nor fled when you let fly your blow, Nor offered any quibble in the house of King Arthur. My head flew to my feet, but flee I did not. Yet you quail° cravenly though unscathed so far. So I am bound to be called the better man Therefore.” Said Gawain, “Not again Shall I flinch as I did before; But if my head pitch to the plain, It’s off for evermore. “But be brisk, man, by your faith, and bring me to the point; Deal me my destiny and do it out of hand, For I shall stand your stroke, not starting at all Till your axe has hit me. Here is my oath on it.” “Have at you then!” said the other, heaving up his axe, Behaving as angrily as if he were mad. He menaced him mightily, but made no contact, Smartly withholding his hand without hurting him. Gawain waited unswerving, with not a wavering limb, But stood still as a stone or the stump of a tree Gripping the rocky ground with a hundred grappling roots. Then again the green knight began to gird:° “So now you have a whole heart I must hit you. May the high knighthood which Arthur conferred Preserve you and save your neck, if so it avail you!” Then said Gawain, storming with sudden rage, “Thrash on, you thrustful fellow, you threaten too much. It seems your spirit is struck with self-dread.”
from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
413 quail: flich.
Read and Discuss With a partner, read aloud the Green Knight’s speech to Gawain in lines 405–415. Discuss whether or not you think the Green Knight is being fair in talking to Gawain like this. Write your response on the lines below. ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
431 gird: get ready.
____________________________ ____________________________
from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
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from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Read and Discuss Imagine that you are Gawain. What is going through your mind as the Green Knight’s axe comes down on your neck for the third time? Briefly jot down your thoughts and feelings on the lines below. Then share your response with a partner.
440
445
____________________________ ____________________________
450
____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
455
____________________________
Reading Strategy Monitor Comprehension Fill in the sentence frames below to describe what happens in lines 447–448.
460
465
The Green Knight delivers _______ ______________________________ . Sir Gawain receives _____________
470
______________________________ .
475
68
“Forsooth,”° the other said, “You speak so fiercely I will no longer lengthen matters by delaying your business, I vow.” He stood astride to smite,° Lips pouting, puckered brow. No wonder he lacked delight Who expected no help now. Up went the axe at once and hurtled down straight At the naked neck with its knife-like edge. Though it swung down savagely, slight was the wound, A mere snick on the side, so that the skin was broken. Through the fair fat to the flesh fell the blade, And over his shoulders the shimmering blood shot to the ground. When Sir Gawain saw his gore glinting on the snow, He leapt feet close together a spear’s length away, Hurriedly heaved his helmet on to his head, And shrugging his shoulders, shot his shield to the front, Swung out his bright sword and said fiercely, (For never had the knight since being nursed by his mother Been so buoyantly happy, so blithe in this world) “Cease your blows, sir, strike me no more. I have sustained a stroke here unresistingly, And if you offer any more I shall earnestly reply. Resisting, rest assured, with the most rancorous Despite.° The single stroke is wrought To which we pledged our plight° In high King Arthur’s court: Enough now, therefore, knight!” The bold man stood back and bent over his axe, Putting the haft to earth, and leaning on the head. He gazed at Sir Gawain on the ground before him, Considering the spirited and stout way he stood, Audacious° in arms; his heart warmed to him. Then he gave utterance gladly in his great voice, With resounding speech saying to the knight, “Bold man, do not be so bloodily resolute.° No one here has offered you evil discourteously, Contrary to the covenant made at the King’s court. I promised a stroke, which you received: consider yourself paid. I cancel all other obligations of whatever kind. If I had been more active, perhaps I could
from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 438 Forsooth: in truth.
441 smite: strike.
Vocabulary blithe (blı̄th) adj. carefree; lighthearted
Vocabulary Skill Synonyms Place a check in the boxes next to all the words that are synonyms of blithe. ■ irritable ■ grumpy ■ joyful ■ high-spirited merry ■ ■ playful cheerful ■
461–462 rancorous Despite: bitter ill will or malice.
Reading Strategy 464 plight promise.
Monitor Comprehension Why does Gawain now tell the Green Knight to stop? Write your answer on the lines below. _______________________________
471 Audacious: daring; bold.
_______________________________ _______________________________
474 resolute: determined.
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
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from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Reading Strategy Monitor Comprehension How does the Green Knight explain the two blows that did not hit Gawain? Complete the following sentence frame.
480
485
For two days, Gawain kept his promise to Bercilak by giving him _______________________________
490
_______________________________
Have made you suffer by striking a savager stroke. First in foolery I made a feint° at striking, Not rending° you with a riving cut—and right I was, On account of the first night’s covenant we accorded; For you truthfully kept your trust in troth with me, Giving me your gains, as a good man should. The further feinted blow was for the following day, When you kissed my comely wife, and the kisses came to me: For those two things, harmlessly I thrust twice at you Feinted blows. Truth for truth’s the word; No need for dread, God knows. From your failure at the third The tap you took arose.
_______________________________ _______________________________
Reading Strategy
495
500
Monitor Comprehension What does the Green Knight admit in lines 496–497? Complete the following sentence frames. 505
1. The Green Knight knew all about _______________________________ _______________________________
510
_______________________________ _______________________________ 515
2. The Green Knight himself was the one who _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
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520
“For that braided belt you wear belongs to me. I am well aware that my own wife gave it you. Your conduct and your kissings are completely known to me, And the wooing by my wife—my work set it on. I instructed her to try you, and you truly seem To be the most perfect paladin° ever to pace the earth. As the pearl to the white pea in precious worth, So in good faith is Gawain to other gay knights. But here your faith failed you, you flagged° somewhat, sir, Yet it was not for a well-wrought thing, nor for wooing either, But for love of your life, which is less blameworthy.” The other strong man stood considering this a while, So filled with fury that his flesh trembled, And the blood from his breast burst forth in his face As he shrank for shame at what the chevalier° spoke of. The first words the fair knight could frame were: “Curses on both cowardice and covetousness! Their vice and villainy are virtue’s undoing.” Then he took the knot, with a twist twitched it loose, And fiercely flung the fair girdle to the knight. “Lo! There is the false thing, foul fortune befall it! I was craven about our encounter, and cowardice taught me To accord with covetousness and corrupt my nature And the liberality and loyalty belonging to chivalry. Now I am faulty and false and found fearful always. In the train of treachery and untruth go woe And shame. I acknowledge, knight, how ill I behaved, and take the blame. Award what penance you will: Henceforth I’ll shun ill-fame.”
from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
481 feint (fānt): here, a deceptive action designed to draw attention away from one’s real purpose. 482 rending: tearing apart.
Literary Element Archetype A test that the hero must pass is another archetype. Describe the test that the Green Knight had his lady put Gawain through. Write your answer on the lines below. _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
499 paladin: a model of chivalry.
_______________________________ _______________________________
502 flagged: grew weak.
_______________________________
508 chevalier: knight.
Read and Discuss With a partner, read aloud and discuss Gawain’s speech in lines 510–511. On the lines below, explain what he means and whether or not you agree with him. Give a reason for your opinion. ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
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from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Literary Element Archetype How has Gawain redeemed himself, according to the Green Knight? Put a check in the box next to the best answer below. ■ He has returned the sash the Green Knight’s wife gave him. ■ He has fully confessed his faults. ■ He has agreed to serve the Green Knight. ■ He has refused to admit he did wrong.
525
530
535
540
Then the other lord laughed and politely said, “In my view you have made amends for your misdemeanor; You have confessed your faults fully with fair acknowledgment, And plainly done penance at the point of my axe. You are absolved° of your sin and as stainless now As if you had never fallen in fault since first you were born. As for the gold-hemmed girdle, I give it you, sir, Seeing it is as green as my gown. Sir Gawain, you may Think about this trial when you throng in company With paragons° of princes, for it is a perfect token,° At knightly gatherings, of the great adventure at the Green Chapel. You shall come back to my castle this cold New Year, And we shall revel° away the rest of this rich feast; Let us go.” Thus urging him, the lord Said, “You and my wife, I know We shall bring to clear accord, Though she was your fierce foe.”
Reading Strategy Monitor Comprehension What does the Green Knight give Gawain as a “token”? Why? Write your answer on the lines below. _______________________________ _______________________________
READING CHECK
_______________________________ _______________________________
Summarize
_______________________________
Summarize what happens in the second part of this selection— the events that take place at Bercilak’s castle and the Green Chapel.
_______________________________ _______________________________
______________________________________________________
_______________________________
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
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from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
529 absolved: forgiven.
534 paragons: models of perfection. token: a keepsake or souvenir.
537 revel: make merry.
Reading Strategy Monitor Comprehension Why does the Green Knight call his wife Gawain’s “fierce foe”? Write your answer on the lines below. _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
73
After You Read
Sir Gawain
from and the
Green Knight
Connect to the Poem Look back at the activity on page 40. Choose three of the qualities of honor you listed and copy them below. Then explain briefly how Gawain does or does not show this quality. 1. Quality: _____________________________________________________________________________________ Action: ______________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Quality: ______________________________________________________________________________________ Action: ______________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Quality: ______________________________________________________________________________________ Action: ______________________________________________________________________________________
Literary Element Archetype Sir Gawain and the Green Knight contains many archetypes. Complete the sentence frames below to describe some of them. 1. Sir Gawain is an archetype because _______________________________________________________________ 2. His search for the Green Knight is an archetype because ______________________________________________ 3. The Green Chapel is an archetype because _________________________________________________________
Reading Strategy Monitor Comprehension Review your understanding of what you have read by answering the following questions on the lines below. 1. What strange event happens at that New Year’s Day at King Arthur’s Court? ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. As a result, what does Gawain do the following year? ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. How is Gawain tested by the lady of the castle? ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. How does Gawain fulfill his “obligation” to the Green Knight? ______________________________________________________________________________________________
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After You Read
Sir Gawain
from and the
Green Knight
Vocabulary copiously
intrepid
dauntless
blithe
A. Word Meaning Complete each sentence by choosing one of the vocabulary words above and writing it in the blank. 1. From the ________________ expression on his face, I suspected that Roy already knew what present we had gotten him. 2. It may be easier to feel ________________ when you don’t fully understand the dangers involved in doing a stunt. 3. Because Sandy loves cake frosting, Mom spread it ________________ on the layer cake. 4. It takes a ________________ rider to get back on a horse after being thrown off.
B. Synonyms Match each boldfaced vocabulary word below with two synonyms from the list at the right. Write the synonyms on the two lines after each vocabulary word. You may use a dictionary if you need to. 1. copiously _______________
_______________
jolly teeming
2. intrepid _______________
_______________
plucky self-assured
3. dauntless _______________
bold _______________
happy-go-lucky profuse valiant
4. blithe _______________
_______________
from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
75
After You Read
Sir Gawain
from and the
Green Knight
Storyboard
Choose one scene from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and create a storyboard for it. You may draw simple pictures showing what the characters do first, next, and so on. Then add a caption for each picture. As an alternative, you can write a detailed description of what each picture should show.
76
1. Drawing or Summary
2. Drawing or Summary
Caption
Caption
3. Drawing or Summary
4. Drawing or Summary
Caption
Caption
Learning Objectives For pages 77–84, 346 In studying these texts, you will focus on the following objectives: Literary Study: Analyzing tone. Reading: Analyzing text structure.
On Monsieur’s Departure Speech to the Troops at Tilbury by Elizabeth I
On Monsieur’s Departure and Speech to the Troops at Tilbury
77
Before You Read
On Monsieur’s Departure Speech to the Troops
at Tilbury
Connect to the Texts What do you already know about Queen Elizabeth I? Based on what you know about her and other public officials, how likely is it for her to have revealed her private feelings in public? What would you like to find out about the personality and behavior of Elizabeth the woman and Elizabeth the queen when you read the poem and speech? Complete these sentence starters. I already know _______________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________. I want to find out _____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________.
Build Background In the poem and speech, Elizabeth I reveals conflicting feelings of love and duty. The facts below are about Elizabeth I and circumstances surrounding the subject matter of the poem and speech. Mark a check in the box before each fact that you already know.
■ ■ ■
Queen Elizabeth I ruled England from 1558 to 1603.
■ ■
Tilbury is in Essex, England.
■
The Armada was defeated at sea and never reached England.
Elizabeth I never married. The most likely “Monsieur” of the poem was a young Frenchman, the Duke of Alençon. Land forces had assembled at Tilbury to prevent the invasion of the Spanish Armada, a fleet of warships.
Set Purposes for Reading Read to find out why Elizabeth I feels that she must hide her feelings when a romance ends, and what prompts her to address her soldiers at Tilbury despite danger.
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Literary Element Tone The tone of a selection shows the author’s attitude toward the subject. A writer conveys tone through word choice, punctuation, sentence structure, and figures of speech. Work with a partner to list five or six different tones such as formal, informal, loving, respectful, regretful, compassionate, patriotic, and so on. Then take turns listing words and phrases associated with each tone. Exchange and compare your lists with classmates.
Reading Strategy Analyze Text Structure When you analyze text structure, you examine the way an author organizes material and presents ideas. Think about something you’ve seen or read recently, such as a movie, a painting, a story, or a poem. What did you notice about the way images and details were organized and presented in the work? How did this structure help create a mood or communicate a message? Complete the diagram below to record your analysis of the structure of the work. Then as you read the poem and speech, note how Elizabeth I uses contrasts to describe her feelings. How are the words, lines, images, and/or ideas arranged? (for example: cause and effect, comparison and contrast, chronological order, or problem and solution)
▲
Example 1
Example 2
Example 3
Example 4
▲
How does the organization contribute to the overall mood and/or help communicate the message?
Vocabulary Synonyms Synonyms are words that have the same or similar meanings. They are always the same part of speech. For example, devotion and fidelity mean nearly the same thing. Look at the definitions and parts of speech for the words in the minor column of the page. Say each word. Match each vocabulary word to its synonym by drawing a line between them. treachery
1. quiet
valor
2. hidden
suppressed
3. disloyalty
concord
4. unity
mute
5. bravery
Vocabulary mute (mŪt) adj. unable to speak; silent suppressed (sə presdʼ) adj. held back treachery (treachʼ ər ē) n. a voluntary act of betrayal concord (kônʼ kord) n. an agreement of interests or feelings valor (valʼ ər) n. courage, especially as displayed in battle
On Monsieur’s Departure and Speech to the Troops at Tilbury
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On Monsieur’s Departure Vocabulary mute (mŪt) adj. unable to speak; silent
5
Reading Strategy Analyze Text Structure In lines 1–6, underline the words the speaker uses to show her mixed feelings of suffering and confusion. Now think of a time when you felt one thing but had to act as if you felt something else. Which of the speaker’s contrasts most closely matches your feelings? Use your own words to express the contrast.
10
15
I grieve and dare not show my discontent, I love and yet am forced to seem to hate, I do, yet dare not say I ever meant, I seem stark mute but inwardly do prate.1 I am and not, I freeze and yet am burned, Since from myself another self I turned. My care2 is like my shadow in the sun, Follows me flying, flies when I pursue it, Stands and lies by me, doth what I have done. His too familiar care doth make me rue it.3 No means I find to rid him from my breast, Till by the end of things it be suppressed. Some gentler passion slide into my mind, For I am soft and made of melting snow; Or be more cruel, love, and so be kind. Let me float or sink, be high or low. Or let me live with some more sweet content, Or die and so forget what love ere meant.
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
1. Prate means “chatter.” 2. Here, care means “sorrow.” 3. [His. . . it] can be restated as “His shallow sorrow makes me regret my own sorrow.”
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
READING CHECK Question Reread line 10 of the poem and the footnote that explains it. What question or questions does this line answer about Monsieur? What other questions did you have as you read? Were your questions answered?
_______________________________
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
Vocabulary suppressed (sə presdʼ) adj. held back
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
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Speech to the Troops
at Tilbury
My loving people, We have been persuaded by some that are careful of1 our safety, to take heed how we commit our selves to armed multitudes, for fear of treachery; but I assure you I do not desire to live to distrust my faithful and loving people. Let tyrants fear, I have always so behaved myself that, under God, I have placed my chiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts and good-will of my subjects; and therefore I am come amongst you, as you see, at this time, not for my recreation and disport, but being resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live or die amongst you all; to lay down for my God, and for my kingdom, and my people, my honor and my blood, even in the dust. I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach2 of a king, and of a king of England too,3 and think foul scorn that Parma4 or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm; to which rather than any dishonor shall grow by me, I myself will take up arms, I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field. I know already, for your forwardness you have deserved rewards and crowns;5 and We do assure you in the word of a prince, they shall be duly paid you.
Vocabulary treachery (treachʼ ər ē) n. a voluntary act of betrayal
Vocabulary Skill Synonyms What are two other words that Elizabeth I could have used here instead of treachery without changing the meaning or impact of her message? Use a thesaurus or dictionary for help. Write your answer on the lines below. ______________________________ ______________________________
Read and Discuss With a partner decide what Elizabeth means by, “I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too.” Put the idea in your own words. ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ 1. Careful of means “anxious about.” 2. Here, stomach means “courage.” 3. This statement refers to the idea of the king’s (or queen’s) two bodies, the one natural and mortal, the other political and immortal. 4. The dukedom of Parma, in northern Italy, joined Spain in the effort to invade England. 5. A crown was an English unit of money.
____________________________ ____________________________
Speech to the Troops at Tilbury
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Speech to the Troops at Tilbury
Literary Element Tone Reread the highlighted text on page 81. Underline the words and phrases Elizabeth I uses to show the troops that she’s grateful for their service and loyalty.
In the mean time, my lieutenant general6 shall be in my stead, than whom never prince commanded a more noble or worthy subject; not doubting but by your obedience to my general, by your concord in the camp, and your valor in the field, we shall shortly have a famous victory over those enemies of my God, of my kingdom, and of my people.
Is Elizabeth I’s behavior similar to how present day leaders express gratitude toward their troops? Explain. _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
6. Elizabeth’s lieutenant general is Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. In addition to leading her armies, he was Elizabeth’s favorite royal attendant. He was once rumored to be her lover and possible husband.
Vocabulary concord (kônʼ kord) n. an agreement of interests or feelings
READING CHECK Summarize Summarize the speech in your own words. Retell only the most important parts. ______________________________________________________
Vocabulary valor (valʼ ər) n. courage, especially as displayed in battle
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
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After You Read
On Monsieur’s Departure Speech to the Troops at Tilbury
Connect to the Texts Look back at the sentence starters you completed on page 78. Write down what you found out about Elizabeth I as you read. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ If you did not find out everything you wanted to find out, list two or three ways you could find that information. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________
Literary Element Tone In “Speech to the Troops at Tilbury” Elizabeth I publicly proclaims her admiration and respect for the troops while offering them encouragement and support to rally them for battle. Give examples of words and phrases that show these attitudes toward her audience. Admiration and respect: ____________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Encouragement and support: ________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________
Reading Strategy Analyze Text Structure In the poem and speech, Elizabeth I presents her ideas through comparison and contrast. Give examples of comparison and contrast from the poem and the speech. Tell how this contrast helps you understand Elizabeth I’s feelings or message. Comparison and Contrast
What It Helps You Understand
Poem:
Speech:
On Monsieur’s Departure and Speech to the Troops at Tilbury
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After You Read
On Monsieur’s Departure Speech to the Troops at Tilbury
Vocabulary A. Word Meaning Circle the answer that best fits the meaning of the boldfaced vocabulary word in each sentence. 1. The speaker feels that she has to remain mute about her love for Monsieur. a weak
c soft
b silent
d uninterested
2. Although Elizabeth’s feelings about Monsieur may have been suppressed, the sense of responsibility she felt toward her subjects was obvious. a concealed
c overlooked
b ignored
d remembered
3. The Queen praised the troops for their valor on the battlefield. a aggressiveness
c strength
b devotion
d courage
4. In political situations during which a country’s safety is at risk, loyal leaders and citizens may fear treachery from an unsuspected enemy. a defeat
c betrayal
b misunderstanding
d strength
5. The security of nations often rests on the ability of leaders to act in concord. a speed
c self-interest
b agreement
d charity
B. Synonyms Replace the underlined words in the following sentences with synonyms from the vocabulary list.
mute
suppressed
treachery
concord
valor
1. Elizabeth’s strong reaction to the threat of treason ______________ if she committed the country to war was not smothered ______________ , nor did she feel the need to remain quiet ____________ about her feelings. 2. The Queen believed that the troops had shown their loyalty and devotion to her and to England not just through their daring ______________ in battle, but also through their show of unity ______________ in camp. For more practice, see page 346.
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Learning Objectives For pages 85–90, 347 In studying this text, you will focus on the following objectives: Literary Study: Analyzing point of view. Reading: Analyzing sound devices.
The Passionate Shepherd to His Love by Christopher Marlowe
The Passionate Shepherd to His Love
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The Passionate Shepherd to His Love
Before You Read
Connect to the Poem In “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love,” the speaker tries to convince a woman to come and live with him and enjoy the pleasures of the countryside. Imagine that you are an artist who has been commissioned to create a painting with a rural or country setting as a Valentine’s Day gift. What details would you use in the painting to create an idyllic, romantic scene that conveys total devotion and love? Complete the web below. Give your painting a working title and write it in the center of the web. Then write words and phrases that describe the details you plan to use in your painting. Include colors and tones as well as specific images. Detail: Detail: Detail:
Title: Detail:
Detail: Detail:
Build Background The poem “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love” is written in a pastoral tradition, meaning it idealizes simple lives lived in rural settings, in harmony with nature. •
It was not meant to be realistic.
•
It makes the “natural life” seem perfect by exaggerating its positive points and ignoring any disadvantages or negative things about rural life.
•
It inspired several responses from other poets, including John Donne and Sir Walter Raleigh.
Set Purposes for Reading Read “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love” to find out what the speaker wants from his beloved and the promises he makes to persuade her.
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Literary Element Point of View The way that the speaker presents an idea in a poem is called point of view. A first-person speaker uses I and me and takes part in the action. A third-person speaker is an outside observer. Work with a partner to list personal pronouns that you would expect a first-person speaker to use. Then discuss how a love poem with a first-person speaker would be different from one with a third-person speaker.
Reading Strategy Analyze Sound Devices When you analyze sound devices you pay attention to the techniques poets use to create rhythm, emphasize sounds, or add to a poem’s musical quality. One kind of sound device is alliteration, or the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words. A song is a poem set to music. Write the first few lines of a popular love song in the chart below. Circle examples of alliteration in each line. Then read aloud the lyrics, listening for sound effects created by the arrangement of letters, words, and syllables. How do the sounds contribute to the meaning, tone, and musical quality of the lyrics? Write your comments in the chart. As you read the poem, pay attention to how Marlowe uses sound devices such as alliteration to reinforce the poem’s meaning, tone, and musical quality. Song Lyrics (Circle examples of alliteration.)
Comments (How do sound devices affect meaning, tone, and musical quality of the lyrics?)
The Passionate Shepherd to His Love
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The Passionate Shepherd to His Love Come live with me, and be my love, And we will all the pleasures prove1 That valleys, groves, hills, and fields, Woods or steepy mountain yields.
Literary Element Point of View Underline the firstperson pronouns that show that the speaker is part of the action of the poem. Based on the details in the first two stanzas of the poem, which of the following best describe the speaker’s feelings about country life? Check all that apply. ■ innocent ■ charming ■ sad ■ exciting ■ romantic
5
10
How does your own idea of country life compare with the speaker’s? _______________________________ _______________________________
15
And we will sit upon the rocks, Seeing the shepherds feed their flocks, By shallow rivers to whose falls Melodious birds sing madrigals.2 And I will make thee beds of roses, And a thousand fragrant posies, A cap of flowers, and a kirtle3 Embroidered all with leaves of myrtle. A gown made of the finest wool, Which from our pretty lambs we pull, Fair lined slippers for the cold, With buckles of the purest gold.
_______________________________ _______________________________
Read and Discuss With a partner, take turns reading aloud the highlighted lines. As your partner reads, listen carefully for sound devices, such as alliteration and rhyme. Then circle examples of alliteration. Which of the following statements best explains the effect of the sound devices in lines 5–8? Underline your answer. They emphasize the beauty of the beloved. They describe the gifts the shepherd offers. They add to the soft, gentle flow of the verse.
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1. Marlowe uses prove here to mean “experience.” 2. Madrigals are pleasant-sounding, harmonious songs. 3. A kirtle is a dress.
The Passionate Shepherd to His Love
20
A belt of straw and ivy buds, With coral clasps and amber studs. And if these pleasures may thee move, Come live with me and be my love. The shepherd swains4 shall dance and sing For thy delight each May morning; If these delights thy mind may move, Then live with me and be my love.
Literary Element Point of View The word swain has romantic connotations, or undertones. What does the speaker’s use of swain tell you about how he looks at himself? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
Do you think most women would be drawn to someone like the speaker? Explain. _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ 4. Swains means “youths.”
READING CHECK Summarize Summarize the shepherd’s request to his beloved in your own words. Focus on only the most important ideas. Use one or two sentences.
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
The Passionate Shepherd to His Love
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The Passionate Shepherd to His Love
After You Read
Connect to the Poem Look back at the web you completed on page 86. Imagine that you wanted your painting to evoke the same feelings as the setting described in Marlowe’s poem. What details from the poem would you add to or change in your web and why? List the details and give reasons for your choices. Setting Details
Reasons for Including in Painting
Literary Element Point of View As you discussed on page 87, the point of view of the speaker of a poem influences what the speaker says, how the speaker says it, and how readers react to the poem. Why do you think Marlowe chose a simple shepherd as the firstperson speaker of the poem instead of a sophisticated person from the city? Write your answer on the lines below. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the least persuasive and 5 being the most persuasive, how persuasive do you think the shepherd is? Circle your response. If you had to guess, how do you think his beloved responds? Write your answer on the line below. Least
1
2
3
4
5
Most
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Reading Strategy Analyze Sound Devices Select two lines from the poem that contain alliteration. Choose examples that you did not examine while reading. Identify the alliteration and describe what feelings and emotions the alliteration adds to the poem. _________________________________________________________________________________________________
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_________________________________________________________________________________________________ For more practice, see page 347.
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Learning Objectives For pages 91–96, 348 In studying these texts, you will focus on the following objectives: Literary Study: Analyzing simile. Reading: Drawing conclusions about speaker’s meaning.
Sonnet 73and Sonnet 29
by William Shakespeare
Sonnet 73 and Sonnet 29
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Before You Read
Sonnet 73 and Sonnet 29
Connect to the Sonnets In these two sonnets, the speaker expresses his feelings about love, time, and death. How do you feel about these issues? Explore your reactions to Shakespearean themes by circling your responses to these opinions. 1. Love is more valuable than youth, fame, or wealth. Agree
Disagree
It depends on the situation
2. Love has the power to heal. Agree
Disagree
It depends on the situation
3. Youth is wasted on the young. Agree
Disagree
It depends on the situation
Disagree
It depends on the situation
4. Time is the enemy. Agree
Build Background •
Although William Shakespeare is one of the most popular and quoted authors of all time, many details of his life remain a mystery.
•
Shakespeare left school early and took a job tending the horses of theater patrons—the equivalent of parking cars at a theater today. Before long, his wit attracted actors to him. He began to revise plays; then he started writing original works.
•
During his lifetime, his 154 poems were more popular than his plays.
•
The Shakespearean sonnet has a standard organization: the first eight lines are the complaint, question, or issue; the turn, at line 9, shifts the focus of the speaker’s remarks, often concentrating on the beloved; and the final two lines (a couplet) summarize the poem.
Review the Build Background notes. Then write one question and one prediction about Shakespeare’s sonnets. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Set Purposes for Reading Read to understand the values that William Shakespeare places on love and human relationships. Think about whether you share those values.
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Literary Element Simile A simile is a figure of speech that uses like or as to compare two seemingly unlike things. Not every statement with like or as is a simile, however. The comparison must be between things that are basically different. The comparison must also create greater understanding about what is being compared. Buffalo burgers taste like regular hamburgers is not a simile. The little girl’s face was as red and sticky as a candy apple is a simile.
Reading Strategy Draw Conclusions About Speaker’s Meaning Sometimes writers do not state their ideas directly. Instead, readers have to draw conclusions based on evidence in the text. A conclusion is a general statement that covers a number of specific examples. To be valid, conclusions must make sense and be well supported. As you read, use the chart below to record evidence from the poems and the conclusions that you draw. Subject Love
Evidence
Conclusion
Sonnet 73 and Sonnet 29
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Sonnet 73 Literary Element Simile Write a simile that expresses the speaker’s attitude toward himself in lines 1–4.
5
_______________________________ _______________________________ 10
That time of year thou mayst in me behold When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang Upon those boughs which shake against the cold, Bare ruin’d choirs,1 where late the sweet birds sang. In me thou seest the twilight of such day As after sunset fadeth in the west, Which by and by2 black night doth take away, Death’s second self, that seals up all in rest. In me thou seest the glowing of such fire That on the ashes of his youth doth lie, As the death-bed whereon it must expire, Consum’d with that which it was nourish’d by.3 This thou perceiv’st, which makes thy love more strong, To love that well, which thou must leave ere long.
Reading Strategy Draw Conclusions About Speaker’s Meaning What conclusion can you draw about the speaker’s attitude toward old age? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
1. Choirs means the place in a church where the choir sings. 2. By and by means “presently” or “soon.” 3. [Consum’d . . . by] is an image. It suggests the ashes of the wood that previously fueled the fire are now choking the fire and putting it out. The speaker means that life has consumed him.
What conclusion does the speaker come to in the final two lines of the sonnet?
READING CHECK Clarify
_______________________________ _______________________________
To what three things does the speaker compare himself in Sonnet 73? What do those three things have in common?
_______________________________
______________________________________________________
_______________________________
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
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Sonnet 29 5
10
When in disgrace with Fortune and men’s eyes I all alone beweep my outcast state, And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,1 And look upon myself and curse my fate, Wishing me like to one more rich in hope, Featur’d like him, like him with friends possess’d,2 Desiring this man’s art, and that man’s scope,3 With what I most enjoy contented least; Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising, Haply4 I think on thee, and then my state,5 Like to the lark at break of day arising From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven’s gate, For thy sweet love rememb’red such wealth brings That then I scorn to change my state with kings.
Read and Discuss With a partner, read aloud lines 10–12. Then discuss the simile that the speaker uses. To help you think through the comparison, answer these questions. The speaker feels much happier when he ___________________ ____________________________. The speaker is as happy as a ____________________________ that _______________________.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Bootless cries are useless, ineffective, or futile. The speaker compares himself to three different men in lines 5–7. Here, scope means “mental power.” Haply means “by chance.” State, here and in line 14, refers to the speaker’s condition or position in life.
READING CHECK
Reading Strategy Draw Conclusions About Speaker’s Meaning What happens in the last six lines of the poem? _______________________________ _______________________________
Clarify Place a check mark beside the statement that best explains the speaker’s state of mind in lines 1–9. ___He has done something to disgrace himself and feels shame. ___He blames an enemy for his hopeless state. ___ He is jealous of others and feels less fortunate.
_______________________________
What can you conclude about the speaker’s relationship with his love? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
Sonnet 29
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After You Read
Sonnet 73 and Sonnet 29
Connect to the Sonnets Look back at the opinionnaire questions you answered on page 92. Choose the statement with which you think the speakers of the sonnets would agree. Then complete these sentences. I think the speaker of Sonnet 29 would agree that statement number ______________________________________ is true because ___________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ .
I think the speaker of Sonnet 73 would agree that statement number ______________________________________ is true because ___________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ .
Literary Element Simile Although lines 1–5 of Sonnet 73 are filled with comparisons, none of the comparisons are similes. Explain why. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________
Reading Strategy Draw Conclusions About Speaker’s Meaning Look back at the evidence and conclusion chart on page 93. Draw conclusions about the speakers of the sonnets by completing these sentences. At the beginning of both poems, the speakers feel ______________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ . Both speakers change their attitudes because both ______________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ .
For more practice, see page 348.
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Learning Objectives For pages 97–112 In studying this text, you will focus on the following objectives: Literary Study: Analyzing atmosphere. Reading: Applying background knowledge.
The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act 1 Scenes 1-2 from
by William Shakespeare
from The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act 1 Scenes 1–2
97
Before You Read
from
The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act 1 Scenes 1-2
Connect to the Play Will some people do anything for power? Why do so many want to be in charge? For each of the following statements, place a check in the box that shows whether you think the statement is true or false. 1. There is a narrow line between good and evil.
■
true
■
false
2. Even good people can be tempted to do wrong.
■
true
■
false
■
false
3. Power corrupts.
■
true
Build Background
The following list provides background information on The Tragedy of Macbeth. Read it and underline key words. •
Shakespeare used a popular book of his day, Holinshed’s Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland (1587), as the historical basis of the play.
•
A real-life Macbeth gained the throne of Scotland by killing King Duncan and ruled for seventeen years (1040–1057).
•
Shakespeare made changes to his source material to make it more dramatic and to emphasize certain themes.
Set Purposes for Reading Scenes 1 and 2 of Act 1 set the stage for the rise and fall of Macbeth. On the lines below, list several ways you expect the play to differ from an historical account. Then read the two scenes to find out how Macbeth’s tragedy begins. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Literary Element Atmosphere Atmosphere is the mood or feeling in a literary work. A playwright creates atmosphere through word choice, imagery, and figurative language in dialogue and stage directions. Atmosphere and setting are closely related. The details of the setting prepare the reader for the emotional effect of the play.
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Literary Element (continued) Look at the list of details below. Write an adjective that summarizes the feeling that these details might create. Details milky sky; cries of hawks and vultures; rustling leaves; bare tree arms rake the sky; moss-covered boulders like ancient whales surfacing
Feeling
Reading Strategy Apply Background Knowledge Your background knowledge is what you already know about a topic from your own experiences, other reading you have done, or common sense. When you think about how your background connects to what you are reading, you read with better understanding and less frustration. Reread the background information on Shakespeare and his times in the unit introduction, the biography of Shakespeare, and the Build Background notes. Then fill in the first two columns of this chart. What I Know
What I Want to Know
What I Learned
Vocabulary Word Parts
Vocabulary
You can figure out the meanings of some unfamiliar words by dividing them into word parts: the root, the prefix, and the suffix. For example, the root brute refers to a cruel, insensitive person. The suffix -ish means “relating to” or “characterized by.” Therefore, brutish literally means “cruel and ruthless like a brute.” Practice using word parts to figure out meaning by completing the last two columns of this chart.
doubtful (doutʼ fəl) adj. questionable; of uncertain outcome merciless (murʼ si lis) adj. cruel; pitiless direful (dı̄rʼ fəl) adj. inspiring dread; terrible disloyal (dis loiʼ əl) adj. not true to duty or obligation; unworthy of faith or trust rebellious (ri belʼ yəs) adj. defying or resisting authority or tradition
Word discomfort
Root and Meaning comfort—ease, well-being, freedom from pain
Prefix and Meaning dis- not, absence of, do the opposite of
Suffix and Meaning
Literal Definition
Dictionary Definition
none
from The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act 1 Scenes 1–2
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from
The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act 1 Scenes 1-2 CAST OF CHARACTERS
Reading Strategy Apply Background Knowledge What do you know about England and Scotland during the eleventh century? Think about what you read in the Build Background notes. Also, think about what you have learned in social studies classes or from other reading you have done. Write your answer on the lines below.
duncan: King of Scotland malcom: Duncan’s older son and heir to the throne Donalbain: Duncan’s younger son macbeth: Thane of Glamis, a Scottish noble and general in King Duncan’s army lady macbeth: Macbeth’s wife banquo: a thane of Scotland and general in King Duncan’s army fleance: Banquo’s son macduff: Thane of Fife, a Scottish noble lady macduff: Macduff’s wife son of macduff and lady macduff
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
thanes and nobles of Scotland lennox ross menteith angus caithness
}
siward: Earl of Northumberland and general of the English forces young siward: Siward’s son seyton: an officer attending Macbeth three witches hecate: leader of the witches porter old man three murderers english doctor scottish doctor captain: an officer serving Duncan gentlewoman: an attendant to Lady Macbeth apparitions lords, gentlemen, officers, soldiers, messengers, attendants, servants setting: Scotland and England during the eleventh century.
100
from The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act 1 Scenes 1–2
Preview The chart on page 100 provides you with a variety of information about Macbeth. Previewing this material can help prepare you to read the play. When you preview a chart, you look at text features, such as the title and headings. What does the title tell you about the purpose of this chart? ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________
How would you describe the groupings into which the characters are divided? ________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________
Skim the entries to get a sense of what kind of information they provide. Make a check in the box next to each correct statement.
■ ■ ■ ■
The entries tell who the characters are. The entries show how to pronounce characters’ names. The entries explain what the characters’ names mean. The entries tell how some characters are related to each other.
Note Taking Writing things down helps you read actively and remember important ideas. Read the character list and respond to the following items. These are the ways I can use this chart. ________________________________________________________________________________________________
These are words I didn’t know—followed by their meanings. ________________________________________________________________________________________________
This is something I already knew. ________________________________________________________________________________________________
This is something that I didn’t know. ________________________________________________________________________________________________
This is something I found interesting. ________________________________________________________________________________________________
from The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act 1 Scenes 1–2
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from The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act 1 Scenes 1–2
Summary, Scenes 1–2 • Three witches appear suddenly during a storm. In eerie, chanting tones, they describe a battle and then plan to confront Macbeth. • At a military camp, King Duncan of Scotland asks a wounded captain for news about the battle. The Irish soldiers led by the rebel Macdonwald seemed at first to be winning. However, Macbeth and Banquo fought with great courage, and Macbeth chopped off Macdonwald’s head. Another nobleman reports that the traitorous thane of Cawdor is defeated and the king of Norway wants to begin peace talks. The king orders that the thane of Cawdor be killed and awards his title to Macbeth.
Literary Element Atmosphere Reread the stage directions at the start of the opening scene. Underline details that give clues to the atmosphere of the play.
ACT 1
What do these details tell you about the atmosphere of the play? Write your answer on the lines below. _______________________________ _______________________________
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_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ 10
Read and Discuss With two other group members, read the scene aloud. Take turns restating what happens in your own words. Put a check mark beside the statements that accurately describe the scene. ___ The scene takes place during a storm in a lonely spot. ___ Two of the witches bring their pet raccoon and raven with them. ___ The witches plan to meet with Macbeth before the end of the day, after the battle is over.
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SCENE 1. Scotland. An open place. [In the midst of a great storm of thunder and lightning, THREE WITCHES appear in a deserted, outdoor place.] first witch. When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain? second witch. When the hurlyburly’s° done, When the battle’s lost and won. third witch. That will be ere° the set of sun. first witch. Where the place? second witch. Upon the heath.° third witch. There to meet with Macbeth. first witch. I come, Graymalkin.° second witch. Paddock° calls. third witch. Anon!° all. Fair is foul, and foul is fair.° Hover through the fog and filthy air. [The WITCHES exit.]
from The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act 1 Scenes 1–2
Side Notes 3
hurlyburly: commotion.
5
ere: before.
6
heath: uncultivated land covered by small shrubs.
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Graymalkin: gray cat (the name of a familiar, or spirit in animal form, that serves a witch). Paddock: toad (another familiar). Anon: right away!
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10 In Shakespeare’s time, many people believed that witches reversed normal values and practices, considering ugliness beautiful and vice versa.
Notice that a tiny circle sometimes appears at the end of a word or a line of dialogue. The circle tells you that there is a helpful side note on the right-hand page. The side note may explain a word’s meaning, translate a phrase into modern English, or offer other information. The boldface number before the side note matches the number of the line in which the word or phrase appears. Which of the side notes on this page is most helpful? Write your answer on the lines below. _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
from The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act 1 Scenes 1–2
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from The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act 1 Scenes 1–2
Literary Element Atmosphere How do the stage directions and beginning lines of scene 2 add to the play’s atmosphere? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
Read and Discuss
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With a partner, reread lines 8–10. What do you visualize when you read the description of two swimmers? 10
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Why did Shakespeare compare Macbeth and Macdonwald to exhausted swimmers? 25
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SCENE 2. A military camp near Forres, a town about a -hundred miles north of Edinburgh in Scotland. [From offstage come the sounds of men fighting, weapons clashing, and trumpets blaring. DUNCAN, King of Scotland, enters with his two teenage sons. MALCOLM, the older, who is heir to the throne, and DONALBAIN, the younger. With them are a Scottish nobleman, LENNOX, and other attendants. They meet a CAPTAIN bleeding from wounds received in battle between the king’s army and the forces of his two rivals, Macdonwald and the Thane of Cawdor.] king. What bloody man is that? He can report, As seemeth by his plight, of the revolt The newest state. malcolm. This is the sergeant Who like a good and hardy soldier fought ’Gainst my captivity.° Hail, brave friend! Say to the king the knowledge of the broil° As thou didst leave it. captain. Doubtful it stood, As two spent swimmers, that do cling together And choke their art.° The merciless Macdonwald— Worthy to be a rebel for to that The multiplying villainies of nature Do swarm upon him°—from the Western Isles° Of kerns and gallowglasses° is supplied; And Fortune, on his damnèd quarrel smiling, Showed like a rebel’s whore:° but all’s too weak: For brave Macbeth—well he deserves that name— Disdaining Fortune, with his brandished steel, Which smoked with bloody execution, Like valor’s minion° carved out his passage Till he faced the slave; Which nev’r shook hands, nor bade farewell to him, Till he unseamed him from the nave to th’ chops,° And fixed his head upon our battlements. king. O valiant cousin!° Worthy gentleman! captain. As whence the sun ’gins his reflection° Shipwracking storms and direful thunders break, So from that spring whence comfort seemed to come Discomfort swells.° Mark, King of Scotland, mark: No sooner justice had, with valor armed, Compelled these skipping kerns to trust their heels But the Norweyan lord,° surveying vantage,° With furbished arms and new supplies of men, Began a fresh assault.
Vocabulary doubtful (doutʼ fəl) adj. questionable; of uncertain outcome merciless (murʼ si lis) adj. cruel; pitiless direful (dı̄rʼ fəl) adj. inspiring dread; terrible
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from The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act 1 Scenes 1–2
Reading Strategy Apply Background Knowledge Why does Macbeth display Macdonwald’s head on the castle wall? _______________________________ 1–3 The wounded officer (sergeant) has returned to King Duncan’s military camp near Forres. Duncan hopes he can report on the progress of the rebellion.
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
5 ’Gainst my captivity: to keep me from being captured. 6 broil: battle.
8–9 As . . . art: like two tired swimmers who hinder their skill by clinging to each other. 10–12 Worthy . . . him: well suited to be a rebel, since he is infested with evil qualities. 12 Western Isles: the Hebrides, off Scotland’s west coast. 13 kerns and gallowglasses: lightly armed Irish foot soldiers and horsemen armed with axes. 14–15 Fortune . . . whore: Fortune, approving Macdonwald’s cause, appeared to favor the rebel.
How does the side note’s explanation of what Macbeth did to Macdonwald help you build a picture of Macbeth’s abilities? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
19 minion: favorite. _______________________________ 21–22 Which . . . chops: Macbeth didn’t part from Macdonwald until he had cut him open from his navel to his jaw.
_______________________________
24 cousin: kinsman (Macbeth and Duncan were both grandsons of King Malcolm). 25 sun ’gins his reflection: sun rises.
Vocabulary Skill 25–28 As . . . swells: The Captain says that Macdonwald’s defeat was only a break in the storm. 31 Norweyan lord: Sweno, King of Norway. surveying vantage: seeing an opportunity for attack.
Word Parts The word direful contains the suffix -ful, meaning “full of” or “characterized by.” If dire means “dread,” what does direful mean? ______________________________ Write two other words that contain this same suffix. ______________________________ ______________________________
from The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act 1 Scenes 1–2
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from The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act 1 Scenes 1–2
Read and Discuss With a partner, read the king’s and the captain’s speeches. On the lines below, rewrite those speeches in your own words.
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____________________________ 40
____________________________ ____________________________
king. Dismayed not this Our captains, Macbeth and Banquo? captain. Yes; As sparrows eagles,° or the hare the lion. If I say sooth,° I must report they were As cannons overcharged with double cracks;° So they doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe. Except° they meant to bathe in reeking wounds, Or memorize another Golgotha,° I cannot tell— But I am faint; my gashes cry for help. king. So well thy words become thee as thy wounds; They smack of honor both. Go get him surgeons.
____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
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____________________________
Literary Element Atmosphere Underline the phrases in this passage that give clues about the atmosphere.
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What effect do these phrases create? 55
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
[As the CAPTAIN exits with the help of attendants, noblemen ROSS and ANGUS enter.] Who comes here? malcolm. The worthy Thane° of Ross. lennox. What a haste looks through his eyes! So should he look That seems to° speak things strange. ross. God save the king! king. Whence cam’st thou, worthy Thane? ross. From Fife, great King; Where the Norweyan banners flout the sky And fan our people cold.° Norway° himself, with terrible° numbers, Assisted by that most disloyal traitor The Thane of Cawdor, began a dismal° conflict; Till that Bellona’s bridegroom, lapped in proof,° Confronted him with self-comparisons,° Point against point rebellious, arm ’gainst arm, Curbing his lavish° spirit: and, to conclude, The victory fell on us. king. Great happiness!
_______________________________ _______________________________
Vocabulary Skill Word Parts The suffix -ious means “full of,” “having the qualities of,” or “characterized by.” Place a check mark next to the correct definition of cautious. ___ a warning against danger ___ showing or using care in dangerous situations ___ to urge to take care
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Vocabulary disloyal (dis loiʼ əl) adj. not true to duty or obligation; unworthy of faith or trust rebellious (ri belʼ yəs) adj. defying or resisting authority or tradition
from The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act 1 Scenes 1–2
35 As sparrows eagles: as much as sparrows frighten eagles. 36 sooth: truth. 37 cracks: explosive charges. 39 Except: unless. 40 memorize . . . Golgotha: make the field as notorious for slaughter as Golgotha, where Christ was crucified.
45 Thane: a Scottish title of nobility. 47 seems to: seems about to.
50 fan . . . cold: filled the Scots with cold fear. 51 Norway: the King of Norway. terrible: terrifying. 53 dismal: ominous. 54 Bellona’s . . . proof: Ross refers to Macbeth as the husband of Bellona—Roman goddess of war—clad in tested armor (proof). 55 Confronted . . . self-comparisons: faced him with equal courage and skill. 57 lavish: insolent.
Reading Strategy Apply Background Knowledge Bellona is the Roman goddess of war. Why does Ross refer to Macbeth as the husband of Bellona? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
from The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act 1 Scenes 1–2
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from The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act 1 Scenes 1–2
60
Reading Strategy Apply Background Knowledge What do you predict will happen to the former Thane of Cawdor? _______________________________
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ross. That now Sweno, the Norways’ king, craves composition;° Nor would we deign him burial of his men Till he disbursèd, at Saint Colme’s Inch,° Ten thousand dollars° to our general use. king. No more that Thane of Cawdor shall deceive Our bosom interest:° go pronounce his present° death, And with his former title greet Macbeth. ross. I’ll see it done. king. What he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won. [They exit.]
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
Are you surprised by this verdict? Why or why not? _______________________________ _______________________________
READING CHECK
_______________________________ _______________________________
Summarize
_______________________________
Think about the two scenes from Macbeth that you just read. On the lines below, summarize what you know about Macbeth’s actions and character.
_______________________________
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______________________________________________________
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______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
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from The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act 1 Scenes 1–2
59 craves composition: begs for terms of peace.
Reading Strategy 61 Saint Colme’s Inch: Inchcolm, an island in the Firth of Forth. 62 dollars: currency that first came into use in the early sixteenth century, about five hundred years after Macbeth’s time. 64 Our . . . interest: my dearest concerns. present: immediate.
Apply Background Knowledge Based on this scene and what you know about the Middle Ages, how would you characterize the warrior societies ruled by Duncan and Sweno? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
from The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act 1 Scenes 1–2
109
After You Read
from The Tragedy of Macbeth,
Act 1 Scenes 1-2 Connect to the Play Look at the anticipation guide you completed on page 98. Based on the first two scenes of the play, which statements do you predict will best apply to Macbeth? Write your responses on the lines below. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________
Literary Element Atmosphere Look back at Scene 1. Use a graphic organizer like the one you used on page 99 to list the atmospheric details Shakespeare uses and the feeling they create. Details
Feeling
Reading Strategy Apply Background Knowledge Look back at the Reading Strategy activity on page 99. Complete the third column of the K-W-L Chart. Then answer the following questions. What interesting fact did you discover that was not related to your questions in the want-to-know column? _________________________________________________________________________________________________ What contradictions did you spot between what you know and what you learned? _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ What further questions can you add to your chart now that you have read the first two scenes of the play? _________________________________________________________________________________________________
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After You Read
from The Tragedy of Macbeth,
Act 1 Scenes 1-2 Vocabulary A. Word Meaning Circle the answer that best fits the meaning of the boldfaced vocabulary word in each sentence. 1. At first, a positive result of the battle with Macdonwald seemed doubtful. a expected c of uncertain outcome b sure to happen
d unfailing
2. Macdonwald was a merciless soldier who seemed favored by Fortune. a filled with compassion
c skilled
b heartless
d lacking careful planning
3. The appearance of the witches foreshadows direful events. a terrible
c irritating
b urgent
d boring
4. The Thane of Cawdor loses his life and his title because he is disloyal to the king. a absent
c rude
b steadfast
d unfaithful
5. Macbeth was victorious in battle because of his rebellious spirit. a conforming
c carefully managed
b defiant
d seemingly brave
B. Word Parts Answer each of the following questions about prefixes, roots, and suffixes. Use a dictionary if you need to. 1. The prefix dis- in disloyal means the same as the prefix in which of the following words? a distress
c disregard
b discipline
d disk
2. Which word comes from the same root as doubtful, meaning “to waver”? a dubious
c introduce
b abduct
d double
3. How does the replacement of the suffix -less with the suffix -ful change a word? a It changes a noun to an adjective.
c It changes an adjective to an adverb.
b There is no change because the suffixes mean the same thing.
d It makes the word mean the opposite.
from The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act 1 Scenes 1–2
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After You Read
from The Tragedy of Macbeth,
Act 1 Scenes 1-2 Evaluation Frame
Fill out this diagram to help you review the first two scenes of Macbeth and to comment on the effectiveness of the play’s introduction. Scene 1 Atmosphere
Scene 2 Atmosphere
Purpose of Scene 1
Purpose of Scene 2
Effectiveness of Scene 1
Effectiveness of Scene 2
Support for Evaluation
Support for Evaluation
Conclusion
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Learning Objectives For pages 113–120 In studying this text, you will focus on the following objectives: Literary Study: Analyzing argument. Reading: Drawing conclusions about author’s beliefs.
Eve’s Apology from Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum
by Aemilia Lanyer
Eve's Apology
113
Before You Read
Eve’s Apology from Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum
Connect to the Poem In this excerpt from a longer poem, Aemilia Lanyer responds to the biblical story explaining how Adam and Eve tasted the forbidden fruit and, as a result, were cast out of the Garden of Eden. She argues that Adam deserves more blame than Eve for what happened. Have you ever found it difficult to decide who was responsible for a mistake? In a small group, discuss how you decide whether or not someone should be blamed for an error. On the lines below, list questions you might ask the people involved as you investigate the problem. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Build Background •
Aemilia Lanyer published her poem in 1611, the year the King James translation of the Bible appeared. Hers was one of the first books of poetry ever published by an Englishwoman. In her poems, Lanyer made an argument that was daring for the time: that women should be free of male domination.
•
There is good reason to believe Lanyer knew William Shakespeare. In fact, some scholars think Lanyer is the woman known as the “Dark Lady” who is featured some of Shakespeare’s most famous sonnets.
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This poem is set in iambic pentameter, a popular form of the day. The lines contain 5 unstressed syllables alternating with 5 stressed syllables. Note also that every other line rhymes.
•
The word apology in the title of the poem does not mean that Eve is sorry for her actions. As used here, apology means a defense of someone’s actions. In this case, Lanyer is considering the role Eve played in getting herself and Adam expelled from the Garden of Eden.
Now, briefly summarize what you have just read in your own words. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Set Purposes for Reading Read the poem to find out why Lanyer does not think Eve bears as much blame as Adam for what happened in the Garden of Eden.
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Literary Element Argument Argument is a type of persuasive writing that uses logic or reasoning to influence a reader’s ideas or actions. The most effective approach is to state an opinion and then support it with facts and reasoning. Arguments can also appeal to a reader’s emotions. Think about a time when you tried to persuade a friend or family member about something. How did you try to convince that person that you were right? With a partner, exchange stories about a time when you tried to persuade someone to agree with you. Discuss whether or not your techniques worked and why.
Reading Strategy Draw Conclusions About Author’s Beliefs When you draw a conclusion you use the available information to make a general statement about someone or something. This is especially important in persuasive writing, where you must analyze the arguments made by the author and draw your own conclusions about what opinion the author is expressing. As you read this poem, look for details that help you determine what Aemilia Lanyer believes. Then rephrase the passage containing that detail in your own words, trying to draw a conclusion about it. The chart below contains a detail from the poem. Summarize the text and see what you conclude. Detail
Summary
Although the serpent’s craft had her abused, God’s holy word ought all his actions frame; For he was lord and king of all the earth Before poor Eve had either life or breath,
Vocabulary Context Clues If you aren’t sure of a word’s meaning, you might get some help from looking at the information that surrounds it. This surrounding text might contain context clues—clues that indirectly explain the word you’re wondering about. Read the definitions and parts of speech for the words in the minor column of this page. Then read the sentences below that use the words and answer the related questions.
Vocabulary endure (en doorʼ ) v. to bear; tolerate; put up with discretion (dis kreshʼ ən) n. good judgment
Eve was expected to endure all the blame for eating the forbidden fruit, even though Adam ate it too. What does endure mean in this sentence? ________________________________________________________________ What context clues might have helped you determine its meaning? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ The speaker believes Adam was careless and should bear some blame for lacking discretion. What does discretion mean in this sentence? ______________________________________________________________ What context clues might have helped you determine its meaning? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Eve's Apology
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Eve’s Apology from Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum
Read and Discuss Working in a small group, read the first highlighted passage aloud. Consider that, in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were immortal. Then discuss what Lanyer claims Adam has lost, and why. Who else does she say has suffered as a result of his action?
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10
15
20
Vocabulary endure (en doorʼ) v. to bear; tolerate; put up with
But surely Adam cannot be excused; Her fault, though great, yet he was most to blame. What weakness offered, strength might have refused; Being lord of all, the greater was his shame; Although the serpent’s craft had her abused, God’s holy word ought all his actions frame;1 For he was lord and king of all the earth Before poor Eve had either life or breath, Who being framed2 by God’s eternal hand The perfectest man that ever breathed on earth, And from God’s mouth received that strait3 command, The breach4 whereof he knew was present death; Yea, having power to rule both sea and land, Yet with one apple won to lose that breath Which God had breathèd in his beauteous face, Bringing us all in danger and disgrace; And then to lay the fault on patience’s back, That we (poor women) must endure it all; We know right well he did discretion lack, Being not persuaded thereunto at all. If Eve did err, it was for knowledge sake; The fruit being fair persuaded him to fall. No subtle serpent’s falsehood did betray him; If he would eat it, who had power to stay5 him?
Vocabulary Skill Context Clues Look at how the word endure is used in line 18. Underline the context clues that reinforce its meaning.
Vocabulary discretion (dis kreshʼ ən) n. good judgment
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
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In this sense, frame means “determine.” Here, framed means “formed.” In this sentence strait is being used in an old-fashioned way to mean “strict.” A breach, in this sense, is a violation. Stay, here, means “stop” or “prevent.”
Eve’s Apology
25
30
Not Eve, whose fault was only too much love, Which made her give this present to her dear, That what she tasted he likewise might prove,6 Whereby his knowledge might become more clear; He never sought her weakness to reprove7 With those sharp words which he of God did hear; Yet men will boast of knowledge, which he took From Eve’s fair hand, as from a learnèd book.
Literary Element Argument The author of a piece of persuasive writing must support an opinion with logic or reasoning. Reread the second highlighted passage on page 116. What is Lanyer’s reasoning in this passage? Check the box next to the correct answer. Eve’s mistake was less serious because . . . ■ she had not intended for anything bad to happen. ■ she was seeking knowledge, and Adam was just being greedy. ■ she didn’t know what she was doing and Adam said it was okay.
Reading Strategy Draw Conclusions About Author’s Beliefs What would you say lines 31–32 reveal about Lanyer’s opinion of men who take pride in their knowledge?
6. Prove in this sense means “discover by experience.” 7. Reprove means “condemn.”
READING CHECK Summarize Review the poem and pick out the line that you think best summarizes Aemilia Lanyer’s basic opinion about her topic. Write it on the line below.
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
Eve's Apology
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After You Read
Eve’s Apology from Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum
Connect to the Poem Look back at the activity you did on page 114. Returning to your small group, discuss how this poem approaches the issue of blame. Did Lanyer provide answers to the types of questions you listed? Which ones? Write one of the questions below and tell how Lanyer answered it. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________
Literary Element Argument Remember that an argument can include emotional appeals, as well as logic and reasoning. Now find two examples from the poem where Lanyer appeals to her readers’ emotions. Write the examples from the poem on the lines below. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Do you think this technique helped or did not help her argument? Explain your answer. _________________________________________________________________________________________________
Reading Strategy Draw Conclusions About Author’s Beliefs Look back at the chart that you completed on page 115. On a separate sheet of paper, copy the chart, adding two or three details from the whole poem. When you review the completed chart, you should be able to make a general statement, or conclusion, about Lanyer’s beliefs about Eve and Adam. Write your conclusion in one or two sentences at the bottom of your chart.
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After You Read
Eve’s Apology from Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum
Vocabulary A. Word Meaning Circle the answer that best fits the meaning of the boldfaced vocabulary word in each sentence. 1. Lanyer seems to believe that women have had to endure much suffering because Eve took all the blame for what happened in Eden. a remain
c bear
b despise
d permit
2. Eve’s partner in the Garden may have lacked discretion in his response to her offer of the forbidden fruit. a kindness and compassion
c a sense of fairness
b the ability to judge well
d power and authority
B. Context Clues Identify and underline the context clues in the following sentences. Context clues can help you confirm the meaning of each boldfaced vocabulary word. 1. People sometimes have to endure harsh conditions and difficult circumstances for which they are not responsible. 2. A lack of discretion in making decisions can bring harm to others as well as to yourself.
Eve's Apology
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After You Read
Eve’s Apology from Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum
Argument Chart The argument chart below will help you to understand how Lanyer creates support for her argument in “Eve’s Apology.” In the first column, under Viewpoints, list the main points of Lanyer’s argument. In the second column, under Support, list the reasons she offers for her point of view. Support can include emotional appeals. In the third column, write any opposing viewpoints that you think are valid in challenging Lanyer’s argument. (You do not have to believe the opposing viewpoints yourself, but they should still be strong arguments.) Viewpoint
120
Support
Opposing Viewpoints
Learning Objectives For pages 121–128 In studying this text, you will focus on the following objectives: Literary Study: Analyzing metaphysical conceit. Reading: Making inferences about theme.
Meditation 17
by John Donne
Meditation 17
121
Before You Read
Meditation 17
Connect to the Meditation In this selection, John Donne meditates about how the concerns and sufferings of the individual relate to society as a whole. Think about some of the difficulties you have faced in your life, and how you feel about other people’s troubles. How would you respond to the following statements about difficulties faced by individuals and society? Circle your response. 1. All people face difficulties in life. yes no maybe 2. The difficulties faced by the society in which I live affect me. yes no maybe 3. The difficulties I face affect the society in which I live. yes no maybe
Build Background •
John Donne was born into a Roman Catholic family. Because the rulers of England were Protestants, he experienced years of discrimination for his religion. Eventually, he converted to Protestantism and began to get prestigious appointments.
•
In 1621, Donne became the dean (head) of St. Paul’s Cathedral in England. Soon after, at the age of 51, he became seriously ill.
•
After his recovery, he wrote a series of prose meditations. These short sermons express his private reflections about being ill, and about his religious faith. They include Meditation 17.
•
Donne is also famous as a poet. Among his best-known works are love poems, many of them likely written for his wife, Anne, to whom he was devoted.
Now, without looking at what you read, write down two facts that you remember from the Build Background note. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Set Purposes for Reading Read to find out why Donne believes that the individual is closely connected to society as a whole.
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Literary Element Metaphysical Conceit A conceit is a complex metaphor or simile that compares two significantly different things. The comparison may seem far-fetched at first but, when examined, it gains clarity and persuasiveness. For example, a writer might compare starting a business with cutting down a tree using an ax. The writer would then develop the comparison in detail, so that it becomes clear to the reader. With the above example, the importance of having a sharp ax can be compared with the importance of having a sharp business plan. A metaphysical conceit creates an abstract or intellectual comparison rather than one based on nature (metaphysical means “beyond the physical”). Work with a partner to develop a conceit that compares getting ready for school in the morning with something that, at first, seems unrelated. Think of several possibilities and then pick the one you think works best.
Reading Strategy Make Inferences About Theme The theme of a work is its overall message about life or human nature. Readers can often discover the theme by making inferences, or educated guesses, based on details in the work. The chart below has a detail from Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. In the blank section, write down an inference that you can make about this detail. Detail
Inference About Theme
“What’s in a name? that which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet.”
Vocabulary Analogies An analogy is a type of comparison that is based on the relationship between things or ideas. For example, an analogy comparing a ship to a fleet is based on the relationship of part to whole. Why? Because a ship is part of a fleet. On tests, you may find analogies presented in the following way hammer : tool :: example : class. This is read as “hammer is to tool as example is to class”. (in other words, a hammer is an example of the class of things known as tools.) Read the vocabulary words and definitions in the side column out loud. Then read the following analogies and circle the relationship type that best applies to each.
Vocabulary congregation (kongʼ grə gāʼ shən) n. a group of people who gather for religious worship covetousness (kuvʼ it əs nəs) n. great desire for something belonging to another contemplation (konʼ təm plāʼ shən) n. careful thoughts or consideration
1. worshipper : congregation :: a. object : characteristic b. part : whole c. the words are antonyms 2. contemplation: thoughts a. part : whole b. the words are synonyms c. object : characteristic
Meditation 17
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Meditation 17 Reading Strategy Making Inferences About Theme Read over the highlighted passage. Who or what do you think is the “one author” that Donne refers to? What is the “one volume”? What does Donne mean by “translated into a better language”? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
Vocabulary congregation (kongʼ grə gāʼ shən) n. a group of people who gather for religious worship
Nunc lento sonitu dicunt, Morieris. Now this bell, tolling softly for another, says to me, Thou must die. Perchance he for whom this bell tolls may be so ill as that he knows not it tolls for him; and perchance I may think myself so much better than I am, as that they who are about me and see my state may have caused it to toll for me, and I know not that. The church is catholic,1 universal, so are all her actions; all that she does belongs to all. When she baptizes a child, that action concerns me; for that child is thereby connected to that head2 which is my head too, and ingrafted into that body3 whereof I am a member. And when she buries a man, that action concerns me: all mankind is of one author and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated. God employs several translators; some pieces are translated by age, some by sickness, some by war, some by justice; but God’s hand is in every translation, and his hand shall bind up all our scattered leaves4 again for that library where every book shall lie open to one another. As therefore the bell that rings to a sermon calls not upon the preacher only, but upon the congregation to come, so this bell calls us all; but how much more me, who am brought so near the door by this sickness. There was a contention as far as a suit5 (in which piety6 and dignity, religion and estimation,7 were mingled) which of the religious orders should ring to prayers first in the morning; and it was determined that they should ring first that rose earliest. If we understand aright the dignity of this bell that tolls for our evening prayer, we would be glad to make it ours by rising early, in that application, that it might be ours as well as his whose indeed it is. The bell doth toll for him that thinks it doth; and though it intermit8 again, yet from that minute that that occasion wrought upon him, he is united to God.
1. In this sense, the word catholic (note lowercase “c”) means “wide-ranging in interests, or universal.” When Donne says the church is catholic, he means that it embraces all humankind. Donne may also be making a word play, a slight reference to the Catholic (note capital “C”) faith that he followed in his youth. 2. Head stands for Christ, the head of the church. 3. Body is the congregation of the church. 4. In this context, leaves are pages. 5. A contention as far as a suit is an argument that resulted in a lawsuit. 6. Piety means “religious devotion.” 7. Here, estimation refers to self-esteem. 8. Intermit means “pause.” A more familiar related word is intermittent, meaning “off and on.”
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Meditation 17
Who casts not up his eye to the sun when it rises? but who takes off his eye from a comet when that breaks out? Who bends not his ear to any bell which upon any occasion rings? but who can remove it from that bell which is passing a piece of himself out of this world? No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.9 If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory10 were, as well as if a manor of thy friend’s or of thine own were. Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee. Neither can we call this a begging of misery or a borrowing of misery, as though we were not miserable enough of ourselves but must fetch in more from the next house, in taking upon us the misery of our neighbors. Truly it were an excusable covetousness if we did; for affliction11 is a treasure, and scarce any man hath enough of it. No man hath affliction enough that is not matured and ripened by it, and made fit for God by that affliction. If a man carry treasure in bullion,12 or in a wedge of gold, and have none coined into current moneys, his treasure will not defray him13 as he travels. Tribulation14 is treasure in the nature of it, but it is not current money in the use of it, except we get nearer and nearer our home, heaven, by it. Another man may be sick too, and sick to death, and this affliction may lie in his bowels as gold in a mine and be of no use to him; but this bell that tells me of his affliction digs out and applies that gold to me, if by this consideration of another’s danger I take mine own into contemplation and so secure myself by making my recourse15 to my God, who is our only security. Main is a shortening of mainland. A promontory is a mass of land or rock that sticks out into a body of water. Affliction means “pain, misery, or suffering.” Bullion is precious metal in the form of bars or ingots. Donne’s point is that bullion is useless for buying the small things a traveler might need along the way, because it is a large, valuable chunk that cannot be broken down in to small change. 13. Defray him means “pay his costs.” 14. Tribulation is misery or suffering. 15. Recourse is an appeal for help or protection. 9. 10. 11. 12.
READING CHECK Summarize Donne uses the idea of the tolling bell throughout Meditation 17. Review the selection, focusing on what it represents. Then briefly summarize your ideas on the lines below. Support your answer with details from the text.
Read and Discuss Read the highlighted section out loud with a partner. Then underline the two things being compared. Also, underline details Donne uses to develop the metaphysical conceit. Then discuss with your partner the meaning of the conceit.
Vocabulary covetousness (kuvʼ it əs nəs) n. great desire for something belonging to another
Vocabulary Skill Analogy In this passage, Donne draws an analogy between affliction and treasure and says that it is as understandable for a person to feel covetousness about affliction as to feel it about a treasure. Why? Fill in the blank below to answer. He says it is difficult to have ____________ of either affliction or treasure. How would you describe Donne’s idea of relationship between affliction and treasure? The relationship between the two is a matter of __________________ /difference.
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Vocabulary contemplation (konʼ təm plāʼ shən) n. careful thoughts or consideration
Meditation 17
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After You Read
Meditation 17
Connect to the Meditation Look back at the questions you answered on page 122. How would John Donne have answered these questions? _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Has reading his opinion changed or confirmed your original opinions in any way? Explain how. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________
Literary Element Metaphysical Conceit Read over the selection and find a metaphysical conceit that Donne uses other than the “no man is an island” conceit. Then use the chart below to analyze this conceit. In the left column mention the two seemingly unrelated things that are being compared. In the right column write what you think is the abstract message of the conceit. Comparison
Meaning
Reading Strategy Make Inferences About Theme What do you think is the main theme of “Meditation 17”? Support your answer with details from the selection. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Meditation 17
After You Read
Vocabulary A. Word Meaning Write each vocabulary word next to the phrase with which it is associated. (The matching words and phrases are not identical in meaning. Instead, they have some sort of relationship.) Then write a sentence that uses both the phrase and the matching word. The first one has been completed for you.
congregation
dignity
covetousness
contemplation
much self-respect _____________________________________________________________________________ Sentence: Tom had dignity because he had so much self-respect. filled the church ________________________________________________________________________________ Sentence: _____________________________________________________________________________________ an envious person ______________________________________________________________________________ Sentence: _____________________________________________________________________________________ profound philosopher ___________________________________________________________________________ Sentence: _____________________________________________________________________________________
B. Analogies For each item below, decide what the relationship is between the first pair of words. Then apply that relationship to the second pair and circle your answer. After you do this, identify the type of relationship shown in the analogy. You can choose from the following relationship types: example/class, object/characteristic, part/whole, synonyms, and antonyms. The first one has been done for you. 1. beach : sand :: thicket : a grass
b branches
c lumber
Relationship: object/material 2. worshipper : congregation :: student : a chorus
b audience
c class
Relationship: ________________ 3. contemplative : impulsive :: peaceful : a violent
b calm
c ideas
Relationship: ________________
Meditation 17
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Meditation 17
After You Read
Evaluation Chart The chart below allows you to analyze a passage from the meditation, give your opinion about the theme or idea expressed in the passage, and offer an opposing opinion. In the left column, write what you think the passage means and then give the logic or reasoning for your interpretation. In the right column, give your opinion about the passage. Do you agree with what it is saying or not? Why? Then, below this, give an opposing opinion. Argument Passage: “No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.”
Response:
Meaning:
Opposing Opinion:
Logic, Reasoning, or Evidence:
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Your Evaluation
Learning Objectives For pages 129–140, 349 In studying this text, you will focus on the following objectives: Literary Study: Analyzing a historical diary. Reading: Drawing conclusions about author’s beliefs.
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The Diary of
Samuel Pepys by Samuel Pepys
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Before You Read
from The
Diary of
Samuel Pepys Connect to the Diary In this excerpt from his diary, Samuel Pepys describes the crowning of a king and the partial ruin of a city. What do you already know about ceremonies in which leaders are officially granted power? What do you know about the way people respond to disasters in their city or region? Before you begin reading, complete the “What I already know” and the “What I want to find out” columns of the chart below. Then read the selection to find out more about these topics. Topic
What I already know
What I want to find out
What I found out
Granting of power
Disasters
Build Background Samuel Pepys lived in London and held a high-level job in the English navy. From 1660 until 1669, he wrote his diary about historical events as well as his private life. The entries you are about to read describe two important events of the period. •
The Restoration: After a bloody civil war, England went more than eleven years without a king. Then, in April of 1661, the monarchy was “restored” when Charles II was crowned king. Samuel Pepys was among those who attended the coronation.
•
The Great Fire of London: In 1666, a huge fire broke out in London. Over the course of four days, Pepys watched helplessly as the fire raged out of control and destroyed four-fifths of the central city.
Now, without looking back on what you have just read, write down two facts that you remember from the Build Background note. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Set Purposes for Reading Read to find out how Pepys responded to two of the most historic events of his day—the coronation of King Charles II and the Great Fire of London.
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Literary Element Diary A diary is a work in which a person keeps an informal record of his or her thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Diaries are written for the writer’s own use and are not meant to be published. Unlike a journal, a diary is most often a simple, spontaneous account of daily life. A historical diary is a diary that, because it includes important political and social information about a particular time period, has come to represent that time period. What events in your own life would you include in a diary? Work with a partner to come up with ideas, taking notes as you go along. Then discuss which of the events might one day be considered historical as opposed to personal.
Reading Strategy Draw Conclusions About Author’s Beliefs One way to better understand the meaning of a piece of literature is to take information you find in it and use them to make a general statement about the author’s beliefs. Often an author’s deeply held beliefs are not stated directly but are implied in the details he or she writes—and in what is included and left out of the text. To help you draw conclusions about authors’ beliefs, fill out the map below. Based on the statements in the boxes on the left, write down your conclusion about their author’s beliefs in the box on the right. “Raul was clearly victorious over the other presidential nominees in the student council debate. He made them all look weak-minded and petty.”
General Statement:
“The summer after his sophomore year, Raul selflessly volunteered to coach Little League, even though it meant giving up lifeguarding.”
“Raul’s strength, intelligence, and charisma could usher in a new era in student politics for this school.”
Vocabulary Analogies Analogies are comparisons that show similarities between two things that are otherwise not alike. An analogy helps explain something unfamiliar by comparing it to something familiar. The types of analogies you are likely to see on tests are relationships between two pairs of words. Some common relationships are synonyms, cause and effect, and part to whole. In analogy expressions, : means “is to” and :: means “as.” For instance, an analogy based on the relationship of cause and effect is:
Vocabulary cavalcade (kavʼ əl kādʼ) n. a ceremonial procession loath (lōth) adj. reluctant; unwilling quench (kwench) v. to put out; extinguish malicious (mə lishʼ əs) adj. deliberately harmful
deluge : flood :: fire : smoke
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from
The Diary of
Samuel Pepys Reading Strategy Draw Conclusions About Author’s Beliefs What does the information in the first paragraph imply about Pepys’s personal beliefs about the coronation? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
Literary Element Diary What do these details reveal about the coronation ceremony in Pepys’s time? Place a check in the box next to the correct answer below. ■ Each person involved was dressed in the clothing—and entered in the order— associated with his status and official capacity. ■ Everyone wore traditional red and walked very slowly. ■ The king had many bodyguards—probably to protect him from the people watching the ceremony.
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The Coronation of Charles II APRIL 23, 1661. Coronation Day. About four I rose and got to the Abbey,1 where I followed Sir J. Denham, the surveyor, with some company that he was leading in. And with much ado, by the favor of Mr. Cooper, his man, did get up into a great scaffold2 across the north end of the Abbey, where with a great deal of patience I sat from past four till eleven before the King came in. And a great pleasure it was to see the Abbey raised in the middle, all covered with red, and a throne (that is a chair) and footstool on the top of it; and all the officers of all kinds, so much as the very fiddlers, in red vests. At last comes in the dean and prebends3 of Westminster, with the bishops (many of them in cloth-of-gold copes4), and after them the nobility, all in their Parliament robes, which was a most magnificent sight. Then the Duke,5 and the King with a scepter (carried by my Lord Sandwich) and sword and mond6 before him, and the crown, too. The King in his robes, bare-headed, which was very fine. And after all had placed themselves, there was a sermon and the service; and then in the choir at the high altar, the King passed through all the ceremonies of the coronation, which to my great grief I and most in the Abbey could not see. The crown being put upon his head, a great shout begun, and he came forth to the throne, and there passed more ceremonies: as taking the oath and having things read to him by the bishop; and his lords (who put on their caps as soon as the King put on his crown) and bishops come and kneeled before him. And three times the King at Arms7 went to the three open places on the scaffold and proclaimed that if anyone could show any reason why Charles Stuart should not be King of England, that now he
1. The Abbey is Westminster Abbey, the London church that is the traditional site of coronations. 2. Scaffold means “raised platform.” 3. The dean and prebends (prebʼ əndz) are high church officials. 4. Copes are long capes worn by church officials during processions and other religious ceremonies. 5. The Duke was the Duke of York, the king’s brother and later King James II. 6. A mond is a ball of gold or other precious material with a cross on top, representing the globe of the Earth. It is a symbol of royal power. 7. The King at Arms is the chief royal messenger, an officer whose duties include making royal proclamations and arranging public processions and ceremonies.
from The Diary of Samuel Pepys should come and speak. And a general pardon also was read by the Lord Chancellor, and medals flung up and down by my Lord Cornwallis, of silver, but I could not come by any. But so great a noise that I could make but little of the music; and indeed, it was lost to everybody . . . . I went out a little while before the King had done all his ceremonies and went round the Abbey to Westminster Hall,8 all the way within rails, and ten thousand people, with the ground covered with blue cloth; and scaffolds all the way. Into the hall I got, where it was very fine with hangings and scaffolds one upon another full of brave9 ladies; and my wife in one little one on the right hand. Here I stayed walking up and down, and at last, upon one of the side stalls, I stood and saw the King come in with all the persons (but the soldiers) that were yesterday in the cavalcade; and a most pleasant sight it was to see them in their several robes. And the King came in with his crown on, and his scepter in his hand, under a canopy borne up by six silver staves,10 carried by barons of the Cinque Ports,11 and little bells at every end. And after a long time, he got up to the farther end, and all set themselves down at their several tables; and that was also a brave sight; and the King’s first course carried up by the Knights of the Bath. And many fine ceremonies there was of the herald’s leading up people before him and bowing; and my Lord of Albemarle’s going to the kitchen and eat a bit of the first dish that was to go to the King’s table. But, above all, was these three Lords, Northumberland and Suffolk and the Duke of Ormond, coming before the courses on horseback and staying so all dinnertime, and at last to bring up [Dymock] the King’s champion,12 all in armor on horseback, with his spear and target carried before him. And a herald proclaims, “That if any dare deny Charles Stuart to be lawful King of England, here was a champion that would fight with him”; and with these words, the champion flings down his gauntlet, and all this he do three times in his going up towards the King’s table. At last when he is come, the King drinks to him and Gauntlet then sends him the cup, which is of gold, and he drinks it off and then rides back again with the cup in his hand. I went from table to table to see the bishops and all others at their dinner and was infinitely pleased with it. And at the Lords’ table, I met with William Howe, and he spoke to my Lord13 for me, and he did give me four rabbits and a pullet, and so I got it, and Mr. Creed and I got Mr. Michell to give us some bread, and so we at a stall eat it, as everybody else did what they could get. I took a great deal of pleasure to go up and down and look upon the ladies and to hear the music of all sorts, but above all, the twenty-four violins. Westminster Hall is the court of justice. Here, brave means “finely dressed.” Staves is the plural of staff. Cinque (singk) Ports are the five seaports along the English Channel that together provided England’s naval defense. 12. At coronations, the King’s champion ceremoniously defended the new king’s title to the crown. This office had been held by the Dymock family since Richard II was crowned in 1377. 13. My Lord is Edward Montagu, the Earl of Sandwich, who was Pepys’s cousin and lifelong patron, or the person who supported him. 8. 9. 10. 11.
Vocabulary cavalcade (kavʼ əl kādʼ) n. a ceremonial procession
Vocabulary Skill Analogies Although you have probably not been a part of a royal procession, you have very likely participated in or seen a cavalcade of some kind during your lifetime. Describe your experience of a cavalcade on the lines below. How might it have been similar to the coronation cavalcade? ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________
Read and Discuss Read Pepys’s description of his time at the feast. As you read, underline details that show you Pepys’s beliefs about his social status. Then discuss your interpretation of these details with a partner.
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Literary Element Diary A diary is a person’s private, day-to-day written record of experiences, thoughts, and feelings. Pepys’s diary entry about the fire includes both factual statements like those you might find in a newspaper as well as personal statements more typical of a diary. Label each statement below either Personal or Factual. • “. . . above three hundred houses have been burned down tonight by the fire. . .” _____________________________ • “. . .did trouble me for poor little Michell and our Sarah on the bridge.” _____________________________
Reading Strategy Draw Conclusions About Author’s Beliefs What does Pepy’s statement about the pigeons reveal about his view of the fire’s effects? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
The London Fire
SEPTEMBER 2, 1666. Lord’s Day.14 Some of our maids sitting up late last night to get things ready against our feast today, Jane called us up about three in the morning to tell us of a great fire they saw in the city. So I rose and slipped on my nightgown and went to her window and thought it to be on the back side of Mark Lane at the farthest; but, being unused to such fires as followed, I thought it far enough off and so went to bed again and to sleep. About seven rose again to dress myself and there looked out at the window and saw the fire not so much as it was and further off. So to my closet15 to set things to rights after yesterday’s cleaning. By and by Jane comes and tells me that she hears that above three hundred houses have been burned down tonight by the fire we saw and that it is now burning down all Fish Street, by London Bridge.16 So I made myself ready presently and walked to the Tower17 and there got up upon one of the high places, Sir J. Robinson’s little son going up with me; and there I did see the houses at the end of the bridge all on fire and an infinite great fire on this and the other side the end of the bridge, which, among other people, did trouble me for poor little Michell and our Sarah18 on the bridge. So down, with my heart full of trouble, to the lieutenant of the Tower, who tells me that it begun this morning in the King’s baker’s house in Pudding Lane and that it hath burned St. Magnus’s Church and most part of Fish Street already. So I down to the waterside and there got a boat and through bridge and there saw a lamentable fire. Poor Michell’s house, as far as the Old Swan,19 already burned that way, and the fire running further, that in a very little time it got as far as the Steel Yard, while I was there. Everybody endeavoring to remove their goods and flinging into the river or bringing them into lighters20 that lay off; poor people staying in their houses as long as till the very fire touched them and then running into boats or clambering from one pair of stairs by the waterside to another. And among other things, the poor pigeons, I perceive, were loath to leave their houses, but hovered about the windows and balconies till they were, some of them burned, their wings, and fell down. Having stayed, and in an hour’s time seen the fire rage every way, and nobody, to my sight, endeavoring to quench it, but to remove their goods, and leave all to the fire, and having seen it get as far as the Steel Yard, and the wind mighty high and driving it into the City; and everything, after so long a drought, proving combustible, even the very stones of churches, and among other things the poor steeple by which pretty Mrs. —— lives, and whereof my old schoolfellow Elborough is parson, taken fire in the very top and there burned till it fell down. I to Whitehall21 (with a gentleman with me who desired to go off from the Tower, to see the fire, in my boat); to Whitehall, and there up to the King’s closet in the Chapel, where people come about me, and I did
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Vocabulary loath (lōth) adj. reluctant, unwilling quench (kwench) v. to put out; extinguish
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14. Lord’s Day is Sunday. 15. A closet was a private room used for study or prayer. 16. London Bridge was the only bridge over the Thames River at that time. It was lined with shops and houses. 17. The Tower of London is made up of a group of buildings on the Thames River constructed as a fortress and later used as both a place where royalty lived and a prison. 18. Sarah was a maid whom Mrs. Pepys fired on December 5, 1662. Pepys still cared about her well-being. 19. Betty Michell was a former love interest of Pepys who lost her house in the fire. The Old Swan was a tavern near London Bridge. 20. Lighters are large, open boats. 21. Whitehall was the king’s residence in Westminster, London, as well as the location of several government offices.
from The Diary of Samuel Pepys give them an account dismayed them all, and word was carried in to the King. So I was called for and did tell the King and Duke of York what I saw, and that unless his Majesty did command houses to be pulled down, nothing could stop the fire. They seemed much troubled, and the King commanded me to go to my Lord Mayor from him and command him to spare no houses, but to pull down before the fire every way. The Duke of York bid me tell him that if he would have any more soldiers, he shall; and so did my Lord Arlington afterwards, as a great secret. Here meeting with Captain Cocke, I in his coach, which he lent me, and Creed with me to Paul’s,22 and there walked along Watling Street, as well as I could, every creature coming away laden with goods to save, and here and there sick people carried away in beds. Extraordinary good goods carried in carts and on backs. At last met my Lord Mayor in Canning Street, like a man spent, with a handkerchief about his neck. To the King’s message he cried, like a fainting woman, “Lord! What can I do? I am spent: people will not obey me. I have been pulling down houses, but the fire overtakes us faster than we can do it.” That he needed no more soldiers and that, for himself, he must go and refresh himself, having been up all night.
Reading Strategy Draw Conclusions About Author’s Beliefs What conclusion can you draw about Pepys’s view of women from this statement? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
22. Paul’s is St. Paul’s Cathedral, which was destroyed in the fire and later rebuilt.
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READING CHECK _______________________________
Clarify How does the King react to Pepys’s account of the fire and his advice on how to stop it? What does this show about the King’s relationship with Pepys?
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Read and Discuss With a partner, read the passage about Pepys’s dinner party and its aftermath aloud. Then reread the passage, underlining words and phrases that express the danger and sadness of the situation. Discuss why you chose to underline what you did. Then reread the passage aloud, using the tone and inflection of your voice to emphasize the parts you underlined.
Literary Element Diary A pair of virginals refers to a rectangular, legless harpsichord that was usually played on a table or on the lap. What does the fact that so many boats carried one of these instruments reveal about Londoners of Pepys’s time? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
So he left me, and I him, and walked home, seeing people all almost distracted, and no manner of means used to quench the fire. The houses, too, so very thick thereabouts and full of matter for burning, as pitch and tar, in Thames Street; and warehouses of oil and wines and brandy and other things. Here I saw Mr. Isaake Houblon, the handsome man, prettily dressed and dirty, at his door at Dowgate, receiving some of his brothers’ things, whose houses were on fire, and, as he says, have been removed twice already; and he doubts (as it soon proved) that they must be in a little time removed from his house also, which was a sad consideration. And to see the churches all filling with goods by people who themselves should have been quietly there at this time. By this time it was about twelve o’clock; and so home and there find my guests, which was Mr. Wood and his wife, Barbary Sheldon, and also Mr. Moone: she mighty fine, and her husband, for aught I see, a likely man. But Mr. Moone’s design and mine, which was to look over my closet and please him with the sight thereof, which he hath long desired, was wholly disappointed; for we were in great trouble and disturbance at this fire, not knowing what to think of it. However, we had an extraordinary good dinner, and as merry as at this time we could be. While at dinner, Mrs. Batelier come to enquire after Mr. Woolfe and Stanes (who, it seems, are related to them), whose houses in Fish Street are all burned, and they in a sad condition. She would not stay in the fright. Soon as dined, I and Moone away and walked through the City, the streets full of nothing but people and horses and carts laden with goods, ready to run over one another, and removing goods from one burned house to another. They now removing out of Canning Street (which received goods in the morning) into Lombard Street and further; and among others I now saw my little goldsmith, Stokes, receiving some friend’s goods, whose house itself was burned the day after. We parted at Paul’s; he home, and I to Paul’s Wharf, where I had appointed a boat to attend me, and took in Mr. Carcasse and his brother, whom I met in the street, and carried them below and above bridge to and again to see the fire, which was now got further, both below and above, and no likelihood of stopping it. Met with the King and Duke of York in their barge, and with them to Queenhithe, and there called Sir Richard Browne to them. Their order was only to pull down houses apace,23 and so below bridge at the waterside; but little was or could be done, the fire coming upon them so fast. Good hopes there was of stopping it at the Three Cranes above, and at Buttolph’s Wharf below bridge, if care be used; but the wind carries it into the City, so as we know not by the waterside what it do there. River full of lighters and boats taking in goods, and good goods swimming in the water, and only I observed that hardly one lighter or boat in three that had the goods of a Virginals house in but there was a pair of virginals in it.
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23. Apace means “swiftly.”
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from The Diary of Samuel Pepys Having seen as much as I could now, I away to Whitehall by appointment and there walked to St. James’s Park and there met my wife and Creed and Wood and his wife and walked to my boat; and there upon the water again, and to the fire up and down, it still increasing, and the wind great. So near the fire as we could for smoke; and all over the Thames, with one’s face in the wind, you were almost burned with a shower of firedrops. This is very true; so as houses were burned by these drops and flakes of fire, three or four, nay, five or six houses, one from another. When we could endure no more upon the water, we to a little alehouse on the Bankside, over against the Three Cranes, and there stayed till it was dark almost and saw the fire grow; and as it grew darker, appeared more and more and in corners and upon steeples and between churches and houses as far as we could see up the hill of the City in a most horrid malicious bloody flame, not like the fine flame of an ordinary fire. Barbary and her husband away before us. We stayed till, it being darkish, we saw the fire as only one entire arch of fire from this to the other side the bridge and in a bow up the hill for an arch of above a mile long: it made me weep to see it. The churches, houses, and all on fire and flaming at once; and a horrid noise the flames made and the cracking of houses at their ruin. So home with a sad heart, and there find everybody discoursing and lamenting the fire; and poor Tom Hater come with some few of his goods saved out of his house, which is burned upon Fish Street Hill. I invited him to lie at my house and did receive his goods, but was deceived in his lying there, the news coming every moment of the growth of the fire; so as we were forced to begin to pack up our own goods and prepare for their removal and did by moonshine (it being brave dry and moonshine and warm weather) carry much of my goods into the garden, and Mr. Hater and I did remove my money and iron chests into my cellar, as thinking that the safest place. And got my bags of gold into my office, ready to carry away, and my chief papers of accounts also there, and my tallies24 into a box by themselves. So great was our fear, as Sir W. Batten hath carts come out of the country to fetch away his goods this night. We did put Mr. Hater, poor man, to bed a little; but he got but very little rest, so much noise being in my house, taking down of goods.
Literary Element Diary Why do you think Pepys makes such a point of being near the fire and watching its progress? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
Vocabulary malicious (mə lishʼ əs) adj. deliberately harmful
Vocabulary Skill Analogies Create an analogy for the word malicious using the relationship of antonyms. Write your analogy on the lines below. Use a thesaurus if you need help. ______________________________ ______________________________
24. Tallies were sticks marked with notches representing amounts of money. The tallies served as records of money paid or owed.
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from The Diary of Samuel Pepys
Reading Strategy Draw Conclusions About the Author’s Beliefs Pepys rides alone in the cart in his nightgown to deliver his goods to Sir W. Ryder’s house. What does this reveal about his worldly possessions? _______________________________
3RD.25 About four o’clock in the morning, my Lady Batten sent me a cart to carry away all my money and plate26 and best things to Sir W. Rider’s at Bednall Green. Which I did, riding myself in my nightgown in the cart; and, Lord! to see how the streets and the highways are crowded with people running and riding and getting of carts at any rate to fetch away things. I find Sir W. Rider tired with being called up all night, and receiving things from several friends. His house full of goods, and much of Sir W. Batten’s and Sir W. Pen’s. I am eased at my heart to have my treasure so well secured. Then home, with much ado to find a way, nor any sleep all this night to me nor my poor wife.
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
25. The abbreviation 3rd refers to the date, September 3, 1666. 26. Plate refers to tableware or decorative objects made of a precious metal, such as silver or gold.
READING CHECK Summarize What does Pepys seem to fear most during the fire? Explain your answer using examples from the text. Write your answer on the lines below. ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
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After You Read
from The Diary of
Samuel Pepys
Connect to the Diary Look back at the chart you created on page 130. Now that you have finished reading the selection, fill out the final column with information you found out by reading the selection.
Literary Element Diary Look back at the notes you took with your classmate about possible diary entries. Review the details you considered “historical” as opposed to “personal.” Then write at least five details from Pepys diary that you would consider historical and five details you would consider personal. Pepys’s diary’s personal details: _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Pepys’s diary’s historical details: _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________
Reading Strategy Draw Conclusions About Author’s Beliefs Look back over the Reading Strategy chart you made on page 131. Then answer the following questions about the conclusions you can draw from the text about the author’s beliefs. 1. Would you expect Samuel Pepys to align himself more closely with the bishops and lords at the coronation or the working-class people he saw fleeing the fire? ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Would you say that Pepys considers it his duty to help people during the fire? ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________
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from The Diary of
After You Read
Samuel Pepys
Vocabulary A. Word Meaning Circle the answer that best fits the meaning of the boldfaced vocabulary word in each sentence. 1. The cavalcade of carts and wagons fleeing the fire must have been an amazing sight. a parade march
c formal procession
b endless line
d careful progress
2. Pepys’s friends and neighbors might have been loath to ask him for a favor, but they had no choice. a saddened
c angry
b embittered
d not eager
3. It was too bad no one quenched the fire when it first began. a satisfied
c extinguished
b maintained
d followed
4. Pepys saw no malicious behavior during the fire—in fact, many Londoners helped their friends and neighbors. a moody
c ridiculous
b mean
d lazy
B. Analogies Choose the word pair that best completes the analogy. To complete the analogy, begin by figuring out what the relationship represented by the first pair of words is. Then apply that relationship to the second pair of words and see which fits best. 1. cavalcade : marcher :: a orchestra : audience
c army : soldier
b bird : sparrow
d pool : lifeguard
2. loath : fervent :: a stymied : successful
c army : soldier
b brilliant : luminous
d minuscule : diminutive
3. quench : stifle :: a peak : plunge
c clasp : release
b aid : help
d add : distribute
4. malicious : wicked ::
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a arrogant : humble
c playful : mischievous
b churlish : polite
d capable : incompetent
For more practice, see page 349.
➡
Learning Objectives For pages 141–154 In studying this text, you will focus on the following objectives: Literary Study: Analyzing satire. Reading: Analyzing text structure.
A MODEST PROPOSAL by Jonathan Swift
A Modest Proposal
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Before You Read
A MODEST PROPOSAL Connect to the Essay When have you noticed a problem and tried to persuade someone to help you solve it? For example, suppose your friend’s dog tore up your favorite book, and you wanted your friend to buy you a new book. You might react with anger—“You owe me a new book!” Or, you might use humor—“I guess your dog enjoyed that book as much as I always did.” Humor is often an effective way to get a point across and persuade others without anger or confrontation. Think about such a time in your life. Then complete the following prompts. 1. A problem I noticed was ____________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________. 2. A person I wanted to persuade to help solve it was ______________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________. 3. An angry, direct way to solve it would have been ________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________. 4. A more clever, humorous way to solve it would have been ________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________.
Build Background In the early 1700s, the people of Ireland faced terrible conditions. In “A Modest Proposal,” Jonathan Swift points out these problems. Then he uses humor to criticize the people who are causing them. Place a check mark next to any fact that you already know.
■ ■
At the time, Ireland was ruled by England.
■ ■
English prices and taxes were high, which caused problems in Ireland.
English laws stated that Ireland could not trade with other countries. The Irish had to buy many products only from England. Many people in Ireland were poor, many did not have jobs, and many died of hunger.
Set Purposes for Reading The title, “A Modest Proposal,” means “a gentle suggestion.” The speaker offers the essay as a solution to a problem. Read to find out what the problem is and what “gentle” solution he proposes.
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Literary Element Satire In a satire, the author uses humor to point out a problem and criticize those who are causing it. The usual elements of satire are: •
Irony: saying the opposite of what you mean in order to make a point. If it were pouring rain, you might say, “What a great day for a picnic!”
•
Shocking ideas: saying something outrageous in order to attract attention. If you were bothered by a ringing phone, you might say: “Throw that thing out the window!”
•
Exaggeration: saying that something is much greater or more important than it really is. If you felt tired, you might say, “I’m about to drop dead!”
•
Understatement: saying that something is much smaller or less important than it really is. If you were in the middle of a very difficult job, you might ask, “Got anything really hard that needs to be done?”
Talk with a partner about stories you have read or experiences you have had that involved satire. What role did irony, shocking ideas, exaggeration, or understatement play?
Reading Strategy Analyze Text Structure Like a building, a piece of literature has structure. As you read, look for ways that Swift organizes his main ideas. In this essay, he creates a speaker who uses a problemand-solution structure. First, the speaker presents a problem. Then he tells how the problem should be solved. As you read, analyze the structure. Ask yourself:
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What problem does the speaker point out? How does the speaker want it solved?
Then think about how Swift uses satire to get his real point across. Ask yourself:
■ ■ ■ ■
Does Swift agree with his speaker that the problem exists? In Swift’s opinion, who is causing the problem? Does Swift agree with his speaker’s solution to the problem? What main idea is Swift presenting?
Vocabulary Synonyms Synonyms are words that have the same or similar meanings. They are always the same part of speech. For example, small and tiny have about the same meaning, and they are both adjectives. Read each word, pronunciation, and definition in the side column. Then draw a line connecting each vocabulary word below with its synonym. sustenance
respect
deference
stray
digress
nourishment
Vocabulary sustenance (susʼ tə nəns) n. food or any other item that supports life deference (defʼ ər əns) n. courteous respect digress (dı̄ʼ gres) v. to stray from the main subject
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A
MODEST PROPOSAL Read and Discuss
Read the subtitle of this essay aloud with a partner. Then read the footnote to understand the meaning of burthen. Discuss with your partner what the subtitle shows about the problem that the speaker will attempt to solve in this essay.
Vocabulary sustenance (susʼ tə nəns) n. food or any other item that supports life
FOR PREVENTING THE CHILDREN OF POOR PEOPLE FROM BEING A BURTHEN1 TO THEIR PARENTS OR THE COUNTRY, AND FOR MAKING THEM BENEFICIAL TO THE PUBLIC. It is a melancholy object to those who walk through this great town,2 or travel in the country, when they see the streets, the roads, and cabin doors crowded with beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags, and importuning every passenger for an alms.3 These mothers, instead of being able to work for their honest livelihood, are forced to employ all their time in strolling to beg sustenance for their helpless infants who, as they grow up, either turn thieves for want4 of work or leave their dear Native Country to fight for the Pretender5 in Spain or sell themselves to the Barbadoes.6 I think it is agreed by all parties that this prodigious number of children, in the arms or on the backs or at the heels of their mothers, and frequently of their fathers, is, in the present deplorable state of the kingdom, a very great additional grievance; and, therefore, whoever could find out a fair, cheap, and easy method of making these children sound and useful members of the commonwealth would deserve so well of the public as to have his statue set up for a preserver of the nation. But my intention is very far from being confined to provide only for the children of professed beggars; it is of a much greater extent and shall take in the whole number of infants at a certain age who are born of parents in effect as little able to support them as those who demand our charity in the streets. As to my own part, having turned my thoughts for many years upon this important subject, and maturely weighed the several schemes of other projectors, I have always found them grossly mistaken in their computation. It is true a child just dropped from its dam7 may be supported by her milk for a solar year with little other nourishment, at most not above the value of two shillings, which the mother may certainly get, or the value in scraps, by her lawful occupation of begging. And it is exactly
A burthen is a burden. The town referred to here is Dublin, Ireland. [Importuning. . . alms] means “asking every passerby for money.” Here, want means “lack.” The Pretender was a name given to James Edward Stuart (1688–1766). He was the son of England’s king, James II, who had been removed from the throne. James Edward had the loyalty and sympathy of the Irish people because he was Roman Catholic. 6. [Sell. . . Barbadoes] is a reference to the many Irish people who hoped to escape poverty by traveling to the West Indies. They paid for their voyage by agreeing to work as indentured servants. 7. A dam is a mother. The word is normally used only to refer to animals. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
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at one year old that I propose to provide for them in such a manner as, instead of being a charge upon their parents or the parish, or wanting food and raiment8 for the rest of their lives, they shall, on the contrary, contribute to the feeding and partly to the clothing of many thousands. There is likewise another great advantage in my scheme, that it will prevent those voluntary abortions, and that horrid practice of women murdering their bastard children, alas! too frequent among us, sacrificing the poor innocent babes, I doubt, more to avoid the expense than the shame, which would move tears and pity in the most savage and inhuman breast. The number of souls in this kingdom being usually reckoned one million and a half, of these I calculate there may be about two hundred thousand couples whose wives are breeders, from which number I subtract thirty thousand couples who are able to maintain their own children, although I apprehend there cannot be so many under the present distresses of the kingdom, but this being granted, there will remain a hundred and seventy thousand breeders. I again subtract fifty thousand for those women who miscarry or whose children die by accident or disease within the year. There only remain a hundred and twenty thousand children of poor parents annually born. The question, therefore, is how this number shall be reared and provided for, which, as I have already said, under the present situation of affairs is utterly impossible by all the methods hitherto proposed, for we can neither employ them in handicraft or agriculture; we neither build houses (I mean in the country) nor cultivate land. They can very seldom pick up a livelihood by stealing till they arrive at six years old, except where they are of towardly parts,9 although I confess they learn the rudiments much earlier, during which time they can, however, be properly looked upon only as probationers,10 as I have been informed by a principal gentleman in the County of Cavan, who protested to me that he never knew above one or two instances under the age of six, even in a part of the kingdom so renowned for the quickest proficiency in that art. I am assured by our merchants that a boy or a girl, before twelve years old, is no saleable commodity, and even when they come to this age, they will not yield above three pounds, or three pounds and half-a-crown at most, on the Exchange, which cannot turn to account11 either to the parents or the kingdom, the charge of nutriment and rags having been at least four times that value. I shall now therefore humbly propose my own thoughts, which I hope will not be liable to the least objection. I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London that a young healthy child, well nursed, is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled, and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee, or a ragout.12
8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
Raiment is clothing. Towardly parts means “promising talent.” Probationers are apprentices. Turn to account means “be profitable.” Fricassee and ragout are types of meat stews.
Literary Element Satire Breeders is a term that is usually used to describe farm animals, such as cows or pigs, that give birth to young. Comparing women to animals is a shocking exaggeration that Swift uses to call attention to the unfair attitude that many people have toward the poor people of Ireland. Keep in mind that the speaker is different from Swift himself. What attitude does the speaker seem to have toward poor people? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
Reading Strategy Analyze Text Structure Recall that this essay has a problemand-solution structure. How does the highlighted sentence help to reinforce the structure? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
Literary Element Satire The speaker has described a problem: that there are too many poor children in Ireland. What shocking idea does the speaker offer as a solution to the problem? Write it in your own words. _______________________________ _______________________________
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Literary Element Satire Circle the word in the highlighted passage that names the people whom Swift feels are really to blame for the poor peoples’ problems. Then underline the phrase that suggests he thinks they are to blame.
Read and Discuss Underline the sentence on this page that expresses another shocking idea regarding the children. Then discuss the meaning of this sentence with a partner. What does the speaker suggest that “thrifty” people should do with the bodies of children?
13. Here, dear means “expensive.” 14. The grave author is François Rabelais. He was a French author of satire. 15. Popish means “Roman Catholic.” 16. Papists are Roman Catholics. 17. Repine means “complain.” 18. To flay is to strip off the skin. 19. Here, artificially means “skillfully.” 20. Shambles were slaughterhouses.
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I do, therefore, humbly offer it to public consideration that, of the hundred and twenty thousand children already computed, twenty thousand may be reserved for breed, whereof only one-fourth part to be males, which is more than we allow to sheep, black cattle, or swine; and my reason is that these children are seldom the fruits of marriage, a circumstance not much regarded by our savages; therefore one male will be sufficient to serve four females. That the remaining hundred thousand may at a year old be offered in sale to the persons of quality and fortune through the kingdom, always advising the mother to let them suck plentifully of the last month, so as to render them plump and fat for a good table. A child will make two dishes at an entertainment for friends, and when the family dines alone, the fore or hind quarter will make a reasonable dish and, seasoned with a little pepper or salt, will be very good boiled on the fourth day, especially in winter. I have reckoned upon a medium, that a child just born will weigh twelve pounds and, in a solar year, if tolerably nursed, increaseth to twenty-eight pounds. I grant this food will be somewhat dear,13 and therefore very proper for landlords, who, as they have already devoured most of the parents, seem to have the best title to the children. Infants’ flesh will be in season throughout the year, but more plentiful in March, and a little before and after, for we are told by a grave author,14 an eminent French physician, that fish being a prolific diet, there are more children born in Roman Catholic countries about nine months after Lent than at any other season; therefore, reckoning a year after Lent, the markets will be more glutted than usual because the number of Popish15 infants is at least three to one in this kingdom, and therefore it will have one other collateral advantage by lessening the number of Papists16 among us. I have already computed the charge of nursing a beggar’s child (in which list I reckon all cottagers, labourers, and four-fifths of the farmers) to be about two shillings per annum, rags included, and I believe no gentleman would repine17 to give ten shillings for the carcass of a good fat child, which, as I have said, will make four dishes of excellent nutritive meat when he hath only some particular friend or his own family to dine with him. Thus the Squire will learn to be a good landlord and grow popular among his tenants; the mother will have eight shillings net profit and be fit for work till she produces another child. Those who are more thrifty (as I must confess the times require) may 18 flay the carcass, the skin of which, artificially19 dressed, will make admirable gloves for ladies and summer boots for fine gentlemen. As to our City of Dublin, shambles20 may be appointed for this purpose in the most convenient parts of it, and butchers, we may be assured, will not be wanting, although I rather recommend buying the children alive and dressing them hot from the knife, as we do roasting pigs.
A Modest Proposal
A very worthy person, a true lover of his country, and whose virtues I highly esteem, was lately pleased, in discoursing on this matter, to offer a refinement upon my scheme. He said that many gentlemen of this kingdom, having of late destroyed their deer, he conceived that the want of venison might be well supplied by the bodies of young lads and maidens not exceeding fourteen years of age, nor under twelve, so great a number of both sexes in every country being now ready to starve for want of work and service,21 and these to be disposed of by their parents, if alive, or otherwise by their nearest relations. But with due deference to so excellent a friend and so deserving a patriot, I cannot be altogether in his sentiments; for as to the males, my American acquaintance assured me from frequent experience that their flesh was generally tough and lean, like that of our schoolboys, by continual exercise, and their taste disagreeable, and to fatten them would not answer the charge. Then as to the females, it would, I think, with humble submission, be a loss to the public because they soon would become breeders themselves. And besides, it is not improbable that some scrupulous people might be apt to censure such a practice (although indeed very unjustly) as a little bordering upon cruelty, which, I confess, hath always been with me the strongest objection against any project, however so well intended.
Vocabulary deference (defʼ ər əns ) n. courteous respect
Vocabulary Skill Synonyms Reread the sentence that contains the word deference. Which of the following words could replace deference without changing the meaning of the sentence? Circle the letter of your answer. a. insolence b. reverence c. defiance
21. Service is work as a servant.
READING CHECK Summarize Use your own words to summarize the major points that the speaker has made. The Problem:_________________________________________ The Solution:_________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
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A Modest Proposal
Reading Strategy Analyze Text Structure The highlighted sentence mentions the problem of the many aged, diseased, and injured poor people in Ireland. The rest of the paragraph offers a solution for these problems. On the lines below, summarize the speaker’s solution in your own words. _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
Vocabulary digress (dı̄ʼ gres) v. to stray from the main subject
Read and Discuss Read the paragraph that begins “I have too long digressed . . .” aloud with a partner. Then note that the word first is italicized at the beginning of the next paragraph. After that, the paragraphs begin with Secondly, Thirdly, Fourthly, and so on. Discuss with your partner why the speaker has numbered these paragraphs. What is he listing?
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But in order to justify my friend, he confessed that this expedient22 was put into his head by the famous Psalmanazar,23 a native of the island Formosa, who came from thence to London above twenty years ago and in conversation told my friend that in his country when any young person happened to be put to death, the executioner sold the carcass to persons of quality as a prime dainty, and that in his time, the body of a plump girl of fifteen, who was crucified for an attempt to poison the emperor, was sold to his Imperial Majesty’s Prime Minister of State and other great Mandarins24 of the Court, in joints from the gibbet,25 at four hundred crowns. Neither, indeed, can I deny that if the same use were made of several plump young girls in this town, who, without one single groat to their fortunes, cannot stir abroad without a chair and appear at the playhouse and Groat assemblies in foreign fineries, which they never will pay for, the kingdom would not be the worse. Some persons of a desponding spirit are in great concern about that vast number of poor people who are aged, diseased, or maimed, and I have been desired to employ my thoughts what course may be taken to ease the nation of so grievous an encumbrance. But I am not in the least pain upon that matter because it is very well known that they are every day dying and rotting by cold and famine and filth and vermin as fast as can be reasonably expected. And as to the younger labourers, they are now in almost as hopeful a condition. They cannot get work and consequently pine away for want of nourishment to a degree that if at any time they are accidentally hired to common labour, they have not strength to perform it; and thus the country and themselves are happily delivered from the evils to come. I have too long digressed and therefore shall return to my subject. I think the advantages by the proposal which I have made are obvious and many, as well as of the highest importance. For first, as I have already observed, it would greatly lessen the number of Papists, with whom we are yearly overrun, being the principal breeders of the nation as well as our most dangerous enemies and who stay at home on purpose with a design to deliver the kingdom to the Pretender, hoping to take their advantage by the absence of so many good Protestants, who have chosen rather to leave their country than stay at home and pay tithes against their conscience to an Episcopal curate.26 Secondly, the poorer tenants will have something valuable of their own, which by law may be made liable to distress27 and help to pay their landlord’s rent, their corn and cattle being already seized and money a thing unknown. 22. Expedient means “a means to an end.” 23. George Psalmanazar was a French impostor who pretended to be from Formosa (now Taiwan) and wrote about cannibals there. 24. Mandarins are powerful people. 25. Joints from the gibbet are pieces of meat from the gallows, or the place where criminals were put to death by hanging. 26. [Protestants. . . curate] Swift is attacking Protestants who have left Ireland to avoid paying tithes to the Anglican Church. A tithe is a tax. It was about one-tenth of a person’s annual income. 27. Distress refers to people’s land being taken from them because they couldn’t pay their debts.
A Modest Proposal
Thirdly, whereas the maintenance of a hundred thousand children, from two years old and upwards, cannot be computed at less than ten shillings a piece per annum, the nation’s stock will be thereby increased fifty thousand pounds per annum, besides the profit of a new dish introduced to the tables of all gentlemen of fortune in the kingdom who have any refinement in taste; and the money will circulate among ourselves, the goods being entirely of our own growth and manufacture. Fourthly, the constant breeders, besides the gain of eight shillings sterling per annum by the sale of their children, will be rid of the charge of maintaining them after the first year. Fifthly, this food would likewise bring great custom to taverns, where the vintners28 will certainly be so prudent as to procure the best receipts29 for dressing it to perfection and consequently have their houses frequented by all the fine gentlemen, who justly value themselves upon their knowledge in good eating; and a skillful cook, who understands how to oblige his guests, will contrive to make it as expensive as they please. Sixthly, this would be a great inducement to marriage, which all wise nations have either encouraged by rewards or enforced by laws and penalties. It would increase the care and tenderness of mothers toward their children when they were sure of a settlement for life to the poor babes, provided in some sort by the public to their annual profit instead of expense. We should see an honest emulation30 among the married women, which of them could bring the fattest child to the market. Men would become as fond of their wives, during the time of their pregnancy, as they are now of their mares in foal, their cows in calf, or sows when they are ready to farrow,31 nor offer to beat or kick them (as it is too frequent a practice) for fear of a miscarriage. Many other advantages might be enumerated: for instance, the addition of some thousand carcasses in our exportation of barrelled beef; the propagation of swineís flesh and improvement in the art of making good bacon, so much wanted among us by the great destruction of pigs, too frequent at our tables, which are no way comparable in taste or magnificence to a well-grown, fat yearling child, which, roasted whole, will make a considerable figure at a Lord Mayor’s feast or any other public entertainment. But this and many others I omit, being studious of brevity. Supposing that one thousand families in this city would be constant customers for infants’ flesh, besides others who might have it at merrymeetings, particularly weddings and christenings, I compute that Dublin would take off annually about twenty thousand carcasses, and the rest of the kingdom (where probably they will be sold somewhat cheaper) the remaining eighty thousand.
Literary Element Satire The first step to understanding Swift’s satire is to make sure you understand the meaning of his sentences. You can break down long sentences by pausing after punctuation marks to paraphrase what you have read. On the lines below, paraphrase each part of the final sentence on this page. • Supposing that one thousand families in this city would be constant customers for infants’ flesh _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
• besides others who might have it at merry-meetings, particularly weddings and christenings _______________________________ _______________________________
• I compute that Dublin would take off annually about twenty thousand carcasses, and the rest of the kingdom . . . the remaining eighty thousand. _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
28. 29. 30. 31.
Vintners are people who sell wine. Here, receipts are recipes. Here, emulation means “competition.” Farrow means “produce baby pigs.”
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A Modest Proposal
Reading Strategy Analyze Text Structure An expedient is a workable solution to a problem. Why might Swift use italics to list expedients for solving the problem of poverty in Ireland? Does he really want people not to discuss these expedients? Explain. _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
Read and Discuss Read the highlighted sentence aloud with a partner. Then underline the four adjectives that the speaker uses to support his proposal. Discuss why they aren’t accurate words to describe his proposal. Then discuss what adjectives you might use instead.
32. Here, absentees are English people who own land in Ireland but refuse to live on it. 33. Parsimony (pärʼ sə mōʼ nē) is thriftiness. 34. Topinamboo was an area in Brazil. 35. Whole subsistence means “everything they own.”
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I can think of no one objection that will possibly be raised against this proposal, unless it should be urged that the number of people will be thereby much lessened in the kingdom. This I freely own, and it was indeed one principal design in offering it to the world. I desire the reader will observe that I calculate my remedy for this one individual Kingdom of IRELAND and for no other that ever was, is, or, I think, ever can be upon earth. Therefore, let no man talk to me of other expedients: of taxing our absentees32 at five shillings a pound; of using neither clothes, nor household furniture, except what is of our own growth and manufacture; of utterly rejecting the materials and instruments that promote foreign luxury; of curing the expensiveness of pride, vanity, idleness, and gaming in our women; of introducing a vein of parsimony,33 prudence, and temperance; of learning to love our Country, wherein we differ even from LAPLANDERS and the inhabitants of TOPINAMBOO;34 of quitting our animosities and factions; . . . of being a little cautious not to sell our country and consciences for nothing; of teaching landlords to have at least one degree of mercy toward their tenants; lastly, of putting a spirit of honesty, industry, and skill into our shopkeepers, who, if a resolution could now be taken to buy only our native goods, would immediately unite to cheat and exact upon us in the price, the measure, and the goodness, nor could ever yet be brought to make one fair proposal of just dealing, though often and earnestly invited to it. Therefore, I repeat, let no man talk to me of these and the like expedients till he hath at least some glimpse of hope that there will ever be some hearty and sincere attempt to put them in practice. But as to myself, having been wearied out for many years with offering vain, idle, visionary thoughts, and at length utterly despairing of success, I fortunately fell upon this proposal, which, as it is wholly new, so it hath something solid and real, of no expense and little trouble, full in our own power, and whereby we can incur no danger in disobliging England. For this kind of commodity will not bear exportation, the flesh being of too tender a consistence to admit a long continuance in salt, although perhaps I could name a country which would be glad to eat up our whole nation without it. After all, I am not so violently bent upon my own opinion as to reject any offer proposed by wise men, which shall be found equally innocent, cheap, easy, and effectual. But before something of that kind shall be advanced in contradiction to my scheme, and offering a better, I desire the author, or authors, will be pleased maturely to consider two points. First, as things now stand, how they will be able to find food and raiment for a hundred thousand useless mouths and backs. And secondly, there being a round million of creatures in human figure throughout this kingdom, whose whole subsistence35 put into a common stock would leave them in debt two millions of pounds sterling; adding those who are beggars by profession to the bulk of farmers, cottagers, and labourers with their wives and children, who are beggars in effect; I desire those politicians who dislike my overture and may perhaps be so bold to attempt an answer, that they will first ask the parents of these mortals whether they would not at this day think it a great happiness to have been sold
A Modest Proposal
for food at a year old in the manner I prescribe and thereby have avoided such a perpetual scene of misfortunes as they have since gone through by the oppression of landlords, the impossibility of paying rent without money or trade, the want of common sustenance, with neither house nor clothes to cover them from the inclemencies of the weather, and the most inevitable prospect of entailing36 the like or greater miseries upon their breed for ever. I profess in the sincerity of my heart that I have not the least personal interest in endeavouring to promote this necessary work, having no other motive than the public good of my country, by advancing our trade, providing for infants, relieving the poor, and giving some pleasure to the rich. I have no children by which I can propose to get a single penny, the youngest being nine years old and my wife past childbearing.
Literary Element Satire In the paragraph containing the highlighted passage, the speaker sums up his point of view. Swift also indirectly sums up his own point of view. What purpose does Swift have for including the highlighted passage? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
36. Entailing means “passing on to the next generation.”
READING CHECK Question Why do you think Swift uses the word modest to describe the speaker’s proposal for solving the problem of poverty in Ireland? Write your answer on the lines below. ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
A Modest Proposal
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After You Read
A MODEST PROPOSAL
Connect to the Essay Look back at the problem-and-solution activity you completed on page 142. Think back to your original problem, and imagine that you have to give a short speech to convince someone to help you solve it. Think of one example of how you might use an element of satire—irony, shocking ideas, exaggeration, or understatement—to revise or expand your response to the problem. I might say: ______________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________
Literary Element Satire In this essay, Swift uses irony, shocking ideas, exaggeration, and understatement to expose a problem and criticize those who have caused it. Each of the items below is an example of a specific element of satire. Write the correct element in the blank. The first one has been completed for you. 1. The speaker says the opposite of what Swift really believes.
irony ___________________
2. The speaker suggests that the solution to poverty is to eat the babies of the poor people.
___________________
3. The speaker writes that some people might view this practice “as a little bordering upon cruelty.”
___________________
4. The speaker mentions shame that “would move tears and pity in the most savage and inhuman breast.”
___________________
5. The speaker criticizes others for suggesting solutions he finds unworkable.
___________________
Reading Strategy Analyze Text Structure Use these diagrams to summarize the essay’s problem-and-solution structure. Speaker’s Point of View Problem:
Solution:
Swift’s Point of View Problem:
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Solution:
After You Read
A MODEST PROPOSAL
Vocabulary A. Word Meaning For each of the boldfaced vocabulary words shown below, circle the letter of the sentence that best represents the meaning of the vocabulary word. Then explain your answer, using the vocabulary word. A sample has been completed for you. satire a To make fun of the cruel king, the jester told him that he was the kindest man who ever lived. b To make the king laugh, the jester told him funny stories about a rival kingdom.
The jester used irony, an element of satire. Explanation: ______________________________________________________________________________ 1. sustenance a The platypus is a strange mammal that lives in marshy areas of Australia. b The platypus dives into creeks to hunt for fish and shellfish to eat. Explanation: ___________________________________________________________________________ 2. deference a After the speech, some people asked questions, and others left the hall. b We disagreed with the speaker, but we applauded after his speech. Explanation: ___________________________________________________________________________ 3. digress a During her speech on nutrition, Carla began talking about the benefits of exercise. b During her speech on nutrition, Carla was interrupted when Al asked a question. Explanation: ___________________________________________________________________________ B. Synonyms On the line before each sentence, write the vocabulary word that has the same meaning as the boldfaced word.
sustenance
deference
digress
_____________________ 1. The writer seemed to stray from his main idea and purpose. _____________________ 2. Make sure the puppy has plenty of food. _____________________ 3. Senior citizens should be treated with respect.
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After You Read
A MODEST PROPOSAL
Author’s Purpose Diagram An author usually writes to fulfill one or more purposes: to persuade, to instruct, to inform or explain, to entertain, to describe, or to tell a story. Jonathan Swift had a specific purpose in mind when he wrote “A Modest Proposal.” You can use what you know about the problems and solutions in the essay, as well as your knowledge of the elements of satire, to figure out that purpose. Use the questions in this diagram to help you to organize your ideas. What problem does the essay present?
What does the speaker propose as a solution? What is Swift’s purpose for writing
What is Swift’s opinion about the cause of the problem and the real solution?
Why does Swift make his speaker have an opinion that is different from his own?
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Learning Objectives For pages 155–164 In studying this text, you will focus on the following objectives: Literary Study: Analyzing extended metaphor. Reading: Analyzing argument.
Letter to Her Daughter by Lady Mary Wortley Montagu
Letter to Her Daughter
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Before You Read
Letter to Her Daughter Connect to the Letter Before telephones and computers, people had to write letters to communicate over long distances. The following letter was written by an upper-class Englishwoman, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, to her daughter in 1753. The purpose of the letter was to give advice about the education of Montagu’s granddaughter. At the time, upperclass women did not have professions. Girls were educated for their position as wives and members of society. Four pieces of advice from the letter are listed below, but they are out of order. Decide on a logical sequence. On the blanks before each line, number them to show the order you chose. ______ She should hide her learning so other people do not envy her. ______ She should learn needlework as well as book learning. ______ Learning will make her contented with her position in life. ______ She should be permitted to learn languages.
Build Background •
Lady Mary Wortley Montagu taught herself to read and write Latin. She later studied Italian, French, and Turkish.
•
She eloped with the man she loved even though her father wanted her to marry someone else.
•
The couple lived in Turkey for two years. Lady Montagu learned a new way of inoculating against smallpox. She brought that method back to England.
•
Lady Montagu’s marriage became unhappy, and for more than twenty years, she lived in Europe apart from her husband.
•
She is best known for writing witty and informative letters.
Now without looking back at what you have just read, write down two facts that you remember from the Build Background note. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Set Purposes for Reading Think about advice that adults have given you concerning your education. As you read “Letter to Her Daughter,” look for details about how Montagu wants her granddaughter to be educated. Notice whether her advice about education is similar to or different from the advice you have received.
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Literary Element Extended Metaphor A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two unlike things without using the words like or as. An extended metaphor is a longer comparison. It compares two unlike things point by point throughout a paragraph, stanza, or selection. For example, think about how a country at war might be compared to a ship at sea. With a partner, discuss the following questions. •
Who on a ship is similar to the U.S. president? __________________________________________________________
•
Who on a ship is similar to the army during war? ________________________________________________________
•
What experience on a ship is similar to a battle? ________________________________________________________
•
What goal on a ship is similar to the goal of a peaceful end to war? _________________________________________
Reading Strategy Analyze Argument Argument is a type of persuasive writing. In an argument, writers use logic or reason to try to influence a reader’s ideas or actions. The writer states his or her opinions and supports them with facts, examples, and reasons. For example, consider the statement A college education is essential in today’s world. Which of the following facts would a writer choose as support for that argument? Check the one that you would choose.
■ ■ ■
It usually takes four years to get a college degree. On average, college graduates earn higher salaries than high school graduates. Public universities are usually cheaper than private colleges.
Vocabulary Context Clues You can often use context clues to figure out the meaning of unfamiliar words. Context clues are the words and ideas in the text surrounding a word that clarify its meaning. For example, in the sentence The epistle to the Romans is the longest letter in the Bible, the word letter is a context clue that helps you figure out the meaning of the word epistle. Read aloud the vocabulary words and definitions to the right. Then read the sentences below. Underline the context clue in each sentence that helps you figure out the meaning of the boldfaced vocabulary word.
Vocabulary edifice (edʼ ə fis) n. a building, especially a large one diversion (di vurʼ zhən) n. an amusement or entertainment inveterate (in vetʼ ə rit) adj. firmly fixed, deeprooted elate (i lātʼ) v. to make happy
1. The new bank building was an impressive edifice. 2. Jenna wanted a diversion, so Ben took her to an amusing show. 3. Because Tom had a fixed habit of twisting the truth, his opponent called him an inveterate liar. 4. Raul wanted to make his wife happy, and he thought the roses would elate her.
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Letter to Her Daughter Literary Element Extended Metaphor An extended metaphor begins by introducing the two things being compared. Fill in the blanks below with details from the extended metaphor that begins with the highlighted text. 1. Montagu compares parents to ____________. 2. Both of these kinds of people often follow a ____________ they think is beautiful without realizing that it is misplaced or impractical.
Vocabulary edifice (edʼ ə fis) n. a building, especially a large one
Vocabulary Skill Context Clues Which of the following words and phrases from the selection are context clues for the word edifices? Check all that apply. ■ inhabit ■ being ■ too large ■ their fortunes
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January 28, 1753 Dear Child, You have given me a great deal of satisfaction by your account of your eldest daughter. I am particularly pleased to hear she is a good arithmetician; it is the best proof of understanding. The knowledge of numbers is one of the chief distinctions between us and brutes. If there is anything in blood, you may reasonably expect your children should be endowed with an uncommon share of good sense. Mr. Wortley’s family and mine have both produced some of the greatest men that have been born in England. I mean Admiral Sandwich and my great-grandfather who was distinguished by the name of Wise William. I have heard Lord Bute’s father mentioned as an extraordinary genius (though he had not many opportunities of showing it), and his uncle the present Duke of Argyle has one of the best heads I ever knew. I will therefore speak to you as supposing Lady Mary not only capable but desirous of learning. In that case, by all means let her be indulged in it. You will tell me I did not make it a part of your education. Your prospect was very different from hers, as you had no defect either in mind or person to hinder, and much in your circumstances to attract, the highest offers. It seemed your business to learn how to live in the world, as it is hers to know how to be easy out of it. It is the common error of builders and parents to follow some plan they think beautiful (and perhaps is so) without considering that nothing is beautiful that is misplaced. Hence we see so many edifices raised that the raisers can never inhabit, being too large for their fortunes. Vistas are laid open over barren heaths, and apartments contrived for a coolness very agreeable in Italy but killing in the north of Britain. Thus every woman endeavors to breed
Letter to Her Daughter
her daughter a fine lady, qualifying her for a station in which she will never appear, and at the same time incapacitating her for that retirement to which she is destined. Learning (if she has a real taste for it) will not only make her contented but happy in it. No entertainment is so cheap as reading, nor any pleasure so lasting. She will not want new fashions nor regret the loss of expensive diversions or variety of company if she can be amused with an author in her closet. To render this amusement extensive, she should be permitted to learn the languages. I have heard it lamented1 that boys lose so many years in mere learning of words. This is no objection to a girl, whose time is not so precious. She cannot advance herself in any profession and has, therefore, more hours to spare; and as you say her memory is good, she will be very agreeably employed this way. There are two cautions to be given on this subject: first, not to think herself learned when she can read Latin or even Greek. Languages are more properly to be called vehicles of learning than learning itself, as may be observed in many schoolmasters, who though perhaps critics in grammar are the most ignorant fellows upon earth. True knowledge consists in knowing things, not words. I would wish her no further a linguist than to enable her to read books in their originals, that are often corrupted and always injured by translations. Two hours’ application every morning will bring this about much sooner than you can imagine, and she will have leisure enough besides to run over the English poetry, which is a more important part of a woman’s education than it is generally supposed. Many a young damsel has been ruined by a fine copy of verses, which she would have laughed at if she had known it had been stolen from Mr. Waller.2 I remember when I was a girl, I saved one of my companions from destruction, who communicated to me an epistle3 she was quite charmed with. As she had a natural good taste, she observed the lines were not so smooth as Prior’s or Pope’s,4 but had more thought and spirit than any of theirs. She was wonderfully delighted with such a demonstration of her lover’s sense and passion, and not a little pleased with her own charms, that had force enough to inspire such elegancies. In the midst of this triumph, I showed her they were taken from Randolph’s Poems, and the unfortunate transcriber was dismissed with the scorn he deserved. To say truth, the poor plagiary5 was very unlucky to fall into my hands; that author, being no longer in fashion, would have escaped anyone of less universal reading than myself. You should encourage your daughter to talk over with you what she reads, and as you are very capable of distinguishing, take care she does not mistake pert folly for wit and humor, or rhyme for poetry, which are the common errors of young people, and have a train of ill consequences.
Vocabulary diversion (di vurʼ zhən) n. an amusement or entertainment
Vocabulary Skill Context Clues Underline in the text the words and phrases that are clues to the meaning of diversion.
Read and Discuss Reread the highlighted text. Do you agree with Montagu’s belief that “language is a vehicle of learning” and that “True knowledge consists in knowing things, not words”? Share your thoughts with your partner.
Reading Strategy Analyze Argument Montagu supports her argument with an anecdote. What is the point of this anecdote? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
How does her story affect the credibility of her argument? _______________________________ 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Lamented means “regretted.” Mr. Waller was an English poet. An epistle is a letter. Prior (Matthew Prior) and Pope (Alexander Pope) were both English poets. A plagiary is one who copies another person’s work and passes it off as one’s own.
_______________________________ _______________________________
Letter to Her Daughter
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Letter to Her Daughter
Vocabulary inveterate (in vetʼ ə rit) adj. firmly fixed, deep-rooted
Vocabulary elate (i lātʼ) v. to make happy
Reading Strategy Analyze Argument According to the quotation from Thucydides and the explanation that follows, how does Montagu believe gaining knowledge will affect her granddaughter? Why? Discuss your answer with a partner. _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
The second caution to be given her (and which is most absolutely necessary) is to conceal whatever learning she attains, with as much solicitude as she would hide crookedness or lameness. The parade of it can only serve to draw on her the envy, and consequently the most inveterate hatred of all he and she fools, which will certainly be at least three parts in four of all her acquaintance. The use of knowledge in our sex (beside the amusement of solitude) is to moderate the passions and learn to be contented with a small expense, which are the certain effects of a studious life and, it may be, preferable even to that fame which men have engrossed to themselves and will not suffer us to share. You will tell me I have not observed this rule myself, but you are mistaken; it is only inevitable accident that has given me any reputation that way. I have always carefully avoided it and ever thought it a misfortune. The explanation of this paragraph would occasion a long digression, which I will not trouble you with, it being my present design only to say what I think useful for the instruction of my granddaughter, which I have much at heart. If she has the same inclination (I should say passion) for learning that I was born with, history, geography, and philosophy will furnish her with materials to pass away cheerfully a longer life than is allotted to mortals. I believe there are few heads capable of making Sir Isaac Newton’s calculations, but the result of them is not difficult to be understood by a moderate capacity. Do not fear this should make her affect the character of Lady—— or Lady—— or Mrs.——. Those women are ridiculous, not because they have learning but because they have it not. One thinks herself a complete historian after reading Echard’s Roman History,6 another a profound philosopher having got by heart some of Pope’s unintelligible essays, and a third an able divine7 on the strength of Whitefield’s sermons.8 Thus you hear them screaming politics and controversy. It is a saying of Thucydides:9 Ignorance is bold, and knowledge reserved. Indeed, it is impossible to be far advanced in it without being more humbled by a conviction of human ignorance than elated by learning. At the same time I recommend books, I neither exclude work nor drawing. I think it as scandalous for a woman not to know how to use a needle as for a man not to know how to use a sword. I was once extreme fond of my pencil, and it was a great mortification10 to me when my father turned off my master,11 having made a considerable progress for the short time I learned. My overeagerness in the pursuit of it had brought a weakness on my eyes that made it necessary to leave it off, and all the advantage I got was the improvement of my hand. I see by hers that practice will make her a ready writer. She may attain it by serving you for a secretary when your health or affairs make it troublesome to you to write yourself, and custom will make it an agreeable amusement to her.
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
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6. Roman History is a work by the English historian Lawrence Echard. 7. A divine is a theologian, or student of religion. 8. Whitefield’s sermons refers to the writings of George Whitefield. He was a well-known English preacher of the time. 9. Thucydides was an ancient Greek historian. 10. Mortification means “humiliation.” 11. Turned off my master means “dismissed my tutor.”
Letter to Her Daughter
She cannot have too many for that station in life which will probably be her fate. The ultimate end of your education was to make you a good wife (and I have the comfort to hear that you are one); hers ought to be to make her happy in a virgin state. I will not say it is happier, but it is undoubtedly safer than any marriage. In a lottery where there is (at the lowest computation) ten thousand blanks to a prize, it is the most prudent choice not to venture. I have always been so thoroughly persuaded of this truth that notwithstanding the flattering views I had for you (as I never intended you a sacrifice to my vanity) I thought I owed you the justice to lay before you all the hazards attending matrimony. You may recollect I did so in the strongest manner. Perhaps you may have more success in the instructing your daughter. She has so much company at home she will not need seeking it abroad, and will more readily take the notions you think fit to give her. As you were alone in my family, it would have been thought a great cruelty to suffer you no companions of your own age, especially having so many near relations, and I do not wonder their opinions influenced yours. I was not sorry to see you not determined on a single life, knowing it was not your father’s intention, and contented myself with endeavoring to make your home so easy that you might not be in haste to leave it. I am afraid you will think this a very long and insignificant letter. I hope the kindness of the design will excuse it, being willing to give you every proof in my power that I am your most affectionate mother, M. Wortley
Reading Strategy Analyze Argument Montagu concludes her letter with an emotional argument, stating why her granddaughter should be educated. Complete the sentences below to explain her reasoning. Montagu thinks her granddaughter probably will not ______________ . Education will help her deal with that future by making her ______________________________ .
Reading Strategy Analyze Argument How does Montagu’s reference to her attempts at persuading her own daughter not to marry relate to the subject of this letter? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
READING CHECK
_______________________________
Summarize
_______________________________
What are the main reasons that Montagu wants her granddaughter to be educated? Summarize her reasons in your own words.
_______________________________ _______________________________
______________________________________________________
_______________________________
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
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After You Read
Letter to Her Daughter
Connect to the Letter Look back at the list of advice on page 156. Check to see if you put the ideas in the order they appear in the letter. Then go back through the letter and find two more pieces of advice to add to the list. Recopy your list on a separate sheet of paper. Put the advice in the same order as in the letter.
Literary Element Extended Metaphor Near the beginning of the letter, Montagu uses an extended metaphor to compare two types of people. Analyze the extended metaphor by answering the following questions. 1. What two types of people does Montagu compare? ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. What mistake do both types of people often make? ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. What is an example of the way each type of person makes that mistake? ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________
Reading Strategy Analyze Argument The chart below lists several of the arguments that Montagu makes. Complete the chart by filling in the example or reason she gives to support each argument. Argument True knowledge consists in knowing things, not words. Learning poetry can save a young woman from ruin. Advanced learning will make her humble and reserved.
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Example or Reason
After You Read
Letter to Her Daughter
Vocabulary A. Word Meaning Each of the sentences below is followed by a pair of vocabulary words in parenthesis. Choose the word that best completes the meaning of the sentence and write it on the line. 1. The judge believed the thief was an ______________ criminal. (edifice, inveterate) 2. I think the stuffed monkey will ______________ my baby brother. (diversion, elate) 3. The U.S. Capitol is a majestic ______________. (edifice, diversion) B. Context Clues For each item, write the vocabulary word that best completes each sentence. Then underline the context clue or clues that helped you choose the best word. Each word will be used only once.
edifice
diversion
inveterate
elate
1. Jeremy said music was a harmless ______________, but his mother thought it was a distraction from doing his homework. 2. Leon wanted the auditorium to be an enormous, magnificently appointed ______________. 3. Carlos hoped to ______________ Liliana by giving her the delightful kitten. 4. By constantly grumbling, Ana became known as a(n) ______________ complainer.
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After You Read
Letter to Her Daughter
Argument Chart One reason to analyze an author’s argument is to decide if you agree with it. The argument chart below will help you to do that. First, summarize Lady Montagu’s arguments and her supporting examples and reasons in the first two columns. Use the chart you filled out earlier to help you get started. Then for each argument, decide if you agree. Ask yourself the following questions: •
Is this reason logical?
•
Does this example demonstrate her point?
•
Is there an opposing viewpoint?
Record your response to each argument in the third column. Then answer the question below the chart. Montagu’s Arguments
Supporting Examples or Reasons
My Response
Does Lady Montagu succeed in presenting a credible argument? Explain why you think as you do. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Learning Objectives For pages 165–180 In studying this text, you will focus on the following objectives: Literary Study: Analyzing epitaph. Reading: Interpreting imagery.
Elegy Written in a
Country Churchyard
by Thomas Gray
Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard
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Before You Read
Elegy Written in a
Country Churchyard Connect to the Poem
An elegy is a poem that mourns a death or other great loss. In this poem, Gray contemplates a village churchyard and the lives of the people buried there. What will people remember the most about you after you are gone? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ How would you like to be remembered? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ What achievements, favorite quotations, personality traits, activities, or talents would you want mentioned in an elegy about you? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Build Background •
Thomas Gray was born in England in 1716. His mother wanted to give him a good education and stable environment. At the age of eight, she sent him to Eton, a prestigious boarding school. From there, he continued his education at Cambridge University, remaining there as a resident scholar.
•
Gray was a perfectionist who allowed only thirteen of his poems to be published during his lifetime. He turned down the position of poet laureate of England, fearing that he would have to publish words at a rate that would compromise his standards.
•
“Elegy in a Country Churchyard” shows the influence of two types of poetry popular in the 1700s. One type was the elegy, and the other was landscape poetry, in which rich descriptions of natural surroundings evoke melancholy thoughts about life and death.
Use the background information to predict the mood and tone of the poem. What literary elements would you expect the author to use? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Set Purposes for Reading Gray wrote during the early years of Romanticism, a literary movement which emphasized the importance of spontaneity and imagination over order and reason. This movement also celebrated the lives of common people, including farmers and peasants. As you read, focus on the speaker’s reflections on the lives of people curried in a rural cemetery.
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Literary Element Epitaph Gray’s poem ends with an epitaph—a brief statement that commemorates the life of a person who has died. An epitaph is often inscribed on a gravestone. With a partner, search the Internet for examples of epitaphs. Write your favorite one on the lines below. As you read “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard,” ask yourself how the epitaph relates to the rest of the poem. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Reading Strategy Interpret Imagery In creating imagery, writers use sensory details that appeal to a person’s sense of sight, hearing, touch, taste, or smell to create an emotional response. When you interpret imagery, you analyze the word pictures and determine the kind of emotional response the images evoke in the reader. As you read, use a chart like the one below to record sensory images, the senses to which they appeal, and the feelings or emotions they suggest. Imagery
Senses
“The curfew tolls the knell of parting day”
hearing
Feelings/Emotions peace, calm
Vocabulary Analogies An analogy is a comparison that expresses the relationship between two sets of words or ideas. Some common relationships are: •
synonym
•
antonym
•
cause/effect
•
part/whole
•
item/characteristic
•
example/class
Vocabulary pomp (pomp) n. splendid or dignified display inevitable (i nevʼ ə tə bəl) adj. incapable of being avoided or prevented; certain genial (jēʼ nē əl) adj. giving warmth and comfort; pleasant and cheerful
In the following analogy : means “is to” and :: means “as.”
uncouth (un koothʼ) adj. crude; lacking polish, culture, or refinement
death : inevitable: future :: uncertain
kindred (kinʼ drid) adj. like; allied; similar
The relationship in this analogy is one of example to class. Death is an example of something that is inevitable, or “certain,” just as the future is an example of something that is uncertain. Read the vocabulary words and their definitions in the side column. Then try to determine the relationship in the analogy below. Circle your answer. 1. pomp: splendor :: toil : labor a. example / class c. part / whole b. item / characteristic
d. synonym
2. hostess : genial :: basketball player : agile a. example / class c. part / whole b. item / characteristic
d. synonym
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Elegy Written in a
Country Churchyard The curfew tolls the knell of parting day, The lowing° herd wind slowly o’er the lea,° The plowman homeward plods his weary way, And leaves the world to darkness and to me.
Reading Strategy Interpret Imagery What mood does the cluster of images in the first stanza create? ■ suspense ■ loneliness ■ melancholy ■ cheerfulness ■ calmness
5
10
Reading Strategy Interpret Imagery Writers often use the following sound devices to enhance imagery. • alliteration (repetition of the first letter in words) • assonance (repetition of consonants within words) • onomatopoeia (words that imitates a sound). Identify one example of each sound device Gray uses in the second stanza. alliteration: ___________________ assonance: ___________________ onomatopoeia: ________________ _______________________________
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15
20
Now fades the glimmering landscape on the sight, And all the air a solemn stillness holds, Save where the beetle wheels his droning flight, And drowsy tinklings lull the distant folds; Save that from yonder ivy-mantled tower The moping owl does to the moon complain Of such, as wandering near her secret bower,° Molest her ancient solitary reign. Beneath those rugged elms, that yew tree’s shade, Where heaves the turf in many a moldering heap, Each in his narrow cell forever laid, The rude° forefathers of the hamlet sleep. The breezy call of incense-breathing Morn, The swallow twittering from the straw-built shed, The cock’s shrill clarion° or the echoing horn,° No more shall rouse them from their lowly bed.
Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard
2 lowing: the sound a cow makes; lea: meadow.
Read and Discuss Read the first two lines of the poem aloud. Underline each word that contains the sound of the letter l. Then, with a partner, discuss the effect Gray creates by repeating the l sound in these words.
11 bower: a shelter of leafy branches.
16 rude: uncultured; unrefined.
Reading Strategy 19 clarion: a crowing sound; echoing horn: a hunter’s horn.
Interpret Imagery Why do you think the speaker describes the forefathers of the hamlet as “rude”? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
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Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard For them no more the blazing hearth shall burn, Or busy housewife ply her evening care; No children run to lisp their sire’s return, Or climb his knees the envied kiss to share.
Read and Discuss With a partner, take turns reading the fifth stanza aloud. To whom is the speaker referring? What point is the speaker trying to make?
25
____________________________ ____________________________ 30
____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
35
____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
40
pomp (pomp) n. splendid or dignified display
genial (jēʼ nē əl) adj. giving warmth and comfort; pleasant and cheerful
Let not Ambition mock their useful toil, Their homely joys, and destiny obscure;° Nor Grandeur hear with a disdainful smile The short and simple annals° of the poor. The boast of heraldry,° the pomp of power, And all that beauty, all that wealth e’er gave, Awaits alike the inevitable hour. The paths of glory lead but to the grave. Nor you, ye proud, impute° to these the fault, If Memory o’er their tomb no trophies° raise, Where through the long-drawn aisle and fretted vault° The pealing anthem swells the note of praise. Can storied urn° or animated° bust Back to its mansion call the fleeting breath? Can Honor’s voice provoke° the silent dust, Or Flattery soothe the dull cold ear of Death?
Vocabulary
inevitable (i nevʼ ə tə bəl) adj. incapable of being avoided or prevented; certain
Oft did the harvest to their sickle yield, Their furrow oft the stubborn glebe° has broke; How jocund° did they drive their team afield! How bowed the woods beneath their sturdy stroke!
45
50
Perhaps in this neglected spot is laid Some heart once pregnant with celestial fire; Hands that the rod of empire might have swayed, Or waked to ecstasy the living lyre. But Knowledge to their eyes her ample page Rich with the spoils of time did ne’er unroll; Chill Penury° repressed their noble rage, And froze the genial current of the soul.
Reading Strategy Interpret Imagery During Gray’s lifetime, the Industrial Revolution began to change England from a nation of farms and rural towns to a nation of factories and urban cities. This change led many people to long for a return to a more simple life in nature. Underline the warning the speaker gives to those who mock the simple life.
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55
Full many a gem of purest ray serene, The dark unfathomed° caves of ocean bear: Full many a flower is born to blush unseen, And waste its sweetness on the desert air.
Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard
Literary Element
26 glebe: soil. 27 jocund (jōʼ kənd): cheerfully; lightheartedly.
Epitaph The speaker refers to trophies, storied urns, and animated busts. In what way might these be considered epitaphs? _______________________________
30 obscure: undistinguished.
_______________________________ _______________________________
32 annals: descriptive accounts or histories. _______________________________ 33 heraldry: Here, heraldry means “nobility.” _______________________________
37 impute: attribute. 38 trophies: memorials to military heroes, usually depicting arms taken from the enemy. 39 fretted vault: an arched church ceiling adorned with carving in decorative patterns.
Reading Strategy 41 storied urn: a funeral urn depicting the life of the deceased and often inscribed with a legend; animated: lifelike. 43 provoke: bring to life.
Imagery In lines 45–56 Gray compares the untapped talents of the dead to unfathomed, and therefore, unknown caves and flowers whose beauty is unseen. How does this comparison intensify the idea of tragedy? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
51 Penury (penʼ yə rē): extreme poverty.
54 unfathomed: not measured; unplumbed.
Write an analogy that expresses this sentiment, using the words talent, beauty, unfulfilled, and unseen. _______________________________ _______________________________
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Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard
Read and Discuss Consider the contrasting images in lines 73–80. Do the speaker’s sentiments lie with the busy life of the city, or with village life? Discuss this question with a partner, and cite details from the poem to support your answer.
60
The applause of listening senates to command, The threats of pain and ruin to despise, To scatter plenty o’er a smiling land, And read their history in a nation’s eyes, 65
70
75
Vocabulary uncouth (un koothʼ) adj. crude; lacking polish, culture, or refinement
80
85
_______________________________ _______________________________ 90
_______________________________
Their lot forbade: nor circumscribed° alone Their growing virtues, but their crimes confined; Forbade to wade through slaughter to a throne, And shut the gates of mercy on mankind, The struggling pangs of conscious truth to hide, To quench the blushes of ingenuous° shame, Or heap the shrine of Luxury and Pride With incense kindled at the Muse’s flame.° Far from the madding° crowd’s ignoble strife, Their sober wishes never learned to stray; Along the cool sequestered° vale of life They kept the noiseless tenor° of their way. Yet even these bones from insult to protect Some frail memorial still erected nigh, With uncouth rhymes and shapeless sculpture decked, Implores the passing tribute of a sigh. Their name, their years, spelt by the unlettered Muse,° The place of fame and elegy supply: And many a holy text around she strews, That teach the rustic moralist to die.
Literary Element Epitaph How does the highlighted passage suggest that even the poor people had epitaphs of some kind?
Some village Hampden,° that with dauntless breast The little tyrant of his fields withstood; Some mute inglorious Milton° here may rest, Some Cromwell° guiltless of his country’s blood.
For who to dumb Forgetfulness a prey, This pleasing anxious being e’er resigned, Left the warm precincts of the cheerful day, Nor cast one longing lingering look behind? On some fond breast the parting soul relies, Some pious drops the closing eye requires; Even from the tomb the voice of Nature cries, Even in our ashes live their wonted° fires.
_______________________________
For thee, who mindful of the unhonored dead _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
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Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard 57 Hampden: a reference to John Hampden (1594–1643), an English Parliamentary leader who opposed Charles I over unfair taxation. 59 Milton: a reference to the poet John Milton (1608–1674). 60 Cromwell: a reference to Oliver Cromwell (1599–1658), an English statesman and general who was responsible for much bloodshed.
65 circumscribed: limited; restricted.
Read and Discuss With a partner, discuss how the allusions to Hampden, Milton, and Cromwell help to clarify the point the speaker is trying to make. ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
70 ingenuous: innocent; naive.
____________________________ ____________________________
72 incense kindled at the Muse’s flame: Here, incense means “praise,” and the Muse stands for a poet or poetry, so this phrase means “poetic praise.” 73 madding: acting as if mad; frenzied.
____________________________ ____________________________
75 sequestered: sheltered; secluded. 76 tenor: course; direction.
____________________________
Literary Element 81 unlettered Muse: uneducated poet (Gray is referring to the tombstone engraver).
Epitaph What kind of inscriptions might the engraver write on these tombstones? How do you know? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
92 wonted: customary; usual.
_______________________________ _______________________________
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Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard
Vocabulary
95
kindred (kinʼ drid) adj. like; allied; similar
Vocabulary Skill Analogies Select one of the following words to complete the analogy: like unlike friendly unfriendly kindred : __________ :: similar: dissimilar
100
Haply° some hoary-headed swain° may say, “Oft have we seen him at the peep of dawn Brushing with hasty steps the dews away To meet the sun upon the upland lawn. “There at the foot of yonder nodding beech That wreathes its old fantastic roots so high, His listless° length at noontide would he stretch And pore upon the brook that babbles by.
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Reading Strategy Interpret Imagery Whom is the speaker describing in the lines about what the “hoary-headed swain” might see? Explain your thinking.
Dost in these lines their artless tale relate; If chance, by lonely contemplation led, Some kindred spirit shall inquire thy fate,
110
“Hard by yon wood, now smiling as in scorn, Muttering his wayward° fancies he would rove, Now drooping, woeful wan, like one forlorn, Or crazed with care, or crossed in hopeless love. “One morn I missed him on the customed hill, Along the heath° and near his favorite tree; Another came; nor yet beside the rill° Nor up the lawn nor at the wood was he;
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
READING CHECK
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
Predict Based on the stanzas on this page, what do you predict will happen next in the poem? ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
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Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard
97 Haply: perhaps. hoary-headed swain: white-haired countryman.
103 listless: lacking in energy; sluggish.
106 wayward: irregular; unpredictable; erratic.
110 heath: a stretch of land covered with heather or wild shrubs. 111 rill: a small stream or brook.
Reading Strategy Interpret Imagery The speaker describes the man’s “listless length” stretched beneath a beech tree, watching a “brook that babbles by.” What feelings are evoked by the imagery and alliteration in lines 103–104? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard
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Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard
115
“The next with dirges° due in sad array Slow through the churchway path we saw him borne. Approach and read (for thou canst read) the lay,° Graved on the stone beneath yon aged thorn.”° The Epitaph
Literary Element Epitaph Some critics believe that Gray wrote his own epitaph at the end of the poem. If that is true, what do the highlighted lines tell you about Gray? Circle the letter of the best answer. a. He expected to become famous and make a lot of money during his life. b. He wanted to be remembered for his cheerful, friendly nature. c. He identified with the poor, unknown people mentioned earlier in the poem.
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Here rests his head upon the lap of Earth A youth to Fortune and to Fame unknown. Fair Science frowned not on his humble birth, And Melancholy marked him for her own. Large was his bounty, and his soul sincere, Heaven did a recompense as largely send: He gave to Misery all he had, a tear; He gained from Heaven (’twas all he wished) a friend.
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No farther seek his merits to disclose, Or draw his frailties from their dread abode (There they alike in trembling hope repose), The bosom of his Father and his God.
Literary Element Epitaph Which stanza in the epitaph do you think summarizes the way the poet himself wishes to be remembered. Explain your answer. _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
READING CHECK Summarize An elegy laments, or mourns, the death of a person or other great loss. Summarize what the speaker laments in this poem.
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
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Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard 113 dirges: songs of mourning. 115 lay: poem. 116 thorn: a hawthorn, a thorny tree with white or pink flowers.
Literary Element Epitaph Here, lay is a noun referring to a poem, or “short song.” In the modern era, a variety of pop songs have been written in memory of famous people. • Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind,” alludes to the early death of Marilyn Monroe.
• Don McClean’s “American Pie”, alludes to the 1959 plane crash that killed musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper (“Jiles Perry Richardson”).
Think of recent songs that memorialize someone’s life. How do the songs compare and contrast with the tombstone epitaphs described in Gray’s poem? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
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After You Read
Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard
Connect to the Poem Look back at your responses to the questions on page 166. Why might a person choose to write his or her own elegy? After reading this poem, would you prefer to write your own epitaph or have someone else write it for you? Explain your answer. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________
Literary Element Epitaph An epitaph may describe the merits and accomplishments of a person who has died, or it may take the form of an appeal from the dead to those who pass by the grave. What purpose does the epitaph at the end of the poem serve? What message does it offer? _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________
Reading Strategy Interpret Imagery Look back at the imagery chart you began on page 167 as well as other examples of imagery in the poem. Then answer the questions that follow. 1. What emotions did you experience while reading Gray’s elegy? ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. What images most effectively prompted these emotions? List two examples and give reasons for your choices. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. In several places, Gray puts to use contrasting imagery. For example, the noise of the “madding crowd” of the city is contrasted with the “noiseless tenor” of the village. How does Gray’s use of contrasting images contribute to the meaning of the poem? ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________
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After You Read
Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard
Vocabulary A. Word Meaning Circle the answer that best fits the meaning of the boldfaced vocabulary word in each sentence. 1. Poverty can depress even the most genial person. a excellent
c cheerful
b crowded
d familiar
2. People rich and poor, famous and unknown, arrive at the same inevitable end. a unavoidable
c unexpected
b common
d unpleasant
3. Gray hoped a person with kindred interests would miss seeing him in the churchyard. a superior
c kind
b familiar
d similar
4. The pomp of one’s funeral means nothing to the dead. a size
c location
b splendor
d planning
5. The uncouth epitaph on the gravestone was charming in its simplicity. a crude
c rude
b rough
d polished
B. Analogies For each item below, write the vocabulary word that best completes the analogy and identify the relationship between the word pairs. Refer to the list on the right if you need help.
Types of Relationships •
synonym
pomp inevitable genial uncouth kindred
•
antonym
•
cause / effect
1. simple : plain :: magnificence : __________________
•
part / whole
•
item /characteristic
•
example / class
Relationship: __________________ 2. hero : brave :: tour guide : __________________ Relationship: __________________ 3. rare : common :: refined : __________________ Relationship: __________________ 4. breathing : necessary :: aging : __________________ Relationship: __________________
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After You Read
Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard
Analysis Chart A two-column chart can help you organize your thoughts about a poem and analyze how specific details in the poem contribute to a larger effect. The images in “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” help to create to the poem’s mood— its emotional quality. They also develop the poet’s message, or theme. Read the example in the chart below. Then skim the poem for at least three more details that contribute to the mood or theme, and record these details in the chart. Text with Imagery
Contribution of Text to Mood and/or Theme
“The curfew tolls the knell of parting day, . . . And Gives the poem a lonely, melancholy feeling that leaves the world to darkness and to me” fits the theme of death and dying
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Learning Objectives For pages 181–196, 350–351 In studying this text, you will focus on the following objectives: Literary Study: Analyzing thesis. Reading: Evaluating argument.
from A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft
from A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
181
Before You Read
from A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
Connect to the Essay In eighteenth-century Britain, women were not allowed to vote, own property, or receive an education equal to that of men. Aristocratic women were taught to be docile, fashionable, and moral. Their education was limited to reading poetry, learning to sing and play the harpsichord, and doing needlework. Their goal was marriage. Lower-class girls were taught to spin, weave, sew, and do fieldwork. 1. In what ways have the opportunities for women in society changed since the eighteenth century? _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Do women in all the world’s cultures have the same opportunities? Explain. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________
Build Background •
Mary Wollstonecraft was born in London in 1759 to a violent, alcoholic father. Her mother was abused and submissive.
•
Wollstonecraft’s brother was well-educated, but she was not allowed an education.
•
Wollstonecraft supported herself and her family by working in the few jobs available to women of that day: governess, lady’s companion, and educator.
•
After the publication of her first novel—a critique of a male-dominated society— Wollstonecraft continued writing essays. She supported the education of women and believed that they must become contributing members of society.
Based on the background notes, how do you think Mary Wollstonecraft’s upbringing led her to fight for the rights of women? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Set Purposes for Reading As you read, think about how Wollstonecraft challenges the values of her time and wants to change society.
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Literary Element Thesis The thesis of a literary work states the main idea that the author is proposing. A thesis may be stated directly or implied. It is usually expressed near the beginning of the essay. To persuade readers to accept the thesis, the writer must present convincing evidence. Evidence may include facts, reasons, and well-supported opinions. Reread the title of this essay. Then discuss with a partner what you predict will be the thesis of the essay.
Reading Strategy Evaluate Argument An argument is a type of writing in which logic and reason are used to persuade the reader. Evaluating an argument involves judging its credibility, or trustworthiness, as well as the credibility of the writer. Ask questions such as: What qualifications does the writer have to argue this subject? Is the argument logical and reasonable? Is the argument convincing? As you read, use a chart like the one below to record each argument that Wollstonecraft uses to support her thesis. In the second column, comment on the credibility of the argument. In the third column, explain why you did or did not find the argument convincing. Argument
How credible?
How convincing?
Note Taking This selection will guide you to take notes, which will help you to understand and remember what you read. Taking notes while you read will help you perform better on tests and use the knowledge you have gained in other settings as well.
Vocabulary Denotation and Connotation The denotation of a word is its literal meaning. The word’s connotation is the implied or cultural meaning of the word—the associations the reader makes with the word. These include emotions, which may be positive, negative, or neutral. For example, the denotation of the word tremendous is “large.” Tremendous has a positive or neutral connotation. The denotation of the word monstrous is also “large.” However, monstrous has a more negative connotation, implying something abnormally or frighteningly large. Underline the word in each pair that has the more negative connotation. Use a dictionary if you need help. spontaneous
impulsive
aggressive
assertive
thoughtful
brooding
Vocabulary indignation (inʼ dig nāʼ shən) n. anger aroused by something unjust or mean rational (rashʼ ən əl) adj. able to reason; sensible faculty (fakʼ əl tē) n. capacity of the mind; ability; aptitude congenial (kən jēnʼē əl) adj. compatible; well-matched condescend (konʼ di sendʼ) v. to lower oneself from a higher level of dignity
Then read aloud the vocabulary words in the side column. As you encounter the words in the text, decide whether they have positive or negative connotations.
from A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
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from A Vindication of the Rights of Woman Vocabulary indignation (inʼ dig nāʼ shən) n. anger aroused by something unjust or mean
Reading Strategy Evaluate Argument Underline the lines in which Wollstonecraft immediately attempts to establish her credibility. Is her attempt convincing? Why or why not? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
From the Introduction After considering the historic page and viewing the living world with anxious solicitude,1 the most melancholy emotions of sorrowful indignation have depressed my spirits, and I have sighed when obliged to confess that either nature has made a great difference between man and man or that the civilization which has hitherto taken place in the world has been very partial. I have turned over various books written on the subject of education and patiently observed the conduct of parents and the management of schools, but what has been the result?—a profound conviction that the neglected education of my fellow creatures is the grand source of the misery I deplore and that women, in particular, are rendered weak and wretched by a variety of concurring causes, originating from one hasty conclusion. The conduct and manners of women, in fact, evidently prove that their minds are not in a healthy state, for like the flowers which are planted in too rich a soil, strength and usefulness are sacrificed to beauty, and the flaunting leaves, after having pleased a fastidious eye, fade, disregarded on the stalk, long before the season when they ought to have arrived at maturity. One cause of this barren blooming I attribute to a false system of education, gathered from the books written on this subject by men who, considering females rather as women than human creatures, have been more anxious to make them alluring mistresses than affectionate wives and rational mothers, and the understanding of the sex has been so bubbled2 by this specious homage3 that the civilized women of the present century, with a few exceptions, are only anxious to inspire love when they ought to cherish a nobler ambition and by their abilities and virtues exact respect. . . .
Read and Discuss With a partner, discuss what Wollstonecraft is saying in the highlighted text. What does she mean by “barren blooming”? What does she see as the cause of this situation? Would you agree?
1. Solicitude is care or concern. 2. Here, bubbled means “fooled” or “deceived.” 3. Specious homage means “honor or respect that is false, but appears attractive.”
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from A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
Note Taking Reread the text on the left. Then record your answers to the items below.
1. What conclusion does Wollstonecraft reach about the source of the “misery” that she sees in women? _____________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Use the diagram to analyze Wollstonecraft’s use of the word indignation. In the first bubble, write the word’s denotation. In the second bubble, indicate whether the word has a positive, negative, or neutral connotation. In the third bubble, write words from the text that support your choice of connotation.
denotation:
connotation:
indignation
clue words:
3. Recap in your own words the simile that Wollstonecraft uses to describe why the minds of women are not in a “healthy state.” _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Use the graphic organizer below to summarize the arguments that Wollstonecraft has made on this page. One argument has been filled out for you.
Argument:
Problems with education are the source of women’s misery. Argument:
Summary:
Argument:
from A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
185
from A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
Literary Element Thesis Which of the following statements best summarizes the part of Wollstonecraft’s thesis presented at the end of page 184? Circle the letter of the best answer. a. Women are only interested in being alluring to men so that they can marry well and move up in society. b. Women have become weak because they are trained to be attractive and pleasing to men when they should be learning to develop their higher abilities. c. Equal education should be available to people from all parts of society and to both men and women.
Reading Strategy Evaluate Argument Wollstonecraft writes that women are generally not as physically strong as men. What purpose does this admission serve? Check all boxes that apply. ■ It explains why women shouldn’t be given the same education as men. ■ It shows readers that Wollstonecraft isn’t ignoring the differences between the sexes. ■ It anticipates an argument that men may use to disagree with her.
Vocabulary rational (rashʼ ən əl) adj. able to reason; sensible
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Yet, because I am a woman, I would not lead my readers to suppose that I mean violently to agitate4 the contested question respecting the quality or inferiority of the sex, but as the subject lies in my way, and I cannot pass it over without subjecting the main tendency of my reasoning to misconstruction, I shall stop a moment to deliver, in a few words, my opinion. In the government of the physical world, it is observable that the female in point of strength is, in general, inferior to the male. This is the law of nature, and it does not appear to be suspended or abrogated5 in favor of woman. A degree of physical superiority cannot, therefore, be denied—and it is a noble prerogative! But not content with this natural preeminence,6 men endeavor to sink us still lower merely to render us alluring objects for a moment, and women, intoxicated by the adoration which men, under the influence of their senses, pay them, do not seek to obtain a durable interest in their hearts or to become the friends of the fellow creatures who find amusement in their society. I am aware of an obvious inference:7 from every quarter have I heard exclamations against masculine women, but where are they to be found? If by this appellation8 men mean to inveigh against their ardor9 in hunting, shooting, and gaming, I shall most cordially join in the cry; but if it be against the imitation of manly virtues, or, more properly speaking, the attainment of those talents and virtues, the exercise of which ennobles the human character, and which raise females in the scale of animal being, when they are comprehensively termed mankind; all those who view them with a philosophic eye must, I should think, wish with me, that they may every day grow more and more masculine…. My own sex, I hope, will excuse me if I treat them like rational creatures instead of flattering their fascinating graces and viewing them as if they were in a state of perpetual childhood, unable to stand alone. I earnestly wish to point out in what true dignity and human happiness consists—I wish to persuade women to endeavor to acquire strength, both of mind and body, and to convince them that the soft phrases, susceptibility of heart, delicacy of sentiment,10 and refinement of taste are almost synonymous with epithets11 of weakness and that those beings who are only the objects of pity and that kind of love which has been termed its sister will soon become objects of contempt…. The education of women has, of late, been more attended to than formerly; yet they are still reckoned a frivolous sex and ridiculed or pitied by the writers who endeavor by satire or instruction to improve them. It is acknowledged that they spend many of the first years of their lives in acquiring a smattering of accomplishments; meanwhile, strength of body and mind are sacrificed to libertine12 notions of beauty, to the desire of 4. Wollstonecraft uses agitate to mean “actively promote discussion or debate on a question.” 5. Abrogated means “abolished or revoked.” 6. Here, superiority, prerogative, and preeminence are synonyms. 7. An inference is a conclusion based on something known or assumed. 8. An appellation is a name or description; here, it refers to the word masculine in the previous sentence. 9. Inveigh against their ardor means “to speak passionately against women’s enthusiasm.” 10. Sentiment refers to emotion or feelings. 11. Epithets are descriptive words. 12. Libertine means “morally unrestrained.”
from A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
Note Taking Reread the text on the left. Then record your answers to the items below.
1. Why does Wollstonecraft bring up the difference between men’s and women’s physical strength and the arguments against “masculine” women? What distinction is she making? Fill out the following sentence frames. She is making a distinction between ____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ .
She wants to anticipate objections from _________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ .
2. Wollstonecraft writes about women’s focus on beauty. She states that women do not strive to become rational and respected because “the understanding of the sex has been so bubbled by this specious homage.” Paraphrase in your own words the meaning of this quote. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________
3. In the last paragraph on this page, Wollstonecraft states her purpose in speaking to women. Recap that purpose in your own words. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Wollstonecraft appeals to reason and to emotion in her arguments. In the chart, summarize an example of each type of appeal in your own words. Appeal
Example
To Reason
To Emotion
from A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
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from A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
Reading Strategy Evaluate Argument Reread the paragraph that begins “The education of women . . . on page 186. Circle words with negative connotations that Wollstonecraft uses in her argument to appeal to the emotions of her readers.
establishing themselves—the only way women can rise in the world—by marriage. And this desire making mere animals of them, when they marry, they act as such children may be expected to act: they dress; they paint, and nickname God’s creatures. Surely these weak beings are only fit for a seraglio!13 Can they be expected to govern a family with judgment or take care of the poor babes whom they bring into the world? If then it can be fairly deduced from the present conduct of the sex, from the prevalent fondness for pleasure which takes place of ambition and those nobler passions that open and enlarge the soul, that the instruction which women have hitherto received has only tended, with the constitution of civil society, to render them insignificant objects of desire—mere propagators14 of fools!—if it can be proved that in aiming to accomplish them, without cultivating their understandings, they are taken out of their sphere of duties and made ridiculous and useless when the short-lived bloom of beauty is over, I presume that rational men will excuse me for endeavoring to persuade them to become more masculine and respectable. Indeed, the word masculine is only a bugbear.15 There is little reason to fear that women will acquire too much courage or fortitude, for their apparent inferiority with respect to bodily strength must render them, in some degree, dependent on men in the various relations of life, but why should it be increased by prejudices that give a sex to virtue and confound simple truths with sensual reveries?16…
13. 14. 15. 16.
A seraglio (si ralʼ yō) is a harem. Propagators are those who produce offspring. A bugbear is an object of needless fear. Reveries are daydreams.
READING CHECK Summarize Summarize Wollstonecraft’s ideas about the effect of an “education” that focuses on making women suitable for marriage. ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
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from A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
Note Taking Reread the text on the left. Then record your answers to the items below.
1. How does Wollstonecraft suggest that the current education of women negatively affects their families and children? _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________
2. In the second paragraph on the page, Wollstonecraft uses several “if” statements to suggest a cause-and effect-relationship between her arguments and the conclusions that “rational” people should reach. In the diagram, paraphrase the two “if” statements. Complete the “then” statement. If _________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ,
then ______________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ .
If _________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ,
3. Recap in your own words Wollstonecraft’s response to the fear that women will become “masculine.” _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Summarize the importance of education in helping women achieve the role that Wollstonecraft wants them to play in society. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________
from A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
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from A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
Reading Strategy Evaluate Argument How does Wollstonecraft’s mention of Rousseau contribute to her credibility? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
Vocabulary faculty (fakʼ əl tē) n. capacity of the mind; ability; aptitude
Vocabulary congenial (kən jēnʼ ē əl) adj. compatible; well-matched
From Chapter 2 …Youth is the season for love in both sexes, but in those days of thoughtless enjoyment, provision should be made for the more important years of life when reflection takes place of sensation. But Rousseau,17 and most of the male writers who have followed his steps, have warmly inculcated18 that the whole tendency of female education ought to be directed to one point: to render them pleasing. Let me reason with the supporters of this opinion who have any knowledge of human nature, do they imagine that marriage can eradicate19 the habitude of life? The woman who has only been taught to please will soon find that her charms are oblique sunbeams and that they cannot have much effect on her husband’s heart when they are seen every day, when the summer is passed and gone. Will she then have sufficient native energy to look into herself for comfort and cultivate her dormant20 faculties? Or is it not more rational to expect that she will try to please other men, and in the emotions raised by the expectation of new conquests, endeavor to forget the mortification her love or pride has received? When the husband ceases to be a lover—and the time will inevitably come—her desire of pleasing will then grow languid21 or become a spring of bitterness, and love, perhaps the most evanescent22 of all passions, gives place to jealousy or vanity. I now speak of women who are restrained by principle or prejudice. Such women, though they would shrink from an intrigue with real abhorrence, yet, nevertheless, wish to be convinced by the homage of gallantry that they are cruelly neglected by their husbands, or days and weeks are spent in dreaming of the happiness enjoyed by congenial souls till their health is undermined and their spirits broken by discontent. How then can the great art of pleasing be such a necessary study? It is only useful to a mistress; the chaste wife and serious mother should only consider her power to please as the polish of her virtues, and the affection of her husband as one of the comforts that render her talk less difficult and her life happier. But whether she be loved or neglected, her first wish should be to make herself respectable and not to rely for all her happiness on a being subject to like infirmities with herself.
Vocabulary Skill Denotation and Connotation The author describes a woman’s dreams of a congenial relationship. In this use, congenial has a positive connotation. Underline the words with a negative connotation in the same sentence.
17. Rousseau is Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778), a French philosopher who believed humanity is essentially good but is corrupted by society. 18. Inculcated means “taught” or “frequently repeated.” 19. Eradicate means “get rid of.” 20. Dormant means “in a state of rest or inactivity.” 21. Languid means “weary” or “weak.” 22. Evanescent means “likely to vanish.”
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from A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
Note Taking Reread the text on the left. Then record your answers to the items below.
1. Complete the table to explain the denotation, or meaning, of each of the following terms as it is used in the selection. Vocabulary
Denotation
native energy dormant faculties grow languid spring of bitterness
2. Restate in your own words what the author says will happen to women who are trained only in the “art” of attracting men. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Summarize the last sentence on this page. Then summarize why it would have been a startling proposal at the time the essay was published. But whether she be loved or neglected, her first wish should be to make herself respectable and not to rely for all her happiness on a being subject to like infirmities with herself. Summary:
Why it would have been startling:
4. Rousseau supported the idea that the whole purpose of female education should be to “render women pleasing” to men. To what extent do you think young women are still influenced by this idea? _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________
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from A Vindication of the Rights of Woman Vocabulary condescend (konʼ di sendʼ) v. to lower oneself from a higher level of dignity
Reading Strategy Evaluate Argument Is the highlighted statement an effective argument against Dr. Gregory’s view that women should pretend to be weak? Explain. _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
Literary Element Thesis Recall Wollstonecraft’s thesis that women’s education is focused on the wrong goals. Complete the following sentence by underlining the correct term within parentheses and then finishing the sentence. In the paragraph beginning “If all the faculties of woman’s mind . . .”, the author (adds to, restates, replaces) her thesis by encouraging women to
The worthy Dr. Gregory23 fell into a similar error. I respect his heart but entirely disapprove of his celebrated legacy to his daughters.… He actually recommends dissimulation24 and advises an innocent girl to give the lie to her feelings and not dance with spirit, when gaiety of heart would make her feet eloquent without making her gestures immodest. In the name of truth and common sense, why should not one woman acknowledge that she can take more exercise than another or, in other words, that she has a sound constitution. And why, to damp innocent vivacity, is she darkly to be told that men will draw conclusions which she little thinks of? Let the libertine draw what inference he pleases, but I hope that no sensible mother will restrain the natural frankness of youth by instilling such indecent cautions. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh, and a wiser than Solomon25 hath said that the heart should be made clean and not trivial ceremonies observed, which it is not very difficult to fulfill with scrupulous exactness when vice reigns in the heart. Women ought to endeavor to purify their heart, but can they do so when their uncultivated understandings make them entirely dependent on their senses for employment and amusement, when no noble pursuit sets them above the little vanities of the day or enables them to curb the wild emotions that agitate a reed over which every passing breeze has power? To gain the affections of a virtuous man, is affectation necessary? Nature has given woman a weaker frame than man, but to ensure her husband’s affections, must a wife, who by the exercise of her mind and body whilst she was discharging the duties of a daughter, wife, and mother, has allowed her constitution to retain its natural strength, and her nerves a healthy tone, is she, I say, to condescend to use art and feign a sickly delicacy in order to secure her husband’s affection? Weakness may excite tenderness and gratify the arrogant pride of man, but the lordly caresses of a protector will not gratify a noble mind that pants for, and deserves to be respected. Fondness is a poor substitute for friendship!… If all the faculties of woman’s mind are only to be cultivated as they respect her dependence on man; if, when a husband be obtained, she have arrived at her goal, and meanly proud, rests satisfied with such a paltry crown, let her grovel contentedly, scarcely raised by her employments above the animal kingdom; but, if, struggling for the prize of her high calling, she look beyond the present scene, let her cultivate her understanding without stopping to consider what character the husband may have whom she is destined to marry. Let her only determine, without being too anxious about present happiness, to acquire the qualities that ennoble a rational being, and a rough inelegant husband may shock her taste without destroying her peace of mind. She will not model her soul to suit the frailties of her companion, but to bear with them: his character may be a trial, but not an impediment to virtue. . . .
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
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23. Dr. Gregory is John Gregory (1724–1773), a Scottish physician who wrote the book A Father’s Legacy to His Daughters. 24. Dissimulation is pretense, or pretending to be something one is not. 25. Solomon, king of Israel during the tenth century .c., was known for his wisdom.
from A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
Note Taking Reread the text on the left. Then record your answers to the items below.
1. What is Dr. Gregory’s “legacy” to his daughters? _____________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Reread the sentence in which the author uses the vocabulary word condescend. Then complete the diagram by writing the denotation, connotation, and two synonyms for the word. Finally, analyze why the author feels that pretending to be weak and sickly is an example of condescending. Quote from Essay “ . . . is she, I say, to condescend to use art and feign a sickly delicacy in order to secure her husband’s affection?”
Denotation and Connotation Denotation:
Connotation (positive, negative, or neutral): Synonyms: Analysis
3. The author uses several rhetorical questions to show her feelings about the advice given to young women. On the lines below, restate three of these questions in your own words. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________
4. On the lines below, summarize the last paragraph on this page. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________
from A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
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from A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
Read and Discuss In the highlighted lines, Wollstonecraft compares women giving in to male dominance to subjects giving in to an absolute monarchy. In your opinion, is this a valid comparison? Discuss your ideas with a partner.
These may be termed Utopian26 dreams. Thanks to that Being who impressed them on my soul and gave me sufficient strength of mind to dare to exert my own reason, till, becoming dependent only on him for the support of my virtue, I view with indignation the mistaken notions that enslave my sex. I love man as my fellow; but his scepter, real or usurped, extends not to me, unless the reason of an individual demands my homage; and even then the submission is to reason, and not to man. In fact, the conduct of an accountable being must be regulated by the operations of its own reason, or on what foundation rests the throne of God? It appears to me necessary to dwell on these obvious truths because females have been insulated, as it were, and while they have been stripped of the virtues that should clothe humanity, they have been decked with artificial graces that enable them to exercise a short-lived tyranny. Love, in their bosoms, taking place of every nobler passion, their sole ambition is to be fair, to raise emotion instead of inspiring respect; and this ignoble desire, like the servility in absolute monarchies, destroys all strength of character. Liberty is the mother of virtue, and if women be, by their very constitution, slaves, and not allowed to breathe the sharp invigorating air of freedom, they must ever languish like exotics27 and be reckoned beautiful flaws in nature.
26. Utopian means “impossibly ideal.” 27. Languish like exotics means “to grow weak or droop like plants out of their natural environment.”
READING CHECK Question The word utopia literally means “nowhere,” and later came to mean “a place where everything is right.” A utopian society is one that is socially and politically perfect—a society that usually only exists in the imagination. Do you think Wollstonecraft really saw her ideas as utopian? Explain. ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
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from A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
Note Taking Reread the text on the left. Then record your answers to the items below.
1. What does Wollstonecraft mean in the sentence beginning, “I love man as my fellow . . .”? _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________
2. In the third paragraph on this page, Wollstonecraft explains why she feels she needs to keep restating her thesis and offering arguments to support it. What reason does she give? _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Recap in your own words the meaning of the last sentence in the selection. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Use the sentence frames below to summarize your reaction to the essay. I think Wollstonecraft (was/was not) justified in writing A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. I think her ideas are _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ , because _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________
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After You Read
from A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
Connect to the Essay Look back at your answers to the questions on page 182. With a partner, talk about the extent to which you think Wollstonecraft’s thesis has been realized in the modern world. If she were living today, do you think Wollstonecraft would be pleased with the role that women play? Locate examples in the text to support your ideas.
Literary Element Thesis 1. Complete the following sentence: The thesis of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman is that ________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ . 2. Is the thesis directly or indirectly stated? How do you know? ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________
Reading Strategy Evaluate Argument In addition to establishing her credibility, Wollstonecraft builds her arguments logically so that the reader is led to the same conclusions she has reached. 1. In what ways is Wollstonecraft qualified to write on the topic of women’s rights? How does she establish her credibility? ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Would you have found Wollstonecraft’s arguments convincing if you had lived during the late eighteenth century? Explain. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________
For more practice, see pages 350–351.
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Learning Objectives For pages 197–206, 352 In studying these texts, you will focus on the following objectives: Literary Study: Analyzing diction. Reading: Analyzing sensory details.
Lines Composed a Few Miles Above
Tintern Abbey
by William Wordsworth
Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey
197
Before You Read
Lines Composed a Few Miles Above
Tintern Abbey
Connect to the Poem What does nature mean to you? In the following poem, William Wordsworth passionately reflects on a remote part of Wales that he visited with his sister Dorothy. In the box below, draw a sketch of a personal experience you have had with nature. (Remember that nature can include such places as the woods, a zoo, or the beach.)
Build Background •
William Wordsworth was one of the leaders of the Romantic movement.
•
Romantic poets rejected the intellectual focus and stiff, formal language of the poetry that preceded them. They believed poetry should use plain, conversational language to convey strong emotions.
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Wordsworth wrote “Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey” after he made two visits to an isolated part of Wales. The area contained some ruins that hundreds of years before had been a monastery—a place where religious men called monks live together in isolation from the rest of the world.
Write two ideas you learned from the Build Background note. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Set Purposes for Reading Read what Wordsworth has to say about the refreshing power of nature.
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Literary Element Diction Diction means an author’s word choice. Diction is particularly important in poetry, which uses fewer words than most prose does. As you read this poem, pay attention to Wordsworth’s diction and think about the effect it has.
Reading Strategy Analyze Sensory Details Authors use sensory details, which are descriptions that appeal to one or more of the five senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. Sensory details can change the tone and meaning of a literary work. As you read, use the chart below to record sensory details from “Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey.” List the detail, identify the sense or senses to which it appeals, and describe the purpose it serves or effect it creates. If you need more room for examples, continue the chart on another sheet of paper. One example is provided for you. Detail
Sense(s)
“soft inland murmur”
hearing
Purpose/Effect communicates a pleasant, soothing feeling
Vocabulary Antonyms Antonyms are words that have opposite meanings or nearly opposite meanings. Long and short, wild and tame, and deep and shallow are antonyms. Read the vocabulary words and their definitions in the side column out loud. Then, for each boldfaced word below, underline the word that is an antonym. secluded
crowded
isolated
repose
relax
toil
Vocabulary secluded (si klooˊ did) adj. shut off or set apart from others; remote repose (ri pōzˊ) v. lie at rest
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Lines Composed a Few Miles Above
Tintern Abbey
Reading Strategy Analyze Sensory Details Reread lines 1–8. List details that help you create a mental picture of the scene.
5
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_______________________________ _______________________________
15
Vocabulary repose (ri pōzʼ) v lie at rest secluded (si klooʼ did) adj. shut off or set apart from others; remote
20
Five years have past; five summers, with the length Of five long winters! and again I hear These waters, rolling from their mountain springs With a soft inland murmur. Once again Do I behold these steep and lofty cliffs, That on a wild secluded scene impress Thoughts of more deep seclusion; and connect The landscape with the quiet of the sky. The day is come when I again repose Here, under this dark sycamore, and view These plots of cottage ground, these orchard tufts, Which at this season, with their unripe fruits, Are clad in one green hue, and lose themselves ’Mid groves and copses.1 Once again I see These hedgerows,2 hardly hedgerows, little lines Of sportive wood run wild; these pastoral farms, Green to the very door; and wreaths of smoke Sent up, in silence, from among the trees! With some uncertain notice, as might seem Of vagrant dwellers in the houseless woods, Or of some hermit’s cave, where by his fire The hermit sits alone.
Vocabulary Skill Antonyms How do the words secluded and repose help to make the scene peaceful? What words or phrases might you substitute for each one if you wanted to give the opposite impression? Write your answer on the lines below. ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ 1. Copses are thick, dense growths of small trees or bushes. 2. Hedgerows are rows of bushes, shrubs, or trees that serve as fences or boundaries.
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Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey
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40
45
These beauteous forms, Through a long absence, have not been to me As is a landscape to a blind man’s eye; But oft, in lonely rooms, and ’mid the din Of towns and cities, I have owed to them In hours of weariness, sensations sweet, Felt in the blood, and felt along the heart; And passing even into my purer mind, With tranquil restoration—feelings, too, Of unremembered pleasure: such, perhaps, As have no slight or trivial influence On that best portion of a good man’s life, His little, nameless, unremembered, acts Of kindness and of love. Nor less, I trust, To them I may have owed another gift, Of aspect more sublime; that blessed mood, In which the burthen3 of the mystery, In which the heavy and the weary weight Of all this unintelligible4 world, Is lightened—that serene and blessed mood, In which the affections gently lead us on— Until, the breath of this corporeal5 frame And even the motion of our human blood Almost suspended, we are laid asleep In body, and become a living soul; While with an eye made quiet by the power Of harmony, and the deep power of joy, We see into the life of things.
Reading Strategy Analyze Sensory Details The word din means “loud, long-lasting noise.” Wordsworth contrasts the din of the city with what? Write your answer on the lines below. _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
READING CHECK Clarify Review what you have read so far. Then get together with a partner and complete the sentence frames below. The speaker is located __________________________________ , looking at _____________________________________________. He last visited this place ____________________________. Since then, he has lived in ___________________________ , where the conditions were _________________________. His memories of Tintern Abbey helped him because ________________________ ______________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ .
3. Burthen is a variant form of burden. 4. Unintelligible means “incapable of being understood.” 5. Corporeal means “having to do with the body.”
Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey
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Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey
Literary Element Diction The word bounded means “leaped” or “jumped.” What do the words roe and bounded tell you about how the speaker used to react to nature? Write your answer on the lines below.
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65
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70
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75
Reading Strategy Analyze Sensory Details How does the image in the highlighted text contrast with the image of “the sounding cataract” in line 76? Write your answer on the lines below.
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85
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_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
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If this Be but a vain belief, yet, oh! how oft— In darkness and amid the many shapes Of joyless daylight; when the fretful stir Unprofitable, and the fever of the world, Have hung upon the beatings of my heart— How oft, in spirit, have I turned to thee, O sylvan Wye!6 thou wanderer through the woods, How often has my spirit turned to thee! And now, with gleams of half-extinguished thought, With many recognitions dim and faint, And somewhat of a sad perplexity, The picture of the mind revives again; While here I stand, not only with the sense Of present pleasure, but with pleasing thoughts That in this moment there is life and food For future years. And so I dare to hope, Though changed, no doubt, from what I was when first I came among these hills; when like a roe7 I bounded o’er the mountains, by the sides Of the deep rivers, and the lonely streams, Wherever nature led—more like a man Flying from something that he dreads than one Who sought the thing he loved. For nature then (The coarser pleasures of my boyish days, And their glad animal movements all gone by) To me was all in all—I cannot paint What then I was. The sounding cataract8 Haunted me like a passion; the tall rock, The mountain, and the deep and gloomy wood, Their colors and their forms, were then to me An appetite; a feeling and a love, That had no need of a remoter charm, By thought supplied, nor any interest Unborrowed from the eye. That time is past, And all its aching joys are now no more, And all its dizzy raptures. Not for this Faint9 I, nor mourn nor murmur; other gifts Have followed; for such loss, I would believe, Abundant recompense.10 For I have learned To look on nature, not as in the hour Of thoughtless youth; but hearing oftentimes The still, sad music of humanity, Nor harsh nor grating, though of ample power To chasten and subdue. And I have felt A presence that disturbs me with the joy
6. Sylvan means “wooded”; the Wye is the river along whose banks Wordsworth walked during his visits. 7. A roe is a small Eurasian deer found in lightly forested regions. 8. A cataract is a waterfall. 9. Here, faint means “to lose heart; become depressed.” 10. Recompense is compensation or repayment.
Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey 95
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Of elevated thoughts; a sense sublime Of something far more deeply interfused, Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns, And the round ocean and the living air, And the blue sky, and in the mind of man; A motion and a spirit, that impels All thinking things, all objects of all thought, And rolls through all things. Therefore am I still A lover of the meadows and the woods And mountains; and of all that we behold From this green earth; of all the mighty world Of eye and ear—both what they half create, And what perceive; well pleased to recognize In nature and the language of the sense, The anchor of my purest thoughts, the nurse, The guide, the guardian of my heart, and soul Of all my moral being.
Literary Element Diction What words does the speaker use to describe nature? Why is nature important to the speaker? Write your answers on the lines below. _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
Nor perchance, If I were not thus taught, should I the more Suffer my genial spirits11 to decay; For thou art with me here upon the banks Of this fair river; thou my dearest Friend,12 My dear, dear Friend, and in thy voice I catch The language of my former heart and read My former pleasures in the shooting lights Of thy wild eyes. Oh! yet a little while May I behold in thee what I was once, My dear, dear Sister! and this prayer I make, Knowing that Nature never did betray The heart that loved her; ’tis her privilege, Through all the years of this our life, to lead From joy to joy; for she can so inform13 The mind that is within us, so impress With quietness and beauty, and so feed
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
Read and Discuss
11. Suffer my genial spirits mean “allow my vital energies.” 12. My dearest Friend refers to Wordsworth’s sister, Dorothy, who accompanied him on this walking tour. 13. Here, inform means “to inspire.”
With a partner, read aloud lines 116–119. What does the speaker mean when he says that he recognizes the language of his former heart in his sister Dorothy’s voice and his former pleasures in her eyes? Put a check mark next to the correct answer. ■ The speaker and his sister look alike, so their voices and eyes seem similar. ■ The speaker has changed his mind about Tintern Abbey, but his sister has not. ■ The speaker’s sister has the same youthful reaction to nature that he had on his first visit.
Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey
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Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey
Literary Element Diction What does the highlighted passage suggest about city life? Write your answer on the lines below. Then underline the words and phrases that support this idea.
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135
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With lofty thoughts, that neither evil tongues, Rash judgments, nor the sneers of selfish men, Nor greetings where no kindness is, nor all The dreary intercourse of daily life, Shall e’er prevail against us, or disturb Our cheerful faith, that all which we behold Is full of blessings. Therefore let the moon Shine on thee in thy solitary walk; And let the misty mountain winds be free To blow against thee: and, in after years, When these wild ecstasies shall be matured Into a sober pleasure; when thy mind Shall be a mansion for all lovely forms, Thy memory be as a dwelling place For all sweet sounds and harmonies; oh! then, If solitude, or fear, or pain, or grief, Should be thy portion, with what healing thoughts Of tender joy wilt thou remember me, And these my exhortations! Nor, perchance— If I should be where I no more can hear Thy voice, nor catch from thy wild eyes these gleams Of past existence—wilt thou then forget That on the banks of this delightful stream We stood together; and that I, so long A worshipper of Nature, hither came Unwearied in that service; rather say With warmer love—oh! with far deeper zeal Of holier love. Nor wilt thou then forget That after many wanderings, many years Of absence, these steep woods and lofty cliffs, And this green pastoral landscape, were to me More dear, both for themselves and for thy sake!
READING CHECK Summarize Review lines 134 to the end of the poem. On the lines below, summarize the speaker’s advice and words of wisdom to his sister. ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
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After You Read
Lines Composed a Few Miles Above
Tintern Abbey
Connect to the Poem On the lines below, compare the experience you sketched on page 198 with the experiences Wordsworth describes in “Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey.” How are they similar and different? _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________
Literary Element Diction Diction means word choice. Wordsworth tried to use simple and natural words, ones that came from the heart and reflected the speech patterns of ordinary people. Review the poem. Then answer the following questions. 1. In “Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey,” did Wordsworth fulfill his intention to write poetry in simple and natural language? Explain. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Much of the poem sounds like a conversation. How does that tone support the ideas that Wordsworth expresses? ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________
Reading Strategy Analyze Sensory Details By using sensory details, Wordsworth creates images—word pictures that trigger emotional responses in the reader. Review the examples of sensory details that you noted while reading the poems. Then answer the questions. 1. Identify images that appeal to the sense of touch. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Which sensory details convey negative emotions about life in the city? ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. How do sensory details reinforce the main idea of this poem? Give examples to support your opinion. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey
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After You Read
Lines Composed a Few Miles Above
Tintern Abbey
Vocabulary A. Word Meaning Circle the answer that best fits the meaning of the boldfaced vocabulary word in each sentence. 1. William and Dorothy Wordsworth marveled at the beauty of nature in a secluded area near a monastery in south Wales. a excellent
c out of the way
b well populated
d bustling
2. Appreciating the beauty of nature allowed Wordsworth to repose and free his mind of worldly cares. a relax
c exercise
b question
d repeat
B. Antonyms Choose the word from the antonym box in the side column that means the opposite of the italicized word in each sentence. Write it on the line after the sentence. Use a dictionary to check your answers. 1. On his visit to Tintern Abbey, Wordsworth reposed under a tree.
Antonym Box populated more superficial labored more refined low-minded
__________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. The visit reminded Wordsworth of the coarser pleasures of his boyhood. __________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Wordsworth believed that nature could inspire lofty thoughts in people. __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. The tranquility of a secluded pastoral setting comforted him. __________________________________________________________________________________________ 5. As he matured, Wordsworth developed a deeper love for nature. __________________________________________________________________________________________
For more practice, see page 352.
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Learning Objectives For pages 207–212, 353 In studying this text, you will focus on the following objectives: Literary Study: Analyzing a historical journal. Reading: Analyzing mood.
from The Journals of
Dorothy Wordsworth by Dorothy Wordsworth
from The Journals of Dorothy Wordsworth
207
Before You Read
from The Journals of
Dorothy Wordsworth Connect to the Journal Have you ever come across a scene in nature so incredible that you wanted to share it with someone? The scene might have been unusual to you, such as a mountain or ocean you saw while on vacation. Or it might have been closer to home—perhaps a sunset, a storm, or a field of flowers. On the lines below, freewrite about the scene you remember. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Build Background •
At age six, Dorothy Wordsworth was separated from her brother William when their mother died. Years later, as adults, the two were reunited.
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In 1799 Dorothy and William settled in Grasmere, a village in England. Their modest property included an orchard, a garden, and a boat.
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Dorothy’s journals provide valuable information about her relationship to William and her influence on his poetry.
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William, a famous poet, often turned to Dorothy’s journals for inspiration. The entry you are about to read gave him an idea for “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud,” one of his best-known poems.
In your opinion, what was the most important piece of information you learned in the Build Background notes? Write your answer on the lines below. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Set Purposes for Reading Literature can describe historic events and dramatic changes, but it can also help readers understand what daily life was like long ago. Read the journal entry to get a glimpse into the everyday life of someone who lived in a very different time and place from your own.
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Literary Element Historical Journal A historical journal is a daily record of events kept by a participant in those events or by a witness to them. Journals can provide interesting details about people’s daily lives and can also be an important source of historical information. What do you think you will learn from the entry you are about to read? Write down two or three things you think might be included in it. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Reading Strategy Analyze Mood Mood is the emotional quality that an author creates in a literary work. Authors create mood through their choice of content and stylistic elements: subject matter, setting, language, tone, and figurative devices such as simile, metaphor, and personification. As you read, think about the mood that Dorothy creates at various points in the entry. Then look for details that help to express that mood. The chart below provides one example. After reading the selection, fill in the chart with more examples. Detail
Style Element
Description of Mood
from The Journals of Dorothy Wordsworth
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from The Journals of
Dorothy Wordsworth Reading Strategy Analyze Mood Underline details at the beginning of the entry that create a discouraged mood. At what point does the mood begin to change? What does Dorothy’s comment “I never saw daffodils so beautiful” suggest about the change in mood? Write your answers on the lines below. _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
Reading Strategy Analyze Mood When authors use personification, they assign human qualities to animals or objects. How does Dorothy personify the daffodils in the highlighted text? (Hint: Verily means “really” or “actually,” and reeled means “swayed.”)
Thursday, April 15. It was a threatening misty morning—but mild. We [Dorothy and William] set off after dinner from Eusemere. Mrs. Clarkson went a short way with us but turned back. The wind was furious, and we thought we must have returned. We first rested in the large boathouse, then under a furze bush opposite Mr. Clarkson’s; saw the plough going in the field. The wind seized our breath; the lake was rough. There was a boat by itself floating in the middle of the bay below Water Millock. We rested again in the Water Millock lane. The hawthorns are black and green, the birches here and there greenish, but there is yet more of purple to be seen on the twigs. We got over into a field to avoid some cows—people working, a few primroses by the roadside woodsorrel flowers, the anemone, scentless violets, strawberries, and that starry yellow flower which Mrs. C. calls pile wort. When we were in the woods beyond Gowbarrow Park, we saw a few daffodils1 close to the waterside. We fancied that the lake had floated the seeds ashore and that the little colony had so sprung up. But as we went along there were more and yet more, and at last under the boughs of the trees, we saw that there was a long belt of them along the shore, about the breadth of a country turnpike road. I never saw daffodils so beautiful. They grew among the mossy stones about and about them; some rested their heads upon these stones as on a pillow for weariness, and the rest tossed and reeled and danced and seemed as if they verily laughed with the wind that blew upon them over the lake. They looked so gay, ever glancing, ever changing. This wind
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
What effect does this have on the mood of the journal entry? _______________________________ _______________________________
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1. The daffodil, also called the trumpet narcissus, has a brilliant yellow flower with a trumpet-shaped central crown.
from The Journals of Dorothy Wordsworth blew directly over the lake to them. There was here and there a little knot and a few stragglers a few yards higher up, but they were so few as not to disturb the simplicity and unity and life of that one busy highway. We rested again and again. The bays were stormy, and we heard the waves at different distances and in the middle of the water like the sea.
Literary Element Historical Journal What does this journal entry tell you about the person who wrote it? Put a check mark next to each correct answer. ■ She paid attention to small details. ■ She was interested in the natural world around her. ■ She saw nature as an alien force. ■ She competed with her brother to see which of them could be a more successful writer.
Read and Discuss Get together with a partner. Take turns choosing and reading aloud details that affect the mood of the journal entry. What do you think is the most vivid detail? Write it on the lines below. ____________________________ ____________________________
READING CHECK Summarize Dorothy Wordsworth’s journal entry can be confusing because it includes many terms that people don’t often use today. Work with a partner to complete the sentence frames below. When you complete the sentence frames, you will have a summary of the journal entry.
____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
In the morning the weather was _________________________ . Dorothy and her brother William walked and rested, seeing sights such as _______________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ . When Dorothy sees _________ ,her mood changes because they are so beautiful. She describes them as ____________________ .
from The Journals of Dorothy Wordsworth
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from The Journals of
After You Read
Dorothy Wordsworth Connect to the Journal Look back at the thoughts you expressed on page 208 about a scene in nature. Compare your thoughts to Dorothy’s description of daffodils in her journal. How are they similar? How are they different? Write your answer on the lines below. _________________________________________________________________________________________________
Literary Element Historical Journal Journals can provide insights into the relationship of the journal writer to that place and to the people in it. On the lines below, write answers to the following questions: 1. What does the journal entry reveal about the time and place of William and Dorothy’s walk? ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. What does the journal entry reveal about Dorothy’s outlook on life and attitude toward nature? Use details from the entry to support your answer. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Do you think people today appreciate the natural world in the same way that Dorothy Wordsworth did? Explain. ______________________________________________________________________________________________
Reading Strategy Analyze Mood Review the journal entry. Then fill in the chart below with details as indicated. Some examples have been provided for you. Descriptions That Convey a Discouraged Mood
Descriptions That Convey a Happy Mood
Word choice: “threatening misty”
Word choice: “daffodils so beautiful”
Personification: “the wind seized our breath”
Personification: “rested their heads upon these stones as on a pillow”
Other examples of word choice: Other examples of word choice: Other examples of personification:
For more practice, see page 353.
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➡
Learning Objectives For pages 213–222 In studying this text, you will focus on the following objectives: Literary Study: Analyzing an ode. Reading: Analyzing parallelism.
Ode on a Grecian Urn by John Keats
Ode on a Grecian Urn
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Before You Read
Ode on a Grecian Urn
Connect to the Poem In this poem, the speaker responds to the figures and scenes depicted on a vase. Imagine what kind of object might inspire you to write such a poem. What elements would most interest you? Use the space below to create a drawing (or write a written description) of the object. Exchange your drawing or description with a partner and discuss which details in each would inspire the best poetic imagery.
Build Background After you read the following background, write a brief summary on the lines below of what you think will most help you in reading this poem. •
Keats’ short life was touched by death at an early age. Keats had lost both his parents and a brother before he died of tuberculosis when he was just 25.
•
One of the greatest Romantic poets, Keats celebrated the beauty of nature and art and the value of intense emotions, such as love.
•
The Grecian urn that inspired Keats was an example of ancient Greek painted pottery.
•
In Keats’s day, the recovery of ancient Greek art by archaeologists had created in interest throughout Europe in classical civilization.
•
Greek pottery was painted with scenes from mythology and from everyday life, such as a religious procession.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________.
Set Purposes for Reading In this poem, Keats exalts the beauty of a Grecian urn. As you read, consider how Keats’ attitude toward the urn reflects the Romantic values of the importance of beauty and the value of feelings.
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Literary Element Ode An ode is a long, serious lyric poem that is elevated in tone and style. Some odes are public celebrations of a person, quality, or object; but others, including “Ode on a Grecian Urn,” reveal the poet’s private thoughts. Most odes use the poetic device of apostrophe, in which the subject of the poem is directly addressed. Think of something in your own life that you feel is worthy of praise. On the chart below, make a list of qualities your subject possesses that you might celebrate in an ode. Subject:
Reading Strategy Analyze Parallelism Parallelism is the repeated use of a series of words, phrases, or lines that share the same grammatical form. Authors and poets use rhetorical devices like parallelism to highlight an idea or evoke an emotional response in a reader, or to enhance the lyrical quality of a poem. As you read, track the examples of parallelism you find in the poem in a chart like the one below. Think about how each example of parallelism affects the impact of Keats’ ideas and the overall meaning of the poem. An example has been done for you. Parallelism
Effect
Lines 1–2: “Thou still unravished bride of quietness Emphasizes that the subject of the poem is both /Thou foster child of silence and slow time” unable to speak and eternally youthful
Vocabulary Word Origins The study of the history and origin, or etymology, of a word can give us clues about where the word came from and any associated meanings it may have developed over the years. It can also help us better understand similar words that we may be unfamiliar with. Most dictionary entries provide information about the entry word’s etymology. For example, an entry for the word urn includes the following information: [ME urne, fr. L urna]. This means that our modern word urn was derived from the Middle English (ME) word urne, which was adapted from the Latin urna, meaning “jug” or “pitcher.” Look at the following dictionary entry and circle the part that gives the word’s etymology.
Vocabulary deities (dēʼ ə tēz) n. gods or goddesses desolate (desʼ ə lit) adj. empty of inhabitants; deserted
de•i•ties (dēʼ ə tēz) –noun 1. gods or goddesses 2. those revered as supreme beings [ME deitee, fr. OF deité, fr. L deus god]
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Ode on a Grecian Urn Literary Element Ode Reread the poem’s title and lines 1–2. Then complete the following statement: “Thou” refers to _______________ .
Vocabulary
5
10
deities (dēʼ ə tēz) n. gods or goddesses
Vocabulary Skill Word Origins Based on the definition of the word deities, what is the most likely meaning of the word deify? Circle the letter.
15
a. to study mythology b. to make into a god
20
1 Thou still unravished bride of quietness, Thou foster child of silence and slow time, Sylvan° historian, who canst thus express A flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme: What leaf-fringed legend haunts about° thy shape Of deities or mortals, or of both, In Tempe or the dales of Arcady?° What men or gods are these? What maidens loath?° What mad pursuit? What struggle to escape? What pipes and timbrels?° What wild ecstasy? 2 Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard Are sweeter; therefore, ye soft pipes, play on; Not to the sensual° ear, but, more endeared, Pipe to the spirit ditties° of no tone: Fair youth, beneath the trees, thou canst not leave Thy song, nor ever can those trees be bare; Bold Lover, never, never canst thou kiss, Though winning near the goal—yet, do not grieve; She cannot fade, though thou hast not thy bliss, Forever wilt thou love, and she be fair!
c. to tell stories about gods d. to build a temple
25
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3 Ah, happy, happy boughs! that cannot shed Your leaves, nor ever bid the Spring adieu; And, happy melodist, unwearied, Forever piping songs forever new; More happy love! more happy, happy love! Forever warm and still to be enjoyed,
Ode on a Grecian Urn
3 Sylvan: of the woods. 5 haunts about: surrounds. 7 Tempe: a beautiful valley in Arcadia. Arcady: Arcadia, a mountainous region in Greece, traditionally considered an ideal rustic landscape. 8 loath: reluctant. 10 timbrels: ancient percussion instruments similar to tambourines.
Reading Strategy Analyze Parallelism Underline the word in that signals the poet’s use of parallelism in lines 8–10. What effect does this parallelism create? Write your answer on the lines below. _______________________________ _______________________________
13 sensual: physical; bodily. 14 ditties: short, simple songs.
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
Read and Discuss In lines 11–12, the speaker makes a judgment about the relative values of heard and unheard melodies. With a partner, discuss what Keats might be saying about the relative worth of art and life. Write your answer on the lines below. ____________________________ ____________________________
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Ode on a Grecian Urn
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Literary Element Ode What scene is the speaker imagining in lines 35–37? Write your answer on the lines below. _______________________________
35
40
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
45
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
50
Forever panting, and forever young; All breathing human passion far above, That leaves a heart high-sorrowful and cloyed,° A burning forehead, and a parching tongue. 4 Who are these coming to the sacrifice? To what green altar, O mysterious priest, Lead’st thou that heifer lowing at the skies, And all her silken flanks with garlands dressed? What little town by river or seashore, Or mountain-built with peaceful citadel,° Is emptied of this folk, this pious morn? And, little town, thy streets forevermore Will silent be; and not a soul to tell Why thou art desolate, can e’er return. 5 O Attic shape! Fair attitude! with brede° Of marble men and maidens overwrought,° With forest branches and the trodden weed; Thou, silent form, dost tease us out of thought As doth eternity: Cold Pastoral!° When old age shall this generation waste, Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe Than ours, a friend to man, to whom thou say’st, “Beauty is truth, truth beauty”—that is all Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.
Vocabulary
READING CHECK
desolate (desʼ ə lit) adj. empty of inhabitants; deserted
Clarify What does the speaker see in the scene depicted on the urn?
Vocabulary Skill Word Origins The word desolate can trace its origin to the Latin word solus, meaning “alone.” Check the following words that you think share the same word origin. Use a dictionary if you need help. ■ isolate ■ solicit ■ solitude ■ solar ■ desolation
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______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
Ode on a Grecian Urn
29 cloyed: oversatisfied; burdened by excess.
36 citadel: fortress.
41 Attic: in the simple, graceful style characteristic of Attica, the region of Greece where Athens was located. brede: an interwoven or braided design. 42 overwrought: decorated.
45 Pastoral: a work depicting the life of shepherds, or simple rural life in general.
Literary Element Ode Underline the words and phrases in lines 46–48 that contrast the struggles of the real world with the eternal beauty of the urn.
Literary Element Ode Based on the poem’s final lines, what aspect of the urn do you think Keats is ultimately celebrating? Put a check in the box next to the best answer below. ■ What it reveals about ancient Greek life ■ The eternal truth and beauty it expresses ■ The artistic quality of its painted decoration ■ Its monetary value as an ancient work of art
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After You Read
Ode on a Grecian Urn
Connect to the Poem Look back at your drawing or description on page 214. What are the similarities and differences between what you envisioned and what Keats described on the Grecian urn? Does your understanding of Keats’ poem change your feelings about your own drawing? Would an ode to your drawing’s subject resemble Keats’ ode in any ways? Explain on the lines below. _________________________________________________________________________________________________
Literary Element Ode Keats’ ode follows in the tradition of Horatian odes, named for the ancient Roman poet Horace. Horatian odes follow a regular pattern of stanzas and rhyme, and usually have a thoughtful, reflective tone. Think about what you learned in the Before You Read about odes, and answer the following questions on the lines below. In addressing the urn directly, what poetic device is Keats using? _________________________________________________________________________________________________ How would your reaction to the poem have been different if Keats had not directly addressed the urn, but had instead addressed you, the reader? _________________________________________________________________________________________________ What is the overall tone of the poem? _________________________________________________________________________________________________ What words or phrases create this impression for you? _________________________________________________________________________________________________
Reading Strategy Analyze Parallelism Review the examples of parallelism that you recorded in your chart as you read the poem. Think about the effect that Keats’ use of parallelism had on you as you read. With a partner, read the poem aloud, paying attention to the effect of parallelism on the lyrical quality and sound of Keats’ words. How were your responses to reading and hearing the examples of parallelism in the poem similar? How did they differ? Explain. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________
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After You Read
Ode on a Grecian Urn
Vocabulary A. Word Meaning Circle the answer that best fits the meaning of the boldface word in each sentence. 1. Stories from Greek mythology often served as warnings to mortal humans of the dangers of angering the deities of Mt. Olympus. a judges
c wild animals
b gods and goddesses
d children
2. After years of decline, the factory finally shut down, leaving the surrounding neighborhood quiet and desolate. a dangerous
c deserted
b welcoming
d populated
B. Word Origins Review what you learned about word origins in the Before You Read. Then create a word map like the one below for each vocabulary word in the selection. Use a dictionary for guidance. EXAMPLE: Definition: to establish as truth
Etymology: from Latin root ver, meaning “true” verify
Sample sentence: The witness was able to verify the man’s claim of innocence.
Related words: veritable, verdict, verily, verification
Definition:
Etymology:
Sample sentence:
Related words:
Definition:
Etymology:
Sample sentence:
Related words:
Ode on a Grecian Urn
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After You Read
Ode on a Grecian Urn
Evidence Organizer How did Keats use “Ode on a Grecian Urn.” to express and embody the Romantic ideal of the unity of truth and beauty? Fill in an Evidence Organizer to support your viewpoint, citing words, phrases, lines, and poetic devices from the poem as evidence, and summarize the significance of each. Viewpoint
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Evidence
Evidence
Evidence
My Summary
My Summary
My Summary
Learning Objectives For pages 223–234, 354 In studying this text, you will focus on the following objectives: Reading: Examining connotation and denotation.
What Is LOVE?
by Paul Gray
What Is Love?
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Before You Read
What Is LOVE?
Connect to the Article Love has inspired art for centuries. Think of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, or the love affair in the blockbuster movie Titanic. Love has also inspired people to do unreasonable things—in 1981, John Hinckley Jr., obsessed with the famous actress Jodie Foster, shot then-president Ronald Reagan in a severely misguided attempt to impress the star. Have you ever thought about why we love? Is it nature or nurture? In other words, is love an emotion that we control, or is it a series of chemical and hormonal reactions over which we have no control?
Build Background This article includes historical and literary references. As you read, underline the references—or portions of them—that you already knew about. •
During the middle ages, troubadours composed and performed love songs. Two important elements of these songs were chivalry, courage and honor such as knights had, and courtly love, courtship that was worshipful and had set rules.
•
Helen of Troy is a character in Greek mythology. Although she was married to King Menelaus of Sparta, she fell in love with Paris, a Trojan prince, and ran away with him. This caused the Trojan War, as documented in the Iliad and the Odyssey.
•
Romeo and Juliet, a play written by William Shakespeare, is a tragic romance. The teenaged lovers, Romeo and Juliet, come from two families engaged in a blood feud. Forbidden to be together, the couple marries in secret and ends up dying for their love.
Set Purposes for Reading As you read, think about the different approaches and viewpoints scientists take when examining love.
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Reading Strategy Examine Connotation and Denotation A word’s denotation is its literal meaning. Connotation refers to the suggested or implied meanings associated with a word beyond its literal meaning. To examine connotation and denotation, you need to carefully observe the subtle distinctions between positive and negative connotations. As you think about the shades of meaning, consider what purpose the author may have in choosing the words he or she did. The chart below lists sentences about the same subject. Each sentence, however, uses a different word to describe the subject. In the column on the right, list whether the connotation is a positive, negative, or neutral one. Sentence
Connotation
Sheila often gets her way because she’s assertive.
Sheila often gets her way because she’s pushy.
Sheila often gets her way because she’s confident.
Sheila often gets her way because she’s overbearing.
Note Taking This selection will guide you to take notes, which will help you to understand and remember what you read. Taking notes while you read will help you perform better on tests and use the knowledge you have gained in other settings as well. You will use the following skills in taking notes during this selection. Skill
Description
Reread
Look back over the page you have read
Record
Write down your answers to the questions you are given
Recap
Briefly review in your own words
Summarize
Briefly state the main points
What Is Love?
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What Is LOVE? Read and Discuss Reread this page with a partner. Why do you think the author chooses to introduce the article with this line from Cole Porter’s song “What is this thing called love?” ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
Reading Strategy Examine Connotation and Denotation In the highlighted sentence the author compares science to love. Why does he use the word mushy in relation to love? In your opinion, is mushy a positive, negative, or neutral connotation? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
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After centuries of ignoring the subject as too vague and mushy, scientists have undergone a change of heart about the tender passion. What is this thing called love? What? Is this thing called love? What is this thing called? Love. However punctuated, Cole Porter’s simple question begs an answer. Love’s symptoms are familiar enough: a drifting mooniness in thought and behavior, the mad conceit that the entire universe has rolled itself up into the person of the beloved, a conviction that no one on earth has ever felt so torrentially about a fellow creature before. Love is ecstasy and torment, freedom and slavery. Poets and songwriters would be in a fine mess without it. Plus, it makes the world go round. Until recently, scientists wanted no part of it. The reason for this avoidance, this reluctance to study what is probably life’s most intense emotion, is not difficult to track down. Love is mushy; science is hard. Anger and fear, feelings that have been considerably researched in the field and the lab, can be quantified through measurements: pulse and breathing rates, muscle contractions, a whole spider web of involuntary responses. Love does not register as definitively on the instruments; it leaves a blurred fingerprint that could be mistaken for anything from indigestion to a manic attack. Anger and fear have direct roles—fighting or running—in the survival of the species. But romantic love, and all the attendant sighing and swooning and sonnet writing, has struck many pragmatic investigators as beside the point.
What is Love?
Note Taking Reread the text on the left. Then record your answers to the items below.
1. The most interesting description on this page is __________________________________________________ because _____________________________________________________________________________________ .
2. One word that I didn’t know on this page is _____________________________________________________ . It means ____________________________________________________________________________________ .
3. One thing that I read on this page that I already knew is __________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ .
4. One thing I learned on this page that I didn’t know is _____________________________________________ .
5. Recap, or write in your own words why scientists wanted no part in the study of love until recently. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ .
6. Summarize below what you’ve recorded: Most Interesting Description
Most Difficult Word
One Thing I Already Knew
One Thing I Learned
What Is Love?
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What Is Love?
Reading Strategy Examine Connotation and Denotation Negative connotations can sometimes be difficult to detect, especially if a word or phrase is commonly used or heard. Underline the word or phrase in the third paragraph of this page that points a group of people out as the reason for the “love-ascultural-delusion” argument.
Read and Discuss Why does the author feel that love is a “commercial engine”? Discuss Gray’s reasoning with a partner. How does he support his point? Do you agree with him? Use evidence from your own knowledge to prove or disprove his point.
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So biologists and anthropologists assumed that it would be fruitless, even frivolous, to study love’s origins, the way it was encoded in our genes or imprinted in our brains. Serious scientists simply assumed that romantic love was really all in the head, put there five or six centuries ago when civilized societies first found enough spare time to indulge in flowery prose. The task of writing the book of love was ceded to playwrights, poets, and pulp novelists. But in recent years, scientists across a broad range of disciplines have had a change of heart about love. The amount of research expended on the tender passion has never been more intense. To explain this rise in interest, some point to the growing number of women scientists and suggest that they may be more willing than their male colleagues to take love seriously. Says researcher Elaine Hatfield: “When I was back at Stanford in the 1960s, they said studying love and human relationships was a quick way to ruin my career. Why not go where the real work was being done: on how fast rats could run?” Whatever the reasons, science seems to have come around to a view that nearly everyone else has always taken for granted: Romance is real. It is not merely a conceit; it is bred into our biology. Getting to this point logically is harder than it sounds. The love-ascultural-delusion argument has long seemed unassailable. What actually accounts for the emotion, according to this scenario, is that people long ago made the mistake of taking fanciful literary notions seriously. Among the prime suspects are the 12th-century French troubadours who more or less invented the Art of Courtly Love, an elaborate and artificial ritual for idle aristocrats. Ever since then, the injunction to love and to be loved has hummed nonstop through popular culture; it is a dominant theme in music, films, novels, magazines, and nearly everything shown on TV. Love is a formidable and thoroughly proved commercial engine; people will buy and do almost anything that promises them a chance at the bliss of romance. But does all this mean that love is merely a phony emotion that we picked up because our culture celebrates it? Psychologist Lawrence Casler, author of Is Marriage Necessary?, forcefully thinks so, at least at first: “I don’t believe love is part of human nature, not for a minute. There are social pressures at work.” Then a shadow falls over his certainty. “Even if it is a part of human nature, like crime or violence, it’s not necessarily desirable.” Well, love either is or is not intrinsic to our species; having it both ways leads nowhere. And the contention that romance is an entirely acquired trait—the revenge of overly imaginative love poets on those who would take them literally—has always rested on some flimsy premises.
What is Love?
Note Taking Reread the text on the left. Then record your answers to the items below.
1. Why did scientists steer clear of studying love? ___________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ .
2. On this page, the author uses well-known expressions and phrases. List the expressions or phrases you recognize and their meaning in the chart below. Expression
Meaning
3. Recap, or write in your own words the reactions of the scientific community to Elaine Hatfield’s research on love. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Summarize below what you have read so far about love and how the scientific community viewed it in the past. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________
What Is Love?
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What Is Love?
Read and Discuss Discuss with a partner your views about how love affects people. For example, does it make people happy, sad, or funny? Then reread the first paragraph of this page. What examples does the author give about how love affects people? Is it similar to your views? ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
Reading Strategy Examine Connotation and Denotation The highlighted passage gives a visual description of anthropologists. Does it have positive, negative or neutral connotation? Check the box that applies. ■ positive ■ negative ■ neutral
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Why, for example, has romantic love—that odd collection of tics and impulses—lasted over the centuries? Most mass hallucinations, such as the 17th-century tulip mania in Holland (when the popularity of tulips pushed the price of a single bulb sky high), flame out fairly rapidly when people realize the absurdity of what they have been doing and come to their senses. When people in love come to their senses, they tend to orbit with added energy around each other and look more helplessly loopy and self-besotted. If romance were purely a figment, unsupported by any rational or sensible evidence, then surely most folks would be immune to it by now. Look around. It hasn’t happened. Love is still in the air. And it may be far more widespread than even romantics imagined. Those who argue that love is a cultural fantasy have tended to do so from a Eurocentric and class-driven point of view. Romance, they say, arose thanks to circumstances peculiar to the West: leisure time, a decent amount of creature comforts, a certain level of refinement in the arts and letters. Romantic love was for aristocrats, not for peasants. But a study conducted by anthropologists William Jankowiak of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas and Edward Fischer of Tulane University found evidence of romantic love in at least 147 of the 166 cultures they studied. This discovery, if borne out, should pretty well wipe out the idea that love is an invention of the Western mind rather than a biological fact. Says Jankowiak: “It is, instead, a universal phenomenon, a panhuman characteristic that stretches across cultures. Societies like ours have the resources to show love through candy and flowers, but that does not mean that the lack of resources in other cultures indicates the absence of love.” Some scientists are not startled by this contention. One of them is anthropologist Helen Fisher, a research associate at the American Museum of Natural History. Says Fisher: “I’ve never not thought that love was a very primitive, basic human emotion, as basic as fear, anger, or joy. It is so evident. I guess anthropologists have just been busy doing other things.” Among the things anthropologists—often knobby-kneed gents in safari shorts—tended to do in the past was ask questions about courtship and marriage rituals. This now seems a classic example, as the old song has it, of looking for love in all the wrong places. In many cultures, love and marriage do not go together. Weddings can have all the romance of corporate mergers, signed and sealed for family or territorial interests. This does not mean, Jankowiak insists, that love does not exist in such cultures; it erupts in clandestine forms, “a phenomenon to be dealt with.”
What is Love?
Note Taking Reread the text on the left. Then record your answers to the items below.
1. The most interesting word on this page is _______________________________________________________ because _____________________________________________________________________________________ .
2. One term that I didn’t know on this page is ______________________________________________________ . It means ____________________________________________________________________________________ .
3. One thing that I read on this page that I already knew is __________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ .
4. One thing I learned on this page that I didn’t know is _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ .
5. Recap, or write in your own words what anthropologist Helen Fischer always thought about love. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ .
6. Summarize below what you’ve recorded: Most Interesting Description
Most Difficult Word
One Thing I Already Knew
One Thing I Learned
What Is Love?
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What Is Love?
Reading Strategy Examine Connotation and Denotation The author uses the words probe and prod giving the reader a visual image of how scientists do research and, in turn, how they might study love. Does the use of these words give a negative connotation to scientific research? Why might the author have chosen these words?
But if science is going to probe and prod and then announce that we are all scientifically fated to love—and to love preprogrammed types—by our genes and chemicals, then a lot of people would just as soon not know. If there truly is a biological predisposition to love, as more and more scientists are coming to believe, then it follows that there is also an amazing diversity in the ways humans have chosen to express the feeling. The cartoon images of cavemen bopping cavewomen over the head and dragging them home by their hair? Love. Helen of Troy, subjecting her adopted city to 10 years of ruinous siege? Love. Romeo and Juliet? Ditto. Joe in Accounting making a fool of himself around the water cooler over Susan in Sales? Love. Like the universe, the more we learn about love, the more preposterous and mysterious it is likely to appear.
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
READING CHECK Clarify Do you think Gray wants scientists to study the biology of love? Use examples from the text to support your answer. ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
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What is Love?
Note Taking Reread the text on the left. Then record your answers to the items below.
1. Why does the author suggest that we would “just as soon not know” if scientists find that we are fated to love? _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ .
2. What are some of the examples this article gives of the diverse ways in which humans express love? _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ .
3. Recap in your own words the author’s view on love. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ . _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Summarize how the scientific community has changed its opinion about researching love. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________
What Is Love?
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After You Read
What Is LOVE?
Connect to the Article Look back at the questions on page 224. Would you answer them any differently after reading this article? If you would, write your new answers below. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________
Reading Strategy Examine Connotation and Denotation Recognizing words’ connotations will help you understand what writers wish to express by using them. While a word’s denotation is important to understand, examining its connotation may lead to interpretations you might never have expected based only on its literal meaning. The chart below contains sentences from the article, each with a boldfaced word. List the boldfaced words’ denotations in the second column. In the third column, list whether the words’ connotations are positive, negative, or neutral. Sentence
Denotation
Connotation
“It is not merely a conceit; it is bred into our biology.”
“. . .people will buy and do almost anything that promises them a chance at the bliss of romance.”
“Helen of Troy subjecting her adopted city to 10 years of ruinous siege?”
For more practice, see page 354.
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Learning Objectives For pages 235–240, 355 In studying this text, you will focus on the following objectives: Literary Study: Analyzing nonsense verse. Reading: Analyzing style.
Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll
Jabberwocky
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Before You Read
Jabberwocky Connect to the Poem Have you ever invented words for a feeling or to describe something you felt had no appropriate description? Use the word web below to brainstorm some new words for something that doesn’t exist. Then describe what each noun is on the lines below.
I’ve just created . . .
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Build Background •
As the eldest son of eleven children Lewis Carroll often entertained his younger siblings with fantastic stories and games.
•
Carroll was very shy and quiet, bullied as a child in school and considered dull by his students at Oxford University.
•
Nonetheless, Lewis still managed to entertain children much to their joy. He was funny and playful and enjoyed his time with them.
•
Some of his stories became best sellers. Today, children and adults around the world still read Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.
Now, underline the facts that you think influenced Carroll’s ability to write fantastical poems and stories. Explain your reasons on the lines below. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Set Purposes for Reading As you read, think about what may have been an influence for the fantastical ideas in Carroll’s poem.
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Literary Element Nonsense Verse Nonsense verse is a form of poetry that is meant to be fun and humorous. It is often silly and bizarre, uses made-up words, and has a strong rhythm. Nonsense verse also includes words that imitate sounds and words that are made up of two separate words. Work with a partner to write a list of words. Then, create five new words that are made up of two words from your lists. For example ripple and soft can create the word sofipple. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Reading Strategy Analyze Style When you analyze style, you look at how the author makes his or her work unique. In “Jabberwocky,” Carroll uses syntax, or order of words in a sentence, and diction, or choice of words, to help readers make sense of the nonsense words he uses. Write a few sentences using the words you have just created with your partner. Be sure to decide before you write your sentences if the word is a noun, verb, adjective, or adverb. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Jabberwocky
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Jabberwocky ’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe; All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe.
Read and Discuss Reread the first eight lines of the poem with a partner. Underline the creatures that we need to watch out for. Discuss with a partner what you imagine these creatures will look like.
5
10
Reading Strategy Analyze Style Carroll’s style involves using syntax and diction to help readers understand his nonsense words. Which of the words used in lines 9–12 of the poem are adjectives? Explain your answer. ■ Tumtum ■ Vorpal ■ Manxome _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
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15
“Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun The frumious Bandersnatch!” He took his vorpal sword in hand: Long time the manxome foe he sought— So rested he by the Tumtum tree, And stood awhile in thought. And as in uffish thought he stood, The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame, Came whiffling through the tulgey wood, And burbled as it came!
Jabberwocky
20
One, two! One, two! And through and through The vorpal blade went snicker-snack! He left it dead, and with its head He went galumphing back. “And hast thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!” He chortled in his joy.
25
’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe; All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe.
Literary Element Nonsense Verse The source of many words used in nonsense verse is everyday words. What words sound familiar? What do they remind you of? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
Read and Discuss
READING CHECK Clarify What happened to the Jabberwock? ______________________________________________________
Reread this page aloud with a partner. The first stanza is used again to end the poem. Why do you think Carroll chose to end the poem this way? Discuss your thoughts with a partner.
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
Jabberwocky
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After You Read
Jabberwocky
Connect to the Poem Look back at the words you invented on page 236. What action verbs would you invent for the nouns you created earlier? Write them in the chart below and describe what they mean. Noun
Action Verb
Description
Literary Element Nonsense Verse Lewis Carroll wrote tales that have awed and delighted children and adults alike. Why does the use of nonsense verse make “Jabberwocky” a fun poem to read? _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________
Reading Strategy Analyze Style Look back at the sentences you wrote using the nonsense words you created with your partner. You used diction and syntax to convey meaning when using nonsense words. Describe how Carroll uses these same tools in “Jabberwocky.” How does it affect your reading and understanding of the text? _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________
For more practice, see page 355.
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Learning Objectives For pages 241–248, 356 In studying this text, you will focus on the following objectives: Literary Study: Analyzing meter. Reading: Comparing and contrasting imagery.
Dover Beach
by Matthew Arnold
Dover Beach
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Before You Read
Dover Beach
Connect to the Poem “Dover Beach” suggests that love and loyalty can offer protection in a chaotic world. Think of a time that you felt uncertain or alone. Fill in the web below to explain whom or what you turned to for hope and reassurance. An Uncertain Time
My Initial Reactions
Where I Found Comfort
Build Background •
Dover, England, is famous for its cliffs made of white chalk. The town is about twenty miles from the coast of France.
•
Many people believe that Arnold visited Dover in 1851. At that time, he was newly married and had recently taken a job as an inspector of the public schools.
•
At the time Arnold wrote “Dover Beach,” Victorian England was changing. Cities were growing rapidly as a result of the Industrial Revolution. The pace of life had quickened. Science and technology were quickly gaining importance in a society that had once been dominated by religion.
Now, summarize the events that may have influenced Arnold’s poem “Dover Beach.” ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Set Purposes for Reading Like many people of his era, Arnold felt uneasy about the rapid changes occurring in England. Look for both dark imagery and a sense of hope as you read his poem.
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Literary Element Meter Meter is the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a poem. The meter gives the line of poetry a rhythm. The basic unit of meter is called a foot. A foot consists of two stressed syllables and one or more unstressed syllables. You can mark the stressed syllables with ʼ and the unstressed syllables with ˘. Look at these marked lines from “Dover Beach.” Then complete the sentences below. As you read the poem, notice how the meter changes. ʼ ˘ ʼ ˘ ˘ ˘ sea The is calm tonight. ʼ is ʼ the ʼ lies ˘ tide ˘ full, ˘ moon ˘ fair. ˘ The The syllables are arranged in a/an ________________________________________________________________ pattern. The meter of the syllables creates a rhythm that sounds like _________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________.
Reading Strategy Compare and Contrast Imagery Imagery refers to the descriptive words and phrases that create word pictures in the mind of the reader. By using words that appeal to one or more senses, a poet can evoke an emotional response in readers. In “Dover Beach,” images of permanence appear side by side with images of impermanence, or change. Read the following lines from the poem and copy the images into the appropriate column of the chart below. As you read, note how Arnold’s use of contrasting images conveys a sense of loss. Upon the straits—on the French coast the light Gleams and is gone; the cliffs of England stand, Glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay. Images of Permanence
Images of Impermanence
Dover Beach
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Dover Beach 5
Reading Strategy Compare and Contrast Imagery Reread lines 1–14. Underline the words and phrases that help you imagine the sea. On the lines below, summarize your impressions of the sea.
10
15
Lines 1–5: _____________________ _______________________________ Lines 7–14: ____________________
20
Read and Discuss 25
With a partner, imitate or describe the sound of ocean waves as they reach the shore and then retreat back to the ocean. Then, read aloud the first stanza of the poem. Try to imitate the rhythm of the waves as you read. Repeat the process with the second stanza. Then discuss how reading the poem aloud helped you feel the rhythm the poet created.
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The sea is calm tonight. The tide is full, the moon lies fair Upon the straits°—on the French coast the light Gleams and is gone; the cliffs of England stand, Glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay. Come to the window, sweet is the night air! Only, from the long line of spray Where the sea meets the moon-blanched land, Listen! you hear the grating roar Of pebbles which the waves draw back, and fling, At their return, up the high strand,° Begin, and cease, and then again begin, With tremulous cadence° slow, and bring The eternal note of sadness in. Sophocles° long ago Heard it on the Aegean,° and it brought Into his mind the turbid° ebb and flow Of human misery; we Find also in the sound a thought, Hearing it by this distant northern sea. The Sea of Faith Was once, too, at the full, and round earth’s shore Lay like the folds of a bright girdle° furled. But now I only hear Its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar, Retreating, to the breath Of the night wind, down the vast edges drear And naked shingles° of the world.
Dover Beach
Reading Strategy Compare and Contrast Imagery Circle the meaning of turbid in the list below. a. trembling 8 Straits refers to the Strait of Dover, a narrow channel separating England and France.
b. confusing, in a state of turmoil c. beaches covered with waterworn pebbles Now complete the sentence below. The poet (
/contrasts)
11 A strand is a shore. the sea to human misery because 13 Tremulous means “trembling.” Cadence is a rhythmic rise and fall.
15 Sophocles was a Greek dramatist who lived during the fifth century B.C. 16 The Aegean is the arm of the Mediterranean Sea between Greece and Turkey. 17 Turbid means “confusing” or “in a state of turmoil.”
23 A girdle is anything that girds, or encircles, such as a belt or sash worn around the waist.
both represent _________________
Reading Strategy Compare and Contrast Imagery Reread lines 21–28. Underline the sentence below that tells what has happened to the Sea of Faith. a. It is still full and present on the earth. b. It has been worn down like the pebbles on the beach.
28 Shingles are beaches covered with water-worn pebbles.
c. It is only a dream. Based on what you know about the era in which the poem was written, what might the “Sea of Faith” represent? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
Dover Beach
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Dover Beach
Literary Element 30
Compare and Contrast Imagery Complete the statement below to summarize the two images of the world described in the last stanza. Through the eyes of love the world appears _______________________
35
Ah, love, let us be true To one another! for the world, which seems To lie before us like a land of dreams, So various, so beautiful, so new, Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light, Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain; And we are here as on a darkling° plain Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight, Where ignorant armies clash by night.
__________________In contrast, the real world is described as ________ _______________________________
READING CHECK Summarize Use the questions that follow to help you summarize the theme, or message, of the poem. Write your summary on the line. • How does the speaker view human life—as full of happiness, permanence, and peace, or as full of sadness, impermanence, and war? ____________________________________________________ • How does the speaker think individuals can help each other? ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ One theme of “Dover Beach” is that ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
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Dover Beach
35 Something that is darkling is characterized by darkness.
Dover Beach
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After You Read
Dover Beach
Connect to the Poem Look back at the web you created on page 242. To whom or to what does the speaker turn in times of uncertainty? How does his reaction to hard times compare with what you wrote in your web? _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________
Literary Element Meter How does the meter in the first two stanzas support the imagery in those stanzas? Write your answer on the line below. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________
Reading Strategy Compare and Contrast Imagery Finish these sentences to compare and contrast the images of light and darkness in the poem. In the first stanza, the moon is ________________________________________________________________________________________ . The light of the moon symbolizes ____________________________________________________________________ In the last stanza, the land is a ______________________________________________________________________ . The night symbolizes _______________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________ .
For more practice, see page 356.
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Learning Objectives For pages 249–256 In studying this text, you will focus on the following objectives: Literary Study: Analyzing lyric poetry. Reading: Connecting to personal experience.
To An Athlete
Dying Young by A. E. Housman
To An Athlete Dying Young
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Before You Read
To An Athlete Dying Young Connect to the Poem Is it better for a hero to die young than face the eventual loss of fame and glory? Respond to the following statements about achievement and fame. Circle your answers. 1. There is always a big letdown following triumphs in sports and other areas. agree disagree not sure 2. Accomplishing our goals is important, even though our achievements may be exceeded later by someone else. agree disagree not sure 3. People’s accomplishments should be the chief basis for how we remember them. agree disagree not sure
Build Background The title of this poem, “To an Athlete Dying Young,” reflects A. E. Housman’s solemn attitudes about death and loss. As you read the following statements, underline information that you think might be helpful in understanding the poem. •
Housman’s early childhood was happy, but he suffered a severe emotional shock when his mother died on his twelfth birthday. His mother’s death affected him for years.
•
He was a gifted student, but his emotional problems caused him to struggle with his studies, and he failed his final college exams. He became a clerk but continued to study and began writing scholarly articles.
•
The early death of a friend from typhoid inspired Housman’s best work, the poems collected in A Shropshire Lad. “To an Athlete Dying Young” appears in that collection.
•
Housman was influenced by Greek and Latin lyrical poetry, as well as English and Scottish folk ballads. He used Shakespeare’s songs and the lyrical works of William Blake and other poets as models for his poems in A Shropshire Lad.
•
Many of his themes—passing youth, early death, and unhappy love—came from the disappointments and pain of his own youth.
Set Purposes for Reading This poem is about a small-town sports hero who dies an early death. Read the poem to find out about Housman’s attitudes about life, loss, and growing old.
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Literary Element Lyric Poetry Lyric poetry expresses a speaker’s thoughts and feelings and is usually short and musical. They often use rhythm, rhyme, or other sound devices. Lyric poems frequently explore emotionally charged subjects. The subject of the poem can be an object, a person, or an event. However, the poem usually focuses on the experience of emotion rather than telling a story. As you read, pay attention to the ways the poet describes thoughts and emotions. Discuss with a partner what emotions you think the poet wants you to feel.
Reading Strategy Connect to Personal Experience When you connect to personal experience, you relate what you read to events in your own life. Connecting, or linking, your own experience to a text helps in your understanding of it. As you read the poem, ask yourself these questions: Have I ever known anyone who experienced this? Does this poem remind me of anything in my own life? Have I ever felt this way? Use the chart below to note connections that you find between the poem and your own life. Detail from “To An Athlete Dying Young”
My Personal Experience
Vocabulary Analogies Analogies are comparisons based on relationships between words. For example: success : achievement :: failure : downfall In this example, the words in each pair are synonyms. Now look at the definitions and parts of speech for the words in the minor column on this page. Say each word. Now look at the analogies below. In each expression, the colon (:) means “is to” and the double colon (::) means “as.” When you read an analogy, you read it as “success is to achievement as failure is to downfall.”
Vocabulary threshold (threshʼ hōldʼ) n. doorway; entranceway fleet (flēt) adj. swift; fast
Look at the following analogies. What is the relationship of the words in each analogy? Select your answers from the following types of relationships. •
object / characteristic
•
part / whole
•
synonym
•
antonym
threshold : structure :: lens : camera ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ runner : fleet :: cyclone : violent ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ To An Athlete Dying Young
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To An
Athlete Dying Young The time you won your town the race We chaired you through the market-place; Man and boy stood cheering by, And home we brought you shoulder-high.
Literary Element Lyric Poetry In lyric poetry, how a poem sounds can enhance its meaning. In what ways are these lines musical? How does that emphasize what’s happening in this passage? Write your answer on the lines below.
5
_______________________________ _______________________________
10
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
15
_______________________________ _______________________________ 20
Today, the road all runners come, Shoulder-high we bring you home, And set you at your threshold down, Townsman of a stiller town. Smart lad, to slip betimes1 away From fields where glory does not stay And early though the laurel2 grows It withers quicker than the rose. Eyes the shady night has shut Cannot see the record cut,3 And silence sounds no worse than cheers After earth has stopped the ears: Now you will not swell the rout4 Of lads that wore their honors out, Runners whom renown outran And the name died before the man.
Vocabulary threshold (threshʼ hōldʼ) n. doorway; entranceway
Read and Discuss With a partner, reread lines 17–20 and discuss what Housman has to say about early success in these lines. Determine whether you agree with him. Then complete the following sentence frames. In this stanza, Housman seems to think that the hero ____________________________ ____________________________
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1. Here, betimes means “early in life.” 2. Laurel is the symbol for victory; in ancient Greece and Rome, victorious athletes were crowned with laurel wreaths. 3. Cut means “broken” or “outdone.” 4. In this instance, a rout is a particular group or class of people.
To An Athlete Dying Young
So set, before its echoes fade, The fleet foot on the sill of shade, And hold to the low lintel5 up The still-defended challenge-cup. 25
And round that early-laureled head Will flock to gaze the strengthless dead, And find unwithered on its curls The garland briefer than a girl’s.
Vocabulary fleet (flēt) adj. swift; fast
Vocabulary Skill Analogies Look at the vocabulary word fleet. When someone or something is swift, it is fleet. In the same way, when something is transient, it is temporary. On the lines below, express the relationship between the words fleet, swift, transient, and temporary as an analogy. Remember that : means “is to” and :: means “as.” ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________
5. A lintel is an architectural piece spanning, and usually bearing the weight, above a door.
Literary Element
READING CHECK Summarize Summarizing a text will show whether you’ve understood it. Write a brief statement expressing the main idea of the poem. ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
Lyric Poetry What makes the last stanza so full of emotion? Write your answer on the lines below. _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
To An Athlete Dying Young
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After You Read
To An Athlete Dying Young
Connect to the Poem Look back at the statements on page 250. Have your attitudes about achievement and fame changed after reading the poem? Would you change any of your answers? Why or why not? _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________
Literary Element Lyric Poetry How would you describe the emotions expressed by the poem’s speaker? Explain your answer. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________
Reading Strategy Connect to Personal Experience Use the sentence frames below to summarize how your experiences in life have been similar to and different than those described in the poem. My experiences have been different than those described in the poem because ______________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ My experiences have been similar to those described in the poem because _________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________
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After You Read
To An Athlete Dying Young
Vocabulary A. Word Meaning Match each boldfaced vocabulary with another word below. Write a sentence using both words that expresses the relationship between them. EXAMPLE: ability genius ___________________________________________________________________________________________ say that great natural ability is only one part of genius. Sentence: People ________________________________________________________________________________________
threshold
fleet
beginning ________________________________________________________________________________________ Sentence: ________________________________________________________________________________________ passing __________________________________________________________________________________________ Sentence: ________________________________________________________________________________________ Now write a brief paragraph using both sentences. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ B. Analogies Choose the letter of the pair of words below that best completes each analogy. To complete an analogy, figure out the relationship represented by the first pair of words. Then, apply that relationship to the second set of words. 1. fleet : sluggish :: ________________ a faithful : devoted
c painter : artistic
b divine : devilish
d false : untrue
2. threshold : edge :: ________________ a kingdom : empire
c sweater : clothing
b citizen : alien
d soda : carbonated
To An Athlete Dying Young
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After You Read
To An Athlete Dying Young
Venn Diagram A Venn diagram can help you compare and contrast two beliefs or sets of experiences. Think about ways in which your beliefs and experiences have been similar to and different from Housman’s. Look back at your responses to the Reading Strategy and Literary Element activities. Then fill out a Venn diagram that illustrates the similarities and differences between your experiences and beliefs and Housman’s.
Housman’s beliefs/ experiences:
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Shared:
My beliefs/experiences:
Learning Objectives For pages 257–266 In studying these texts, you will focus on the following objectives: Literary Study: Analyzing structure. Reading: Analyzing figurative language.
Sailing to Byzantium
and
The Second Coming by William Butler Yeats
Sailing to Byzantium and The Second Coming
257
Before You Read
Sailing to Byzantium
and The
Second Coming
Connect to the Poems In “Sailing to Byzantium,” the speaker describes a timeless realm of the imagination. In “The Second Coming,” the speaker makes a grim prophecy based on trends he observes in the modern world. With a partner, discuss the following questions. Write your responses on the lines below. 1. What place would you choose to symbolize the kingdom of the imagination? _________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Are conditions in the world getting better or worse? Give two reasons for your response. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. What kind of prophecy would you make about the future of the world? _________________________________________________________________________________________________
Build Background Put a checkmark on the line in front of each fact that you already knew. For the facts that you did not already know, underline the most important words. ___ The Byzantine Empire was the eastern part of the Roman Empire. Its capital, Byzantium (modern Istanbul), was a great center of culture during the Middle Ages. ___ Yeats viewed Byzantium as a holy city of the imagination. He saw it as a perfect blend of the practical, the spiritual, and the artistic. ___ “Second Coming” is based on Yeats’s theory that cycles of history occur every two thousand years. During this time, one civilization is gradually replaced by another. ___ The title of the poem “Second Coming” alludes to the prediction of Christ’s return.
Set Purposes for Reading Remember that a literary symbol is an object, person, place, or event that stands for something else. For example, coming to a crossroads might be a symbol for a making a choice. As you read, notice how Yeats uses symbols to stand for ideas.
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Literary Element Structure The structure of a literary work is its framework. It refers to the relationship of the parts to each other and to the whole piece. With a partner, discuss the structure of a poem you both know. In your discussion, answer questions such as: •
How does the title relate to the poem?
•
How do the different stanzas develop and support each other?
•
How do the various images in the poem compare and contrast with one another?
Reading Strategy Analyze Figurative Language: Metaphor A metaphor is a figure of speech that makes a comparison between unlike things without using the words like or as. When you analyze metaphors, you examine the effect a poet creates by using metaphors instead of literal language. To practice analyzing metaphors, record your interpretations of the metaphors in the chart below. The first one is done for you. Metaphor The snow was a white blanket on the field.
My Interpretation The snow covered the field.
The room was a beehive of activity. Liz has a heart of stone. Hal’s troubles were just a bump in the road. Robert was in the evening of his life.
Vocabulary
Vocabulary Context Clues You can often determine the meanings of unfamiliar words by looking for clues in the context, or the surrounding words and sentences. Look at the definitions of and parts of speech for the words in the minor column of this page. Say each word. Then write it on the blank in the sentence. Read the sentences and underline the context clues that suggest the meaning of the word.
artifice (ärʼ tə fis) n. the product of human skill; something that is constructed rather than natural anarchy (anʼ ər kē) n. the total lack of government; a condition of lawless confusion conviction (kən vikʼ shən) n. strong belief
Word
Sentence
artifice
Many of the artworks in the show seemed more the result of __________________ than of real creativity.
anarchy
Mobs of citizens rioted, storming the capitol and ushering in a state of __________________.
conviction Sally’s firm __________________ of the value of education led her to become a teacher.
Sailing to Byzantium and The Second Coming
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Sailing to Byzantium 5
Reading Strategy Analyze Figurative Language: Metaphor To what does the speaker compare an old man? What does this comparison suggest to you? Why? Write your answer on the lines below.
10
15
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
20
I That is no country for old men. The young In one another’s arms, birds in the trees —Those dying generations—at their song, The salmon-falls,1 the mackerel-crowded seas, Fish, flesh, or fowl, commend all summer long Whatever is begotten, born, and dies. Caught in that sensual music all neglect Monuments of unaging intellect. II An aged man is but a paltry2 thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium. III O sages3 standing in God’s holy fire As in the gold mosaic of a wall, Come from the holy fire, perne in a gyre,4 And be the singing-masters of my soul. Consume my heart away; sick with desire And fastened to a dying animal It knows not what it is; and gather me Into the artifice of eternity.
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
Vocabulary artifice (ärʼ tə fis) n. the product of human skill; something that is constructed rather than natural
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1. 2. 3. 4.
Salmon-falls are the rapids in rivers that salmon swim up to spawn. Paltry means “worthless.” Sages are the wise men pictured on the walls of the churches in Byzantium. Perne in a gyre means to spin around in a spiral motion. Yeats associated gyres with the spinning of fate. Here, the speaker asks the images on the wall to come down and spin him into their timeless state of being.
Sailing to Byzantium
25
30
IV Once out of nature I shall never take My bodily form from any natural thing, But such a form as Grecian goldsmiths make Of hammered gold and gold enameling To keep a drowsy Emperor awake;5 Or set upon a golden bough to sing To lords and ladies of Byzantium Of what is past, or passing, or to come.
Read and Discuss Reread the poem with a partner. Discuss how the last two stanzas of this poem offer a contrast to the first two. Answer by completing the sentence frames below. The first two stanzas describe ____________________________ ____________________________. The last two stanzas describe ____________________________ ____________________________.
Vocabulary Skill
5. But such a form . . . awake refers to something Yeats once read about: An emperor in Byzantium had a tree made of gold and silver. On this tree, artificial birds sat and sang.
Context Clues Underline the words in lines 25–26 that provide clues to the meaning of artifice. What kind of clues do these words provide? Place a check next to the correct answer below. ____ comparison ____ contrast
READING CHECK Clarify
____ cause and effect ____ example
Why has the speaker left his own home and traveled to Byzantium? Write your answer on the lines below. ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
Sailing to Byzantium
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The Second Coming Vocabulary anarchy (anʼ ər kē) n. the total lack of government; a condition of lawless confusion
Vocabulary Skill Context Clues The word anarchy comes from a Greek word, arkhos, meaning “leader.” The prefix anindicates a negative. What context clues in this stanza reinforce this meaning of being without a leader? Underline them.
5
Turning and turning in the widening gyre1 The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the center cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.
Vocabulary conviction (kən vikʼ shən) n. strong belief
1. A gyre is a circular form or motion.
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The Second Coming
10
15
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Surely some revelation is at hand; Surely the Second Coming is at hand. The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi2 Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert A shape with lion body and the head of a man,3 A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun, Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds. The darkness drops again; but now I know That twenty centuries of stony sleep4 Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,5 And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, Slouches towards Bethlehem6 to be born?
Literary Element Structure With which image in the first stanza does this image of “the indignant desert birds” contrast? Circle the correct answer. the gyre the falcon the tide
Reading Strategy Analyze Figurative Language: Metaphor What might the “rough beast” symbolize? Why do you think Yeats mentions Bethlehem in this metaphor? To answer these questions, complete the sentence frames below. The “rough beast” might symbolize _______________________________
2. The Latin phrase Spiritus Mundi means “Spirit of the World.” Yeats believed that all people are connected through this spirit. He also believed that it is made up of the collective, inherited body of myths and symbols common to all cultures. 3. [A shape. . . man] This figure is meant to resemble the Egyptian sphinx. 4. [That twenty. . . sleep] The speaker is referring to the two-thousand-year period before the birth of Christ. 5. Rocking cradle refers to the birth of the infant Jesus. 6. Bethlehem was the birthplace of Jesus Christ.
READING CHECK
_______________________________ _______________________________ ______________________________ .
The reason Yeats mentions Bethlehem in this metaphor is to
Summarize
_______________________________
On the lines below, write a one-sentence summary of “Second Coming.”
_______________________________ _______________________________
______________________________________________________ ______________________________ .
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
The Second Coming
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Sailing to Byzantium
After You Read
and The Second Coming Connect to the Poems Look back at the questions on page 258. Think about the answers you and your partner discussed. What details based on the poems would you add to your discussion? Write your answer on the lines below. _________________________________________________________________________________________________
Literary Element Structure Think back to the poem you and your partner discussed as you considered structure on page 259. Answer the same questions about “The Second Coming.” How does the title relate to the poem? _________________________________________________________________________________________________ How do the different stanzas develop and support each other? _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ How do the various images in the poem compare and contrast with one another? _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________
Reading Strategy Analyze Figurative Language: Metaphor Look back over the Reading Strategy chart you made on page 259. Make a new chart based on the metaphors in Yeats’s poems. Metaphor
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My Interpretation
Sailing to Byzantium
After You Read
and The Second Coming Vocabulary A. Word Meaning Circle the letter of the answer that best fits the meaning of the boldfaced vocabulary word in each sentence. 1. The speaker in “Sailing to Byzantium refers to artifices such as hammered gold, gold enameling, and a golden bough. a valuable metals
c decorations
b human-made items
d earned rewards
2. When strong leaders are not available, the possibility of anarchy in the world increases. a strong government
c economic prosperity
b dictatorships
d lack of government
3. Yeats had a conviction that human history occurs in cycles of about two thousand years. a firm belief
c happy thought
b unfounded fear
d absolute proof
B. Context Clues Look back at the poems to find context clues for the vocabulary words below. Record your findings in the following charts. Word: artifice
Word: anarchy
Word: conviction
Context Clues:
Meaning:
__________________________________________
______________________________________
__________________________________________
______________________________________
Context Clues:
Meaning:
__________________________________________
______________________________________
__________________________________________
______________________________________
Context Clues:
Meaning:
__________________________________________
______________________________________
__________________________________________
______________________________________
Sailing to Byzantium and The Second Coming
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After You Read
Sailing to Byzantium
and The Second Coming Main Idea Diagram You can often use graphic organizers to record details in a literary work and your ideas about them. Use the diagram below to organize the details in one of Yeats’s poems. Poem:
Main Idea:
Supporting Detail:
266
Supporting Detail:
Supporting Detail:
Learning Objectives For pages 267–274 In studying this text, you will focus on the following objectives: Literary Study: Analyzing imagery. Reading: Analyzing style.
Preludes
by T. S. Eliot
Preludes
267
Before You Read
Preludes
Connect to the Poem Have you ever had a strong reaction to a place after visiting it only once? What prompted those feelings? Were they the result of specific experiences, or were they in response to sights, smells, and sounds? Quickwrite about the place and the feelings connected with it. Try to capture as many sense impressions of the place as you can. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Build Background Read the following background material. •
Thomas Stearns Eliot was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, but lived much of his life in England, where he eventually became a citizen.
•
He was a playwright, literary critic, and editor in addition to being a poet.
•
Eliot wrote about the search for meaning in the isolation of modern urban society.
•
Eliot won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1948.
Without looking at the background material you have just read, write a summary sentence about T. S. Eliot. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Set Purposes for Reading As you read the poem, look for ways that Eliot finds hope despite the dreariness of modern life. Try to form mental pictures of the images evoked by Eliot’s words and of the people he is writing about. Who are they? What do they look like? What do they do for a living?
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Literary Element Imagery Imagery is the word pictures writers create to describe sensory experiences and to evoke a particular emotional response. The images may provide details of sight, sound, taste, smell, or touch/texture. The more precise the details, the better readers are able to form mental pictures. To help you keep track of Eliot’s imagery in “Preludes,” fill out this sense chart as you read. Sight
Sound
Smell
Taste
Touch/Texture
Reading Strategy Analyze Style Style is the individual way in which a writer uses language to express ideas. Style includes word choice, sentence structure, and tone as well as the author’s choice of figurative language and imagery. Analyzing style can reveal an author’s purpose in writing. Any recurring feature that distinguishes one writer’s work from another is said to be part of that writer’s style. With a partner, discuss the style of a writer familiar to both of you, such as Edgar Allan Poe. Make a list of the characteristics of the writer’s style and what makes it unique.
Vocabulary Synonyms Synonyms are words that are similar in meaning. They are helpful Vocabulary in developing vocabulary because they are often easier to recall constitute (konʼ stə tootʼ) v. make up; form than a longer dictionary definition. Because two words never represent exactly the same ideas, you should keep in mind the infinitely (inʼ fə nit lē) adv. boundlessly; endlessly denotation and connotation of the words to select the most appropriate synonym. Here is a list of synonyms for grimy: soiled, dirty, filthy, stained. Place each word on the continuum from least to most grimy. Least Grimy
Most Grimy
Preludes
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Preludes Literary Element Imagery To what senses does Eliot appeal in lines 2–7? Write your answer on the lines below. 5
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
10
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ 15
What emotions do you associate with these images? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
20
I The winter evening settles down With smell of steaks in passageways. Six o’clock. The burnt-out ends of smoky days. And now a gusty shower wraps The grimy scraps Of withered leaves about your feet And newspapers from vacant lots; The showers beat On broken blinds and chimney-pots,1 And at the corner of the street A lonely cab-horse steams and stamps. And then the lighting of the lamps. II The morning comes to consciousness Of faint stale smells of beer From the sawdust-trampled2 street With all its muddy feet that press To early coffee-stands. With the other masquerades3 That time resumes, One thinks of all the hands That are raising dingy shades In a thousand furnished rooms.4
_______________________________
Reading Strategy Analyze Style In line 13, how does Eliot abruptly change the mood of the poem? Write your answer on the lines below. _______________________________ _______________________________
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1. Chimney-pots are pipes placed on the top of a chimney to improve the draw of a heat producing unit, such as a stove or fireplace. 2. Sawdust-trampled refers to the sawdust that many bars and shops sprinkled on their floors to absorb dirt and spilled drinks. The sawdust has been carried into the streets on the soles of people’s shoes. 3. Here, a masquerade is a pretense or act. 4. Furnished rooms are cheap, one-room apartments that come with beds and other basic pieces of furniture.
Preludes
25
30
35
40
45
50
III You tossed a blanket from the bed, You lay upon your back, and waited; You dozed, and watched the night revealing The thousand sordid images Of which your soul was constituted; They flickered against the ceiling. And when all the world came back And the light crept up between the shutters And you heard the sparrows in the gutters, You had such a vision of the street As the street hardly understands; Sitting along the bed’s edge, where You curled the papers from your hair, Or clasped the yellow soles of feet In the palms of both soiled hands. IV His soul stretched tight across the skies That fade behind a city block, Or trampled by insistent feet At four and five and six o’clock; And short square fingers stuffing pipes, And evening newspapers, and eyes Assured of certain certainties, The conscience of a blackened street Impatient to assume the world. I am moved by fancies that are curled Around these images, and cling: The notion of some infinitely gentle Infinitely suffering thing. Wipe your hand across your mouth, and laugh; The worlds revolve like ancient women Gathering fuel in vacant lots.
READING CHECK
Reading Strategy Analyze Style Underline the forms of the personal pronoun you that appear in section III. How does the use of pronouns here differ from the use in sections I and II? What is the effect of this? Write your answers on the lines below. _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
Vocabulary constitute (konʼ stə tootʼ) v. make up; form
Read and Discuss Reread lines 29–32, underlining the images you find. With a partner, discuss how these images compare with the imagery in sections I and II. Write your answer on the lines below.
Clarify
____________________________
In your own words, what moves the speaker at the end of the poem?
____________________________
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
Vocabulary infinitely (inʼ fə nit lē) adv. boundlessly; endlessly
______________________________________________________
Preludes
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After You Read
Preludes
Connect to the Poem Exchange with a partner the quickwrite you did on page 268. Then complete these response starters about your partner’s quickwrite. I can picture _____________________________________________________________________________________ . I experienced the same thing when __________________________________________________________________ . I can relate to this because _________________________________________________________________________ . What this means to me is __________________________________________________________________________ .
Literary Element Imagery Answer the following questions about the images in the poem. 1. Which sight image stands out most strongly in your mind? Why? ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Aside from sight images, which other type of sense imagery do you think the poet uses most effectively? Explain. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________
Reading Strategy Analyze Style Complete the following sentences to analyze Eliot’s style in “Preludes.” Give reasons to support each of your answers. 1. The mood of the poem at the beginning is ________________. Example: ____________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Eliot’s sentences are full of ________________ depicting city life. Example: ____________________________________________________________________________________ 3. The speaker’s tone changes from ________________ to ________________ . Example: ____________________________________________________________________________________
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Preludes
After You Read
Vocabulary A. Word Meaning Circle the answer that best fits the meaning of the boldfaced vocabulary word in each sentence. 1. Leslie is an infinitely patient babysitter who never loses her temper with her charges. a never
c somewhat
b endlessly
d occasionally
2. The students are curious about what constitutes a grade of A in subjects like art and creative writing. a requires
c makes up
b fills in
d prevents
B. Synonyms Circle the letter of the correct synonym for each the following boldfaced words, which include both vocabulary words and other words appearing in “Preludes.” Use a dictionary if you need help. 1. Fruits, vegetables, and grains constitute Ella’s vegetarian diet. a compose
c enact
b relieve
d eliminate
2. At the beginning of summer vacation, the days of freedom seem to stretch out infinitely. a pleasurably
c idly
b wearily
d forever
3. Kelly was looking forward to the first warm day so that he could wash his grimy car. a old
c untidy
b dirty
d used
4. Sweeney Todd is the sordid story of a barber who loses everything that is important to him, including his soul. a wretched
c greedy
b fanciful
d legendary
5. Hoping to make the dingy room look more attractive, Bart bought a new rug. a ugly
c old
b dark
d shabby
6. The gusty winds that blew out of the north cleared the humidity. a cold
c brisk
b gentle
d raw Preludes
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After You Read
Preludes
Style Analysis Chart Use this chart to record and analyze elements of Eliot’s style and their effects on the meaning of “Preludes.” One example has been done for you. Element Imagery
Example from Poem “One thinks of all the hands/That are raising dingy shades/In a thousand furnished rooms.” (lines 21–23)
Effect on Meaning Drab images of city life create the poem’s basic pattern of imagery. Element Word Choice
Example from Poem
Effect on Meaning
Element Figurative Language
Example from Poem
Effect on Meaning
Element Sentence Structure
Effect on Meaning
274
Example from Poem
Learning Objectives For pages 275–284 In studying this text, you will focus on the following objectives: Literary Study: Interpreting argument. Reading: Analyzing tone.
from A ROOM of One’s OWN
by Virginia Woolf
from A Room of One’s Own
275
Before You Read
from A ROOM of One’s OWN
Connect to the Essay Think about the times you have worked on a creative project, whether on your own or for a school assignment. Consider how challenging the work felt to you and what kind of concentration your project required from you. Answer the questions below, checking all that apply. Write in your own answer if you cannot relate to the provided options. 1. Whenever I have a challenging creative project to do, it helps me if
■ ■ ■
I also have to do a lot of chores at the same time. I can spend plenty of time thinking about my ideas. There is someplace quiet where I can spread out my work.
2. Encouragement from people whose opinions I respect is
■ ■ ■
inspiring. embarrassing. distracting.
Build Background •
“A Room of One’s Own” is based on a series of lectures called “Women and Fiction” that Woolf delivered in 1928 at a college in Cambridge, England.
•
She was active in the women’s suffrage movement and was 36 when British women over 30 won the vote in 1918. The age was reduced to 21 in 1928.
•
Woolf belonged to the privileged class. Her father, Sir Leslie Stephen, a noted literary critic, valued education and encouraged his children’s talents. Virginia became a novelist; her sister Vanessa became a painter.
Reread the information above, thinking about how it helps you understand why she would write about women’s struggle to become writers. Jot down your thoughts. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Set Purposes for Reading Read to learn about the obstacles faced by creative women throughout history. Ask yourself how Woolf demonstrates changes in women’s struggle for artistic expression over time.
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Literary Element Argument In persuasive writing, an argument is the reasoning or logic the author uses to try to convince readers to agree with him or her. Writers use many different techniques to make an argument. One example is to use established facts and statistics to support their idea. Can you think of other persuasive strategies? List them below in the space provided. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Reading Strategy Analyze Tone In writing, tone is the way the author expresses his or her attitude toward the topic. When you analyze tone, you consider such elements as word choice, sentence construction, imagery, and figures of speech. Read each sentence below and then choose one or more adjectives from the right-hand column that describe its tone. Then write your own sentence and choose adjectives to describe its tone. 1. “Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to see a movie
1. formal
2. confused
3. sincere
4. friendly
5. angry
6. silly
but the five star rating from our customers would prove
7. sarcastic
8. sad
otherwise.” ______________________________________
9. knowledgeable
sometime.” _____________________________________ 2. “The other company says their product is better than ours,
3. “I can’t believe a famous actor is coming to our school
11. comic
10. excited 12. conversational
today! I think I’m going to faint.” _____________________ 4. ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
Vocabulary Word Origins The history and development of a word are its origins (also known as its etymology or derivation). Investigating word origins can expand your vocabulary. Word origins are often found in dictionary entries. For example, an entry for the word neophyte, meaning a novice or beginner, might include the following information: [ME, fr. LL neophytus, fr. Gk neophutos]. This means that the modern word neophyte has spanned three different languages: it was derived from the Late Latin (LL) word neophytus, which was derived from the Greek (Gk) word neophutos.
Vocabulary guffaw (gu fôʼ) v. to laugh loudly thwart (thwôrt) v. to prevent from doing or achieving something hinder (hinʼ dər) v. to make progress difficult; to hold back dilemma (di lemʼ ə) n. a situation requiring a difficult choice between two alternatives, often undesirable morbid (môrʼ bid) adj. not cheerful or wholesome
from A Room of One’s Own
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from A ROOM of One’s OWN Read and Discuss Read the first paragraph aloud with a partner. Discuss with a partner the type of environment Elizabethan age women lived in. Were women free to do as they wished?
Literary Element Argument How do you think Woolf will use the story of Shakespeare’s fictional sister to further her argument? _______________________________ _______________________________
Here am I asking why women did not write poetry in the Elizabethan age, and I am not sure how they were educated; whether they were taught to write; whether they had sitting-rooms to themselves; how many women had children before they were twenty-one; what, in short, they did from eight in the morning till eight at night. They had no money evidently; according to Professor Trevelyan1 they were married whether they liked it or not before they were out of the nursery, at fifteen or sixteen very likely. It would have been extremely odd, even upon this showing, had one of them suddenly written the plays of Shakespeare, I concluded, and I thought of that old gentleman, who is dead now, but was a bishop, I think, who declared that it was impossible for any woman, past, present, or to come, to have the genius of Shakespeare. He wrote to the papers about it. He also told a lady who applied to him for information that cats do not as a matter of fact go to heaven, though they have, he added, souls of a sort. How much thinking those old gentlemen used to save one! How the borders of ignorance shrank back at their approach! Cats do not go to heaven. Women cannot write the plays of Shakespeare. Be that as it may, I could not help thinking, as I looked at the works of Shakespeare on the shelf, that the bishop was right at least in this; it would have been impossible, completely and entirely, for any woman to have written the plays of Shakespeare in the age of Shakespeare. Let me imagine, since facts are so hard to come by, what would have happened had Shakespeare had a wonderfully gifted sister, called Judith, let us say. Shakespeare himself went, very probably—his mother was an heiress—to the grammar school, where he may have learnt Latin—Ovid, Virgil, and Horace2—and the elements of grammar and logic. He was, it is well known, a wild boy who poached3 rabbits, perhaps shot a deer, and had, rather sooner than he should have done, to marry a woman in the neighborhood, who bore him a child rather quicker than was right. That escapade4 sent him to seek his fortune in London. He had, it
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
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1. Professor George Macaulay Trevelyan is a noted British historian and author who often wrote about the history of England. 2. Ovid, Virgil, and Horace were famous poets from ancient Rome who are commonly studied by students. 3. Here, poached means “hunted illegally.” 4. An escapade is an unconventional adventure.
from A Room of One’s Own
seemed, a taste for the theater; he began by holding horses at the stage door. Very soon he got work in the theater, became a successful actor, and lived at the hub of the universe, meeting everybody, knowing everybody, practicing his art on the boards,5 exercising his wits6 in the streets, and even getting access to the palace of the queen. Meanwhile his extraordinarily gifted sister, let us suppose, remained at home. She was as adventurous, as imaginative, as agog7 to see the world as he was. But she was not sent to school. She had no chance of learning grammar and logic, let alone of reading Horace and Virgil. She picked up a book now and then, one of her brother’s perhaps, and read a few pages. But then her parents came in and told her to mend the stockings or mind the stew and not moon8 about with books and papers. They would have spoken sharply but kindly, for they were substantial people who knew the conditions of life for a woman and loved their daughter—indeed, more likely than not she was the apple of her father’s eye. Perhaps she scribbled some pages up in an apple loft on the sly, but was careful to hide them or set fire to them. Soon, however, before she was out of her teens, she was to be betrothed9 to the son of a neighboring wool stapler. She cried out that marriage was hateful to her, and for that she was severely beaten by her father. Then he ceased to scold her. He begged her instead not to hurt him, not to shame him in this matter of her marriage. He would give her a chain of beads or a fine petticoat, he said; and there were tears in his eyes. How could she disobey him? How could she break his heart? The force of her own gift alone drove her to it. She made up a small parcel of her belongings, let herself down by a rope one summer’s night and took the road to London. She was not seventeen. The birds that sang in the hedge were not more musical than she was. She had the quickest fancy, a gift like her brother’s, for the tune of words. Like him, she had a taste for the theater. She stood at the stage door; she wanted to act, she said. Men laughed in her face. The manager—a fat, loose-lipped man—guffawed. He bellowed something about poodles dancing and women acting—no woman, he said, could possibly be an actress. He hinted—you can imagine what. She could get no training in her craft. Could she even seek her dinner in a tavern or roam the streets at midnight? Yet her genius was for fiction and lusted to feed abundantly upon the lives of men and women and the study of their ways. At last—for she was very young, oddly like Shakespeare the poet in her face, with the same gray eyes and rounded brows—at last Nick Greene the actor-manager took pity on her; she found herself with child by that gentleman and so—who shall measure the heat and violence of the poet’s heart when caught and tangled in a woman’s body?—killed herself one winter’s night and lies buried at some crossroads where the omnibuses10 now stop outside the Elephant and Castle.
Literary Element Argument In an argument, questions that don’t require a response are called “rhetorical questions.” Underline the rhetorical questions on this page. What point does Woolf want to make with these rhetorical questions? Mark any answers below that apply ■ She asks the questions so that she can continue her argument by answering them. ■ She wants to show how strong the daughter’s urge was—it was so strong that she would even disobey her father and break his heart. ■ She cannot believe the daughter would be so heartless to her father.
Vocabulary guffaw (gu fôʼ) v. to laugh loudly and boisterously
Vocabulary Skill Word Origins Some words have onomatopoetic origins—that is, instead of evolving out of an older word, they are intended to imitate the sound they are associated with. Guffaw is one example. Can you think of others? Consult a dictionary to confirm your answers. ______________________________ ______________________________
5. Here, on the boards means “onstage.” 6. As it is used here, wits means “intelligence.” 7. Agog means “full of interest or anticipation.” 8. Here, moon means “to wander or pass time aimlessly.” 9. Betrothed means “engaged to be married.” 10. An omnibus is a bus. The word bus is a shortened version of omnibus, and has now become more familiar than the original term.
______________________________ ______________________________
from A Room of One’s Own
279
from A Room of One’s Own
Literary Element Argument Read the passage beginning, “When, however one reads” to “the length of the winter’s night.” Then answer the questions below. 1. What does she imply with the phrase “a very remarkable man who had a mother”? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
2. What are some of the fates Woolf describes of women who have a genius they cannot express? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
That, more or less, is how the story would run, I think, if a woman in Shakespeare’s day had had Shakespeare’s genius. But for my part, I agree with the deceased bishop, if such he was—it is unthinkable that any woman in Shakespeare’s day should have had Shakespeare’s genius. For genius like Shakespeare’s is not born among laboring, uneducated, servile people. It was not born in England among the Saxons and the Britons. It is not born today among the working classes. How, then, could it have been born among women whose work began, according to Professor Trevelyan, almost before they were out of the nursery, who were forced to it by their parents and held to it by all the power of law and custom? Yet genius of a sort must have existed among women as it must have existed among the working classes. Now and again an Emily Brontë or a Robert Burns11 blazes out and proves its presence. But certainly it never got itself on to paper. When, however, one reads of a witch being ducked, of a woman possessed by devils, of a wise woman selling herbs, or even of a very remarkable man who had a mother, then I think we are on the track of a lost novelist, a suppressed poet, of some mute and inglorious Jane Austen,12 some Emily Brontë who dashed her brains out on the moor or mopped and mowed about the highways crazed with the torture that her gift had put her to. Indeed, I would venture to guess that Anon,13 who wrote so many poems without signing them, was often a woman. It was a woman Edward FitzGerald,14 I think, suggested who made the ballads and the folk songs, crooning them to her children, beguiling her spinning with them, or the length of the winter’s night. This may be true or it may be false—who can say?—but what is true in it, so it seemed to me, reviewing the story of Shakespeare’s sister as I had made it, is that any woman born with a great gift in the sixteenth century would certainly have gone crazed, shot herself, or ended her days in some lonely cottage outside the village, half witch, half wizard, feared and mocked at. For it needs little skill in psychology to be sure that a highly gifted girl who had tried to use her gift for poetry would have been so thwarted and hindered by other people, so tortured and pulled asunder by her own contrary instincts, that she must have lost her health and sanity to a certainty. No girl could have walked to London and stood at a stage door and forced her way into the presence of actor-managers without
Read and Discuss Read the passage beginning “This may be true” and ending “sanity to a certainty” aloud with a partner. Discuss with your partner why Woolf believes gifted women of the Elizabethan age would lose “her health and sanity to a certainty.”
11. Emily Brontë, the author of the novel “Wuthering Heights,” overcame the obstacle of being a woman, and Robert Burns, a poet, overcame the obstacle of being from the working class. 12. [Some . . . Austen] refers to a line from Thomas Gray’s “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard,” which reads, “Some mute inglorious Milton here may rest.” 13. Anon is the abbreviation for “Anonymous.” 14. Edward FitzGerald was an English poet and translator. Vocabulary thwart (thwôrt) v. to prevent from doing or achieving something hinder (hinʼ dər) v. to make progress difficult; to hold back
280
from A Room of One’s Own
doing herself a violence and suffering an anguish which may have been irrational—for chastity15 may be a fetish invented by certain societies for unknown reasons—but were none the less inevitable. Chastity had then, it has even now, a religious importance in a woman’s life, and has so wrapped itself round with nerves and instincts that to cut it free and bring it to the light of day demands courage of the rarest. To have lived a free life in London in the sixteenth century would have meant for a woman who was poet and playwright a nervous stress and dilemma which might well have killed her. Had she survived, whatever she had written would have been twisted and deformed, issuing from a strained and morbid imagination. And undoubtedly, I thought, looking at the shelf where there are no plays by women, her work would have gone unsigned.
Reading Strategy Analyze Tone What do you think Woolf is saying about the importance of chastity in women’s lives? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
Think about the tone of the highlighted text. How does the text’s tone make you feel? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ 15. Chastity is the quality or state of being morally pure.
READING CHECK Summarize In this excerpt from “A Room of One’s Own,” Virginia Woolf creates the character of Shakespeare’s sister to
Vocabulary dilemma (di lemʼ ə) n. a situation requiring a difficult choice between two alternatives, often undesirable
______________________________________________________
Vocabulary ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
morbid (môrʼ bid) adj. relating to disease; susceptible to gloomy thoughts
______________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ .
from A Room of One’s Own
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After You Read
from A ROOM of One’s OWN
Connect to the Essay Review your questionnaire answers on page 276. Now imagine that you face not the familiar, everyday obstacles to creative work that you considered in those questions, but that you have the kinds of problems Woolf imagined for Shakespeare’s fictional sister, Judith. Freewrite for a few minutes about what your emotions might be as someone who wants to be a writer or other type of artist under those conditions.
Literary Element Argument Did she use some of the strategies you thought of on 277? Did she use some you didn’t come up with? Choose one of Woolf’s arguments that you consider effective and copy it down below. Then explain her strategy and why you think it works. Passage: ________________________________________________________________________________________ Strategy used: ___________________________________________________________________________________ Why it works: ___________________________________________________________________________________
Reading Strategy Analyze Tone “A Room of One’s Own” has a tone that describes Woolf’s own feelings towards her essay’s topic: the internal conflict talented women felt in the sixteenth century between their interests and society’s gender roles. Choose one of the sentences below from the essay. Then answer the following questions about its tone.
■
“But for my part, I agree with the deceased bishop, if such he was—it is unthinkable that any woman in Shakespeare’s day should have had Shakespeare’s genius.”
■ ■
“The birds that sang in the hedge were not more musical than she was.” “To have lived a free life in London in the sixteenth century would have meant . . . which might well have killed her.”
1. How would you describe the tone of your selection? ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. How does this tone affect Woolf’s overall argument? ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. How does the tone affect your reading? ______________________________________________________________________________________________
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After You Read
from A ROOM of One’s OWN
Vocabulary A. Word Meaning Answer the following questions that help you explore the meanings of the boldfaced vocabulary words. 1. What are some of the morbid examples Woolf gives in her essay? __________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Were men hindered from pursuing an education? Explain. __________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Why do you think the idea of a woman acting made the manager guffaw? __________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. What are some of the dilemmas women of the sixteenth century faced? __________________________________________________________________________________________ 5. Describe how the fictional character Judith was thwarted. __________________________________________________________________________________________
B. Word Origins Fill in the blanks below with the correct vocabulary words. Consult a dictionary if you need to confirm your answers. 1. ________________ comes from an Old English word meaning “to keep back.” 2. ________________ comes from the imitation of the sound of loud laughter. 3. ________________ comes from words used in several early Scandinavian languages meaning “across.” 4. ________________ comes from a Latin word meaning “disease.” 5. ________________ comes from a Greek word meaning “double proposition.”
from A Room of One’s Own
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After You Read
from A ROOM of One’s OWN
Main Idea Diagram In persuasive writing, it is important for the writer to state an opinion, or main idea, and then support it with solid details. You can visually see this strategy by using the following diagram. Write down the main idea of Virginia Woolf’s “A Room of One’s Own” and fill out the remaining boxes with the argument’s supporting details. The next time you write in the persuasive writing style, consider collecting your ideas in a chart like this before you begin your first draft. This will help you to make sure you’ve chosen the best possible supporting details to prove your point.
Main Idea
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Supporting Detail
Supporting Detail
Supporting Detail
Supporting Detail
Learning Objectives For pages 285–296, 357–358 In studying this text, you will focus on the following objectives: Literary Study: Understanding rhetoric. Reading: Distinguishing fact and opinion.
Be Ye Men of Valor
by Winston Churchill
Be Ye Men of Valor
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Before You Read
Be Ye Men of Valor
Connect to the Speech The speech you are about to read was the first radio broadcast Winston Churchill made as British Prime Minister. It was delivered to the people of Great Britain near the beginning of World War II, at a point when the German army was advancing through France with the goal of dominating all of Europe. Churchill knew that if the Germans conquered France, Britain would be next. The Prime Minister urged the people of England to be strong and prepare for great sacrifices. Imagine that you lived in Britain at the time and were listening to this speech on the radio. 1. What kind of information would you want from this speech? _________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. What kind of argument would convince you to make sacrifices for your country? _________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. What do you think you would do if another country invaded this country? _________________________________________________________________________________________________
Build Background •
In the speech, Churchill insists on victory, not only for Britain, but for all the people of Europe. He states that he refuses to negotiate or compromise with Adolf Hitler.
•
In the twelve months prior to the speech, Nazi Germany had taken over Denmark, Norway, and Poland. A few days before Churchill addressed the country, the German army had invaded Belgium and Holland and had broken through the French border.
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At the time, Churchill believed that Britain would be fighting the Nazis alone. His famous call for “Blood, toil, tears, and sweat” was not only an appeal to his people, but also summarized his approach to life.
Now, without looking at what you have just read, write down two facts that you remember from the Build Background notes. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Set Purposes for Reading As you read, focus on how Churchill inspires confidence and courage in the people of Britain.
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Literary Element
Rhetoric
Rhetoric is the art of using language to present facts and ideas in order to persuade an audience. Some rhetorical devices include logic, emotional appeals, artful phrasing, and words with strong connotations, as well as literary devices such as repetition, parallelism, and imagery. As you read Churchill’s speech, ask yourself how Churchill combines logic, emotion, and artful phrasing to inform the pubic about the German advance and to express his confidence in his troops and the Allied cause.
Reading Strategy Distinguish Fact and Opinion A fact is a statement that can be proven true. An opinion, however, is a statement of someone’s personal beliefs or feelings that cannot be proved. As you read, ask yourself, “Is this statement provable, or is it an opinion?” There are several statements in the chart below. If a statement is a fact, place an X in the “fact” column beside it. If the statement is an opinion, place an X in the “opinion” column. Statement
Fact
Opinion
“Winston Churchill was the greatest leader Britain ever had.” “This speech was delivered on May 19, 1940.” “Any sensible person would be inspired by Churchill’s words.”
Note Taking This selection will guide you to take notes, which will help you to understand and remember what you read. Taking notes while you read will help you perform better on tests and use the knowledge you have gained in other settings as well. In the notes pages, you will be asked to reread text, record answers to questions, recap (briefly review in your own words) important features about what you have read or learned, and summarize (briefly state main points).
Vocabulary Context Clues You can often learn the meaning of an unfamiliar word by looking at the other words around it for clues to its possible meaning. EXAMPLE: The gravity of the situation became obvious when the building started to shake. Gravity must mean seriousness if the building is shaking. Now look at this sentence: As Prime Minister, Churchill grappled with many difficult decisions.
Vocabulary ravage (ravʼ ij) v. to lay waste to; destroy grapple (grapʼ əl) v. to attempt to deal with; struggle imperious (im pērʼ ē əs) adj. extremely important; urgent indomitable (in domʼ ə tə bəl) adj. incapable of being defeated or overcome
•
What does the word grapple mean? __________________________________________________________________
•
How can you tell? _________________________________________________________________________________
Read the vocabulary words and their definitions in the side column. As you read the selection, look for ways in which the context helps you understand the meaning of each word. Be Ye Men of Valor
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Be Ye Men of Valor BBC, LONDON, 19 MAY 1940 Read and Discuss With a partner, take turns reading the first paragraph of the speech aloud. Discuss phrases and sentences that help you visualize what it describes. Then underline the lines in which Churchill uses imagery to influence the emotions of his listeners.
Reading Strategy Distinguish Fact and Opinion What major fact is Churchill talking about in the highlighted lines?
I speak to you for the first time as Prime Minister in a solemn hour for the life of our country, of our Empire, of our Allies,1 and, above all, of the cause of Freedom. A tremendous battle is raging in France and Flanders. The Germans, by a remarkable combination of air bombing and heavily armored tanks, have broken through the French defenses north of the Maginot Line,2 and strong columns of their armored vehicles are ravaging the open country, which for the first day or two was without defenders. They have penetrated deeply and spread alarm and confusion in their track. Behind them there are now appearing infantry in lorries,3 and behind them, again, the large masses are moving forward. The regroupment of the French armies to make head against, and also to strike at, this intruding wedge has been proceeding for several days, largely assisted by the magnificent efforts of the Royal Air Force. We must not allow ourselves to be intimidated by the presence of these armored vehicles in unexpected places behind our lines. If they are behind our Front, the French are also at many points fighting actively behind theirs. Both sides are therefore in an extremely dangerous position. And if the French Army, and our own Army, are well handled, as I believe they will be; if the French retain that genius for recovery and counter-attack for which they have so long been famous; and if the British Army shows the dogged endurance and solid fighting power of which there have been so many examples in the past—then a sudden transformation of the scene might spring into being.
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
In his opinion, how should the British deal with that fact? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
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1. At the date of this speech, Britain’s allies were France and several smaller countries that were occupied by German troops. 2. The Maginot Line was heavily fortified line of defense along the French border designed to keep out the Germans. 3. Lorries is the British name for motor trucks.
Be Ye Men of Valor
Note Taking Reread the text on the left. Then record your answers to the items below.
1. Why do you think Churchill picked this occasion to address the British people? _____________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Why do you think that Churchill uses the word ravaging rather than advancing or moving across? Complete the following chart to explain your answer. ravaging
meaning:
context clues:
connotation and effect on listener:
3. In the sentence beginning, “And if the French Army. . . ,” what literary device does Churchill use to enhance his rhetoric? _____________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Recap in your own words what Churchill wishes his words to do in the paragraph beginning “We must not allow. . .” _____________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Write three phrases that you found interesting or memorable on this page and then summarize your overall impression of the speech to this point. Overall impression:
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Be Ye Men of Valor
Reading Strategy Distinguish Fact and Opinion In the following sentence frame, underline the correct word in parentheses. Then complete the sentence. In the line beginning, “We may look with confidence. . .,” Churchill is expressing (fact, opinion) because _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
Literary Element Rhetoric Place a check mark in front of each statement that describes Churchill’s use of rhetorical devices in the highlighted passage. ■ He uses facts to appeal to the intellect. ■ He uses parallel structure as a form of artful language. ■ He uses words with strong connotations to appeal to emotion. ■ He creates vivid imagery to appeal to emotion. ■ He uses opinions to persuade the listener.
Vocabulary grapple (grapʼ əl) v. to attempt to deal with; struggle
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It would be foolish, however, to disguise the gravity4 of the hour. It would be still more foolish to lose heart and courage or to suppose that well-trained, well-equipped armies numbering three or four millions of men can be overcome in the space of a few weeks, or even months, by a scoop, or raid of mechanized vehicles, however formidable.5 We may look with confidence to the stabilization of the Front in France, and to the general engagement of the masses, which will enable the qualities of the French and British soldiers to be matched squarely against those of their adversaries.6 For myself, I have invincible confidence in the French Army and its leaders. Only a very small part of that splendid army has yet been heavily engaged; and only a very small part of France has yet been invaded. There is good evidence to show that practically the whole of the specialized and mechanized forces of the enemy have been already thrown into the battle; and we know that very heavy losses have been inflicted upon them. No officer or man, no brigade or division, which grapples at close quarters with the enemy, wherever encountered, can fail to make a worthy contribution to the general result. The Armies must cast away the idea of resisting behind concrete lines or natural obstacles, and must realize that mastery can only be regained by furious and unrelenting assault. And this spirit must not only animate the High Command, but must inspire every fighting man. In the air—often at serious odds—often at odds hitherto thought overwhelming—we have been clawing down three or four to one of our enemies; and the relative balance of the British and German Air Forces is now considerably more favorable to us than at the beginning of the battle. In cutting down the German bombers, we are fighting our own battle as well as that of France. My confidence in our ability to fight it out to the finish with the German Air Force has been strengthened by the fierce encounters which have taken place and are taking place. At the same time, our heavy bombers are striking nightly at the taproot7 of German mechanized power, and have already inflicted serious damage upon the oil refineries on which the Nazi effort to dominate the world directly depends. We must expect that as soon as stability is reached on the Western Front, the bulk of that hideous apparatus of aggression which gashed Holland into ruin and slavery in a few days, will be turned upon us. I am sure I speak for all when I say we are ready to face it; to endure it; and to retaliate against it—to any extent that the unwritten laws of war permit. There will be many men, and many women, in this island who when the ordeal comes upon them, as come it will, will feel comfort, and even a pride—that they are sharing the perils of our lads at the Front—soldiers, sailors, and airmen, God bless them—and are drawing away from them a
4. 5. 6. 7.
Here, gravity means “seriousness” or “importance.” Formidable means “arousing fear or dread.” Adversaries are opponents. As it is used here, taproot means “the most important part” and refers to the oil refineries that keep the German motorized vehicles running.
Be Ye Men of Valor
Note Taking Reread the text on the left. Then record your answers to the items below.
1. Why do you think Churchill places the statement about the “gravity of the hour” before the statement about it being “foolish to lose heart and courage”? _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Churchill believes that the French Front will be stabilized because __________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ .
3. The bandwagon effect is a type of rhetorical device tries to persuade people to join a cause because “everyone else is doing it” and they should join the bandwagon too. What lines on this page of the selection use that device? _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Restate in your own words what Churchill means in the sentence beginning “The Armies must cast away. . .” _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Summarize who Churchill expects to fight the battle against the Germans. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________
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Be Ye Men of Valor
Vocabulary imperious (im pērʼ ē əs) adj. extremely important; urgent
Vocabulary Skill Context Clues The word imperious is a multiple-meaning word. In addition to the meaning above, it can also mean “authoritative, commanding, or arrogant.” How does the vocabulary word’s context tell you which meaning is meant here? ______________________________ ______________________________
part at least of the onslaught they have to bear. Is not this the appointed time for all to make the utmost exertions in their power? If the battle is to be won, we must provide our men with ever-increasing quantities of the weapons and ammunition they need. We must have, and have quickly, more airplanes, more tanks, more shells, more guns. There is imperious need for these vital munitions. They increase our strength against the powerfully armed enemy. They replace the wastage of the obstinate8 struggle; and the knowledge that wastage will speedily be replaced enables us to draw more readily upon our reserves and throw them in now that everything counts so much. Our task is not only to win the battle—but to win the War. After this battle in France abates9 its force, there will come the battle for our island—for all that Britain is, and all that Britain means. That will be the struggle. In that supreme emergency we shall not hesitate to take every step, even the most drastic, to call forth from our people the last ounce and the last inch of effort of which they are capable. The interests of property, the hours of labor, are nothing compared with the struggle for life and honor, for right and freedom, to which we have vowed ourselves. I have received from the Chiefs of the French Republic, and in particular from its indomitable Prime Minister, M. Reynaud, the most sacred pledges that whatever happens they will fight to the end, be it bitter or be it glorious. Nay, if we fight to the end, it can only be glorious.
______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________
Literary Element Rhetoric Politicians often appeal to patriotism by using “loaded” words that people accept with little thought. For example, the phrase “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Underline loaded words that Churchill uses in his rhetoric in the highlighted passage.
Vocabulary indomitable (in domʼ ə tə bəl) adj. incapable of being defeated or overcome
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8. Obstinate means “stubborn.” 9. Abates means “decreases in intensity.”
Be Ye Men of Valor
Note Taking Reread the text on the left. Then record your answers to the items below.
1. What rhetorical question does Churchill use on this page to draw his audience into his speech? What does Churchill hope to accomplish with the question? _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________
2. On this page, Churchill uses terms often found in the context of political science and in history. To help you understand these words and their meanings in political and historical contexts, complete the etymology chart below. For each word, look in a dictionary to find out both its definition and its etymology. Place the definition in the box to the right and its etymology in the larger box below. Word
Definition
Etymology
munition
republic
battle
enemy
3. Recap in your own words what you can infer from the tone of Churchill’s speech. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Summarize what Churchill is asking the people to do. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________
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Be Ye Men of Valor
Literary Element Rhetoric What rhetorical technique does Churchill use in the highlighted passage? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
Having received His Majesty’s commission, I have found an administration of men and women of every party and of almost every point of view. We have differed and quarreled in the past; but now one bond unites us all—to wage war until victory is won, and never to surrender ourselves to servitude and shame, whatever the cost and the agony may be. This is one of the most awe-striking periods in the long history of France and Britain. It is also beyond doubt the most sublime. Side by side, unaided except by their kith and kin in the great Dominions and by the wide Empires which rest beneath their shield—side by side, the British and French peoples have advanced to rescue not only Europe but mankind from the foulest and most soul-destroying tyranny which has ever darkened and stained the pages of history. Behind them—behind us—behind the armies and fleets of Britain and France—gather a group of shattered States and bludgeoned10 races: the Czechs, the Poles, the Norwegians, the Danes, the Dutch, the Belgians—upon all of whom the long night of barbarism will descend, unbroken even by a star of hope, unless we conquer, as conquer we must; as conquer we shall. Today is Trinity Sunday.11 Centuries ago words were written to be a call and a spur to the faithful servants of Truth and Justice: “Arm yourselves, and be ye men of valor, and be in readiness for the conflict; for it is better for us to perish in battle than to look upon the outrage of our nation and our altar. As the Will of God is in Heaven, even so let it be.”12
READING CHECK Summarize Summarize the situation the British are facing at the time of this speech, according to Churchill. ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 10. As it is used here, bludgeoned means “bullied or beaten.” 11. Trinity Sunday is the first Sunday after Pentecost (the fiftieth day after Easter) in the Christian calendar. 12. In this quotation from the Bible (1 Maccabees 3:58–60), Judas Maccabeus, the leader of a Jewish rebellion during the second century b.c., urges his army before a battle against the Syrians, who then ruled Judaea.
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______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
Be Ye Men of Valor
Note Taking Reread the text on the left. Then record your answers to the items below.
1. How does Churchill use contrast to persuade the people of Britain to support the war? Use the diagram to compare and contrast the way Churchill describes the qualities of British and French armies to those of the German army. List quotes from the speech that describe attributes of the armies. When you have finished, write a summary that shows how Churchill felt about the opposing forces. Germans
French & English
Conclusion:
2. How might you have felt if you were a British citizen listening to the live broadcast of this speech? _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Summarize why Churchill uses powerful rhetoric to make the war seem like a noble, even a sublime, effort. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________
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After You Read
Be Ye Men of Valor
Connect to the Speech Look back at the answers to your Connect questions on page 286. What recent events have prompted the kind of “call to action” that you find in Churchill’s speech? Give an example and explain why you chose it. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________
Literary Element Rhetoric For each rhetorical device listed in the table below, find one example from Churchill’s speech and write it in the “Example” column. Then explain what purpose the rhetorical device serves in the context. Rhetorical device
Example
Purpose
rhetorical question
parallelism
loaded words
Reading Strategy Distinguish Fact and Opinion Distinguishing fact from opinions enables listeners and readers to evaluate information they receive and tell the difference between an argument that appeals to logic and an argument that appeals to emotion. 1. Does Churchill rely more heavily on facts or opinions to persuade his audience? Explain. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. What is the relationship between Churchill’s purpose and his use of opinions? What can opinions accomplish that is difficult to accomplish with only facts? ______________________________________________________________________________________________ For more practice, see pages 357–358.
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Learning Objectives For pages 297–310 In studying this text, you will focus on the following objectives: Literary Study: Analyzing theme. Reading: Analyzing conflict.
A
Mild Attack of Locusts by Doris Lessing
A Mild Attack of Locusts
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Before You Read
A
Mild Attack of Locusts
Connect to the Story In this story, set on a farm in South Africa, a natural event brings frightening challenges. Preview the story by reading this chain of phrases that are significant to the story’s plot: •
crop of maize
•
streak of rust-colored air
•
clouds of smoke
•
locust armies
•
devastated and mangled
Write a paragraph creating a possible version of the text, using your knowledge of the phrases above and guesses about unknown items. Make sure to use all of the phrases in your paragraph. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Build Background •
Doris Lessing was five when her family moved to a distant farm in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). This former British colony is in southern Africa.
•
Locusts are insects that can bring ruin to farms. Locusts include cicadas—which emerge every seven, thirteen, or seventeen years—and grasshoppers.
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Locusts move in mass groups called swarms. These hungry insects eat crops, grasses, and leaves as they search for safe places to lay their eggs.
Brainstorm words or phrases to describe a swarm of insects flying toward you. How would the swarm look? What sounds would you hear? What reactions would you have? As you read, look for descriptions of swarming locusts. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Set Purposes for Reading Read “A Mild Attack of Locusts” to learn how the hardships of farming change people.
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Literary Element Theme Theme refers to a central idea about life found in a work of literature. A work can have one or more themes, many of which are familiar across cultures. A theme is different from a topic. A topic is a broad category, such as “hardship.” By contrast, a theme conveys a complete idea about a topic; for example: “Hardship is best met with a sense of humor.” Talk with a partner about themes that might come out of experiences with hardship. Then fill out the web diagram below.
brings families closer together. Hardship
Reading Strategy Analyze Conflict Conflict is the central struggle in a story. Conflict might be between two or more people, between people and nature, or between a person’s inner feelings. It is one of the elements that make a story interesting. As you read, look for examples of conflict. Does a character struggle against an outside force, against inner feelings, or both? As you read, you can use an organizer like the one below to identify conflicts in the story. Then read on to learn how each conflict is resolved.
Outside Forces
Character
Internal Forces
Vocabulary Word Origins Many English words come from other languages. The English word locust is from the Latin word locusta, meaning “grasshopper.” Read the definitions in the minor column of this page. Say each word aloud. In the two-column chart, read each Latin word and its meaning. Then write the English vocabulary word related to each Latin one.
Vocabulary acrid (akʼ rid) adj. burning, bitter, irritating irremediable (ir i mēʼ dē ə bəl) adj. not able to be remedied or cured imminent (imʼ ə nənt) adj. about to happen; impending
Latin Word and Definition
Related English Word
mederi to heal imminentem to overhang; to be near acer sharp, pungent A Mild Attack of Locusts
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A Mild Attack of Literary Element Theme What central idea about life does the opening paragraph express? Write your idea on the lines below. _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
Read and Discuss
Locusts
The rains that year were good; they were coming nicely just as the crops needed them—or so Margaret gathered1 when the men said they were not too bad. She never had an opinion of her own on matters like the weather, because even to know about what seems a simple thing like the weather needs experience. Which Margaret had not got. The men were Richard her husband, and old Stephen, Richard’s father, a farmer from way back; and these two might argue for hours whether the rains were ruinous or just ordinarily exasperating. Margaret had been on the farm three years. She still did not understand how they did not go bankrupt altogether, when the men never had a good word for the weather, or the soil, or the government. But she was getting to learn the language. Farmers’ language. And they neither went bankrupt nor got very rich. They jogged along doing comfortably. Their crop was maize. Their farm was three thousand acres on the ridges that rise up toward the Zambesi escarpment2—high, dry windswept country, cold and dusty in winter, but now, in the wet season, steamy with the heat rising in wet soft waves off miles of green foliage. Beautiful it was, with the sky blue and brilliant halls of air, and the bright green folds and hollows of country beneath, and the mountains lying sharp and bare twenty miles off across the rivers. The sky made her eyes ache; she was not used to it. One does not look so much at the sky in the city she came from. So that evening when Richard said: “The government is sending out warnings that locusts are expected, coming down from the breeding grounds up North,” her instinct was to look about her at the trees. Insects—swarms of them—horrible! But Richard and the old man had raised their eyes and were looking up over the mountain. “We haven’t had locusts in seven years,” they said. “They go in cycles, locusts do.” And then: “There goes our crop for this season!”
The highlighted sentence reveals both outside conflict for the farm and the people who live there, and inner conflict for Margaret. Reread this page out loud with a partner. Discuss with a partner the internal and external conflicts that are already present in the story. ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
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1. Here, gathered means “figured out.” 2. The Zambesi escarpment is a series of steep cliffs along the Zambesi River in southern Africa.
A Mild Attack of Locusts
But they went on with the work of the farm just as usual until one day they were coming up the road to the homestead for the midday break, when old Stephen stopped, raised his finger and pointed: “Look, look, there they are!” Out ran Margaret to join them, looking at the hills. Out came the servants from the kitchen. They all stood and gazed. Over the rocky levels of the mountain was a streak of rust-colored air. Locusts. There they came. At once Richard shouted at the cookboy. Old Stephen yelled at the houseboy. The cookboy ran to beat the old ploughshare3 hanging from a tree branch, which was used to summon the laborers at moments of crisis. The houseboy ran off to the store to collect tin cans, any old bit of metal. The farm was ringing with the clamor of the gong; and they could see the laborers come pouring out of the compound, pointing at the hills and shouting excitedly. Soon they had all come up to the house, and Richard and old Stephen were giving them orders—Hurry, hurry, hurry. And off they ran again, the two white men with them, and in a few minutes Margaret could see the smoke of fires rising from all around the farmlands. Piles of wood and grass had been prepared there. There were seven patches of bared soil, yellow and oxblood color and pink, where the new mealies4 were just showing, making a film of bright green; and around each drifted up thick clouds of smoke. They were throwing wet leaves on to the fires now, to make it acrid and black. Margaret was watching the hills. Now there was a long, low cloud advancing, rust-color still, swelling forward and out as she looked. The telephone was ringing. Neighbors—quick, quick, there come the locusts. Old Smith had had his crop eaten to the ground. Quick, get your fires started. For of course, while every farmer hoped the locusts would overlook his farm and go on to the next, it was only fair to warn each other; one must play fair. Everywhere, fifty miles over the countryside, the smoke was rising from myriads5 of fires. Margaret answered the telephone calls, and between calls she stood watching the locusts. The air was darkening. A strange darkness, for the sun was blazing—it was like the darkness of a veldt6 fire, when the air gets thick with smoke. The sunlight comes down distorted,7 a thick, hot orange. Oppressive it was, too, with the heaviness of a storm. The locusts were coming fast. Now half the sky was darkened. Behind the reddish veils in front, which were the advance guards of the swarm, the main swarm showed in dense black cloud, reaching almost to the sun itself. Margaret was wondering what she could do to help. She did not know. Then up came old Stephen from the lands. “We’re finished, Margaret, finished! Those beggars can eat every leaf and blade off the
Vocabulary acrid (akʼ rid) adj. burning, bitter, irritating
Vocabulary Skill Word Origins The word acrid is derived from acris, a form of the Latin word acer. Based on the definition of acrid, which of the following is a meaning of acris? Circle your answer. fatal certain hazy sharp
Read and Discuss Read the text beginning “And off they ran again” and ending in “reaching almost to the sun itself.” Discuss with a partner how Margaret feels at this moment. Why is she not sure what to do? ____________________________ ____________________________
A ploughshare is the metal cutting blade of a plow (also spelled plough). A mealie is an ear of corn. Myriads means “a great or countless number.” In South African, the veldt (velt, felt) is a wide open, grassland area with few bushes or trees. It is similar to the American prairie. 7. Here, distorted means “unnatural in appearance.” 3. 4. 5. 6.
____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
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A Mild Attack of Locusts
Reading Strategy Analyze Conflict Imagine the conflicts Margaret faces. Underline words and phrases on this page that demonstrate how Margaret handles her fear and pushes herself to action.
farm in half an hour! And it is only early afternoon—if we can make enough smoke, make enough noise till the sun goes down, they’ll settle somewhere else perhaps.…” And then: “Get the kettle going. It’s thirsty work, this.” So Margaret went to the kitchen, and stoked up the fire, and boiled the water. Now, on the tin roof of the kitchen she could hear the thuds and bangs of falling locusts, or a scratching slither as one skidded down. Here were the first of them. From down on the lands came the beating and banging and clanging of a hundred gasoline cans and bits of metal. Stephen impatiently waited while one gasoline can was filled with tea, hot, sweet and orange-colored, and the other with water. In the meantime, he told Margaret about how twenty years back he was eaten out, made bankrupt, by the locust armies. And then, still talking, he hoisted up the gasoline cans, one in each hand, by the wood pieces set cornerwise across each, and jogged off down to the road to the thirsty laborers. By now the locusts were falling like hail on to the roof of the kitchen. It sounded like a heavy storm. Margaret looked out and saw the air dark with a crisscross of the insects, and she set her teeth and ran out into it—what the men could do, she could. Overhead the air was thick, locusts everywhere. The locusts were flopping against her, and she brushed them off, heavy red-brown creatures, looking at her with their beady old-men’s eyes while they clung with hard, serrated8 legs. She held her breath with disgust and ran through into the house. There it was even more like being in a heavy storm. The iron roof was reverberating,9 and the clamor of iron from the lands was like thunder. Looking out, all the trees were queer and still, clotted with insects, their boughs weighed to the ground. The earth seemed to be moving, locusts crawling everywhere, she could not see the lands at all, so thick was the swarm. Toward the mountains it was like looking into driving rain—even as she watched, the sun was blotted out with a fresh onrush of them. It was a half-night, a perverted blackness. Then came a sharp crack from the bush—a branch had snapped off. Then another. A tree down the slope leaned over and settled heavily to the ground. Through the hail of insects a man came running. More tea, more water was needed. She supplied them. She kept the fires stoked and filled cans with liquid, and then it was four in the afternoon, and the locusts had been pouring across overhead for a couple of hours. Up came old Stephen again, crunching locusts underfoot with every step, locusts clinging all over him; he was cursing and swearing, banging with his old hat at the air. At the doorway he stopped briefly, hastily pulling at the clinging insects and throwing them off, then he plunged into the locust-free living room. “All the crops finished. Nothing left,” he said. But the gongs were still beating, the men still shouting, and Margaret asked: “Why do you go on with it, then?”
8. Serrated means “jagged” or “saw-toothed.” 9. Reverberating means “echoing.”
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“The main swarm isn’t settling. They are heavy with eggs. They are looking for a place to settle and lay. If we can stop the main body settling on our farm, that’s everything. If they get a chance to lay their eggs, we are going to have everything eaten flat with hoppers10 later on.” He picked a stray locust off his shirt and split it down with his thumbnail—it was clotted inside with eggs. “Imagine that multiplied by millions. You ever seen a hopper swarm on the march? Well, you’re lucky.” Margaret thought an adult swarm was bad enough. Outside now the light on the earth was a pale, thin yellow, clotted with moving shadows; the clouds of moving insects thickened and lightened like driving rain. Old Stephen said, “They’ve got the wind behind them, that’s something.” “Is it very bad?” asked Margaret fearfully, and the old man said emphatically: “We’re finished. This swarm may pass over, but once they’ve started, they’ll be coming down from the North now one after another. And then there are the hoppers—it might go on for two or three years.”
Reading Strategy Analyze Conflict What doesn’t Margaret realize about the locust swarm? Complete the statement below. Margaret doesn’t understand that _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
Literary Element 10. Hoppers are baby locusts.
READING CHECK
Theme Read the highlighted text. How does this passage fit with the theme of the story? Write your answer on the lines below.
Question
_______________________________
How does Stephen view himself? Write your answer on the lines below.
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______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
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A Mild Attack of Locusts
Vocabulary irremediable (ir i mēʼ dē ə bəl) adj.
Reading Strategy Analyze Conflict What is Margaret’s internal conflict? Underline the text on the page that demonstrates her internal struggle. _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
Margaret sat down helplessly, and thought: Well, if it’s the end, it’s the end. What now? We’ll all three have to go back to town.… But at this, she took a quick look at Stephen, the old man who had farmed forty years in this country, been bankrupt twice, and she knew nothing would make him go and become a clerk in the city. Yet her heart ached for him, he looked so tired, the worry lines deep from nose to mouth. Poor old man.… He had lifted up a locust that had got itself somehow into his pocket, holding it in the air by one leg. “You’ve got the strength of a steelspring in those legs of yours,” he was telling the locust, good-humoredly. Then, although he had been fighting locusts, squashing locusts, yelling at locusts, sweeping them in great mounds into the fires to burn for the last three hours, nevertheless he took this one to the door and carefully threw it out to join its fellows, as if he would rather not harm a hair of its head. This comforted Margaret; all at once she felt irrationally cheered. She remembered it was not the first time in the last three years the man had announced their final and irremediable ruin. “Get me a drink, lass,” he then said, and she set the bottle of whisky by him. In the meantime, out in the pelting storm of insects, her husband was banging the gong, feeding the fires with leaves, the insects clinging to him all over—she shuddered. “How can you bear to let them touch you?” she asked. He looked at her, disapproving. She felt suitably humble—just as she had when he had first taken a good look at her city self, hair waved and golden, nails red and pointed. Now she was a proper farmer’s wife, in sensible shoes and a solid skirt. She might even get to letting locusts settle on her—in time. Having tossed back a whisky or two, old Stephen went back into the battle, wading now through glistening brown waves of locusts. Five o’clock. The sun would set in an hour. Then the swarm would settle. It was as thick overhead as ever. The trees were ragged mounds of glistening brown. Margaret began to cry. It was all so hopeless—if it wasn’t a bad season, it was locusts; if it wasn’t locusts, it was army-worm11 or veldt fires. Always something. The rustling of the locust armies was like a big forest in the storm; their settling on the roof was like the beating of the rain; the ground was invisible in a sleek, brown, surging tide—it was like being drowned in locusts, submerged by the loathsome brown flood. It seemed as if the roof might sink in under the weight of them, as if the door might give in under their pressure and these rooms fill with them—and it was getting so dark…she looked up. The air was thinner; gaps of blue showed in the dark, moving clouds. The blue spaces were cold and thin—the sun must be setting. Through the fog of insects she saw figures approaching. First old Stephen, marching bravely along, then her husband, drawn and
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ 11. An army-worm is any of various insect larvae that travel in groups and ruin crops and grass.
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haggard with weariness. Behind them the servants. All were crawling all over with insects. The sound of the gongs had stopped. She could hear nothing but the ceaseless rustle of a myriad wings. The two men slapped off the insects and came in. “Well,” said Richard, kissing her on the cheek, “the main swarm has gone over.” “For the Lord’s sake,” said Margaret angrily, still half-crying, “what’s here is bad enough, isn’t it?” For although the evening air was no longer black and thick, but a clear blue, with a pattern of insects whizzing this way and that across it, everything else—trees, buildings, bushes, earth, was gone under the moving brown masses. “If it doesn’t rain in the night and keep them here—if it doesn’t rain and weight them down with water, they’ll be off in the morning at sunrise.” “We’re bound to have some hoppers. But not the main swarm— that’s something.” Margaret roused herself, wiped her eyes, pretended she had not been crying, and fetched them some supper, for the servants were too exhausted to move. She sent them down to the compound to rest. She served the supper and sat listening. There is not one maize plant left, she heard. Not one. The men would get the planters out the moment the locusts had gone. They must start all over again. But what’s the use of that, Margaret wondered, if the whole farm was going to be crawling with hoppers? But she listened while they discussed the new government pamphlet that said how to defeat the hoppers. You must have men out all the time, moving over the farm to watch for movement in the grass. When you find a patch of hoppers, small lively black things, like crickets, then you dig trenches around the patch or spray them with poison from pumps supplied by the government. The government wanted them to cooperate in a world plan for eliminating this plague forever. You should attack locusts at the source. Hoppers, in short. The men were talking as if they were planning a war, and Margaret listened, amazed. In the night it was quiet; no sign of the settled armies outside, except sometimes a branch snapped, or a tree could be heard crashing down. Margaret slept badly in the bed beside Richard, who was sleeping like the dead, exhausted with the afternoon’s fight. In the morning she woke to yellow sunshine lying across the bed—clear sunshine, with an occasional blotch of shadow moving over it. She went to the window. Old Stephen was ahead of her. There he stood outside, gazing down over the bush. And she gazed, astounded—and entranced, much against her will. For it looked as if every tree, every bush, all the earth, were lit with pale flames. The locusts were fanning their wings to free them of the night dews. There was a shimmer of red-tinged gold light everywhere.
Reading Strategy Analyze Conflict How do the men work together to resolve their conflict with nature? Write your answer on the lines below. _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
Read and Discuss Read the last paragraph out loud with a partner. As you read, underline details or descriptions that give the morning a very different feeling from the previous afternoon. Brainstorm with your partner to list some adjectives to describe the new day. ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
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A Mild Attack of Locusts
Literary Element Theme Margaret thinks about the locusts in a new way than she did at first. Describe how her attitude has changed, and suggest why. Write your ideas on the lines below. _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
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She went out to join the old man, stepping carefully among the insects. They stood and watched. Overhead the sky was blue, blue and clear. “Pretty,” said old Stephen, with satisfaction. Well, thought Margaret, we may be ruined, we may be bankrupt, but not everyone has seen an army of locusts fanning their wings at dawn. Over the slopes, in the distance, a faint red smear showed in the sky, thickened and spread. “There they go,” said old Stephen. “There goes the main army, off south.” And now from the trees, from the earth all round them, the locusts were taking wing. They were like small aircraft, maneuvering for the take-off, trying their wings to see if they were dry enough. Off they went. A reddish brown steam was rising off the miles of bush, off the lands, the earth. Again the sunlight darkened. And as the clotted branches lifted, the weight on them lightening, there was nothing but the black spines of branches, trees. No green left, nothing. All morning they watched, the three of them, as the brown crust thinned and broke and dissolved, flying up to mass with the main army, now a brownish-red smear in the southern sky. The lands which had been filmed with green, the new tender mealie plants, were stark and bare. All the trees stripped. A devastated landscape. No green, no green anywhere. By midday the reddish cloud had gone. Only an occasional locust flopped down. On the ground were the corpses and the wounded. The African laborers were sweeping these up with branches and collecting them in tins.
A Mild Attack of Locusts
“Ever eaten sun-dried locust?” asked old Stephen. “That time twenty years ago, when I went broke, I lived on mealie meal and dried locusts for three months. They aren’t bad at all—rather like smoked fish, if you come to think of it.” But Margaret preferred not even to think of it. After the midday meal the men went off to the lands. Everything was to be replanted. With a bit of luck another swarm would not come traveling down just this way. But they hoped it would rain very soon, to spring some new grass, because the cattle would die otherwise—there was not a blade of grass left on the farm. As for Margaret, she was trying to get used to the idea of three or four years of locusts. Locusts were going to be like bad weather, from now on, always imminent. She felt like a survivor after war—if this devastated and mangled countryside was not ruin, well, what then was ruin? But the men ate their supper with good appetites. “It could have been worse,” was what they said. “It could be much worse.”
Literary Element Theme Read the highlighted text. How does old Stephen’s response to the locusts leaving connect to the story’s theme? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
Vocabulary imminent (imʼ ə nənt) adj. about to happen; impending
READING CHECK Summarize What life lesson does Margaret learn from her experiences on the farm before, during, and after the locust attack? Write your answer on the lines below. ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
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After You Read
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Connect to the Story Look back at your story impression and the prediction you made on page 298. In what ways was your prediction accurate? In what ways were you inaccurate? What new understandings did you gain by reading? Evaluate your ideas by placing them in the web below. Story Impressions Before Reading
Accurate Predictions
Inaccurate Predictions
New Insights
Literary Element Theme Reflect on the differences between Margaret and old Stephen in the story. Did their background influence their response to the locusts? Write how each character would state the story’s theme about hardship and life on the lines below. Stephen: ________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Margaret: _______________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________
Reading Strategy Analyze Conflict Review the Reading Strategy Conflict Organizer you made. Expand upon those ideas by analyzing how each conflict was resolved. Determine if the conflicts listed below are internal or external, and how they are resolved in the story. Record your answers in the appropriate spaces. The first row has been done for you. Conflict
Locusts arrive on the farm.
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Internal or External
External
Resolution
The farmers and farmhands try to ward them off.
After You Read
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Vocabulary acrid
irremediable
imminent
A. Word Meaning Each of the statements below relates to how you might use one of the vocabulary words. Write the correct word after each statement. 1. You notice thick, dark clouds filling the sky above, and you feel wind blowing. You might say that a storm is ________________. 2. You pass a junkyard where a pile of old rubber tires has been set on fire. Your eyes start to burn and your throat stings from the ______________ air. 3. You forgot to have someone water your plant while you were on vacation. When you return, the plant is shriveled and its leaves have dropped off. The plant’s condition may be ________________.
B. Word Origins Complete the following word map for the three vocabulary words use in the selection by using a dictionary. Definitions
Word Origins
1. ______________________________
1. _____________________________________________________
2. ______________________________
2. _____________________________________________________
3. ______________________________
3. _____________________________________________________
1. acrid 2. imminent 3. irremediable
Sample Sentences 1. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. ____________________________________________________________________________________________
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After You Read
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Theme Diagram An author often reveals the theme of a story indirectly through events, dialogue, descriptions, and actions. Think about “A Mild Attack of Locusts” and reflect on how Lessing carefully developed the theme through these literary elements. Complete the graphic organizer below. Provide evidence from the text in each category. Dialogue
Events
Actions
Author reveals the central theme through . . .
Descriptions
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Learning Objectives For pages 311–320 In studying this text, you will focus on the following objectives: Literary Study: Analyzing anthropomorphism. Reading: Identifying sequence.
Two Sheep
by Janet Frame
Two Sheep
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Before You Read
Connect to the Fable
Two Sheep
People sometimes say “Ignorance is bliss” or “What you don’t know won’t hurt you.” Do you agree with this statement? On a separate sheet of paper, freewrite for a few minutes to give your views on this question. Give reasons and examples to support your opinions. Then share what you have written with a partner. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Build Background •
Janet Frame was born in New Zealand in 1924 and grew up there. At one point in her life she was misdiagnosed as schizophrenic and nearly given a frontal lobotomy (brain surgery). The procedure was canceled when doctors learned Frame had won a prestigious literary award.
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“Two Sheep” is a fable. A fable is a short story that teaches a lesson about human behavior. The moral or lesson is usually implied by the plot of the story and then stated clearly at the end.
•
“Two Sheep” is an example of a fable in which animals represent human types. Frame leaves it to the reader to infer what that moral or lesson is.
Now, without looking back at the Build Background note you have just read, list three facts that you recall from it. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Set Purposes for Reading Read to find out how an author can use a simple story and uncomplicated language to point out important truths about life and death.
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Literary Element Anthropomorphism Anthropomorphism means assigning human forms or characteristics to animals or nonhuman objects. Many fables feature animals that can speak and reason. Get together with a partner. Brainstorm a list of anthropomorphic animals and objects that you have encountered in stories, movies, television shows, advertisements, or other sources.
Reading Strategy Identify Sequence To identify sequence is to recognize the pattern of organization a writer uses to present information. In narrative writing, writers often use chronological order (also called time order) to present a sequence of events. Think of a fable, nursery rhyme, or simple story that you already know. Use this sequence chart to identify and record its sequence of events. Sequence of Events in ____________________________________________________________________________ 1. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ 5. _______________________________________________________________________________________________
Vocabulary Word Origins A word’s origin explains its history and illustrates how the word relates to other words in English and in other languages. In a dictionary, a word’s origin usually appears in brackets. Even difficult words related to science and mathematics can be easier to understand if you know where the word came from and what it originally meant. Many word prefixes, roots, and suffixes come from Latin, Greek, or from an early form of English called Anglo-Saxon. For instance, the word unperturbed appears in the fable. It comes from the Latin word perturbare , which means “to throw into confusion.” Write another word you know that might come from perturbare.
Vocabulary pall (pôl) n. an atmosphere of dark and gloom barren (barʼ ən) adj. having little or no vegetation; bare unperturbed (un pər turbdʼ) adj. undisturbed; not troubled
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Two Literary Element Anthropomorphism What human characteristics do these sheep have? Write your answer on the lines below. _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
Sheep Two sheep were traveling to the saleyards. The first sheep knew that after they had been sold their destination was the slaughterhouse at the freezing works. The second sheep did not know of their fate. They were being driven with the rest of the flock along a hot dusty valley road where the surrounding hills leaned in a sun-scorched wilderness of rock, tussock,1 and old rabbit warrens.2 They moved slowly, for the drover 3 in his trap was in no hurry, and had even taken one of the dogs to sit beside him while the other scrambled from side to side of the flock, guiding them. “I think,” said the first sheep who was aware of their approaching death, “that the sun has never shone so warm on my fleece, nor, from what I see with my small sheep’s eye, has the sky seemed so flawless, without seams or tucks or cracks or blemishes.” “You are crazy,” said the second sheep who did not know of their approaching death. “The sun is warm, yes, but how hot and dusty and heavy my wool feels! It is a burden to go trotting along this oven shelf. It seems our journey will never end.” “How fresh and juicy the grass appears on the hill!” the first sheep exclaimed. “And not a hawk in the sky!” “I think,” replied the second sheep, “that something has blinded you. Just look up in the sky and see those three hawks waiting to swoop and attack us!” They trotted on further through the valley road. Now and again the second sheep stumbled. “I feel so tired,” he said. “I wonder how much longer we must walk on and on through this hot dusty valley?” But the first sheep walked nimbly and his wool felt light upon him as if he had just been shorn. He could have gamboled like a lamb in August. “I still think,” he said, “that today is the most wonderful day I have known. I do not feel that the road is hot and dusty. I do not notice the
Reading Strategy Identify Sequence Circle the word that best describes the first sheep’s attitude. gloomy angry curious upbeat 1. A tussock is a clump or tuft of grass. 2. Warrens are places where rabbits are kept and bred. 3. A drover is a person who drives sheep.
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Two Sheep
stones and grit that you complain of. To me the hills have never seemed so green and enticing, the sun has never seemed so warm and comforting. I believe that I could walk through this valley forever, and never feel tired or hungry or thirsty.” “Whatever has come over you?” the second sheep asked crossly. “Here we are, trotting along hour after hour, and soon we shall stand in our pens in the saleyards while the sun leans over us with its branding irons and our overcoats are such a burden that they drag us to the floor of our pen where we are almost trampled to death by the so dainty feet of our fellow sheep. A fine life that is. It would not surprise me if after we are sold we are taken in trucks to the freezing works and killed in cold blood. But,” he added, comforting himself, “that is not likely to happen. Oh no, that could never happen! I have it on authority that even when they are trampled by their fellows, sheep do not die. The tales we hear from time to time are but malicious rumors, and those vivid dreams which strike us in the night as we sleep on the sheltered hills, they are but illusions. Do you not agree?” he asked the first sheep. They were turning now from the valley road, and the saleyards were in sight, while drawn up in the siding on the rusty railway lines, the red trucks stood waiting, spattered inside with sheep and cattle dirt and with white chalk marks, in cipher,4 on the outside. And still the first sheep did not reveal to his companion that they were being driven to certain death. When they were jostled inside their pen the first sheep gave an exclamation of delight. “What a pleasant little house they have let to us! I have never seen such smart red-painted bars, and such four-square corners. And look at the elegant stairway which we will climb to enter those red caravans for our seaside holiday!” “You make me tired,” the second sheep said. “We are standing inside a dirty pen, nothing more, and I cannot move my feet in their nicely polished black shoes but I tread upon the dirt left by sheep which have been imprisoned here before us. In fact I have never been so badly treated in all my life!” And the second sheep began to cry. Just then a kind elderly sheep jostled through the flock and began to comfort him. “You have been frightening your companions, I suppose,” she said angrily to the first sheep. “You have been telling horrible tales of our fate. Some sheep never know when to keep things to themselves. There was no need to tell your companion the truth, that we are being led to certain death!” But the first sheep did not answer. He was thinking that the sun had never blessed him with so much warmth, that no crowded pen had ever seemed so comfortable and luxurious. Then suddenly he was taken by
Literary Element Anthropomorphism Reread the highlighted text to determine which best describes the human characteristic the second sheep exhibits? Circle the best answer. He is truthful. He prefers to ignore unpleasant things. He is a bashful sheep of few words.
Read and Discuss A third sheep approaches the pair of sheep. Read aloud with a partner what this sheep says to the first sheep. What does she say? Is she right to be angry at the first sheep? Discuss it together. Then write your answer on the lines below. ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
4. Here, in cipher means “in code.”
Two Sheep
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Two Sheep
Vocabulary pall (pôl) n. an atmosphere of dark and gloom
Vocabulary Skill Word Origins Frame uses the word pall to describe the gloomy covering of dust on the hills. This meaning of pall comes from the Latin word pallium. Pall came to mean a cloak or covering. Much later came the notion of pall as a cloth covering for a coffin. Based on this meaning, where would you expect to see a pallbearer? Circle the letter of the correct answer. a. on a dusty field b. at a funeral c. in a museum
Vocabulary barren (barʼ ən) adj. having little or no vegetation; bare
Vocabulary Skill Word Origins The word barren comes from an old French word, baraigne, which described land where nothing would grow. What can you say about a search that is a “barren effort”? ______________________________
Vocabulary unperturbed (un pər turbdʼ) adj. undisturbed; not troubled
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surprise and hustled out a little gate and up the ramp into the waiting truck, and suddenly too the sun shone in its true colors, battering him about the head with gigantic burning bars, while the hawks congregated above, sizzling the sky with their wings, and a pall of dust clung to the barren used-up hills, and everywhere was commotion, pushing, struggling, bleating, trampling. “This must be death,” he thought, and he began to struggle and cry out. The second sheep, having at last learned that he would meet his fate at the freezing works, stood unperturbed now in the truck with his nose against the wall and his eyes looking through the slits. “You are right,” he said to the first sheep. “The hill has never seemed so green, the sun has never been warmer, and this truck with its neat red walls is a mansion where I would happily spend the rest of my days.” But the first sheep did not answer. He had seen the approach of death. He could hide from it no longer. He had given up the struggle and was lying exhausted in a corner of the truck. And when the truck arrived at its destination, the freezing works, the man whose duty it was to unload the sheep noticed the first lying so still in the corner that he believed it was dead. “We can’t have dead sheep,” he said. “How can you kill a dead sheep?” So he heaved the first sheep out of the door of the truck onto the rusty railway line. “I’ll move it away later,” he said to himself. “Meanwhile here goes with this lot.” And while he was so busy moving the flock, the first sheep, recovering, sprang up and trotted away along the line, out the gate of the freezing works, up the road, along another road, until he saw a flock being driven before him. “I will join the flock,” he said. “No one will notice, and I shall be safe.” While the drover was not looking, the first sheep hurried in among the flock and was soon trotting along with them until they came to a hot dusty road through a valley where the hills leaned in a sun-scorched wilderness of rock, tussock, and old rabbit warrens. By now he was feeling very tired. He spoke for the first time to his new companions. “What a hot dusty road,” he said. “How uncomfortable the heat is, and the sun seems to be striking me for its own burning purposes.” The sheep walking beside him looked surprised. “It is a wonderful day,” he exclaimed. “The sun is warmer than I have ever known it, the hills glow green with luscious grass, and there is not a hawk in the sky to threaten us!”
Two Sheep
“You mean,” the first sheep replied slyly, “that you are on your way to the saleyards, and then to the freezing works to be killed.” The other sheep gave a bleat of surprise. “How did you guess?” he asked. “Oh,” said the first sheep wisely, “I know the code. And because I know the code I shall go around in circles all my life, not knowing whether to think that the hills are bare or whether they are green, whether the hawks are scarce or plentiful, whether the sun is friend or foe. For the rest of my life I shall not speak another word. I shall trot along the hot dusty valleys where the hills are both barren and lush with spring grass. “What shall I do but keep silent?” And so it happened, and over and over again the first sheep escaped death, and rejoined the flock of sheep who were traveling to the freezing works. He is still alive today. If you notice him in a flock, being driven along a hot dusty road, you will be able to distinguish him by his timidity, his uncertainty, the frenzied expression in his eyes when he tries, in his condemned silence, to discover whether the sky is at last free from hawks, or whether they circle in twos and threes above him, waiting to kill him.
Literary Element Anthropomorphism What has the first sheep learned from his experiences? Write your answer on the lines below. _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
Reading Strategy Identify Sequence What does the first sheep decide to do? Why do you think he reaches this conclusion?
READING CHECK Summarize Most fables have a moral—a lesson or piece of advice that the fable teaches. In “Two Sheep,” Janet Frame does not state the moral. Instead, she leaves it up to the reader to decide. What is the moral of this fable? Discuss this question with a small group. Then write your answer on the lines below.
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After You Read
Connect to the Fable
Two Sheep
Look back at the question that you freewrote about on page 312. Have your views on that issue changed now that you have read the fable? Explain. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________
Literary Element Anthropomorphism Assigning human traits to animal characters allows writers to teach valuable lessons about life in an entertaining, inoffensive way. Review the behavior of the sheep. Write Sheep 1, Sheep 2, or Sheep 3 after each of the following statements. 1. At the beginning of the fable, which sheep had a gloomy view of the journey to the saleyards? ________________ 2. Which one originally chose to ignore the troubles all the sheep faced? ________________ 3. Which sheep believed in concealing the truth from others? ________________ 4. Which sheep eventually decided to be silent forever after? ________________
Reading Strategy Identify Sequence 1. What is the first event to trigger a significant change in the development of the plot? What is that change? ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. A second key event triggers a change in the direction of the plot. What is it? Why is it important? ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. What event causes the first sheep to describe his new outlook on life? ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________
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After You Read
Vocabulary
A. Word Meaning Circle the answer that best fits the meaning of the boldfaced vocabulary word in each sentence. 1. The dark, ominous morning sky cast a pall over our prospects for a longplanned picnic. a hopefulness
c covering
b threatening cloud
d bucket
2. After the trees were cut down, land that was once fertile became barren for many years. a able to reproduce
c unproductive
b sandy
d flattened
3. Many competitors were passing him, but the experienced long-distance runner seemed unperturbed. a untroubled
c speedy
b distressed
d distracted
B. Word Origins If you know some common word parts, you can figure out the meaning of many scientific and mathematical terms. Study the word parts and their definitions below. Then use the information in the chart and the context clues in the sentences to figure out the meaning of each boldfaced word. Write your definition of the word on the line; then check a dictionary or an online reference tool to see if you were right. Latin Roots
Latin Prefixes and Suffixes
domus (house or home)
dis- (not, away, undo)
trac (pull)
sub- (under or below) -ate (having or resembling) -ion (condition, action, or process)
1. It took thousands of years for people to domesticate sheep, but now they are quite tame. __________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. The first sheep escaped, but the man in the truck did not notice the subtraction of only one sheep from the entire flock. __________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. The sheep stumbled because the steep path had little traction. __________________________________________________________________________________________ Two Sheep
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After You Read
Flow Chart
Two Sheep
A flow chart can help you follow the sequence of events in a story. It can help you to understand the importance of that sequence as it relates to plot and character development. It can also provide insights into why one event flows into the next. Complete the following chart by recording and explaining significant events in “Two Sheep” in the order in which they appear. The chart has been started for you. If you need to add boxes and arrows to complete the activity, do so on a separate sheet of paper. Two sheep are going to the saleyards. Sheep 1 knows they will die, but Sheep 2 does not. Sheep 1 is calm and happy. His companion is not.
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Learning Objectives For pages 321–334 In studying this text, you will focus on the following objectives: Literary Study: Analyzing structure. Reading: Analyzing political assumptions.
SHALL We Choose DEATH? by Bertrand Russell
The Tribe with Its Eyes on the Sky by Italo Calvino
Political Science by Randy Newman
Shall We Choose Death?/The Tribe with Its Eyes on the Sky/Political Science
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Comparing Literature
SHALL We Choose DEATH? The Tribe with Its Eyes on the Sky Political Science
Connect to the Selections After the United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II, other nations hurried to acquire nuclear weapons of their own. The selections you are about to read represent various responses to the threat of nuclear war. 1. How does nuclear war differ from more “traditional” forms of warfare? _________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. What rationale might justify the development of nuclear weapons? _________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Do you think there are any valid arguments for the development and/or use of nuclear weapons? _________________________________________________________________________________________________
Build Background Read the following information and then discuss with a partner how the background of the authors might have shaped their choice of genre and their political assumptions. •
Bertrand Russell, the author of the speech “Shall We Choose Death?,” was one of the most influential British philosophers of the twentieth century.
•
The speech “Shall We Choose Death?” was delivered in 1954, in the midst of the Cold War, the period of tension and rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union that followed World War II.
•
“The Tribe with Its Eyes on the Sky” is an example of Italo Calvino’s allegorical, or symbolic, style. Having grown up under the Italian dictatorship of Benito Mussolini, Calvino wrote that he was aware throughout his lifetime that his freedom could disappear at any minute.
•
From the 1960s through the early 1980s, Randy Newman was a well-known American composer and performer of pop songs. Many of them, such as “Political Science,” poke satiric fun at contemporary issues.
Set Purposes for Reading Notice how the writers of the following selections use different genres—a speech, a short story, and a song—to make similar points about modern warfare.
Comparing Literature As you read, ask yourself, What political views may lie behind this work, and how may they have affected its content?
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Literary Element Structure The structure of a persuasive speech is usually based on a logical sequence of main ideas that support the speaker’s position. The main ideas are, in turn, supported by relevant details followed by a conclusion. As you read, ask yourself:
■ ■ ■
Why did Russell choose to present his points in the particular order he did? How does each of the main points support Russell’s position? How do the details support the main points?
Reading Strategy Analyze Political Assumptions To analyze political assumptions is to make inferences about an author’s political beliefs and attitudes. As you read, ask yourself, What political assumptions may be reflected in the statements the authors make? Use a chart like the one below to record significant statements and the underlying political assumptions that you infer. Statement
Assumption
Vocabulary Context Clues The meaning of an unfamiliar word can often be determined by studying the context—the other words and sentences surrounding the word. Context clues provide a setting in which the word’s meaning may emerge. For example, look at this sentence: The titanic struggle between communist and anti-communist forces went on for many years and consumed much of the world. A struggle that goes on for many years and consumes much of the world must be massive or monumental, so you can infer that titanic means “massive” or “monumental.”
Vocabulary obliteration (ə blitʼ ə rāʼ shən) n. complete destruction or removal abolish (ə bolʼ ish) v. to put an end to; do away with
Now look at this sentence: Their aversion to death should make people avoid war. What does aversion mean in this sentence? __________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ How do you know? ______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ Read the vocabulary words and their definitions in the side column. As you read the selection, think about how the context contributes to your understanding of the meaning of the words. Shall We Choose Death?/The Tribe with Its Eyes on the Sky/Political Science
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SHALL We Choose DEATH? Reading Strategy Analyze Political Assumptions Russell urges his audience not to waste its time strategizing about how to gain military victory for a particular side. What does Russell seem to assume about the political and military situation of the time? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
Vocabulary obliteration (ə blitʼ ə rāʼ shən) n. complete destruction or removal
I am speaking not as a Briton, not as a European, not as a member of a western democracy, but as a human being, a member of the species Man, whose continued existence is in doubt. The world is full of conflicts: Jews and Arabs; Indians and Pakistanis; white men and Negroes in Africa; and, overshadowing all minor conflicts, the titanic struggle between communism and anti-communism. Almost everybody who is politically conscious has strong feelings about one or more of these issues; but I want you, if you can, to set aside such feelings for the moment and consider yourself only as a member of a biological species which has had a remarkable history and whose disappearance none of us can desire. I shall try to say no single word which should appeal to one group rather than to another. All, equally, are in peril, and, if the peril is understood, there is hope that they may collectively avert it. We have to learn to think in a new way. We have to learn to ask ourselves not what steps can be taken to give military victory to whatever group we prefer, for there no longer are such steps. The question we have to ask ourselves is: What steps can be taken to prevent a military contest . . . of which the issue must be disastrous to all sides? The general public, and even many men in positions of authority, have not realized what would be involved in a war with hydrogen bombs. The general public still thinks in terms of the obliteration of cities. It is understood that the new bombs are more powerful than the old and that, while one atomic bomb could obliterate Hiroshima, one hydrogen bomb could obliterate the largest cities such as London, New York, and Moscow. No doubt in a hydrogen-bomb war great cities would be obliterated. But this is one of the minor disasters that would have to be faced. If everybody in London, New York, and Moscow were exterminated, the world might, in the course of a few centuries, recover from the blow. But we now know, especially since the Bikini test,1 that hydrogen bombs can gradually spread destruction over a much wider area than had been supposed. It is stated on very good authority that a bomb can now be manufactured which will
Literary Element Structure In the third paragraph on this page, Russell presents the main idea that using a hydrogen bomb would cause universal and unprecedented destruction. Underline at least one detail that supports this main idea.
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1. Bikini test refers to an experimental hydrogen bomb test conducted by the United States on Bikini Atoll in the South Pacific Ocean (March 1, 1954).
Shall We Choose Death?
be 25,000 times as powerful as that which destroyed Hiroshima. Such a bomb, if exploded near the ground or underwater, sends radioactive particles into the upper air. They sink gradually and reach the surface of the earth in the form of a deadly dust or rain. It was this dust which infected the Japanese fishermen and their catch of fish although they were outside what American experts believed to be the danger zone. No one knows how widely such lethal radioactive particles might be diffused, but the best authorities are unanimous in saying that a war with hydrogen bombs is quite likely to put an end to the human race. It is feared that if many hydrogen bombs are used there will be universal death—sudden only for a fortunate minority, but for the majority a slow torture of disease and disintegration. . . . Here, then, is the problem which I present to you, stark and dreadful and inescapable: Shall we put an end to the human race; or shall mankind renounce war? People will not face this alternative because it is so difficult to abolish war. The abolition of war will demand distasteful limitations of national sovereignty. But what perhaps impedes understanding of the situation more than anything else is that the term “mankind” feels vague and abstract. People scarcely realize in imagination that the danger is to themselves and their children and their grandchildren, and not only to a dimly apprehended humanity. And so they hope that perhaps war may be allowed to continue provided modern weapons are prohibited. I am afraid this hope is illusory. Whatever agreements not to use hydrogen bombs had been reached in time of peace, they would no longer be considered binding in time of war, and both sides would set to work to manufacture hydrogen bombs as soon as war broke out, for if one side manufactured the bombs and the other did not, the side that manufactured them would inevitably be victorious. . . . As geological time is reckoned, Man has so far existed only for a very short period—one million years at the most. What he has achieved, especially during the last 6,000 years, is something utterly new in the history of the Cosmos, so far at least as we are acquainted with it. For countless ages the sun rose and set, the moon waxed and waned, the stars shone in the night, but it was only with the coming of Man that these things were understood. In the great world of astronomy and in the little world of the atom, Man has unveiled secrets which might have been thought undiscoverable. In art and literature and religion, some men have shown a sublimity2 of feeling which makes the species worth preserving. Is all this to end in trivial horror because so few are able to think of Man rather than of this or that group of men? Is our race so destitute of wisdom, so incapable of impartial love, so blind even to the simplest dictates of self-preservation, that the last proof of its silly cleverness is to be the extermination of all life on our planet?—for it will be not only men who will perish, but also the animals, whom no one can accuse of communism or anti-communism.
Literary Element Structure Why does Russell include the highlighted rhetorical question at this point in his speech? Circle the letter of the correct answer. a. He wants to intimidate and frighten people. b. He wants to suggest that there are only two choices—war or survival. c. He wants to show people that there are no good options left.
Vocabulary abolish (ə bolʼ ish) v. to put an end to; do away with
Vocabulary Skill Context Clues Which of the following words from the text gives a clue to the meaning of abolish? Circle the letter of the correct answer. a. dreadful b. renounce c. distasteful
Read and Discuss With a partner, reread the highlighted passage. Then discuss what assumption Russell makes about how war could be abolished. Also discuss whether or not you agree with him. ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
2. Sublimity means “loftiness” or “nobility.”
____________________________
Shall We Choose Death?
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Shall We Choose Death?
Literary Element Structure Reread the highlighted sentence. How does it add to the structure of the end of the speech? _______________________________ _______________________________
I cannot believe that this is to be the end. I would have men forget their quarrels for a moment and reflect that, if they will allow themselves to survive, there is every reason to expect the triumphs of the future to exceed immeasurably the triumphs of the past. There lies before us, if we choose, continual progress in happiness, knowledge, and wisdom. Shall we, instead, choose death, because we cannot forget our quarrels? I appeal, as a human being to human beings: remember your humanity, and forget the rest. If you can do so, the way lies open to a new Paradise; if you cannot, nothing lies before you but universal death.
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
READING CHECK Summarize On the lines below, summarize the two choices that Russell offers humanity in this essay. 1. ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ 2. ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________
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The Tribe with Its Eyes on the Sky The nights are beautiful and missiles cross the summer sky. Our tribe lives in huts of straw and mud. In the evening when we get back tired from gathering coconuts we sit at the entrances, some on their heels, some on a mat, the children, bellies big as footballs, playing round about, and we watch the sky. For a long time, perhaps since time began, the eyes of our tribe, these poor trachoma-inflamed eyes1 of ours, have been gazing at the sky: but especially since new celestial bodies began to cross the starry vault above our village: jet planes with white trails, flying saucers, rockets. and now these guided missiles, so high and fast you can’t see or hear them, but in the sparkle of the Southern Cross,2 if you look very hard, you can pick up a sort of shiver, a tremor, at which the most expert of us say: “There, a missile passing at twenty thousand kilometres an hour; a little slower, if I’m not mistaken, than the one that went by last Thursday.” Now, since this missile business has been in the air, many of us have been seized by a strange euphoria. Some of the village witch-doctors, in fact, have led us to believe, by inference, that since this shooting star originates from beyond Kilimanjaro,3 it is the sign foreseen in the Great Prophecy, and hence the day fast approaches, as promised by the Gods, when after centuries of slavery and poverty our tribe will reign over the whole valley of the Great River, and the barren savannah will bring forth millet and maize.4 So—these witch-doctors appear to be insinuating—it is hardly worth us racking our brains over new ways of emerging from our present situation; we should trust in the Great Prophecy, rally round its only rightful interpreters, without asking to know more.
Comparing Literature Underline one of the descriptions of weapons of war on this page. Then think about how Calvino’s descriptions of weapons of war are different from Russell’s. Do you think their descriptions reflect different underlying political assumptions? Fill in the sentence frames below. Russell’s description of weapons is ____________________________ , while Calvino’s is _______________ ______________________________ . I think that their underlying political assumptions are (the same/different), because ______________________________ ______________________________ . _______________________________ _______________________________
1. Trachoma-inflamed eyes are infected with a bacterial disease. 2. The Southern Cross is a group of four bright stars visible in the Southern Hemisphere. 3. Kilimanjaro, in the country of Tanzania, is the highest mountain in Africa. 4. Millet and maize are grain crops.
The Tribe with Its Eyes on the Sky
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The Tribe with Its Eyes on the Sky
Comparing Literature On this page, Calvino shows that people deal with the threat of nuclear war by “not letting [their minds] dwell on it too much.” Think back to Russell’s speech. What does Russell say in his speech to try get people to abandon this type of avoidant attitude? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
It has to be said, however, that even though we are a poor tribe of coconut gatherers, we are well informed about everything that goes on: we know what a nuclear missile is, how it works, how much it costs; we know that it won’t only be the cities of the white sahibs5 which will be scythed down like fields of millet, that as soon as they really start to fire them these things will leave the whole of the earth’s crust as spongey and cracked as a termites’ nest. No one forgets for one moment that the missile is a diabolical weapon, not even the witch-doctors; on the contrary, in line with the teaching of the Gods, they are always heaping curses on it. But that doesn’t change the fact that it is convenient to consider the missile in a good light too, as the shooting star of the prophecy; not letting one’s mind dwell too much on it perhaps, but just leaving a little mental window open to that possibility, partly so as to let all our other worries fly out the same way. The problem is—and we’ve seen this time and again—that a little while after some devilry appears in the sky above our village coming, as the prophecy foresaw, from beyond Kilimanjaro, another, worse than the first, always appears from the opposite direction, and shoots away to vanish beyond the peak of Kilimanjaro: and this is a sign of ill-omen, dashing our hopes that the Great Day is approaching. Thus, one moment in hope the next in fear, we stare up at an ever more armed and lethal sky, as once we read our destiny in the serene trajectories of the stars, the wandering comets. The only thing people talk about in our tribe now are guided missiles, while we are still going about armed with crude axes and spears and blowpipes. Why worry? We are the last village at the edge of the jungle. Nothing is going to change here, until the Great Day of the prophets dawns. Yet even here these are no longer the times when a white merchant would occasionally arrive in his piragua6 to buy our coconuts, and sometimes he would cheat us on the price and sometimes it was us fooled him: now we have the Nicer Nut Corporation, who buy the whole harvest en bloc,7 imposing their prices on us, and we have to gather the nuts faster than before in teams that work shifts day and night to reach the targets laid down in the contract.
Comparing Literature Underline the passage on this page that reflects the following political assumption: People only worry about the decisions made by political leaders when they think the decisions will affect them personally. 5. Sahibs are people of high rank or authority. 6. A piragua is a kind of flat-bottomed boat. 7. The French expression en bloc means “as a whole.”
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The Tribe with Its Eyes on the Sky Nevertheless there are those among us who say that the times promised in the Great Prophecy are nearer than ever, not because of the celestial omens, but because the miracles announced by the Gods are now just so many technical problems that only we, and not the Nicer Nut Corporation, can solve. Easier said than done! Meantime, you try and touch the Nicer Nut Corporation! Seems their agents with their feet up on the tables of their offices in the docks on the Great River, glasses of whisky in their hands, are only concerned about whether this new missile mightn’t be bigger than the last; in short, they don’t talk about anything hut missiles either. There is agreement, here, between what they say and what the witch-doctors say: it is in the power of these shooting stars that our entire destiny lies. I too, sitting at the entrance to my hut, took up at the stars and at the rockets appearing and disappearing, I think of the explosions poisoning the fish in the sea, and of the courtesies those people who decide the explosions exchange with each other between one missile and the next. I’d like to understand more: certainly the will of the Gods is made manifest in these signs, certainly they foretell the ruin or the fortune of our tribe. . . . Still, there’s one idea I can’t get out of my head: that a tribe that relies entirely on the will of shooting stars, whatever fortune they may bring, will always be selling off its coconuts cheap.
Comparing Literature Consider the fact that Bertrand Russell delivered the speech “Shall We Choose Death?” as a radio broadcast to the public in 1954. Then reread the highlighted passage on this page. Complete the following sentence: Russell and Calvino share the political assumption that the general public _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
READING CHECK Clarify Reread the last lines of the story, beginning with “Still, there’s one idea I can’t get out of my head . . .” What does this passage mean? ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
The Tribe with Its Eyes on the Sky
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Political Science No one likes us, I don’t know why. We may not be perfect, but heaven knows we try. But all around even our big friends put us down. Let’s drop the big one and see what happens.
Read and Discuss Recall that at the beginning of his speech, Bertrand Russell writes that “The world is full of conflicts . . . but I want you, if you can, to set aside such feelings for the moment and consider yourself only as a member of a biological species.” Then, with a partner, reread the second verse (or stanza) of Newman’s song. Discuss how this verse delivers a message that is similar to Russell’s message.
5
We give them money, but are they grateful? No, they’re spiteful and they’re hateful. They don’t respect us, so let’s surprise ’em. We’ll drop the big one and pulverize ’em.
10
Asia’s crowded and Europe’s too old. Africa is far too hot and Canada’s too cold. South America stole our name. Let’s drop the big one, there’ll be no one left to blame us.
____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
Comparing Literature A naïve speaker or narrator is one who lacks experience, judgment, or knowledge. Underline the passage in the text that tells what the speaker thinks will happen to Australia. How does this passage show that the speaker is naïve? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
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15
We’ll save Australia. Don’t wanna hurt no kangaroo. We’ll build an All American amusement park there. They got surfin’ too.
Political Science
20
25
Boom goes London and boom Paree.1 More room for you and more room for me. And ev’ry city the whole world ‘round Will just be another American town. Oh, how peaceful it’ll be. We’ll set ev’rybody free. You’ll wear a Japanese kimono and there’ll be Italian shoes for me. They all hate us anyhow. So let’s drop the big one now. Let’s drop the big one now.
Comparing Literature Recall that satire is a kind of writing that uses irony and exaggeration to expose the flaws in a certain idea or way of thinking. In the highlighted lines, what political assumption is the object of satire? ______________________________ . _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
1. Paree is a pronunciation spelling of Paris.
READING CHECK Predict What do you predict would actually happen if the speaker’s government dropped “the big one”? Would things really be as the speaker says? Explain. ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
Political Science
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SHALL We Choose DEATH? The Tribe with Its Eyes on the Sky
After You Read
Political Science
Connect to the Selections Look back at your answers to the questions about nuclear war on page 322. Then think about how the issues that Russell raised in his speech were similar or different from the issues that you raised. Do you think Russell’s message is as relevant today as it was in 1954? Explain. _________________________________________________________________________________________________
Literary Element Structure A persuasive speech’s structure usually includes a statement of the author’s view, a series of supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion in which the view is restated and reinforced. Use the chart to summarize, in a single sentence, the main idea of each paragraph of Russell’s speech. Then, in the third column, summarize the overall idea that serves to unite and connect the paragraphs. Paragraph
Main Idea
Connecting Idea
1 2 3 4 5 6
Reading Strategy Analyze Political Assumptions Russell clearly thinks that the necessity of avoiding nuclear war outweighs all other political considerations. This is one of his political assumptions. The chart below contains quotations from the speech. Write down the political assumptions that you can infer from each quotation. Statement “All, equally, are in peril, and, if the peril is understood, there is hope that they may collectively avert it.” “Whatever agreements not to use hydrogen bombs had been reached in times of peace, they would no longer be considered binding in time of war”
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Assumption
After You Read
SHALL We Choose DEATH? The Tribe with Its Eyes on the Sky Political Science
Vocabulary A. Word Meaning Circle the letter of the definition that best matches the meaning of the boldfaced word in the sentence. 1. George had expected to see a few damaged or uprooted trees, not the obliteration of the entire forest. a creation
b injury
c destruction
2. How can we abolish hatred in the world when we allow it to grow in our own hearts? a eliminate
b foster
c encourage
B. Context Clues Look back at pages 324–326 to find context clues for the vocabulary words below. Record your findings in the following charts. Word: obliteration
Word: abolish
Context Clues:
Context Clues:
Meaning:
Meaning:
Shall We Choose Death?/The Tribe with Its Eyes on the Sky/Political Science
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SHALL We Choose DEATH? The Tribe with Its Eyes on the Sky
After You Read
Political Science
Comparison Diagram You have read a persuasive speech by Bertrand Russell, a modern fable by Italo Calvino, and song lyrics by Randy Newman. Each author uses a different genre to send a message about the irrational and universally destructive nature of nuclear warfare. Which genre do you think is most effective? Complete the following diagram to show the advantages and disadvantages of using each genre to convey this message. Message:
Author
Russell
Calvino
Newman
Genre
Advantages:
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Disadvantages:
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
Learning Objectives For pages 335–345, 359 Reading: Analyzing expository text.
Functional and Workplace
DOCUMENTS • • • • • • •
Letter of Application Résumé Job Application Memo Business E-mail Travel Directions Technical Writing
Functional and Workplace Documents
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Functional and Workplace
Before You Read
DOCUMENTS
Connect to the Functional and Workplace Documents A functional document gives practical information about a real-life situation. It is designed to inform you rather than to entertain or persuade you. For instance, a functional document might give you directions to a location or explain how to put something together. A workplace document is a type of functional document. It gives job-related information, such as a summary of a job applicant’s previous experience or details about an upcoming meeting. For each item in the chart, write FD next to each item that is a functional document but is not related to the workplace. Write WD next to each item that is a workplace document. In the third column, write how that document could help you in your everyday life or on the job. Name of Document
FD or WD?
How It Could Be Helpful
Employment application Directions to a wedding ceremony Memo about a new factory location
Build Background Read the definitions below. For each one, put a check mark to indicate how familiar you are with that term. •
A letter of application is a formal, written request to be considered for a particular job. ______ Familiar
•
______ Unfamiliar
A résumé is a summary of a person’s educational achievements, work history, skills, and abilities. ______ Familiar
•
______ Not Sure
______ Not Sure
______ Unfamiliar
A memo is a formal written message in the workplace. ______ Familiar
______ Not Sure
______ Unfamiliar
Set Purposes for Reading As you read, notice how the writers use formats, headings, and graphics to help them convey a message. How might you use these documents in your working life or in your everyday life? When you need to create a functional document, how can you make sure that it is simple, clear, and logically organized?
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Reading Strategy Analyze Expository Texts Analyzing something means examining each of its parts carefully and noticing details. An expository text explains an object, action, person, or process. Use the frame below to help you analyze expository texts. Answering these questions can help you read material faster, understand it better, and remember it longer.
•
The author’s message is _________________________________________________________________________ .
•
My purpose for reading is:
■ ■ •
to learn a skill to complete a process
■ ■
to make a decision just to absorb new information
Are there headings or subheadings that will help me understand the main ideas?
■
yes
■
no
If so, skimming those tells me ___________________________________________________________________ . •
■ yes
Does a date appear in the document?
■ no
If so, is this document up to date or outdated? ______________________________________________________ •
Are there text features that show which terms are most important? For example, many instruction manuals and textbooks underline key terms, highlight them, or put them in boldface type. Describe any text features here: __________________________________________________________________
•
■
Does the document describe a sequence?
■
yes
no
Look for a numbered list or words such as first, then, next, and finally. •
Are visuals included?
■
yes
■
no
Graphs, charts, maps, diagrams, and photographs can provide a great deal of information in a compact space. Don’t skip captions, as those often provide valuable facts. •
Have I read the entire text in order?
■
yes
■
no
Skipping sections may make it impossible to understand the text. •
Are some sections of this text more important than others? If so, describe the most important section or sections: ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Review the most important sections to be sure you understand them, especially if you are going to be tested on the material.
Functional and Workplace Documents
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Functional and Workplace
DOCUMENTS Read and Discuss
The “Re:” near the top of the letter means “regarding.” The word or phrase after “Re:” gives the subject of the letter. Why is this a useful feature? Discuss this question with a partner. Then write your answer on the lines below. ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
Functional documents are specialized forms of expository writing that serve specific purposes. Functional documents are an everyday part of business, school, and even home life. They must be clear, concise, accurate, and correct in style and usage.
Letter of Application A letter of application is a form of business writing. It can be used when applying for a job, an internship, or a scholarship. In most cases, the letter is intended to accompany a résumé or an application. Because detailed information is usually included in the accompanying form, a letter of application should provide a general overview of your qualifications and the reasons you are submitting an application. A letter of application should be concise. You should clearly state which position you are applying for and then explain whey you are interested and what makes you qualified. The accompanying material should speak for itself.
____________________________
32 South Street Austin, Texas 78746 May 6, 2009
____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________
Melissa Reyes City Life magazine 2301 Davis Avenue Austin, Texas 78764 1 Re: Internship 2 Dear Ms. Reyes:
I am a junior at City High School and editor of the City High Herald. 3 I am writing to apply for your summer internship at City Life magazine.
As a journalism student and a longtime fan of your magazine, I feel that an internship with your magazine would provide me with valuable experience in the field of journalism. I believe that my role with the City 4 High Herald has given me the skills necessary to be a useful contributor to your magazine this summer. In addition, my enclosed application shows 5 that I am also a diligent worker. 1 The optional subject line indicates 2 3 4 5
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the topic of the letter. In a business letter, the greeting is followed by a colon. The writer states her purpose directly and immediately. The writer comments briefly on her qualifications. The writer makes reference to the accompanying material.
I thank you for considering my application to your summer internship, and I hope to be working with you in the coming months. Sincerely,
Anne Moris Anne Moris
Functional and Workplace Documents
Résumé
Reading Strategy
The purpose of a résumé is to provide the employer with a comprehensive record of your background information, related experience, and qualifications. Although a résumé is intended to provide a great deal of information, the format is designed to provide this information in the most efficient way possible. 1 Jane Wiley 909 West Main Street, Apt. #1 Urbana, Illinois 61802 (217) 555-0489 •
[email protected]
Goal Seeking a position in television news production
Analyze Expository Texts Why is it helpful to include a goal statement on a résumé? Put a check mark next to the correct answer below. ■ It makes the résumé longer and more impressive looking. ■ It tells the employer that you are unavailable for certain kinds of jobs. ■ It helps potential employers know what kind of job you are seeking.
2 Education
Junior standing in the College of Communications at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. 2005 Graduate of City High School Honors Member of National Honor Society Activities 3 Member, Asian American Association: 2005–present
Reading Strategy Analyze Expository Texts How do the bulleted items under “Radio Reporter” make the résumé easier to understand? Write your answer on the lines below.
Environmental Committee Chairperson, Asian American Association: August 2005–May 2007
_______________________________
Work Experience
_______________________________
4 Radio Reporter, WPGU, 107.1 FM,
Champaign, Illinois: May 2007–Present 5 • Rewrote and read stories for afternoon newscasts • Served as field reporter for general assignments Cashier, Del’s Restaurant, Champaign, Illinois: May 2006–August 2006 • Responsible for taking phone orders • Cashier for pickup orders
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
Assistant Secretary, Office of Dr. George Wright, Woodstock, Illinois: May 2005–August 2005 • Answered phones • Made appointments 1 Header includes all important contact information.
2 All important education background is included.
3 Related dates are included for all listed activities 4 Job title is included along with the place of employment 5 Job responsibilities are briefly listed, with a parallel structure used in each bulleted item.
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Functional and Workplace Documents
Reading Strategy Analyze Expository Texts The “Job History” section of the employment application is similar to which section of the résumé on the previous page? Put a check mark next to the correct answer. ■ Activities ■ Work Experience ■ Honors ■ Goal
Reading Strategy Analyze Expository Texts This application includes space to list two personal references— people who can talk about the applicant’s skills, dependability, and attitude. Whom would you list as your personal references? Write your answer in the sentence frames below.
Job Application When applying for a job, you usually need to fill out a job application. When you fill out the application, read the instructions carefully. Examine the entire form before beginning to fill it out. If you fill out the form by hand, make sure that your handwriting is neat and legible. Fill out the form completely, providing all information directly and honestly. If a question does not apply to you, indicate that by writing n/a, short for “not applicable.” Keep in mind that you will have the opportunity to provide additional information in your résumé, in your letter of application, or during the interview process. 1 Please type or print neatly in blue or black ink. Today’s date: __________ 2 Name: _____________________________
Address _________________________________________________ Phone #: ___________ Birth date: _____ Sex: __ Soc. Sec. #: _______ *************************************************************** 3 Job History (List each job held, starting with the most recent job.)
1. Employer: __________________________ Phone #: ______________ Dates of employment: __________________________________________ Position held: ________________________________________________ 4 Duties: ______________________________________________________
because ______________________ .
2. Employer: __________________________ Phone #: ______________ Dates of employment: __________________________________________ Position held: ________________________________________________ 4 Duties: ______________________________________________________
I would list ____________________
***************************************************************
because ______________________ .
Education (List the most recent level of education completed.) ____________________________________________________________
I would list ____________________
*************************************************************** Personal References: 1. Name: _______________________________ Phone #: ____________ Relationship: ________________________________________________ 2. Name: _______________________________ Phone #: ____________ Relationship: ________________________________________________
READING CHECK 1 The application provides specific instructions.
2 All of the information requested should be provided in its entirety.
Question In the “Job History” section, the application includes a line to list dates of employment. Why do you think this information is worth including on the application? Write your answer on the lines below.
3 The information should be provided legibly and succinctly.
4 Experience should be stated accurately and without embellishment.
340
______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
Functional and Workplace Documents
Memo
Reading Strategy
A memorandum (memo) conveys precise information to another person or group of people. A memo begins with a leading block. It is followed by the text of the message. A memo does not have a formal closing. TO: FROM: 1 SUBJECT: DATE:
All employees Jordan Tyne, Human Resources Manager New Human Resources Assistant Director November 3, 2009
2 Please join me in congratulating Daphne Rudy on her appointment as
assistant director in the Human Resources Department. Daphne comes to our company with five years of experience in the field. Daphne begins 3 work on Monday, November 10. All future general human resource inquiries should be directed to Daphne. Please welcome Daphne when she arrives next week.
Analyze Expository Texts What information do the four lines of the memo header give you? Write your answer on the lines below. _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
Reading Strategy Analyze Expository Texts What is the name of Daphne Rudy’s new job? Underline the two places where you find this information.
READING CHECK Summarize Imagine that you have just started a job as an executive assistant. Your boss asks you, “What does that memo from Jordan say?” On the lines below, explain the main idea of the memo in your own words. ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ 1 The topic of the memo is stated ______________________________________________________
clearly in the subject line.
2 The announcement is made in the ______________________________________________________
first sentence.
3 All of the important information is included briefly in the memo.
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Functional and Workplace Documents
Business E-mail Reading Strategy Analyze Expository Texts What information does the e-mail header provide that the memo header does not? Write two answers on the line below. (Hint: The abbreviation “CC:” means “copy sent to.”) _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
E-mail is quickly becoming the most common form of business communication. While e-mail may be the least formal and most conversational method of business writing, it shouldn’t be written carelessly or too casually. The conventions of business writing—clarity, attention to your audience, proper grammar, and the inclusion of relevant information—apply to e-mail. An accurate subject line should state your purpose briefly and directly. Use concise language and avoid rambling sentences. To: From: CC: Date: 1 Subject:
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] January 7, 8:13 a.m. New Product Conference Call
Liam, 2 I just wanted to make sure that arrangements have been made for next
week’s conference call to discuss our new product. The East Coast sales team has already scheduled three sales meetings at the end of the month with potential buyers, so it’s important that our sales team is prepared to talk about the product. Please schedule the call when the manufacturing 3 director is available, since he will have important information for the sales team. Lisa
READING CHECK
Reading Strategy Analyze Expository Texts Work with a partner to underline the part of the e-mail that gives the main idea. Then circle the part of the e-mail that gives supporting details.
Question Why is it necessary to make the subject line of an e-mail clear and specific? ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________
1 Subject line clearly states the topic.
______________________________________________________
2 The purpose is stated immediately and in a conversational tone.
3 Important details are included in a brief, direct fashion.
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______________________________________________________
Functional and Workplace Documents
Travel Directions When planning an event or a social occasion, it is often necessary to provide people with detailed directions to the location. These directions must be clear enough that anyone who is unfamiliar with the surrounding area can easily find their way. Creating a map that shows the route with clearly labeled streets can also be a great help.
Reading Strategy Analyze Expository Texts Why is it helpful to know that Post Road is also called Route 1? Write your answer on the line below. _______________________________
Directions to Darien High School’s Graduation Ceremony From I-95 North, take Exit 11. 1 Turn Left onto Post Road (Route 1). At the first light, turn Left onto Samuel Avenue. Travel 2.5 miles. 2 Turn Right onto Cherry Hill Road. Turn Left onto High School Lane. 3 Follow signs to Visitor Parking.
_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
Activity Write directions and draw an accompanying map to a location in your town. Be sure to include enough details and give enough clear directions so that even someone who is unfamiliar with the area could find the destination.
_______________________________
READING CHECK Question A landmark is a large object that is easy to notice. Landmarks help prevent travelers from losing their way. Which landmarks did the writer of these directions include? Write your answer on the lines below. ______________________________________________________ 1 Begins at a point from which most ______________________________________________________
people will be coming.
2 Offers travel distances to help ______________________________________________________
travelers locate streets.
3 Gives the name of each street along the route.
Functional and Workplace Documents
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Functional and Workplace Documents
Reading Strategy Analyze Expository Texts Why is it better to use HDMI cables rather than RCA cables? Write your answer below. Then underline where you find this information.
Technical Writing Technical writing involves the use of very specific vocabulary and a special attention to detail. The purpose of technical writing is to describe a process clearly enough so that the reader can perform the steps and reach the intended goal, such as installing software, connecting a piece of equipment, or programming a device.
_______________________________ _______________________________
Instructions for Connecting DVD Player to HDTV 1 Your DVD player can be connected to an HDTV using RCA cables or, for
_______________________________
best picture quality, an HDMI cable.
_______________________________
Connecting with RCA Cables: 2 Step 1: Insert the ends of the red, white, and yellow cables into the jacks
labeled “AUDIO/VIDEO OUT.” Be sure to match the colors of the cable with the color of the jack. Reading Strategy Analyze Expository Texts What process do these instructions explain? (Hint: DVD stands for digital video disk, and HDTV stands for high-definition television.) Write your answer on the lines below. _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________
1 Uses specific language to clearly describe the process.
2 Lists each step individually. 3 Directs attention to possible variations the reader may encounter.
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Step 2: Insert the other ends of the RCA cables into the jacks labeled “AUDIO/VIDEO IN” on your HDTV. These are usually located on the side or the back of the television. Again, be sure to match the colors of the cables with the colors of the jacks.
Connecting with HDMI Cable: Step 1: Insert one end of the HDMI cable into the HDMI port located on the back of the DVD player. Step 2: Insert the other end of the HDMI cable into the HDMI port on your HDTV. 3 Note: Your HDTV may have more than one HDMI port. If so be sure
that you set your HDTV to the correct input when viewing.
Activity Choose a device that you own or have access to, such as an mp3 player or a cell phone. Write brief step-by-step directions on how to perform a specific function on the device, so that someone else can follow your instructions and perform the function successfully.
After You Read
Functional and Workplace
DOCUMENTS
Connect to the Functional and Workplace Documents Look back at the Connect activity on page 336. Do you want to change any of your answers? What other examples of functional and workplace documents can you think of? Complete the chart below with new examples. Name of Document
FD or WD?
How It Could Be Helpful
Reading Strategy Analyze Expository Texts Write directions from your school to a place you know well. Use the activity frame below or create your own directions on a separate sheet of paper. Then trade papers with a partner and apply the checklist items to your partner’s instructions.
Directions to ____________________________________________________________ (name specific location) Begin at ______________________________________________________________________________________ Go __________________________________________________________________________________________ Turn _________________________________________________________________________________________ Then, ________________________________________________________________________________________ Go to ________________________________________________________________________________________ You will see ___________________________________________________________________________________ If you see _________________________________________________________________ , you have gone too far.
Checklist: Do the directions give a beginning location and an end location? Are the steps in the correct sequence? ■ Yes ■ No Do any steps seem to be missing? ■ Yes ■ No Is all text clear and specific? ■ Yes No ■
■
Yes
■
No
These directions could be improved by _____________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________. For more practice, see page 359. Functional and Workplace Documents
➡ 345
After You Read
On Monsieur’s Departure Speech to the Troops at Tilbury
Venn Diagram A Venn Diagram can help you compare and contrast two ideas or experiences. Think about what you learned about Elizabeth the woman and Elizabeth I the queen when you read the selections. Review your response to the Connect to the Texts activity on page 83. Then fill out a Venn Diagram that shows the similarities and differences in Elizabeth’s personality and attitudes as revealed in the poem and speech.
Elizabeth the private woman:
346
Shared:
Elizabeth the public queen:
After You Read
The Passionate Shepherd to His Love
Persuasion Map A persuasion map can help you better understand the structure and meaning of the poem. Think about what the shepherd wants from his beloved and the promises or reasons he offers to get her to agree. Review your responses to the Connect to the Poem activity on page 87 and the Literary Element activity. Then fill out a persuasive map that outlines the shepherd’s plea. After you have completed the persuasive map, you may want to reevaluate and change your rating of the shepherd’s persuasiveness. Stanza 1 Reason/Promise: Convincing Details:
Stanza 2 Reason/Promise: Convincing Details:
The Shepherd’s Goal
Stanza 3 Reason/Promise: Convincing Details:
Stanza 4 Reason/Promise: Convincing Details:
Stanza 5 Reason/Promise: Convincing Details:
Stanza 6 Reason/Promise: Convincing Details:
The Passionate Shepherd to His Love
347
After You Read
Sonnet 73 and Sonnet 29
Venn Diagram A Venn diagram can help you draw conclusions about the similarities and differences between two poems. Fill in the diagram for Sonnets 29 and 73.
Sonnet 29
348
Both
Sonnet 73
After You Read
from The Diary of
Samuel Pepys
Bibliography Cards
This excerpt from The Diary of Samuel Pepys presents a firsthand account of the coronation of Charles II and the Great Fire of London. Because it is a firsthand account of an event written by someone who actually experienced the events, Pepys’s diary is a primary source. Other primary sources might include oral histories, contemporary sources such as newspaper articles, or interviews with witnesses of an event or survivors of a disaster. Secondary sources are sources written by people who did not experience the event. Imagine you are going to write a research project based on these excerpts from The Diary of Samuel Pepys. To generate ideas of topics you could research further, write a list of questions you have about people, places, or things featured in this selection. Write your questions below. •
EXAMPLE: What led to the restoration of Charles II to the crown? ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________
Select one question from your list that you would want to further research for your project. Now, do some initial research to find other sources—such as books, articles, and reliable Internet sites—you would use for your project. You can use both primary and secondary sources. Fill out the index cards below with the citations you would use in your bibliography.
Fraser, Antonia. Royal Charles: Charles II and the Restoration. New York: Knopf, 1979.
from The Diary of Samuel Pepys
349
After You Read
from A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
Vocabulary A. Word Meaning Choose the vocabulary word that best completes each of the following sentences.
indignation
rational
faculty
congenial
condescend
1. Women had _______________ minds, but they were prevented from using them and were instead expected be frivolous and weak. 2. In the eighteenth century, few men would _______________ to carry on a political discussion with a woman. 3. Many women felt no _______________ at the way they were educated because they had never known freedom. 4. Wollstonecraft had a _______________ working relationship with her publisher. 5. To Wollstonecraft, the ability to reason was a prized _______________ . B. Denotation and Connotation In the following table, two words have been suggested to complete each sentence. Some word pairs have positive connotations, while other word pairs have negative connotations. For each pair of words, select the stronger (more positive or more negative) word to complete the sentence and write it on the blank. Sentence
350
Word Choices
His ______________ knew no bounds.
fury, indignation
I was convinced by her ______________ argument.
rational, enlightened
Her strongest ______________ was speaking her mind.
faculty, talent
The husband and wife had a ______________ relationship.
congenial, nice
Will you ______________ to tell me about your work?
consent, condescend
After You Read
from A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
Bibliography Cards and Flowchart Wollstonecraft’s belief in freedom and equality for women were heavily influenced by the Enlightenment—a movement that valued intellectual inquiry and rational thought. Wollstonecraft’s beliefs, in turn, paved the way for the women’s suffrage movement of the late nineteenth century. The women’s suffrage movement was followed by later feminist movements, such as the women’s rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Do some initial research to find sources—such as books, articles, and reliable Internet sites—that you could use to further investigate how Wollstonecraft’s ideas relate to both early Enlightenment and contemporary ideas about the role of women in society. Fill out the index cards below with the citations you could use in a bibliography. A sample has been completed for you. “Enlightenment” Encyclopedia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 29 Jan. 2008
.
Spend some time reading your sources. Then, based, on what you have learned, fill out the flowchart below. Use the flowchart to show how at least one Enlightenment idea was both adopted and changed by Wollstonecraft. Then show how the idea was adopted and changed again in the contemporary world. Enlightenment Idea
Wollstonecraft’sIidea
Contemporary Idea
from a Vindication of the Rights of Woman
351
After You Read
Lines Composed a Few Miles Above
Tintern Abbey
Main Idea Diagram The main idea, or theme, of “Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey” can be stated in a variety of ways. One way to express it is provided in the graphic organizer below. Study the statement. Then review the poem to find examples of details that support it. One example has been provided for you. Fill in the remaining boxes with two more examples. Main Idea: An appreciation of nature sustains and connects people even when the modern world drains and alienates them.
Supporting Detail “ ’mid the din of towns and cities, I have owed to [nature] in hours of weariness, sensations sweet, felt in the blood, and felt along the heart”
352
Supporting Detail
Supporting Detail
from The Journals of
After You Read
Dorothy Wordsworth Venn Diagram After William Wordsworth read his sister’s journal entry, he was inspired to write the poem “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud.” The first stanza of the poem is printed below. Read it and review Dorothy Wordsworth’s journal entry. Then fill in the Venn diagram with details that compare and contrast the two literary works.
I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o’er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host of golden daffodils, Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. —William Wordsworth
Poem
Both
Journal Entry
from the Journals of Dorothy Wordsworth
353
After You Read
What Is LOVE?
Main Idea Diagram The following chart can help you focus on the most important idea of a text and the details that support this idea. Think about Gray’s article. What is his main idea? How does he support it? Use the chart below to list the article’s main idea and the details that support it. Main Idea:
Supporting Detail
354
Supporting Detail
Supporting Detail
After You Read
Jabberwocky
Summary Map Diagrams can help you organize information or ideas to help you better understand what you have read. In the chart below, identify who the Jabberwock is and summarize what happens to it. In the connecting boxes, quote lines from the poem that support your identification and summary. Support
Identification and Summary
Support
Support
Jabberwocky
355
After You Read
Dover Beach
Venn Diagram A Venn Diagram can help you compare and contrast the ideas and experiences of two or more people. In “Dover Beach,” the speaker shares his views on the state of society and on human love and fidelity. How do his views compare with yours? Reread your responses to the Reading Strategy activities to review the speaker’s thoughts. Then fill out a Venn Diagram that shows the similarities and differences between the speaker’s opinion and your opinion.
Speaker’s Opinion:
356
Shared:
My Opinion:
After You Read
Be Ye Men of Valor
Vocabulary A. Word Meaning Match each vocabulary word with its meaning by writing the letter of the word in the space before the meaning.
a. ravage
b. grapple
c. imperious
d. indomitable
____ 1. crucial, vital, or urgent ____ 2. to struggle or deal with ____ 3. unable to be overcome or defeated ____ 4. to destroy or ruin B. Context Clues Underline the context clues in the following sentences that help you determine the meaning of each boldfaced vocabulary word. Then explain why you chose those words or phrases. 1. They ravaged our town, destroying everything in their path. Explanation: _____________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. After the third quarter, we began to feel that the opposing team was indomitable and unconquerable. Explanation: _____________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Their next move awaited the imperious message about whether their plan had failed or succeeded. Explanation: _____________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. Doctors will have to grapple with the disease until they find an effective vaccine. Explanation: _____________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________
Be Ye Men of Valor
357
After You Read
Be Ye Men of Valor
Speech Planner With his speech, Winston Churchill aimed to persuade the British people to make whatever sacrifices were necessary to protect their county during a dangerous time. Churchill might have used a diagram like the one below to plan his speech. Reread the text of the speech, writing down on the left hand side of the diagram what Churchill urged the British to do. On the right hand side, note the reasons he gives why they should do so.
houl they s t a h W
358
d do
Why t hey s hould
do it
After You Read
Functional and Workplace
DOCUMENTS
Workplace Writing: Résumé Use the frame below to organize the information in your résumé. Then type the information into a word-processing document. Most people who are relatively new to the workforce have a one-page résumé. (Center your contact information at the top of the page.) (Your name:) _____________________________________ (Your address:) ____________________________________ (City, state, ZIP Code:) ______________________________ (Phone number:) __________________________________ (E-mail address:) __________________________________ Goal ____________________________________________________ (Describe what kind of job you are seeking.) Education (Include honors and activities if applicable.) _______________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Work Experience (List jobs from most recent to least recent.) _______________________________________________________________________ (Job title, name of business, city and state, dates employed) • ____________________________________________________________________________________ (Job duty) • ____________________________________________________________________________________ (Job duty) _______________________________________________________________________ (Job title, name of business, city and state, dates employed) • ____________________________________________________________________________________ (Job duty) • ____________________________________________________________________________________ (Job duty)
Functional and Workplace Documents
359
PRONUNCIATION KEY
Pronunciation Key
360
a
at
ō
hope
ng
sing
ā
ape
ô
fork, all
th
thin
ä
father
oo
wood, put
th
this
e
end
oō
fool
zh
treasure
ē
me
oi
oil
ə
ago, taken, pencil,
i
it
ou
out
ı̄
ice
u
up
ʼ
indicates primary stress
o
hot
ū
use
ˊ
indicates secondary
lemon, circus
My Notes ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________
My Notes ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________
