Chapter III: Appendix: College Entrance Examinations in English 131 (2)

In Gareth's contests with the four knights for the possession of Lyonors' castle, what does each in turn typify? What does the poet mean by making the first three contests increasingly difficult? by the terror which the fourth knight inspires? by the easy victory over him? What does Lynette represent in her impulsive and persistent opposition to Gareth?

What does Gareth represent in his constant devotion to high ideals? What truth is illustrated by Gareth's overcoming the petulant opposition of Lynette?

Connect the teaching of this poem with the thought of the whole series.

FORM.--What is the meter of the poem? What are the principal variations from the normal line in the number of syllables and the position of accents or stresses? Explain and illustrate _caesura_, _end-stopt line_, _run-on line_. What variations do you find in the position of the pauses? What is the effect of the variations on the music of the verse?

Base your study of meter on several passages (for example, ll. 100-150, 520-550, 1350-1394).

Compare the language used by Bellicent and Gareth in their dialogue (ll. 34-168), with descriptive passages (like 184-193, 209-226, 376-427, 650-685, and 883-900).

What differences do you note in the poet's choice of words?

Find passages that present a vivid picture, a vigorous action, simple narrative, true sentiment.

_Lancelot and Elaine_

SETTING.--Where did the King keep court at the time of this story?

Where did Elaine live?

Where was the tournament held? What do we know of the relative positions of these places?

At what season of the year do the events of the story take place? How does the season fit the story? Do the places seem real?

PLOT.--How is the story introduced? Compare with the introduction of the previous Idyll.

What was the occasion for the tournament?

What led Lancelot to Astolat? What caused Elaine's passion for him? Why did he wear her favor? What were the consequences of his wearing it?

Elaine's love for Lancelot led her to what different acts? What did Lancelot's devotion to Guinevere lead him to do?

At what dramatic moment did Elaine's body reach Camelot? How did the event affect the King? Guinevere? Lancelot?

CHARACTERS.--From what Arthur says and does, do you find any change in him since his appearance in _Gareth and Lynette_?

Do Lancelot and Guinevere, as they talk of him, reveal any real weakness in his character?

What personal characteristics does Guinevere show in the opening interview? What at the conclusion of the story?

How is Lancelot pictured in the opening interview? in the night that he spends at Astolat? How does he appear when he defends himself after Elaine's letter has been read? What, on the whole, is our feeling for him? Show how his life was a tragedy.

Describe Elaine as we first see her. Does it seem consistent with her retiring, almost timid, nature to press Lancelot to wear her favor and later to confess her love to him? How do you account for her doing it? What is the charm of her character?

Contrast Elaine and Guinevere.

INTERPRETATION.--Compare the picture of the court that we get here with the one that is drawn in _Gareth and Lynette_.

What stage in the history of the Round Table does this story mark? What is the central idea of the poem?

FORM.--Compare this Idyll with _Gareth and Lynette_ with reference to meter, and to choice of language.

_The Passing of Arthur_

SETTING.--Where is the scene of the story laid? At what season of the year? How does the season fit the story? Do the descriptive passages help you to imagine the places? Illustrate. Do they help you to feel the situations? Illustrate. Of what importance are place and time here?

PLOT.--Make a simple outline to show the chain of incidents that form the plot. Compare this Idyll, in respect to reality, with the other two you have studied.

CHARACTERS.--Is Arthur's character essentially the same as it appears in the other Idylls we have studied?

What is his mood at the beginning? Does he talk like a vanquished man?

INTERPRETATION.--Do we think of Arthur here as King of Britain, or as a figure in an allegory? Why?

What is indicated by the fact that Arthur did not die, but was taken away by the three Queens?

What is indicated by the uncertainty of Bedivere and even of Arthur himself as to where he was going and whether he would ever return?

Show how the "war between Sense and Soul" is manifest in the war between the King and his enemies; in the struggle of Bedivere between obedience and disobedience; and in the conversation of Arthur and Bedivere as the barge is coming.

FORM.--Compare the meter of the part of the poem published in 1842 (ll. 170-440), with that of _Gareth and Lynette_ published in 1872, to note the difference in the poet's variations from the normal line, and, in general, the difference in effect.

Compare this Idyll with the other two in respect to language, beauty of description, etc. Study especially such passages as ll. 95-117, 129-135, 349-360. Find others worthy to be learned for their sentiment or beauty of description.

THE LIFE AND CHARACTER OF THE AUTHOR.--What do we know of Tennyson's parentage? his boyhood? his early love of poetry? his favorite poets? his college life? his employment after leaving college? his early volumes of poems? the importance of his 1842 volume? the significance to him of the death of Arthur Henry Hallam? the three principal events of his life in 1850? his great and continued popularity? the honors conferred upon him? his two estates? his peaceful death?

Did Tennyson ever pursue any profession other than that of a poet? Did he write prose literature? Did he hold public office? Compare him with other famous poets in each of these three particulars.

Point out, by reference to his best known poems, Tennyson's three successive impulses: aesthetic, personal and religious, social and patriotic. (See Introduction to _Idylls of the King_ pp. 11-15.) Show how all these are blended together in the _Idylls of the King_. Was he equally successful in all the kinds of poetry that he undertook? Discriminate.

What were some of his favorite pursuits?

What three successive attempts did Tennyson make with the Arthurian legends? in what periods of his poetic development?

III. THE TEACHING OF LYRIC POETRY

The lyric is a poem which voices the personal feeling, sentiment, or passion of the poet. The poet's feelings are the feelings of human nature, but purified and intensified by his genius. So they are as varied as human nature, but nobler and more beautiful. Lyric poetry, then, appeals to our various moods and often expresses that of which we have been vaguely conscious in ourselves. Sometimes, too, it inspires us to nobler and purer feeling and to higher conceptions of life.

The wise teacher seeks to awaken the interest and arouse the imagination of his pupils. He tries to bring them into the right mood, but avoids putting himself between them and the poet. He must see that they understand the poet's thought, but the appeal to the feelings he will best leave to the poet himself.

Repeated readings and the memorizing of important passages are nowhere so important as in the study of lyric poetry. To make repeated readings useful, however, the teacher must convince the class by questions, or the introduction of discussion, that they have overlooked some message of the poet's. A general plan of study might include, first, wise preparatory work on the part of the teacher to bring the class into the atmosphere of the poem; second, a mastery of the details of the poem; third, a study of the content of the poem as a whole and in parts; fourth, a study of form and structure; fifth, a study of the poem as an interpretation of the poet.

OUTLINE FOR THE STUDY OF L'ALLEGRO AND IL PENSEROSO

I. Preparation

A brief discussion of the meaning of lyric poetry will be helpful, with discriminations between it and other forms of verse.

The class will be put in the right attitude for study by an interesting account of Milton's life up to 1632; his home influences; his education; his Puritan ideas; the difference between Puritanism in Milton's youth and Puritanism in the days of the Commonwealth; and, especially, by a vivid picture of the surroundings of the poet at Horton.

II. Reading and Study

The first reading may be utilized to get a general idea of the poem, and to mark the thought divisions. Other readings will make the student familiar with the details of description, the allusions, the difficult words and constructions, the varieties of meter and rhyme. A comparison, point by point, between the two poems will be helpful. Such a one might be written in the notebooks after the plan suggested by Mr. Chubb in _The Teaching of English_, p. 298.

======+==========================++======+=====================
Lines | _L'Allegro_ ||Lines | _Il Penseroso_
------+--------------------------++------+---------------------
1-10|Dismissal--of Melancholy || 1-10|of deluding joys
11-46|Invitation to Mirth || 11-54|to Melancholy
47-150|Progress of day of social ||55-174|of night of solitary
| delights || | joys
42| (_a_) Lark's Reveille || 56| (_a_) Evening
44| (_b_) "Dappled Dawn," || 67| (_b_) Nightingales
| cock, hounds, etc.|| | even-song
60| (_c_) Sunrise || 74| (_c_) Moonrise
| (_d_) Sounds of labor || | (_d_) Curfew
======+==========================++======+=====================

III. Study of the Poem as a Whole

A comprehensive study will naturally follow the detailed study and may, to a certain extent, be a summary of the work already done.

CONTENT.--Contrast the two speakers in respect to their choice of companions; descriptions of morning and evening; their attitude toward country life; their recreations and employments in the daytime and in the evening; and their tastes in music, worship, and the theater.

Must we suppose that these poems express conflicting views of different men, or may they represent views of the same man in different moods?

State in a single sentence the main idea of each poem.

FORM.--Indicate the meter of the normal line, or rather of the two types of lines most frequently used. What is the difference in effect between these two types?

What are the principal variations in the position of accented syllables? in the number of syllables? in the kind of rhyme?

Do you like these poems because of their beauty of sentiment? beauty of figurative expression? beauty of description? some other form of beauty? or because of all of these? Quote what seems to you most beautiful.

Is there anything notable in the choice of words? in their arrangement?

Do you find any passages where words have been chosen because their sound corresponds to the sense?

THE LIFE AND CHARACTER OF THE AUTHOR.--(See outline for the study of _Lycidas_, p. 59.)

OUTLINE FOR THE STUDY OF LYCIDAS

I. Preparation

This poem is made somewhat difficult by reason of the formal and conventional terms of pastoral poetry. Therefore, in the preparatory work, the teacher should explain these terms; and should dwell on the circumstances that called forth the poem. The history of the times should be touched upon sufficiently to make clear the meaning of the two digressions in the poem.

II. Reading and Study

The first reading should enable the student to trace the line of thought; to mark the digressions; and to understand the general plan of the poem.

Other readings will include a careful study of the language, the meaning of the allusions, and, in detail, the poet's thought.

III. Study of the Poem as a Whole

A comprehensive study of the poem as a whole should be profitable after the work indicated in II.

CONTENT.--What is the substance of the poet's lament for his friend? As we read the poem do we think more of him or of Milton? How do you account for this?

What were Milton's relations to King? Were they intimate, personal friends?

Put into a sentence the substance of each digression.

In what part of the poem do we find that the allusions to the supernatural are classic and pagan? in what part, Christian? What corresponding difference is there in the tone of the poem?

FORM.--What relation do the first two paragraphs bear to the rest?

Where is the pastoral element first introduced?

At what places does Milton drop the pastoral form?

What is the effect of a change of person in the last eight lines?

Has the poem unity? Give reasons. How would the poet have justified his digressions?

How many syllables do you find as a rule in each line? How are the lines rhymed? Find several blank verse lines. What variations from the normal line do you note in the number of syllables and in the position of accented syllables?

Does the poet show deeper feeling in his lament for King or in the digressions?

In what way does the language differ from that of _L'Allegro_ and _Il Penseroso_? Account for the difference.

THE LIFE AND CHARACTER OF THE AUTHOR.--Find out what you can of Milton's childhood home; his tastes and habits when a boy; his education; his perplexity about the choice of a career; his six years at Horton; his travels; his return home; his removal to London; his marriage; his prose writings; his spirit in controversy; his domestic life; his public life; his situation in 1660; his employment during the years of his retirement; the effect on his character, of controversy and the failure of his cherished ideals of government.

Into what three periods does his life naturally fall?

How does the character of his writings conform to these three periods?

What do _L'Allegro_ and _Il Penseroso_ reflect of his life at Horton? of his tastes? of his accomplishments? Do you find anything indicative of his Puritan sympathies? anything inconsistent with the Puritanism of his time?

Do you note any change of spirit from the earlier poems to _Lycidas_?

What spirit of Puritanism is reflected in _Lycidas_?

GENERAL HISTORICAL QUESTIONS.--Answers to the following are valuable because of their bearing on Milton's life and work.

How did James I differ from Elizabeth in matters of religious toleration?

What controversy was carried on during James's reign within the established church?

Distinguish from one another the terms Separatist, Puritan, Prelatist.

How were the Puritans gradually forced to take extreme positions in matters of theology as well as in matters of government?

Compare the Puritan of Milton's boyhood with the Puritan of the Civil War.

OUTLINE FOR THE STUDY OF THE DESERTED VILLAGE[3]

I. Preparation

On account of the simplicity of this poem and the familiarity that many of the students already have with it, little preparation is necessary to introduce the class to the first reading. Original compositions on country scenes and country life will help them to get into the spirit of the poem, and a few facts about Goldsmith's early home in the country, and his perplexed life in the city, will show the poet's point of view.

II. Reading and Study

A first reading should enable the student to understand the plan of the poem and to enjoy the descriptive passages. A simple outline, if required at this point, will aid him in fixing the main divisions in mind and will be useful for detailed study when he comes to the second reading. This second reading should enable the student to understand the poet's thought in every particular. He should ponder over the thoughtful passages, memorize the most beautiful ones, and examine the language and meter.

III. Study of the Poem as a Whole

CONTENT.--Contrast the village of Auburn when the author saw it in youth, with the Auburn of his later years, in regard to its appearance and the condition of the people.

Give character sketches of "The Preacher" and "The Schoolmaster." Explain what the poet considers has caused the changes he laments in the village.

Contrast the simple natural pleasures with those of luxury and wealth.

What effect on the poor has greed for wealth? on the country? What is Goldsmith's idea of the lot of the emigrant?

FORM.--What is the prevailing meter? How do the lines rhyme? Compare this poem with _The Idylls of the King_ or with _The Merchant of Venice_ in respect to meter and rhyme.

Examine what you think are the most beautiful passages in order to find out, if you can, why they are beautiful. Are they so because of beauty of sentiment? simplicity of language? choice of words? figurative language? smoothness of rhythm?

THE LIFE AND CHARACTER OF THE AUTHOR.--What do we know of Goldsmith's childhood? his family? his education? his professional training? his travels? his friends in London? his loneliness? his disappointments? his literary successes? his eccentricities? his kindness?

How can we judge of his character from his references to the village of his childhood? from what he says of wealth, greed, etc.?

IV. THE TEACHING OF THE DRAMA

If a teacher were to attempt to investigate the methods employed in classes formed to study Shakespeare, he would doubtless be impressed first by their variety. One teacher lays great stress on reading the play with little or no comment; another, with painful slowness, works line by line to bring out the details of the thought; while a third lays the greatest stress on the structure of the play, following minutely the steps from exposition to climax and from climax to conclusion. Each plan has its advantages, and in the hands of an enthusiastic and sensible teacher ought to achieve admirable results.

The fundamental reason for these wide differences in method is the greatness of Shakespeare's genius. We are captivated, perhaps, by one phase of his work and fail to see, or to see in due proportion, other phases equally, or even more, important. As a rule, the limitations of time make it impossible thoroughly to investigate many lines of study, and the teacher naturally follows his own taste in making selections.

Now the average high school student has limitations which we are bound to recognize. Accustomed as he is to reading fiction where description and explanation are frequently used to aid the imagination and the understanding, he fails to appreciate the situations in a drama and the motives for the actions. Again, there are considerable difficulties of language which must be overcome by persistent work. The over-editing of some of our text-books is often a real difficulty. A conscientious pupil often feels that his lesson is not quite learned unless he has carefully read all the notes. In one school edition of a play there are nearly twice as many pages of introduction and unclassified notes as of the text. Such an edition adds to the difficulties of the work by confusing essential and unessential matters.

It is evident that there is in the study of the drama unusual necessity for a plan, flexible enough for the varying needs of classes, but definite enough to keep classes from discouraging confusion of details. Just what the plan shall be for any particular class the teacher must decide from the condition and acquirements of the class, the limitations of time, and the object in view.

Few will deny that _Julius Caesar_ can be read with profit in the first year. It will be read, however, at that time, chiefly for the interest of the plot, the dramatic situations, and the contrasts of character. The study of meter will be slight, and of language and grammar only enough for an understanding of the thought; while the study of structure, textual changes, development of Shakespeare's art, date of publication, etc., will be left out entirely. On the other hand, the needs of a fourth year class would require a considerably different treatment of this same play. It may seem trite to say that the wisest plan is that which keeps the pupil interested in reading and re-reading the text. The more he reads the more he understands, and the more he understands the more he delights to read. This lies at the bottom of all the plans for Shakespeare reading.

Almost any student will read through a play with interest and enthusiasm, if he understands enough to keep the thread of the story. If much textual study is required with the first reading, the interest is weakened; but if the delight of a first reading leads to a second, a study of the text brings new delight, especially if the study is directed to the interpretation of the thought.

After the second reading, the study of the play as a whole, of the development of characters, of the structure and style, and of the various problems of human interest, should send the pupil to the play again and again to find evidence to support his opinions. This study, together with memory work, will help to give that familiarity with the play which is one of the tests of satisfactory Shakespeare study.

The following is suggested merely as one plan suitable for high school classes:

I. Preparation

The presentation of a few matters to arouse interest and to anticipate some of the difficulties of a first reading.

II. First Reading

The aim of the first reading is to familiarize the pupil with the main facts of the play. General questions may be asked to guide the student, or directions given to note the progress of each scene in the development of the play. He should not be hindered, however, from as rapid a reading as he can make intelligently.

III. Second Reading

This careful reading will have for its purpose the interpretation of the author's thought. Other matters, however interesting to a Shakespearean scholar, should, for the most part, be avoided. In this thorough study many of the matters treated under the next topic will naturally come up for discussion.

IV. Study of the Play as a Whole

Here it will be possible to sum up the work already done and to correlate it with new work in some such order as the following:

A. _Content_
1. Setting
2. Plot
3. Characters

B. _Form_
1. Meter
2. Style

C. _The Life and Character of the Author_

OUTLINE FOR THE STUDY OF THE MERCHANT OF VENICE

I. Preparation

This will probably be one of the first plays that the class will attempt. Hence there will be little or nothing to say about the drama, Shakespeare, or the development of his art. A short account of the theater in Shakespeare's day may be made interesting. Pictures of Venice, with an account of its wealth and magnificence in the sixteenth century; some facts about the condition of the Jew in England in Shakespeare's time; and a statement of the strange ideas concerning interest may prevent difficulties in the first reading.

II. First Reading

A good plan is to assign an act for a lesson; to use as much of the hour as necessary to test the class on what they have read; to have some passages read aloud; and to discuss the purpose of the act and its relation to the rest of the play.

III. Second Reading

This should be slow enough to give time for study and explanation of the difficulties of language, and for the study of important passages as they throw light on plot and character.

IV. Study of the Play as a Whole

SETTING.--When and where are the events supposed to have taken place?

What, in the dress of the people and the customs of the time, shows that Shakespeare had England in mind?

How long a time is probably covered from the beginning to the end of the play? Where do the scenes follow one another without loss of time and where do they not?

PLOT.--What are the two main stories in this play? What three minor stories are also part of the play?

How has Shakespeare made it seem probable that Antonio would ask a loan of an enemy like Shylock? that so strange a bond should be offered? that a sensible man like Antonio should sign it? that all his ships should be wrecked within three months? that the court should really consider taking the life of a noble citizen on such a pretext? and that a quibble like the failure to mention a drop of blood should be admitted?

Are there other improbabilities in the plot? If so, how has Shakespeare treated them? Is there any hint in the first act that the bond will be forfeited? Give the suggestions that prepare us for Antonio's plight in