Due today: Frederick Douglass essay. I can't take them late, as they need to be looked over by me (and maybe tidied up by you) before being given to Ms. Nicastro and then sent downtown by Friday. So please make sure I have these today. The worse case scenario is that you have it on your jump drive and need to print it out. If you have read this ahead, you can always send it to me, and I'll print it out. No essay today...equals a zero.
Moving on: we are refreshing the ideas of Romanticism through the use of images today. I'll pass out the quality list and we'll make some visual connections. Relax; this should be fun.
See copy of class handout below. If you are absent, you will need to bring in your thumb drive, so that I can give you the images. This is a class participation grade.
Important concepts to review / learn: awe, sublime, picturesque and transcendent, Trancendentalism- definitions on the handout.
HOMEWORK FOR WEDNESDAY: We will begin working on the poem Thanatopsis in class tomorrow. (class handout, copy below) Please make sure you have read it through carefully. Underline any words that are unfamiliar. This is difficult material and will need to have mastered it. Note that for the ELA you will have a choice of using The Scarlet Letter, Thanatopsis, Hamlet and the short stories.
Homework for Tuesday 10 January: vocabulary 7 handout in class; copy below the poem
THANATOPSIS
by: William Cullen Bryant (1794-1878)
TO him who in the love of Nature holds
Communion with her visible forms, she speaks
A various language; for his gayer hours
She has a voice of gladness, and a smile
And eloquence of beauty, and she glides
Into his darker musings, with a mild
And healing sympathy, that steals away
Their sharpness, ere he is aware. When thoughts
Of the last bitter hour come like a blight
Over thy spirit, and sad images
Of the stern agony, and shroud, and pall,
And breathless darkness, and the narrow house,
Make thee to shudder and grow sick at heart;--
Go forth, under the open sky, and list
To Nature's teachings, while from all around--
Earth and her waters, and the depths of air--
Comes a still voice--Yet a few days, and thee
The all-beholding sun shall see no more
In all his course; nor yet in the cold ground,
Where thy pale form was laid with many tears,
Nor in the embrace of ocean, shall exist
Thy image. Earth, that nourish'd thee, shall claim
Thy growth, to be resolved to earth again,
And, lost each human trace, surrendering up
Thine individual being, shalt thou go
To mix for ever with the elements,
To be a brother to the insensible rock,
And to the sluggish clod, which the rude swain
Turns with his share, and treads upon. The oak
Shall send his roots abroad, and pierce thy mould.
So live, that when thy summons comes to join
The innumerable caravan which moves
To that mysterious realm where each shall take
His chamber in the silent halls of death,
Thou go not, like the quarry-slave at night,
Scourged by his dungeon; but, sustain'd and soothed
By an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave,
Like one who wraps the drapery of his couch
About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams.
Vocabulary 7 definitions
1. allay (verb)- to calm or pacify, set to rest, to lessen or relieve; alleviate; to moderate
2. bestial (adj)- beastlike; brutal, subhuman in intelligence and sensibility; depraved; loathsome
3. convivial (adj)- festive, sociable, having fun together, genial; fun-loving; jovial; merry
4. coterie (noun)- a circle of acquaintances, a close-knit, often exclusive group of people with a common interest.
5. counterpart (noun)- a person or thing closely resembling or corresponding to another, a complement; a match.
6. demur (verb) – to object or take exception to; to protest; (noun) an objection
7. effrontery (noun)- shameless boldness, impudence; gall; chutzpah; nerve, impertinence, cheek
8. embellish (verb)- to decorate, adorn, touch up, to improve by adding details, to ornament, garnish
9. ephemeral (adj)- lasting only a short time, short-lived; fleeting, transient, evanescent, transitory
10. felicitous (adj) – appropriate, apt, well chosen, marked by well-being or good fortune
11. furtive (adj)- done slyly or stealthily, sneaky, secret, shifty, stolen, clandestine, covert, surreptitious
12. garish (adj) – glaring, tastelessly showy or over decorated in a vulgar or offensive way.
13. illusory (adj) – misleading, deceptive, lacking in or not based on reality, specious, spurious, fanciful
14. indigent (adj) – needy, impoverished; penniless, poverty-stricken, destitute
15. inordinate (adj)- far too great, exceeding reasonable limits, excessive
16. jettison (verb) – to cast overboard, get rid of as unnecessary or burdensome
17. misanthrope (noun) a person or hates, distrusts or despises mankind
18. pertinacious (adj)- very persistent, holding firmly to a course of action or set of beliefs; stubborn, dogged, determined
19. picayune (adj)- of little value or importance, paltry, measly, concerned with trifling matters
20. raiment- (noun)- clothing, garments, apparel, attire.
Vocabulary 7 exercise 1 Use the correct form.
1. The defense attorney was as ______________________________ as a bull-dog in his cross-examination of the witness.
2. The number of homeless and ____________________________ people has increased since the economy has taken a downturn.
3. The millionaire _______________________________ left all her money to an animal shelter and not a single penny to a human being.
4. I have to admit I was frightened of my ________________________________ on the team because she held the high-jump record.
5. Police state tactics provide a(n) __________________________ sense of security in an unjust society.
6. The politician made a speech in order to ________________________________ his constituents’ fears.
7. The storefront was painted in ____________________________ colors so that it would attract the attention of passersby.
8. The rank and file will ______________________________ if they are not consulted regularly by the union leadership.
9. The captain ordered the crew to _______________________ the ballast so the ship could move more quickly through the water.
10. A supervisor who fusses about every _______________________ fault of the workers will lower morale and productivity.
11. In beating the prisoner, the guards were guilty of a truly ______________________ act.
12. The girl was caught taking a _______________________________ glance at the test paper of the student sitting next to her.
13. Robert Browning and his _______________________________ had ideas about poetry that seemed revolutionary in their day.
14. After having been suspended for disrespectful behavior, the student had the _____________________ to talk back to the teacher again.
15. In view of the high prices for home heating oil, the mild winter was a ____________________________ turn of events.
16. Thanksgiving dinner at Grandmother’s house is always a(n) _____________________________ family gathering.
17. Only the greatest of writers and artists achieve anything other than ________________________ popularity.
18. The best storytellers _________________________ their tales in ways that help readers visualize the setting.
19. The press showered the popular actor with ____________________________ praise for what seemed an ordinary performance.
20. When the chorus in the Greek tragedy hears that the king has died, they tear their ________________________ in anguish.
Vocabulary 7, exercise 2 Use the correct form!
1. A busy administrator in today’s high-pressure business world just doesn’t have time to deal with such ____________________________ concerns as making coffee.
2. Recent developments in that part of the world have intensified rather than _________________________________ our fears of renewed conflict.
3. He is entitled to reasonable compensation for the damage to his car, but the demands he has made are totally __________________________________.
4. The “Old 400” was a very small and exclusive __________________________ of prominent families that dominated East Coast society for decades.
5. When Charles V retired to a Spanish monastery, he exchanged the costly ________________________ of a king for the simple habit of a monk.
6. The crew of the freighter ____________________________ most of its cargo in a desperate effort to keep the sinking ship afloat.
7. A good deal of sad experience has taught me that my youthful hopes of getting something for noting are entirely ____________________________.
8. Who wouldn’t have had fun among such a __________________________ group of people?
9. In the Victorian era, designers ____________________________ women’s dresses with all sorts of elaborate frills and flounces.
10. Since we all agreed that the proposal seemed to offer the best solution to our problem, it was accepted without _________________________.
11. The disastrous stock market crash of 1929 left many a wealthy speculator as _______________________ as the proverbial church mouse.
12. The _________________________ manner in which he sidled into the room and tried to avoid being noticed actually drew attention to his presence.
13. Though I don’t consider myself much of a diplomat, I think I handled that delicate situation in a particularly ____________________________manner.
14. “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, again” seems to be the motto of that _________________________________ woman.
15. Jonathan Swift so came to loathe human folly, vice and hypocrisy that he died a virtual ____________________________.
16. At the Casablanca Conference in 1943, President Roosevelt and his military aides met with their British ____________________________ to map military strategy for the Western Allies.
17. The man’s features suddenly contorted in a ________________________________ mask, more reminiscent of a hobgoblin than a human being.
18. The _________________________ movie palaces of an earlier era have given way to smaller theaters, decorated in a simpler, more austere style.
19. Many a now-forgotten “movie-great” has discovered to his or her chagrin that fame may indeed be as _______________________________ as a passing shower.
20. He had the __________________________________ to come into my own home to tell me what I should do to help him.
Vocabulary 7 exercise 3
Synonyms
1. the dogged researcher _____________________________________
2. donned fashionable attire ____________________________________
3. an influential set of friends _____________________________________
4. willingly abandoned their prejudices _____________________________________
5. their apt meeting _____________________________________
6. had the gall to demand an apology ____________________________________
7. prone to fanciful get-rich-quick ______________________________________
8. will surely relieve his anxiety _______________________________________
9. her complement a the rival company ______________________________________
10. condemned the militia’s depraved behavior _____________________________________
11. protested when asked to leave _____________________________________
12. a well-known people-hater ______________________________________
13. ornamented with high-sounding phrases _______________________________________
14. ignore those inconsequential objections ______________________________________
15. the fleeting nature of power ______________________________________
Antonyms
16. their forthright attempt to withdraw ______________________________________
17. moderate increases in profits ______________________________________
18. the wealthy inhabitants of the big cities _____________________________________
19. a very grim lunch meeting ______________________________________
20. understated taste in home furnishings ______________________________________
Vocabulary 7, exercise 4
1. The Presidency is the “toughest job in the world” because it makes such (bestial / inordinate) demands on a person’s time, energy and ingenuity.
2. The famous sleuth pursued his investigation with all the (pertinacity / conviviality) of a lion stalking its dinner.
3. “You mean you had the (effrontery / demur) to ask for a raise when everyone knows you’ve been goofing off lately?” I asked in amazement.
4. An emotion so fickle and (ephemeral / pertinacious) does not deserve to be categorized as “love.”
5. The kind of (garish/ picayune) theatrical makeup used by circus clowns is not suitable for an elegant fashion model.
6. Nothing we could say seemed to (demur / allay) her grief over the loss of her dog.
7. The proofreader didn’t notice any significant flaws in the writing, but he did find a few (ephemeral / picayune) defects in the typesetting.
8. To anyone as fond of horses as I am, the stable and the tack room provide as (indigent / convivial) an atmosphere as one could wish for.
9. If installment buying is not carefully controlled, the benefits that can accrue for it may prove wholly (illusory / inordinate).
10. I am flattered that you want me to chair the meeting, but I must (demur / embellish) on the grounds of my youth and inexperience).
11. I can always come up with the crushing rejoinder, the dazzling witticism or the (furtive / felicitous) phrase – about an hour after I need it.
12. When the facts of a matter speak so plainly for themselves, we shouldn’t seek to (jettison / embellish) them.
13. Somehow, it depresses me to think that with the approach of winter this magnificent old tree will surrender all its leafy (effrontery / raiment).
14. She has neither the starry-eyed optimism of the idealist nor the mordant cynicism of the (coterie / misanthrope.)
15. Through the Federal government does much to help the (indigent / illusory), private charities play no small part in their welfare.
16. Often the antonym of a given English word is not so much its opposite as its (embellishment / counterpart).
17. Every dynamic and successful society must be able to (jettison / allay) ideas and institutions that have outlived their usefulness.
18. As the rock star’s popularity began to skyrocket, what had been a small (coterie / raiment) of admirers became an unruly mob.
19. The atrocities committed by the (garish / bestial) commanders of such concentration camps as Auschwitz appalled the civilized world.
20. When I returned to the office earlier than expected, I caught the little snoop (felicitously / furtively) going through the papers on my desk.
Review of Romanticism and visual application.
1. Love of Nature
2. Idealization of Rural Living
3. Faith in Common People
4. Emphasis on Freedom and Individualism
5. Spontaneity, intuition, feeling, imagination, wonder
6. Passionate individual religiosity
7. Life after death
8. Organic view of the World
Terms to know well:
1. awe- noun: A feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder: "they gazed in awe at the small mountain of diamonds".
verb: Inspire with awe: "they were both awed by the vastness of the forest".
synonyms: fear - reverence - dread - fright – terror
2. picturesque- charming or quaint in appearance
3. sublime-adjective: Of such excellence, grandeur, or beauty as to inspire great admiration or awe: "ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous".
Synonyms: adjective. lofty - grand - noble - exalted - elevated – stately
4. transcendental- adjective- Of or relating to a spiritual or nonphysical realm.
5. Transcendentalism- a philosophy that asserts the primacy of the spiritual and transcendental over the material and empirical
For each of the following Romantic images, write an aspect and or term that reflects the picture. Be prepared to explain your choice.
1. Goya Saturn Devouring His Children ______________________________
2. Fuseli Lady Macbeth ______________________________________________
3. Delecroix The Massacre at Chior _______________ _____________
___________________________________________________________________
4. Constable Wivenhoe Park ___________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
5.Bingham Fur Traders on the Missouri _______________________________
6. Turner Steamboat Off Harbour’s Mouth ______________________________
__________________________________________________________________
7. Turner The Fighting Temeraire ____________________________________
________________________________________________________________
8. Friedrich The Wanderer _________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
9. Friedrich A Tale from the Brother’s Grimm __________________________
______________________________________________________________
10. Runge Children ________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
11. Friedrich The Polar Sea ___________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
12. Stubbs A Horse Frightened by a Lion _______________________________
_______________________________________________________________
13. Gericault Mounted Officer of the Imperial Guard _______________________
_________________________________________________________________
14. Goya The Third of May 1808 __________________________________
______________________________________________________________
15. Delacroix Liberty _____________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
16. Blake The Ancient of Days __________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
17. Blake Beatrice Addressing Dante ___________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
18. Delacroix The Death of Sardanapalus ________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
19. Fuseli Nightmare _________________________________________________
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20. Fuseli Nightmare 2 ______________________________________________
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