FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21 (3)
By Monday I'd like you to read lines 1-395 of Book 18. Messrs. Kenneally, Groves, Clemons, and Bugg will begin class discussion. I would like for you to have completed a full draft of your second Iliad body paragraph by Tuesday, so take the weekend to work diligently on it, keeping in mind last week's instruction. On Tuesday you'll bring two hard copies of a full draft to class for peer review.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 24 (4)
Today I'll hand back your body paragraphs; you'll have a little time to ask questions about them and I'll go over some general observations I made while grading. We'll then use the rest of class to mine the beginning of Book 18. Please bring two hard copies of your second body paragraph to class tomorrow for peer review.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25 (5)
Iliad body paragraph peer review
Tomorrow you'll have your next vocabulary quiz on units 11-12. I'd also like for you to have completed reading Book 18 and the entirety of 19, wherein you'll witness the reconciliation of Achilles and Agamemnon.
WedneSDAY, OCTOBER 26 (6)
First we'll have the vocabulary quiz on units 11-12, before moving to the end of Book 18 and the beginning of 19.
Tonight I'd like you to read Book 22. Yes, you'll read the entirety of it; you won't be able to put it down, anyway. Messrs. van der Dys, Lawrence, Graham, and Alwais will come to class with a discussion question to begin class.
Books 20 and 21 are omitted. The gods join the battle. Achilles, looking for Hector, faces off with Aeneas, who is saved by Poseidon. Achilles then goes on a rampage, killing fourteen Trojans in quick succession. Hector at first avoids Achilles, but when Achilles kills his youngest brother, Polydorus, Hector faces Achilles. Apollo intervenes and saves Hector from Achilles' spear. Achilles presses on, killing Trojans mercilessly. The River Xanthus rises in rage against Achilles and nearly overwhelms him. Hera has Hephaestus fight the river with fire, and the river god begs for mercy. The gods battle each other. Achilles continues on to Troy. Apollo, disguised as a Trojan, acts as a decoy to lead Achilles away from the city while the Trojans retreat to within their walls.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27 (1)
Discussion of Iliad, Book 22. We'll probably have to finish discussing Book 19 beforehand.
friDAY, OCTOBER 28 (2)
Iliad essay rough sketch: general instruction and my expectations for what you're to bring to class on Monday
Over the weekend you're to prepare for our one-on-one meeting that will take place either Monday or Tuesday. Be prepared to be called up.
I expect your quick pitch to include a typed copy of your statement of argument, what you want to show in your essay, as well as a topic plan similar to one of the ones we put up on the board last week. What does your thesis demand you do in order to clearly demonstrate your main points? Submit a list of topics, developing points, and the types of paragraphs that you think you'll need to write.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 31 (3)
Today will be the first of two days of individual meetings to go over your thesis statements and rough sketches of the Iliad essay. While we meet, you're given the time to work diligently on your Iliad essays.
TUESDAY, november 1 (4)
Today will be the second of two days of individual meetings to go over your thesis statements and rough sketches of the Iliad essay. While we meet, you're given the time to work diligently on your Iliad essays.
Tonight, please read the first 282 lines of Book 23. The rest of Book 23 (lines 283-923) is omitted. Achilles hosts funeral games for Patroclus. I'll talk briefly about the importance of funeral games to the Greeks.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2 (5)
Iliad, discussion of Book 22.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3 (6)
Iliad, Book 23; We'll also finish our one-on-one meetings during this period. Tonight read lines 497-860 of Book 24 of the Iliad. We've skipped lines 1-496 of Book 24. Achilles continues to desecrate Hector's body, which is preserved by Apollo. Apollo convinces the other gods to order Achilles to allow the body to be ransomed. Thetis goes to Achilles and persuades him to do so. Iris tells Priam to go to Achilles with ransom. Priam is guided by Hermes to Achilles' hut.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4 (1)
Final Iliad discussion of Book 24
Over the weekend, I'd like you to print and read "Money Talks". In the margin identify the article's main thesis and whenever you see a shift in topic. How does the topic help to develop the thesis? Additionally, I'd like you to read the two sample student essays from pages 125-129 in the Degen text.
monDAY, NOVEMBER 7 (2)
Today we'll begin by finishing the Iliad before moving on to see about how "Money Talks" thinks in topics.
tuesDAY, NOVEMBER 8 (3)
Sample student essays on pages 125-129 in Degen. We'll look at 2 of your body paragraphs up on the big board: the first, the second.
wednesDAY, NOVEMBER 9 (4)
EC OPPORTUNITY; I'll be assigning the fall final essay today. If we have time, we'll continue looking at samples of your written work.
thursDAY, NOVEMBER 10 (5)
Kubus is out today. You're free with a lot of work on your plate, both preparing your final document for submission tomorrow and for the vocabulary quiz. Use your time wisely, scholars.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11 (6)
“That belief in Christ is to some a matter of life and death has been a stumbling block for some readers who would prefer to think it a matter of no great consequence. For them, Hazel Motes’s integrity lies in his trying with such vigor to get rid of the ragged figure who moves from tree to tree in the back of his mind. For the author, Hazel’s integrity lies in his not being able to do so. Does one’s integrity ever lie in what he is not able to do? I think that usually it does, for free will does not mean one will, but many wills conflicting in one man. Freedom cannot be conceived simply. It is a mystery and one which a novel, even a comic novel, can only be asked to deepen.”
Vocabulary Quiz, units 13-14; After the quiz I'll introduce you to Flannery O'Connor and her first novel, Wise Blood, its idiosyncrasies, its language, its terminology, its theme. Over the weekend, I'd like you to read the first chapter of Flannery O'Connor's Wise Blood. Respond to three of the following as you read, fully and thoughtfully. I'll be checking first thing.
(1) What’s the setting of the novel? What’s the time period? How do they matter?
(2) Sentence one: Our introduction to Hazel Motes. What impression of him do you get right away? How does the sentence convey that impression? What do you notice about the style of that sentence?
(3) What does Haze look like? What is he wearing? Note all the information we get about him. Notice the way Haze responds to the world. How would you characterize his responses? What kind of guy is he? What does he care about?
(4) What about Haze’s name, both of them? And pay attention to the names of other characters, too. They’re not chosen at random.
(5) Note the description of Mrs. Wally Bee Hitchcock (To say nothing about her name.). What is the mode of that description? How realistic is it? What does she care about? How does she react to Haze? You’ll see a motif of reactions for Haze.
(6) What are you noticing about the imagery?
(7) What do we learn about Haze's religious convictions?
up next:
What's Due?
You'll begin reading Wise Blood, Flannery O'Connor's first novel, over the weekend of November 12 and 13, so make sure you have your hard copy ready to go by then.
Wednesday, October 26 - Iliad second body paragraph
Monday, October 31 - Provisional thesis and rough sketch
Friday, November 11 - Iliad Essay
Monday, December 5 - Fall Final Essay
“enargeia, n. (εναργεια) ETYM: from the Greek word argos, meaning “bright”
a. the graphic portrayal of living an experience
b. the stylistic effect in which appeal is made to the senses in such a way that the listener will be turned into an eyewitness; mimesis
b. bright unbearable reality
”Homer’s greatness is in his telling out of the embedded vivid, the core of life made explicit.””
Word of the day
THE ILIAD STUDY LINKS
New York Times review of Lombardo's translation of the Iliad
Parallels between ISIS and warriors in the Iliad?
Can Homer's Iliad speak across the centuries?
War is unavoidable -- and other hard lessons from Homer's Iliad
Book by book outline of the events of the poem
A Study Guide from Duke University with a list of the principal episodes
A more detailed version of the above study guide
Early Greek Humanism: The Beauty of the Human Form and Essence
Columbia's historical context for Homer
Guide to reading the Iliad with notes on epic and the heroic worl
The Iliad in art
POETRY FOUNDATION ARTICLES
this week from the school of life
The key to finding fulfilling work is to think a lot, analyse one's fears, understand the market, reflect on capitalism.