rhetoric and poetics-2025-03-10

Opening Remarks

  • Begins with a light-hearted introduction, featuring a spontaneous "Hail Mary" prayer and taking attendance.

  • Students share highlights from their breaks, including a variety of personal anecdotes about haircuts and visits to friends.

Thomas More and Shakespeare

  • Discusses English literature in the 1500s-1600s during turbulent times in England.

  • Highlights the impact of Henry VIII's break from Rome, leading to the establishment of the Church of England.

  • Describes the conflicts of this period: Catholics vs. Protestants involving underground practices of faith.

The Neoclassical Period (1700-1800)

  • Summary of the 1700s: Considered the "neoclassical age"—a time perceived as dry in literature.

  • Introduces Jane Austen as a critical literary figure straddling the neoclassical and romantic movements, suggesting her works provide a bridge between the two eras.

Romanticism Movement (1800s)

  • Examines appearances of romanticism in literature and culture during the 1800s in England.

  • Positions Austen in relation to romanticism: shows intricate engagements with themes of subjectivity and human experience.

Pride and Prejudice Discussion

  • Encourages reflective writing on Pride and Prejudice, probing students about their takeaways.

  • The impact of perceived gender roles and relationships in Austen’s literature is highlighted.

  • James Austen’s works often juxtapose societal exterior with internal characters' developments, exploring essential elements such as deception, worldliness, and the nature of marriage.

Literature's Reflection on Perception

  • Engages students in a discussion about the balance of subjectivity (personal views) versus objectivity (the world outside themselves).

  • Commends Austen's style: balancing personal narrative with broader human truths.

  • Emphasizes the complexity of relationships as well as the importance of having a deep understanding and communication between partners.

Neoclassical Literature and Critique

  • Discusses Alexander Pope, presenting his structured approach to poetry as reflective of the neoclassical style, which emphasizes order, symmetry, and rules derived from nature.

  • Comparison between neoclassical poetry's strict rhyme and meter, and the looser style of romantic poetry, indicating a shift away from rigidity in the latter movement.

Romanticism: Individualism and Nature

  • Identifies romantic poetry as focusing on personal experience and emotional depth, distancing from the strict conventions of neoclassicism.

  • Explores the concept of the sublime; highlighting beauty intertwined with elements of danger and intensity.

  • Discusses how romantic poets invite readers to engage with nature to achieve a higher understanding of self and reality.

Conclusion and Upcoming Assignments

  • Notifies students about reading assignments focusing on various isms explored throughout the week, especially romanticism and transcendentalism.

  • Introduces the Tolstoy short story, "The Death of Ivan Ilyich," to deepen students' understanding of existential themes.

  • Wraps up the session with reminders about tasks due for the next class.