Poems by Hikmet & Solzhenitsyn

Mr. Stone spent a few minutes clarifying points about the imagery in Lorca's "The Guitar" (1043) and Milosz's "Encounter" (1047).  He then went on to read "Meet Nazim Hikmet" (1049) and to read and discuss the form of Hikmet's "The World, My Friends, My Enemies, You, and the Earth" (1051).   Stone also  read "Meet Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn" (1072) and read his poem "Mr. Freedom to Breathe" (1074).  Mr. Stone continued to emphasize the influence of politics on the writings of these poets.

Mr. Stone also shared one of his own poems, "Riding the Flexible Flyer."

Homework:  Study the Quizlet sets for Thursday's test over literature of early and modern Europe.

Quizlet Troubles

I created the author title set for Early and Modern Europe, but am currently unable to view it because Quizlet is experiencing technical difficulties and the site is not currently accessible.  I will try again later and let you know as I am able to finish more sets.

Sorry for the delay.  Mr. Stone

Mr. Stone read the introductory material on the Spanish writer Federico García Lorca.  A Spanish-speaking student read Lorca's "The Guitar" in Spanish, and then Mr. Stone read it from the textbook in English.  Students may enjoy this video showing Lorca and a woman reading "La guita." The class discussed the differences and concluded the original Spanish version is much more musical than the English translation.

Mr. Stone then read the introductory material on the Polish poet Czesław Miłosz  and discussed with the class the cost of being a writer with strong political views.  Mr. Stone read Czesław Miłosz's "The Encounter." 

Homework:  Begin studying Quizlet set for Unit test on Thursday.

Kafka's "First Sorrow" and Pirandello's "War"

Mr. Stone chose to have a discussion instead of a quiz over the homework.  Students responded to questions about Franz Kafka's "First Sorrow" (1017) and Luigi Pirandello's "War" (1027).

The conversation included some discussion of existentialism, developmental psychology, and realism.

Homework:  Read Collette's "Two Memories of Sido" (1032-1037).

Dante's Inferno & Akhmatova's "Lot's Wife"

Quiz: excerpt from  Elie Wiesel's Night

Mr. Stone discussed with students the importance of reading autobiographical accounts of history to help them to learn the lessons of history and to provide role models from which they may project a vision of their own adult selves (James Fowler).

FYI:  Mr. Stone's undergraduate thesis applied James Fowler's faith development theory to the life and works of the Briish World War I poet Wilfred Owen.

Mr. Stone read "Meet Anna Akmatova" (1021) and discussed the risks and benefits of contemporary writers responses to contemporary politics.  He read Akhmatova's "Lot's Wife" (1023).  The class will briefly discuss the poem during the next class.

Homework:  Read Franz Kafka's "First Sorrow" (1017-1018) and Luigi Perandello's "War" (1027-1029).  

Excerpts from Dante's Inferno and Elie Wiesel's Night

Mr. Stone read through Canto V of Dante's Inferno and through line 96 of Canto XXXIV, pausing for commentary and clarification.

Homework:  Read the excerpt from Elie Wiesel's Night (1063-1069).