Hammett,Michael

__My Wiki Page: __ Michael Hammett Brit. Lit. Beowulf to Milton Prof. Kisha Tracy __Thoughts on Beowulf: __

I thought the story was very interesting, it was clearly meant to be told as a story to others and to spread word of Beowulf. The most interesting part of it is the quest for eternal life through your legend. Beowulf intended to have a monument of him build but it never seemed to come but his legend lives on through his story of bravery and valor. This is interesting because the writer of this story is Christian and the story is not about God or the afterlife but living eternally through your story and not through salvation. The story is also interesting because of the value of Beowulf to his people, he is a Legend in all the meaning of it but the things he has done seem so unreal. This is besides the fact there are no such things as dragon etc. but even so the story is about how valor is important and how it is to be a good king to your people. 

__Why is the Miller's Tale a Fabliaux or Farce? __ The Miller's Tale stands upon situations and the experiences from them. The characters can be defined with short explanations without much depth. This lack of depth allows for the "farce" to show, in that the situations that these characters are put in show situational humor in the development of each experience. Perhaps it was because the tale to me did not show any development. The story was lack luster and hard to understand any sort of real plot. The people in the story were blank and nonsensical almost dumb even. It seemed to be a poorly written sit com in todays TV.

__Character of Mak from the second shepherds' play __ The thiefing and maniacle character of Mak is clearly a cunning person. He has the ability to twist works with his tongue and trick others into believing what he wants them to believe. Mak tricks the three shephards into believing the sheep is his son. For a while the shephards believe that the sheep is his son. For whatever reason we do not know. But once they figure out what actually happened with their sheep and dealt with the thief in a "proper" manner.

__Renaissance Changes from Middle English: __ The changes made in british literature are mostly religious. Until this point the bibles were mostly in their original texts. At this point the Bible was undergoing translation by many writers. The Church saw this and was not pleased of the happening. What's the problem? Well changing certain words from their original latin meanings or just saying a "similar" line different can change or skew the entire section of the Bible.

In addition the Renaissance brought about new ways of thinking, before, the world was very religous and with no doubt everything was in God's creation. During and after the Renaissance, introduction to more scientific thought had happened with an increase in art, science, and technology.

__Identify one significant diffrence in the language of the Biblical passages __ I believe the most significant difference was the detail words used, and the arrangement of them. In the different passages you see what the writer wanted their version of the bible to look like. Though obviously all of the bibles tell the same stories, the difference is how the stories are told. The arrangement and emphasis of specific words changes slight meanings or views of, for example, how exactly God created the heaven and the earth. And how He created light and day, from darkness and night. It's the small changes is words that make up the difference in the passages. With these differences we can see what was important for the writers about how the stories in the Bible went.

__<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">To the Troops at Tillsbury: __ <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The Queen makes a speech to her troops, this speech is meant to boost moral by explaining that she is just as powerful as any man and that her army is better than any other because she is such a good leader and Queen. She compares herself to being as good as a King, with a "stomach" to match any mans. The current engagement is a war against Spain. Her motion is to boost moral of England as one being, against all of Spain, in that together England is more powerful.

__<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Introduction to Sonnets: __ <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The two rhyme schemes we have gone over are the: <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Shakespearian/Elizabethan Sonnets that rhyme: ABABCDCDEFEFGG <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Itialian Sonnet rhyme: ABBAABBACDECDE <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Also Iambic Pentameter: 10 syllables per line, 5 pairs, stressed and unstressed

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">These sonnets we have been studying have been about God, Faith, Love, and Life experiences. Very interesting reads.

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">__Final Project,__ it happens to be that the English literature is based around religion. Obviously the English writers would be focused on Christianity. My final project is going to be focused on the Christian theme in English writing. It's such a fascinating concept of religion being a theme from the beginning of the course and up to the end. I'll be focusing on the differences between the concept and how different writers write about the subject or use the subject of religion. **More on this later.**

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">__Kelly Stowell in class did some performances__ <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">of bits of scenes of Shakespeare, they were very compelling. It was not like seeing classmates do it where it can have some half assed parts of the play or people just don't get into it for fear of being judged. I feel that it's better to feel the play and the scene and put your all into it, Acting out the character well is the difference in believing what you are saying and not just reciting words your memorized. The difference here is that it's so much more important to understanding the character when you understand the text. Shakespeare is often a hard to read group of plays, and taking the time to understand characters and the text is very good from a conceptual standpoint.

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">__The Peom I want to analyze is "Song" "Go, and catch and falling star"__ <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">by John Donne this song/sonnet is very interesting it's the kind of theme, it's almost like a modern pop culture song. Obviously in an older english, but an update would create fantastic lyrics for a modern song. Continued: The song as I see it is about love and love lost. Donne talks about the falling star as his love lost. I also feel like this song is a compilation of efforts to trying to find the perfect woman. For Donne this must be a hard thing to find because in the last part of the song he states "And swear, no where lives a woman true, and fair."

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">In addition to John Donne my group had to analyze a Sonnet by Sir Walter Raleigh <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Information about Sir Walter: <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">He had a special place in Elizabeths heart. He was also a leading courtiers, adventurers and literary figures. <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Raleigh also had done much of the work in colonizing Virginia and other states in the new world. <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">His poetry can be defined as intensely personal. Sir Walter creates most of his poetry or songs from his personal experiences especially with women. <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Though he was a favorite of Elizabeth, he had secretly married one of Elizabeth's attendants ironically another Elizabeth, Elizabeth Throckmorton. <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">This got him in a lot of trouble and was thrown in jail by the queen. <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">He was later jailed and then beheaded for disobeying the King's orders not the be violent when dealing with the Spanish <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The sonnet we did was: __<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">A VISION UPON THIS CONCEIT OF THE FAIRY QUEEN __ <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Methought I saw the Grave Where Laura Lay, <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Within that temple where the vestal flame <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Was wont to burn: and, passing by that way, <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">To see that buried dust of living fame, <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Whose tomb fair love and faerer Virtue kept, <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">All suddenly I saw the Faery Queen, <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">And from thenceforth those graces were not seen, <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">For they this Queen attended; in whose stead <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Oblivion laid him down on Laura's Hearse. <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Hereat the hardest stones were seen to bleed, <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">And groans of buried ghosts the heavens did pierce: <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Where Homer's spright did tremble all for grief, <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">And cursed the access of that celestial theif. __<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">ANALYSIS: __ <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The faerie queen represents Queen Elizabeth in this poem, we concluded that Laura is his secret lover. <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The poem for the most part is how he cannot be with his lover and that the Faerie queen keeps him away from his love. <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">He uses references to his life experience and even Homer's Oddesey to prove his point of love.

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Analysis of George Herbert: <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Herbert seems to have a very religious tone to his poetry. <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The poetry he does take a form of actual objects. <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">For the sonnet/poem we chose the form was like an alter at a church <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">__THE ALTER__

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">A broken ALTAR, Lord thy servant rears, Made of a heart, and cemented with teares: Whose parts are as thy hand did frame; No workmans tool hath touch'd the same A HEART alone Is such a stone, As nothing but Thy pow'r doth cut. Wherefore each part Of my hard heart Meets in this frame, To praise thy Name: That if I chance to hold my peace, These stones to praise thee may not cease. O let thy blessed SACRIFICE be mine, And sanctifie this ALTAR to be thine.

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">This poem is AABBCCDD and etc for rhyme scheme. <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">As you can also see the form of the poem is in the shape of an alter. <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The poem itself is used with pieces of the Bible to bring a point across of being created by the one and only God <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">And then also finding your faith in God after losing faith.

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">More on Final Essay: <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">After many technical difficulties I have come to the conclusion that writing a piece on religion in English Literature was too broad. Instead I felt the constant confusion of religious influence of Beowulf would create a great inner debate of right and wrong. The 200 year plus debate has been going on between the Paganism and Christianity of Beowulf. Whether the writer intended the story to just be a pagan story about a hero, or about a sacreligious pagan warrior sinning before God with his pride and greed is still a toss up. Perhaps that the story is neither one side or the other, but a mixture of both. Perhaps the writer used Pagan influences to teach Christian lessons. To find out that was the whole of the story all along would one, make a lot of sense, and two, prove an outside of the box thinking that scholars need to start doing.

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Though in my other writings I have expressed a dislike for the "over thinking" of scholars I felt like a simple minded thought process allowing only for one side to be correct and the other side to be wrong. With concepts of religion, often it is thought of something being wrong versus something being right. With this text I feel like the ability for a mixture of Paganism and Christianity is very possible.

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Studying for the Final!

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">With the work from other classes piling up my plan was to use the wiki as my source for studying tips.

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The Wiki I found to be most productive and helpful is Brittany Berndt's Wiki guide.

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Clearly explaining each of the subjects from the last half of the semester: <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Renaissance <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Humanism <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Scientific Inquiry <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Reformation in England <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Elizabeth I and Gender <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Literature in Prose, and Development of Print Culture <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Poetry <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Elizabethan Sonnets

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">I feel that the only thing to add to that was a topic of which we did not spend much time on but is obviously very important for English Literature, William Shakespeare's plays.

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Extra Credit:

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">I do have a plan to do a Sonnet for the extra credit project for the Final. <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">I will be doing a Shakespearian Sonnet and hopes that all will go well with the sonnet. Though I will be passing in what is completed. <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Rhyme Scheme

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">ABAB <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">CDCD <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">EFEF <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">GG

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The focus on the sonnet will be the hard times of this year, although arguably that sonnets are about love, this years love interests have not gone to plan, and such will the sonnet be about loves lost and interferance of outside interests within the world of love.