- show how our investigations last week help us to understand today's poem
The poem of mine you will explore today is a ballad entitled "La Belle Dame Sans Merci"
Task 1: Discuss - what do you expect from a poetic ballad? (your work in the treasure hunt last week should hopefully give you some ideas). Feedback to the class.
Task 2: We will read the poem as a class. (You can use the link or the handout provided.)
Task 3: PLACEMATS - an exercise which will help generate discussion on the poem and synthesize key ideas you have:
- Before discussing the poem AT ALL, you will move into your "placemat" groups.
- In your group, you will sit with a large piece of blank paper separated into sections.
- You will not discuss the poem with your group yet, but will write down your individual comments, thoughts, questions, and ideas on the poem in your section. You will write for four minutes on this, WITHOUT DISCUSSION.
- After the time is up, you will be able to share your comments with the others in your group.
- In the middle of your "PLACEMATS" there is a section to fill in. Here, you should put any major conclusions on the poem your group has come to, after sharing your thoughts. (For example:
- What ideas did members of your group agree on?
- What seems striking and important about this poem?
- What themes does it seem to address?
- How does it seem to reflect the literary movement of the time?
- How does it seem to reflect aspects of my life that you have investigated?)
- Remember: you can record thoughts and ideas using words and/or images: sometimes images help us to clarify our ideas better than words...
- When you have done this a spokesperson from each group will explain the group's findings of the poem (the centre of your placemats).
Shelley´s Nightmares
FranciscoJosefina
Isabel
Jazmin
Carola
Byron's Broads
Valentino
Joaquin
Milagros
Ana
Coleridge's Coven
Rocio
Sofia
Thomas
Florencia
This poem has inspired many painters, perhaps because it is a richly visual poem (even if I do say so myself).
Look at the following painting (same title as poem) by John William Waterhouse, made in 1893:
1) Create your own blog post with this painting. Entitle the post "La Belle Dame Sans Merci"
2) Give a very brief description of Waterhouse, his life and work IN YOUR OWN WORDS.
3) Discuss how this painting accurately reflects ideas, mood, emotion, or anything else in the poem. You should write a paragraph of around seven or eight lines. You can quote from the poem to help you. Be prepared to feedback your paragraph to the class.
4) Find another painting inspired by the poem. Include it in your post. Make sure you state painter, title and year produced.
5) Compare and contrast aspects of your chosen painting with the Waterhouse. Which do you feel gives a more convincing interpretation of the poem, and why? You may wish to consider aspects such as character attitude, light and shadow, scenery, mood. You should try to identify any features of romanticism that seem to be at play. Be prepared to show your work to the class and discuss it in the last ten minutes of the session!
Some really interesting findings made by the groups last class on my poem here:
ReplyDelete1) Milagros' group noticed the musicality of the poem created by the formal rhyme scheme. The poem fits the genre of the ballad here.
2) Other groups mentioned the narrative style of the poem: it tells a story of a Knight and his love/enchantment by a curious/wicked/misunderstood supernatural lady.
3) Some groups suggested the tragic nature of this love story - the Knight is cursed (perhaps even killeed??) by his love, but there is evidence that she may be unable to control her power over him.
4) Some groups noticed the use of synaesthetic images. EXAMPLES???
5) Onew or two students (eg. Jasmin) suggested how both nature and humankind are interwoven in this story, as if we are united with the natural world. (This is a key tenet of Romanticism, and my view of life.) How do I do this in the poem?
6) Some students suggested how this poem may reflect aspects of my own life, in particular my relationship with Fanny Brawne. Can you elaborate on this idea?
7) With regards to item 6) - can you find any connection with what Sofia said about the poem: the idea that love ultimately causes us pain and heartache?
ReplyDeleteSST GROUP COMMENTS (Wed, March 5)
ReplyDeleteSST Group CONCLUSIONS
The Knight could be dead, destroyed by the enchanted woman he falls for
The woman could be an evil, supernatural femme fatale, as Violeta suggested, like an angel of death, as Delfina mentioned
On the other hand, there are suggestions that she is as much a victim of her powers too. (She appears sad as well). Could such an interpretation make the story have a greater sense of tragedy?
I used an old medieval french poem as my source -I am quite mad for old myths and legends (thanks Violeta, again!)
I use the weather and nature a lot. Notice how mood and atmosphere is reflected in the scenery I describe: late autumn signalling the onset of death...
Notice how I use items of natures (plants, flowers, etc) to signify relationships and feelings, the essense of characters...FIND AN EXAMPLE!!!!
Dana's group stated that perhaps the idea of tragic love which is interrupted or unfulfilled reflects my own relationship with my lovely lady, Miss Fanny.