Level English IV Final Review

Please review the following:

You need to review your notes from all of this semester's college lectures: the Restoration, the Romantics, the Victorian Period, and the Modern Period.  That's four sets of notes.  I still have your Modern Period notes, but I'll hand those over to you tomorrow.  On Tuesday, I'll have some old lecture quizzes out for you to take a look at.

As far as the literature goes...

-Review "A Modest Proposal," and the satirical and rhetorical techniques of Jonathan Swift: exaggeration, understatement, irony, sarcasm, ethos, logos, and pathos.

-Briefly review Samuel Johnson's dictionary and decide whether it is objective or subjective; this distinction was the extent of our discussion of this piece.

-Review William Blake's "The Tyger" and "The Lamb."  Contrast the speakers, themes, tones, and moods of these pieces; while you're at it, review Blake's three states of the human soul: innocence, experience, and organized innocence.  Review apostrophe.  What is it?

-Review "Tintern Abbey" and pinpoint the functions of nature discussed by Wordsworth in this piece.  If you were taking notes during our discussion of this poem, simply review those notes.

-Review the plot of "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" and consider the moral of this tale.  Also, consider the possible symbols of the albatross throughout the poem.  Trace the repentance/learning experience of the mariner throughout the piece, identifying important points in this process.

-Review "Kubla Khan" and the symbolism attached to the physical elements mentioned in the piece.  Remember the drawing?  What does the river symbolize?  The geyser? That moment when the water from the river is spewed up through the caverns to grounds above.  What did I say this poem is all about?  The answer is not opium.

-What are the themes of "Ozymandias" and "La Belle Dame sans Merci"?  Review these two poems.  What is a Byronic hero, and how does Byron's Manfred details the characteristics of this archetype?

-Review the plot of Frankenstein and the themes we singled out along the way.  How are those themes best developed in the novel?  Which characters and events best develop those themes?

-Review the symbols (and their meanings) from "Lady of Shallot."  What's the significance of the mirror, Lancelot, Camelot, the island, etc.  Again, your notes from class discussions hold all of these answers.

-Who is the speaker of "Ulysses" and what's his conflict?  What's the speaker's inner conflict in "In Memoriam"?  How and why does the speaker's views of nature change over the course of the poem?  What does the speaker of "Crossing the Bar" think of death?  How do you know?  How do both "Dover Beach" and "Channel Firing" deal with the industrial revolution as well as war? What does the sea symbolize in "Dover Beach," and why are people so darn unhappy according to Arnold?  What's Arnold's advice to his readers?

-Review your notes for Brave New World?  You'll have to know some quotes again.

Judging by the state of my throat today, I don't think I'll be doing much talking tomorrow.  I'll most likely sit at my desk and allow you to review for the exam on your own.  If you have any questions, I'll be more than happy to answer them one on one in whispers.  I recommend you review all that I've covered here, but don't forget to go over your lecture notes.  Those historical facts and details can be challenging.

Synthesis Essay Prompt #2

"I think the great poet, who is going to come, is going to be the poet who can see in a single grass blade--a single surviving grass blade--heaven and earth, or the lost paradise....So the poet who is going to be the great poet of the future is going to be that poet who can tell us what the last grass blade, popping up through the cement means--really."

I don't know what else I can say about this quote/prompt.  The quote seems to imply that great poets must be Romantic poets, poets who see much more in nature than simply a blade of grass, for example.  One could discuss the views of Romantic poets expressed in their poetry and "prove" their importance within the context of our "advanced," industrial world.  This quote also expresses a bit of doom.  The suggestion that at one point in the future there will be only one grass blade is a bit of a social sci-fi type prediction.  From this perspective, a discussion of Brave New World might be useful.  How is Brave New World society a one-grass-blade-world, and how might a Romantic poet be of use to the people of Brave New World (from our perspective, not theirs)?  Or considering where our world is heading (not to sound too glum), how might the Romantic perspective assist us in avoiding the future of Brave New World?  Food for thought.

Brave New World Test Review

Well done to those of you who are reading these words.  I hope the following helps.

Don't forget to review BNW-specific concepts such as Neo-Pavlovian conditioning, Bokanovsky's Process, hypnopaedia, freemartins, feelies, and Malthusian Drills.  Neo-Pavlovian conditioning is simply the process by which children are conditioned to associate completely unrelated stimuli; for example, look at the very beginning of Chapter 2 (pp. 19-22) and the conditioning of the babies to associate flowers and books with pain, hence yielding the same response (fear) to both. Bokanovsky's process is a technique by which BNW geneticists produce up to 96 identical twins from one human egg.  Feel free to review the rest on your own; all are pretty straight forward.  Just remember that any term with the word "Malthusian" in it refers to birth control.

I think it's important to remember that while BNW society seems odd and horribly controlling to us, the majority of BNW citizens are happy (even though this is that mediocre, level line happiness we discussed in class last Friday).  In fact, the World Controllers go out of their way to ensure the happiness of these citizens through proper conditioning, hypnopaedia, and predestination.  Remember the words of the Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning: "And that, that is the secret of happiness and virtue--liking what you've got to do."  But also consider his words concerning the thoughts of the BNW citizens and the suggestions of the World State (end of Chapter 2).

You should review the entire Solidarity Service scene in Chapter 5, Part 2.  Review the notes from class on the Solidarity Service and soma as religion.  We discussed the BNW meaning of "atonement" during the same lecture.

Consider Bernard's reasons for bringing Linda and John back to BNW London.  Who is he trying to discredit through this scheme and why?  Who is John's father, Linda's ex-lover?  Linda lovingly calls him "Tomakin."  Also, consider Bernard's behavior and actions after he brings John and Linda back to BNW London (Chapter 11; pp. 156-57).

Consider John's true beef with BNW society.  Sure he thinks this society is immoral, but mainly he's disgusted with the easiness of the BNW lifestyle (Consider what we talked about last Friday; what did I say the World Controllers had to offer at that negotiation table?):

"Yes, that's just like you.  Getting rid of everything unpleasant instead of learning to put up with it.  Whether 'tis better in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles and by opposing end them...But you don't do either.  Neither suffer nor oppose.  You just abolish the slings and arrows.  It's too easy."

John would rather claim "the right to be unhappy" while the citizens of BNW London would rather "prefer to do things comfortably."

I have no respect for Mustapha Mond, mainly because he denies John the opportunity to exile himself to an island with Bernard or Helmholtz.  I am suspicious of his professed motive, wanting "to go on with the experiment."  It seems to me the experiment has run its course to completion when John cleanses himself of the poisoned civilization through self-induced vomiting.  I don't think the results of this experiment could be any more clear.  I think Mond wants to keep John around as a novelty, something (not really someone) at which to stare and point.

Review the Cyprus experiment discussed near the middle of Chapter 16 and Mond's discussion with John about an Alpha-dominated population.  Why wouldn't it work?  Do we all want to be Alphas?  Can everyone be an Alpha?

Review the scene in Chapter 3 that exhibits Fanny as the model citizen and Lenina as doubtful. This scene is important when it comes to characterization.  We spent time on this one in class, so it shouldn't be new to you.  Also of importance: Bernard and Lenina's date in Chapter 6, Part 1.

Lastly, review the ritual scene from Chapter 7 (towards the end, pp. 116-17).  I mentioned last week that I thought Huxley was trying to satirize conventional religion and the "spiritual high." The Solidarity Service is all music, drugs, sex, and lights.  Remember?  Who wouldn't feel something exposed to such stimulants?  Take a look at the ritual scene.  How are the Solidarity Service and this primitive ritual similar?  Is the ritual just a less hi-tech sound and light show?  I don't think Huxley is pleased with either of these takes on religion.  He seems to want something else out of religion.  I don't think Huxley approves of John's blind faith (expressed in his desire to sacrifice himself to please Pookong and Jesus) either.  Huxley wants a more mild religion, or perhaps he's just wary of the power and influence religion can have over society; he sees religion as just one more tool of the would-be World Controllers of our world and time.

Now, let me address the synthesis essay:

Prompt 1)  Prove to me that technology can be used for both good and bad.  Think about how technology relates to ambition and the conflict between gov. and the individual.

Prompt 2) Discuss the Romantics and their views of nature.  What is the importance of nature? How does it serve society and the poet?  Do poets really need to be able to see so much in nature to be great poets?

Prompt 3) Prove to me that all literature doesn't just entertain but teaches as well.  Discuss various pieces and the morals they teach.

Be as specific as possible.  Try to use three works to answer all three of these prompts.  You must use a note card.  Making a note card is work, but it can only help you. 

Victorian Poetry Test Review

Level English IV
Hey you guys! Get a load of these helpful study questions. Please review your notes, review the poems, and take a gander at these questions.

"La Belle Dame sans Merci" - pg. 751/753: 4
"The Lady of Shalott" - pg. 808-812/pg. 813: 2, 4, 5
"In Memoriam" - pg. 815-820/pg. 820: 1 & 5
"Ulysses" - pg. 822-23/pg. 823: 2 & 7
"Crossing the Bar" - pg. 824/pg. 825: 2 & 3
"My Last Duchess" - pg. 830-831/pg. 831: 1 & 2
"Dover Beach" - pg. 848/pg. 850: 3, 4, 6, 7

Study! Study! Study!