ENL1000 Week 2 Readings and Authors Lecture

1. Week 2 Readings and
Authors Lecture
Keiser University eCampus
ENL1000

2. Week 2 –
Relationships:
The torments
and Triumphs
of Love
Frank Bernard Dicksee’s Romeo and Juliet

3. Christopher Marlowe
Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593) - was born in Canterbury. He was a
contemporary of Shakespeare, both in history and in literature. He was a
skilled playwright and poet. He was the first writer in English to use blank
verse, unrhymed iambic pentameter. Marlowe was a student when he began
writing, but it is assumed he had yet another profession--that of a
spy. Marlowe's death was as mysterious as his life; he was supposedly killed
in a brawl over a check in a tavern. However, those involved, though initially
arrested, never came to trial and were let go without fanfare.
Marlowe wrote many plays, and they were performed at the Globe theater,
as were Shakespeare's plays. Doctor Faustus, Edward II, and Tamburlaine are
some of his best-known plays. His most famous poem is “The Passionate
Shepherd to His Love.”

4. “The Passionate
Shepherd to His Love”
Before you read, consider the title:
Why a shepherd? What do you know about
shepherds and their lifestyle?
A shepherd’s job is to tend to sheep. A shepherd
would live a fairly simple life out in the country,
largely away from society.
What feelings do sheep evoke? Sheep are often
seen as cute, innocent, and peaceful.

5. “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love”
This poem is a great example of a pastoral poem, a poem that explores the fantasy
of leaving modern life behind to live in an idyllic rural setting.
What are some images that suggest that this is an idyllic setting?
How does the shepherd try to convince his beloved to “live with me and be my
love”?
Do you think he will be successful? Why or why not?

6. John Donne
John Donne (1572-1631) was born in London. His family were
Catholics in a time when being a practicing Catholic was illegal.
He is strongly associated with metaphysical poetry, known for
its use of inventive metaphor, called conceits, and clever wit,
infused by flashes of simplicity.
In his lifetime, his poetry was well received. During the
Restoration, his writing fell from favor and remained largely
unnoticed for over 200 years, until the end of the 1800s.

7. “The Flea”
“The Flea” is one of Donne’s most famous poems.
The title suggests it is a poem about a flea, and, while it is about
a flea, it is also a poem about courtship and sex. As you read the
poem, imagine a fictional character, probably a man, speaking
to a woman whom he is trying to seduce.

8. “The Flea”
The poem is written in three stanzas. Before you read, take a look at the physical
structure of each stanza. What patterns do you see in terms of line length and
rhyme scheme?
Since a stanza is sort of like a paragraph in prose writing, you can probably assume
that each stanza has a different purpose. As you read, jot down ideas about what is
going on in each paragraph and how it might contribute to the metaphor, or
conceit, that Donne is building.
Let’s take a closer look at the poem.

9. “The Flea” – First Stanza
The speaker of the poem is telling the woman to mark (pay attention to or
consider) the flea. The flea is small, just like the small request he is making (sex).
Now things get interesting. The speaker is saying that the flea bit him first and
sucked his blood, and now it is biting her. Their blood is now intermingled in the
flea’s body, creating a sort of union. However, she denies him the kind of union he
is seeking.

10. “The Flea” – Second Stanza
Things seem to change here. The speaker of the poem is asking the woman, who is
apparently about to kill the flea, to spare its life. He again compares the union of
their blood within the flea to a union they may have. He references a marriage bed
and parents’ potential lack of approval. Has he changed his tone here and is
seeking more than just a sexual encounter?
Look for words that evoke religious themes in this stanza. What might this poem
have to do with religion?

11. “The Flea” – Third Stanza
Again, something seems to have happened here. The woman’s fingernail seems to
have blood on it, and the speaker calls her actions “cruel and sudden.” This can’t
be good for the flea.
How does the poem end? Do you think the speaker will be successful in his efforts
to seduce the woman? Why or why not?

12. Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) was born in Higher Bockhampton.
You might recognize the titles of some of his novels, which
include Tess of the D’Urbervilles and Far from the Madding
Crowd.
His poetry is widely read and has influenced such poets as
Robert Frost and W.H. Auden.
Both his poetry and fiction are often regarded as having a strong
sense of sadness and/or fatalism, which is the idea that humans
are powerless to influence the future.

13. “Neutral Tones”
As you read this poem, which is about the end of a relationship, consider the
following:
Look at the title of the poem; a neutral tone often refers to color. How is color
used in the poem? What else does “tone” mean, and how does it apply to the
poem?
Which words and images work to portray fatalism in the poem?

14. Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) was born in Ireland. His father was a famous doctor,
and his mother was a poet. He began writing poetry in college, and although his
first collection of poems was not hugely successful, it established him as a
writer. He embarked on a tour in the U.S. shortly after, meeting some of
America's established poets, including Walt Whitman. He became a proponent
of the aesthetic movement, which valued art for art's sake rather than for the
sake of politics or social viewpoint. He is known for his novel The Portrait of
Dorian Gray, which was widely criticized at the time for its apparent lack of
morality. His problems with accusations regarding a lack of morality continued;
at the height of his success, Wilde began an affair with Lord Alfred Douglas. The
fact that Wilde was gay was an open secret, but when Douglas's father learned
of the affair, he openly accused Wilde of being a sodomite. Wilde reacted by
suing him for libel. As evidence of Wilde's homosexuality emerged at the trial,
Wilde's charge of libel was dismissed, and Wilde was arrested for gross
indecency. Wilde spent two years in prison and emerged a broken man. He died
just a few years later at the age of 46.

15. The Importance of Being
Earnest
The last of his four plays, The Importance of Being Earnest was first performed in
1895. The play is often studied for its critique of English society—especially its
social structure. However, the play also explores the institution of marriage, and, of
course, love.

16. The Importance of Being
Earnest
Here are the main characters you’ll meet in the play:
– Algernon Moncrieff
– Jack Worthing, Cecily’s guardian
– Gwendolen Fairfax, Algernon’s cousin
– Cecily Cardew
– Lady Bracknell, Gwendolen’s mother and Algernon’s aunt

17. The Importance of Being
Earnest
Algernon, who lives in the city, finds out that his friend Ernest is really named Jack.
When Algernon confronts Jack, Jack explains that he was adopted by Thomas
Cardew and eventually became guardian to the elder Cardew’s granddaughter.
However, when he’s in the city, he assumes the persona of Ernest, which allows
him to temporarily escape the obligations he has as Cecily’s guardian. He tells the
Cardews that Jack is his brother.
Algernon understands and admits he does something similar; he pretends to have
a friend named Bunbury who lives in the country. When he wants to escape the
city, he claims to be visiting his friend Bunbury.

18. The Importance of Being
Earnest
Things become complicated quickly!
Jack wants to marry Gwendolen, but she only knows him as Ernest, and part of the
reason she loves him is his name.
Algernon decides the wants to meet Jack’s ward, Cecily. He shows up at the
country house and introduces himself as Ernest, whom Cecily believes is Jack’s
younger brother.
Suddenly, both young women are in love with a man named Ernest, who doesn’t
exist!

19. The Importance of Being
Earnest
As you read and the complications start to unravel, pay attention to the different
types of love involved.
What points does Wilde make about romantic love? What does he think of familial
love?

20. Elizabeth Barrett
Browning
Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861) was admired for her
independence and moral convictions. She married Robert
Browning, another famous English poet. During their courtship,
she composed the poems that came to be known as “Sonnets
from the Portuguese,” which are considered to be some of the
greatest love poems ever written.
In addition to love poems, Barrett Browning is also known for
her poems that sought to bring attention to political and social
issues such as child labor and the abolition of slavery.

21. Sonnet 43, from “Sonnets of the
Portuguese”
Browning’s most famous poem, alternately titled “How Do I Love Thee? Let Me
Count the Ways,” is all about love, isn’t it?
Right from the first line, it’s apparent that the poem’s purpose is to articulate the
many ways in which the speaker loves the poem’s recipient.
As you read the poem, look for the poet’s use of literary devices such as
alliteration, the repetition of initial sounds of words; simile, comparisons using the
words “like” or “as”; and imagery, words and phrases that appeal to the five
senses.

22. Jane Austen
Jane Austen (1775-1817) is known for her novels, which include Pride
and Prejudice, Emma, Persuasion, Sense and Sensibility, and several
others.
Austen lived in a time in which Romanticism, which emphasized a focus
on human emotion, began to emerge as a response to the
Enlightenment, which focused on reason and intellect. Themes in
Austen’s fiction typically exhibit the ideals associated with both
Romanticism and the Enlightenment.

23. E.M. Forster
Edward Morgan Forster (1879-1970) was born in London. His father died
of tuberculosis when Morgan, as he was known, was a year old. His
mother, anxious about her child’s health, became overprotective. As a
result, he grew up believing he was frail and did not realize until he
reached middle age that he was actually a healthy person.
As a child, Forster was often bullied as a result of his differentness, and
he became withdrawn. He became an observer of, rather than an active
participant of, his society. His works are often noted for their focus on the
effects of social class structure on relationships.