Teachers' Outlines for Studies in English Part 14

III. Study of the Poem as a Whole

CONTENT.--When, where, for what occasion, and before what audience was this mask presented?

Who were the actors?

Members of the audience often took part in dances, which were a feature of the mask. Do you find here any indication of such a dance? Find two places in _Comus_ where dances are introduced to serve the purpose of an anti-mask, that is, a humorous interlude to afford contrast and amus.e.m.e.nt.

What supernatural characters are introduced?

Find pa.s.sages of compliment to the Welsh, to the Earl of Bridgewater, and to the Earl's family in the opening speech of the Attendant Spirit.

Find one pa.s.sage complimenting the musical ability of Mr. Henry Lawes (494-496), and several complimenting the Lady Alice and her two brothers (145-150, 244-264, 297-304, 366, etc.).

What idea does Milton bring out in the long dialogue between the two brothers? between Comus and the Lady?

For what do the several characters stand, if we take the poem as an allegory? What is the significance of the ugly heads of the monsters? of the gla.s.s of liquor? of the remarkable courage of the Lady in the face of danger? What is the central idea of the poem?

FORM.--Distinguish between the mask and the regular drama; between the mask and the opera.

Point out the chief lyrical pa.s.sages.

Find examples of blank verse, of rhymed pentameter, and of the two kinds of verse so common in _L'Allegro_ and _Il Penseroso_.

Compare the meter of the dialogues with that of the lyric pa.s.sages.

Find pa.s.sages remarkable for beauty of figurative language (like 188-192 and 375-380), others for beauty of sentiment (like 210-220 and 453-463).

THE LIFE AND CHARACTER OF THE AUTHOR.--See outline for the study of _Lycidas_, page 59.

What impression of Milton's character do we get from _Comus_? What suggestions do we get here of the best side of Puritanism?

V. THE TEACHING OF THE ESSAY

Like the lyric, the essay represents directly the author's thought and feeling. It appeals to the understanding, is practical in its nature, and for these reasons involves less difficulty in teaching; but it is often less attractive than poetry and frequently deals with matters that are uninteresting to the average boy and girl. A good essay is indirectly valuable in affording ill.u.s.tration of the principles of composition and rhetoric, but it is directly of great value in stimulating thought and broadening the mind. Nowhere, however, is there greater need of a wise plan of work, since the teacher must overcome mental inertia on the part of the pupils, and usually they are not spurred on, as in novel reading, by their interest in the subject itself.

The author's purpose is to impart his thought clearly and vigorously.

Here lies the suggestion for any plan of study. If the thought is to be appreciated the students must understand the matters of which the essay treats. Furthermore, they must examine the conclusions and note how they are reached. In this way they will learn to discriminate between opinion and established fact; between logical and illogical reasoning. Since the author, in accomplishing his purpose, has paid special attention to orderly arrangement, to clear and forceful statement, and to a skillful choice of words, so these matters must be the subject of careful study on the part of the student. Conscious imitation has its place in developing the power to write, and it is no less valuable in gaining an appreciation of an author's style. The study of the essay offers the best opportunity for imitative work of this kind, since it is the essay that the student himself, in his school exercises, is continually trying to write. Care should be taken at this stage of the work not to ask pupils to discuss matters that are beyond their knowledge.

GENERAL PLAN FOR THE STUDY OF THE ESSAY

I. Preparation

Complete understanding of the matters that the essayist expects his readers to know usually involves more study than the cla.s.s have time to give. Carlyle in his _Essay on Burns_ takes for granted the reader's familiarity with the poetry of Burns and the facts of his life, while probably only a few of the pupils who come to the study of this essay have more than a scanty knowledge of either of these subjects. It remains for the teacher, then, to select the most important facts and to bring them before the cla.s.s by various means as fully as the time will permit, remembering in the choice and presentation of subjects that it is of the utmost importance to get the student to approach the new book with interest and enthusiasm.

II. Reading and Study

A rapid reading by the pupil before the work is taken up in the cla.s.s room may or may not be practicable. A safer method, perhaps, is to give the cla.s.s a general outline of from five to ten topics, and ask them to read the essay topic by topic. The recitation period may be used to follow, in a broad way, the development of the thought.

After the cla.s.s have thus become familiar with the main ideas of the essay they will be ready for a second and more careful reading. This will give the students opportunity for the study of details, for completing the detailed outline, and for a general discussion of conclusions, all of which should have for their purpose the appreciation of the author's thought.

III. Study of the Essay as a Whole

This will include general questions on content, form, and the life and character of the author.

OUTLINE FOR THE STUDY OF THE SIR ROGER DE COVERLEY PAPERS

I. Preparation

One of the chief causes of the great popularity of _The Tatler_ and _The Spectator_ at the time when they were published was the truthful representation of life that they contained. The touches of humor and satire in the delineation of character and the criticism of the follies of the day were most fully appreciated by those who were best acquainted with English life. It would seem, then, that the best way to interest boys and girls in these papers would be to introduce them briefly but vividly to the life of England in the days of Queen Anne, by the treatment of such topics as London, its size, population, and external appearance; public morals; frivolities of women; lawlessness of young men; the coffee-houses; newspapers, etc. Ashton's _Social Life in the Reign of Queen Anne_ and Chapter III of Macaulay's _History of England_ will give the teacher a ma.s.s of material upon which he can draw to supplement the introduction in the text-book. There is danger, however, that the wealth of material will tempt him to devote too much time to this preparatory work.

Other topics of value to the pupil are: the founding of _The Tatler_, its purpose, and its success; how Addison became a.s.sociated with Steele; the founding of _The Spectator_; a few facts about Steele and Addison.

II. Reading and Study

If these papers are taken up too much in detail the work becomes tiresome, but they contain so many references to the customs and manners of the time, the discussion of so many practical matters, and so many incidents full of human interest that a careful study is necessary for an intelligent appreciation of them. Each paper should be considered by itself; its main idea discovered; the truth of its statements tested; the sidelights on the character, beliefs, and experiences of the authors noted (for example, Steele's experiences as a soldier suggested by _The Journey to London_); and the skill of the writer pointed out in variety of incident, unity of thought, naturalness and picturesqueness of narrative. Most of the study will naturally be on the content, but a certain amount of attention should be given to practice writing in imitation of Addison's easy but dignified style. For composition work there are suggestions for description and narration as well as for exposition and argument. Imitations of certain papers may be extremely profitable and usually arouse a healthy interest in the content of the essays as well as in the style.

III. Study of the Book as a Whole

CONTENT.--What follies of the time, or of human nature of all time, are satirized here? Show how they are satirized.

What views on politics do you find expressed directly or indirectly?

What evidence do you find of the Spectator's Whig prejudices? (See Papers XII, paragraph 3; XX, paragraph 2; XXI; XXII.)

What views are given on practical questions of life, for example, management of a house, attending church, economy, etc.?

Do you think a man unfit "for studies of a higher nature" and "uncapable of any liberal art or profession," likely to succeed "in the occupations of trade and commerce"? (See Paper VIII.) Discuss the wisdom of a liberal education for boys who expect to be business men.

Do you suppose the observance of the Sabbath was more necessary, as Addison seems to imply, for country people than for people in London?

(Paper XI.)

Which do you think Addison preferred, the city or the country? Give evidence.

Make a list of the eighteenth-century customs and manners referred to in these papers.

Write an account of the Spectator and Sir Roger at b.u.t.ton's or Will's.

Recast or modernize Paper XIV on _Labour and Exercise_ in such a way as to adapt its argument to the support of school and college athletics.