Everyone “Knows” Shakespeare- Or Do They?

“O, like a book of sport thou’lt read me o’er;
But there’s more in me than thou understand’st.”
~ William Shakespeare, Troilus and Cressida

The balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth’s fateful meeting with the three witches on the moor, and Brutus’s betrayal of Julius Caesar are just a few of the unforgettable scenes in William Shakespeare’s masterpieces. If you know Shakespeare, you will see echoes of his work everywhere; if you haven’t studied him, you will probably miss the significance of many of the allusions that have infiltrated our language and literature. Next to the Bible, the works of Shakespeare are the most necessary reading for cultural literacy.

Like any rich and worthwhile text, a Shakespeare play is challenging. Not only is the language and vocabulary archaic, the plays themselves brim with a multitude of characters, with plots, subplots, and counterplots. Shakespeare packs a lot into a single story! However, there is a way to approach the plays so you can understand and enjoy them. Here is a simple four-step plan:

1- Read a plot summary of the play, so you will know who the characters are, and how they fit into the events of the play. You can find plot summaries in Eyewitness: Shakespeare, along with a lot of information on the historical context in which Shakespeare wrote.
2- Watch the play, either live or on video. I recommend the BBC productions.
3- Read the play. It can be helpful to have an annotated edition, such as the Norton Shakespeare anthology, to define archaic words and clarify historic events.
4- Finally, watch and read the play once more. You’ll find that you get a lot more out of it than you did the first time.

The wonderful thing about Shakespeare is that the more you read each play, the more you will enjoy it. Take time to understand his works, and you’ll find them unforgettable. And you’ll really “know” Shakespeare!

Announcements

Beat-the-Clock Essay Workshop- July 18. I will post more details at www.EssayWorkshop.com when they are available.

Excellence in Literature: A Writing Approach to the Classics is nearing completion! If you’re interested in an exciting high school literature curriculum for homeschoolers, you need to visit the Excellence in Literature page to learn more. We plan to have all five levels finalized and published in January, but if you might be interested in a preliminary beta* version this fall, be sure to sign up for my newsletter so that you’ll know when it’s available. (*The beta version would be complete, but will have plain covers and may still be undergoing minor proofreading tweaks.)

Gratefulnesse by George Herbert

GRATEFULNESSE

by George Herbert (1593- 1633)

Thou that hast giv’n so much to me,
Give one thing more, a grateful heart.
See how thy beggar works on thee
By art.

He makes thy gifts occasion more,
And says, If he in this be crossed,
All thou hast giv’n him heretofore
Is lost.

But thou didst reckon, when at first
Thy word our hearts and hands did crave,
What it would come to at the worst
To save.

Perpetual knockings at thy door,
Tears sullying thy transparent rooms,
Gift upon gift, much would have more,
And comes.

This not withstanding, thou wenst on,
And didst allow us all our noise:
Nay thou hast made a sigh and groan
Thy joys.

Not that thou hast not still above
Much better tunes, than groans can make;
But that these country-airs thy love
Did take.

Wherefore I cry, and cry again;
And in no quiet canst thou be,
Till I a thankful heart obtain
Of thee:

Not thankful, when it pleaseth me;
As if thy blessings had spare days:
But such a heart, whose pulse may be
Thy praise.

This lovely poem is one of my favorites, and I think often of the last stanza. I very much enjoy George Herbert’s way of visually and aurally emphasizing important elements in his poems.

In my beautiful old volume of Herbert’s poetry (left), a gift from my oldest son, the last line of each stanza is spaced flush right, so that it is emphasized. I tried very hard to make it appear this way in this post, but it didn’t cooperate, so you’ll just have to imagine it. Better yet, use the poem as copywork, and write it spaced this way, and both you and your students will have an increased appreciation of its beauty. Be sure to notice Herbert’s warm, intimate tone, as of a child speaking to a father.

With this, I wish you a joyous Thanksgiving!

Literature- It’s Central to Literacy

“Literature in its most comprehensive sense is the autobiography of humanity.” Bernard Berenson

“This is old stuff– how can it be relevant to my life?” I’ve heard this objection from both students and adults, as I’ve spoken through the years on the importance of reading and literature. I’ve been thinking more about literature and its place in life as I’ve worked on refining my high school literature series. I’m more deeply than ever convinced of literature’s importance, and yes- relevance- in every area of life.

With a strong foundation in literature, it becomes possible to put life into words. We read of the experiences of others, and they become our own; we are able to place our own experiences in perspective; we can grasp the significance, beauty, or tragedy of an event in a way that is impossible for a person who lacks fundamental literacy. We learn by example how to clearly express feelings, describe experiences, and empathize with others. Literature not only teaches us how to communicate, it also gives us a common basis for understanding one another.

Alexander Solzhenitsyn, in his 1970 Nobel lecture, said,

“The sole substitute for an experience which we have not ourselves lived through is art [and] literature… From man to man, as he completes his brief spell on Earth, art transfers the whole weight of an unfamiliar, lifelong experience with all its burdens, its colours, its sap of life; it recreates in the flesh an unknown experience and allows us to possess it as our own.”

Read more

Coleridge on Math; Music for “Kubla Khan”

I have been coping with computer disasters of astonishing magnitude over the last week or so, but I had to share this wonderful quote with you. Leave it to a poet to tell the truth so very vividly!

“I have often been surprised, that Mathematics, the Quintessence of Truth, should have found admirers so few and so languid– Frequent consideration and minute scrutiny have at length unraveled the cause– Viz– That, though Reason is feasted, Imagination is starved: whilst Reason is luxuriating in its proper Paradise, Imagination is wearily traveling over a dreary desert.” (From a letter written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge to his brother George, March 31, 1791. He follows this quote with a very funny poem on math.)

Coleridge’s images tend to stick in my mind, and I don’t always care for them, but if you like his classic “Kubla Kahn,” I think you’ll enjoy Juergen Matthias Shroeder’s website with an original symphony inspired by the poem. Shroeder provides an illustrated trip through “Kubla Khan,” with clips of the symphony along the way. He explains which instruments are used, and how each illustrates a portion of the poem. It’s a wonderful lesson in how art, music, and poetry are intertwined.

Read more on “Kubla Khan.”

Frost’s Prayer in Spring

I love Robert Frost’s gentle reminder to enjoy the beauty of today. It helps me remember to enjoy not only spring, but also my sweet boys. I hope you enjoy the poem as well.

A Prayer in Spring
by Robert Frost (1915)

Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers to-day;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.

Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.

And make us happy in the darting bird
That suddenly above the bees is heard,
The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,
And off a blossom in mid air stands still.

For this is love and nothing else is love,
The which it is reserved for God above
To sanctify to what far ends He will,
But which it only needs that we fulfil.

I wandered lonely as a Cloud…

Daffodil-copyright freefoto.comSpring just isn’t spring until I can share Wordsworth’s delight in daffodils. Poetry is experience distilled to its essence. Once you’ve enjoyed an experience through poetry, you’ll find that both experience and poem are enriched.

The daffodils are in full dress in our yard today, like scraps of sunlight scattered about. If you don’t have daffodils in your garden, do plan to plant some bulbs next fall. They’re absolutely easy-care, and they’ll reward you by multiplying year after year.

Enjoy!

Here is the 1815 poem by William Wordsworth:

I wandered lonely as a Cloud
That floats on high o’er Vales and Hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Read more

Thoughts on Choosing Literature from a 1903 Reader

Old booksI love old books. Although I strongly advocate reading whole works for high school literature, I find that old readers can be very useful in introducing an author and creating a taste for his or her work.

I was browsing through The Jones Fifth Reader by L.H. Jones, A.M., published in 1903, this morning, and I was struck by the high quality of the works it contains. I found the reasoning behind the choices in the author’s mission statement / preface. It’s quite unlike anything I’ve seen in modern texts, and well worth sharing. Enjoy!

“This book is intended as a basal reader for pupils of the sixth, seventh, and eight years in school. These years make up a period of high enthusiasms and noble impulses. During this period ideals of life and conduct are rapidly shaping themselves in the minds of the growing girls and boys. Susceptible as they are at this age to evil influences, they yet respond most readily to the call of higher motives. Noble, daring, and heroic action, when properly pictured to them, seems native to the human spirit. Read more

Thirty Books You Won’t Forget

I love to read, and on the back of my business card I share some unforgettable books. Of course, this isn’t nearly all my favorites, but I was constrained by the size of the card! Do you have a list of books you love? Feel free to share it!

Here’s my list of unforgettable books: Read more