back to the books

Over the summer I read Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, a novel following a man's journey through his conscience. The piece is set in Russia and presents both social and political ideas in its debate over power and ultimately, survival of the fittest.
While Roskolnikov makes himself believe that he is fighting to be a strong man capable of rising above the moral standard for mere humans, he fights against the ultimate punisher - the human conscience.

I also read snippets of The Grapes of Wrath and The Screwtape Letters but between a conference in Kentucky and chaperoning the youth group in Georgia I never was able to make myself finish them.

While waiting in the Charleston International Airport for a friend I picked up one of John Grisham's books, The Chamber. Thanks to the rapidity of United Airlines, I managed to read a good deal of the book. Have yet to finish it. Sigh.

Now it is back to school (wait... did I leave?) and my lovely class, Shakespeare's Comedies. By far my favorite class of the semester, Shakespeare and my professor are yet again making me question my decision to pursue Business Management as opposed to Literature. I suppose I could work my tail off in the summer and turn my English minor into a double major.

So far I read A Comedy of Errors by good old Bill. Basically, it is Twelfth Night squared. Not one set of twins, but two. Not two confused and seemingly bewitched persons, but four. I found it an enjoyable and easy read, for Shakespeare.

An exciting semester ahead! Full of business, SGA, theatre, Shakespeare, and more Shakespeare! On to the Taming of the Shrew!

Happy Summer

Well, it's here. Summer.
While I would perhaps enjoy it better if I did not actually work at the university and therefore actually felt like I had a break from being at school each and every day, it is still summer.

Unfortunately, I am only two days in and am already bored. No homework. Nothing to read. Nothing to study. What's a student to do?

I am actually looking into freelance editing/proofreading. I figure that if I read online newspapers, articles, journals, etc. and get annoyed by grammar and spelling errors, it's worth a shot. Not to mention the horror I experienced while editing a group paper this semester. I've come to the conclusion that incorrect grammar and usage can really tick me off.

But like I said in my last post of the semester, I want to keep this up. I know my 381 class will never come back to read it, but oh well. It's out there.

I am currently in the middle of Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky (an endeavor put on hold during the spring... mom was right when she said that both Russian literature and homework could never win) and The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. Just because it's fun, I think I'll comment on them here as I read. Perhaps this blog will be more successful than the last... five?

So, my dear class... bonne chance! Appreciez-vous l'ete! Promenez-vous et appreciez le soleil. Lire un bon livre. Travailler dur.

(too bad I don't remember all the grammar..)

A Utopian Farmhouse

The simplistic perfection that Jonson describes in Penshurst reminds me of Utopia in a way. Instead of praising worldly appealing aspects such as a "roof of gold" or or "polished pillars" the speakers describes a more natural beauty-

"Thou joy'st in better marks, of soil, of air,
Of wood, of water; therin thou art fair.
Thou hast thy walks for health, as well as sport;" (7-10)

Ok. Really short and not-so-profound. But I like this blog thing. I think I shall keep it up through my last two years in the English program. It keeps me accountable to make sure I read the assignments...

A Meal of Poetry

Ben Jonson's poem "Inviting a Friend to Supper" defies conventional poetry expectations. On my initial read-through I was bored by what seemed like a lack of imagination and beautiful poetic language. Describing a supper. Inspiring?

Uninspiring. At least, until I read an idea of a university professor who calls himself the gardener on the internet. While I only read the first few sentences of his post, he proposes that the speaker of the poem is not merely inviting their unnamed guest, but is inviting the reader to dine as well.

**As I said, I only read the first few sentences, and will now offer my own explanation rather than paraphrase his. I will attempt my own critical reading. If what I say here mirrors what you may find in the link above it is because we are writing with the same idea - the reader is the guest. **

The speaker in the poem conveys to the reader that it desires his or her company and continues by saying-

"Not that we think us worthy such a guest,
But that your worth will dignify our feast
With those that come; whose grace may make that seem
Something, which else could hope for no esteem
It is the fair acceptance, sir, creates
The entertainment perfect: not the cates." (1432, 3-8)

A poem in and of itself does not hold great worth, but with the acceptance of a critical reader the feast, or the words on the page, are given meaning and depth. Until a mind is opened to poetry, the poem is as useless as a meal that lies uneaten.
The poem continues by describing the finest of all foods, continuing to compare a well-written poem to a well-prepared meal. The speaker also promises to hold intellectual discussions during the meal, representing the fact that a poem should inspire a reader to think beyond what they are reading and to discuss what they learn with others.

"But that's all one, our play is done."

I'm not quite sure how this extra credit thing works out for those of us who could not go see the play because we were, well, up on stage. I don't think I could analyze the thing anymore than I did every night for the past two and a half months, so I am just going to write.

Well... it's done. After two and a half months of late nights at USCB and even later nights trying to keep up with homework, it is over. The culmination of two and half months of my hard work was held in three short nights that went far quicker than I wished.

I hate the last performance, it is so depressing. I pour my time, my energy, and my passion into theatre, and then after the curtain closes for the last time, those moments will never come back. You cannot replay it like a movie and you cannot re-read it as your favorite book. It lasts for a few brief evenings and will never come back again.

You see, this is my livelihood. For the better part of my semesters at USCB I spend my time not only memorizing lines and rehearsing plays but doing all the logistical jobs such as publicity, and making sure our director does not lose his mind (although he claims it already happened). I love the theatre.

Working on Arlecchino was unique because it was a comedy, and while our rehearsals were anything but constant laughs, it was definitely enjoyable to see everyone make their characters their own as they brought little comedic nuances to their performances.

I am relived in a way because I now have my evenings back. I can now complete homework before midnight, sleep a full night, eat dinner while not driving in the car, and I can go about my day without referencing everything to one of my lines. And yet... as I said, there is a lingering depressing feeling in the thought that it is all over...
...until this summer!

"Every movement of the theater by a skilful poet is communicated, as it were, by magic, to the spectators; who weep, tremble, resent, rejoice, and are inflamed with all the variety of passions which actuate the several personages of the drama." - David Hume

-Smeraldina ®

A Trying Situation

Well, class was certainly unexpected yesterday! I don't think any of us will be able to forget Twelfth Night after that.
When an officer bursts through the classroom door, the first thing you see is not BCPS or SWAT on their shirts and hats.. it's the guns that they are holding, pointing at your class. In those minutes I must have imagines a hundred different scenarios (ah, the blessings and curses of an active imagination).

I read the Beaufort Gazette and was extremely offended by people's attitudes towards Dr. Kilgore. In my opinion, he remained calm and handled the situation very well. I don't know about you, but if I am stuck in a room with armed men outside I want a professor who has the sense and the courage to barricade the door, regardless of which way the door opens. A TV and stand won't stop a shooter, no, but it does slow him down.

Thank you so much Dr. Kilgore for barricading the door. Thank you for remaining calm and watching out for us. Thank you for calling 9-1-1 to double check on everything. Thank you for remaining on scene until you were sure every member of the class was fine.

Forget the people who read the newspaper. I appreciate my professor! Kudos to Kilgore.

Arlecchino, The Servant of Two Masters... Twelfth Night reborn?

USCB's Drama Club, the Roges and Vacaboundes and Dennis Adams from the community players Rafael Sabatini Players bring you...

Arlecchino, The Servant of Two Masters

by Carlo Goldoni

adapted and directed by Dr. John P. Blair.

The performance is an Italian Renaissance comedy, a hilarious tale of an absent minded servant who attempts to serve two masters at once. Strangely enough this play mirrors Twelfth Night in almost all aspects. A twin dies and Beatrice (our own Viola) dresses as her brother. (Kristi- we have cross dressing!)

Cast:

Pantalone - Dennis Adams

Columbina - Ami Rabinowitz

Scaramuccia - Joe Harrell

Florindo Aretusi - Van Brown

Beatrice Rasponi - Kayla Bennet

Dr. Lombardi - Madison Clement

Brighella - Elizabeth George

Arlecchino - Bill Orem

Smeraldina - Abby Moonen

Clementine - Christine Smith

Sarafina - Sarah Europe

Augustino - Josh Edenfield

Crew:

Director - John P. Blair

Assistant to the Director - Abby Moonen

Stage Manager - Robert Haagensen

Lights - Elizabeth Brown

Tech/Stage Crew - Tiffany ------

Times:

Thursday, March 27th at 8:00 p.m.

Friday, March 28th at 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, March 29th at 8:00 p.m.

Cost is $5 General Admission. BRING YOUR STUDENT I.D. to purchase tickets for $3.

I am interested to see what you guys think!

The Unseen Disguise

If there was ever a playwright who relished comedic situations and ironic twists, William Shakespeare fits the bill. No one in the play is exactly as they seem, as hinted at by Viola in her exchange with Olivia in Act III-

Olivia: Stay. I prithee tell me what thou think'st of me.

Viola: That you do think that you are not what you are.

Olivia: If I think so, I think the same of you.

Viola: Then think you right, I am not what I am.

While Viola disguises herself with a change of clothes, the other characters in the play have hidden aspects as well. Olivia has suffered the unbearable loss of both her brother and her father and in response has thrown on a disguise of coy refusal towards Orsino. Her grief hides who she really is and keeps her from the pursuit of men.

Orsino appears to be in love with Olivia but there seems to be a hint that he has fallen for Viola before the fifth act. When Sebastian arrives and the confusion is untangled, Orsino makes no move to challenge Sebastian for the love of the woman he has pursued for over three months. He has spend his days thinking of her, and quietly gives her up to a newcomer, quick to give his love to Viola instead. It seems that Orsino has had feelings for Cesario for some time, writing the love off because he believed Cesario to be a man.

Sebastian becomes subservient to Antonio and later unwittingly but not unwillingly is mistook for Cesario.

While it is difficult to ascertain the character of Sir Toby and Sir Andrew beyond their drunkenness (a disguise of alcohol!), Maria hides behind her trickery, prefering to shift attention from her-and her singlehood-towards making a fool of others. Feste plays the fool, showing only traces of his wit and wisdom.

Malvolio, the victim of this comedy and the only one left dissatisfied at the end of the play, is the only genuine character. He is at the end of all the jokes and he is thrown aside by his counterparts. Rather than hiding his feelings as the rest of the players do, Malvolio is unashamed of who he is, despite the fact that he is made a fool of. As Kristi pointed out in class, Malvolio did attempt to change who he was with the change of his clothes (attempting to please his lady, Olivia). However, I still believe that even in this action poor Malvolio was authentic in who he was.
Malvolio's genuine attitude is not rewarded, instead it is punished. Malvolio leaves the reader with the simple phrase, "I shall be revenged on the whole pack of you."

Overall, this Shakespearian comedy was a wonderful and clever read. However, I am left with a feeling of slight dissatisfaction. The resolution of all of the complex relationships was tied together cleanly, but where has Malvolio been left off? He has sworn revenge; sequel anyone?

Take hart!

The deer/heart/love puns continue through the literature we read this semester.
In Act 1, scene 1 Orsino and Curio discuss hunting.

Curio: Will you go hunt, my lord?

Orsino: What, Curio?

Curio: The hart.

Orsino: Why so I do, the noblest that I have.

The first act of Twelfth Night is humorous, specifically Sir Andrew Aguecheek's participation. He is constantly taking things the wrong way and although Sir Toby insists that he is skilled in all languages he cannot understand the simple French question "Pourquoi?"

"If we should bump into one another, recognize me."

- Common Man, to the audience.

In my attempt at narrowing my research topic (the common man of the Rennaissance) I couldn't help but go back to one of my all-time favorite plays- "A Man For All Seasons" by Robert Bolt. The play covers Sir Thomas More's last years and chronicles the events surrounding his appointment as Lord Chancellor, refusal to endorse Henry VIII's divorce, and finally his execution.


The most interesting character in "A Man For All Seasons" is Common Man. Common Man is in nearly every scene, playing various background characters. Common Man is More's servant in the first scene but with the change of a hat and jacket Common Man becomes a boatman, a jailer, and even More's executioner. Common Man represents the common rennaissance player, insignificant in royal eyes, yet the backbone of nations.


As I research the common man and his life and influence on the grander picture, Robert Bolt's Common Man will be my starting point. I am going to look at each of Common Man's roles, exploring the servant, the boatman, the jailer, etc... We know what the kings and queens of England did. We have documented their every move. I want to know what filled the life of the common man.

(to be approved by Professor Kilgore.)

Many times we're given rhythms that are quite unsing-able...

The word usage in Spenser's Faerie Queene is difficult to get around, and I have come to the conclusion that he made up words so that everything would fit his rhyme scheme (288 returnees- Monty Python's "Knights of the Round Table"?).

The Faerie Queene is dripping with religious metaphors some of which, in turn, have metaphors. Taking the story at face value for its adventure, the reader sees a classic Arthur's Knights of the Round Table tale. Knights rushing to the rescue of fair maidens, witches who turn out to be disgusting old hags (props to Robynn for seeing Morgan La Fay in that), and hideous monsters that are ultimately overcome by the forces for "good".

"So th' one for wrong, the other strives for right:
As when a Gryfon seized of his pray,
A Dragon fiers encountreth in his flight,
Through widest ayre making his ydle way,
That would his rightfull ravine rend away;
With hideous horror both together smight,
With source so sore, that they the heavens affary;
The wise Southsayer seeing so sad sight,
Th' amazed vulgar tels of warres and mortall fight (Canto 5, stanza 8, 64-72)."

The line "So th' one for wrong, the other strives for right" is repeated again in the next line, emphasizing for Spenser a point. Just as when the Gryfon steals the life from its prey, it is viewed as the "evil force", yet when the Gryfon itself is overcome by the Dragon, the tables are turned and the Gryfon is to be pitied as striving for good while the Dragon is evil.

In war, a side rarely views themself as representing "wrong." Each man fights for his own cause, each soldier takes up their swords for what they personally believe is right. According to Spenser, however, whether or not the Sarazin viewed himself as the party at error, he fought for ill, and Redcrosse fought for right.


On another topic, the footnotes of Canto 7, stanza 16 tell us that Duessa becomes a representation of the Roman Catholic church. We see Spenser's feelings towards Catholicism as her description continues. "Then for to make her dreaded more of men,/And peoples harts with awfull terrour tye, (141-142)" To the Protestants, the Catholic church was a force seducing people with lies and with terror. Their allegiance was held by the church through promises of eternal life in exchange for money and repentance. The alternative was Hell.

Outlines are the key!

Coming down the stretch and reading for tomorrow's class, I find myself doing something that I've learned in English this past year - OUTLINING.

For all the rest of you out there struggling through these impossible rhyming lines and wondering what in the world is going on in the plot of the Faerie Queene storyline devoid of a faerie queene, don't forget to outline what you read. It really does help. Alot.

Tears of the Stars

Tears of the Stars
A reflection on beauty found in the heavens

These diamonds glistening clear above thee
Shatter below and burst in tears of light.
Guiding beam this humble traveler sees;
Take flight again dear heart of mine, take flight.

This mist departs and leaves a blinding hole
A glimmer and a gleam of soaring love.
Rising again it lifts thy singing soul.
We travel below, it travels above.

‘Twas these bold arrows led the men of old,
‘Tis these that lift us in our dark disguise.
Men who traveled through ancient lonely cold,
Their starlight plays softly upon our eyes.

Through night chased in with such cold radiance,
With warmth these eyes of thine are made to dance.

-Abby Elisabeth M.

Disclaimers:

First of all I must say that although I love to write, I officially do not love to write poetry.
Secondly, Elizabeth, if you ever mention the lit. mag. to one of our professor's again...
Thirdly, this is brutal. For those of you who like poetry, I apoligize, but Kilgore said it was not optional, so I gave it my best shot.
Fourthly, Edmund Spenser (and his hundreds of rhyming lines) has risen significantly in my respect.
Fifthly, Ok! I'll admit it was fun.

With this ring, I thee control.

In a recent class, after reading "The Fourme of Solempnizacion of Matrimonye" there was a discussion in class over the significance/meaning of the wedding ring. I thought I'd take a stab and give my own opinion.

In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries women were generally regarded as the weaker sex and were given the perhaps unappreciated tasks of bearing children, keeping the house, mending the lines, cooking...
A woman was not considered an equal to man and, with the exception of the good Queen, had few legal rights.

The wedding band, an unending line or circle representing eternity, was given only to the women in the marriage ceremonies performed according to the ceremony of the Book of Common Prayer. And while the ring has evolved as a symbol of love worn by both sexes, it originally stood for something quite different.

As a rancher brands a cow, a pet lover collars its dog, and a clothing company marks its products, a married woman bore the mark of her husband- the gold band around her finger. The band signaled to lusting onlookers that she belonged to another man and it reminded her daily of the commitment she bored to her husband. It was a sign of his ownership of her, and his right to her possessions as well as her body.

For a lighter opinion "The History Of .net" points out other purposes for the wedding band- a symbol of the man's trust of the woman, a proof to other women that she laid claim on the man's heart, or simply a token of true love. Though the wedding ring may have begun as a symbol of ownership, it has become something more- a sign of love.

Note: some information taken from "The History Of" at http://www.thehistoryof.net/history-of-the-wedding-ring.html

The Life of England

The "Ordre for the Administracion of the Lordes Supper or Holy Communion" and the "Fourme of Solempnizacion of Matrimonye" give us a glimpse into the religious lives led by the people of England. As Prof. Kilgore mentioned, the church was a huge part of their lives. But what about the other part?

Now that we're over a month in I've finally picked my Biblio/research topic: The everyday lives of the common Enligshman, perhaps focusing on Raphael Holinshed's Holinshed Chronicles. Should be interesting!

Hum, more rice!

Well I was going through "edit posts" and found that blogspot thinks I had done 14 or 15 blogs, a number I'm nowhere near. So I had to delete all the convenient drafts that they had saved for me along the way.

I also deleted the post about Free Rice, so here we go!

If you haven't already heard of it (which I'm sure you have), there is a nifty site out there called 'Free Rice'.

Free Rice is a website that works with the U.N. World Food Program to end world hunger. They have set up a vocabulary game that you can play and each time you get a word right, the UN donates 20 grains of rice to impoverished nations.

Down at the bottom right corner it shows a vocabulary level which seems to grow slowly and fall quickly...

It's fun, it's addicting, and it works to end world hunger. What could be better?

Who knows, you may pick up some new intelligent words to wow Prof. Kilgore in your next blog post or paper. Enjoy.

Renaissance Woman

"...being resolved in the midst and heat of the battle to live and die amongst you all, to lay down for my God and for my kingdom and for my people mine honor and my blood even in the dust. I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and a king of England too."

I'm sorry, did someone say that women did not have a renaissance? Are we forgetting that Queen Elizabeth was one of England's greatest monarchs? Not held back by the fact that she was a "feeble" woman, Elizabeth ruled the British with a resolution as good, if not better, than her male counterparts. As a women in the sixteenth century she was up against unending criticism from those did not see a member of the weaker sex as fit for such a position of royalty and power. Her speech to the troops, however, is inspiring and shows the fiery spirit she was made of and the determination she was capable of.

After reading her verses to "Wat" Ralegh we see even more of her spirit. Not to be outdone by a man, she haughtily claims that she can withstand the tides of fortune, saying:

"Fortune, I know, sometime doth conquer kings,
And rules and reigns on earth and earthly things,
But never think Fortune can bear the sway
If virtue watch..."

(That's my emphasis on kings...)

Ralegh, who exchanged verses with the Queen and was well acquainted with her spirit, wrote "The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd." The nymph, the speaker in the poem, has an attitude simlar to that of "what has love got to do with it?" She replies to each of the shepherd's offerings and shows how they will all pass away in the end. With a somewhat pessimistic view she tells him that material objects are not enough to convince her to love him.

"But could youth last and love still breed,
Had joys no date nor age no need,
Then these delights my mind might move
To live with thee and by thy love."

Just as love will fade with time and a marriage without commitment will not last, the
trappings and trifles that the shepherd have offered to his love will not last and are not enough to tie her heart to him.

Love is in the Heir

The love letters that Henry VIII sent to Anne Boleyn are interesting, to say the least. How eerie that the same man who later orders her beheaded is lavishly singing her praises in love letters. He continually makes claims that he will love her forever, making statements such as “written by the hand of him who is and always will be yours." But then again, what lover does not make these claims? Somehow I do not think that “Darling, I will love you until I find a woman who can give me the son I need” would go over well.

Yet even if his heart was not truly filled with “un-ending” passion, I think that the letters do show a genuine love. Henry was the king of England and had he simply wanted to fill a sexual desire he could have chosen from a host of women, simply giving the word and ordering them to be his mistresses.

In the fifth letter Henry VIII tells Anne that “...henceforward my heart shall be dedicated to you alone. I wish my person was so too. God can do it, if He pleases, to whom I pray every day for that end, hoping that at length my prayers will be heard.”
If these words were simply empty promises, there would have been no point in uttering them? I believe that this letter shows that he truly loved Anne Boleyn and also that he realized that although his heart was reserved for her, his body could not be. The position he held may not have prevented him from experiencing emotions as a normal man but it also placed him in a precarious situation. As head of the state it was his duty to produce a male heir. The daily prayers he makes reference to may very well include pleas for a son.

The extent of Henry VIII's love is evident in his future actions. No matter how he felt towards Anne Boleyn, his dedication to the precedents of male heirs overcame him.
Still, the man who wrote these letters was a man in love...

Speaking Through the Written Word

When I finished reading Book 1 of "The Book of the Courtier" it struck me as odd (and somewhat humorous) that the group spent a good deal of time debating over the language that a Courtier both speaks and writes with. The gentlemen went back and forth offering ideas of word usage that a perfect Courtier might employ.

The way a man speaks and carries himself are often the most evident in first impressions. How often do we unconsciously discriminate against others due to their speech? And then there is the question of the written word and spoken. Should a Courtier speak the same way he talks, or is he allowed more freedom to use intellectually stimulating words when he writes?
I love how Count Ludovico says it.

For it is my opinion that writing is simply a form of speaking which endures even after it is uttered, the image, as it were, or better, the soul of our words.

When we speak, the words we say are soon forgotten or lost, drifting away not long after they are spoken. Words written, however, are not so easily erased. They are more pervasive, lasting until that which they are written on is destroyed. I agree that care should be taken to the words and language used in writing, and since we are able to study works long after they are written, complexity can be apprectiated.
I do not think that this is an excuse for slackness in speech. While speech should lack some of the complexity of writing, a level of intelligence and grace should be maintained.
Words may quickly be forgotten when they are spoken, yet they leave a mark in the minds of those listening.

Seeking Perfection

In The Book of the Courtier, Count Ludovico says:

“.. I will say that in all things it is so difficult to know what true perfection is that it is well-nigh impossible; and this is due to the diversity of our judgments…Still I do think that there is a perfection for everything, even though it be hidden, and I do not claim to have this knowledge, I can only praise the manner of Courtier that I most esteem, and can approve of what seems to me to be nearest the right, according to my poor judgment; (22)”

Perfection. A recurring theme, yet a different approach. Sir Thomas More showed us through Utopia the blueprint for a perfect society. But was it really perfection? Discussions in class and the posts we read in our classmates blogs show the varying reactions that More's ideal country has stirred up. Here, in The Book of the Courtier, Count Ludovico offers his opinion, which may be the key to unlocking both the perfection of Utopia and the perfection of our courtier. Ludovico obviously believes the adage "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" or "perfection is in the eyes of the admirer."

Why are we so concerned about perfection? Why is that we find ambitions and blueprints of the perfect human, the perfect city, the perfect kingdom scattered throughout our literary history?

Is it that our faults abound so much that we cannot help but dream of perfection?

Without faults, we would not know perfection, and through our faults we recognize the perfect attributes of others that we desire for ourselves. As the Count points out and as our class has demonstrated, it is nearly impossible to come up with one definition of a perfect kingdom, or even man. To even agree on the smallest details in a perfect description is difficult enough and to limit man to simply one model of perfection limits the possibilities that man and his intelligence can dream of.

Without an aim for perfection, we have no direction, no high mark to set our standards on. Although we know it is unattainable, perfection sets us on the path of success.

Confucius said “If you shoot for the stars and hit the moon, it's ok. But you've got to shoot for something. A lot of people don't even shoot."

Baldesar Castiglione agrees with Confucius, stating in his letter to the Bishop of Viseu,

“And if, for all that, they are unable to attain to that perfection, such as it is, that I have tried to express, the one who comes the nearest to it will be the most perfect; as when many archers shoot at a target and none of them hits the bull’s eye, the one who comes the closest is surely better than all the rest. (7)”

Even if we do not intend to reach this seemingly unattainable goal, the point is not whether or not we actually got there, the most important thing is that we tried. We aimed for the highest mark and though we fell short, the journey along the way has moved us beyond anything we could have imagined had we not at least shot for something.

From the desks of More and Castiglione

As I picked up The Book of the Courtier this weekend, I was interested to find a letter prefacing Book 1, titled "To the Reverend and Illustrious Signor Don Michel de Silva, Bishop of Viseau."

Clearly More, including a letter with his Utopia, was not the only author to see the benefits of using letters and verses to introduce a work. A quick search of google scholar will tell you that many authors in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and beyond included similar letters in volumes of their work. But why?

Originally I believed that Sir Thomas More simply included his "Letter to Peter Giles" in an attempt to corroborate his story, to give it that appearance of actually having happened. While the letter to Peter Giles does serve a clever literary technique, playing in the reader's mind and hinting that Raphael may have existed, there are additional reasons for the inclusion of letters in volumes.

Consider this: A New York Times best seller of the 21st century will be featured in newspapers and magazines, will have summaries presented on sites such as "amazon.com", and will be the topic of talk shows featuring the author. Through the many medium we have available to us today, we have no trouble accessing summaries, reviews, and commentaries on popular works. In fact, many authors go on promotional tours and speak to fans, publishers, and television producers about their works and the intent of the pieces.

The people of More and Castiglione's time, however, did not have ready access to this type of information. Short of being close to the royal family, the common man of the Renaissance era would never have the chance to even set eyes on admired authors. The only way to see inside the mind of an author and to understand his or her intent, was to read a commentary that they wrote.

Yet, as Peter Allan points out in his article "Utopia and European Humanism: the Function of Prefatory Letters and Verses", these letters are more than commentaries and summaries. "This complicated machinery, I would suggest, is much more than an equivalent of the modern dust-jacket blurb, for it is deliberately designed to control the reader's interpretation of the text." [1]

By addressing letters to respected confidants rather than to the reader, an author can convey greater authority through the words. The reader feels as though he or she is listening in on a private conversation about the intent of the work, rather than an overstated summary intended to make the author and the work appear larger than life.

The letters included in volumes may also serve the purpose of recognizing important individuals and dedicating works, much as a page of thanks and dedication is included in modern novels. Castiglione, for example, creates a list of respected persons in his letter to the Bishop of Viseau, naming them and citing their examples as the inspiration for his book.

[1] Article by Peter Allan featured through JSTOR. Note: You must be logged on through the university to access the article.

“Well, Raphael has taken care of the thieves…”

"If you allow young folks to be abominably brought up and their characters corrupted, little by little, from childhood; and if then you punish them as grownups for committing crime to which their early training has inclined them, what else is this, I ask, but first making them thieves, and then punishing them for it? (532)"

Even those of us who are not well-read have heard this passage quoted among the many medium of society. In Ever After, a movie released in 1998, the main character Danielle de Barbarac frequently quotes Utopia, citing this passage as an argument against the harsh punishment of thieves and blaming society for creating them.

Raphael/More continues by saying:

"It seems to me...that it's altogether unjust to take someone's life for taking money. Nothing in the world that fortune can bestow is equal in value to a human life...as if there were no difference between killing a man and taking a coin from him. (533)"

Not only is he making the argument that society creates the thieves of our time and therefore cannot punish them, but he also brings up the fact that punishing thieves the same as murderers is wrong. To kill a man for trying to feed his family is extreme. He makes an interesting comment that if the punishment for stealing and murder is the same, soon thieves will kill those they take from, thereby eliminating the witness of the crime and not changing their punishment.

Raphael then begins a lengthy explanation of how the Polylerites treat those who steal. The result is a lifetime of servitude (ah, there's that word... read my last post to see what I think!) and therefore an inescapable and extremely long and drawn out punishment.

Not only does this place thieves on a different level from murderers, but I believe it brings up more serious consequences. For those who are constantly in need, execution after a lifetime of thievery and humiliating beggary may seem like an escape. The consequence of lifetime slavery may be less appealing.

To Serve or Not to Serve?

More’s character Raphael Hythloday has traveled the world, and as he begins to discuss life and politics with both Peter Giles and Thomas More, he easily gains their respect. Mr. Giles is astounded by Raphael's experience and wonders that with such wisdom Raphael has not offered his services to a prince, or any form of royalty..

“My dear Raphael,” he said, “I’m surprised that you don’t enter into some king’s service;…Thus you might advance your own interests and be useful at the same time to all your relatives and friends.”
“…I think they should be content with this gift of mine, and not expect that for their sake I should enslave myself to any king whatever.”
“Well said,” Peter replied; “but I do not mean that you should be in servitude to any king, only in his service.”
“The difference is only a matter of one syllable,” Raphael replied (527-528).

Is there a difference between service and servitude? According to the Oxford English dictionary, “service” is simply defined as being in service to a master. This slightly circular definition gives us more of a voluntary picture of someone offering what they have to someone else [1]. Servitude on the other hand is defined as “the condition of being a slave" [2]. Clearly in the semantics of things, there is a difference. Yet as Raphael points out, when it all comes down to the two words, there is little difference other than one syllable. This is particularly true in the case of a king. When in the service of a king, as Raphael points out, you may not be bound in shackles and whipped for disobedience, but your ideas and your opinions are bound. If you wish to stay in the good graces of the king you are a slave to what he wishes and freedom of speech turns into a one-way ticket to treason.


[1] Oxford definition of "service". From http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50220772?query_type=word&queryword=service&first=1&max_to_show=10&sort_type=alpha&search_id=aAJI-5aaYwK-5731&result_place=1
[2] Oxford definition of "servitude." From http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50220813?query_type=word&queryword=service&first=1&max_to_show=10&sort_type=alpha&search_id=aAJI-5aaYwK-5731&result_place=1

Burning Ice? The Contradictions of Sir Thomas Wyatt

Sir Thomas Wyatt the elder writes with the distinctive wisdom of someone who has lived and loved. Although most of his poems are translations of Petrarch's sonnets, Wyatt imparts his own feelings and ideas into the works. As with any translation, it is difficult to do a direct word-to-word change without bending the words and grabbing at synonyms to fit a personal belief for the meaning of the work.

Wyatt's sonnet "I Find No Peace" is an interesting poem which portrays for the reader the conflicting feelings brought about by love. Wasting no space, the speaker begins with the first contradiction by saying “I find no peace, and all my war is done,”. As the reader continues, the poem offers similarly opposing phrases in every line. We read of how he "fly above the wind, yet can I not arise," and "without eyen I see, and without tongue I plain;". The clue to unraveling the poem lies in the last line, where the speaker says "And my delight is causer of this strife." Or, as the modern translation puts it, "In this state am I, Lady, on account of you." The speaker of the poem is tormented with his love, not truly held prisoner by the one he loves, yet completely captive by her every whim. He hopes for her love in the future and yet fears what will happen (596).

As with most of Wyatt's sonnets, the speaker here is driven by love, but not a sweet, unassuming love. The love we find between the lines of "I Find No Peace" is passionate and complicated.


Wyatt's poem "Whoso list to Hunt" likewise echoes love throughout its lines. The initial theme of the sonnet may appear to be hunting, as several references are made to deer. Then end of the poem, however, gives the poem a slightly more personal feel and causes the reader to consider that the speaker is in fact talking about a women. The end of the poem reads:

And graven with diamonds in letters plain
There is written, her fair neck round about,
"Noli me tangere, for Caesar's I am,
And wild for to hold, though I seem tame (595)."

In line four the speaker makes reference to "falling behind" the other hunters. As he pursues her, she only flees further, and his wearied attempts are coming to an end. The speaker's desire for her is strong, and it carries him far, yet he finally comes to the conclusion that finding her love is as difficult as "in a net I seek to hold the wind". Furthermore his efforts are bested by a person of power, likened to Caesar. The words "Noli me tangere" are latin for "touch me not". [1] The words then engraven about her neck signify her allegiance to another. Touch me not, for Caesar's I am.

Some have suggested that the poem is actually about Anne Boleyn who, although Wyatt may have pursued her with his love, was conquered by Henry VIII. [2] The sonnet is also a derivation of one of Petrarch's sonnets, yet as we read the modern translation we see that each
poem has been colored by the author's feelings.

[1] The translation of "noli me tangere". Taken from http://www.answers.com/topic/noli-me-tangere
[2] Copy of the poem and notes, courtesy of luminarium. Taken from http://www.luminarium.org/renlit/whosolist.htm.

Intro. to the Renaissance

In our Norton Anthology, the intro. to 16th century literature makes an interesting comment on the type of literary output that was going on during this time.

"In a society with no freedom of speech as we understand it and with relatively limited means of mass communication, important public issues were often aired indirectly, through what we might now regard as entertainment, while lyrics that to us seem slight and nonchalant could sere as carefully crafted manifestations of rhetorical agility by aspiring courtiers (486)."

The writers and aspiring political commentaries of the renaissance era did not have access to CNN interviews and the opportunity to publish anonymous "letters to the editor" in newspapers. There was no mass media as we know it, and in order to have one's voice heard while also making sure that your head remained on your shoulders, the only option was political satire. For men such as Sir Thomas More, the author of Utopia, it would have literally been suicide to speak up directly against the king. Instead, those who disagreed with royal policy disguised their opinions through literary devices such as metaphors and they hid their opinions under the names of their characters. This is evident in Utopia, as we find that More's own feelings may be exhbited through Raphael more than the Thomas More of the story. During the 16th and 17th centuries, literature was more than a good read, it was the secret voice of the political skeptics of its day.

Welcome, 381-ers!

I saw a few of my fellow students posted a "welcome" post, so I thought I'd do the same. While this isn't my first blog (more like... 5th? Hmm, perhaps not that many. I did go through my share.) it is my first focused on literature!
Should be fun!

The name of my little corner is, as you see, "a slip of the pen." The website is also lapsus calami which is latin for the same phrase. Sorry for all the hyphens in the address, but apparently "lapsus calami" was popular in the blogging world. I guess I'm not as unique as I thought.

Now to more scholarly posts. Enjoy!