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.