ENG 102: Writing through Literature 
Fall II 2012
Section 7432: Monday 10:30 AM–12:45 PM, Room C-207
                    Wednesday/Friday, 10:30 AM–12:45 PM, Room C-721
Keys for Writers, 5 ed.

Brian T. Murphy

LaGuardia Community College
Schedule and Office Hours
e-mail: bmurphy@Brian-T-Murphy.com
or bmurphy@lagcc.cuny.edu

Important Announcements and Updates

Thursday, February 9, 2012:
We will continue Hamlet (777-898), so be sure to read at least through Act IV (777–876); there will be another quiz. You might be interested to know that in The Simpsons, “Tales from the Public Domain: Hamlet (Episode DABF08), Carl and Lenny portray Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, as Rosencarl and Guildenlenny, respectively.

Essay 3 (Poetry) is also due tomorrow. Remember, if the poems or lyrics you use are not in the textbook, you must include copies (photocopies or printouts) with your essay. (See the instructions on both the main page and the syllabus.)

If you wish, you may also submit your Final Research Paper Project on Friday; you will receive the graded essays back on Wednesday, February 15, and can resubmit second (optional) revisions on Friday, February 17. If you prefer, just submit the Final Research Paper Projects on the original due date, Friday, February 17, but there will be no opportunity for further revisions thereafter as that is the end of the semester.

Remember, only two classes left until the Final Exam.

 

Tuesday, February 7, 2012:
I have finished reading the Research Essay Drafts that were submitted Monday; well talk tomorrow. (Remember The Speech?) I am also adding a new due date, to make life a bit easier for some students: if you wish, you can revise your Research Essay Draft and submit your Final Research Paper Project on Friday, February 10 (in a folder, including copies of all sources used—both the works themselves and all secondary sources—with all relevant passages highlighted, whether quoted, paraphrased, or summarized, and all supporting documents, including your previously submitted Topic Selection, Annotated Bibliography, and Preliminary Draft). I will return the projects, graded, on Wednesday, February 15, and you can resubmit second (optional) revisions on Friday, February 17. Note: this is optional. If you wish, you may just submit the Final Research Paper Projects as originally scheduled, on Friday, February 17, but there will be no opportunity for further revisions thereafter as that is the end of the semester.

I have also finished reading your revisions of the Midterm Exam (Essay 2); these will also be returned tomorrow. Remember, as per the syllabus and as announced in class, revisions must be substantially revised, not merely “corrected” versions of the original essay (revisions should be based upon the Revising and Editing Checklist and relevant information from class and the textbooks), and must be submitted with the original graded essay attached. Essays submitted without the previous graded draft will be returned uncorrected. We will discuss the possibility of second optional revisions tomorrow.

Remember, second (optional) revisions of Essay 1 (Short Fiction) are also due tomorrow (Wednesday), and Essay 3 (Poetry) is due on Friday. As previously discussed and as per the instructions on both the main page and the syllabus, if the poems or lyrics you use are not in the textbook, you must include copies (photocopies or printouts) with your essay. Also, consulting with the instructor concerning your choice of texts—before the essay is due!—is strongly recommended.

Finally, in addition to a possible digression into Eng 101 (about writing compare-contrast essays), we will be starting Hamlet (777-898). Read at least Act I through Act II (777-826), as there will be a quiz. You might want to see if you can track down a copy of The Simpsons, “Tales from the Public Domain: Hamlet” (Episode DABF08), in which Lisa tries to get Homer and Bart interested in reading Hamlet by telling them, This story’s more interesting than you think. It starts with Hamlet’s father getting murdered. Bart’s response is, Cool. Does he get to marry his mom? to which Homer replies, I don’t know, but that would be hot. In the episode itself, Bart is Hamlet (of course!), Homer is the ghost of King Hamlet, and Moe the bartender plays Claudius, while Carl and Lenny portray Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, as Rosencarl and Guildenlenny, respectively.

By the way, if you're keeping track, we have only three classes left before the Final Exam.

Saturday, February 4, 2012:
Just a reminder that Monday, we will begin Drama. Be sure you have read “Writing about Plays” (1248-1253), including “Elements of Drama” and “Moral Ambiguity and Character Development in Trifles,” as well as all of Susan Glaspell’s one-act play, Trifles (958-969). There will be a quiz on the play.

Also on Monday, both the Research Essay Draft and your revisions of the Midterm Exam (Essay 2) are due, on Wednesday, second optional revisions of Essay 1 (Short Fiction) are due, and on Friday, Essay 3 (Poetry) is due, so plan accordingly.

Sunday, January 29, 2012:
Tomorrow is the Midterm Exam (Essay 2).

We will begin at exactly 10:30 with poetry recitations for extra credit, and then the remainder of the period (approximately two hours) you will write the exam. Only those who have already signed up for extra credit will be allowed to recite, and if you are late, you will miss your chance. Also, remember that you may use both your textbook (or printouts) and a dictionary or thesaurus for the essay.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012:
2Cl2 + 2H2O → 4HCl + O2

Sunday, January 22, 2012:
On Monday, we will continue discussing poems about love and lust; be sure to read Herrick’sTo the Virgins, to Make Much of Time” (471), Marlowe’sThe Passionate Shepherd to His Love” (464-465), and Raleigh’sThe Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd.”

Note: The Nymph’s Reply” is not in your textbook; if you did not get the handout in class on Friday, use the link above to print out a copy.

Note: There will be a quiz, so you might want not only to read all three poems, but also to see one or more of the following additional links:

 “Philomela” (Encyclopedia Mythica);

 “Philomela” (Ovid Metamorphoses Resource Page);

 “Philomela” (Wikipedia)

Interesting story, right?

Friday, January 20, 2012:
I stated in class today that the first three students to email me after class with an explanation of the vulgar pun in “To His Coy Mistress” would receive extra credit: three bonus points for the first student with the correct answer, two points for the second, and one for the third. Thus far, only one student has emailed me a correct answer; additional bonus points are still available, so students may still submit guesses during the weekend. I will read and respond to your emails on Sunday night or Monday morning, before class.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012:
As announced in class today, revisions of Essay 1 are due Wednesday, January 15. Revisions should be based upon the Revising and Editing Checklist distributed in class today, and must be submitted with the original graded essay attached. If you did not submit a completed essay on time, you may bring a completed draft of Essay 1 to the Writing Center for assistance, revise that draft, and submit both the draft and revision next week.

For Friday, be sure you have read the first  three poems under “Poems about Love and Lust”: Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18: “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” (465-466), Browning’s Sonnet 43: “How Do I Love Thee?” (508), and Marvell’sTo His Coy Mistress” (476-477). There will be an extra credit opportunity announced in class, based on these readings.

Finally, see the following links, for additional materials mentioned in class:

The Rolling Stones, Sympathy for the Devil” (compare to Hawthorne’sYoung Goodman Brown,” esp. paragraphs 17–20, pp. 4–5 in our textbook)

The Rolling Stones, She’s So Cold” (esp. 2:58–3:24) (compare with “To His Coy Mistress,” esp. ll. 25–32)

William Shakespeare, Sonnet 55: “Not marble, nor the gilded monuments. . .” (on the endurance of Art and Poetry: Exegi monumentum aere perennius 

Tuesday, January 17, 2012:
I will return Essay 1 (Short Fiction) in class tomorrow. All failing essays may be revised and resubmitted by Wednesday, January 15. Revisions must be substantially revised, not merely “corrected” versions of the original essay (revisions should be based upon the Revising and Editing Checklist and relevant information from class and the textbooks), and must be submitted with the original graded essay attached. Evidence of substantial revision may result in a better grade for the assignment. Essays receiving a passing grade may also be revised and resubmitted, but only after the student has met with the instructor during office hours (by appointment only) to discuss revisions. If you did not submit a completed essay on time, you will receive a grade of zero and may not submit a “revision.” However, if you bring a completed draft of Essay 1 to the Writing Center for assistance, revise that draft based upon comments and suggestions received during your visit, and submit both the draft and revision next week, I will accept it for full credit.

On Wednesday we will begin poetry; be sure you have read “Writing about Poems (1238-1247, including Elements of Poetry,” Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116: Let me not to the marriage of true minds (1244), and Shakespeare Defines Love) and Shakespeare’s Sonnet 73: “That time of year thou mayst in me behold” (466). One additional poem, Cummings, l(a,” is not in your textbook; it will be covered in class.

Finally, remember that as of last week, the Midterm Exam (Essay Two) is Monday, January 30; Friday, January 27, read the selections originally scheduled for Monday: Frost’s Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening (554), Blake’sLondon” (487), HughesHarlem (A Dream Deferred)” (577), and Piercy’sBarbie Doll” (647-648). Both the main page and syllabus, have been undated to reflect these changes.

Friday, January 13, 2012:
Essay 1 (Short Fiction) was due in class today. Although ordinarily I will not accept emailed submissions, if you did not submit your essay in class, you have until the end of the day to email it to me (as an attachment, in MS Word or compatible format). In addition, several students submitted essays that were not on appropriate topics or that did not follow directions. Always be sure you have read both the general essay instructions and the specific topic choices before you begin!

I have added a number of new links for additional recommended readings to the schedule, under Friday, January 13, including Doris Lessing’s Group Minds,” Stanley Milgram’sThe Perils of Obedience,” Carol TavrisIn Groups We Shrink from Loner's Heroics,” and Philip G. Zimbardo’s The Stanford Prison Experiment (website with slide show, embedded videos, discussion questions, bibliography and additional links), among others. In addition, I have posted a new link for The Rocking Horse Winner on YouTube.com, as the previous link is now dead (the video was removed), and updated the information on documenting films at Lit218Documentation.htm.

Finally, I have posted corrected versions of both the main page and syllabus, reflecting the changes made to the schedule: the Midterm Exam will now be on Monday, January 30; for Friday, January 27, read Frost’s Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening (554), Blake’sLondon” (487), HughesHarlem (A Dream Deferred)” (577), and Piercy’sBarbie Doll” (647-648).

See you on Tuesday.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012:
Because we ran long today, we will continue with Hawthorne’sYoung Goodman Brown” (3-13)  on Friday, in addition to Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery (242-249).

Do not forget that Essay 1 (Short Fiction) is due on Friday; be sure to read both the general essay instructions and the specific topic choices before you begin. You may wish to print out and refer to both  Works Cited page (Instructions & Sample) and Incorporating Sources, and email me if you have questions.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012:
I have read and commented upon your research paper topic selections and will return them in class tomorrow. I have also attached to each a list of several recommended sources, based on your topics (also available here).

Be sure to read both  Hawthorne’sYoung Goodman Brown” (3-13)  and Lawrence’sThe Rocking-Horse Winner” (145-157) for tomorrow, in addition to Symbolism” (1233) and “Theme” (1233); there will again be at least one quiz, possibly two (one on each story).

Sunday, January 8, 2012:
Your research paper topic selection is due in class tomorrow; as I have only received emails from three students as of this evening seeking prior approval for alternate topics, I assume that the rest of you are selecting on of the first four topics.

Also, be sure to read both Flannery O’Connor’s A Good Man Is Hard to Find” (277-290) and Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” (14-19). There will be at least one quiz, possibly two (one on each story).

Thursday, January 5, 2012:
I have added two additional links to the schedule, under Friday, January 6: CoinMill.com (a currency converter) and MeasuringWorth.com (an inflation calculator). These will be useful if you are wondering just how much the necklace from the story is worth, in modern dollars instead of nineteenth-century francs.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012:
As anticipated, the syllabus was available from the print shop immediately after class.
If you do not wish to wait until Friday for a copy, you can download a copy to print out here.

For Friday, be sure to read “Plot,” “Character,” “Point of View,” and “Setting,” (1231-1233); De Maupassant, The Necklace” (59-65) (also here in .pdf); Writing About Literature (1177-1218); and “Writing about Stories (1231-1237), including Elements of Fiction and Good Husbands in Bad Marriages (sample paper). You should also plan on a brief (five-minute) quiz on The Necklace.”

Wednesday, December 28, 2011:
The main page and syllabus have both been updated for the Fall II 2012 semester.

For the previous ENG-102 page (Fall I 2011), see here;
For the previous Announcements page,
see here;
For the previous syllabus, see here.

 

 

 

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