The Nightingale and the Rose

Oscar Wilde
- Irish
- Aesthetic movement = art for art's sake
- Flamboyant
- Social critic
- "The Portait of Dorian Grey"
- 1891 gay affair (married, two sons)
- Two years in jail
- Dies penniless
- Story written for his two sons

Symbols
- Wisdom = Oak tree
- Unrequited love = Red rose
- Goodness + virtue = Nightingale
- Materialism = Girl (air hoad)
- Cynism (not appreciating beauty) = Student

Images
Personification: "But the Tree shook its head."
Simile: "Her voice was like water bubbling from a silver jar."
Metaphor: "Flame-coloured are his wings (...)"
Alliteration: "You must build it out of music by moonlight."
Assonance:
Consonance:


The Nightingale and the Rose - Writing Assignment

The Nightingale and the Rose, written by Oscar Wilde, is a story with a very strong meaning that makes the reader think about important values. I am going to write about the importance of love as a value and about the way the author's writing makes the story meaningful.

The Nightingale and the Rose makes the reader reflect on the importance of love. During the whole story, the Nightingale is trying to find a rose for the Student because she thinks he is a true lover; she even sacrifices her life for it. Yet, at the end, we find out that the young man's love was not real. According to me, there are two possibilities: either the author wanted to say that love is really important, or he wanted to say that it is not. Indeed, love might seem really important to one who focuses on what the Nightingale did. So to speak, the bird itself might be the true lover, the symbol of love. On the other hand, one could see the end as a proof that love is not necessarily worth everything we do for it. The author might have intended to tell the reader that love - even if it is indeed a beautiful thing - is only one value amongst many others.

Oscar Wilde uses numerous personifications to emphasize the images and their meaning. The words "Love", "Life", "Philosophy", "Death" etc. are capitalized to give the impression that they are more than simple words; they have a meaning far beyond what they say, because they are things we cannot fully understand or explain. "Nightingale", "Rose-tree", "Moon", "Oak-tree", etc. are also capitalized to put an emphasis on the symbolic meaning of the words. For instance, the Nightingale represents love and goodness; the Moon represents the purity of love, and so on. Instead of simply picturing a bird or a tree, the reader has in mind the whole image behind it.

In conclusion, it is obvious that The Nightingale and the Rose is a meaningful story that is meant to make the reader reflect on values.

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

Images

1- The sentinels might have been "statues". (metaphor)
2- The water roared like "the voice of Niagara". (simile and personnification)
3- The trees were giant garden plants. (metaphor)

Writing correction code

Thesis:

- "A thesis statement is an assertion, not a statement of fact or an observation".

- "A thesis statement is specific rather than vague or general".

Topic sentence:

- "It related the paragraph to the essay's thesis, (...) but it also defines the scope of the paragraph itself".

- "As the thesis statement is the unifying force in the essay, so the topic sentence must be the unifying force in the paragraph".

Sentence patterns

Independent Clause: complete idea
subject + verb + direct object
ex: CSL has 3200 students.
+ modifiers, prepositional phrases...

Dependant Clause: not a complete idea
subject, verb, subordinating conjunction or relative pronoun


PATTERNS:

Pattern 1:  IC;IC
ex: Hard work is only part of the equation for success; talent is the other.
ex: Some people dream of being something; others stay awake and are.
ex: The princess had the fate of her lover in her hands; she could make him live or die.

Pattern 1 a)  IC; conjunctive adverb + IC
conjunctive adverbs: so, however, therefore, hence, thus, then...
ex: The narrator admitted his guilt; so the police took him away.
ex: Frank Stockton started out as a wood engraver; however, he later became a famous writer.
ex: The narrator suffocated and cut up the old man; then he got caught.

Pattern 1 b)  IC(; or ,) coordinating conjunction + IC
ex: Poe had lots of medical problems, and he died of unknown causes.
ex: Poe married his 13-year-old cousin; she died very soon, and he never recovered.
ex: Stockton's "Tiger" story was written for fun, but it caused a lot of controversy.

Pattern 2:  IC:IC (General statement: specific statement.)
ex: Darwin's "origin of species" states a harsh truth: only the fittest survive.
ex: The empty coffin in the centre of the crypt had a single horrifying meaning: Dracula had awakened.
ex: The story "Occurrence" is very ironic: the author, a northerner, takes a southern point of view.

Pattern 3: Series without a conjunction (A, B and C / A and B and C / A, B, C.)
ex: With intelligence, passion, vision, president Obama has become a voice of hope for peace.

Pattern 4: A series of balanced pairs
ex: God is day and night, winter and summer, war and peace.

Pattern 5: An introductory series of appositives with a dash (-) and summaryzing subject
ex: The Mona Lisa, Michaelangelo's "David", the ceiling of the Sistine chapel - these are examples of Italian artistic genius.

The Lady or the Tiger

The author: Frank Stockton
- He wrote for magazines, but had to stop because of sight issues.
- He kept writing by dictating his stories to his wife who was writing them for him.
- He never said to anyone what he expected the ending of the story would be.
- He lived to see a new century.
- He used to write humorous, children stories.
- He was very provocative.

A) Vocabulary
will: determination
valour: bravery
poetic justice: "What goes around comes around"
wails: a long and high-pitched cry of pain or grief
mourners: people feeling deep sorrow about the death or loss of someone
dire: very serious or urgent
fate: the unavoidable outcome of a person's life
fair: just, treating people equally
choristers: members of a choir
maidens: young women
apple of his eye: the most precious thing to him
unsurpassed: that has never been outdone
startling: shocking, surprising
damsels: young women
glances: brief looks
mazes: networks of paths in which it is hard to find a way
fangs: long sharp teeth
gnashed: grind
shriek: very loud sound or cry
anguished: experiencing severe pain or suffering

B)What advice would you give the accused courtier?
If it's the tiger, RUN!

The Tell-Tale Heart

1. Point of view
The main character of the story is the narrator, talking to the first person. Since he's telling his own story, it gives a better understanding of his thoughts.

2. Style
2.1. Imagery
Based on sounds: the beating of the heart, the watch, the scream.
2.2 Metaphor
"the vulture eye"
"stone dead"
2.3 Simile
"It was a low, dull, quick sound -- much such a sound as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton".
2.4. Personification
"Death in approaching him had stalked with his black shadow before him and enveloped the victim".
2.5 Irony
Precaution VS denunciation
Kindness VS hatred, cruelty
Madness VS sanity

3. Prefixes
Disemble, Impossible, Foresight, Derision, Midnight, Undisturbed, Concealment, Precautions, Introducted, Extent

4. Suffixes
Causeless, Uncontrolable

5. Thesis statement about "theme"
1- A human being has a pervese wicked side - another self - that can goad him into doing evil things with no apparent motive.
2- Fear of discovery can bring about discovery.
3- The evil within (internal) is worst than the evil or ugliness without (external).

Notes: Speaking criteria

1. Delivery: Loud, eye contact, not read, speed, pronunciation.

2. Content: Develop ideas (main, secondary, introduction, etc.), questions, anecdotes...

3. Organisation: Sequencers (first, second...), connectors (however, therefore...)

4. Language: Vocabulary, grammar, sentence variety.

Wiki Quiz

1. What is the Learning Express Library (LEL)? A page on the website of la Grande Bibliothèque
   
   
2. Where is Mr. B's office? C-150
   
   
3. What percentage of the course is writing and speaking worth? 100%
   
   
4. How many items are on the "Writing Correction Code"? 25
   
   
5. What are Mr. B's office hours? Monday 12:00 - 4:00 and Thursday 3:00 - 4:00
   
   
6. What is the 48 hour rule? If you miss an evaluation, you have to see the teacher in the 48 hours following the evaluation or you get a 0.
   
   
7. What is the first assignment? Read the Tell-Tale Heart, Student Profile, Wiki Quiz
   
   
8. How many references are made to "thesis statement"? 6
   
   
9. How can I reach Mr. B through this Wiki? Members -> Bonk -> Send message
   
   
10. Do you have to go to the Grande Bibiliotheque to register? no
    
    
11. How many short stories are we going to read? 8
    
    
12. How many pages on the site refer to "grammar"? 5
    
    
13. How many items are listed in the Student Agreement? 10
    
    
14. What are the summative writing assignments? Book review, 2 tests, 2 LELs
    
    
15. Write down two questions you have about the course? Are we going to have to read very long books? Are there British authors in the list?

Notes: Literary Elements

Plot (#2, 4, 5, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 24.) : Action, Conflict, Climax, Denouement, Flashback and foreshadow.

Setting (#8, 9, 10, 15, 24.) : Place, Time.

Characterization (#3, 4, 6, 20, 22, 24, 25.) : Protagonist, Antagonist, Physical, Psychological, Actions and dialogues.

Theme (#1, 16, 19, 21, 24, 26.) : Meaning.

Narration (#7, 18, 24.) : First person, Third person, Omniscent.

Style (#15, 20, 23, 24.) : Figures of speech, Figurative.