Classics/Foreign Lit, 02/14, Period 2

[game-of-you.livejournal.com]

Dream manages an absent smile for the students as they file in, and there is an assortment of heart-shaped candies on each desk.

"Hello. Happy day of St. Valentine."

Classics: Dream lectures on Sappho and reads some of her poetry aloud. "For classwork today, please find a Greek love -- or anti-love -- poem or myth and present it to your classmates."

Foreign Lit: Students must take a quiz on Russian literature, alas. But the light at the end of the tunnel is a handout of poems by Pablo Neruda to read in preparation for a class on Latin American literature on Thursday.

[OOC: Quiz is 10 questions about the bard movement, Gogol, and other Russian literature. Tell me what grade you got.]

Comments

Classics, 02/14

[game-of-you.livejournal.com]

LIsten to the lecture and find something to present.

Re: Classics, 02/14

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"This is, um, well, it's part of one of the poems by Sappho actually, 'cause I really like this one which has nothing to do with my mun remembering it being in an episode of Xena, honest." Anders stands up and coughs a little bit, his cheeks flushing as he reads. (See, really, he can read. The suspicions can stop now.)

"Ah, but the heart flutters
Under my bosom,
When I behold thee
Even a moment;
Utterance leaves me;

My tongue is useless;
A subtle fire
Runs through my body;
My eyes are sightless,
And my ears ringing;

I flush with fever,
And a strong trembling
Lays hold upon me;
Paler than grass am I,
Half dead for madness."

He shuffles his feet awkwardly. "That's only the middle. There's more to it than that, actually."

Re: Classics, 02/14

[game-of-you.livejournal.com]

"That is a very physical poem, Mr. Anders. Nice work in translating it."

Re: Classics, 02/14

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, it's, um, physical all right," mutters Anders, trying and failing to subtly tug at his collar. "Thanks, sir."

Re: Classics, 02/14

[janet_fraiser]

Janet presents the story of Daphne and Apollo as a tale of possessiveness, rather than love. She also notes how even as a tree, Daphne couldn't escape Apollo, as he tore branches from her and wove himself a crown of laurel leaves.

Re: Classics, 02/14

[game-of-you.livejournal.com]

"Posessiveness and love are easy to confuse, for some," Dream said. "What do you think the symbolism of the laurel is, Ms. Frasier?"

Re: Classics, 02/14

[janet_fraiser]

"What's the classical symbolism, or what symbolism do I assign to it?" asked Janet. "The symbolism I see in it is Apollo's theft of Daphne. If he couldn't steal her virtue, he would take what he could from her."

Pessimistic, sure, but she'd been feeling uncomfortable without knowing why for the past couple of days.