World Literature Student Assignment

World Literature—Student Assignment

Oral Interpretation of Literature: Readers’ Theater

Dr. Joan Kennedy

CollinCollege

Assignment: After reading and discussing Homer’s Odyssey, students will write a vignette in response to the work.

What is a vignette ? It is a short, descriptive, creative work written in prose.

Suggested Procedure: As you read and think about Homer’s Odyssey, jot down ideas and impressions in response. What specific characters, incidents, ideas, issues, themes, imagery, etc. do you discover within the work? Do you recall any ideas from class discussion? Free write all ideas as they occur to you. Your journal would be a good place to record your responses. Then from the free-writing begin the first draft of your vignette, creating bits and pieces of imagery (descriptive word pictures) that represent your thoughts about the work.

The vignette should be approximately a half page to a page (typewritten, double-spaced) in length. Since a vignette is a type of creative writing, it is permissible to use sentence fragments and phrases to describe your thoughts about the Odyssey.

In essence you are creating an image with words.

Sample Vignette: See attached example. The writer focused on Odysseus’ journey back to Ithaca after the Trojan War.

The next step is to reshape the vignette into a poem. The wording of the poem may be exactly like the vignette but rearranged to poetic form. On the other hand, the wording of the poem may be an adaptation from the vignette. See example of poem on back of vignette sheet.

VIGNETTE

My One True Love

The beginning and the end. In life and death. I journeyed far away—called to Troy to return fair, treacherous Helen. Long I have been gone, and I long to return to you. –Poseidon, the earth shaker, the wave maker sought vengeance for the disfigurement of his son. Toils and dangers I have met, with you my precious love always in my mind’s longing eye. I have traversed to Hell and back. Lain with and been detained many years by beguiling, bewitching goddess Circe and lustful, lovely nymph Calypso. Amassed material riches beyond one’s wildest imagination and lost loved companions every step of the way. Always my sweet love, I felt your pull at my

heart. . .yearning to kiss your Dawn rose tinted body. Twenty years have come and gone, now your striking beauty, your ethereal loveliness within my sight. Yet, troubles still linger—suitors plunder and disgrace my home. When I dispose of them, each death to fit its crime, bloodied and painful—then is when I will fully rejoice. Lying upon your honeyed breast. The beginning and the end. In life and death. My one true love, my Ithaca.

Student Vignette

POEM ADAPTED FROM VIGNETTE

MY ONE TRUE LOVE

The beginning and the end.

In life and death.

I journeyed far away—

--Called to Troy, to return fair, treacherous Helen

Long I have been gone

And I long to return to you.

--Poseidon, the earth shaker

the wave maker,

Sought vengeance for

The d i s f i g u re me nt of his son.

Toils and danger I have met

With you my precious love

Always in my mind’s longing eye.

I have traversed to HELL

and back.

Lain with and been detained many years by

Beguiling, bewitching goddess Circe and

Lustful, lovely nymph Calypso

Gathered material riches

Beyond wildest imagination

And lost loved companions

Every step of the way.

Always my sweet love

I felt your pull on my heart. . .

Yearning to kiss your Dawn rose tinted body.

Twenty years have come and gone.

NOW your striking beauty,

Your ethereal loveliness within my sight

Yet troubles still linger—

Suitors plunder and disgrace my home.

When I dispose of them,

Each death to fit its crime,

Bloodied and painful—

Then is when I will fully rejoice

Lying upon your honeyed breast

--The beginning and the end

In life and death.

My one true love. . .

My ITHACA Student Poem

Excerpt from a 15-page script adapted from student poetry and vignettes—students are assigned lines from the script.

READERS’ THEATER

IMAGES FROM THE ODYSSEY

The beginning and the end

In life and death

I journeyed far away—

Called to Troy to return fair, treacherous Helen.

Long I have been gone

And long to return to you.

Great goddess, hear my calls

You have given your imperial guidance for all my family

You protected the men with your invincible shield

And poured blessing upon blessing—

All know father and grandfather called on your wisdom throughout their lives

Now I sense my son gains courage from Athena’s wise words

He will overtake the greedy serpents in my home

Who wish to be in my wife’s bed. . .

Penelope, dear—

Please waste no more time—

My volcanic heart is about to erupt

I’m not like the rest—that swear they’re the best

But just look and you’ll find I’m the only one

With true love on his mind

As the unfaithful go away, you can be sure that I’ll stay and know that in time—

I will surely make you mine.

I can see your form bathed in light—

Your Reubenesque form fills my loins with delight—

Come on girl, I wish you’d finish that shroud—

So then you could choose me out of this crowd.

You tell that boy Telemachus he’d better stay in line—

Or fish in the Aegean, on his body they will dine!

Odysseus is with the gods above

Come on girl, let’s make love

One night of passion—

And you will be mine—

And so will your kingdom—

Every penny—

Nickel—

And dime!

Yes, toils and dangers I have met—

Oh, great goddess, Athena, hear my calls

With your aid my son will see my story through my friends’ tales—

And find strength in my feats—

Find strength to overcome the suitors

Now you persuade Zeus to curb Calypso’s power

However, none seems to overcome your horrid betrayal

Yes, vengeful nymph revealed your anger to conspire with her my captivity

Athena, my ships lost—

My friends blown astray—

Now seven years upon this isle.

Goats and baby lambs I would sacrifice

Pile all the riches in your hands

And great temples will arise

For one more time of guidance on a speedy journey home

To guard me from suitors—

Monsters—

And gods—

I would be forever, your Odysseus.

Yes, I have traversed to hell and back—

Poseidon, the earth shaker

The wave maker—

Sought vengeance for the disfigurement of his son. . .

Oh, sweet wine—

I need you to wash down the flesh of my latest feast

Like a fire in the night—

Yes, I have traversed to hell and back—

Toils and danger I have met

With you my precious love always in my mind’s longing eye.

Lain with and been detained a year by beguiling, bewitching goddess Circe—

And lustful, lovely nymph Calypso.

Oh, how I long to throw down my weapons and rest!

I wish to dream about my loved ones—

I weep to see my boy all grown.

Was it love divine that brought Odysseus home?

Each step was predestined to answer the questions my pride encountered

Each island could not deny I was ordained to survive

Every man must enjoy the folly of his bosom

Yet what he so craves could be what ends his days

All men deserve to be known for their feat

Though all women’s seductions are what cause them to retreat

It is the noble hope of love that brings honor to a crown

And not the destruction of a kingdom

Nor its downfall

Days

And nights

And for mortal men facing sunrise

I am god-like in my hope

Hope for my freedom

My life

My home. . . .My one true love. . . .My Ithaca!