foreshadowing, metaphor, simile
On Thursday, Nettaly, Brandon, and Kendra's groups present poems.
On Friday, Mayte's group presents their poem.
To a louse. I handed out this poem. For Monday, write a full page. One short paragraph summary. The heading on the paper helps you with that. Make sure you reread the heading. Particularly find the famous lines from the poem. One could write an entire page on that. If you need more ideas, write connections, author's skills, or theme.
An extra credit point for every line of the original poem that you memorize and perform in class on Monday.
To A Louse. (P 844 of the green textbok.)
On seeing one on a lady's
bonnet at church.
The following Burns' poem again has one line
that is often quoted, though I doubt that most readers would have sny idea where it comes from, or what the
subject of the line refers to. It never ceases to amaze me in reading his
poems, the depth of his understanding of human nature and his interpretation of
it to the animal kingdom. It was one Sunday while sitting behind a young 'lady'
in the church, that he noticed a head louse roaming over its domain in the bows
and ribbons of her hat, and I assume her hair. Poor woman, little did she know
that she would, with her head companion, be the subject of one of Burns' poems,
on how we see ourselves, and how we think other people see us.
Extra credit? An extra credit point for each line of the original you learn by Monday to be recited in class. Maximum 15.
To a Louse:
Ha! Whare ye gaun, ye crowlin ferlie?
Your impudence protects you sairly,
I canna say but ye strut rarely
Owre gauze and lace,
Tho' faith! I fear ye dine but sparely
On sic a place.
Ye ugly, creepin, blastit wonner,
Detested, shunn'd by saunt an' sinner,
How daur ye set your fit upon her --
Sae fine a lady!
Gae somewhere else and seek your dinner
On some poor body.
Swith! in some beggar's hauffet squattle:
There you may creep, and sprawl, and sprattle
Wi' ither kindred, jumping cattle,
In shoals and nations;
Whare horn nor bane ne'er dare unsettle
Your thick plantations.
Now haud you there! ye're out o' sight,
Below the fatt'rils, snug an' tight;
Na, faith ye yet! ye'll no be right,
Till ye've got on it ---
The vera tapmost, tow'ring height
O' miss's bonnet.
My sooth! right bauld ye set your nose out,
As plump an' grey as onie grozet:
O for some rank, mercurial rozet,
Or fell, red smeddum,
I'd gie ye sic a hearty dose o't,
Wad dress your droddum!
I wad na been surpris'd to spy
You on an auld wife's flainen toy:
Or aiblins some bit duddie boy,
On's wyliecoat;
But Miss's fine Lunardi! fye!
How daur ye do't.
O Jenny, dinna toss your head,
An' set your beauties a' abread!
You little ken what cursed speed
The blastie's makin!
Thae winks an' finger-ends, I dread,
Are notice takin'!
O wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as ithers see us!
It wad frae monie a blunder free us,
An' foolish notion:
What airs in dress an' gait wad lea'e us,
An' ev'n devotion!
Translation of the poem to more modern English:
Ha! Where are you going, you crawling wonder?
Your impudence protects you sorely,
I can not say but you swagger rarely
Over gauze and lace,
Though faith! I fear you dine but sparingly
On such a place
You ugly, creeping, blasted wonder,
Detested, shunned by saint and sinner,
How dare you set your foot upon her –
Such fine a lady!
Go somewhere else and seek your dinner
On some
poor body
Off! in some beggar's temples squat:
There you may creep, and sprawl, and
scramble,
With other kindred, jumping cattle,
In shoals and nations;
Where horn nor bone never dare unsettle
Your thick plantations
Now hold you there! you are out of sight,
Below the falderals, snug and tight;
No, faith you yet! you will not be right,
Until you have got on it ---
The very topmost, towering height
Of misses bonnet.
My sooth! right bold you set your nose out,
As plump and gray as any gooseberry:
O for some rank, mercurial resin,
Or deadly, red powder,
I would give you such a hearty dose of it,
Would dress your breech!
I would not have been surprised to spy
You on an old wife's flannel cap:
Or maybe some small ragged boy,
On his undervest;
But Miss's fine balloon bonnet! fye!
How dare you do it.
O Jenny do not toss your head,
And set your beauties all abroad!
You little know what cursed speed
The blastie's making!
Those winks and finger-ends, I dread,
Are notice takiing!
O would some Power the gift to give us
To see ourselves as others see us!
It would from many a blunder free us,
And foolish notion:
What airs in dress and gait would leave us,
And even devotion!
Bring outside reading tomorrow.
Reminders:
Wednesday, 2-29, Reflective essay due
Wednesday, 2-29, Graduation diploma info sheets due to classroom.
Monday, 4-9, outside reading due (800 pages)
Wednesday, 6-6, last academic day for seniors (NOTE CHANGE)
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