+ There are six characters in the play: the conductor, Mr. Brown, Mrs. Brown, Granny, John and Mary. Listen to the statements and guess whose they are.
Although Robert Frost was born in San Francisco, he is distinctively a New England poet, and his two important volumes, North of Boston (1915) and Mountain Intervale (1916), are the natural product of the granite New Hampshire hills among which he made his home in 1900. For nearly three years (1912-1915) Robert Frost was in England with his wife and children, living in a suburban town, making the acquaintance of young English poets, and finding a needed stimulus in new associations. It was in London that his first volume of verse, A Boy's Will, was published, in 1913; his second volume, North of Boston (in its first edition), followed the next year. There are, however, no suggestions of the English environment in either volume. The poetry in the first volume, largely subjective, is more conventional than that which followed. The later poems are mainly narrative–serious, sometimes somber tales, realistic, human–very true to the psychology of New England; but these are interspersed with brighter pastoral sketches like “Mending Wall”, “Mowing”, “After Apple Picking”, and “Birches”, poems which grow spontaneously out of the simple farm life. A word should be added with regard to the metrical form adopted by the poet as the medium of his verse. It is not that of the typical free verse poets–yet it has all the freedom of that unconventional school. More closely resembling the ten-syllable line of the standard blank verse form, but with varying meter and stressed pauses together with an extra syllable where needed, the rhythm adjusts itself with an easy freedom to follow the natural tones of living speech. Before reading
Activity 1:
+ Listen to the speaker. He will read some comments on Robert Frost’s poetry. CRITIQUE “Frost’s writing appears to be so effortless that many of his most popular poems seem as clear and as simple as someone describing the weather. At the same time, they are complex examples of rhyme and diction. Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening is one of these familiar poems. The seemingly artless stanzas are actually tightly structured around a complicated scheme. Even if the reader’s eye is not consciously analyzing the rhymes, the ear is hearing them.”
(Ann Charters and Samuel Charters, 1997)
Through these comments, how much do you know about the author and his poetry?
YES
PERHAPS
NO
a. He’s famous for his poetry on nature.
b. His poetry has complicated but well-structured rhyme scheme.
+ Listen to the following introduction to the poem. INTRODUCTION One year after returning from England, Robert Frost wrote The Road Not Taken. It is one of his most popular poems. Its metaphor of life as a journey, and the decision to make the journey down one of two roads, is a striking example of a metaphor. However, readers have sometimes noticed that the roads he makes were actually so similar that they were almost the same. He wrote this poem for his friend–Edward Thomas. The poem was intended as a joke since Thomas could never make up his mind about anything. He teased Thomas by saying, "No matter which road you taken, you’ll always sigh and wish you’d taken another." He sent the poem to Thomas in a letter; however, Thomas missed the joke entirely. He thought it was a poem about the decisions Frost had made in his own life. In short, the poem had not worked the way he had intended. + How much do you know about the poem? Tick one box for each sentence.
YES
PERHAPS
NO
a. The poem is about the beauty of nature.
b. The author expresses his viewpoint on death.
c. The author expresses his viewpoint on life.
d. The poem is about the author’s attitude toward life.
While reading Activity 3: + Listen to reader. He will read the whole poem. Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same. And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I–
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Activity 4:
NOTE: STANZA (VERSE): Stanzas usually have the same number of lines, metrical pattern, and rhyme scheme. + Now, listen to the poem reader stanza by stanza and then repeat after him / her. Stanza 1: Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth; Stanza 2:
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.
Stanza 3: And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back. Stanza 4: I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I–
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Activity 5:
+ Listen. Which stanzas in the poem are being read? a. b.
NOTE: In a poem rhyme scheme ties the sense together with sound. The rhyme scheme is marked with letters of the alphabet. It might be aabb for each stanza or abab, cdcd, etc. Ex:
Loveliest of trees, the cherry now
Is hung with bloom along the bough,
And stands about the woodland ride
Wearing white for Eastertide.
a
a
b
b
Which of the following is the rhyme scheme of the poem 'The Road Not Taken': 1. abab, bcbc, cdcd, efef
2. aabb, bbcc, ccdd, ddcd
3. abaab, bcbbc, cdccd, dedde
4. abba, bccb, cddc, deed
NOTES: FIGURES OF SPEECH: 1. Metaphor and simile: They are both comparisons, but a simile tells us to watch out for the comparison with the words like, as, as if, or as though, etc., while a metaphor does not. 2. Personification: The presentation of ananimate objects or abstract ideas with life or with human characteristics. 3. Irony: Figurative language in which the intended meaning differs from the literal meaning. 4. Antithesis: A contrast of words or sentiments is made in the same sentence. 5. Symbol: A symbol suggests or stands for an idea, quality, or conception larger in meaning than itself. Ex:
- A lion: symbol of courage
- “Wall Street”: The structure of American capitalism. + In the poem, ‘a yellow wood’ was used to describe an autumn scene with the maples turning gold, and ‘the road’ was used to imply the life journey. What figure of speech did Frost use to express these ideas? a. Personification
b. Metaphor
c. Antithesis
d. Irony
In stanza 1, line 3, instead of saying ‘I stood long’ the poet said ‘long I stood’. What language device did Frost use to express his idea? a. Personification
b. Inversion
c. Antithesis
d. Irony
Stanza 2: Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same. In the poem the road was described as if it ‘wanted wear’ (lacked wear). What language device did Frost use to express this idea? a. Personification
b. Metaphor
c. Antithesis
d. Irony
In the poem, the traveler came to the fork in the road but wished that he could have traveled both (Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,/ And sorry I could not travel both), and the road was described less traveled (grassy and wanted wear) but which actually “worn about the same” (Then took the other, as just as fair / And having perhaps the better claim / Because it was grassy and wanted wear / Though as for that the passing there / Had worn them really about the same.) What language device did Frost use to express these ideas? a. Personification
b. Inversion
c. Antithesis
d. Irony
As seen in the introduction, the poet wrote this poem for his friend, Edward Thomas. Frost asserted that Edward took the right road and this would make his life different. However, the roads the poet described were almost the same. In addition, the poet was making fun of his friend, that Thomas could never make up his mind about anything, but his friend missed the joke and thought it was on Frost himself. What language device was useed to help create this sense in the poem? a. Personification
b. Inversion
c. Antithesis
d. Irony
After reading Activity 12: In your opinion, which, among the following sentences, is the literal meaning of the poem? a. A traveler comes to a fork in the road, needs to decide which way to go. Finally, he took the road 'less traveled by.'
b. A traveler comes to a fork in the road, needs to decide which way to go. Finally, he took both roads.
c. A traveler comes to a fork in the road and he did not know which road he should take.
In your opinion, which, among the following sentences, is the figurative meaning of the poem? a. There is always 'a road not taken' in one’s life. People never know where for worse or for better, it might lead.
b. Tough choices people stand for when traveling the road of life.
c. People usually regret for 'the road not taken.'
d. All of them are correct.
+ Here are some different titles for the poem. Which one could it go with? (a) The Silent Love
(b) A Tough Choice in Life
(c) Springtime in the Heart
(d) An Unforgetable Memory
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859 – 1930), born in Edingburgh, Scotland, is best known as the creator of Sherlock Holmes. He statrted writing after working as a doctor and soon became one of the world’s best-known authors. His adventure story The Lost World is also available in Dominoes. NOTES: magnifying glass: when you look through this, small things are big
walking stick: a long, thin piece of wood; you use this to help you to walk
countess: the wife of a rich, important man
High Court: the most important court in the country
cab: a taxi
feel sorry for: to be unhappy about
witness: a person who saw a crime Before reading
Activity 1:
+ This story is about a blue diamond. Find the word ‘diamond’ in the dictionary. Which among the following sentences expresses the meaning of a diamond?
a. A piece of stone that can be found in the museum.
b. A very expensive stone that usually has no color.
c. A special kind of wood that can be seen in the forest.
+ Correct the mistakes in these sentences. Type the correct words or phrases in the box. a. The Countess paid 2,000 francs for the diamond.
b. Holmes understands how the diamond got into the goose.
c. The police thinks James Ryder took it.
d. Mr. Peterson leaves the diamond with his wife.
e. The diamond disappeared from the Countess’s mansion.
f. Holmes wants to find John Horner.
+ Correct some mistakes in this summary of the story. Type the correct words or phrases in the box right after each mistake. Holmes and Watson talk in the street near Breckinridge’s hotel (a) . Holmes is not happy (b) to get Countess Morcar’s address. Behind them they hear Mr. Breckinridge singing (c) in front of his shop with a big man. This man is very interested in Mrs. Oakshott’s dogs (d) . Mr. Breckinridge gets angry (e) with him. Holmes tells the man that he knows nothing (f) about the case. The man says his name is John Redman, but his real name is James Ryder. And he himself is the diamond owner (g) .
+ Put these sentences in the correct order. Number them 1-7. Type the corrcet number in the box. a. Mr Breckinridge is angry with Holmes.
b. Holmes asks Mr Breckinridge about the geese.
c. Holmes gives Mr Breckinridge a pound.
d. Mr Windigate tells Holmes about Mr. Breckinridge’s shop.
e. Mr Breckinridge tells Holmes about Mrs Oakshott.
f. Holmes and Watson go to the Alpha.
g. Holmes and Watson go to Covent Garden.
Type of work:
Author:
Type of plot:
Locale:
Time of plot:
Short story O. Henry Realistic romance America The second half of the 19th century
AUTHOR’S BIOGRAPHY William Sydney Porter (O. Henry) (1862-1910) was born in Greensboro, North Carolina, and died in New York City. At one time he was called “The American De Maupassant” Having survived both critical acclaim and vilification, he remains one of the most popular and entertaining short story writers in American literature. As a youth he worked as a clerk in his hometown, then traveled at the age of 19 to Texas, where he lived on a sheep ranch. Later he took a job of as bank teller in Austin and then as a columnist and cartoonist for the Houston Post. In 1896, O. Henry was indicted for the embezzlement of bank funds and sentenced to imprisonment. While in prison (1898-1901), he began to write short stories for the magazines under the pen name of ‘O. Henry’ (one Orrin Henry was serving as a guard in the Ohio prison to which O. Henry had been sent). After his release, O. Henry moved to New York, producing many stories which proved to be enormously popular all over the United States. O. Henry was famous chiefly for his short stories. His works are not great literature. The characters in his stories were usually ordinary simple people such as the poor workers in the cities. What brought him success probably was the ingenuity of plot–the ‘surprise ending’–the achievement of which depends much on accident and coincidence. This can be seen clearly in the following excerpt. NOTES
the Magi: (in the Bible) the three wise men from the East who are said to have brought presents to the baby Jesus Before reading
Activity 1:
+ Match the words in the left with the words in the right. Use one word for once only. Type the correct number in the box.
While reading Activity 3: + Listen to the speaker reading the last part of the story (from “Jim stopped inside the door” to the end) (from CD-ROM). “Jim stopped inside the door, as immovable as a setter at the scent of quail. His eyes were fixed upon Della, and there was an expression in them that she could not read, and it terrified her. It was not anger, nor surprise, nor disapproval, nor horror, nor any of the sentiments that she had been prepared for. He simply stared at her fixedly with that peculiar expression on his face. Della wriggled off the table and went for him. “Jim, darling,” she cried, “Don’t look at me that way. I had my hair cut off and sold it because I couldn’t have lived through Christmas without giving you a present. It’ll grow out again–you don’t mind, will you? I just had to do it. My hair grows awfully fast. Say ‘Merry Christmas!’ Jim, and let’s be happy. You don’t know what a nice–what a beautiful, nice gift I’ve got for you.” “You’ve cut off your hair?” asked Jim, laboriously, as if he had not arrived at that patent fact yet even after the hardest mental labor. “Cut it off and sold it,” said Della. “Don’t you like me just as well, anyhow? I’m me without my hair, ain’t I?” Jim looked about the room curiously. “You say your hair is gone?” he said, with an air almost of idiocy. “You needn’t look for it,” said Della. “It’s sold, I tell you–sold and gone, too. It’s Christmas Eve, boy. Be good to me, for it went for you. Maybe the hairs of my head were numbered,” she went on a sudden serious sweetness, “but nobody could ever count my love for you. Shall I put the chops on, Jim?” Out of his trance Jim seemed quickly to wake. He enfolded his Della. For ten seconds let us regard with discrete scrutiny some inconsequential object in the other direction. Eight dollars a week or a million a year–what is the difference? A mathematician or a wit would give you the wrong answer. The magi brought valuable gifts, but that was not among them. This dark assertion will be illuminated later on. Jim drew a package from his overcoat package and threw it upon the table. “Don’t make any mistake, Dell,” he said, “about me. I don’t think there’s anything in the way of a haircut or a shave or a shampoo that could make me like my girl any less. But if you’ll unwrap that package you may see why you had me going a while at first.” White fingers and nimble tore at the string and paper. And then an ecstatic scream of joy; and then, alas! a quick feminine change to hysterical tears and wails, necessitating the immediate employment of all the comforting powers of the lord of the flat. For there lay The Combs–the set of combs, side and back, that Dells had worshipped for long in a Broadway window. Beautiful combs, pure tortoise shell, with jeweled rims–just the shade to wear in the beautiful vanished hair. They were expensive combs, she knew, and her heart had simply craved and yearned over them without the least hope of possession. And now, they were hers, but the tresses that should have adorned the coveted adornments were gone. But she hugged them to her bosom, and at length she was able to look up with dim eyes and a smile and say: “My hair grows so fast, Jim!” And the Della leaped up like a little singed cat and cried, “Oh, oh!” Jim had not yet seen his beautiful present. She held it out to him eagerly upon her open palm. The dull precious metal seemed to flash with a reflection of her bright and ardent spirit. “Isn’t it a dandy, Jim? I hunted all over town to find it. You’ll have to look at the time a hundred times a day now. Give me your watch. I want to see how it looks on it.” Instead of obeying, Jim tumbled down on the couch and put his hands under the back of his head and smiled. “Dell,” said he, “let’s put our Christmas presents away and keep ’em a while. They’re too nice to use just at present. I sold the watch to get the money to buy your combs. And now suppose you put the chops on.” The magi, as you know, were wise men–wonderfully wise men–who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in the last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. Of all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi.”
+ Which of the sentences is related to the picture?
a. “Jim, darling,” she cried, “Don’t look at me that way… I had my hair cut off…”
b. “Jim drew a package from his overcoat package and threw it upon the table.”
c. “Dell,” said he, “let’s put our Christmas presents away and keep ‘em a while. They’re too nice to use just as presents. I sold the watch to get the money to buy you combs…”
d. “But she hugged them to her bosom, and at length she was able to look up with dim eyes and a smile..”
+ Use the following words to correct eight mistakes in the story.
cold love surprise big difficult famous story
O’ Henry’s short stories are usually ended with surprise. They are often about the prosperous (a) times of people in America from 1902 to 1910. Money is a small (b) problem for many characters in his stories. They work long days, and they live in warm (c) apartments with only a little food. O’ Henry writes about money (d) problems, too. Readers remember O. Henry’s stories because they never know how his stories are going to finish. He usually gives readers a feeling of hatred (e) .
