For Wednesday: Finish Machiavelli's The Prince

The"Love and Death" group should answer TWO of the following questions.
The students in this group are: Danielle M, Kara C, Sydney W, Bekkah T, Madison G, Erica M, Heather B, Raven J, Jack A, and Mya C

Q1: Considering that the prince’s only business is war, how does Machiavelli regard neutrality?  Can a prince remain neutral when two neighboring states go to war?  If not, which side should he support?  Why might this be one of the most significant decisions a prince can make?

Q2: In a world of turncoats, flatterers, and assassins, whom should a prince turn to for advice?  What considerations does Machiavelli urge when compiling a prince’s personal staff?  Why might this decision make or break a prince’s rule?

Q3: Toward the end of the book, Machiavelli writes that “because fortune is a woman...if she is to be submissive it is necessary to beat and coerce her” (81).  Why does Machiavelli personify fortune as a woman, and what does it mean to “beat” fortune as a woman?  (as a side note, what do you think this says about Renaissance culture?) 

Q4: In his biography of Machiavelli, Miles Unger writes that "Machiavelli was one of the first philosophers since ancient times to treat people not as children of God but as independent adults, forced to make choices without guidance from an all-seeing Father and to suffer the consequences of their mistakes." Do you feel that The Prince carries an anti-religious message, or that he, himself, is criticizing religion? Or is he merely trying to describe how politics works realistically without moral judgement? 

For Monday: Machiavelli, The Prince, Chs.10-19

The “Rainbow” Group should answer TWO of the following. In case you've forgotten, the group consists of Cody G, Mariana E, Kate C, Tim V, Savanna T, Skyler H, Callie C, Taylor J, Jaren S, Kyle F, .Babette R 

Answer two of the following:

Q1: In Chapter 11 Machiavelli writes, "the main foundations of every state...are good laws and good arms; and because you cannot have good laws without good arms, and where there are good arms, good laws inevitably follow, I shall not discuss laws but give my attention to arms" (40). Why are arms more important than laws, especially since most countries today believe that a Constitution (or related document) is the foundation of a ruler's power? 

Q2: In Chapter 13, he writes that "armor belonging to someone else either drops off you or weighs you down or is too tight" (46). How does this metaphor relate to the business of being a Prince and and wielding "good arms"?

Q3: In these chapters, Machiavelli describes the various qualities necessary to become an ideal prince. How do these compare to the qualities of an ideal courtier/gentleman in Renaissance society? How realistic or idealistic is he in presenting these qualities to the reader? (in other words, does he believe that the ideal is possible--or does he acknowledge it's all a sham?) 

Q4: In one of his more controversial statements, Machiavelli states that "it is far better to be feared than loved if you cannot be both" (54). Why is this? Also, what does this say about his fundamental understand of human psychology based on his study of history and politics? And does fear necessarily mean hatred? 

For Wednesday: The Prince, Letter to Lorenzo and Chapters 1-9 (pp.7-35)

The "Revenge" Group (Group 2) should answer TWO of the following questions. The members of the group are Liv C, Marissa M, Tara S, Jordan H, Kele P, Cody T, Estelle L, Anthony J, Casi B, Zach W, Brookelyn L

Answer TWO of the following for Wednesday’s class:

Q1: In the opening letter to Lorenzo de Medici, how does Machiavelli try to sell the importance of his book? Why does Lorenzo (who is in power) need to read the book and listen to Machiavelli (who is disgraced and exiled)?

Q2: According to the opening chapters, what is the biggest danger for a new prince? Why is winning the war only the beginning of his struggle for conquest? Consider his ideas for conquering nations such as Turkey and France, etc.

Q3: Though most books would encourage a prince to be kind and merciful to his subjects, Machiavelli, attempting to be honest, claims that a prince must often be cruel to rule his nation. However, he clarifies that “it is a question of cruelty used well or badly” (31). How can cruelty be used “well”? Isn’t any use of cruelty evil?

Q4: In Chapter 6, he talks about “armed” and “unarmed” prophets, which means people who inspire great changes among the people. Why, according to him, do “all armed prophets…conquer, and unarmed prophets come to grief” (21)? What makes being a prophet so dangerous? 

Paper #2 due This Friday (the 25th)

Paper #2: Intro to the East

Whatever such a man sees is a flower, and whatever such a mind dreams of is the moon” (Bashō, “The Records of a Travel-Worn Satchel)

INTRO: Both Lafcadio Hearn and Bashō are literary travelers who want to capture something of the essential spirit and character of Japan in their writings. Hearn’s stories, despite their supernatural origins, are highly poetic and full of metaphors that challenge the way we look at the world. In the same way, Basho’s haiku are like stories, showing how even the smallest details in life hint at hidden dramas that most of the world ignores. However, when you see everything as a “flower,” you consider the beauty in every object, and when all your dreams are of the “moon,” you question what the world is supposed to be (or tell you).

PROMPT: For this assignment, imagine that the publisher of a new edition of Kwaidan has asked you (as an expert on Japanese literature) to choose haiku to preface THREE of Hearn’s stories. By prefacing each story with a haiku, it gives the reader an “introduction” to the story and some ideas to consider as they read it. So your paper will take us through your selections, and explain why each haiku helps to illustrate the main idea, theme, or philosophy of the story. Be sure to QUOTE from both the haiku and the story: show us the lines/images that relate to one another, and help us see the connections between both works. Imagine that the haiku are like picture-book illustrations, guiding us to the ‘truth’ in each story, so we don’t dismiss them as simple ghost stories.

REQUIREMENTS:

• No set page limit; as long as it takes you to make meaningful connections between the poems and the stories. However, be wary of doing too little—I’m looking for thought and ideas, not page numbers.
• Connections and quotations: make sure we can see why you paired each poem with each story, and where you see literal connections that could helps someone ‘get’ each story.
• Cite according to MLA format, like so: In one of Basho’s haiku from “A Visit to Sarashina Village,” he writes that an ivy vine clings to a bridge, like “body and soul together” (Penguin 93). OR (Yuasa 93). * Cite the publisher or the translator followed by the page number.
• Due Friday, October 25^th by 5pm [no class that day]

For Monday: Basho, "The Narrow Road to the Deep North"

NOTE: Though this is a longer piece, read all or most of it for Monday, though we'll finish up our discussion of it on Wednesday. 

The"Love and Death" group should answer TWO of the following questions.
The students in this group are: Danielle M, Kara C, Sydney W, Bekkah T, Madison G, Erica M, Heather B, Raven J, Jack A, and Mya C

Q1: Unlike the other travel sketches, this one is largely in prose, with only a few touches of haiku spread throughout. Why do you think this is? Was he trying to write more poetically without writing poetry? Or is he trying to tell more of a story this time around? 

Q2: Basho is very excited to visit all the old monuments, shrines, and graves of famous ancient people--whether they are priests or kings. Why might this excite the interest of a poet, and what does he tend to see (or describe) in these places?

Q3: Basho has an interesting meeting with two young Concubines (prostitutes) that mirrors the earlier scene in "the Weather-Beaten Skeleton" with the little child. Why does he refuse to allow the Concubines to travel with him, and why does he even bother to record this experience? It seems like he would hide such moments from the reader.

Q4: In general, the haiku in this piece are different from the ones we've encountered elsewhere in the book. What makes them read or sound a little different? What qualities might he be striving for in this later poetry? Consider, too, the three qualities of haiku: metaphor, color, and honesty. 

For Wednesday: Basho, "The Records of a Travel-Worn Satchel" and "A Visit to Sarashina Village"

The “Rainbow” Group should answer TWO of the following. In case you've forgotten, the group consists of Cody G, Mariana E, Kate C, Tim V, Savanna T, Skyler H, Callie C, Taylor J, Jaren S, Kyle F, .Babette R

Q1: At the beginning of "The Records of a Travel-Worn Satchel," Basho writes, "all who have achieved real excellence in any art, possess one thing in common, that is, a mind to obey nature, to be one with nautre...Whatever such a mind sees is a a flower, and whatever such a mind dreams of is the moon" (71-72). What do you think he means by this last statement--that poets only see flowers and dream of moons?

Q2: According to Basho, what makes a good poem or a good piece of travel writing? Does he seem to think he's writing great poetry--or that he's a great artist? In other words, do you feel he's capable of following his own advice?

Q3: As in the last questions, discuss a single haiku that really stood out to you and examine it: what makes it unique and honest? What are the colors of the poem? And how do the metaphors transform our vision of the image/idea?

Q4: According to "A Visit to Sarashina Village," Basho claims, "The autumn wind inspired my heart with a desire to see the rise of the full moon over Mount Obasute" (91). This is a recurring idea throughout the book--the desire to see the rising moon over this and that landscape, and most of his travel take place in autumn. Why are the moon and autumn so important to his travels? What might they reveal or represent to a poet in love with nature and truth? 

For Monday: Basho, "The Records of a Weather-Exposed Skeleton" and "A Visit to the Kashima Shrine"

The "Revenge" Group (Group 2) should answer TWO of the following questions. The members of the group are Liv C, Marissa M, Tara S, Jordan H, Kele P, Cody T, Estelle L, Anthony J, Casi B, Zach W, Brookelyn L

Q1: In the first piece, Basho expresses his wish to "fall/A weather-exposed skeleton" (51). Though he clearly means he hopes to die on the road, why does he use this image? What does it mean to become a "weather-exposed skeleton"? How is this another, poetic way to view the idea of death or dying?

Q2: Discuss a specific haiku in either work that you found particularly meaningful or beautiful (or strange). How did it change the way you looked at the subject of the poem? What did he want you to experience/see in it? Remember the three categories of haiku: metaphor, color, and honesty.

Q3: How do his prose observations work with the poems? Do they merely introduce and set up the poems? Or are they meant to be poetic utterances themselves? Explain a passage that helps you answer this question.

Q4: In "A Visit to the Kashima Shrine," why do you think he gives so much space to other people's poetry? In fact, he doesn't seem to offer any of his own poetic insights. Also, why does he offer so many poems on the same subject?