Your exam on Beowulf will be on February 24th or February 25th.
You will be developing a literary argument from one of the concepts we have covered over the last three weeks. The topic you receive will be randomly selected for you. You will be expected to develop a literary argument, which will be your thesis. This thesis will address the identification of a literary component/device/aspect and an argument to its significance to the meaning of the text. Look through the requirements of a thesis. . .how to make a thesis arguable. . checklist of a thesis before test date.
You will then sketch out a rough outline to follow. When you are done, you will construct your argument. I am expecting a small introduction, which essentially addresses the significance of the topic and then your thesis. You will then develop your argument, which must be a thorough examination of the primary text. You will have access to your text; therefore, you will be expected to cite from the text often. (and properly). At a certain point in the class period, I will give you a certain period of time to access JSTOR to find a secondary source to integrate into your argument in a thoughtful manner.
To ready for the exam, I would:
1. Review your notes and the assignments we have covered leading up to the test. Ideally, there should be the textual evidence already collected. Examine this.
2. Start thinking of some arguments to be made with each concept.
3. Review MLA guidelines for heading, poetry lines in-text citation, article citation.
4. Review how to integrate quotations into writing.
5. Review the steps of writing, especially the elements of argument and section structures.
6. Review thesis how-tos and checklist.
7. Familiarize yourself with the login procedures and the navigation of JSTOR.
8. Look over some articles in JSTOR.
9. Charge your Chromebook.
10. Review significant literary terms that will be applicable to each component of
Beowulf.
11. Review/memorize the literary theory questions of Formalism and Archetypal schools (help develop your thesis)
Concepts covered:
Formalist reading of
Beowulf.
Archetypal reading of
Beowulf.
Beowulf as an epic.
Beowulf as epic hero.
Anglo-Saxon literary techniques (kennings, alliteration, caesuras) and . . .
The oral literary tradition. . . which leads to. .
The stories within the text of
Beowulf.
Religious influence on
Beowulf.
Characterization in
Beowulf.
The Heroic and Elegiac Traditions in
Beowulf.
Exam requirements on test day:
1.
Beowulf text
2. Chromebook
3. Access to JSTOR
4. 1 sheet of paper for outline
Not allowed on test day:
1. Notes
2. Access to any other websites on Chromebook. Use only for 1. Word processing 2. JSTOR at allowed time.
3. Pre-populated outline
