THE SONNETS, Part 2 (Cue "Mission Impossible" Theme Music)

Your assignment for next Monday, should you choose to accept it:
1) Put your sonnet in your own words, line by line.
2) Sum up the sonnet in a single sentence of your own words. What is it's essential message?
3) Look through your sonnet carefully and mark (circle, underline, whatever works for you) Shakespeare's use of the following figures of speech (a verbal expression in which words or sounds are arranged in a particular way to achieve a particular effect.) :

• Alliteration
  The repetition of the same or similar sounds at the beginning of words. Some famous examples of alliteration are tongue twisters such as She sells seashells by the seashore and Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
  

• Antithesis
  A figure of speech in which words and phrases with opposite meanings are balanced against each other. An example of antithesis is "To err is human, to forgive, divine."This is actually a double antithesis, to err is set up against to forgive, and human set up against divine.

• Assonance
  The repetition or a pattern of similar sounds, especially vowel sounds, as in the tongue twister Moses supposes his toeses are roses.

• Consonance
  The repetition of similar consonant sounds, especially at the ends of words, as in lost and past or confess and dismiss.

• Metaphor
  A figure of speech in which two things are compared, usually by saying one thing is another, or by substituting a more descriptive word for the more common or usual word that would be expected. Some examples of metaphors: the world's a stage, he was a lion in battle, drowning in debt, and a sea of troubles.

• Metonymy
  A figure of speech in which one word is substituted for another with which it is closely associated. For example, in the expression The pen is mightier than the sword, the word pen is used for "the written word," and sword is used for "military power."

• Onomatopoeia
  A figure of speech in which words are used to imitate sounds. Examples of onomatopoeic words are buzz, hiss, zing, pop, splat, thump, and tick-tock. "The moan of doves in immemorial elms,/And murmuring of innumerable bees" from Tennyson's Come Down, O Maid. The repeated "m/n" sounds reinforce the idea of "murmuring" by imitating the hum of insects on a warm summer day.

• Personification
  A figure of speech in which nonhuman things or abstract ideas are given human attributes: the sky is crying, dead leaves danced in the wind, blind justice.

• Simile
  A figure of speech in which two things are compared using the word "like" or "as." An example of a simile using like occurs in Langston Hughes's poem Harlem: "What happens to a dream deferred?/ Does it dry up/ like a raisin in the sun?"

• Synecdoche
  A figure of speech in which a part is used to designate the whole or the whole is used to designate a part. For example, the phrase "all hands on deck" means "all men on deck," not just their hands.
  

4) Read the play Measure for Measure. Just do your best. Definitely read one of the summaries (all the way through, Leith!) Think about Who These Character Are so that you can bring a dish INSPIRED by one of them to our M4M Potluck, March 6, 6pm, Althea's house! Map/Directions will be provided at Monday's class

Good luck everyone. I know you can do it. No need to self-destruct. See you on Monday!

Althea

We Happy Few (Henry V, Act IV, sc 3)

As of Sunday morning, we are seven:

1. Jeanette Burkhardt
2. Leith Gaines
3. Gale Arnold
4. Sydney Bellamy
5. Andy Bell
6. Tom Butler
7. John Haugse

There are others who have expressed interest, but have not officially signed up nor signed off. (You know who you are...) This leaves 3 possible spaces open for grabs. If you know someone who might like to join us, please invite them to visit this blog and sign up!

For those few, those happy few who have already made the commitment, please prepare your homework and join me to see who shows up Monday evening at 5pm, Columbia Center for the Arts Theatre, 215 Cascade Street, Hood River. I will be there early, and plan to lock the doors at 5 o'clock. If you are arriving late you will need to call my cell: 541-490-3782.

Can't wait to see meet my new "band of brothers" (...and by that, of course, I mean sisters, as well-- the Bard knows not of PC language).

althea

HOMEWORK!

Yes, my dear ones, there is homework before the first class. Fear Not! It is easy!

1) Read the blog entry "Our First Class" below. Be on time, please. Bring comfy clothes and water, paper, pen.

2) Choose a sonnet that speaks to you. Don't make it hard, just pick one you like. (Tip: You can tell a lot by the first line. Feel free to skim.) There is a link to the full text of all the sonnets in the "links" section, and I have listed some well-known faves by number. (Shakespeare's sonnets don't have titles, they have numbers.) Print out the full text of the sonnet of your choice in a large, clear font so it is easy to read. Bring 2 copies with you to class.

3) Read one of the summaries of Measure for Measure listed in the "links" section, so you have any idea of the story. You are welcome to read the full text of the play (listed under "links" as well) but you don't gotta. Yet.

I am beginning to understand that blogging is difficult for some of you. We will work through this together. My hope is that we can all use this blog as a clearing house for information. That saves me the hassle of leaving the same voice-mail 10 times and/or typing out emails that might not make it through everyone's spam filter. And you can check the blog any time day or night to find out whatever you might need to know about class. Sure sounds good, let's see how it works!

Gale On Board!

Ok already, I will take the class!
And I already read M4M and am picking out my sonnet!

Gale

Who's in Class?

Sign up for Shakespeare Without Fear!
Just click on "comments" below, give me your name, phone number, email address, and tell me something about your interest in Shakespeare. I will then issue (or re-issue) your invitation via email to join this blog as a member, so we can all meet "online" between classes.

(Even if you think, "But she knows I am planning to take class--- she must be talking to those other people..." Please, please, please ease my mind and SIGN UP HERE, then respond to the durn blog invite when it comes! How do I know you are out there if I can't hear you breathing? Thanks.)

Feel free to look around the blog while you're here-- there are links to your HOMEWORK for the FIRST NIGHT OF CLASS-- which is MONDAY, FEB. 25th from 5pm-7pm at the Columbia Center for the Arts in Hood River.

Full payment ( $125) is due on or before the first night of class. Your payment secures your place in class. So if you are serious, get that check in the mail, my friend. Mailing address: Althea Hukari, 4665 Kenwood Drive, Hood River, OR, 97031

Looking forward to seeing you all on Monday! Feel free to post any questions here. Thanks!

Our First Class

Our first meeting is Monday, Feb 25th, 5-7 pm, Theatre in the Columbia Center for the Arts. (I apologize for misdirection on my part about the starting date via recent email!)

Please come on time--early is good. Wear (or bring) soft, comfortable "gym" clothes that you don't mind getting dirty. (No jeans!) Dress in layers in case the room is cold or we get warm from the work. Bring water. You might bring a towel or yoga mat for floor work. And, of course, you'll want some kind of notebook and writing instrument.

BEFORE CLASS:

1) Please choose one of Shakespeare's sonnets that you'd like to work with, and bring TWO easily legible copies of the sonnet with you to class. (You'll find a link to the full text of all the sonnets under the Links sidebar.) You are welcome to choose any sonnet that speaks to you--there are more then a hundred! If you'd like to narrow your options down, here's a list (by number) of some of my favorites:

18, 23, 27, 29, 30, 34, 55, 64, 71, 94, 116, 129, 130, 138, 140, 141, 143, 147

2) Please read your choice of one of the "Scene-by-Scene Summaries of the Play, Measure for Measure" (here after referred to as M4M) listed under the Links sidebar . If you like, you are welcome to read the full text of the play, as well as the commentaries, historical info, anything else you find of interest in the links provided.

Yup, that's right, homework before class even gets started! Just to get you in the Shakespearean frame of mind. As one of my most beloved voice teachers used to say: Are you ready for a heightened experience?

Check Out the Flyer!

(If you click on the image it will enlarge. Magic!)

Kick the Tires, Baby

Anyone who was invited to this blog should be able to post on it. In fact, I think until and unless we "close" the blog, ANYONE should be able to post.... Or at least comment. Well, clearly, I am no expert at this stuff, so I would love to hear from you "invitees" just to reassure me that this oh-so-helpful-technology works as it should....

So, please, if you hear me out there, post away!

althea

Welcome, Strangers!

I'm launching this blog as a way for people interested to exploring Shakespeare in the Columbia Gorge area to get and stay in touch. As some of you know, I have big dreams for an outside Shakespeare-in-the-Parks-like event happening in our area. Someday, maybe soon.

I am also committed to teaching Shakespeare from the inside out-- by that I mean that I've found the most effective way to study these texts is by embodying them. Shakespeare's works were written not to be read, but to be spoken out loud, to be inhabited, to be put into action and shared with an audience. In short, Shakespeare wrote for actors. When you act a Shakespearean text you enter a uniquely intimate relationship with him-- you enter his mind, and he enters yours. Believe me, you will find things out about the text, the world and yourself you would not discover any other way.

You don't need to know "how to do" Shakespeare. In fact, such a notion can be severely limiting. You need only to bring your humanity, your capacity for wonder, your curiosity about yourself and the world around you, an open mind, and a willingness to try things out on your feet. The texts will teach you everything else.

In this spirit, I am offering my first local class on Shakespeare starting Feb 25, 2008: Shakespeare Without Fear. Meeting for eight Mondays from 5-7 pm at the Theatre in the Columbia Center for the Arts, we will work on sonnets, scenes and a single play, Measure for Measure. The work will be physical as well as mental and emotional (and hell, maybe even spiritual-- have you read this stuff?) -- so please dress in layers and for freedom of movement, and bring water with you, as well as a notebook and pen.

I 'll need 8 participants to make the class happen, and I will not take more then 10. Cost for the 8 weeks is $125.00 due on or before the first night of class.

Please feel free to ask any questions you have about the upcoming class by commenting here and I will try to address them the same way. If you want to reach me privately you can email me: althea.hukari@gmail.com

Thanks, and I look forward to seeing you soon!

Althea