Elson Grammar School Literature Part 22

Lines 29-40. What do these lines mean?

In the following what is omitted? Man's (27); It's (38); o'er (39).

Why did Burns use the word "coward-slave"?

Does the poet say a man is "king of men" because he is poor?

What makes a man a king among his fellowmen?

Scotch words and their English equivalents: a'--all; wha--who; gowd--gold; hamely--homely; hodden--gray--coa.r.s.e gray cloth; gie--give; sae--so; birkie--clever fellow; ca'd--called; coof--dunce; aboon--above; guid--good; maunna fa'--must not try; gree--prize.

Words and Phrases for Discussion.

"toils obscure"

"pith o' sense"

"guinea stamp"

"ribband"

"star"

"belted knight"

SELECTIONS FROM SHAKESPEARE

1. MERCY

MERCHANT OF VENICE, ACT IV., SCENE I.

The quality of mercy is not strained; It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath; it is twice blessed; It blesseth him that gives, and him that takes.

'Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes The throned monarch better than his crown; His sceptre shows the force of temporal power, The attribute to awe and majesty, Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings: But mercy is above the sceptred sway: It is enthroned in the hearts of kings, It is an attribute of G.o.d himself: And earthly power doth then show likest G.o.d's, When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew, though justice be thy plea, consider this,-- That, in the course of justice, none of us Should see salvation; we do pray for mercy; And that same prayer doth teach us all to render The deeds of mercy.

HELPS TO STUDY.

Biographical and Historical: William Shakespeare, the greatest of English poets, indeed one of the greatest of the world's poets, was born in 1564 at Stratford-on-Avon. As a young man of twenty-two, after his marriage with Anne Hathaway, he went up to London, where he became connected with theaters, first, tradition says, by holding horses at the doors. The next twenty years he spent in London as an actor, and in writing poems and plays, later becoming a shareholder as well as an actor. The last ten years of his life were spent at Stratford, where he died at the age of fifty-two.

This was the time of Queen Elizabeth and is known as the Elizabethan Age.

It was the age richest in genius of all kinds, but especially in the creation of dramatic literature.

In the foregoing selection, Portia, disguised as a lawyer, makes this famous speech in pleading the cause of Antonio against Shylock.

Notes

"strained"--restrained "shows"--is the emblem of

Words and Phrases for Discussion.

"temporal power"

"sceptered sway"

"Earthly power doth then show likest G.o.d's When mercy seasons justice"

2. THE SEVEN AGES OF MAN

AS YOU LIKE IT, ACT II, SCENE 7.

ALL the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages. At first, the infant, Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms; Then the whining school-boy, with his satchel And s.h.i.+ning morning face, creeping like snail Unwillingly to school. And then the lover, Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad Made to his mistress' eye-brow. Then a soldier, Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard, Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel, Seeking the bubble reputation Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the Justice, In fair round belly with good capon lined,-- With eyes severe, and beard of formal cut, Full of wise saws and modern instances; And so he plays his part. The sixth age s.h.i.+fts Into the lean and slippered pantaloon, With spectacles on nose, and pouch on side; His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice, Turning again toward childish treble, pipes And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all, That ends this strange eventful history, Is second childishness, and mere oblivion, Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

HELPS TO STUDY.

Notes

"Mewling"--squalling.

"sudden"--impetuous.

"sans"--without.

"his"--its, which was just coming into use at this time.

"formal cut"--trim, near--not s.h.a.ggy as that of the soldier's, "wise saws"--wise sayings.

"modern instances"--everyday examples, ill.u.s.trations.

"strange oaths"--soldiers are proverbially profane--probably satirical reference to the affectation of foreign oaths by soldiers who have been abroad.

Words and Phrases for Discussion.

Comparisons: "creeping like snail"

"sighing like furnace"

"bearded like the pard"

"eyes severe"

"woeful ballad"

"mere oblivion"

"Seeking the bubble reputation Even in the cannon's mouth"

3. POLONIUS'S ADVICE

HAMLET, ACT I, SCENE 3.

Give thy thoughts no tongue, Nor any unproportioned thought his act.