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| Sir Francis Bacon |
Read the first two essays from Francis Bacon ("Of Truth", "Of Innovation").
Notes:
- "Of Truth" (the harder essay)
- He opens with Pilate's famous question to Christ.
- He notes that Skeptics (both the ancient sect and the modern, rather bloodless version) are to be found positing similar statements ("What is truth?" There is no absolute truth, etc.).
- He posits that lies may look prettier than the natural truth.
- Some say fiction and poetry is the wine of demons ("vinum daemonum").
- He says those "lies" are transitory at worst and that the dangerous lies are those that take up residence in the soul.
- He quotes Lucretius the pagan Epicurean who recognized that truth is the best vantage point possible for mankind (better than ship-watching from shore, better than watching a battle from a castle window).
- He breaks forth in glorious tripartite parallelisms as he meditates on the creation of the world and reason.
- He follows Montaigne in the thought that lies are shameful because they show boldness or disrespect toward God and cowardice toward man. We should be the reverse (reverent toward God and bold and true on earth).
- He takes the question in Luke 18 ("Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?"), and forms it into a statement to conclude his essay.
- "Of Innovation" (the easier essay)
- He considers innovation both positive and negative.
- Medicine is a good example of generally positive innovation.
- Consider how nature innovates without jarring revolution.
- We should beware governmental innovation.
- He concludes with a wonderful thought from Jeremiah 6:16.
- In five fine sentences, respond to either of the essays with your agreement, disagreement, and further thoughts on the given subject (truth or innovation).
- 10.3 From yesterday's Samuel Johnson reading: What did Johnson think of Milton's decision not to use rhyme and instead employ blank verse in his epic work?
- Review your rhetoric, and peruse this condensed lesson on rhetorical structure.
- 10.4 Find at least five examples of rhetorical schemes in Johnson's writing (you may quote from either or both essays by Johnson). Note the scheme (such as parallelism) and quote the example from the text.
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Jonathan Swift
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| Jonathan Swift |
Assignment:
- Add to Terms: Satire
- Read: A Modest Proposal
- Optional Extra Reading
- Read: A Beautiful Young Nymph Going to Bed (it's a sad, sad world, sometimes)
- For More Background (not required):
- "A Modest Proposal": There is one paragraph featuring a proliferation of colons. Explain what these colons help to create and how this paragraph exhibits a shift in tone.
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Samuel Johnson (1709--1784)
"One of the disadvantages of wine is that it makes a man mistake words for thoughts."
Johnson famously loved the coffee-house--with its robust, heated conversations, diatribes, and banter--featuring beer's new competitor: tea...and swallowed gallons of leaf-infused aqua vitae. Thus begins the our traditional connection between coffee-houses and literary genius.
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| Samuel Johnson (1709--1784) |
Notes:
- Samuel Johnson: Short Biographical Sketch
- Get his vital details (origins, years, and education)
- How much would his government pension of 300 pounds be worth today in U.S. dollars? List your sources, please.
- Johnson's Works, Too Briefly
- What kind of writing (genres) is Johnson famous for?
Reading Assignment and Journal
For More:
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