MODULE 1

1. While Plato insists the production of creative work, like poetry or drama, is dependent on
inspiration and nothing else, Longinus and Horace, in summarizing Aristotle’s Poetics,
say creative work is based on hard work, on the quality of the mind that produces a novel
or a dramatic production. In your opinion who was right? Plato or Aristotle? Explain.
In my opinion, I believe that both are right. Creative work is based on both
inspiration and hard work. Without inspiration how can one produce a sensible novel or
drama. Both had good points in their argument on the basis of creative work. Both have
different views on poetry and both entirely believes in different things. In modern times,
we find that both of their opinions are used in creating works of art, such as novels,
poetry and painting. Having inspiration is a good thing but inspiration alone cannot finish
the whole thing. A hard worker can turn any inspiration in to a beauty. Having both traits
can be helpful to artists.

2. In On the Sublime, Longinus mentions five elements of the sublime. If you reduce the
five into two -- the what and how in the artistic creation, how do you categorize
respectively the five elements into the what and the how?
According to Longinus, the five elements of the sublime are (1) Power of forming
great conception, (2) vehement and inspired passion, (3) formation of figures, (4) noble
diction, and (5) dignified and elevated composition. If reduced into two, the what and
how in the artistic creation, the what may contain power of forming great conception and
dignified and elevated composition. The how, on the other, would contain vehement and
inspired passion, the formation of figure, and the use of noble diction.

3. How do you interpret Psalm 23 in personal symbolic terms?

Psalm 23 has two major symbolism, the first being the shepherd and the second is
the host. The term sheperd is a metaphor for God. A shepherd is defined as someone who
tends and guides the direction of the flock. Like a shepherd, God looks after and nurtures
the flock. The flock here is known to be us, his followers. He guides us closer to him and
 home. He guides us to the right path, the good path, and also comes to our aide whenever
we get lost. The second term, though not explicitly mentioned, is host. In line 5, it states
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with
oil; my cup overflows.” The Lord and host are parallel to each other, both tend to guests,
making sure they have enough food and shelter for the night. Both take on the
responsibility to take care of others.

4. Why is it easier to accept William Neil’s interpretation of the Songs of Solomon than the
Hebrew-Christian traditional explanation of it?
The reason as to why it is easier to accept William Neil’s interpretation of the
Songs of Solomon than the Hebrew- Christian’s traditional interpretation is due to the
reason that the Hebrew- Christian interpretation was a textual approach in which the
poem has undergone a line to line analysis which is drastically different from the
impressionistic approach. Furthermore, Hebrew- Christian’s claim that there is no place
in the sacred book for poems that deal with sexual love.

5. Briefly explain the meaning of Horace’s “The Ship of State.”

The Ship of State tells the story of a Ship captained by a true pilot.
Together with him on this journey are sailors who, instead of obeying him, are fighting
over the position of the captain. This results to the ship sailing badly and not reaching its
destination.

6. We have been told that the title of a literary work can be a definer of its meaning. How
true is this in the case of “Love is All” by Catullus?
Love is All basically sums up what the poem is about. That when you are in love,
everything you do, see, hear, and speak reminds you or has something to do with the
person you love. It takes over you and becomes you.

7. St. Francis of Assisi and St. Paul. St. Augustine was a born-again Christian. Explain.
 The word “Born Again Christian” is a term that more often than not, is
misunderstood. This is not about the physical type of reborn but rather, a spiritual
renewal. These two Saints are considered to be born again Christians because they reason
that they gained faith in Jesus Christs and God even if they were from different religions.
They were able to develop a direct and personal relationship and connection with God
and thus, decided to be baptized as Christians.

MODULE 2
1. Explain the Divine Comedy as a Christian allegory.
The Divine Comedy of Dante is considered as a Christian allegory because it
represents the journey of souls to God. It also represents the dimensions of hell, purgatory
and paradise which many christians now believe to be true. It gives us a clear picture of
hell and its levels through the 7 deadly sins; limbo, lust, gluttony, greed, anger, heresy,
violence, fraud, and treachery.

2. Is there any indication that the girl in “New Love” is Beatrice, the girl in Dante’s life
whom he had known when he was nine years old?
It is said and commonly accepted by many scholars that Beatrice had been the
same Beatrice he had known when he was nine years old. It is also believed that she had
been the inspiration of Dante in writing Vita Nuova, but in Inferno she is known to be one
of the principal guides. In Inferno, Beatrice was Dante’s deceased fiance, upon death she
was taken by Lucifer as a deal she lost and became his bride.

3. You may consider the Boccaccio story as a faithful translation of the original version in
Italian. Comment on the prose and the method of story-telling in the story in relation to
any modern story that you have read.
The story starts of Simona and Pasquino begins in the third paragraph, it is likely
the intent of Boccaccio to captivate the reader. The story begins with Pamfilo, which tells
us that there is more than one story teller. In modern stories, such as the Illiad by Homer,
 the story starts in media res, set in the middle of the Trojan War. It tells of the war and
arguments between Achilles and King Agamemnon.

MODULE 3
1. What other lines in Michelangelo’s sonnet indicate the meaning of the poem?
In my opinion, the meaning of Michelangelo’s sonnet become prominent in the second
and eleventh line. The second line; And I be deluded, unbetrayed” and eleventh line;
With beauty, which is varying every hour. From these lines, it can be said that the poem is
about how beauty being seen as a physical aspect can fade, along with one’s idea of what
beauty really is. Mary’s love for her son, along with God’s love is one that will never
fade.

2. After the first four lines, what do the next ten lines of Du Bellay’s sonnet mean?
The next ten lines of Du Bellay’s sonnet mean that everything we love on this
earth is temporary. That the beauty we know of is only based on temporary things we see
on earth. We do not know whether the beauty in heaven is the same, but maybe the things
we will love there are permanent.

3. Mention at least 2 lines in the Shakespeare sonnet that state the meaning of the poem.
As can be seen from the Shakespearean sonnet, the author was trying to define what love
is and what it is not. The meaning of the poem can be found in the first line; Let me not to
the marriage of true minds, in which he is trying to say that love is perfect and does not
change. We can also see that in the second line of the poem; Admit impediments. Love is
not love. In this line, he is stating that one should not change when one starts to notice
changes in the loved one.

4. What is the meaning of envoy?

Envoy is an appointed representative or messenger. He or she is usually delegated on a
diplomatic mission, tasked to deal with specific issues.
 5. The Montaigne essay may be divided into three parts. What are the first and second
parts?

6. In what way is the character of Don Quixote quixotic?

Don Quixote was the type of character that was deemed to be too imaginative and
is impractical. He had certain ideas in his head in which turned out to be just his
imagination which ultimately, made things worse.

MODULE 4
1. What is the significance of Alceste’s adverse criticism of Oronte’s sonnet as the cause of
a near duel?
The significance of Alceste’s criticism of Oronte’s sonnet was that it was the point
of which Alceste realized Clemente frivolous conduct and hypocritical attitude was
becoming his own. Oronte’s reaction to the critic had shown him how harsh one attitude
can be someone.

2. What is the flaw in Celimene’s character that drives Alceste to misanthropy?

The flaw of Clemene’s character that drives Alceste to misanthropy is that
Célimène, is just as much a coquette and affected by the manners of the society as anyone
whom Alceste criticizes.

3. What are the requisites of being a philosopher and being happy thereby? There are 5
traits listed in the play.
According to the play, the five requisites of being a philosopher and being happy
is to first, divest oneself in nothing but passion. Second, to never fall in love with a
woman. Third, to always be temperate. Fourth, Face the consequences of excess and
lastly, eat only to supply the waste of nature.
4. Articulate the following in your own words:
a. Maxim 49
“We are never happy or as unhappy as we imagine ourselves to be,” this
statement says that we can never be truly happy as our imaginations perceive us to
be. We can never truly be unhappy unlike the image our imagination gives us.

b. Maxim 102
“The head is forever fooled by the heart,” this statement is very applicable
in our generation. The head is overruled by the heart because people believe that
the heart is right. People tend to believe that the heart never lies. It goes with the
saying that falling in love makes you do irrational things that one would never
normally do. The mind is more rational than the heart in things such as decisions
and judgements.

5. What is the moral lesson in “The Grasshopper and the Ant”?

The moral lesson of the story is that if you want to succeed, you need to start
planning and working now. Those who wait till the end never succeeds, procrastinating
will get you nowhere.

6. What is the moral lesson in “The Fox and the Crow”?

The moral lesson that can be found
In the story is that one should be wary of flattery. It is important to remember that not all
compliments are made out of good gestures. More often than one thinks, there are hidden
agendas beneath it.

7. What is “The Frog Who Would be an Ox” about?

The frog who would be an ox is a story about a frog who wished to be like an ox.
The frog tried to inflate itself as big as an ox but burst instead. The story boasts of its
morals against pride, envy and ambition.
MODULE 5
1. In what way is the reference to the story of Paris and Helen an element of Romanticism
in Faust?
Faust is not a romantic piece of literature but it has the characteristics of a
romanticism genre. The romanticism aspects of the story can be seen in the fertility of
chaos in which people long for order yet they were still in chaos. Another would be found
in the character of Gretchen who is described as the romantic heroine of the story. Her
readily giving herself up to Faust is an example for Romanticism in the story.

2. What is the historical reference to the poem’s title -- “The Cedars of Lebanon”? The
Bible and other references will provide the information.
The cedar tree is considered as an item of luxury and wealth. It is stated in the
Bible that Solomon procured cedar timbre to build the Temple in Jerusalem. Cedar trees
are also abundant in Lebanon, usually found in mountainous areas.

3. If Hugo’s characters -- including Jean Valjean -- represent characters who give the
illusion of real people, why is Les Miserables classified as a Romantic novel, not as a
realistic novel, like Dostoevshy’s The Brothers Karamazov, for instance?
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo discusses in detail the meaning of life and human
nature. It is classified as a Romantic novel and not a realist novel because it emphasizes
strong emotion, imagination, and overthrowing the previous social norms placed in
France, specifically aristocracy during his time. Though Hugo used both the components
of romanticism and realism to be able to show his feelings towards the actions of
humankind. Both components are also shown in the character of Jean Valjean and
Inspector Javert.
Romanticism is humanized by Jean Valjean, because Romanticism focuses on the
interests of ordinary people, which Valjean is. Another characteristic of Romanticism in
the characters is the inspiration of imagination, feelings, and emotions. Bishop Myriel
 shows this characteristics when he treated Valjean with respect and love. Another
characteristic present is an optimistic view, we see this when Valjean decides to take care
of Cosette, he learns how to love and passes the love to different people, in this he
discovers something good.
On the other side of this, Inspector Javert humanizes realism in this novel. A
characteristic of a realist is its pessimistic view. He is ashamed of his gypsy past, thinking
he isn’t much different to the other lowlifes. Another characteristic of Realism is that it
shows poverty, hardships, and harsh realities. Javert believes the law is the supreme
authority, never did he stop to question it. His suicide in the end was also a depiction of
realism.

MODULE 6
1. In a brief statement, explain sketchily what is the War of 1812. (The detailed answer to
this is to look up words in the dictionary or small encyclopedia or better yet a book on
European history.)
The War of 1812 was the first war declared by the United States of America, also
known as the Second War for Independence. The major causes of the war was Britain's
violation of maritime rights by disrupting American trade to France to strengthen
Britain's war efforts. During that time, the tensions of war between France and Britain
was increased by the Napoleonic Wars, as well as the French Revolution. Tension rose
between the US and Britain when the British Navy’s practice of impressment. There were
also tension within the United States with the Native American lands being conquered by
Americans. As well as America wanting to conquer Canada, who was still under British
influence at the time. In 1814, as an act of defiance, US troops captured and burned the
city York, now known as Toronto. As retaliation, British forces burned Washington, DC.
Russia came into the side of Britain but was rejected by London, while the United States
became allies with Napoleon which caused them to win the war in 1814. The war lasted
for 2 years and 8 months which ended with the signing of the Treaty of Ghent in 1814.
2. Comment on the role Pierre Bezuhov, the illegitimate son of a wealthy count.
Pierre Bezuhov catches the eyes of the readers as we see the contrast between him
and the Kuragins. His natural unpretentiousness against the artificialness of the other
characters are a direct attack on society as it was. His emotional directness does
sometimes get him in trouble, as seen with Helene, and his irrational impulses are
refreshing to the readers. His emotions becoming a main part of the story and the search
for the meaning of life as the theme.

3. Comment on the characterization of the three Karamazov sons.

The Karamazov Brothers were portrayed by Dostoyevski as very different
and similar people. The oldest Dmitri is described as innocent, emotional, feels genuine
remorse, dominated by passion. While Ivan, the second child, is described as having been
plagued by religious doubt, smart, demands a rational explanation for everything that
happens in the universe. Out of the brothers, Ivan was most affected by Dmitri’s
situation. The murder of his father greatly affected his religious views and drove him into
madness. The third and youngest, Alyosha, is described to possess a natural, simple faith
in God which reflects into a genuine love for mankind. He is also described as the
complete opposite of their father.

4. Ray B. West in The Art of Modern Fiction says the title of a literary piece is like a clasp
of a necklace. Explain using as illustration Madame Bovary.
In my opinion, the reason that the literary piece is like a clasp of a necklace is
because like the function of a clasp, holds everything together so that the necklace won’t
fall down. However, when it comes to choosing the style of the clasp, women usually
have a hard time deciding. This is similar to literary, due to the reason that, a turtle's main
function is to lure the readers and to somewhat summarize the story. This is similar to
Madame Bovary because although she was married it was very hard for her to remain
happy and to stay faithful with her husband. As can be seen from the story, she was a
very indecisive woman.
 5. Compare the family backgrounds of Tolstoy and Dostoyevski.
Tolstoy and Dostoyevski have a lot of similarities in their family background.
Both were born in Russia, Tolstoy in Tula Province while Dostoyevski in Moscow. Both
received their earlier education at home and both face loss. Tolstoy lost his parents at a
young age, while Dostoyevski lost his father when he joined the socialist circles. Both
used their loss as inspirations for their novels. Both used their view of social justice in
their written works

6. According to Henry James in his essay on fiction the primary aim of a novelist or a short
essay writer is to give an illusion of reality.
a. With James’ statement in mind how do you classify Tolstoy’s characterization of
Pierre Bezuhov?
Pierre Bezuhov is a perfect illusion of reality during the 1860’s. Tolstoy’s
aim in writing War and Peace was a way for him to characterize and humanize
human society’s perception on how people should interact. The norm in Russia
during his era was people behind masks to see where their other personality
would get them. Pierre Bezuhov was the exact opposite of that, Tolstoy’s concept
of Pierre was that he was outside of society, a step above and years ahead of his
own time.

b. Dostoyevski’s Dmitri?
Dostoyevski’s Dmitri is also an illusion of reality. He alike Pierre are both
emotional, he feels the weight of the sins he has committed. Like an ordinary
man, he feels genuinely remorseful for the crimes he has committed.

MODULE 7
Lesson 1
 1. What is the “doppelganger motif” as used in literature, in art, and other disciplines like
psychology?
The doppelganger motif in literature is described as a mirror-image of the
protagonist. It may have similar physical characteristics as the protagonist and may as
well have the same name. The doppelganger may also be the person’s past self.

2. Give three adjectives that describe the impression generated by the Leviathan.
Three adjectives that describe the impression generated by the Leviathan are
isolation, metaphorical and functional

Lesson 2
1. Explain in your own words the nature of the “dubious synthesis” that Peta, the
schoolteacher, mentions.
Dubious synthesis means doing things you have no full understanding of. You are
not sure why you are doing the thing that you are doing, what is it for and its purpose, yet
you do it willingly.

2. a. Explain the significance of the renewing action of spring as depicted in “Among Old
Houses.”
The renewing action of spring is significant to the poem “Among Old Houses”
because it shows the process of breaking down and restoring in the world of nature. The
poem somewhat revolves around the effects of industrialization. Spring, in this story,
symbolizes hope and yearly renewal.

b. Draw a parallel between that renewal, and a similar “renewal” in a human context or
situation.
The similarities between the renewal in the story and the renewal that happens in
human context is that they both mean starting off on a clean slate. It also means that
 whatever damage was made (industrialization) and whatever self inflicted damage was
made to a person, will not go away but rather, the situation will just get better over time.

Lesson 3
1. Considering the deteriorating situation presented in “Preludes,” of what significance is
the act of gathering fuel mentioned in the last line of the poem?

2. In “The Gettysburg Address,” Abraham Lincoln is ultimately pleading for the supremacy
of individual rights.
Expand the above statement by supplying your own reactions to the ideas Lincoln
mentions in his address and to the ideas mentioned in the analysis of the address.

Lesson 4
1. Either defend or deny the statement that: Pakhom was purely victimized by the Devil
through no fault of his own.
In my opinion, I agree that Pakhom was only victimized by the devil since the
devil overhead him say that having enough land would then protect him from the devil.
In turn, the devil has replied, “I shall see that you have plenty of land and that way I’ll get
you in my clutches.” Since then, the devil has disguised himself as Bashkir elder, the
traveling peasant, and the passing merchant. He decided to be a key player when it came
so significant situations of Pakhom’s life. The devil was successful in carrying out his
plan to lure Pakhom into buying various land and to his death.

2. How much land does a man really need, as indicated in the ending of this story?
According to the ending part of the story, the only amount of land that a man
really needs is one in which he can fit in. Pakhom really only needed three arshins worth
of land.
 3. Read the poem, “Colours,” again, and interpret the last two lines of the poem: “and that
the colours in my eyes will vanish / when your face sets.”
The poem revolves around an individual with new found crush. Yevtushenko
uses metaphor to describe the crush as a ray of sunshine that has just arrived which meant
that before this crush arrived, his life was sad and lonely. The last two lines “and that the
colours in my eyes will vanish / when your face sets.” refers to how a crush does not last
forever and that everybody will get over it, forget about it and move on.

Lesson 5
1. In “Three Lines from Li Po,” the poet indulges in a kind of whimsical satirizing in his use
of the word, “lovely.” Explain the satiric intent.
There are certain characteristics that a woman must have in order to be as finesse
as one’s typical and stereotypical “lady”. The word lovely has a satiric intent because
although these women are dressed nicely and covered in expensive jewelry and such,
they do not behave like they should and are gossiping.

2. Explain the most blissful moment asserted in the poem, “105.”

As can be seen from the poem, the most blissful moment is when the narrator
stated that he “should be in my mother's lap, let mother be in a tiny boat and that boat
float on a moonlit sea.”This is because the sea, sky and moon are usually used to
symbolize peace and epiphany.

3. Explain the reason the persona in “Sonnet XXVI” opts for perceiving the unfamiliar
aspects in our everyday familiar objects, surroundings, and routines.
This is because through seeing unfamiliar aspects or changed in our everyday
habits or routines would mean that our life becomes a lot more interesting and thus, our
life broadens and our knowledge gets wider too. If changes in routines were to happen
then there would be new discoveries.
Lesson 6
Assess the respective personalities of the following as they are depicted in the painting and
described by the author, Bharati Muhkerjee:
1. The Begum
2. The two priests
3. The little boy trying to untie the horses of the two courtiers. -

Based on the module It can be assessed that the Begum is someone from a high
ranking status and thus, is stereotypically deemed as one who has no regard for others
and who has little to no care for the poor. The two priests are said to be plotting a plan to
convert the Emperor to Christianity and how they can convince him to kiss the
Christ-child. From this, I believe that they are the type of priests that truly stay dedicated
to their faiths and will do anything to expand this and for it to grow. Lastly, the little boy
is seen to be untying the horses while the two courtiers are quarreling. There can be two
answers for the little boy, he can either be stealing the horses in order to sell them to
merchants in exchange for money or he pities these horses and wants to set them free.

Lesson 7
1. Explain the respective symbolism of the grasshopper and the bell cricket.
The grasshopper and the bell cricket is a symbolism for something common and
something rare. Like in the story grasshoppers are more commonly seen unlike the bell
cricket which is rare. In the story, the boy realizes that there are millions of girls that may
seem perfect for him, but only one that is the rarest and hardest to find among the
millions of perfect girls.

2. In your own opinion, is the persona-narrator in this story pessimistic or optimistic. Justify
your answer.
 The persona-narrator in this story is optimistic because of the tone it set on the
ending of the story. The ending was open and what might be. It leaves the reader feeling
happy and excited.

Lesson 8
1. What are the two “realities” mentioned in the poem, “Recognitions”?
The two realities mentioned in the poem are the richness of life with our
intuitional perception and the deep knowledge of the world.

2. To the persona in the poem, which “reality” is more revealing of the truth about ourselves
and of life in general?
Intuitional perception is more revealing to the truth about ourselves and life
because it is a pre-known experience which appears in our dreams and the present. It is
also the ability to analyze and instantly comprehend information that is newly perceived.

3. In the poem, “Cross-Roads,” what causes the loss of the persona’s religious guidance?
It is because of the persona’s belief that it is not Christ that greets us at the
crossroads but policemen who gives us direction to the path.

Lesson 9
1. Concerning the young wife and her affliction in the story, “Terminal,” do you think that
she gave up too easily, that her attempt to end her life was premature?

When I first read the story, yes I thought that she gave up too easily. But I did
have a realization in which she wanted to leave in order for him to start moving on. But it
is contradictory to what I feel to what she had done. Betrayal is the main theme of this
story and that's what I felt in her decision to end her life. As someone who is dying, she
should have lived her life as long as possible for both her happiness and the husband. The
 husband wanted to keep her promise to not revive her again but loved her too much to see
her go earlier than her designated time.

2. We may judge the husband to be a believable character as depicted in this story. What
motivates him to be so exemplary a husband?
His love for her was the thing that motivated him to become the exemplary
husband. This great love that he has for her was also the main reason as to why he did
what he did and thus, lead him to break their promise.